Planet With (プラネット・ウィズ) is a Japanese multimedia franchise by Satoshi Mizukami. Mizukami launched a manga series published in Shōnen Gahōsha's Young King OURs from April 2018 to July 2022. An anime television series by J.C.Staff aired from July to September 2018.
Plot
Sōya Kuroi lives with a large cat-like creature called Sensei and a happy maid named Ginko. One day, strange floating beasts appear in the sky above Japan, and conventional weapons are useless against them, until seven men and women transform into powerful weapons and destroy them. Sōya finds himself pressed into battle, fighting not against the beasts, but against the seven heroes instead, as he becomes an unwitting pawn in an interstellar war that has come to Earth.
Characters
- Sōya Kuroi (黒井 宗矢)
- A high school-aged boy with amnesia who can barely remember what happened further than one year ago. He eventually regains some of his memories and realizes the members of Grand Paladin are using similar powers to the ones that led to the destruction of his home planet, Sirius, from which he is the only survivor. A running gag is that he is kept from eating meat, either intentionally by Ginko or accidentally by others.
- Ginko Kuroi (黒井 銀子)
- A maid living with Soya who assists their Sensei. She is later revealed to be the Princess of the planet Riel who was saved by Sensei after being attacked by Sirius soldiers. Despite this, she came to Sirius with Sensei and rescued Sōya, adopting him. Ginko has various psychic powers.
- Sensei (先生) / Rashaverak (ラシャヴェラク)
- [1]
- A large purple cat who usually speaks in meows that Ginko translates. Revealed to be a leader of the Pacifist Faction of the Nebulans who tried to save the planet Sirius before it was destroyed. Capable of transforming into a small mech that Soya pilots after being swallowed by him. Sensei also has a spaceship that looks like his normal form, but at a massive scale. His other name, Rashaverak, appears to be a reference to one of the overlords from the novel Childhood's End.
- Nozomi Takamagahara (高天原 のぞみ)
- The representative of Soya's class and member of the school's Occult Research Club. Constantly referred to as "Glasses" (Megane-san) because Soya can't remember her real name.
- Hideo Torai (虎居 英雄)
- Hideo is former firefighter who quit to join Grand Paladin. He lost his mother in a fire in middle school and joined the fire department after high school.
- Miu Inaba (因幡 美羽)
- Miu is a young Judoka who is best friends with Harumi, hoping to one day be as strong as her. Member of Grand Paladin.
- Harumi Kumashiro (熊代 晴海)
- Young Judoka and Miu's classmate who wants to be pampered by Miu. Member of Grand Paladin.
- Judgment (Seigi) Nezuya (根津屋 正義)
- Graduate of Soya's highschool who occasionally visits the Occult Research Club. Adds dramatic flair to most of his actions and claims his name (Seigi) is because his father wanted him to be a lawyer, though in truth his family is a long line of sake brewers. Member of Grand Paladin.
- Benika Takatori (鷹取 紅華)
- A redheaded woman and former junior police detective. Member of Grand Paladin who later joins the Sealing Faction.
- Yōsuke Hitsujitani (羊谷 葉介)
- Member of Grand Paladin who later joins the Sealing Faction with Benika. The younger brother of the late police detective who was Benika's partner.
- Takashi Ryūzōji (竜造寺 隆)
- [1]
- The leader of Grand Paladin and arguably their strongest member. Suspected of being the reincarnation of the dragon that destroyed Sirius by the Generalissimo.
- Kogane Shiraishi (白石 こがね)
- Takeshi's secretary within Grand Paladin who seems to know more about the Nebula Weapons than she lets on. Later revealed to be a Rielian like Ginko and a member of the Sealing Faction who translates the Generalissimo's barks into speech and pilots his mech form.
- Takezō Ryūzōji (竜造寺 岳蔵)
- [1]
- Takashi's father and another Member of Grand Paladin. Has a love of meat and is infamous for visiting steakhouses and spending lavishly on meat there. Claimed to have found Takashi when he landed on Earth from space and raised him as his own son, but played it off as a joke to Yosuke.
- Generalissimo (閣下) / Karellen (カレルレン)
- [1]
- A big white dog-like creature who leads the Sealing Faction of the Nebulans. Similar to Sensei, he can turn into a larger, armored version of himself after swallowing Kogane. He also rides a gigantic spaceship that looks like himself. Like Sensei, his other name appears to be a reference to one of the overlords from Childhood's End.
Production
Shōnen Gahōsha first hinted at the project on November 30, 2017, when they announced that Satoshi Mizukami would be writing a new "large-scale" science fiction series in April after his current manga finished serialization.[2] The series was officially announced on March 23, 2018. Mizukami had begun work on the series four years prior, and has drawn 1,074 pages of storyboards for the project, in addition to writing both the manga and the anime.
Media
Manga
A manga version by Satoshi Mizukami was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's seinen manga magazine Young King OURs from April 28, 2018,[3][4] to July 29, 2022.[5] Shōnen Gahōsha collected its chapters in eight tankōbon volumes, released from July 30, 2018,[6] to August 30, 2022.[7]
The manga was published in English by Crunchyroll Manga.[8]
Anime
The anime television series was written and storyboarded by Mizukami and directed by Youhei Suzuki, with animation by J.C.Staff.[3] Kazunori Iwakura adapted Mizukami's character designs for animation.[3] Yoshitsune Izuna and Yasuyoshi Uetsu were the series' mechanical designers, and Tsuyoshi Isomoto was the prop designer.[3] Yoshikazu Iwanami was the sound director. Kōhei Tanaka composed the series' music.[3] Minami performed th opening theme song "One Unit",[9] while Mai Fuchigami performed the ending theme.[10]
The series aired from July 8 to September 23, 2018, and was broadcast on Tokyo MX, MBS, and BS11.[11] The series was simulcasted by Crunchyroll.[12]
Reception
The Planet With manga series was nominated for the 54th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2023.[13]
External links
References
- Rafael Antonio Pineda. 'Planet With' Anime Adds 4 Cast Members, Character Visuals & Intros Anime News Network, May 30, 2018, retrieved May 30, 2018^
- Karen Ressler. Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer's Mizukami Launches New Manga in April Anime News Network, December 1, 2017, retrieved March 23, 2018^
- Rafael Antonio Pineda. Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer Creator's New Work is 'Planet With' Anime, Manga Anime News Network, March 23, 2018, retrieved March 23, 2018^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/280233 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc., April 28, 2018, retrieved December 13, 2023^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/487517 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc., July 29, 2022, retrieved December 13, 2023^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/293261 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc., July 30, 2018, retrieved December 13, 2023^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/491541 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc., August 30, 2022, retrieved December 13, 2023^
- Karen Ressler. Crunchyroll Manga Adds Planet With, Holmes of Kyoto, Crossing Time Anime News Network, July 5, 2018, retrieved July 5, 2018^
- Crystalyn Hodgkins. Minami Performs Opening Theme for 'Planet With' Anime Anime News Network, April 28, 2018, retrieved April 28, 2018^
- Crystalyn Hodgkins. Mai Fuchigami Performs Ending Theme for 'Planet With' Anime Anime News Network, May 24, 2018, retrieved May 24, 2018^
- Crystalyn Hodgkins. 'Planet With' Anime's Ad Previews Opening Theme, Reveals July 8 Premiere Anime News Network, May 25, 2018, retrieved May 25, 2018^
- Karen Ressler. Crunchyroll Adds 7 More Summer Simulcast Series Anime News Network, July 3, 2018, retrieved July 3, 2018^
- 2023年第54回星雲賞参考候補作一覧 www.sf-fan.gr.jp, retrieved May 5, 2023^