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is a Japanese
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 ...
series written and illustrated by
Buichi Terasawa is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include ''Goku Midnight Eye'' and '' Cobra''. Career Terasawa was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. In the early days of his career, while still unknown, his contributed comics to a magazine that ...
. Set in the far future, the series tells the story of Cobra, who lives an adventurous life until his enemies begin to hunt him down. Cobra surgically alters his face and erases his own memory to hide from his foes and have a normal life. Eventually, he regains his memories and reunites with his former partner Lady Armaroid. Terasawa devised it as a mix of
Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
and samurai stories, and aspects of films, varying from
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
to
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
. The manga was originally serialized in
Shueisha (lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
's ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' from November 1978 to November 1984. Later, Shueisha collected the chapters and published them in 18 ''
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. The ''Cobra'' manga spawned various sequel manga series, one-shots, a 1982 feature-length anime film, two anime television series (a 31-episode series in 1982, and a 13-episode series in 2010), two
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
s (OVAs) in 2008–2009, audio albums, video games, and other merchandise. In the United States, portions of the manga were published by
Viz Media VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
in 1990 and the complete series was published in Kindle format by Creek & River in 2015. The feature film was licensed by Tara for its release in American theaters and by
Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...
in British theaters in 1995.
Urban Vision Urban Vision Entertainment Inc. was an American-based production/distribution company created in Los Angeles, California formed in July 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the animation medium known as anime to the American mainstrea ...
and
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
released it for home video market, while
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 theatr ...
acquired it for the Australasian region's release. The anime series was licensed in the
Northern America Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America. The boundaries may be drawn slightly differently. In one definition, it lies directly north of Middle America (including the Caribbean and Central America).Gonzalez, Joseph. 20 ...
n region by
Nozomi Entertainment 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 ...
. In Japan, the ''Cobra'' manga has sold 50 million copies, making it one of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''s best-selling manga series of all time. Publications for manga, anime and other media have compared the series to ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' and '' Barbarella'', and the main character's attitude to James Bond. Its film adaptation received mixed reviews, and the original anime series as well as ''Cobra the Animation'' has been well received by reviewers. The anime series was very popular in France in the 1980s and French-speaking filmmakers and studios have attempted to adapt it into live-action films or animated series in the 2000s and in the 2010s.


Plot

In the far future, an office worker named Johnson leads a dull and mundane life. One Sunday morning, his robotic servant Ben suggests that he go to the Trip Movie Corporationa company that enables its customers to experience a dream as though it were a reality. Johnson asks to be a king of a
harem Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
and to command a battlestar. In his dream, however, Johnson instead becomes "Cobra", an adventurer who explores space with his android partner Lady Armaroid. Cobra wields the Psychogun, a cybernetic arm-laser gun, to fight monsters and the Pirate Guild, an organized crime syndicate of pirates. After a battle with the Guild, Cobra allows its leader Captain Vaiken to escape. Vaiken distributes Cobra's picture to other pirates, making him a wanted man. After the dream ends, Johnson describes the fantasy to an attendant, who is surprised because Johnson's dream should not have any reference to pirates or to Cobra. On his way back home, Johnson crashes into a speeding car whose driver looks like Captain Vaiken. When Johnson mentions the resemblance, the driver reveals himself as Vaiken. He asks Johnson about "Cobra" and threatens to kill Johnson if he does not answer. Johnson unconsciously lifts his arm and a ray shoots out of his hand, killing Vaiken. The shot explodes Johnson's arm, revealing the Psychogun embedded in it. Johnson rushes home, where Ben notices the weapon on his arm. Johnson then realizes that he remembers nothing from before the last three years. After looking into a mirror, he finds a knob and turns it to reveal a secret room. There, he finds the revolver which he used in his dream. At that moment, armed intruders break into the house and address him as "Cobra". A battle ensues, and Ben's robot shell breaks to reveal Lady Armaroid, with whom Johnson kills the intruders. Johnson starts to remember his previous existence as Cobra. Hunted by the Pirate Guild for meddling in their criminal enterprises and tired of life on the run, Cobra surgically altered his face and had his memories erased. Lady Armaroid tells Cobra that the Trip Movie has triggered his subconscious to regain access to the memories of his former life. Cobra and Lady Armadroid resume their adventurous life together.


Production

''Cobra'' is Buichi Terasawa's debut manga series. Previously he had written and illustrated between twenty and thirty science-fiction '' shōjo'' (targeted towards girls) short stories for manga contests held by manga magazines, with one of them earning an honorable mention. Terasawa created ''Cobra'' by combining the
Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
subgenre and Japanese stories featuring a "wandering swordsman". Terasawa wanted to create a hero who would be able to carry a concealed weapon and then the Psychogun was created before the titular character. His concept of a hero has been greatly influenced by "spaghetti westerns with a
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
-type spin to them." Also from Bond series came the concept of several women who circulate around Cobra. For Cobra, he also drew inspiration from the French actor
Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...
and his "phlegmatic style", specifically from his characters on '' Breathless'' (1960) and '' That Man from Rio'' (1964). The then rising actresses
Dominique Sanda Dominique Marie-Françoise Renée Varaigne (born 11 March 1951), professionally known as Dominique Sanda, is a French actress and former fashion model. Life and career Sanda was born in Paris, to Lucienne (née Pichon) and Gérard Varaigne. She ...
and
Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...
also inspired the names of the Royal Sisters. One of Cobra's main enemies, Crystal Bowie, was named as a tribute to English musician
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. In general, Terasawa has been influenced by films, including ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'',
René Laloux René Laloux (; July 1929 – 14 March 2004) was a French animator, screenwriter and film director. Biography He was born in Paris in 1929 and went to art school to study painting. After some time working in advertising, he got a job in a psychi ...
's animations, the ''James Bond'' film series,
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...
's films, and Disney films prior to ''
The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...
'' (1989). For example,
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
's performance in the cult science-fiction film '' Barbarella'' (1968) served as a direct model for his character Jane, whose hairstyle was also inspired by Princess Aurora's in the Disney animated film ''
Sleeping Beauty ''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
'' (1959). For his storytelling, panel layout, and narrative pacing in general, he draws influence from
manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
, who mentored him. Terasawa declared, "Without him, ... ''Cobra'' would never have existed.


Publication

Written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa, ''Cobra'' was first published in 1977 in
Shueisha (lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
's Japanese '' shōnen''
manga magazine 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 used ...
''
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' as a one-shot edition. It was later serialized for six years, running from the November 6, 1978 issue to the November 12, 1984 issue of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'', and released under the magazine's ''Jump Comics'' line in eighteen ''
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 between August 15, 1979 and August 15, 1985. ''Cobra'' was re-published from February 10, 1988 to November 10, 1998 in a ten-volume '' aizōban'' edition under ''Jump Comics Deluxe'' entitled ''Space Adventure Cobra''. The manga series was only partially released in the United States by
Viz Communications VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
in 1990 in a series of twelve books. This English-language publication covered the origin story and the Royal Sisters' saga, with dialogue adapted by the American comic book writer
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
and published under Viz Communications' ''Viz Select Comics'' line. In 2015 Creek & River released the complete manga in the US in a 15-volume full-color Kindle edition. The complete manga was printed in several other countries. In France, the manga was first published by Dynamic Visions, and later reprinted by
Taifu Comics ''Taifu'' (大夫) was a noble title in Japan, denoting a court rank between First Rank and Fifth Rank under the ''Ritsuryō'' system. It was also commonly used to refer to a holder of Fifth Rank, but also for holders of Fourth and Fifth Rank, t ...
. Its first volume was released in the 1990s Brazil by Dealer, being one of the first manga to be published in the country. The manga was also published in Italy by Play Press, in Taiwan by Tong Li, in Hong Kong by Culturecom, and in Thailand by Vibulkij. Shueisha released ''Cobra'' in '' kanzenban'' form with the title ''Space Adventure Cobra: Handy Edition''which included volumes one through tenfrom October 19, 2001 to February 4, 2002. Shueisha later created three ''kanzenban'' magazine series based on the ''Cobra'' manga under their ''Shueisha Jump Remix'' line. , which spanned two volumes, was published on October 7, 2002, and on October 21, 2002; , which spanned two volumes, was published on November 2, 2002, and on November 18, 2002; and , which spanned three volumes, was published from June 9, 2003 to July 7, 2003.
Media Factory , formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing. History It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was possi ...
also published ''Cobra'' in a ''kanzenban'' edition; it was simply called , and spawned twelve volumes released between August 23, 2005, and June 23, 2006. ''Cobra'' was also sold as an
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
, for a limited time.


Sequels and spin-offs

The ''
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 '' Super Jump'' published several ''Cobra'' sequel or spin-off series. The first was titled which was serialized in 1986 in a special issue of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''. It was then published in a single ''tankōbon'' by Shueisha in 1988 under the magazine's ''Jump Comics Deluxe'' line. a fully colored "computer graphics" manga, was serialized in ''Super Jump'' in 1995. A "computer graphics" sequel called was serialized in ''Super Jump'' from 2000 to 2002. Along with several other series serialized in ''Super Jump'', they were published from 1995 to 2002 in ''Jump Comics Deluxe'' under the title ''Space Adventure Cobra''. ''Space Adventure Cobra: Magic Doll'' was re-serialized in the ''
Monthly Comic Flapper is a monthly Japanese seinen manga magazine, published on the 5th each month by Media Factory since November 5, 1999 as a successor to ''Comic Alpha''. The magazine celebrated its 100th issue on February 5, 2008 (March issue 2008). On July 13, ...
'' magazine by Media Factory, and was published under its ''MF Comics'' line as and on February 23, 2006, and September 22, 2006, respectively. In addition, Media Factory published six ''Cobra'' one-shots; the first one, , on March 23, 2006, and the last one, , on April 23, 2009, all of which were also under ''MF Comics''. To celebrate the series' 30th anniversary, sixteen manga were reprinted and released by Media Factory; on May 23, 2008, and were released, and ''Magic Doll'' concluded it, with its release on July 7, 2009. From October 25, 2014 to June 13, 2015, Media Factory is republishing ''Cobra the Space Pirate'' through its ''MFR Series''. Out of requests, Terasawa announced in February 2016 he would create a new saga for ''Cobra''. He aims to deal with the unsolved plot of the strange resemblance of two female characters—Dominique and Secret. More than three years later, in November 2019, ''Comic Flapper'' magazine's official Twitter account announced the release of ''Cobra: Over the Rainbow''. A sequel to the original manga, it started to be released digitally on November 19 through
Kadokawa Corporation , formerly is a Japanese media conglomerate that was created as a result of the merger of the original Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango Co., Ltd. on October 1, 2014. History The holding company known today as Kadokawa Corporation was origi ...
's ''Comic Walker'' and Niconico Manga websites under the ''Comic Hu'' label.


Anime adaptations


Film

Tokyo Movie Shinsha , formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946. TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...
adapted the manga into a film titled ''Space Adventure Cobra'', which was released on July 23, 1982, in Japan. It was directed by
Osamu Dezaki , also known as , , or , was a Japanese anime director and screenwriter.
, with screenplay by Terasawa and Haruya Yamazaki, and retold the Cobra involvement with the Royal Sisters, and his fight against Crystal Bowie.
Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...
released the film in British theaters in 1995. An American dub was created by
Carl Macek Carl Frank Macek (September 21, 1951 – April 17, 2010) was an American screenwriter, script editor, producer and voice actor on numerous English language adaptations of anime during the 1980s and 1990s. His work is considered by many to hav ...
's
Streamline Pictures Streamline Pictures was an American media company that was best known for its distribution of English-dubbed Japanese animation. History Founding Founded in Los Angeles, California, in late 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first No ...
, and was released in American theaters also in 1995, by Tara, and was later distributed by
Urban Vision Urban Vision Entertainment Inc. was an American-based production/distribution company created in Los Angeles, California formed in July 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the animation medium known as anime to the American mainstrea ...
on VHS format in 1998. The film was later released on DVD in the
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
n region 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 theatr ...
in 2007, in the UK by Manga Entertainment in 2008, and on DVD (in 2012) and Blu-ray (in 2015) by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
in the US.


''Space Cobra''

''Cobra'' was adapted into an anime series titled ''Space Cobra'' directed by Dezaki and Yoshio Takeuchi that aired on
Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially b ...
between October 7, 1982, and May 19, 1983. The scenario writers were Haruya Yamazaki, Kosuke Miki, and
Kenji Terada is a Japanese scenario writer, anime director, series organizer and novelist. His more notable works include writing the first three games of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. He also worked on '' Batman: Dark Tomorrow'', created the concept for the ...
. Terasawa himself participated in weekly meetings to discuss the screenplays, giving his suggestions to the writers to fix what was wrong or rewriting the screenplay himself. The episodes were released in eight DVDs and a DVD
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
on October 25, 2000 by Digital Site in Japan. The series was released in Northern America by
Nozomi Entertainment 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 ...
in two parts; the first was released on March 4, 2014, and the second one is available since May 6, 2014. In November 2015, the series was added to the
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 ...
streaming service to be broadcast in the United States and Canada with English substitles. In June 2020,
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
licensed the anime series and was released on Blu-ray with a new experimental English dub for the first two episodes on September 29, 2020.


''Cobra the Animation''

''Cobra'' was adapted into two OVAs and a television series that were created by Guild Project and animated by Magic Bus under the ''Cobra the Animation'' line for the series' 30th anniversary. The first of the series was ''The Psychogun'', which was released
direct-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
between August 29, 2008, and February 27, 2009. It was written, storyboarded, and directed by Terasawa. Its sequel OVA, ''Time Drive'', was released between April 24, 2009, and June 26, 2009. It was co-directed by Terasawa and Kenichi Maejima, and co-written by Terasawa and Mitsuyo Suenaga. Both OVA series were later released in
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
box set on February 19, 2010. The anime television series ''Rokunin no Yūshi'', directed by Keizo Shimizu, aired on BS 11 between January 2, 2010 and March 27, 2010. Crunchyroll streamed the first OVA series between December 18, 2009 to on January 8, 2010. The two episodes of ''Time Drive'' were uploaded on January 1, 2008, and ''Rokunin no Yūshi'' was
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
ed as it aired in Japan. In April 2016 during the
Anime Boston Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Anime Boston was created and is run by the New England Anime Society, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization. Pro ...
the anime television and the OVAs were licensed by
Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
to be released in North America through digital outlets and in the home video market.


Audio

The soundtrack of the film was composed by Osamu Shōji. It used a single opening theme and a single ending theme, and its lyrics were written by Tetsuya Chiaki and composed by Saburo Suzuki. by Shigeru Matsuzaki was used as the opening music and by Eve was used at the end. The subsequent anime's music was scored by
Kentarō Haneda was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger. He composed for popular anime series, movies and video games. His popular name was Haneken. Biography Haneda was born in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, he ...
. The lyrics for "Cobra" and , the opening and the ending themes respectively, were written by Kayoko Fuyumori and composed by
Yuji Ohno is a Japanese jazz musician. Ohno is known for his musical scoring of Japanese anime television series, particularly ''Lupin III'', and most famously the 1977 series '' Lupin III Part II'' and the feature film ''The Castle of Cagliostro''. Ea ...
; both were sung by Yoko Maeno. The anime's music was compiled into two albums; ''Space Cobra: Original Soundtrack'' and ''Space Cobra: Complete Soundtrack'' were released by
Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
on September 25, 2003, and April 21, 2004, respectively. The musical score for ''Cobra the Animation'' was composed by Yoshihiro Ike. The opening theme from ''The Psychogun'' is by
Yoko Takahashi is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise. Career Takahashi began her ...
and it ending theme is "Wanderer" by Shigeru Matsuzaki. Both were released as singles on August 27, 2008, by Nippon Columbia. The second OVA used "Time Drive" by Sasja Antheunis as its opening theme and by Shigeru Matsuzaki as its closing theme. "Cobra the Space Pirate" by Sasja Antheunis and respectively were used as opening theme and closing theme for ''Rokunin no Yūshi''. On March 24, 2010, both were released as singles by Nippon Columbia. A soundtrack containing music from both OVAs and a compilation of music from the anime series were released on January 20, 2010, and April 14, 2010, respectively. ''Cobra Song Collection'', which encompassed music from the soundtracks of the film, two OVAs and two anime series was released on March 31, 2010 by Nippon Columbia.


Related media

The ''Cobra'' manga has become the basis of two
artbook Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...
s; the first focusing on the female characters of the series was released as on February 1, 1988. Concept designs of the manga were added to a ''Cobra'' artbook titled ''Cobra Wonder: Concept Design Arts of Cobra World'', which was released on July 17, 1997, and included two ''Cobra''s
side stories A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
and first published in ''Super Jump'' in 1988.
Popy Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot ...
and
Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
included Cobra's ground vehicle, the Psychoroid, in the Japanese ''
Machine Robo is a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe and Machine Men in Australia. A large portion of these toys were expo ...
'' toyline, where it gained the ability to transform into a robot. Japan later exported this idea to the United States as part of the '' Super Gobots'' toyline under the name "Psycho", designed by Murakami Katsushi. In Japan, action figures, T-shirts,
kewpie dolls Kewpie is a brand of dolls and figurines that were conceived as comic strip characters by cartoonist Rose O'Neill. The illustrated cartoons, appearing as baby cupid characters, began to gain popularity after the publication of O'Neill's com ...
, Cobra's Psychogun and Crystal Bowie's claw replicas,
stamps Stamp or Stamps or Stamping may refer to: Official documents and related impressions * Postage stamp, used to indicate prepayment of fees for public mail * Ration stamp, indicating the right to rationed goods * Revenue stamp, used on documents to ...
, and limited-edition whiskey bottles were sold as merchandise for the series.


Video games

In 1982, Popy Electronics created the hand-held games ''Space Cobra Professional'' and ''Space Cobra the Psychogun''. It was followed by ''Cobra: Kokuryū Ō no Densetsu'', released in 1989 for the
PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though ...
, and ''Cobra 2: Densetsu no Otoko'', released for the PC Engine in 1990, which was released in North America and Europe for the
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as '' The Space Adventure - Cobra: The Legendary Bandit''.


Reception


Critical response

The English version of ''Cobra'' was named as one of "The Top 25 Translated-To-English Manga of All Time" by '' Wizard'' magazine. Ivevei Upatkoon of ''EX'' online magazine praised it as a "rich fantasy" that was unmatched by any other. She said the main character took "after James Bond, albeit somewhat on the silly side, and the costumes and bizarre worlds are but a shade shy of plagiarizing ''Barbarella''". She was impressed that the series "is surprisingly devoid of the sexual innuendo and exploitation that anime fans have come to associate with decorative female characters"; it avoids the stereotypical, beautiful women, and instead creates its own "extreme" world. Upatkoon also said that modern readers might find the manga dated and would be discouraged from reading it, despite the improvement in artistic quality as the series progresses. Writing for
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 ...
(ANN), Jason Thompson described ''Cobra'' as "a significant piece of manga history". Thompson wrote that the women of the series have a "realistic physique and not some '' moe'' jailbait or grotesque '' bakunyu'' explosion". Thompson deemed ''Cobra'' as a parody of both
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
action heroes and ''Star Wars'' and 1970s ''shōjo'' science fiction and its concept of beauty". Pedro Cortes from Japanator affirmed, "''Space Adventure Cobra'' is interesting in that it takes a shard of an idea from a classic and then spins it out into its own epic." Cortes praised its "charming" designs, but criticized the main character's lack of development as "the only negative thing." He added, "There isn't a ton of depth, but the show doesn't pretend to be anything but a fun, sci-fi romp around the galaxy." ANN's Theron Martin praised its "surprisingly solid" art "for a series of its era" and affirmed, "it does stand up well as high-spirited, fun-loving action fare with occasional darker overtones." Chris Beveridge of The Fandom Post said, "It's simple but full of adventure, interesting characters and locations and a sense of fun that definitely makes it work in a very good way" and has "a solid visual design." Washington, in a review for ''
Otaku USA ''Otaku USA'' is a bimonthly magazine published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle (such as anime, manga, video games, cosplay and Japanese popular music) from an American perspective. The issues were acc ...
'', commended it for being "entertaining overall" and having "an overall fun vibe" because of its "smooth" art; he, however, criticized what he called "serious misogynistic tendencies." Chris Beveridge from Mania.com praised the ''Cobra the Animation'' anime series and its visual design, compared to those of ''The Psychogun'', but said it is not for those who are unaware of the original series. He said the anime has "a healthy dose of action, the kind of sexuality that's a trademark of the series ... as well as a good bit of silly fun". In the second episode review, Beveridge said it "seems to be following much the same kind of pace and structure" as the OVAs. Its animation was compared to ''
Darkside Blues is a manga series by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The story has been adapted into an anime film directed by Yoshimichi Furukawa. The film was originally licensed by Central Park Media and then later licensed by ADV Films. Storyline The story involves ...
''; ANN's Erin Finnegan described it as "gritty" animation, but that from episode five, the animation quality looks more modern and much less gritty. Beveridge said the anime's idea is simple, but added it is "also not a show you see often since it doesn't center around teenagers, schools or the
harem Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
concept". He said it is not "a great show", but that "it gives us something different than the usual"the reason it is "enjoyable".


Popularity and legacy

''Cobra'' made Terasawa, who at the time was 22 and was little known, famous. Approximately 50 million copies of ''Cobra'' have been sold, making it one of ''Weekly Shōnen Jumps best-selling manga series of all time. The anime television series was a major success in France in the 1980s. ''
Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
''s Frédéric Potet said it "marked a whole generation of young viewers", and Joel Metreau of '' 20 minutes'' asserted it gained a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
.
Alexandre Aja Alexandre Jouan-Arcady, known professionally as Alexandre Aja, (; born 7 August 1978) is a French filmmaker best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. He rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film ''High Tension, Haute ...
and
Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed or produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), ''The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Besson is associated with the ' ...
are among the French filmmakers that are fans of the series. ''Cobra'' has been influential on anime, manga, and video game creators. According to French scholar Marie Pruvost-Delaspre, its humorous style and sexual innuendos influenced manga ''
City Hunter is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1985 to 1991 and collected into 35 ''tankōbon'' volumes by its publisher Shueisha. The manga was adapted int ...
'' (1985), and
Shinichirō Watanabe is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...
's anime '' Cowboy Bebop'' (1998) and ''
Space Dandy , is a 2014 Japanese comic science fiction anime television series produced by Bones. The series follows the misadventures of Dandy, an alien hunter who is "a dandy guy in space", in search for undiscovered and rare aliens with his robot assi ...
'' (2014) owe their nostalgic appearance and the ironic tone, respectively, to ''Cobra''. Manga author
Kentaro Miura was a Japanese manga artist. He was best known for his acclaimed dark fantasy series '' Berserk'', which began serialization in 1989 and continued until his death. As of 2021, ''Berserk'' had more than 50 million copies in circulation, making i ...
was influenced by Cobra's Psychogun on creating a prosthetic hand for
Guts The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...
, the protagonist of '' Berserk'' (1989). Cobra's "provoking look", ironic style and capacity of changing from a little smile to a serious face also inspired video game designer
Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ō ...
to create the character of
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
from the ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
'' series. Thirty years after the original manga's publication, the OVA adaptation ''Cobra the Animation'' has been well received by fans; it was among the best-selling anime for two weeks, and the sixth volume of the anime series was one of the best-selling DVDs for one week.


Proposed live-action film

In 2008, Buichi Terasawa said he received a Hollywood offer to purchase the rights to a live-action film adaptation of the series. He stated it was "off-the-record", and that if it happened it would be partly standalone and separate from his original manga. However, in 2010,
Alexandre Aja Alexandre Jouan-Arcady, known professionally as Alexandre Aja, (; born 7 August 1978) is a French filmmaker best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. He rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film ''High Tension, Haute ...
announced he had purchased its rights, and that he planned to direct a live-action film adaptation of ''Cobra''. Aja was inspired to create this film adaptation because the original manga was one of his childhood favorites. Aja said he wanted to create a "tent pole-sized live action franchise". In 2011, Aja wrote a script with Gregory Levasseur, and production was held by Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassom under Onyx Films and Studio 37 with a budget of more than $100 million. Later, a teaser poster depicting promotional concept art for ''Cobra: The Space Pirate'', along with a release date scheduled for mid-2013, was unveiled. In September 2013, however, Aja admitted that making the film will be "very hard" since "to do a new kind of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', sexpensive" though he stated "we are trying everything, we will make it." In July 2014, Aja revealed it was estimated that the project would require a budget of over $150 million and that he was seeking to have an
A-list An A-list actor is a major movie star, or one of the most bankable actors in a film industry. The A-list is part of a larger guide called ''The Hot List'', which ranks the bankability of 1,400 movie actors worldwide, and has become an industry ...
actor to help attract a funder. One of his main difficulties, Aja said in 2015, was to decide who would star the film: "When I think 'who the heck is going to play that Cobra?', I become unable to move forward." In a June 2016 interview, Aja said he did not abandon it and that "The project is well advanced". Working with the Orange Studio and a group of twenty concept artists, Aja was able "to develop an absolutely huge universe in visual research". One of the drawbacks that made him slow the process was the release of ''
Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
'' in 2014, because Aja had to change several aspects of ''Cobra'' to differentiate it. In June 2017, he revealed the script was ready, but commented that another drawback is the big budget required for the film, which finds no funders in the US because the franchise is relatively unknown there. In April 2018, Aja announced the interruption of the film production and revealed it was in preproduction at
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
until a regime change occurred; the company's new staff considered the film budget (US$130 million) to be high and the release of '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' was also a factor on the cancellation.


Proposed animated series

In 2016, Monaco-based Shibuya Productions announced it would adapt the Rugball arc of the series into an "original animated series" called ''Cobra: Return of Joe Gillian''. In collaboration with Terasawa's A-Girl Rights, the series is slated to be directed by Hervé Trouillet, produced by Cédric Biscay and Rinko Itoh, and written by Trouillet and Biscay. The announcement of the series was through a promotional teaser released on February 27, 2016. The arc choice was based on the fact that it is a favorite of ''Cobra'' fans and it aims to incorporate classic characters and elements of the ''Cobra'' universe and "a rendering that will not disappoint fans of ''Cobra''", according to Biscay. However, they hope to attract more people because of economic reasons; as such, it will have a new story and a modern style of animation. The target audience of the series is primarily adolescents of over 12 years and it was slated to premiere in 2018.


Notes

Japanese


References


External links


''Cobra''
at Japan Authors' Gallery




Official ''Cobra the Animation'' website
* * {{Magic Bus 1978 manga 1982 anime television series debuts 1986 manga 1995 manga 2000 manga 2008 anime OVAs 2009 anime OVAs 2019 webcomic debuts Adventure anime and manga Animated space adventure television series Anime series based on manga Comedy anime and manga Discotek Media Magic Bus (studio) Manga adapted into films Media Factory manga Pirates in anime and manga Seinen manga Sentai Filmworks Shōnen manga Shueisha franchises Shueisha manga Space opera anime and manga Space pirates Space Western anime and manga TMS Entertainment Viz Media manga