Animanga/Manga Information
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Animanga/Anime| Information
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is a
Manga series by . It began serialization in the
Seinen magazine
Comic Flapper in January, 2001. ''Twin Spica'' tells the story of a group of Japanese high school students who are training to become astronauts.
The manga has been adapted into a 20 episode
Anime series by
Group TAC . The anime first aired on
NHK 's BS-2 satellite service between
November 1 ,
2003 and
27 March ,
2004 . ''Twin Spica'' has been translated into English and other languages by the anime television network
Animax , which has broadcast the series on its networks in several regions, including
East Asia ,
Southeast Asia ,
South Asia and
Latin America .
The title comes from the
Binary Star system
Spica . It is the brightest star in the
Constellation Virgo and one of the
Brightest Stars In The Sky . The story refers to the fact that
Spica is really two stars that circle each other, though from a distance they appear as one. This parallels the running theme of friendship throughout the series.
The primary setting of ''Twin Spica'' in the near future at the Tokyo Space School, where high school students train to become astronauts. has dreamed of going to space since she was a child. Her experiences in school and her relationships with her friends, family and teachers are the central themes of the story. The manga and anime series both have a relaxed,
Slice Of Life pace.
Several chapters of the manga and episodes of the anime are
Flashback s and explore the childhood of Asumi and some of the other characters. When she was a baby, Japan's first manned rocket (called ) crashed into Asumi's hometown of
Yuigahama , killing many people and critically injuring her mother, who finally dies after many years in a coma. While trying to accept her mother's death, six year old Asumi meets , the ghost of a young astronaut who had been on board the rocket. Inspired by Lion-san's stories of space, Asumi makes it her goal to become an astronaut herself.
The storylines of the manga and the anime adaptation are very close together initially, but in the anime's diverges to have an ending that is not related to anything published. The anime covers most of the manga's story in volume 1-3 but later takes bits and pieces of the latter volumes.
;
:The story's main character. After her mother died when she was young, she grew up with her father. She is the only one who can see Lion-san, whom she met soon after her mother's death. After meeting Lion-san, she becomes determined to become an
Astronaut . When her name is written in the kanji form (her name is in katakana), "Asu" means "tomorrow" (in her cause is interpreted as "future") and "Mi" means "look".
;
:Lion-san meets Asumi when she is young and introduces himself as a ghost. He wears a large lion mask that covers his entire head. He comforts Asumi during the difficult time after her mother's death, and fosters her interest in space.
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:A classmate of Asumi's, she is a loner and generally treats her peers coldly. She justifies her attitude by reflecting on the difficult childhood she endured, which comprised mostly of studying in isolation. Marika's backstory is unusual, but is only touched upon in the anime.
;
:Asumi's childhood friend, whose ends up following her to take the astronaut course. He likes Asumi and always looks after her but hasn't really revealed his feelings to her. He is nicknamed by Kei.
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:The first girl Asumi meets during the Space School entrance exam. Sociable, gregarious and frank, she is Asumi's first female friend in the Astronaut course
;
:The top student of their course, Shū is often depicted as a laid-back, easy going guy. Despite the facade, he tries his best to reach for his dream - which is to become an astronaut.
;
;
;
;
;
;
- Ending theme
:"Miagetegoran Yoru no Hoshiwo" by BEGIN
- Volume 1
- ---ISBN: 9784840104289
- ---Release Date: 01/2002
- Volume 2
- ---ISBN: 9784840104401
- ---Release Date: 04/2002
- Volume 3
- ---ISBN: 9784840104685
- ---Release Date: 11/2002
- Volume 4
- ---ISBN: 9784840104906
- ---Release Date: 05/2003
- Volume 5
- ---ISBN: 9784840109062
- ---Release Date: 10/2003
- Volume 6
- ---ISBN: 9784840109444
- ---Release Date: 04/2004
- Volume 7
- ---ISBN: 9784840109840
- ---Release Date: 12/2004
- Volume 8
- ---ISBN: 9784840113076
- ---Release Date: 05/2005
- Volume 9
- ---ISBN: 9784840113496
- ---Release Date: 12/2005
- Volume 10
- ---ISBN: 9784840113779
- ---Release Date: 03/2006
- Volume 11
- ---ISBN: 9784840116350
- ---Release Date: 11/2006
- Volume 12
- ---ISBN: 9784840116879
- ---Release Date: 03/2007
