The is an
alternate history political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The st ...
media mix
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
created by the
Japanese writer and filmmaker
Mamoru Oshii
is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including '' Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (1984), ''Angel's Egg'' (1985), ...
in 1986. The most famous installment of the franchise, especially outside Japan, is the 1999 anime film ''
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade''.
The saga is centered on the fictitious
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
police
Special Armed Garrison whose emblem and nickname is Kerberos (a.k.a.
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the ...
), the mythological three-headed
watchdog
Watchdog or watch dog may refer to:
Animals
*Guard dog, a dog that barks to alert its owners of an intruder's presence
* Portuguese Watch Dog, Cão de Castro Laboreiro, a dog breed
* Moscow Watchdog, a breed of dog that was bred in the Soviet ...
of
hell. Before it was officially renamed ''Kerberos Saga'' circa 2004, it was known as the or the .
The franchise is currently owned by Mamoru Oshii; It consists of works based on Oshii's original story spanning various media including
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
s,
radio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s,
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s,
animation film
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
s and
monographs. Licensed products are mainly Special Armed Garrison
powered suit based
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mark ...
s or
garage kit
A garage kit (ガレージキット) or resin kit is an assembly scale model kit most commonly cast in polyurethane resin.
They are often model figures portraying humans or other living creatures. In Japan, kits often depict anime characters, and ...
s called Protect Gears, and ''Kerberos Saga'' episodes derived soundtracks, storyboards, and guidebooks.
Merchandising includes posters, folding fans, mousepads,
statuette bust
Bust commonly refers to:
* A woman's breasts
* Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders
* An arrest
Bust may also refer to:
Places
* Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France
*Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically
Media
* ''Bust'' (magazin ...
s, tee-shirts, and even bottles of wine with a dedicated
online shop
Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the ...
available on the official website.
The most famous paraphernalia of the franchise is the Protect Gears, the
powered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as power armor, powered armor, powered suit, cybernetic suit, cybernetic armor, exosuit, hardsuit, exoframe or augmented mobility, is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body, pro ...
suits worn by members of the Special Armed Garrison. They were designed by mechanical and character designers and ''
RahXephon
is a Japanese anime television series created and directed by Yutaka Izubuchi. The series follows 17-year-old Ayato Kamina, his ability to control a mecha known as the RahXephon, and his inner journey to find a place in the world. His l ...
'' director
Yutaka Izubuchi
is a Japanese anime designer, screenwriter and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical (both robots and other vehicles). He created and directed the ''RahXephon'' se ...
.
Release chronology
Kerberos story arc
*1987 : ''
While Waiting for the Red Spectacles
is a 1987 radio drama written and directed by Mamoru Oshii. The music is composed and performed by Kenji Kawai.
It was released in 2000 as a limited CD drama bundled with '' Kerberos Panzer Cop: Complete Book en' edition.
Kerberos saga Kerbe ...
'' (紅い眼鏡を待ちつつ), Radio drama
*1987 : ''
The Red Spectacles
is a 1987 Japanese film directed by Mamoru Oshii, co-written with Kazunori Ito, and starring Shigeru Chiba and Mako Hyodo.
This is the first film of the '' Kerberos saga''.
Plot
It is the end of the 20th century. The Metropolitan Police hav ...
'' (紅い眼鏡), Feature-length
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...
film
*1988 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop - Part I'' (犬狼伝説 第一部), Comic book series (''Act1''~''4'')
*1990 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop: Original Edition'' (犬狼伝説 オリジナル版), Comic book volume (vol.1)
*1991 : ''
StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops'' (ケルベロス 地獄の番犬), Feature-length tokusatsu film
*1999 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop - Part II'' (犬狼伝説 第二部), Comic book series (''Act5''~''8'')
*1999 : ''
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade'' (人狼), animated feature film
** 2018 : ''
Illang: The Wolf Brigade'' (인랑), Korean live-action remake
*2000 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop: Conclusion'' (犬狼伝説 完結篇), Comic book volume (vol.2)
*2003 : ''
The Killers
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...
'' (キラーズ), Comic book short story
*2003 : ''
Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs
is a 2003-2005 Kerberos saga manga written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Mamoru Sugiura who was in charge of the continuity in the ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' manga. The story is the sequel to the ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' and a prequel to th ...
'' (Rainy Dogs 紅い足痕), Comic book series (''Act01''~''08'')
*2005 : ''
Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs
is a 2003-2005 Kerberos saga manga written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Mamoru Sugiura who was in charge of the continuity in the ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' manga. The story is the sequel to the ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' and a prequel to th ...
'' (犬狼伝説 紅い足痕), graphic collection (with "The Killers" and the previously unreleased "Act00")
*2006 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Jäger
''Kerberos Panzer Jäger'' (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬, ''Keruberosu kōtetsu no ryōken'', lit. ''Kerberos Hound of Steel'') is a 2006 radio drama series written by Japanese filmmaker and novelist Mamoru Oshii. It first aired in Nippon Cul ...
'' (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬), radio drama
*2006 : ''
Kerberos & Tachiguishi (ケルベロスX立喰師 腹腹時計の少女), Comic book series (''Act1''~''7'')
*2007 : ''
Kerberos & Tachiguishi'' (ケルベロスX立喰師 腹腹時計の少女), Comic book volume
*2009 : ''Kerberos Panzer Cops: Tokyo War'' (ケルベロス 東京市街戦 首都警特機隊全記録), Monograph (with ''Special Issue'')
*2009 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop: Special Issue'' (前夜-ケルベロス騒乱異聞), Comic book short story
*2010 : ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop: A Revision'' (犬狼伝説 20周年エディション), Graphic collection collecting revised Volume 1 and 2, with ''Special Issue''
Tachiguishi story arc
*1984 : ''
Urusei Yatsura: Hisatsu! Tachigui Wars!!'' (うる星やつら ~必殺! 立ち食いウォーズ!!~), TV anime series (episode #99)
*1987 : ''While Waiting For The Red Spectacles'' (紅い眼鏡を待ちつつ), Radio drama
*2004 : ''
Tachiguishi-Retsuden
is a 2006 live-action/animated hybrid film directed by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, who also wrote the eponymous novel on which the film was based. Both works are part of the Kerberos saga. Live-action film and manga adaptations were produc ...
'' (立喰師列伝), novel
*2006 : ''
Tachiguishi-Retsuden
is a 2006 live-action/animated hybrid film directed by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, who also wrote the eponymous novel on which the film was based. Both works are part of the Kerberos saga. Live-action film and manga adaptations were produc ...
'' (立喰師列伝), live-action/animated hybrid feature adaptation of the novel
*2006 : ''
Onna Tachiguishi-Retsuden
''Onna Tachiguishi-Retsuden'' () taglined ''Ketsune korokke no Ogin: Paresuchina shitō hen'' (), is a live-action short movie directed by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii.
Title
The original title translates in English as ''Female Fast Food Grift ...
'' (女立喰師外伝 ケツネコロッケのお銀), Short film
*2006 : ''Kerberos & Tachiguishi'' (ケルベロスX立喰師 腹腹時計の少女), Comic book series (''Act1''~''7'')
*2007 : ''Kerberos & Tachiguishi''(ケルベロスX立喰師 腹腹時計の少女), graphic collection
*2007 : ''
Shin-Onna Tachiguishi Retsuden
is the sequel to '' Onna Tachiguishi-Retsuden'' consisting of six loosely connected short stories. It was released in Japanese theaters November 10, 2007 and on DVD on April 23, 2008.
Production
While the original Tachiguishi was directed by Mam ...
'' (真女立喰師列伝), Short film
20th anniversary
In order to celebrate ''The Red Spectacles 20-year anniversary (actually the movie's 1986 production since the theatrical release in February 1987), a new Protect Gear armour (Type 34 "Wolfpelz") was designed by
Jun Suemi
Jun Suemi (末弥純 ''Suemi Jun'', born 1959) is a Japanese illustrator, born in Ōita, Ōita, Japan.
Illustration works
She has provided artwork, including monster design and graphic design, for various video games, fantasy and science-fict ...
in 2006 as part of a new Kerberos Saga project. This new episode was ''
Kerberos Panzer Jäger
''Kerberos Panzer Jäger'' (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬, ''Keruberosu kōtetsu no ryōken'', lit. ''Kerberos Hound of Steel'') is a 2006 radio drama series written by Japanese filmmaker and novelist Mamoru Oshii. It first aired in Nippon Cul ...
'' a
radio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
series narrating the Protect Gear's roots in the 1940s
German-Soviet War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
.
2006 was also the opening year for the Kerberos Saga's official website. Kerberos Saga official website owner Raiden (
Nippon Cultural Broadcasting
is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo which broadcasts to the Kanto area. It is one of the two flagship radio stations of National Radio Network (NRN) (the other station is ) and is a member of the Fujisankei Communications Group.
History
The ...
Media Bridge Inc.) released a collectible bottle of
German wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Ancient Rome, Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhine ...
,
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
through the official online shop.
As a 20th celebration of the ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop
''Kerberos Panzer Cop'', also known as , is a 1988 to 2000 ''Kerberos Saga'' manga written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Kamui Fujiwara (Studio 2B) with mechanical design by Yutaka Izubuchi. This comic series tales events prior to tho ...
'' original edition (1990 volume compilation by Nihon Shuppan Sha), the Kerberos Saga's new publisher
Gakken released a collector boxset ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop a Revision: 20th edition'' (犬狼伝説 20周年エディション).
This boxset features both volumes from ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' in
B5 size original aspect with "digitally refined"
graphic arts by
Kamui Fujiwara
is a Japanese character designer and manga artist. Fujiwara's father was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He excelled in mathematics and computer science when in grade school. He graduated from the Kuwasawa Design Sch ...
(original illustrator), a pamphlet and a new
Revoltech Yamaguchi Protect Gear figure.
In March 2009, a new comic book chapter entitled ''
Kerberos Panzer Cop: Special Issue'', was pre-published in Gakken's Kerberos Saga
monograph ''Kerberos Panzer Cops: Tokyo War''. This was released as a sample of the two-volume ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' "revised edition" to which it was included.
犬狼伝説 20周年エディションBOX (コミック), Amazon.co.jp
/ref>
Setting
Characters and organizations
As a military science fiction work the Kerberos Saga's main characters are members of the rival military and police services, namely the Shutokei (a.k.a. the "Capital Police" in the English language adaptation), the Self-Police ("Local Police" in the English adaptation) and the JSDF
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, t ...
. However, these conflictual forces have a common foe, Anti-government organizations and terrorists such as The Sect and its factions.
Secondary and guest appearance
In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...
characters introduced by author Mamoru Oshii are taken from his previous works such as culinary art and rhetoric masters Tachiguishi
is a 2006 live-action/animated hybrid film directed by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, who also wrote the eponymous novel on which the film was based. Both works are part of the Kerberos saga. Live-action film and manga adaptations were produce ...
("Fast Food Grifters" in the English adaptation) or Detective Matsui from the ''Patlabor
, also known as ''Patlabor'' (a portmanteau of "patrol" and "labor"), is a Japanese science fiction media franchise created by Headgear, a group consisting of manga artist Masami Yūki, director Mamoru Oshii, screenwriter Kazunori Itō ...
'' franchise.
Members of the saga's core organisation, the Shutokei's Special Armed Garrison, have an animal counterpart which is an allegory and sometimes a metonymy. This animal can be a mythological dog such as Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the ...
(the garrison's emblem
An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often us ...
) and Laelaps as in the comic book, or it can be a German dog breed
A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globall ...
s as in ''Kerberos Panzer Cop
''Kerberos Panzer Cop'', also known as , is a 1988 to 2000 ''Kerberos Saga'' manga written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Kamui Fujiwara (Studio 2B) with mechanical design by Yutaka Izubuchi. This comic series tales events prior to tho ...
'' and its sequel '' Kerberos Saga: Rainy Dogs''; this comic book series original title means "Dog-Wolf Legend" (犬狼伝説, ''kenrou densetsu''). It can be a Japanese wolf
The Japanese wolf ( ja, ニホンオオカミ(日本狼), ja, script=Latn, label= Hepburn, Nihon ōkami, or , below]; ''Canis lupus hodophilax''), also known as the Honshū wolf, is an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf that was once endem ...
(狼, ''Ookami'') as in ''Jin-Roh'' ("Man-Wolf" in English) and in ''Kerberos & Tachiguishi'' which borrow drama parts to the ''Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brot ...
'' tale. Also, it can be a stray dog as in the 1991 eponymous movie.
Timeline
The Kerberos Saga is based upon an alternate history with key events called . Altered historical events turned into fiction include Japan siding with the Allies, the Germany-won battle of Stalingrad, Stauffenberg's then-successful assassination attempt on Hitler, the occupation of Japan by Germany - instead of the United States - called , and the prominent 26 February ''coup d'état'' (a.k.a. "Kerberos Uprising") attempted by the Special Armed Garrison instead of the Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
.
Main locations
Although the saga's plot is mainly located in the Japanese capital (as the Special Armed Garrison jurisdiction is limited to the Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
area), some episodes happen in foreign cities including Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
and Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of his ...
('' StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops''), Old Havana
Old Havana ( es, link=no, La Habana Vieja) is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of ...
(''The Killers
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...
'') and Stalingrad (''Kerberos Panzer Jäger'').
Among the Tokyo landmarks appearing in the saga are Odaiba (''The Red Spectacles''), Shibuya
Shibuya (wikt:渋谷, 渋谷wikt:区, 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern ...
, the Tokyo International Airport
, officially , and sometimes called as Tokyo Haneda Airport or Haneda International Airport , is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary ...
(''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' Act4), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building (''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' Act8), the Prime Minister's Official Residence
The Prime Minister's Official Residence is the official workplace and residence of the Prime Minister of Japan. It is commonly referred to as , , or simply .
Located at 2-3-1 Nagata-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100–8968, it is diagonally adjacen ...
(also known as Kantei) (''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' Act8) and the University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project b ...
's Yasuda Auditorium (''Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs'' Act3).
A recurring location is sewer, it can be the Tokyo sewer as in ''Kerberos Panzer Cop'' (Act 1) and ''Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade'' or abroad sewer as in ''Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs'' (Act 8). In all these works, sewer is the final stage holding the Special Armed Garrison (Kerberos) main character's last fight. In Greek mythology, the ''Kerberos'' (Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the ...
) watchdog guards the gates of the Underworld, called Hades, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whi ...
from ever escaping. Hence the sewer can be regarded as an allegory of the Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
; the original title for the 1991 movie '' StrayDog'' is "kerberos: watchdog of ''jigoku''" (ケルベロス 地獄の番犬, ''keruberosu: jigoku no banken'') with '' jigoku'' being the realm of the dead in the Japanese mythology.
Releases
Japanese releases
The saga started in January 1987 with the Japanese broadcast of the radio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
series ''While Waiting for the Red Spectacles
is a 1987 radio drama written and directed by Mamoru Oshii. The music is composed and performed by Kenji Kawai.
It was released in 2000 as a limited CD drama bundled with '' Kerberos Panzer Cop: Complete Book en' edition.
Kerberos saga Kerbe ...
'' (紅い眼鏡を待ちつつ, ''Akai megane o machi tsutsu''), prior to the theatrical release of the live-action film ''The Red Spectacles
is a 1987 Japanese film directed by Mamoru Oshii, co-written with Kazunori Ito, and starring Shigeru Chiba and Mako Hyodo.
This is the first film of the '' Kerberos saga''.
Plot
It is the end of the 20th century. The Metropolitan Police hav ...
'' (紅い眼鏡, ''Akai megane''). A manga series adaptation, ''Kerberos Panzer Cop
''Kerberos Panzer Cop'', also known as , is a 1988 to 2000 ''Kerberos Saga'' manga written by Mamoru Oshii and illustrated by Kamui Fujiwara (Studio 2B) with mechanical design by Yutaka Izubuchi. This comic series tales events prior to tho ...
'' (''Kenrou densetsu'') started the following year and was compiled as a single volume (Acts 1~4) in 1990.
The following year was released '' StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops'' (ケルベロス 地獄の番犬, ''Keruberosu jigoku no banken''), the first theatrical adaptation of the manga.
In 1999, the manga series was completed (Acts 5~8) and re-released as two compilation volumes. A few months later was released '' Jin-Roh'' (人狼, ''Jinrou'') the anime adaptation of the first manga. It remains the franchise's most popular work outside Japan until today.
'' Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters'' (立喰師外伝, ''Tachiguishi retsuden''), an animation feature spin-off was released in theaters and DVD in 2006.
Asian releases
''Kerclros Panzer Cop 犬狼伝説'', an unlicensed Chinese version of the 1990 manga volume was published in Taiwan in the early 1990s.
''犬狼傳說'', a Chinese version complete volume (Acts 1~8) was available in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
in 2000. A licensed, two volumes, Chinese version of the Japanese 2000 re-edition ("Frozen Version") was issued in Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
the same year. A similar edition was available in the Korean language in South Korea the same year.
A traditional Chinese 2-volume licensed edition was published in Taiwan in 2002.
North American releases
A six-issues English adaptation of the first manga volume was published in 1994, in the United States and Canada as '' Hellhounds: Panzer Cops''. A compilation volume edition was published in 1997.
The English dubbed version of ''Jin-Roh'' was released in North America in 2001.
Two years later, the English subtitled version of the 1987 and 1991 live-action films was released on DVD.
European releases
''Hellhounds: Panzer Cops'', the English adaptation of the first manga volume, was translated into German and serialized in a German book from 1996 to 1997.
In 1998, the American ''Hellhounds: Panzer Cops'' all-in-one volume was licensed and distributed in the United Kingdom.
The following year ''Jin-Roh'' was premiered in France and later released in Germany. It was one year before the Japanese release.
Toy lines
With each new episode release, Japanese toys and model kits manufacturers such as Kaiyodo, Medicom, or Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture").
Products Toys
In 1 ...
produce Protect-Gear scale models.
Fan works
After the North American release of Jin-Roh, various Kerberos Protect-Gear skins were created by fans to be used in the popular Counter-Strike
''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preve ...
FPS
FPS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* "F.P.S." (''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''), an episode of the TV show ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''
* '' fps magazine'', a defunct magazine about animation
* ''The Fabulous Picture Show'', a televi ...
, an American video game series (1998~2004).
In 2005, ''Images of the Last Battalion'', an independent short anime directed by a student, Koichi Kishita, was released in Japanese film contests. The following year, the bootleg video was edited and projected as an official trailer at Mamoru Oshii's ''Kerberos Panzer Jäger
''Kerberos Panzer Jäger'' (ケルベロス 鋼鉄の猟犬, ''Keruberosu kōtetsu no ryōken'', lit. ''Kerberos Hound of Steel'') is a 2006 radio drama series written by Japanese filmmaker and novelist Mamoru Oshii. It first aired in Nippon Cul ...
'' launch party and Kishita joined Production I.G
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, founded on December 15, 1987, by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders: producer Mitsuhisa Ish ...
's 3DCG team.
Japanese and Chinese Protect-Gear fans sculpted, modified, or repainted licensed toys. Some of these "custom" items are released as limited edition garage kits available in conventions and import action figure shops and websites.
See also
* ''Patlabor
, also known as ''Patlabor'' (a portmanteau of "patrol" and "labor"), is a Japanese science fiction media franchise created by Headgear, a group consisting of manga artist Masami Yūki, director Mamoru Oshii, screenwriter Kazunori Itō ...
'' (created by Headgear, in which Mamoru Oshii and Yutaka Izubuchi are members)
* '' Starship Troopers'' by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
(popularizes the idea of powered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as power armor, powered armor, powered suit, cybernetic suit, cybernetic armor, exosuit, hardsuit, exoframe or augmented mobility, is a mobile machine that is wearable over all or part of the human body, pro ...
)
References
Sources
Axis Animation
(''English'')
GA Graphic official website
(''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
* Jin-Roh DTS Edition booklet, Bandai Visual (''Japanese'')
* Jin-Roh Maniaxx, Kadokawa Shoten, (''Japanese'')
JOQR Radio
(''Japanese'')
(''English'')
Kenji Kawai's official website
(''Japanese/English'')
* Kenrou Densetsu Fukyoban, Nihon Shuppansha, (''Japanese'')
* Kenrou Densetsu, Nihon Shuppansha, (''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
Kerberos saga
at the ''Hobby Japan
is a Japanese publishing company known for publishing and releasing books, magazines, light novels, games, and collectibles. Founded in 1969, the company owns and distributes such publications as the eponymous ''Hobby Japan'' magazine, as well ...
'' website (''Japanese'')
Mamoru Oshii's official website
(''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
(''English'')
Production I.G Special Site
(''Japanese'')
(''Japanese'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerberos Saga
Mass media franchises
Military science fiction
Japan Self-Defense Forces in fiction
Alternate history
Dystopian fiction