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To-y

To-y is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atsushi Kamijo. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1985 to 1987, with the chapters collected in ten volumes. It tells the story of GASP, an underground punk rock band, and their attempt to get a recording contract and attain stardom. To-y was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) in 1987.

Plot

The story follows To-y Fujii (藤井冬威), lead singer of GASP, and his attempts not to sell out during his rise through the recording industry. The story also follows To-y's growing relationship with Niya Yamada (山田二矢), as the two find comfort in one another while they are shunned by mainstream society.

Media

Manga

To-y is written and illustrated by Atsushi Kamijo. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from April 3, 1985, to March 25, 1987.[2][3] Shogakukan collected its chapters in ten volumes released from September 18, 1985, to June 18, 1987. Shogakukan re-published the series in six volumes between January 17 and May 16, 1997.[4][5] Shogakukan re-released the series into a five-volume deluxe edition for its 30th anniversary between December 21, 2015, and April 25, 2016.[6][7]

Volumes

Volumes

Original video animation

The manga was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) by Gallop, directed by Mamoru Hamatsu, with character designs by Naoyuki Onda, and art direction by Shichirō Kobayashi.[18] Masaya Matsuura was in charge of the music, and his band Psy-S provided the theme songs; "Lemon no Yūki" (Lemonの勇気) and "Cubic Lovers".[19] It was released on October 1, 1987,[20] on VHS, LaserDisc, Betamax and Video High Density.[21] On June 30, 2021, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, who produced the OVA, released it on a limited remastered edition Blu-ray set.[22]

Legacy

To-y was a pioneer of band-themed manga and has served as an influence to other manga series like Beck and Nana.[23]

In 2007, Justin Sevakis of Anime News Network reported that a frame-by-frame digital restoration of the To-y OVA was being done by fans. He cited it as the first fan restoration in the anime community.[21]

Visual kei rock band Penicillin took their name from the group Penicillin Shock seen in To-y, and titled their first album after the fictional band.[24] In 2015, Atsushi Kamijo drew the album cover for Penicillin's Memories ~Japanese Masterpieces~.[25]

Professional wrestler Toi Kojima changed his ring name to "To-y" in February 2024.[26] He explained that his parents were fans of Kamijo and To-y and had named him after the series, so he will now be using the ring name to honor it and bring more attention to pro-wrestling.[27]

External links

References

  1. John Oppliger. Ask John: How Popular is Music Themed Anime? AnimeNation, July 26, 2004, retrieved May 14, 2020^
  2. https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M578535 Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 29, 2020^
  3. https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M578435 Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 29, 2020^
  4. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/sbc_book?isbn=4091930514 Shogakukan, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  5. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/sbc_book?isbn=4091930565 Shogakukan, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  6. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784778038069 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  7. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784778038106 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  8. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213518 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  9. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213525 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  10. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213532 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  11. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213549 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  12. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213556 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  13. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213563 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  14. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213570 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  15. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213587 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  16. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213594 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  17. https://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/book?isbn=9784091213600 Shogakukan, 28 June 2016, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  18. https://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?site=S&cd=DQXL000003607 Sony Music Shop, retrieved September 2, 2021^
  19. Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Century of Japanese Animation Stone Bridge Press, 2015, retrieved July 23, 2021^
  20. https://akiba-souken.com/article/52121/ Akiba Souken, Kakaku.com, August 7, 2021, retrieved September 2, 2021^
  21. Justin Sevakis. Buried Treasure To-y Anime News Network, March 15, 2007, retrieved October 27, 2014^
  22. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/426717 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc., May 1, 2021, retrieved September 2, 2021^
  23. https://ddnavi.com/interview/378192/a/ Da Vinci, Kadokawa Corporation, June 6, 2017, retrieved May 14, 2020^
  24. https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000113731 Barks, Japan Music Network, March 18, 2015, retrieved April 11, 2020^
  25. "TO-Y" Manga Artist Draws Visual-kei Band PENICILLIN's Latest Album Jacket Crunchyroll, 2015-03-03, retrieved 2015-10-05^
  26. DDT Pro-Wrestling. Toy Kojima will be changing his name today! From today onwards, he will be called... To-y February 14, 2024, retrieved February 16, 2024^
  27. Toi Kojima. Boku no honmyō no Tōi wa chichi to haha ga Kamijō-sensei no sakuhin de aru To-y ga suki de nazuketekuremashita! February 15, 2024, retrieved February 16, 2024^