Togari (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Yoshinori Natsume
. The story follows orphan Tobei, who was beheaded for committing countless crimes in the Edo period
and sent to Hell
where he suffered for 300 years. The regent of Hell makes Tobei an offer to slay 108 "Togas" (spiritual manifestations of sin) in 108 days in 21st-century Japan with Togari, a magical sword. Tobei readily agrees for the chance to be free from Hell.
The manga was serialised in Shogakukan
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 2000 to 2002, ending the series prematurely at 68 chapters. The individual chapters were published into 8 tankōbon
volumes with no solid ending. The abrupt ending was intentional as the last four pages of volume 8 has a spoof advertisement for "Togari: The Perfect Edition". Then the publishers apologises for the spoof the last page of the volume. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
and in France by Delcourt
.
Given Tobei's dismal moral progress over the course of 300 years, he was made an offer to escape: take the Togari, (a magical bokken
with strength proportional to the user's evil spirit
) and slay 108 "Toga", spiritual manifestations of great sin that drive a human's actions, in 108 days. Ose, the demon responsible for torturing Tobei in Hell, was told to watch over Tobei while Tobei accomplished his mission.
However, Tobei was subject to two particular rules so as to facilitate his moral reshaping: Firstly, he cannot commit any sin
s or crime
s; even if he begins thinking about committing a sin, the wounds from his decapitation 300 years ago will begin opening. If he actually completes a sin, he will be decapitated and sent back to Hell. Secondly, he cannot physically harm people. If he does, then the same damage is done to himself.
Impeding Tobei's mission, however, is a property of the sword Togari: if Tobei loses control of it, then Togari will absorb him (so that he suffers eternally within Togari, along with all other souls of people who have failed this mission in the past). Furthermore, unlike in Hell, when all his physical wounds healed almost instantly, Tobei's body is mortal on Earth.
Under the supervision of Ose, who often takes the form of a dog while watching over Tobei, Tobei attempts to slay 108 Toga in the real world, and lives a different life than he did 300 years ago in part because of the people he meets and the restrictions against sinning placed on his body.
films and with a concept that the protagonist is a "pure bad guy", author Natsume drew Tobei based on "someone who looked like he [would] be beheaded as a criminal". Lady Ema was first drawn by Natsume with an image of Enma Daio in mind but "she ended up turning into a sexy bombshell". Togari was cancelled in its serialisation run in Weekly Shōnen Sunday by the magazine.
. The manga was serialised in Shogakukan
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 2000 to 2002, ending the series prematurely at 68 chapters. The individual chapters were published into 8 tankōbon volumes with no solid ending. The abrupt ending is intentional by the publishers as the last four pages of volume 8 has a spoof advertisement for "Togari: The Perfect Edition". Then the publishers apologise for the spoof the last page of the volume. Shogakukan released the manga's 8 tankōbon volumes between January 2001 and March 18, 2008. Viz Media
released the manga in North America in 8 tankōbon volumes between July 10, 2007 and September 9, 2008. Delcourt
released the manga in France in 8 tankōbon volumes between August 1, 2002 and December 5, 2003.
Natsume started manga's sequel, Togari Shiro in Media Factory
's Monthly Comic Flapper magazine on October 5, 2009.
's art was commended for featuring "heavy inks, lots of crosshatching, and copious amounts of shading". Mania.com's Patricia Beard feels that the manga makes a "compelling read" by "laying out its premise and conditions by the mid-point of the first volume". Manga Life's Michael Aronson comments that the manga simply rearranges the "premise of every other pop manga series. We have an anachronistic protagonist (InuYasha
) who’s rather impure at heart (Death Note
) hunting spirits that no one else can see (Bleach
)". Ed Sizemore from Comics Worth Reading criticises the series for ending its unfinished story with volume 8. As well as "putting salt in the wound" by advertising for "Togari: The Perfect Edition" in the last four pages, with the last sentence of the ad reading: "Sorry, this was all a joke! Thank you all for reading." Jason Thompson
's online appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
compares Togari to InuYasha in their shared theme of "a villain gradually [turning] into a good guy" commenting that "Togari makes a stronger than usual effort to show Tobe’s gradual socialization process." Thompson also comments on the art "while not nearly as scary as the premise suggests, is clean and chiseled, similar to Ryōji Minagawa
."
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 Yoshinori Natsume
Yoshinori Natsume
is a Japanese manga artist.He created Togari and authored the prestige format Batman manga mini-series Batman: Death Mask,in April 2008.-Works:A list of completed or working on projects:* Togari* Kurozakuro* Batman: Death Mask...
. The story follows orphan Tobei, who was beheaded for committing countless crimes in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and sent to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
where he suffered for 300 years. The regent of Hell makes Tobei an offer to slay 108 "Togas" (spiritual manifestations of sin) in 108 days in 21st-century Japan with Togari, a magical sword. Tobei readily agrees for the chance to be free from Hell.
The manga was serialised in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 2000 to 2002, ending the series prematurely at 68 chapters. The individual chapters were published into 8 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...
volumes with no solid ending. The abrupt ending was intentional as the last four pages of volume 8 has a spoof advertisement for "Togari: The Perfect Edition". Then the publishers apologises for the spoof the last page of the volume. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
and in France by Delcourt
Delcourt (publisher)
Delcourt is a French publishing house that specializes in comics and manga.It was founded in 1986 through the fusion of the magazines Charlie Mensuel and Pilote...
.
Plot
The plot centers around an orphan known as Tobei who lived in Japan 300 years ago and committed countless violent crimes until the age of 16, when he was beheaded by villagers and subsequently sent to Hell as punishment. During his supposedly eternal punishment, Tobei made repeated escape attempts and became known for a particularly fiery spirit, everlasting determination, and a continuing refusal to repent for his sins.Given Tobei's dismal moral progress over the course of 300 years, he was made an offer to escape: take the Togari, (a magical bokken
Bokken
A bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...
with strength proportional to the user's evil spirit
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
) and slay 108 "Toga", spiritual manifestations of great sin that drive a human's actions, in 108 days. Ose, the demon responsible for torturing Tobei in Hell, was told to watch over Tobei while Tobei accomplished his mission.
However, Tobei was subject to two particular rules so as to facilitate his moral reshaping: Firstly, he cannot commit any sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s or crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
s; even if he begins thinking about committing a sin, the wounds from his decapitation 300 years ago will begin opening. If he actually completes a sin, he will be decapitated and sent back to Hell. Secondly, he cannot physically harm people. If he does, then the same damage is done to himself.
Impeding Tobei's mission, however, is a property of the sword Togari: if Tobei loses control of it, then Togari will absorb him (so that he suffers eternally within Togari, along with all other souls of people who have failed this mission in the past). Furthermore, unlike in Hell, when all his physical wounds healed almost instantly, Tobei's body is mortal on Earth.
Under the supervision of Ose, who often takes the form of a dog while watching over Tobei, Tobei attempts to slay 108 Toga in the real world, and lives a different life than he did 300 years ago in part because of the people he meets and the restrictions against sinning placed on his body.
Development
Inspired by Japanese samuraiSamurai
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...
films and with a concept that the protagonist is a "pure bad guy", author Natsume drew Tobei based on "someone who looked like he [would] be beheaded as a criminal". Lady Ema was first drawn by Natsume with an image of Enma Daio in mind but "she ended up turning into a sexy bombshell". Togari was cancelled in its serialisation run in Weekly Shōnen Sunday by the magazine.
Characters
- Tobei lived as a young child during the Edo periodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
of Japan. He didn't have any parents and lived on the streets and barely survived as a child. After killing a nobleman, he took away his identity documentIdentity documentAn identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
proving that he is Tobei Kihara, but his real name is unknown. Everyone who came to meet him told him over and over again that he should "just die" and "go to hell". He was often abused and tortured by the townsfolk. As he grew up he learned he had to steal things, including lives, or he wouldn't survive. Eventually, he ended up going into murderous rages and killed everyone who was in his way. He was soon caught after killing so many people and was beheaded at sixteen. Since his death, Tobei had been living in Hell for 300 years, tortured by Ose so he can "repent for his sins". Tobei has tried to escape Hell numerous times, but was always caught by Ose. One day he was offered by Lady Ema that if he could collect 108 sins in 108 days then he could be free to return to the earth. He hastily takes the opportunity without thinking of the consequences.
- Itsuki is a young high school girl whose father was murdered when she was still a child. She hates that her father's killer is still at large and probably living in peace. She became a tomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
after her father's death. Itsuki has a strong sense of justice and is the first to get a reaction from Tobei, other than blood lust, just by thanking him for saving her (though not really intentional) after she was nearly raped and murdered by a thug.
- Ose has been Tobei's handler for 100 years. He was originally an angelAngelAngels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
. He was ordered by Lady Ema to follow Tobei in the human world as a dog to make sure that he doesn't disrupt the order of the natural world. He is often mistaken by other people as Tobei's pet.
- Lady Ema is the regent of Hell. She offered Tobei freedom from Hell if he could collect 108 sins in 108 days with Togari. She oversees Tobei and Ose in the present time as a young business woman.
- Detective Sawazaki is a University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
graduate. He is an over-qualified police detectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who has passed the first-class civil servantCivil serviceThe term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
exam. He is highly suspicious of Tobei and follows the Toga-removed victims of Tobei closely. He comments that all the victims suffer from "psychological trauma" when arrested.
Release
Togari is written and illustrated by Yoshinori NatsumeYoshinori Natsume
is a Japanese manga artist.He created Togari and authored the prestige format Batman manga mini-series Batman: Death Mask,in April 2008.-Works:A list of completed or working on projects:* Togari* Kurozakuro* Batman: Death Mask...
. The manga was serialised in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 2000 to 2002, ending the series prematurely at 68 chapters. The individual chapters were published into 8 tankōbon volumes with no solid ending. The abrupt ending is intentional by the publishers as the last four pages of volume 8 has a spoof advertisement for "Togari: The Perfect Edition". Then the publishers apologise for the spoof the last page of the volume. Shogakukan released the manga's 8 tankōbon volumes between January 2001 and March 18, 2008. Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
released the manga in North America in 8 tankōbon volumes between July 10, 2007 and September 9, 2008. Delcourt
Delcourt (publisher)
Delcourt is a French publishing house that specializes in comics and manga.It was founded in 1986 through the fusion of the magazines Charlie Mensuel and Pilote...
released the manga in France in 8 tankōbon volumes between August 1, 2002 and December 5, 2003.
Natsume started manga's sequel, Togari Shiro in 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...
's Monthly Comic Flapper magazine on October 5, 2009.
Reception
Yoshinori NatsumeYoshinori Natsume
is a Japanese manga artist.He created Togari and authored the prestige format Batman manga mini-series Batman: Death Mask,in April 2008.-Works:A list of completed or working on projects:* Togari* Kurozakuro* Batman: Death Mask...
's art was commended for featuring "heavy inks, lots of crosshatching, and copious amounts of shading". Mania.com's Patricia Beard feels that the manga makes a "compelling read" by "laying out its premise and conditions by the mid-point of the first volume". Manga Life's Michael Aronson comments that the manga simply rearranges the "premise of every other pop manga series. We have an anachronistic protagonist (InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
) who’s rather impure at heart (Death Note
Death Note
is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
) hunting spirits that no one else can see (Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
)". Ed Sizemore from Comics Worth Reading criticises the series for ending its unfinished story with volume 8. As well as "putting salt in the wound" by advertising for "Togari: The Perfect Edition" in the last four pages, with the last sentence of the ad reading: "Sorry, this was all a joke! Thank you all for reading." Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
's online appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
compares Togari to InuYasha in their shared theme of "a villain gradually [turning] into a good guy" commenting that "Togari makes a stronger than usual effort to show Tobe’s gradual socialization process." Thompson also comments on the art "while not nearly as scary as the premise suggests, is clean and chiseled, similar to Ryōji Minagawa
Ryoji Minagawa
' is a Japanese manga artist born in Sumida, Tokyo.He was invited with Spriggan story writer Hiroshi Takashige to go to a comic convention in Portugal in 1996 as a guest of honor due to his work on Spriggan. He worked on other manga comics before he went on to create Project ARMS with fellow manga...
."