Venus Versus Virus
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese manga
series created by Atsushi Suzumi
which was first serialized on June 27, 2005 in MediaWorks
' shōnen
manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
. The manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao! on February 27, 2008 due to the magazine's discontinuation, but the manga continued serialization in ASCII Media Works
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
between March 21 and July 26, 2008. Eight bound volumes
have been released by ASCII Media Works in Japan. The manga has been licensed for English language
distribution by North American based company Seven Seas Entertainment
; the first volume was released in July 2007. Later, a drama CD
was created based on the manga series in October 2006. The series has since been adapted into an anime
produced by Studio Hibari
that aired in Japan between January and March 2007 on BS-i
, containing twelve episodes.
series first serialized on June 27, 2005 in the shōnen
magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
published by MediaWorks
. On February 27, 2008, the manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao!, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
between March 21 and July 26, 2008. Eight bound volumes
have been released in Japan by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Comics
label. The manga has since been licensed in America by Seven Seas Entertainment
with the first volume released in July 2007.
Venus Versus Virus has also been published in Taiwan
and Hong Kong
by Kadokawa Media
, in South Korea
by Samyang Publish Company, in Italy
by J-Pop Edizioni, in France
by Soleil Productions
, in Spain
by Norma Editorial
, and in Vietnam
by Kim Dong Publishing House
.
based on the manga series was first released in Japan on October 25, 2006 produced by Frontier Works
. The CD contained five tracks and the voice cast was different from that used in the anime adaptation. A second drama CD was released on April 4, 2007 produced by Lantis
.
and aired in Japan between January 11 and March 29, 2007 on the BS-i
network, containing twelve episodes. The anime was made available in November 2007 on Anime Network
's Video on demand
setup. The anime was originally licensed by ADV Films for distribution in North America, but in July 2008, the anime became one of over thirty ADV titles transferred to Funimation Entertainment
. ADV Films had also licensed Venus Versus Virus for release in Germany
, but the DVDs were put on hold.
. The anime's original soundtrack contains background music
composed by Hikaru Nanase. The soundtrack was released on April 25, 2007. A vocal CD, containing songs and monologues by four of the voice actresses from the anime, was released on March 21, 2007.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
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 created by Atsushi Suzumi
Atsushi Suzumi
is a Japanese manga artist.-Works:*Amefurashi*Venus Versus Virus*Haridama Magic Cram School*Nightmare Go Round-External links:*...
which was first serialized on June 27, 2005 in MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
' 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"...
manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
Dengeki Comic Gao!
, also known as Dengeki Gao! as was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine that primarily contained manga and information about series featuring bishōjo characters. It was published from December 1992 to February 2008 by MediaWorks. The Gao in the magazine's title is a childish form of the sound Grr...
. The manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao! on February 27, 2008 due to the magazine's discontinuation, but the manga continued serialization in ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
between March 21 and July 26, 2008. Eight bound volumes
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...
have been released by ASCII Media Works in Japan. The manga has been licensed for English language
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...
distribution by North American based company Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...
; the first volume was released in July 2007. Later, a drama CD
Radio 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 created based on the manga series in October 2006. The series has since been adapted into 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....
produced by Studio Hibari
Studio Hibari
' is a Japanese animation company founded in July 1979.-Co-Produced:*Ojamanga Yamada-kun *Captain Tsubasa...
that aired in Japan between January and March 2007 on BS-i
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, containing twelve episodes.
Plot
Venus Versus Virus revolves around the life of the young girls named Sumire Takahana and Lucia Nahashi, who met as Sumire mysteriously discovered Lucia's secrets at the Venus Vanguard, a group who hunts demons called "Virus" led by Lucia's adopted father Nahashi. Now, while accepting jobs from people who find the Venus Vanguard brochure, they fight off the “Virus” while seeking their true roots and motives, and for that, Lucia finds that Sumire can be a lot more useful than she seems.Main characters
- , Rina SatōRina Satois a Japanese voice actress who works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-TV Anime:2004:* Divergence Eve * Maria-sama ga Miteru * Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ 2005:...
(first drama CD) - Sumire is a young middle school girl and the newest member of the Venus Vanguard, despite being terribly scared of Viruses. While initially she cannot be of much help to Lucia, they eventually find out that whenever her body reacts to the special chemical used to defeat Viruses (the so called Vaccine), she transforms into a "Berserker Mode", or a living Anti-Virus. With this strange ability, she becomes stronger and violent, and is capable of defeating Viruses with her bare hands, but when under the influence of this power, she cannot discern friend from foe, although over the course of the series she learns how to control her powers.
- , Hitomi NabatameHitomi Nabatameis a Japanese voice actress. She is affiliated with Ken Production. When voicing adult games, she is known as , , , or . She also sings opening themes for Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu under the name Miran Himemiya and Chocolate Rockers.-Anime:...
(first drama CD) - Lucia is a strong, young girl who leads the fights against Viruses alongside the other members of the Venus Vanguard, sworn to fight and kill all Viruses. She is battlehardened and cold, but she shows a lot more facial expressions in the manga than in the anime. Her left eye holds a mysterious power, though is almost always covered with an eye patch. Use of her powers is taxing and wears her out, but can often be disastrous to her enemy in many ways. Her left arm has a symbol of the enchantment succeeded from her father. According to Sumire, Lucia often gives off a faint fragrance of roses, which is a scant memory of their intertwined pasts. She smokes in the manga.
- , Tamio ŌkiTamio Okiis a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to Mausu Promotion.-Television animation:*Appleseed *Astro Boy *Cat's Eye *El-Hazard is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to Mausu Promotion.-Television animation:*Appleseed...
(first drama CD) - Sōichirō, who is always referred to by his surname (as per Japanese standard), is the guardian of Lucia, who loves her as if he were her real father. Before Lucia was born, Nahashi was studying to become a mageMagician (fantasy)A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
, along with Lucia's mother Lilith and Lucia's father Lucif. He harbored an unrequited love for Lilith, but never got close with her as she was in love with Lucif.
- A mysterious blonde girl who lives with Lucia and Nahashi. She loves chocolate and is often seen eating it. She has a twin named Layla and in the anime neither of them seem to age since they are soulless dolls created by Lucif and Nahashi's teacher; in the manga they are orphaned girls with a telepathic link to one another. She is a major character right from the beginning in the anime, but in the manga she does not show up until the fourth volume. In the English version of the anime, her name is rendered as "Laura".
- Yoshiki is a young man Sumire met one day in a park while he was reading a book. After a few more meetings together while exchanging books to read, Yoshiki starts to develop romantic feelings for Sumire. In the anime it is later discovered that he is actually one of Lucif's followers named Aion, he tries to take Sumire's fragment but stops because he truly cared for her, thus, he betrays Lucif, but Lucia, not knowing of his betrayal, kills him. In the manga, Aion is a sorcerer who seems to possess Lucif and later Yoshiki.
Supporting characters
- Nene is Sumire's female cousin who always tries to look out for her like an older sister. She often encourages her younger brother Riku in his attempts to ask Sumire out on a date.
- Riku is Nene's younger brother who has a crush on Sumire. Multiple times, Riku attempts to ask Sumire out on a date, but something always interferes, leaving him heartbroken each time. He has a timid personality, which makes it even more difficult to ask Sumire out.
- , Ai NonakaAi Nonakais a Japanese voice actress. She currently works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi...
(first drama CD) - Mika is one of Sumire's good friends and classmates. She has a tomboyish personality.
- , Emiri KatōEmiri Katois a female Japanese voice actress working for 81 Produce.-Anime:*Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka *Angel Beats! *Arc Rise Fantasia *Ad Lib Anime Kenkusho is a female Japanese voice actress working for 81 Produce.-Anime:*Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka (Karen Ayanokouji)*Angel Beats! (Sekine)*Arc Rise Fantasia...
(first drama CD) - Kyōko is another one of Sumire's good friends and classmates.
- , Kayo Sakata (first drama CD)
- Shizu is another one of Sumire's good friends and classmates.
- Lilith is Lucia's mother who once worked under a mentor with Lucif and Nahashi to learn magicMagic (paranormal)Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
arts, and in the anime after he died, their training ceased. Lilith fell in love with Lucif and eventually became pregnant with Lucia, though by the time she was born, Lucif was already gone on his quest for the True World. In the anime, a Virus allegedly killed Lilith when Lucia was still two years old. The Virus that killed her was Lucif so he could obtain her special fragment, although in the end, the fragment disappears. She killed herself to protect Lucia and the world that Lucif wanted to destroy.
Antagonists
- Sonoka is the current leader of the Virus, and has a particular focused interest in Lucia and Sumire. She is a devoted follower of Aion (Lucif in the anime) and his quest to find the True World.
- Ruka is a young girl who serves under Sonoka. She has a sadistic personality and has the power to control water and wind, however she states her specialty is electricity. In the English version of the anime, her name is rendered as "Luca".
- Guy is another one of Sonoka's henchman. He has a similar personality to Ruka, though has proven to be more skilled than her; he has the power to control fire and earth.
- Layla is Lola's twin. In the anime, after Lucif left to find the True World, Layla went with him and Lola stayed with Nahashi and Lilith. In the anime, Layla loves konpeito candy as much as Lola loves chocolate; in the manga, both twins are ardent fans of PockyPockyis a Japanese snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan.-History:Pocky was first sold in 1966, and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. It was named after the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin . The original was followed by...
-like sticks, and are often seen munching on them. While in the anime, she is rather passive; in the manga, she gives off a more sinister presence.
- Lucif is Lucia's father who, before she was born, left to find the path to the True World. His past is filled with mysteries, and Nahashi refuses to talk about the subject with Lucia. In the anime, it is thought he turned himself into a Virus so he could obtain the True World. In the manga, it appears he was possessed by Aion.
Manga
Venus Versus Virus 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 first serialized on June 27, 2005 in the 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 Dengeki Comic Gao!
Dengeki Comic Gao!
, also known as Dengeki Gao! as was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine that primarily contained manga and information about series featuring bishōjo characters. It was published from December 1992 to February 2008 by MediaWorks. The Gao in the magazine's title is a childish form of the sound Grr...
published by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
. On February 27, 2008, the manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao!, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
between March 21 and July 26, 2008. Eight bound volumes
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...
have been released in Japan by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Comics
Dengeki Comics
is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...
label. The manga has since been licensed in America by Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...
with the first volume released in July 2007.
Venus Versus Virus has also been published in Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Kadokawa Media
Kadokawa Group Holdings
is a Japanese holding company of the Kadokawa Group under Kadokawa Shoten. The company was founded on April 2, 1954 and is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan...
, in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
by Samyang Publish Company, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by J-Pop Edizioni, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by Soleil Productions
Soleil Productions
Soleil Productions is a French publisher of both original and imported comic books.-Partnerships and collaborations:In 2004, Soleil and Delcourt created a joint venture called "DelSol", a partnership distribution society for France, Belgium and other Francophone countries.In 2008, Marvel Comics is...
, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
by Norma Editorial
Norma Editorial
Norma Editorial is a Spanish comics publisher, with its headquarters in Barcelona.Founded in 1977 by Rafael Martínez, it publishes both original Spanish comics , Spanish translations of Japanese manga as well as Spanish translations of American or European comics and...
, and in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
by Kim Dong Publishing House
Kim Dong Publishing House
Kim Đồng Publishing House is the largest book producer and publisher for Vietnamese children. With more than 1,000 titles of books published yearly, its books offered to children from toddlers to teenagers a wide ranges of collections and genres from literature, science, art, history to comics,...
.
Volume list
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...
based on the manga series was first released in Japan on October 25, 2006 produced by Frontier Works
Frontier Works
is a Japanese company specializing in the creation and distribution of media related to anime, such as producing OVAs, radio dramas, drama CDs, anime soundtracks, or other related products...
. The CD contained five tracks and the voice cast was different from that used in the anime adaptation. A second drama CD was released on April 4, 2007 produced by Lantis
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
.
Anime
The Venus Versus Virus anime was produced by the animation studio Studio HibariStudio Hibari
' is a Japanese animation company founded in July 1979.-Co-Produced:*Ojamanga Yamada-kun *Captain Tsubasa...
and aired in Japan between January 11 and March 29, 2007 on the BS-i
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
network, containing twelve episodes. The anime was made available in November 2007 on Anime Network
Anime Network
The Anime Network , a former subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. , is a cable and satellite digital broadcast service in North America dedicated to anime.-History:...
's Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
setup. The anime was originally licensed by ADV Films for distribution in North America, but in July 2008, the anime became one of over thirty ADV titles transferred to Funimation Entertainment
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...
. ADV Films had also licensed Venus Versus Virus for release in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but the DVDs were put on hold.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Music
The anime's opening theme is "Bravin' Bad Brew" by Riryka, and the ending theme is "Shijun no Zankoku" by Yousei TeikokuYousei teikoku
is a four-member Japanese musical unit, formed in 1997 and part of Team Fairithm. Their music contains elements of electro, EBM, darkwave, neoclassical, ethereal and ambient, with a Gothic style at its core. Their works include the theme songs of the anime shows Mirai Nikki, Magical Pokan, Innocent...
. The anime's original soundtrack contains background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
composed by Hikaru Nanase. The soundtrack was released on April 25, 2007. A vocal CD, containing songs and monologues by four of the voice actresses from the anime, was released on March 21, 2007.
External links
- Venus Versus Virus at Seven Seas EntertainmentSeven Seas EntertainmentSeven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...
- Anime official website
- Venus Versus Virus at Funimation EntertainmentFunimation EntertainmentFunimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...