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Soul Eater (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo
. Set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy," the series revolves around three teams consisting of a weapon meister and (at least one) human weapon. Trying to make the latter a "Death Scythe" and thus fit for use by the academy's headmaster, Shinigami (better known as Death), they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, in that order; otherwise, they will have to start all over again. The manga is published by Square Enix
and was first released as three separate one-shots serialized in two Gangan Powered special editions and one Gangan Wing issue between June 24 and November 26, 2003. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
manga magazine on May 12, 2004. The first bound volume
was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan, and as of September 2011, 20 volumes have been released. The manga has been licensed for distribution in North America
by Yen Press
. The English translated version of Soul Eater is serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
manga anthology magazine starting on July 29, 2008, and the first manga volume was released on October 27, 2009.
A single drama CD was produced on August 31, 2005 which came bundled with an art book. An anime
adaptation produced by Bones
first aired on TV Tokyo
in Japan on April 7, 2008, and contained 51 episodes; Funimation
licensed the anime series for North American distribution. An action-adventure
video game by Square Enix for the Wii
was released in September 2008, and an action
video game for the Nintendo DS
was released in October 2008. Another action game was released in January 2009 on the PlayStation 2
and PlayStation Portable
. Another manga series which will run alongside the main series, titled Soul Eater Not!, began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan on January 12, 2011.
In Soul Eater, Maka Albarn and her weapon partner Soul Eater are students at — for short—located in the fictional Death City in Nevada
, United States
. The school has many other students including Black Star with his weapon partner Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and Death the Kid with his weapon partners Liz and Patty Thompson. The school is run by Shinigami, Death
himself, as a training facility for weapons and the human wielders of those weapons, the meisters. Maka's goal, along with the other meisters, is to have their weapons defeat and absorb the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch
, which will dramatically increase the power of the given weapon and turn them into death scythes, weapons capable of being used by shinigami
. In the universe of Soul Eater, witches are powerful beings and the natural enemies of DWMA, as almost all of them have a destructive nature and desire anarchy.
Shortly after the start of Soul Eater, Maka and Soul Eater face off against the forces of the witch Medusa Gorgon, who forces her child, the meister Crona and wielder of the demon sword Ragnarok, to collect non-evil human souls to transform Crona into a , an evil demon god. Medusa and her cohorts attack DWMA with the intention of reviving Asura, the first kishin who nearly plunged the entire world into madness before being sealed beneath DWMA by Shinigami. Despite the combined efforts of Maka, Black Star, and Death the Kid, Medusa's group successfully revives Asura, who leaves to spread chaos around the world after a brief battle with Shinigami. However, Medusa is seemingly killed by the meister and DWMA teacher Franken Stein in the process, while Crona surrenders to DWMA and goes on to enroll there and befriend Maka.
As a result of Asura's spreading madness, Medusa's older sister Arachne comes out of hiding after 800 years. Arachne reforms her organization Arachnophobia, which poses itself as a serious threat to DWMA. Shinigami calls in death scythes from around the world to aid in the fight against Arachnophobia. During this time, Medusa resurfaces with her soul in the body of a young girl, and forms a truce with DWMA so they can annihilate the threat of Arachnophobia together. The DWMA students and Medusa's entourage infiltrate Arachnophobia's headquarters where Maka defeats Arachne, only for Medusa to betray them, possessing Arachne's body and brainwashing Crona into rejoining her. Meanwhile, Death the Kid is captured by Noah, an enemy posing as the former meister Eibon. Following this, Maka finally succeeds in turning Soul Eater into a death scythe, and the duo become part of the newly formed meister unit Spartoi along their friends, which successfully manages to rescue Death the Kid and take down Noah.
While the members of DWMA try to find about Asura's whereabouts, Maka and Soul follow Medusa's trail in hopes to rescue Crona, unaware that Crona was brainwashed and is once again her servant. Meanwhile, Crona resurfaces in Moscow and kills the death scythe that is stationed there and imprisons the entire city in a dome of black blood, which causes Soul to go temporarily insane when he comes in contact with it. Afterwards, Crona kills Medusa. Later on, Shinigami orders Maka to kill Chrona due to her destroying a city and killing a death scythe. When Maka uses her soul perception to try and find Chrona, she accidentally finds Asura on the moon instead.
series faithfully adapts the plot of the manga until DWMA's first major battle against Arachnophobia, at which point it deviates from the manga's plot considerably. After giving DWMA information on Arachnophobia, Medusa takes advantage of Stein's increasing madness to lure him away with her. Crona and Marie leave the DWMA in search of Stein. In the ensuing battle, Crona and Marie manage to bring back Stein to the DWMA after Maka arrives and defeats Medusa. Meanwhile, Arachne finds and forms an alliance with Asura, intending to spread his madness across the world. In the ensuing confrontation between DWMA and Arachnophobia, Shinigami and Asura resume their fight, which ends with Asura defeating Shinigami, subsequently turning on Arachne and eating her soul. In the final battle, Maka, Black Star, Death the Kid, and their respective weapons defeat Asura, and the world returns to normal.
The time line appears to take place prior to the events in Soul Eater. Sid is not a zombie and Medusa is a nurse at the school; which suggests that the events take place before Soul and Maka encounter Blair at the start of the original series. Kim is also still yet to be revealed as a witch. There are also some other differences from the main series, such as Kim and Jacqueline not being partners yet. Also, in an effort to hide her status as a witch, Kim alienates other students through deceiving them and being cruel, which makes her personality on the surface much different from the main series.
. Japanese readers were so fascinated by it that Ōkubo created two other one-shots called "Black Star" and "Death The Kid." The results were high and the editor Gangan Comics asked Atsushi Ōkubo to create a series from his one-shots which became the introduction chapters to the final manga series Soul Eater.
Atsushi Ōkubo reveals that he creates the main characters by inspiring from his personality; like the dunce for Black Star, the order for Death The Kid or the fun for Patty. Other characters like protagonists and antagonists are created from his imagination and also from his previous favorite manga, like the sun and the moon smiling over Death City are inspired from his favorite manga Dr. Slump
because it used many nonliving objects as if they were humans. Unlike many shōnen manga, Soul Eaters main character is a teenage girl, Maka Albarn, because Ōkubo felt that readers would be more interested than with a male character. The background and design of Death City, the main town where the characters are living, is mainly inspired from Tim Burton
and David Lynch
films.
series written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo
. The manga initially began as three separate one-shots serialized between June 24, 2003 and November 26, 2003 across two manga magazines published by Square Enix
: first in the summer 2003 special edition of Gangan Powered, followed by the autumn 2003 special edition of the same magazine, and finally in Gangan Wing. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
manga magazine on May 12, 2004. The first bound volume
was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan, and as of September 22, 2011, 20 volumes have been released. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press
for distribution in English
in North America
. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was sold on October 27, 2009; the second was released on February 23, 2010. Another manga series which will run alongside the main series, titled , began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan on January 12, 2011. Soul Eater Not! is licensed by Yen Press, and will be released in English simultaneously.
was released on August 31, 2005 by Square Enix
entitled . The CD came bundled with an art book and a script
of the CD dialogue. Of the cast used for the drama CD, only Black Star's voice actress
Yumiko Kobayashi
was retained for the anime voice cast.
adaptation was directed by Takuya Igarashi
, and produced by Bones
, Aniplex
, Dentsu
, Media Factory
, and TV Tokyo
; Bones and Aniplex were responsible for the animation and music production respectively. The anime's scenario writer was Akatsuki Yamatoya who based the anime's story on Atsushi Ōkubo
original concept. Character design was headed by Yoshiyuki Ito, with overall art direction by Norifumi Nakamura. The anime's conceptual design was done by Shinji Aramaki
. The episodes started airing on April 7, 2008 on TV Tokyo, and two animated specials aired on May 29 and June 1, 2008. The episodes also aired at later dates on TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido
, TV Osaka
, TV Setouchi
, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co
. The final episode aired on March 30, 2009. The first DVD
compilation volume was released on August 22, 2008 with the first three episodes. The second DVD
compilation volume was released on September 25, 2008 with episodes four through seven. Each DVD volume will be released in monthly intervals. The anime was licensed by Funimation, who released the series in four half-season DVD box sets starting with the first volume in February 2010. All 51 subtitled episodes are available on Funimation's website, along with the first four episodes dubbed in English. In addition, all 51 of the English dubbed episodes are also available for streaming on Netflix
and Hulu is adding the episodes as they are dubbed. Soul Eater is Bones' third anime series to run with 50-51 episodes, after 2003's
Fullmetal Alchemist
and 2005's
Eureka Seven
.
The anime was regularly broadcast Mondays at 6:00 pm on TV Tokyo. The official Japanese website of the Soul Eater anime series announced that each episode will air in two different versions: the regular Monday 6:00 p.m. version and a late-night "Soul Eater Late Show" version. Special footage was added at the start and end of the commercial break; the next episode preview was also different from the regular version. The dual broadcast of this supernatural action series was being billed as the "world's first evening and late-night resonance broadcast". The "resonance" term refers to a story concept in which the characters, such as the heroine Maka and her living weapon partner Soul Eater, achieve maximum power by synchronizing their souls. MTV Portugal
premiered Soul Eater on February 1, 2010. In the Philippines, Soul Eater aired in a Tagalog version over the cable channel Hero TV which will last from April to June 2010. The anime made its North American television debut when it started airing on the Funimation Channel
on September 6, 2010. The series is being rebroadcast by TV Tokyo under the title as of September 30, 2010, featuring new opening and closing themes.
video game exclusively for the Wii
and developed by Square Enix
with Bones
was released on September 25, 2008, in Japan only. and are two original playable characters exclusive for the game designed by the author, Atsushi Ōkubo. Ponera is the Monotone Princess and Grimoire is known as Noah in the manga. A soundtrack called was released as a pre-order bonus CD. is an action game
produced by Namco Bandai Games
for the Nintendo DS
and was released on October 23, 2008. is a fighting game
produced by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 2
and PlayStation Portable
and was released on January 29, 2009.
are used for the episodes; two opening themes and four closing themes. The first opening theme is "Resonance
" by T.M.Revolution for the first thirty episodes, and the single
was released on June 11, 2008. The second opening theme is "Papermoon
" by Tommy heavenly6
from episode thirty-one onwards; the single was released on December 10, 2008 by DefStar Records
. The first closing theme is "I Wanna Be" by Stance Punks
for the first thirteen episodes, and the fifty-first episode; the single was released on June 4, 2008. The second closing theme is "Style" by Kana Nishino
from episode 14 to 26; the single was released on August 13, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
. The third closing theme is by Soul'd Out
's Diggy-Mo from episode 27 to 39; the single was released on November 26, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The final closing theme is "Strength" by Abingdon Boys School
from episode 40 through episode 50; the single was released on February 25, 2009. The anime rebroadcasting features two additional opening and closing themes. The first opening is "Counter Identity" by Unison Square Garden, released in autumn 2010, and the first ending is by Yui Makino
, released on November 10, 2010. The second opening is by Shion Tsuji
was released on March 9, 2011, and "Northern Lights" by How Merry Marry.
The first character song
maxi single
sung by Chiaki Omigawa
(Maka) and Kōki Uchiyama
(Soul) was released on August 6, 2008 by Aniplex
. The second single by Yumiko Kobayashi
(Black Star) and Kaori Nazuka
(Tsubaki) was released on September 3, 2008, and the third single by Mamoru Miyano
(Kid), Akeno Watanabe
(Liz), and Narumi Takahira
(Patty) was released on October 1, 2008. Two original soundtracks for the anime were released on August 27, 2008 and March 18, 2009 by Aniplex. The theme song for Soul Eater: Monotone Princess is "Soul's Crossing" sung by T.M.Revolution, and is included on the "Resonance" single.
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...
written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo
Atsushi Okubo
, also romanized as Atsushi Ohkubo, is a Japanese manga author and fantasy artist known for his work on the manga series Soul Eater, which has been adapted into an anime. Okubo worked as an assistant under Rando Ayamine, on the manga series Get Backers...
. Set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy," the series revolves around three teams consisting of a weapon meister and (at least one) human weapon. Trying to make the latter a "Death Scythe" and thus fit for use by the academy's headmaster, Shinigami (better known as Death), they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, in that order; otherwise, they will have to start all over again. The manga is published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
and was first released as three separate one-shots serialized in two Gangan Powered special editions and one Gangan Wing issue between June 24 and November 26, 2003. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
manga magazine on May 12, 2004. The first bound volume
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...
was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan, and as of September 2011, 20 volumes have been released. The manga has been licensed for distribution in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
. The English translated version of Soul Eater is serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
Yen Plus
Yen Plus is an American monthly anthology magazine of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Original English-language manga published by Yen Press. The first issue went on sale on July 29, 2008 with five manga titles originally published by Gangan Comics, four manhwa titles, and two OEL manga titles...
manga anthology magazine starting on July 29, 2008, and the first manga volume was released on October 27, 2009.
A single drama CD was produced on August 31, 2005 which came bundled with an art book. 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 Bones
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
first aired 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...
in Japan on April 7, 2008, and contained 51 episodes; Funimation
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
licensed the anime series for North American distribution. An action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game by Square Enix for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
was released in September 2008, and an action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
was released in October 2008. Another action game was released in January 2009 on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. Another manga series which will run alongside the main series, titled Soul Eater Not!, began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan on January 12, 2011.
Plot
In Soul Eater, Maka Albarn and her weapon partner Soul Eater are students at — for short—located in the fictional Death City in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school has many other students including Black Star with his weapon partner Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and Death the Kid with his weapon partners Liz and Patty Thompson. The school is run by Shinigami, Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
himself, as a training facility for weapons and the human wielders of those weapons, the meisters. Maka's goal, along with the other meisters, is to have their weapons defeat and absorb the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, which will dramatically increase the power of the given weapon and turn them into death scythes, weapons capable of being used by shinigami
Shinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
. In the universe of Soul Eater, witches are powerful beings and the natural enemies of DWMA, as almost all of them have a destructive nature and desire anarchy.
Shortly after the start of Soul Eater, Maka and Soul Eater face off against the forces of the witch Medusa Gorgon, who forces her child, the meister Crona and wielder of the demon sword Ragnarok, to collect non-evil human souls to transform Crona into a , an evil demon god. Medusa and her cohorts attack DWMA with the intention of reviving Asura, the first kishin who nearly plunged the entire world into madness before being sealed beneath DWMA by Shinigami. Despite the combined efforts of Maka, Black Star, and Death the Kid, Medusa's group successfully revives Asura, who leaves to spread chaos around the world after a brief battle with Shinigami. However, Medusa is seemingly killed by the meister and DWMA teacher Franken Stein in the process, while Crona surrenders to DWMA and goes on to enroll there and befriend Maka.
As a result of Asura's spreading madness, Medusa's older sister Arachne comes out of hiding after 800 years. Arachne reforms her organization Arachnophobia, which poses itself as a serious threat to DWMA. Shinigami calls in death scythes from around the world to aid in the fight against Arachnophobia. During this time, Medusa resurfaces with her soul in the body of a young girl, and forms a truce with DWMA so they can annihilate the threat of Arachnophobia together. The DWMA students and Medusa's entourage infiltrate Arachnophobia's headquarters where Maka defeats Arachne, only for Medusa to betray them, possessing Arachne's body and brainwashing Crona into rejoining her. Meanwhile, Death the Kid is captured by Noah, an enemy posing as the former meister Eibon. Following this, Maka finally succeeds in turning Soul Eater into a death scythe, and the duo become part of the newly formed meister unit Spartoi along their friends, which successfully manages to rescue Death the Kid and take down Noah.
While the members of DWMA try to find about Asura's whereabouts, Maka and Soul follow Medusa's trail in hopes to rescue Crona, unaware that Crona was brainwashed and is once again her servant. Meanwhile, Crona resurfaces in Moscow and kills the death scythe that is stationed there and imprisons the entire city in a dome of black blood, which causes Soul to go temporarily insane when he comes in contact with it. Afterwards, Crona kills Medusa. Later on, Shinigami orders Maka to kill Chrona due to her destroying a city and killing a death scythe. When Maka uses her soul perception to try and find Chrona, she accidentally finds Asura on the moon instead.
Differences in the anime adaptation
The animeAnime
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....
series faithfully adapts the plot of the manga until DWMA's first major battle against Arachnophobia, at which point it deviates from the manga's plot considerably. After giving DWMA information on Arachnophobia, Medusa takes advantage of Stein's increasing madness to lure him away with her. Crona and Marie leave the DWMA in search of Stein. In the ensuing battle, Crona and Marie manage to bring back Stein to the DWMA after Maka arrives and defeats Medusa. Meanwhile, Arachne finds and forms an alliance with Asura, intending to spread his madness across the world. In the ensuing confrontation between DWMA and Arachnophobia, Shinigami and Asura resume their fight, which ends with Asura defeating Shinigami, subsequently turning on Arachne and eating her soul. In the final battle, Maka, Black Star, Death the Kid, and their respective weapons defeat Asura, and the world returns to normal.
Soul Eater Not!
Soul Eater Not! is a side-story to the main series, focusing on a freshman weapon named Tsugumi Harudori, who joins two other meisters, Meme and Anya. All three take part in the NOT (Normally Overcome Target) class at the DWMA for weapons and meisters who aim to just learn to control their powers in order to overcome their difficulties to have a normal life in opposite to the battle oriented EAT (Especially Advanced Talent) class taken by Maka, Soul and their companions who usually make cameo appearances. Here, Shaula Gorgon, the third Gorgon Sister is introduced as the antagonist.The time line appears to take place prior to the events in Soul Eater. Sid is not a zombie and Medusa is a nurse at the school; which suggests that the events take place before Soul and Maka encounter Blair at the start of the original series. Kim is also still yet to be revealed as a witch. There are also some other differences from the main series, such as Kim and Jacqueline not being partners yet. Also, in an effort to hide her status as a witch, Kim alienates other students through deceiving them and being cruel, which makes her personality on the surface much different from the main series.
Development
After the end of his first manga series, B.Ichi, Atsushi Ōkubo created a one-shot story called "Soul Eater" published in Monthly Shōnen GanganMonthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
. Japanese readers were so fascinated by it that Ōkubo created two other one-shots called "Black Star" and "Death The Kid." The results were high and the editor Gangan Comics asked Atsushi Ōkubo to create a series from his one-shots which became the introduction chapters to the final manga series Soul Eater.
Atsushi Ōkubo reveals that he creates the main characters by inspiring from his personality; like the dunce for Black Star, the order for Death The Kid or the fun for Patty. Other characters like protagonists and antagonists are created from his imagination and also from his previous favorite manga, like the sun and the moon smiling over Death City are inspired from his favorite manga Dr. Slump
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology comic Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1980 to 1984 which were collected into 18 tankōbon volumes...
because it used many nonliving objects as if they were humans. Unlike many shōnen manga, Soul Eaters main character is a teenage girl, Maka Albarn, because Ōkubo felt that readers would be more interested than with a male character. The background and design of Death City, the main town where the characters are living, is mainly inspired from Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
and David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
films.
Manga
Soul Eater began as a mangaManga
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 Atsushi Ōkubo
Atsushi Okubo
, also romanized as Atsushi Ohkubo, is a Japanese manga author and fantasy artist known for his work on the manga series Soul Eater, which has been adapted into an anime. Okubo worked as an assistant under Rando Ayamine, on the manga series Get Backers...
. The manga initially began as three separate one-shots serialized between June 24, 2003 and November 26, 2003 across two manga magazines published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
: first in the summer 2003 special edition of Gangan Powered, followed by the autumn 2003 special edition of the same magazine, and finally in Gangan Wing. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
manga magazine on May 12, 2004. The first bound volume
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...
was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan, and as of September 22, 2011, 20 volumes have been released. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press
Yen Press
Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...
for distribution in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus
Yen Plus
Yen Plus is an American monthly anthology magazine of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Original English-language manga published by Yen Press. The first issue went on sale on July 29, 2008 with five manga titles originally published by Gangan Comics, four manhwa titles, and two OEL manga titles...
anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was sold on October 27, 2009; the second was released on February 23, 2010. Another manga series which will run alongside the main series, titled , began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan on January 12, 2011. Soul Eater Not! is licensed by Yen Press, and will be released in English simultaneously.
Drama CD
A drama CDRadio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
was released on August 31, 2005 by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
entitled . The CD came bundled with an art book and a script
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
of the CD dialogue. Of the cast used for the drama CD, only Black Star's voice actress
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
Yumiko Kobayashi
Yumiko Kobayashi
is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently a freelance voice actor but until August 2007 was affiliated with Arts Vision.She and fellow Excel Saga voice actress Mikako Takahashi are known as the duo "The Excel Girls"...
was retained for the anime voice cast.
Anime
A 51-episode animeAnime
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 was directed by Takuya Igarashi
Takuya Igarashi
is a Japanese freelance anime director who originally worked for Toei Animation. He has also sometimes used the alias .-Anime involved in:*Ashita no Nadja*Futari wa Pretty Cure*Kingyo Chuuihou!*Konjiki no Gash Bell!!*Mushishi*Ojamajo Doremi...
, and produced by Bones
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
, Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
, Dentsu
Dentsu
is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
, Media Factory
Media Factory
is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...
, and 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...
; Bones and Aniplex were responsible for the animation and music production respectively. The anime's scenario writer was Akatsuki Yamatoya who based the anime's story on Atsushi Ōkubo
Atsushi Okubo
, also romanized as Atsushi Ohkubo, is a Japanese manga author and fantasy artist known for his work on the manga series Soul Eater, which has been adapted into an anime. Okubo worked as an assistant under Rando Ayamine, on the manga series Get Backers...
original concept. Character design was headed by Yoshiyuki Ito, with overall art direction by Norifumi Nakamura. The anime's conceptual design was done by Shinji Aramaki
Shinji Aramaki
is a Japanese anime director and mechanical designer, born in Fukuoka Prefecture. He was a member of Artmic.He is noted for work on powered exoskeletons and his mecha and CG design on several anime series.-As director:...
. The episodes started airing on April 7, 2008 on TV Tokyo, and two animated specials aired on May 29 and June 1, 2008. The episodes also aired at later dates on TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido
TV Hokkaido
is a TV station headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is affiliated with TXN.- Offices :*Headquarters - 6-12-4, Odori-higashi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo*Tokyo office - Hashizen Building, Shinbashi, Minato, Tokyo...
, TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
, TV Setouchi
TV Setouchi
is a TV station in Japan.It is one of the TX Network stations, broadcasting in Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture, and it is an only TXN's TV station in Chugoku-Shikoku region....
, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co
Television in Japan
Television broadcasting in Japan started in 1939, making the country one of the first in the world with an experimental television service. In spite of that, because of the beginning of World War II in the Pacific region, this first experimentation lasted only a few months...
. The final episode aired on March 30, 2009. The first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilation volume was released on August 22, 2008 with the first three episodes. The second DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilation volume was released on September 25, 2008 with episodes four through seven. Each DVD volume will be released in monthly intervals. The anime was licensed by Funimation, who released the series in four half-season DVD box sets starting with the first volume in February 2010. All 51 subtitled episodes are available on Funimation's website, along with the first four episodes dubbed in English. In addition, all 51 of the English dubbed episodes are also available for streaming on Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
and Hulu is adding the episodes as they are dubbed. Soul Eater is Bones' third anime series to run with 50-51 episodes, after 2003's
2003 in television
The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...
and 2005's
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
Eureka Seven
Eureka Seven
Eureka Seven, known in Japan as , is a mecha anime TV series by Bones. Eureka Seven tells the story of Renton Thurston and the outlaw group Gekkostate, his relationship with the enigmatic mecha pilot Eureka, and the mystery of the Coralians....
.
The anime was regularly broadcast Mondays at 6:00 pm on TV Tokyo. The official Japanese website of the Soul Eater anime series announced that each episode will air in two different versions: the regular Monday 6:00 p.m. version and a late-night "Soul Eater Late Show" version. Special footage was added at the start and end of the commercial break; the next episode preview was also different from the regular version. The dual broadcast of this supernatural action series was being billed as the "world's first evening and late-night resonance broadcast". The "resonance" term refers to a story concept in which the characters, such as the heroine Maka and her living weapon partner Soul Eater, achieve maximum power by synchronizing their souls. MTV Portugal
MTV Portugal
MTV Portugal is a 24-hour general entertainment channel serving Portugal.The channel was launched on July 1, 2003 replacing MTV Europe within the territory. In its initial stages MTV Portugal shared similar content to MTV Spain and MTV Italy, while also airing programming from MTV US and MTV Europe...
premiered Soul Eater on February 1, 2010. In the Philippines, Soul Eater aired in a Tagalog version over the cable channel Hero TV which will last from April to June 2010. The anime made its North American television debut when it started airing on the Funimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
on September 6, 2010. The series is being rebroadcast by TV Tokyo under the title as of September 30, 2010, featuring new opening and closing themes.
Video games
, an action-adventureAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game exclusively for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and developed by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
with Bones
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
was released on September 25, 2008, in Japan only. and are two original playable characters exclusive for the game designed by the author, Atsushi Ōkubo. Ponera is the Monotone Princess and Grimoire is known as Noah in the manga. A soundtrack called was released as a pre-order bonus CD. is an action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
produced by Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and was released on October 23, 2008. is a fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
produced by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and was released on January 29, 2009.
Music
Six pieces of theme musicTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
are used for the episodes; two opening themes and four closing themes. The first opening theme is "Resonance
Resonance (T.M.Revolution song)
"Resonance" is the twenty-second single from T.M.Revolution released on June 11, 2008 in Japan by Epic Records Japan. "Resonance" was released three years after T.M.Revolution's twenty-first single "Vestige". The single was released in three types of editions: CD-only, CD+DVD and CD+Blu-ray Disc;...
" by T.M.Revolution for the first thirty episodes, and the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released on June 11, 2008. The second opening theme is "Papermoon
Papermoon
"Papermoon" is Tommy heavenly6's 9th single and Tomoko Kawase's 16th single overall, which was released on December 10, 2008. Since The Brilliant Green made their comeback, Kawase had been very inactive as a solo singer. Since "Papermoon" has been released, it marks her first solo single in over a...
" by Tommy heavenly6
Tomoko Kawase
Tomoko Kawase is a Japanese female singer. Tomoko is the lead vocalist of the rock/pop group The Brilliant Green, and as a solo artist she has released music under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and later as Tommy heavenly6.-1995-2002: The Brilliant Green:In 1995, after bassist Shunsaku...
from episode thirty-one onwards; the single was released on December 10, 2008 by DefStar Records
DefSTAR Records
, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....
. The first closing theme is "I Wanna Be" by Stance Punks
Stance punks
Stance Punks are a Japanese punk rock band, formed in 1999. The band gained fame through their performances at a rooftop live-venue in Shimokitazawa....
for the first thirteen episodes, and the fifty-first episode; the single was released on June 4, 2008. The second closing theme is "Style" by Kana Nishino
Kana Nishino
is a J-Pop singer and lyricist signed with SME Records' Newcome Inc. She debuted on February 20, 2008, with the single "I". CNN said that she was the favorite singer of teenage girls in Shibuya, Tokyo.- Life and career :...
from episode 14 to 26; the single was released on August 13, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
. The third closing theme is by Soul'd Out
SOUL'd OUT
Soul'd Out is a Japanese hip-hop band that consists of three members: Diggy-MO' , Bro.Hi , and Shinnosuke . Their name is a pun of "soul " and "sold out"...
's Diggy-Mo from episode 27 to 39; the single was released on November 26, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The final closing theme is "Strength" by Abingdon Boys School
Abingdon boys school
Abingdon Boys School, stylized as abingdon boys school and abbreviated as a.b.s, is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa....
from episode 40 through episode 50; the single was released on February 25, 2009. The anime rebroadcasting features two additional opening and closing themes. The first opening is "Counter Identity" by Unison Square Garden, released in autumn 2010, and the first ending is by Yui Makino
Yui Makino
is a Japanese voice actor, actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for her work in the anime Tsubasa Chronicle and Aria. She can speak basic English. She is well known as a nice, caring, polite and a down-to-earth person, according to her fans. Her fans sometimes call her "Yucchi",...
, released on November 10, 2010. The second opening is by Shion Tsuji
Shion Tsuji
is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "Sky Chord ," which was used as the 18th ending theme song for the anime Bleach.- Biography :...
was released on March 9, 2011, and "Northern Lights" by How Merry Marry.
The first character song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
sung by Chiaki Omigawa
Chiaki Omigawa
is a Japanese actress and voice actress. She became a voice actress after debuting with her role in Soul Eater.-Appearances:Leading roles are in bold.* Arakawa Under the Bridge...
(Maka) and Kōki Uchiyama
Koki Uchiyama
is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Saitama Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Gekidan Himawari.Uchiyama mainly voices over young males, such as in the Kingdom Hearts series, and rarely makes public appearances in the media as a seiyū...
(Soul) was released on August 6, 2008 by Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
. The second single by Yumiko Kobayashi
Yumiko Kobayashi
is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently a freelance voice actor but until August 2007 was affiliated with Arts Vision.She and fellow Excel Saga voice actress Mikako Takahashi are known as the duo "The Excel Girls"...
(Black Star) and Kaori Nazuka
Kaori Nazuka
is a freelance voice actress and singer. She is a graduate of the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. She also announced that she got married in February 2011.-TV anime:1999:*Ojarumaru...
(Tsubaki) was released on September 3, 2008, and the third single by Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer from Saitama. He is best known for his roles on Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and Kōtetsu Sangokushi. At the 2007 Seiyu Awards he was nominated for two awards for his role as Light Yagami in Death Note, and in 2008, he...
(Kid), Akeno Watanabe
Akeno Watanabe
is a Japanese voice actor born in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She works at Osawa Office and her nickname is Akenon. She currently stars in Pokémon Best Wishes as Ash's newest rival, Shooti and from Episode 17 onwards has begun voicing Ash's Scraggy.-Anime:...
(Liz), and Narumi Takahira
Narumi Takahira
is a Japanese voice actress.-Filmograpny:* Soul Eater , Patty Thompson* Ryoko's Case File , High School Girl* Darker than Black: Ryūsei no Gemini , Ariel-External links:*...
(Patty) was released on October 1, 2008. Two original soundtracks for the anime were released on August 27, 2008 and March 18, 2009 by Aniplex. The theme song for Soul Eater: Monotone Princess is "Soul's Crossing" sung by T.M.Revolution, and is included on the "Resonance" single.
External links
- Manga official website
- Anime official website
- Soul Eater at TV TokyoTV Tokyois 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...
- Soul Eater: Monotone Princess video game official website
- Soul Eater: Plot of Medusa video game official website
- Soul Eater: Battle Resonance video game official website
- Soul Eater anime at Funimation