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Wangan Midnight

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Wangan Midnight (Japanese: 湾岸ミッドナイト, Hepburn: Wangan Middonaito) is a Japanese racing manga series written and illustrated by Michiharu Kusunoki. It was first serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits in 1990, but was later serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine from 1992 to 2008. The manga was compiled into 42 volumes published by Kodansha. A second manga series titled Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner was published from 2008 to 2012. A third manga series, Ginkai no Speed Star, was published from 2014 to 2015. A fourth manga series, Shutoko SPL - Ginkai no Speedster, started in 2016.

Wangan Midnight
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Akio Asakura and the Devil Z
湾岸ミッドナイト
(Wangan Middonaito)
GenreSports (highway racing)[1]
Manga
Written byMichiharu Kusunoki
Published by
Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original run1990 – 2008
Volumes42
Anime television series
Directed byTsuneo Tominaga
StudioA.C.G.T
Original networkAnimax
Original run June 8, 2007 – September 13, 2008
Episodes26 (List of episodes)
Manga
Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner
Written byMichiharu Kusunoki
Published byKodansha
MagazineWeekly Young Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 4, 2008 – July 9, 2012
Volumes12
Manga
Ginkai no Speed Star
Written byMichiharu Kusunoki
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic Spirits
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 11, 2014 – April 13, 2015
Volumes2
Manga
Shutoko SPL - Ginkai no Speedster
Written byMichiharu Kusunoki
Published byKodansha
MagazineMonthly Young Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runSeptember 20, 2016 – present
Volumes12

The series has been adapted into several live action feature films, video games, and an anime television series. The anime was broadcast in Japan from June 2007 to September 2008 on the anime satellite television network Animax, animated by A.C.G.T and produced by OB Planning.

In 1999, Wangan Midnight won the Kodansha Manga Award for the General category.

Story

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The series revolves around street racing on Tokyo's Bayshore Route (湾岸, Wangan), as well as other roads on the Shuto Expressway network. The story begins with high school student Akio Asakura encountering a black Porsche 911 Turbo nicknamed "Blackbird" on the Wangan. Akio attempts to give chase, but is unable to keep up with the Blackbird, which is driven by a medical doctor named Tatsuya Shima.

Determined to drive a faster car, Akio visits a junkyard and is drawn to an old blue Nissan Fairlady Z (S30) with a highly tuned L28 engine. He learns that the car is supposedly "cursed," being extremely difficult to drive and having a history of multiple accidents, earning it the name "The Devil Z" (悪魔のZ, Akuma no Zetto). However, this does not dissuade him, and he restores the car back to its former glory. When racing with Blackbird, Akio tries to win, only to crash his Nissan multiple times. He also gets to meet Eriko Asakura, the sister of the original driver who shares the same name as the current Akio, who previously died in a car accident while racing with Blackbird.

As he develops his career as the infamous owner of the Devil Z, Akio meets many other racers and tuners along the way, such as fashion model and TV host Reina Akikawa, who drives a grey (later white) Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, and Jun Kitami, the original creator of the infamous Devil Z and Blackbird. The central plot revolves around the rivalry between the Devil Z and Blackbird for Wangan superiority as Akio tries to maintain his loyalty with the car and control it from crashing, with other racers trying to compete against both of them who are also seeking to oust their record.

The new story arc, Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner, features the new adventures of a new main character, Shinji Ogishima (who debuted in the last chapters of the original manga), and his friend, Nobu Setoguchi.[citation needed] They are part of the GT Cars project, which is in dispute and conflict, and must drive Mazda RX-7's along Shuto Expressway to settle these problems along with meeting Tatsuya Shima.

Characters

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Akio Asakura (朝倉アキオ, Asakura Akio)
Voiced by: Shun Oguri
An ambitious racer who started when he was very young, Akio was in his final year of high school as the story began. He drove a red Nissan Fairlady Z (Z31) until, after being defeated by Tatsuya Shima's Blackbird, he discovers the "Devil Z," a 620 hp (460 kW) Nissan Fairlady Z (S30) which is supernaturally fast and extremely difficult to drive. Akio is regarded as a legend on the Wangan, though he is a humble character.
Tatsuya Shima (島達也, Shima Tatsuya)
Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki
A talented surgeon and Akio's main rival, as Akio is the only one who regularly gives him a challenge. He drives a black Porsche 911 Turbo (930), and later a black Porsche 911 Turbo (964),[a] nicknamed "Blackbird", in homage to the RUF CTR Yellowbird, RUF's 911 counterpart, using his large salary to fund his Porsche. Later, Shima had Jun Kitami (the man who built the Devil Z) tune his Porsche, upgrading the engine to 800 hp (600 kW), to try to keep up with the Devil Z.
Reina Akikawa (秋川零奈, Akikawa Reina)
Voiced by: Reiko Suhou
Reina is a model and television host, co-hosting an automotive news show named "Drive Go Go!". She finds Akio on the Wangan and becomes obsessed with him and the Devil Z, even trying to take the Devil Z for a joyride one night. After getting her Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) tuned and modified from YM Speed's Kazuhiko Yamamoto, she discovers a love for street racing (something that does not sit very well with her manager). Though formerly a competing rival, she becomes friends with Akio after crashing her Skyline whilst racing him, even developing feelings for him. As a result, Reina just spectates the races on sidelines while driving her R32 or just coming with Akio to see him race.

Media

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Manga

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Wangan Midnight is written and illustrated by Michiharu Kusunoki. The series was first briefly published in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits in 1990 and transferred to Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine, where it ran from 1992 to 2008.[2][3][4] Kodansha collected its chapters in forty-two tankōbon volumes, published from January 8, 1993,[5] to December 26, 2008.[6]

A second series, titled Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner, was serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from August 4, 2008,[b] to July 9, 2012.[9] Kodansha collected its chapters in twelve tankōbon volumes, published between November 6, 2009,[7] and October 5, 2012.[10]

A third series, titled Ginkai no Speed Star, was serialized in Big Comic Spirits from August 11, 2014,[11] to April 13, 2015.[12] Shogakukan collected its chapters in two tankōbon volumes, published on November 28, 2014,[13] and May 29, 2015.[14]

A fourth series, titled Shutoko SPL - Ginkai no Speedster, started in Kodansha's Monthly Young Magazine on September 20, 2016.[15] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on January 5, 2018.[16] As of September 19, 2024, twelve volumes have been released.[17]

Films

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The series was adapted into a series of direct-to-video movies in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2001, and a theatrical movie in 2009:

  • Wangan Midnight (湾岸MidNight), 1991
  • Wangan Midnight II (湾岸ミッドナイトII), 1993
  • Wangan Midnight III (湾岸ミッドナイトIII), 1993
  • Wangan Midnight 4 (湾岸ミッドナイト4), 1993
  • Wangan Midnight Special Director's Cut Complete Edition (湾岸ミッドナイトスペシャル ディレクターズカット完全版), 1994
  • Wangan Midnight Final: GT-R Legend – Act 1 (湾岸ミッドナイト FINAL ~GT-R伝説 ACT1~), 1994
  • Wangan Midnight Final: GT-R Legend – Act 2 (湾岸ミッドナイト FINAL ~GT-R伝説 ACT2~), 1994
  • Devil GT-R Full Tuning (魔王GT-R チューニングのすべて), 1994
  • Showdown! Devil GT-R (対決!魔王GT-R), 1994
  • Wangan Midnight S30 vs. Gold GT-R – Part I (新湾岸ミッドナイト S30vsゴールドGT-R Part I), 1998
  • Wangan Midnight S30 vs. Gold GT-R – Part II (新湾岸ミッドナイト S30vsゴールドGT-R Part II), 1998
  • Wangan Midnight Return (湾岸ミッドナイト リターン), 2001
  • Wangan Midnight The Movie (湾岸MidNight Movie), 2009[4]

Anime

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Main article: List of Wangan Midnight episodes

At the 2007 Tokyo Anime Fair, OB Planning announced the production of an animated series based on the manga,[1] and aired on a pay-per-view channel of Animax in June 2007.[1] The series was co-produced by OB Planning, A.C.G.T., and Pastel, under the direction of Tsuneo Tominaga. The anime consists of twenty-six episodes. The opening theme for the series is "Lights and Anymore" by TRF and the ending theme is "Talkin' Bout Good Days" by Mother Ninja.[18]

Video games

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  • Wangan Midnight – Developed by Genki and released on December 18, 2001, for arcade (by Namco, using the Namco System 246 hardware),[19] and for the PlayStation 2 on March 21, 2002 by Genki.
    • Wangan Midnight R – Released for arcade in April 2002.[20]
  • Wangan Midnight – Released in 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable (as Wangan Midnight Portable) platforms. The games were re-released in 2008, under the "Genki The Best" label.
  • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune – Developed by Bandai Namco Amusement and released on July 6, 2004, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 2 – Released on April 25, 2005, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 – Released on July 18, 2007, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 DX – Released on December 16, 2008, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 DX Plus – Released on March 4, 2010, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 4 – Released on December 15, 2011, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5 – Released on March 12, 2014, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5 DX – Released on December 15, 2015, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5 DX Plus – Released on December 15, 2016, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6 – Released on July 12, 2018, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6R – Released on January 21, 2020, for arcade.[21]
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6RR – Released on November 17, 2021, for arcade.
    • Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6RR+ – Released on April 17, 2024, for arcades in Japan.[22]

Reception

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In 1999, Wangan Midnight won the Kodansha Manga Award for the General category.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ Due to licensing issues as well as Porsche's license deal with EA at that time, the early Maximum Tune video games have him drive either a Gemballa 3.8 RS in Japanese versions, and a Nissan 350Z in the English versions. Starting with Maximum Tune 4 until 5DX+, as well as the Genki-developed games, he drives a RUF CTR Yellowbird colored and modified in black. Later chapters have him switch the CTR for the RCT.
  2. ^ It started in the combined 36/37 issue of 2008,[7] released on August 4, 2008.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Miller, Evan (March 22, 2007). "TAF 2007: Wangan Midnight Anime Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  2. ^ 作品詳細『銀灰のスピードスター』. spi-net.jp (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  3. ^ "SonyMusicShop" 湾岸ミッドナイトMAXIMUM TUNE 5 Original Sound Track (in Japanese). Sony Music Shop. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Wangan Midnight the Movie to Open in Japan This Summer Archived 2021-01-26 at the Wayback Machine. Anime News Network. 2009-04-26. Retrieved on 2009-04-26.
  5. ^ 湾岸ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  6. ^ 湾岸ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ（４２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  7. ^ a b 湾岸ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ Ｃ１ランナー（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Back Number 2008年 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  9. ^ ヤンマガで「センゴク」第3部始動、「湾岸」続編は最終回. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 2, 2012. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  10. ^ 湾岸ミッドナイト Ｃ１ランナー（１２）＜完＞ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  11. ^ 相田裕、楠みちはる、玉井雪雄ら新作がスピで. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 4, 2014. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  12. ^ 原克玄の破天荒JKギャグ「るみちゃんの事象」タイトルも新たにリニューアル. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 13, 2015. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  13. ^ 銀灰のスピードスター ＳＥＲＩＥＳ １ ターボ３．６ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  14. ^ 銀灰のスピードスター ＳＥＲＩＥＳ２ ＧＴ－Ｒ（ＲＢ２６） (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  15. ^ 楠みちはるが中年GT-R乗り描く新連載「首都高SPL」、月刊ヤンマガで開幕. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  16. ^ 首都高ＳＰＬ（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  17. ^ 首都高ＳＰＬ（１２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  18. ^ アニマックスPPVプレミア 湾岸MIDNIGHT(ミッドナイト) 】 (in Japanese). Pay Per View Japan Inc. Archived from the original on October 29, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  19. ^ ナムコのアーケード最新作、『湾岸ミッドナイト』が12月18日より稼動開始！. dengekionline.com (in Japanese). December 11, 2001. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "各種レースのバランスを再調整！AC向け対戦バトルRCG『湾岸ミッドナイトR』稼動開始". dengekionline.com (in Japanese). April 30, 2002. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "WANGAN MIDNIGHT MAXIMUM TUNE 6R". WANGAN MIDNIGHT MAXIMUM TUNE 6R. Archived from the original on 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  22. ^ "Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6RR Plus". wanganmaxi-official.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  23. ^ Kodansha Manga Award. Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on November 17, 2007.
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