Tokyo Underground
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series by Akinobu Uraka
and published by Enix
. It became an anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot
and shown on the TV Tokyo
Network from April 2 until September 24, 2002.
The TV series was released on DVD by Geneon Entertainment in the US and Canada, released as a boxset by Manga Entertainment
in the UK and by Tokyo Night Train in Australia. It also aired in Canada on the digital channel G4techTV
Canada, starting on July 22, 2007 at 8:30 pm ET/PT.
's underground railway system is a world called , populated by Elemental Users, people who can manipulate various elements
. When the Maiden of Life, Ruri Sarasa, and her bodyguard
, Gravity User Chelsea Rorec escape to the surface, they take refuge with swordsman Rumina Asagi and his bespectacled best friend Ginosuke Isuzu. During a battle with the flame-using Seki, Rumina is killed and then resurrected
by Ruri. The revived Rumina finds he now has the power to manipulate air, a rare talent amongst the Underground people. Realizing Ruri is in danger, Rumina vows to protect her, even if it means going to the Underground to rescue her from her eventual captors before she gets sacrifice
d.
Rumina eventually goes to the Underground with Chelsea and Ginosuke after Ruri is kidnapped. As soon as they arrive they encounter a genetic experiment from The Company but manage to escape.
Shielle Messiah
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 by Akinobu Uraka
Akinobu Uraka
is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating Tokyo Underground. Uraka won one of two grand prizes at the 4th Enix 21st Century Manga Awards in 1997 for his work Yojō Mahō Shoriban...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
. It became an anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
and shown on the 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...
Network from April 2 until September 24, 2002.
The TV series was released on DVD by Geneon Entertainment in the US and Canada, released as a boxset by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
in the UK and by Tokyo Night Train in Australia. It also aired in Canada on the digital channel G4techTV
G4techTV
G4techTV was a cable and satellite channel resulting from a merger between Comcast-owned G4 and TechTV. The headquarters is based in Los Angeles...
Canada, starting on July 22, 2007 at 8:30 pm ET/PT.
Plot
Under TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's underground railway system is a world called , populated by Elemental Users, people who can manipulate various elements
Five elements (Japanese philosophy)
One may encounter two kinds of five elements philosophy in Japan. One is called, in Japanese, gogyō , having its backgrounds in the Chinese five elements, and the other is called godai . Godai is usually regarded as a Buddhism term in Japan, with certain influences from Hinduism. The following...
. When the Maiden of Life, Ruri Sarasa, and her bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, Gravity User Chelsea Rorec escape to the surface, they take refuge with swordsman Rumina Asagi and his bespectacled best friend Ginosuke Isuzu. During a battle with the flame-using Seki, Rumina is killed and then resurrected
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
by Ruri. The revived Rumina finds he now has the power to manipulate air, a rare talent amongst the Underground people. Realizing Ruri is in danger, Rumina vows to protect her, even if it means going to the Underground to rescue her from her eventual captors before she gets sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
d.
Rumina eventually goes to the Underground with Chelsea and Ginosuke after Ruri is kidnapped. As soon as they arrive they encounter a genetic experiment from The Company but manage to escape.
Characters
- Rumina is a high school student, who dreams of having a pretty girl, but ends up finding himself speechless when confronted with them. As the series begins, he is starting a new school year and wants to avoid continuing his reputation as a fighter. But he still fought with 3 boys at high school. However, as it made him appear to be scary and dangerous, his dream was crushed. One day he encounters two strange girls who change his life forever. In an effort to protect the cute Ruri from harm, Rumina fights hard, but eventually loses. Ruri's powers of life revive him, and with new life comes the amazing ability to control wind powers. Rumina joins Chelsea in protecting Ruri and joins their battle in the Tokyo Underground. He falls in love with Ruri.
- Ruri is known as the . She is very polite and kind, and is the type to address everyone with the honorific "-sama." She's very compassionate, and shows signs of affection to Rumina. Ruri used her life powers to bring back Rumina from death when he is killed trying to protect her and Chelsea. Her unusual powers make her a target for evil forces in the Underground. The Company wants Ruri so that she can use her power to bring the dragons back to life and then use them to attack the surface world.
- Chelsea is Ruri's bodyguard/tutor, and accompanies her when escaping from the Underground. Chelsea controls powers related to gravity, and has a personality to match. She is very dedicated to her task of protecting Ruri, and would gladly lay down her life - in fact she spends much of the early episodes bashing Rumina on the head for being too familiar with Ruri. Chelsea's gravity-power is very strong, and she is a tough opponent. She always argues with Rumina and always gets into a fight with each other, however she later respects him and also develops feelings for him.
- Ginosuke is Rumina's best friend since childhood. He has no special elemental powers, but he is very intelligent although he isn't exactly what one would refer to as 'street smart'. He later uses a very useful weapon that fires elemental attacks. His personality is somewhat timid, but he has a lot of common sense, and can be very fierce if he has to be. Ginosuke always wears his very thick glasses that change his appearance so much that his friends can't recognize him without them.
Shielle Messiah
- Shielle is an Electric User who is first seen as a Company Agent sent out to confirm Rumina's elemental powers. Following the recapturing of Ruri by Company agents Pyron and Tail, she is assigned as her replacement bodyguard. As their relationship deepens, Shielle undergoes a change of heart (much like Chelsea) and helps Ruri escape for a second time. She views Ruri as a sister following their time together.