Sket Dance
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara and serialized
, beginning in July 2007, in Shueisha
's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
. Sket Dance won the 55th annual Shogakukan Manga Award
in 2009 for best shōnen manga. An anime
adaptation, produced by Tatsunoko, premiered on April 7, 2011 on TV Tokyo.
The story is told through a series of short, self-contained stories focusing on cases undertaken by the Sket Dan and is usually told in the space of one to two chapters. Cases to date focus on a variety of issues from more humorous cases (like chasing monkeys around the school or helping a wanna-be samurai
find out why he cannot win kendo
tournaments) to more serious cases (like those hinting at Himeko's violent past or those concerning near-terminal illness
).
Characters from previous cases also often make cameos in later ones and recurring storylines, such as the Sket Dan rivalry with the school's Student Council.
shōnen
magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
. As of May 2011, the serial chapters are collected into 19 tankōbon
with the first one published on November 2, 2007, and the fifteenth on September 3, 2010.
Outside Japan, the series is licensed by Tong Li Publishing in Taiwan.
premiered on April 7, 2011 on TV Tokyo
. The anime currently uses six pieces of theme music. The first opening theme is "Kakkowarui I Love You" by French Kiss
of AKB48
the second opening theme is "Michi!" by The Sketchbook and the third opening theme is "Graffiti" by Gackt
. The first ending theme to the series is "Comic Sonic" by the pillows
the second ending theme music is "Clover" by The Sketchbook and the third and currently final ending theme is "Milk and Chocolate" by ChocoLe.
for best shōnen manga.
In September 2009, Japanese publisher Shueisha issued an apology in the 42nd weekly issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump over a depiction of main characters, Bossun and Himeko, inhaling helium to raise the pitch of their voices. The scene drew criticism for online forums and blogs over the danger of suffocation from breathing helium.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara and serialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
, beginning in July 2007, in Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
. Sket Dance won the 55th annual Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
in 2009 for best shōnen manga. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation, produced by Tatsunoko, premiered on April 7, 2011 on TV Tokyo.
Plot
The manga focuses on the (mis)adventures of Kaimei High School's campus support club, the Sket Dan (Katakana: "スケット・ダン"; Kanji: "助人団"; Transliterration: "Suketto Dan"; Translation: "Helper's Club"; included English acronym: "SKET (Support, Kindness, Encouragement, and Troubleshoot)"). Dedicated to the general improvement of campus life, the Sket Dan is devoted to solving any & all problems submitted by the staff or student body. However, due to its general lack of meaningful assignments & the unglamorous reputation of being just a 'group of handymen', the Sket Dan is treated with widespread contempt and it is composed of only three members.The story is told through a series of short, self-contained stories focusing on cases undertaken by the Sket Dan and is usually told in the space of one to two chapters. Cases to date focus on a variety of issues from more humorous cases (like chasing monkeys around the school or helping a wanna-be samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
find out why he cannot win kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
tournaments) to more serious cases (like those hinting at Himeko's violent past or those concerning near-terminal illness
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
).
Characters from previous cases also often make cameos in later ones and recurring storylines, such as the Sket Dan rivalry with the school's Student Council.
Manga
This series is written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara and serialized in ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
. As of May 2011, the serial chapters are collected into 19 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
with the first one published on November 2, 2007, and the fifteenth on September 3, 2010.
Outside Japan, the series is licensed by Tong Li Publishing in Taiwan.
Drama CDs
Shueisha released one drama CD Sket Dance ドラマCD (ISBN 978-4-08-901169-0) on October 30, 2009, and a second Sket Dance 2 ドラマCD (ISBN 978-4-08-901171-3) is scheduled for release on April 28, 2010.Anime
An anime adaption produced by Tatsunoko ProductionTatsunoko Production
, often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. Founded in October 1962 by acclaimed anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida along with his brothers Kenji and Toyoharu...
premiered on April 7, 2011 on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
. The anime currently uses six pieces of theme music. The first opening theme is "Kakkowarui I Love You" by French Kiss
French Kiss (band)
is a sub-unit of all-female Japanese pop group AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto.-History:It was announced on June 28, 2010 by Kashiwagi that French Kiss would be formed and debuted with a single , at AKB48 Team-B's stage performance. "Zutto mae kara" was used as the ending theme song for anime...
of AKB48
AKB48
AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart...
the second opening theme is "Michi!" by The Sketchbook and the third opening theme is "Graffiti" by Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
. The first ending theme to the series is "Comic Sonic" by the pillows
The pillows
The Pillows are a Japanese rock band. The group has released more than a dozen original studio albums, along with several EPs, singles and compilations...
the second ending theme music is "Clover" by The Sketchbook and the third and currently final ending theme is "Milk and Chocolate" by ChocoLe.
| No. | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
Reception
From volume 6 onward, Sket Dance has consistently debuted on the weekly best sellers list for manga in Japan. Volume 6 debuted at number 9. Volumes 7, 9, and 10 debuted at number 11. Volume 8 debuted at number 13 while volume 11 debuted at number 12. In January 2010, Sket Dance was announced as the winner of the 55th annual Shogakukan Manga AwardShogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for best shōnen manga.
In September 2009, Japanese publisher Shueisha issued an apology in the 42nd weekly issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump over a depiction of main characters, Bossun and Himeko, inhaling helium to raise the pitch of their voices. The scene drew criticism for online forums and blogs over the danger of suffocation from breathing helium.
External links
- Official Website
- Sket Dance at TV Tokyo