is a 2004
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
Ira Ishida
is a Japanese novelist and TV commentator.
After graduating from Seikei University, he worked for a number of different advertising production companies and as a freelance copywriter.
In 1997, he published his first short story collection, '' ...
which spawned a
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
,
television drama
In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...
, and
movie adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
.
The drama and manga versions have considerable differences from the original novel.
The original novel focuses on a group of outcasts and their attempt to make a new search engine, which would have its own Artificial Intelligence that would understand users intentions and help them in their online searches. This technology gets the attention of Digital Capital, who wants to steal the technology for themselves.
Taking place in the Tokyo district of
Akihabara
is a common name for the area around Akihabara Station in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan. Administratively, the area called Akihabara mainly belongs to the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts in Chiyoda. There exists an administrative district ca ...
, or Akiba as it is often shortened to, the story in the drama focuses on a group of outcasts of society, mainly
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
, and a company they establish to "troubleshoot" the problems of Akihabara. The manga has a story more similar to the novel, in that the Otaku are in conflict with Digital Capital over the development of new software. The movie, on the other hand, shows a much darker, more violent and slightly twisted perspective of life as an Akiba-otaku. The movie was released in September 2006.
''Akihabara@Deep'' was adapted into a manga a year after the novel's publication. It featured art by
Makoto Akane, and followed the same story as the original novel. It was serialized in ''
Weekly Comic Bunch
is a Japanese manga anthology marketed to a ''seinen'' audience that was edited by Coamix and published weekly by Shinchosha from 2001 throughout 2010 and became monthly since 2011. The collected editions of their titles are published under th ...
'', a
seinen
is an editorial category of Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word ''seinen'' literally means "youth", but the term "''seinen'' manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like ''Weekly Ma ...
manga magazine, in August 2005 and spanned a total of six
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
volumes.
In 2006,
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
and
Polygon Pictures
is a Japanese 3DCG animation studio.
Polygon has animated a wide variety of content, from commercials for Shiseido featuring the studio's original penguin characters , to the 3D CG anime television series ''Digital Tokoro-san'' and the 3DCG ani ...
announced a
computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images ( moving images), while computer animation re ...
series based on the novel, with character designs by
Ippei Gyoubu
Ippei (written: ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese badminton player
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese manga artist and anime producer
*, Japanese interpreter for the Los ...
.
It was ultimately never released.
Plot
Novel
A group of outcasts who meet each other through an online website decide to form an IT company. They seek to create a search engine that will become more popular than Google. They call their creation CROOK (クルーク). This new search engine uses Artificial Intelligence to understand the user's intentions and help them narrow their search. This attracts the attention of Nakagomi Takeshi, the president of Digital Capital (DigiCap), who after a failed attempt to take over Akihabara@Deep, steals the technology for himself. The group must then find a way to get their technology back from DigiCap. The novel is narrated from the point of view of CROOK's Artificial Intelligence.
Drama
The Drama takes a much more lighthearted approach to the story. It all begins when a mysterious online personality named Yui decides to assemble these outcasts to try to form a group dedicated to solving the problems that plague Akiba by forming the "troubleshooting" company, Akihabara@DEEP, often shortened to just @DEEP. One example of this troubleshooting would be that the otaku of Akiba have come under a surge of bullying. @DEEP's first task was to eliminate this bullying. After getting rid of this problem, @DEEP began taking up other tasks as well. Some of these include clearing the name of a cosplayer in a case that involved the distribution of underground videos depicting other cosplayers getting undressed in dressing rooms, protecting a news anchor from attacks by otaku who were enraged at a story that she had previously worked on that bashed the youth of Akiba, and helping out a
maid café
are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses, dressed in maid costumes, act as servants, and treat customers as masters (and mistresses) in a private home, rather than as café patrons. The f ...
that the people of Akiba frequent from an opposing maid café that was acting extremely hostile to this maid café and even provided various prostitution services to the visitors of the opposing maid café.
While @DEEP solves these cases, the group unintentionally attracts the attention of a seedy character named Nakagomi Takeshi. The reason behind this is because of a secret past relationship between Nakagomi and Yui. What adds to this is a fully self-reliant
AI program that Nakagomi would greatly benefit from if he got his hands on it. This is because he is the president of a very influential electronics company called Digital Capital, often shortened to DigiCap. He will eventually raid @DEEP's headquarters and steal Yui's AI.
Characters
The main characters of @DEEP are all outcasts of society and usually have something fundamentally wrong with themselves. After getting advice from a website called "Yui's Lifeguard" these six individuals are called together by the website's creator, Yui, to help clean up Akiba.
;:(Drama:
Shunsuke Kazama
is a Japanese actor and television personality affiliated with Johnny & Associates.
Biography
In 1997, when Kazama was in his second year of junior high school, he entered Johnny & Associates and started activities as a trainee. He made his de ...
; Movie:
Hiroki Narimiya
(born September 14, 1982), better known as , is a former Japanese actor.
Early life
He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. His parents are from Okinawa Prefecture. His parents divorced when he was young, and in his third year of junior high sch ...
)
:Page is the leader of Akihabara@DEEP. Although articulate, he has a severe stutter that prevents him from speaking at length without the aid of a text-to-speech program on his computer, which Taiko later upgrades to speak more fluently in Page's own voice. Page is the only member of @DEEP without a particular area of expertise, but proves a worthy leader for the group. He always has his friends' best interests at heart and works hard to protect them, as seen when he stops the merciless beating of Akira, Box, and Taiko by threatening to blow himself up with 'bombs' (in actuality, fireworks) strapped to his body.
:At the beginning of each mission, he often says, "All right, battle plan!" to the point where he is teased by the others for its constant repetition and his inability to say it properly.
;:(Drama:
Toma Ikuta
is a Japanese actor. Ikuta is known for his roles in '' Hanazakari no Kimitachi e'', ''Honey & Clover'', '' Sensei!'', '' Maō'' and '' Ouroboros''. He also stars in feature films, notably ''Hanamizuki'', '' Ningen Shikkaku'' and ''Brain Man'' ...
; Movie:
Shugo Oshinari
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Oshinari co-starred in Shunji Iwai's ''All About Lily Chou-Chou'' with Hayato Ichihara. He also appeared in films such as Kenta Fukasaku's '' Battle Royale II: Requiem'' and Takahisa Zeze's ''Heaven's Story''.
Filmog ...
)
:Box is @DEEP's resident graphic designer. He wears gloves at all times to prevent direct contact the world, and changes to a fresh pair every two hours. Box is afraid of women to the point that he foams at the mouth if one gets too close. He, however, has no problems at all with what he terms '2D women', for example animated women, female
cosplayers
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers oft ...
, or maids (although not ero maids; Box says they have too much bare skin to be grouped in with his 2D women). Apparently, whenever a girl is around, he hears a noise in his head go, "kyupin!" and he runs away.
:In episode 9 of the drama, Box's past is revealed along with the reason why he is afraid of women. Also, Box's nickname is explained.
;:(Drama:
Gen Hoshino
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Career Music
Since 2000, Hoshino has led the instrumental band Sakerock, where he plays marimba and guitar. They released over ten albums before disbanding in 2015. As a solo artist, ...
; Movie:
Yoshiyoshi Arakawa)
:Taiko is a techno-musician who creates ringtones and the like as a hobby. When he is exposed to flashing lights, he seizes, freezing up like a computer. His nickname is derivative of his musical ability. In the movie, he appears to be a mechanic–technician, instead of being a musician.
;:(Drama:
Yuka Kosaka
is a Japanese gravure idol and actress. She was born in Izumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. She is also known as her nickname "Yuka-chin", and has starred in a number of TV dramas and films.
Profile
Yuka made her debut in 2004 after winning ...
; Movie:
Yu Yamada
is a Japanese model, actress and singer best known from her modeling work with ''CanCam'' magazine.
Personal life
On March 14, 2012, Yamada married Japanese actor Shun Oguri, and is a mother of three children, as of April 2020, according to r ...
)
:Akira is @DEEP's fighting maid, working at 'Akane-chin' during the day and fighting cat-fight cage matches at night. She provides the initial funding for @DEEP's headquarters and activities with the prize money she wins in a high-profile match. Although already quite popular among Akihabara otaku, Akira begins to attract an exponential amount of attention after Page, Box, and Taiko create her official website.
;:(Drama:
Hatsune Matsushima; Movie:
Haruma Miura
was a Japanese actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the television drama ''Agri'' (1997) and rose to popularity after starring in the film '' Koizora'' (2007), winning Newcomer of the Year at the 31st Japan Academy Prize. In the foll ...
)
:@DEEP's coding and hacking prodigy, Ism is the one who programmed Yui's website and AI system. Ism is also the first one of Akihabara@DEEP to ever meet Yui in real life. In the novel and film, Ism is male, but in the manga and drama is female. She/he suffers from a condition that creates ice-blue colored eyes.
:She is also good friends with Tosaka, a programmer working for Nakagomi's Digi Capital.
;:(Drama:
Yuki Himura
Yuki, Yūki or Yuuki may refer to:
Places
* Yuki, Hiroshima (Jinseki), a town in Jinseki District, Hiroshima, Japan
* Yuki, Hiroshima (Saeki), a town in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan
* Yūki, Ibaraki, a city on Honshu island in Japan
* Yuki ...
)
:Daruma is @DEEP's cosplay expert. In the novel and manga, he is a middle-aged lawyer who provides legal consultation for the team. In the drama, he retains his cosplay expertise, and also serves as @DEEP's accountant, but mostly he provides comic relief. He was excluded from the film entirely.
;:(Drama:
Manami Honjo
is a common primarily feminine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Manami can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*愛美, "love, beauty"
*愛海, "love, sea"
*愛未, "love, sheep"
*愛実, "love, fruit"
*真名美, "tr ...
)
:Yui is the mysterious woman who brings the members of Akihabara@DEEP, all regular visitors to her website, together. She once had a relationship with Nakagomi which ended because of their contrary motivations; Nakagomi sought financial gain, while Yui simply wanted to help others. After Yui dies, her AI (designed by Ism) evolves into a sentient program.
;:(Drama:
Kazuki Kitamura
is a Japanese film and television actor who won the award for best supporting actor at the 21st Yokohama Film Festival for '' Minazuki'', ''Kyohansha'' and ''Kanzen-naru shiiku'' as well as the CUT ABOVE Award for Excellence in Film at JAPAN CUTS ...
; Movie:
Kuranosuke Sasaki
is a Japanese actor, known primary for his roles in Japanese television drama.
Biography
He was born into a family of a sake brewery in Kyoto, Japan. After graduating from Kobe University and resigning from an advertising agency, he played an ...
)
:Nakagomi is the CEO of Digi Capital, and an otaku himself. He and Yui were in a relationship and had planned to start Akihabara@DEEP together but differed in how to run the company, Nakagomi wanted to make money while Yui wanted to help people. After learning of the existence of Akihabara@DEEP, he attempts to help them anonymously, but when they refuse to surrender Yui's AI to him, he seeks to destroy them.
:In the drama, he has a strange addiction to
chupa chups
Chupa Chups () is a Spanish brand of lollipop and other confectionery sold in over 150 countries around the world. The brand was founded in 1958 by Enric Bernat, and is currently owned by the Italian-Dutch company Perfetti Van Melle. The name ...
and often cosplays as
Char Aznable
, born and also gone by the name , is a fictional character from the ''Gundam'' franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' working for the Principality of Zeon, named after his late father Zeon Zum Deikun, ...
(
Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
). He refuses to consider himself as an otaku like everyone else in Akihabara and calls himself a "evolved otaku"
;:(Drama:
Mickey Curtis
is a Japanese actor, singer and Media Personality. He was born to English-Japanese parents.
A pivotal figure in Japanese popular music, Mickey is considered one of the three big Japanese names in rock music, helping to popularize the genre in ...
)
:He was a Communications Engineering professor at an electronic engineering university. He taught both Yui and Nakagomi, he and Nakagomi were working on a new OS system. When it was almost finished Nakagomi stole the data and sold it. He used the money from this to start Digital Capital. In the drama he warns the @DEEP crew about staying away from Nakagomi.
;:(Drama:
Satoshi Matsuda
is a Japanese actor who has appeared in a number of feature films and television series. He is affiliated with Sun Music Production.
In December 9, 2016, he apprehended a voyeur criminal whose taking photographs of his wife's skirt using a smart ...
; Movie:
Masato Hagiwara
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and professional mahjong player.
Biography
When Hagiwara was three years old, his parents divorced and he was taken in by his father. However, his father died when he was in the fourth grade, and was th ...
:Friend of Ism and fellow programmer who works for Digital Capital. He had a company similar to @DEEP but lost it to Nakagomi. At the end of the series he becomes a prominent figure in the programming field.
;:(Drama:
Masayuki Izumi)
:Nakagomi's manager–assistant who also seems to be Nakagomi's gofer, and provides some comic relief. He is a character exclusive to the drama series.
;:(Drama:
Youssef Lotfy)
:An
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
sidewalk vendor in Akihabara. He offers some fine second-hand items such as computer parts, rare items, and even illegal paraphernalia. In the drama he sells just about everything from
oden
is a type of nabemono (Japanese one-pot dishes), consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth.
Oden was originally what is now commonly ca ...
cans to fireworks to a
Densha Otoko
is a Japanese movie, television series, manga, novel, and other media, all based on the purportedly true story of a 23-year-old ''otaku'' who intervened when a drunk man started to harass several women on a train. The ''otaku'' ultimate ...
novel. In the final episode, he assists Akira and the other @DEEP members in the infiltration of DigiCap Headquarters.
TV drama episodes
;Episode 1: Our City Akihabara. Exterminate the Otaku Hunts!
ired;Episode 2: Fighting Maid Akira. Get Revenge in the Cat Fight!
ired;Episode 3: Getting Over Yui's Death. @DEEP Gets Started. Catch the Cosplay Peeper!
ired;Episode 4: Taiko in Love!? Save the Brainwashed Akiba Children!
ired;Episode 5: Appearance of Imposter Yui! Exposing the Suicide Site Targeting Ota!
ired;Episode 6: Female Announcer vs Otaku. Prevent a Media Frenzy!
ired;Episode 7: Akiba of the Dead. Repel the Otaku Zombie!
ired;Episode 8: Great Maid War. Investigate the Ero Maid Cafe!
ired;Episode 9: Box's Past. Conquer that Fear of Women!
ired;Episode 10: Daruma Falls!? @DEEP splits up!?
ired;Episode 11: @DEEP Goes Forth! Rescue Yui from the Electric Brain Castle!
ired;Special 12: Dictionary of Akihabara@DEEP
References
External links
Comic Bunch ''Akihabara@DEEP'' Page
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akihabara at Deep
2005 manga
2006 Japanese television series debuts
2006 Japanese television series endings
2007 comics endings
Action anime and manga
Comedy-drama anime and manga
Japanese drama television series
Manga adapted into television series
Shinchosha manga
TBS Television (Japan) dramas
Television shows based on Japanese novels
Seinen manga
Japanese comedy films