The of Japanese
light novels
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language ...
is written by
Kouhei Kadono
is a Japanese author, best known for the ''Boogiepop'' series which has received multiple manga adaptations, a live action film, and two television anime.
Biography
Born on December 12, 1968, Kadono graduated from Hosei University.
In 1998 ...
and illustrated by Kouji Ogata. It includes titles from different media, each connected by repeating characters and related plots. Presented in
vignettes
Vignette may refer to:
* Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy
* Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters
* Vignette (literature), short, i ...
, each chapter presents the reader with only snapshots of what is happening, leaving them to find clues to understand the greater plot.
''Boogiepop'' is best characterized as
young adult
A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
and is credited with starting the light novel trend in Japan.
By March 2000, two million copies of Kadono's Boogiepop light novels works were in print.
Kadono has published fourteen light novels and has serialized
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
in ''Dengegi HP'',
many of which have been published as a four-volume series about Pete Beat, a member of the Towa Organization. Two manga serials have been drawn for this series, which were serialized in ''
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) under the ''Dengeki'' brand. Many manga serialized in ''Dengeki Daioh'' were later published in ''tankōbon'' volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Co ...
''
and ''Dengeki Animation''.
In 2000, the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series ''
Boogiepop Phantom
is an anime television series animated by Madhouse, based on the ''Boogiepop'' light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by the light ...
'' aired on Japanese television; a drama CD, featuring
Kaori Shimizu
is a Japanese actress and voice actress who was affiliated with Three Tree Productions and Max Mix.
Filmography Anime
Video games
Other
* ''Yotekku'' radio program – Interim host – replacing Natsuko Kuwatani
* ''Pun-Colle ~voice actr ...
, was released to promote this series.
Later that year, the movie ''
Boogiepop and Others
is a Japanese light novel written by Kouhei Kadono and illustrated by Kouji Ogata. The first in the ''Boogiepop'' series, it was released in 1998 by MediaWorks and won the fourth Dengeki Game Novel Contest.
A manga adaptation by Kouji O ...
'' was released.
The
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
and
live action film were inspired by the original light novels and have also been released in English by
The Right Stuf International
Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) is an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specializes in Asian entertainment (anime and live action films). The company since 2022 is owned by ...
, while
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as we ...
released four of the light novels and the
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 ...
.
Synopsis
To face the "enemies of the world", the ''
shinigami
() are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.
Japanese religion
I ...
'' Boogiepop automatically rises to the surface. In Boogiepop's world, the Towa Organization, a shadowy group seeking to control humanity, managed to capture an alien organism who had taken the form of a
highly evolved
''Highly Evolved'' is the debut studio album by Australian alternative rock band The Vines. It was released on 14 July 2002 on Capitol Records. Produced by Rob Schnapf, known for his collaboration with Tom Rothrock on Elliott Smith's albums ...
human. By studying him, the Towa Organization was able to create synthetic humans, people who have been artificially enhanced with special abilities. The mission of the Towa Organization and its agents is to find and kill MPLS, people who are more evolved than others and possess special abilities. However, Boogiepop will not let the Towa Organization get its way and he is not alone in his efforts.
The Boogiepop series is very much about the characters: their relationships, their pasts, their memories. This is especially true for how their pasts molded them into the people they are today. It can also be seen through scenes being presented from the perspective of different characters, and how the individual casts a different "feel" by how they relate to events.
[DVD commentary featuring Jeff Thompson and Joe DiGiorgi (August 2001) ''Boogiepop Phantom Evolution 1''] Another important theme is change. How the world changes and our different perceptions of this change, especially how one's perception of things changes as they grow up.
[DVD commentary featuring Jeff Thompson, ]Crispin Freeman
Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese anime, animation, and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Grayw ...
, and Rachel Lillie (2001) ''Boogiepop Phantom Evolution 2'' ''
Boogiepop Phantom
is an anime television series animated by Madhouse, based on the ''Boogiepop'' light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by the light ...
'' is also highly
metaphorical
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared with ...
, with a character or an image representing much more than face value.
[DVD commentary featuring Jeff Thompson and Angora Deb (2002) ''Boogiepop Phantom Evolution 4''] It is also "a show about the inter-related nature of people's lives and the concept that they know of as time."
Characters
Each Boogiepop title has its own cast of characters, and many of these characters will make appearances in more than one title, but there are only four central characters that are consistently at the center of the plot.
;
The
shinigami
() are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.
Japanese religion
I ...
whispered of among the female students of Shinyo Academy, few people know that Boogiepop actually exists. Normally dormant, Boogiepop rises to the surface when enemies of the world appear. Boogiepop's appearance and voice are ambiguous: they seem both masculine and feminine at the same time. However, hidden beneath his signature black cloak and black, pipe-shaped hat, little is ever seen of him. Straight-faced and to the point, Boogiepop acts as mechanical as he claims to be. Boogiepop speaks in an archaic manner, and seems fond of whistling the prelude to
Wagner's ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
(; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...
''. In the 2019 anime adaptation Boogiepop speaks with a particular drawl that gives their speech an ironic, condescending air.
;
An ordinary, happy school girl at Shinyo Academy, Miyashita is in love with her boyfriend, Keiji Takeda, and close friends with Suema. Not particularly good at school, she does not stand out in any way. Unknown to most, she was hospitalized as a child, and this saw her life change, though even Miyashita herself does not seem to know the truth of what happened, and was simply told that she had been possessed by a
kitsune
In Japanese folklore, , are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to ''yōkai'' folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employing t ...
. Unknowingly, when the world is in trouble, she carries a Spalding sports bag containing the effects of Boogiepop, her
alternate personality. She has no recollection of her time as Boogiepop, and alters her memories to explain the blanks.
;
Known as the Fire Witch to many, Kirima has made few friends due to the way she distances herself from others: she knows that she is too dangerous for 'normal' people to associate with. She has a
messianic complex
A messiah complex (Christ complex or savior complex) is a state of mind in which an individual holds a belief that they are destined to become a savior today or in the near future. The term can also refer to a state of mind in which an individual ...
, and seeks to save the world from whatever may threaten it. As such, whenever there are unusual happenings within the city, Kirima can be found investigating what has happened. In the past, she had spent a period of time in hospital. A combination of the events from that period of her life, as well as the death of her father, the famous writer Kirima Seiichi, brought her to follow this path in life. Extremely gifted both physically and intellectually, she has the basic tools she needs to carry out her self-appointed mission.
;
As a result of a childhood trauma, Suema has developed an unusual fascination with
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
and
abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, and thought, which could possibly be understood as a mental disorder. Although many behaviors could be considered as abnormal, this branch of ps ...
, as well as the desire to not let anything occur around her without her knowing. As a result of this, she desperately seeks the truth about the unexplained events happening in her city, and meddles with forces best left untouched. Good friends with Miyashita Touka, Suema appreciates how she so open and unconditionally accepting of her, and looks out for her friend. She seeks to be closer with Kirima Nagi, who seems to know the answers to the questions that have haunted her all these years. Despite her involvement in several incidents, she has yet to see Boogiepop in action.
Media
The series currently consists of 23
light novels
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language ...
, 3 four volume light novel spin-off series, a
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
movie
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
, two
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series, four
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 ...
serials,
audio CDs, and other books. An oddity of the ''Boogiepop'' titles is that they are almost always made of more than one title, and often there is a mix of English and Japanese titles.
Anime
Marking the 20th Anniversary of Kouhei Kadono's original novel debut, an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series adaptation was announced at the Dengeki Bunko 25th Anniversary & New Work Unveiling Stage.
The series was directed by Shingo Natsume and written by Tomohiro Suzuki, with animation by
Madhouse. Hidehiko Sawada provided the character designs, while
Kensuke Ushio
is a Japanese composer, rock and EBM musician who performs under the moniker ''Agraph''.
He is a member of Japanese rock band Lama. Together with Lama, he released two full-length studio records: ''New!'' in 2011 and ''Modanica'' a year later. ...
composed the series' music.
The series aired from January 4 to March 29, 2019, and was broadcast on
AT-X and other channels.
The series ran for 18 episodes.
Myth & Roid
Myth & Roid (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese pop rock band centered arounTom-H@ck(guitars, bass, composer, production) and hotaru (keyboards, lyrics, story planning), featuring multiple vocalists. The band made its debut in 2015 with the rel ...
performed the series' opening theme song "shadowgraph," while
Riko Azuna
is a Japanese singer and songwriter who is affiliated with KADOKAWA. She made her major debut in 2018 with the song , which was used as the opening theme to the anime series '' Bloom Into You''. Her music has also been featured in '' Re:Zero − ...
performed the series' ending song "Whiteout."
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
streams the series.
Following
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the dub was moved to Crunchyroll. Named ''Boogiepop and Others'', the series adapts not only the titular novel, but also ''Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator'', ''Boogiepop at Dawn'', and ''Boogiepop Overdrive: The King of Distortion''.
Internalization
The Right Stuf International licensed ''Boogiepop Phantom'' for English release in 2001.
They
dubbed the series and have distributed it in the US in both
VHS and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
formats. The series is distributed in the UK by
ADV Films
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gre ...
and across Australia and New Zealand by
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
. ''Boogiepop Phantom'' has also been localised and released in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, France, Italy, Spain and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
In 2004, The Right Stuf International acquired the film ''Boogiepop and Others''.
It has been released on DVD in Japanese with English
subtitles
Subtitles and captions are lines of dialogue or other text displayed at the bottom of the screen in films, television programs, video games or other visual media. They can be transcriptions of the screenplay, translations of it, or informati ...
, and is distributed in both the US and Europe, along with a director's
commentary
Commentary or commentaries may refer to:
Publications
* ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee
* Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...
and behind the scenes interviews with the cast.
In 2005,
Seven Seas Entertainment
Seven Seas Entertainment is an American publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original English-language manga, but now publishes licensed manga and light novels from Japan, as we ...
announced they had acquired the rights to publish the ''Boogiepop'' novels and manga in English.
Before 2018, they released the first three novels and the sixth, as well as the ''Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh'' and the ''
Boogiepop Dual
, also known as ''Boogiepop Dual: Losers' Circus'', is a manga by Masayuki Takano (author of '' Blood Alone''), an offshoot of the Boogiepop series, a series of young adult novels by Kouhei Kadono. This work suggests that Toka Miyashita is ...
'' manga. In 2019, Seven Seas Entertainment re-released the novels in an omnibus format, including the fourth and fifth novels in the series, ''Boogiepop in the Mirror'' and ''Boogiepop Overdrive'', for the first time in English.
Reception
Novels
''Boogiepop and Others'' won the Fourth
Dengeki Novel Prize
The is a literary award handed out annually (since 1994) by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks) for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like K ...
in 1997 and was released in the Dengeki Book Collection in 1998 where it gained popularity.
[History of Boogiepop (1 March 2005) ''Boogiepop and Others''] It is credited with popularizing light novels,
as well as redefining young adult fiction in Japan.
It was later adapted into a live action film by Ryu Kaneda, a two-volume manga by Kouji Ogata and served as the inspiration for a
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
composed by
Yuki Kajiura
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, ...
.
''Boogiepop and Others'' also sets the scene for the anime ''
Boogiepop Phantom
is an anime television series animated by Madhouse, based on the ''Boogiepop'' light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by the light ...
'', which has its backstory loosely based on the climax of the light novel. Having already gained a strong readership among high school and university age men, the release of ''
Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1'' was met with overwhelming support. By the time the ''Boogiepop and Others'' film was released, the Boogiepop series was a bestseller, with over two million copies in print.
The ''Boogiepop and Others'' novel received favorable reviews, though these have mostly focused on the translation, which has been cited as "a standard against which future Japanese novel translations are judged".
It has also received praise for ripping "the rules of narrative wide open",
especially for how it allows the characters to grow on the reader.
''Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1'' continues receiving positive feedback for its easy-to-read style and excellent translation, as well as its use of atmosphere and characters. The main flaw, however, is the briefness of the title, which has clearly been used to set up the sequel.
Anime
The 2019 anime adaptation of ''Boogiepop'' received mostly positive reviews from Western journalists. Rose Bridges of ''
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
'' reviewed the first four episodes, giving them an A- and writing, "If ''Boogiepop and Others'' can keep this up, it might be a truly stellar adaptation. I just hope it doesn't blaze so fast through these novels for us to keep up." Natasha H. of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' wrote that while ''Boogiepop and Others'' doesn't have the "surreal and
Lynchian horror" of ''
Boogiepop Phantom
is an anime television series animated by Madhouse, based on the ''Boogiepop'' light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by the light ...
'', ''Boogiepop and Others'' "still holds its ground as a spooky and unnerving look into the emptiness of the human soul in contrast to society. Instead of going for a bleak first-person perspective, ''Boogiepop and Others'' presents alienation in from a third-person point of view. The result is an ongoing, chaotic, and jumbled narrative that leaves more questions than answers, until the very answer arrives, where things slowly are explained."
Brittany Vincent of ''
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
'' wrote that "if you're in the mood to kick off a lengthy journey through a sometimes obtuse but wholly satisfying narrative that explores the supernatural, split personalities, and plenty of allegory, give ''Boogiepop and Others'' a chance. Don't expect it all to make perfect sense right away, but let it wash over you. You'll be glad that you did." ''
Thrillist
Thrillist is an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, United States. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands '' The Dodo'', NowThis News ...
'' included the series on their list of the "Best Anime of 2019," writing that the series "could be best described as a slow-burn supernatural mystery thriller dotted with adrenaline-spiking sequences of horror, action, and suspense set against a backdrop of stunning metropolitan vistas."
References
External links
;Official Sites
Official The Right Stuf International Boogiepop webpageOfficial Seven Seas Entertainment Boogiepop webpage
Boogiepop: The Ultimate Guide*
MediaWorks Boogiepop webpage*
VAP Boogiepop Phantom webpage
;Reviews
Boogiepop and Others (novel)at
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
.
Boogiepop Phantomat THEM Anime Reviews.
A Thematic Analysis of Boogiepop Phantomat Anime on DVD.
Boogiepop and Others (film)at Anime on DVD.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boogiepop Series
Kadokawa Dwango franchises
Dengeki Bunko
Mass media franchises
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
1990s speculative fiction novels
2000s speculative fiction novels
Novels by Kouhei Kadono
Japanese serial novels
2019 anime television series debuts
Crunchyroll anime