is a Japanese media franchise, consisting of 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, a

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series, a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

series, and a

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

game. All four were released in early 1999. The PlayStation game was created by

Hakuhodo is a Japanese advertising and public relations company. It is headquartered at Akasaka Biz Tower in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. History Hakuhodo is one of the oldest advertising agencies in Japan and was founded by Hironao Seki at Nihonbashi-H ...

and was released in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

on March 11, 1999. The manga is a single volume series written by Kō Maisaka and illustrated by

Oh! great , known professionally as Oh! great, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series ''Tenjho Tenge'' (1997–2010) and ''Air Gear'' (2002–2012). In 2006, ''Air Gear'' earned him the Kodansha Manga Award in the '' shōnen'' category. ...

and released in Japan by

Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines su ...

in early 1999. It has been licensed in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Panini Comics Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, which also produces collectable stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy. The company publishes comic books in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Hunga ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Planet Manga Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, which also produces collectable stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy. The company publishes comic books in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Hunga ...

. The 12 episode television series aired on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...

between January 7, 1999 and March 31, 1999. It was released in Japan by

Group TAC was a Japanese animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, and founded in 1968 from former Mushi Pro staff. They worked on movies, videos, TV shows, and commercials, and contributed to all stages of the process, including p ...

. The anime has been released in the US in a 3-disc release by

Central Park Media Central Park Media, often abbreviated as CPM, was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York and was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan (on the corner of Central Park, hence ...

. The anime is technically based on the PlayStation game, even though the anime started airing before the game was officially released.

Plot

The Legend of Himiko is probably based on an ancient Japanese tale told in the Chinese history book

Sanguo Zhi The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

. The nation of

Yamatai Yamatai or Yamatai-koku is the Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa (Japan) during the late Yayoi period The Chinese text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' first recorded the name as () or (; using reconstructed Middle Chinese p ...

is under threat from the overseas kingdom of Kune (probably based on the nation of Kunekoku). In an attempt to stave off an invasion, the people of Yamatai attempt to install a Queen to rule over their kingdom, which is to be chosen by the mysterious Bokka. However, the Kune army attacks Yamatai before the selection of the Queen can be completed, and the Bokka disperse the six queen candidates across the nation. The Bokka themselves take shelter in a newborn girl named Himiko and the pendant she is wearing and transport her to modern times, where she is found by Masahiko Kutani. Several years in the future, Himiko and Kutani attend high school together. When the two are wandering around an archeological dig, Himiko's pendant activates, sending both back into ancient Japan where they are found by Imari, one of the queen candidates, and Iga within Kune's place in Yamatai, three years after Kune's initial attack. Both Himiko and Kutani learn about the Bokka and what relationship they have with it. The six queen candidates also finally all join back together, for the first time since they were dispersed when Kune first attacked. They eventually fight against Shikara, the governor-general of Yamatai and the son of the king of Kune, in order to free Yamatai from Kune's rule.

Characters

Bokka users

* Himiko Himejima * Masahiko Kutani * Enki * Iyo * Kyou

Queen candidates

* Imari * Shino * Seika * Fujina * Kouran * Tadami

Yamatai allies

* Kiyomizu * Iga

Kune invaders

* Shikara * Kira * Chosa * Heihachirou * Korai * Tenmoku

List of Episodes

1. The Sacred Fire 2. The Fountain of Darkness 3. Jaki, The Night Chasers 4. The Hideaway Village 5. Heavenly Spirit 6. The Pendant 7. The Seiseito Metropolis 8. The Albatross 9. The Burning Fortress 10. Guardians of Fire 11. Biwa Island 12. Sword of Seven Blades

References

External links

* 1999 anime television series debuts 1999 Japanese television series endings 1999 manga 2000 comics endings Adventure anime and manga Anime and manga about time travel Anime television series based on video games Group TAC Historical fantasy anime and manga Kadokawa Shoten manga Manga based on video games Oh! great PlayStation (console) games Shōnen manga TV Tokyo original programming Yamatai {{Yamatai