Blue Seed (stylized as BLUE SEED) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuzo Takada. The plot is based on the Izumo cycle of Japanese mythology.[not verified in body] The main character, Momiji Fujimiya, is a descendant of the mythical Princess Kushinada (奇稲田姫, Kushinada-hime). When Japan is menaced by Aragami (荒神, Aragami, lit. "angry gods") spawned by Yamata no Orochi, Momiji is intended to be sacrificed to appease the Aragami. She instead, however, becomes a member of the Terrestrial Administration Center (TAC), a secret agency charged with fighting them.
| Blue Seed | |
 | |
| Genre | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yuzo Takada |
| Published by | Takeshobo |
| Imprint | Bamboo Comics |
| Magazine | Comic Ganma |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | March 1992 – June 1996 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Jun Kamiya |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Naruhisa Arakawa |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio | |
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 5, 1994 – March 29, 1995 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Video game | |
| Blue Seed: The Secret Records of Kushinada | |
| Developer | Sega |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Platform | Sega Saturn |
| Released | June 23, 1995 |
| Original video animation | |
| Blue Seed 2 | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Naruhisa Arakawa |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio |
|
| Licensed by |
|
| Released | July 24, 1996 – February 4, 1998 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes per episode |
| Episodes | 3 |
Ashi Productions and Production I.G. created an anime adaptation for broadcast on Japan's TV Tokyo. The anime series ran for 26 episodes, originally airing from October 5, 1994, to March 29, 1995.[2] An original video animation (OVA), Blue Seed 2, was released in three episodes between 1996 and 1998. Both the anime and OVA (under the name Blue Seed Beyond) were licensed by ADV Films in the United States until 2009, when the company shut down. They were later licensed by Discotek Media for a SDBD release on December 18, 2018.
Plot
editIn 1992, Momiji Fujimiya is a middle school student living with her mother and grandmother in the city of Izumo, Shimane. One day, she is confronted on her way to school by a cat-eyed man with blue magatama beads embedded in his hands, who then attempts to kill her. Momiji is confused and terrified by this strange man's sudden desire to kill her; he also refers to her as Kushinada, confusing her even further. Momiji is saved by the sudden appearance of two government officials, one of whom shoots the man in the arm and sends him fleeing.
Momiji is intrigued as to why she was referred to as the Kushinada. She discovers that the Kushinada refers to an ancient princess whose blood holds the power to stop the ancient monsters known as Aragami by sending them to an eternal sleep. Momiji dismisses the idea that she could be such a person, but reconsiders after vines begin to appear from every crack and opening attempting to capture her.
Momiji tries to escape, not knowing that the vines are being employed by a powerful Aragami known as the Yamata no Orochi. She is saved by the man with the magatamas embedded into his hands, who introduces himself as Mamoru Kusanagi. He confronts Orochi using Momiji as bait. The plan fails and the government officials appear again. They reveal themselves to be members of the Terrestrial Administration Center (TAC for short), and subdue Orochi. However, with the last of its strength, it makes a final attempt on Kusanagi.
Momiji saves Kusanagi by taking Orochi's blow. Impaled by the Aragami, instead of dying, she is instead fused with the magatama, more specifically identified as a mitama, which gives Momiji the ability to sense the presence of other Aragami. The TAC agents explain that they are an organization dedicated to defeating the Aragami, who seek to destroy humanity. The current Kushinada, Momiji, must aid them because the other Kushinada, Momiji's twin sister Kaede Kunikida, is now dead. Momiji, wishing to discover more about the twin sister she never knew and also to fulfill her destiny, agrees to join the TAC under the protection of Kusanagi, who wishes to destroy his former masters, the Aragami.
The story becomes increasingly complex with the appearance of Murakumo, a man with eight mitamas who kills any Aragami he comes across for his own personal reasons. Kusanagi repeatedly attempts to kill Murakumo. Kaede reappears along with a strange energy field in Tokyo, and Murakumo and Kaede's plans soon become clear – they intend to resurrect the god Susanoo and purify the world of humanity's influences, with Kaede acting as the leader of the movement.
There is also a three episode OVA, Blue Seed Beyond, which takes place two years after the end of the TV series. It concerns what seems to be a resurgence of aragami (actually created via biotechnology), and introduces a new character, Valencia Tachibana. Like Kusanagi, she was implanted with a mitama without turning into a full aragami.
Characters
edit- Momiji Fujimiya (藤宮 紅葉, Fujimiya Momiji): Momiji is the descendant of the "Kushinada" who actually lives in Izumo where Princess Kushinada lived. An eighth-grade student in middle school, she was unprepared to understand her destiny to battle the Aragami. She becomes a member of the TAC in order to stop the Aragami from destroying humanity and the world. An ironic twist of fate has Momiji carrying a mitama – an Aragami "soul" – embedded in her chest. At awkward times, Momiji is the recipient of panty shots and jokes about the type of panties she wears. Her relationship with Kusanagi takes a turn for the better during the shielded town incident, where she finally confesses her love for him, and he in turn tells her to wait for him. Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Amanda Winn-Lee (English), Monica Rial (English, OVA)
- Mamoru Kusanagi (草薙 護, Kusanagi Mamoru): He was given seven mitama with the expressed mission that when he was older, he would protect the Kushinada from harm. He was very close to Kaede, Momiji's twin sister, before her sacrifice in the tunnels of Tokyo. After Kaede's demise he initially goes to Momiji to kill her, in order to rid the world of the Aragami. He comes around, however, in the second episode, and from then on makes it his sole purpose to keep Momiji from harm and eventually falls in love with her. Kusanagi often pokes fun at Momiji's choice of panties just to anger her. Kusanagi gains his 8th mitama from Momiji when he rescues her from danger in the last few episodes, which gives him the power to fight Murakumo on an even level. Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue (Japanese); Jaxon Lee (English), Matt Kelley (English, OVA)
- Daitetsu Kunikida (国木田 大哲, Kunikida Daitetsu): Daitetsu, or Mr. Kunikida, is the Chief Director of the TAC. When Kaede and Momiji were born, Mr. Kunikida raised Kaede like his own daughter, but he exploited her ability to track down and kill the Aragami. However, when Kaede sacrificed herself, he felt heartbroken. With Momiji in the TAC, Mr. Kunikida decides not to exploit her abilities like he did with Kaede and instead treated her like a normal girl. He usually drives a Citroën XM. Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Rob Mungle (English)
- Azusa Matsudaira (松平 梓, Matsudaira Azusa): Azusa is the science officer and experimental biologist in the TAC. Azusa is rarely on the field due to her research and development background. She constructs biological weapons for the TAC to use against the Aragami. She is a divorced mother of one. Voiced by: Yoshiko Sakakibara (Japanese); Sharon Shawnessey (English)
- Ryouko Takeuchi (竹内 涼子, Takeuchi Ryōko): A former member of Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Ryoko uses her police instincts to help the TAC. Ryoko uses her standard police issue weapons in conjunction with weapons modified to be used against the Aragami. She is in love with Kunikida. Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese); Marcy Rae (English)
- Koume Sawaguchi (沢口 小梅, Sawaguchi Kōme): Koume wears a pink jumpsuit, but never acts feminine. She is loud, brash and aggressive due to her stint in the Japan Self-Defense Forces. She was discharged by the SDF and transferred to the TAC as a result of insubordination. Her philosophy is based on the "bigger gun" theory and uses her military mind and muscle to destroy the Aragami. Despite her tough exterior, she is a vulnerable woman who wants to give her love. She has a soft spot for puppies, enjoys playing matchmaker to Momiji and Kusanagi, and at the end of the series, falls in love with co-worker Yaegashi. Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese); Tiffany Grant (English)
- Yoshiki Yaegashi (八重樫 良樹, Yaegashi Yoshiki): The stereotypical computer nerd, Yaegashi does computer analogy for the TAC. On off days, he enjoys hentai games on his computer. He also has a program that pinpoints the Aragami's weak points and attacks, but it doubles as a program to predict what animal would appear on Momiji's panties. He has a love/hate relationship with Koume through most of the series. He later gets engaged to her in the OVA. Voiced by: Yūji Ueda (Japanese); Kurt Stoll (English)
- Sakura Yamazaki (山咲 桜, Yamazaki Sakura): Sakura spent most of her life training in the United States. She uses Shinto magic and magic seals to stop the Aragami. She often flirts with Kusanagi just to get under the skin of Momiji, but also helps Momiji deal with the Aragami. Voiced by: Sakiko Tamagawa (Japanese); Allison Keith (English)
- Kaede Kunikida (国木田 楓, Kunikida Kaede): Kaede is the twin sister of Momiji and Mr. Kunikida's adopted daughter. Her talents were used to detect Aragami for the TAC, but after realizing she was merely a tool and not a person, she sacrificed herself, only to return on the side of the Aragami. It's not well-shown if Kaede was in love with Kusanagi or not. Voiced by: Mitsuki Yayoi (Japanese); Amanda Winn Lee (English)
- Susano-Oh (スサノオ, Susanoo): Susano-Oh is an all-powerful god who is the guardian deity of the Aragami. In the legend, Susano-Oh killed the monster Yamata-no-Orochi and married the Princess Kushinada. Kaede and Murakumo awakened him as part of their plan to create a world of nothing but plants. Voiced by: Jun Kitagawa
- Murakumo (ムラクモ): The series' primary antagonist; like Kusanagi, Murakumo was also chosen to protect the Kushinada. Murakumo has embraced the power of the Aragami and plans on unleashing that power against humanity. Murakumo has eight Blue Seeds embedded in his body. Voiced by: Jouji Nakata (Japanese); Aaron Krohn (English)
- Valencia Tachibana (バレンシア・タチバナ, Barenshia Tachibana): Valencia shows up in the OVA. Like Kusanagi, she was implanted with a mitama without turning into a full aragami. Voiced by: Junko Iwao (Japanese); Kira Vincent-Davis (English)
Media
editManga
editThe manga's complete title is Aokushimitama Blue Seed (碧奇魂ブルーシード). Originally serialized by Takeshobo in Comic Ganma between March 1992 and June 1996, its 17 chapters were also collected into two Japanese Tankōbon volumes.
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 28, 1994[3] | 4-88-475705-X | ||
| ||||
| 2 | December 16, 1995[4] | 4-81-245004-7 | ||
| ||||
Episode list
editBlue Seed
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | English air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Princess Kushinada" Transliteration: "Kushinada-hime" (Japanese: 奇稲田姫) | Jun Kamiya | Masaharu Amiya | October 5, 1994 | November 6, 1999 |
| 2 | "It's Mysterious! It's Cruel! It's My Destiny!!" Transliteration: "Nazo desu! Koku desu! Watashi no Unmei!!" (Japanese: 謎です! 酷です! 私の運命!!) | Jun Kamiya | Masaharu Amiya Naruhisa Arakawa | October 12, 1994 | November 6, 1999 |
| 3 | "It's Spring! It's the Capital! I Gotta Do My Best!!" Transliteration: "Haru desu! Shuto desu! Ganbaranakucha!!" (Japanese: 春です! 首都です! 頑張らなくちゃ!!) | Takao Kato | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 19, 1994 | November 13, 1999 |
| 4 | "Why? I Hate This! Why Am I So Unlucky?!" Transliteration: "Dōshite? Saiaku! Watashi wa Daikyō?!" (Japanese: どーして? サイアク! 私は大凶?!) | Hideaki Hisashi | Naruhisa Arakawa | October 26, 1994 | November 13, 1999 |
| 5 | "Surprise! The Pine Tree! The Scientific Mother!!" Transliteration: "Odoroki! Matsu no Ki! Kagaku na Mama desu!!" (Japanese: オドロキ! 松の木! 科学なママです!!) | Kiyoshi Murayama | Aoba Fujimiya | November 2, 1994 | November 20, 1999 |
| 6 | "Complicated and Hard to Understand! Isn't It Tough Being a Man?!" Transliteration: "Fukuzatsu! Nankai! Otoko wa Tsurai ne?!" (Japanese: フクザツ! 難解! 男はつらいね?!) | Daisuke Chiba | Yoshimasa Takahashi | November 9, 1994 | November 20, 1999 |
| 7 | "I'm Fired Up! I'll Do It! Because I'm Kushinada!!" Transliteration: "Moemasu! Yarimasu! Kushinada da mon!!" (Japanese: 燃えます! やります! 奇稲田だもん!!) | Takao Kato | Naruhisa Arakawa | November 16, 1994 | November 27, 1999 |
| 8 | "What!? How Strange, A Rival Appears?!" Transliteration: "Nan nano! Henna no Raibaru Tōjō?!" (Japanese: 何なの! 変なの ライバル登場?!) | Kiyoshi Murayama | Naruhisa Arakawa | November 23, 1994 | November 27, 1999 |
| 9 | "Are You Serious?! Is This a Dream?! An Exciting Date!!" Transliteration: "Maji nano?! Yume nano?! Dokidoki Dēto" (Japanese: マジなの?! 夢なの?! ドキドキデート!!) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Masaharu Amiya | November 30, 1994 | December 4, 1999 |
| 10 | "Innocence! Love! My First Kiss?!" Transliteration: "Jun desu! Ai desu! Fāsutokissu?!" (Japanese: 純です! 愛です! ファーストキッス?!) | Hideaki Hisashi | Kenichi Araki | December 7, 1994 | December 4, 1999 |
| 11 | "Anxious! Jealous?! Unbelievable!!" Transliteration: "Yakimoki! Yakimochi?! Anbirībabō!!" (Japanese: ヤキモキ! ヤキモチ?! アンビリーバボー!!) | Takao Kato | Yoshimasa Takahashi | December 14, 1994 | December 11, 1999 |
| 12 | "Can You Feel It?! I Can't Ignore It! An Ominous Premonition of Catastrophe!!" Transliteration: "Kanjiru?! Kininaru! Hakyoku no Yokan!!" (Japanese: 感じる?! 気になる! 破局の予感!!) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Ryōe Tsukimura | December 21, 1994 | December 11, 1999 |
| 13 | "I Love You! This is so Extreme! It's Time to Confess?!" Transliteration: "Suki desu! Kyūkyoku! Kokuhaku Taimu?!" (Japanese: 好きです! 究極! 告白タイム?!) | Kiyoshi Murayama | Yuzo Takada | December 28, 1994 | December 18, 1999 |
| 14 | "A Chase Down Yamato Highway! Love Under Fire!!" Transliteration: "Oimasu! Yamato-ji! Koi no Midareuchi!!" (Japanese: 追います! 大和路! 恋の乱れ撃ち!!) | Takao Kato | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 4, 1995 | December 18, 1999 |
| 15 | "Lost & Trembling on a Trip to Michinoku" Transliteration: "Tomadoi Yurameki Michinoku Kikō" (Japanese: 戸惑い ゆらめき みちのく紀行) | Kenji Takemura | Yoshimasa Takahashi | January 11, 1995 | December 25, 1999 |
| 16 | "Japan is a Paradise, Tears in Wakasa" Transliteration: "Yamato yo Mahoroba Nageki no Wakasa" (Japanese: 日本よ まほろば 嘆きの若狭) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Kenichi Araki | January 18, 1995 | December 25, 1999 |
| 17 | "Let it Bloom! Japan! A Blizzard of One-sided Love!!" Transliteration: "Sakasete! Nihon! Katakoi Fubuki! !" (Japanese: 咲かせて! 日本! 片恋吹雪!!) | Takao Kato | Naruhisa Arakawa | January 25, 1995 | January 1, 2000 |
| 18 | "Jesus!! Goddamn!! Cherry Blossoms are Unripe!?" Transliteration: "Jīzasu!! Gaddemu!! Sakura wa Mijuku?!" (Japanese: ジーザス!! ガッデム!! 桜は未熟?!) | Hideaki Hisashi | Yuzo Takada | February 1, 1995 | January 1, 2000 |
| 19 | "Heat Haze, Setting Off! Love is Inseparable!" Transliteration: "Kagerō Tabidachi Ai, hanarenai!" (Japanese: 陽炎 旅立ち 愛、離れない!) | Kenji Takemura | Ryōe Tsukimura | February 8, 1995 | January 8, 2000 |
| 20 | "I'm Home! Birthplace! The Prologue of Hope!!" Transliteration: "Tadaima! Furusato! Kibō no Joshō!!" (Japanese: ただいま! 出雲! 希望の序章!!) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Masaharu Amiya Naruhisa Arakawa | February 15, 1995 | January 8, 2000 |
| 21 | "Goodbye? No Way! A Tearful Farewell?!" Transliteration: "Sayonara? Iya desu! Namida no Wakare?!" (Japanese: さよなら? いやです! 涙のわかれ?!) | Hideaki Hisashi | Masaharu Amiya | February 22, 1995 | January 15, 2000 |
| 22 | "Sadness, Fate, Kushinada Momiji" Transliteration: "Kanashimi Unmei Kushinada Momiji" (Japanese: 悲しみ 運命 奇稲田紅葉) | Kenji Takemura | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 1, 1995 | January 15, 2000 |
| 23 | "Meeting Again, Starting the Journey, I Won't Give Up!" Transliteration: "Saikai Tabidachi Watashi Makenai!" (Japanese: 再会 出発 私負けないっ!) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 8, 1995 | January 22, 2000 |
| 24 | "The Setting Sun, The Coming Day, A Private Time for Each" Transliteration: "Shizumu Hi Semaru Hi Sorezore no Toki" (Japanese: 沈む陽 迫る日 それぞれの時) | Takao Kato | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 15, 1995 | January 22, 2000 |
| 25 | "All or Nothing! Deciding My Fate!" Transliteration: "Kakemasu! Kimemasu! Watashi no Unmei!!" (Japanese: 賭けます! 決めます! 私の運命!!) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 22, 1995 | January 29, 2000 |
| 26 | "New Soul" Transliteration: "Aratama" (Japanese: 新魂) | Jun Kamiya | Naruhisa Arakawa | March 29, 1995 | January 29, 2000 |
Blue Seed 2
edit| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Mission: Eradicate Kushinada, Operation MITAMA PHASE 1" Transliteration: "Kushinada Fūmetsu Sakusen Operation MITAMA PHASE 1" (Japanese: 奇稲田封滅作戦 Operation MITAMA PHASE 1) | Naruhisa Arakawa | July 24, 1996 |
| 2 | "Mission: Eradicate Kushinada, Operation MITAMA PHASE 2" Transliteration: "Kushinada Fūmetsu Sakusen Operation MITAMA PHASE 2" (Japanese: 奇稲田封滅作戦 Operation MITAMA PHASE 2) | Naruhisa Arakawa | August 21, 1996 |
| 3 | "Six Babes on a Trip, Big Explosion in a Secret Hotspring" Transliteration: "Bijin OL Rokunin Tabi Hitō Daibakuha" (Japanese: 美人OL6人旅 秘湯大爆破) | Kiyoshi Murayama | February 4, 1998 |
Theme songs
edit- Opening
- Carnival Babel by Takada Band (Fumihiko Tachiki and Ami Mimatsu) (remade by Megumi Hayashibara as "CARNIVAL BABEL 2003 VER." also known as "CARNIVAL BABEL REVIVAL")[5]
- Ending
- Touch and Go!! by Megumi Hayashibara
- Life by Megumi Hayashibara (Ep. 26)
Video game
editA role-playing video game entitled Blue Seed: The Secret Records of Kushinada (ブルーシード 奇稲田秘録伝, Burūshīdo Kushinada Hirokuden) was released by Sega for the Sega Saturn on June 23, 1995. It follows an adventure format, and utilizes a card-based battle system. The game's story is not an adaption of either the manga or the TV series, but a set of original episodes set in the same continuity as the TV series. The main cast of the TV series reprised their roles for the battle sequences and introductory cutscene.
The game was one of 12 Sega Saturn games announced when the system was first unveiled at the 1994 Tokyo Toy Show.[6]
On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the game a 28 out of 40.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Christi. "Blue Seed". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 147. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ 碧奇魂ブルーシード（１） (in Japanese). Takeshobo. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ^ 碧奇魂ブルーシード（２） (in Japanese). Takeshobo. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ "JpopHelp.Com: Your Online Source for Jpop Media!". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
- ^ "Sega's Saturn: 32-Bit Intensity". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 61. Sendai Publishing. August 1994. pp. 50–51.
- ^ "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ブルーシード 奇稲田秘録伝". Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No. 341. p. 31. June 30, 1995.
External links
edit- Blue Seed (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Blue Seed (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Blue Seed Beyond (OVA) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia