Boogiepop Phantom
Encyclopedia
is a twelve episode anime
television series produced by Madhouse Studios, based on the Boogiepop
light novel
series by Kouhei Kadono
, particularly that of Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop At Dawn. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe
, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by novel illustrator Kouji Ogata
, and sound direction by Yota Tsuruoka.
The story takes place in an unnamed Japan
ese city, a month after a pillar of light appeared in the night sky and five years after a string of serial killings. Boogiepop Phantom follows an ensemble cast
of characters, mostly high school students, who are witnesses to the incident and its consequences. At the time of the series, high school students have started to disappear again and the blame is placed on Boogiepop, an urban legend who is said to be the personification of Death
.
Each episode centers on different characters who sometimes have just a short involvement in the major events of the series. For this reason, many scenes are seen twice, from different perspectives, and some episodes are out of sequence, although there is a slow general time progression. An unusual visual style is employed wherein, for all but the last episode, a much reduced colour palette is used in conjunction with a vignette
effect. The sound design features many varied music genres from Gregorian to electronic, and even some sounds that appear to be unique to the show. Through the non-linear style of the series, the characters are used to develop the central themes of the series: Change, Escapism, Memory, and Relationships.
Boogiepop Phantom aired from January 6, 2000 to March 22, 2000 on TV Tokyo
. The series is licensed in North America and Europe by Right Stuf International and distributed by ADV Films
on DVD and VHS.
from seeing the dying man (after being hit by More Murder) created her Boogiepop persona.
The Boogiepop at Dawn light novel describes how Dr Kisugi witnessed Nagi's remarkable recovery and, through experimentation on rats, learned of the drug's powers to grant superhuman
abilities, before administering it to herself. The drug changed the doctor into a composite human, granting her the vast increase in physical and mental attributes shared with all composite humans and allowing her to sense the hormones that produce fear and develop a craving for them. At first terrorizing her patients and sampling their blood, she then murdered a number of strong-willed girls to consume the fear they produced at the moment of their death. Boogiepop Phantom shows how Dr Kisugi gave the drug to her patients, claiming it could heal them, and how it worsened their problems and resulted in their evolution. Kirima investigated the murders, and discovered Dr Kisugi was the serial killer
. Nagi and Dr Kisugi confronted each other at the hospital, where The Fire Witch was initially overwhelmed by the doctor’s power, but managed to kill her with Boogiepop's help.
The Boogiepop and Others novel tells of Manticore, an imperfect clone of the alien entity Echoes, created by the Towa Organization five years later. Escaping the laboratory, Manticore killed Minako Yurihara with the intention of assuming her form when it was found by Masami Saotome. Instead of killing Masami, Manticore struck a deal with him. Manticore (as Minako) and Masami experimented with production of Type S, a highly addictive drug that would enslave all its users to their will, while killing students for Manticore's consumption. Meanwhile, Echoes escaped from the Towa laboratory in chase of Manticore. The alien met up with Nagi Kirima, who was investigating the recent student disappearances.
Learning they were being pursued, Masami and Manticore set a trap for Echoes and Nagi. Events culminated one evening at Shinyo Academy, when Masami crippled Echoes with poison and killed Nagi, who did not expect Manticore to have a human ally. Manticore chased Echoes as he attempted to escape with Nagi's body, and beat him to the verge of death. Manticore and Masami were attacked by Boogiepop, who held Manticore in place while Echoes turned himself into light. The light pierced the sky and destroyed Manticore, with Masami committing suicide by flying into the pillar. Nagi was revived by Echoes before he left the planet.
Boogiepop Phantom is set one month later and revolves around the consequences of the pillar of light. Echoes' light inadvertently allowed the memories of that night to continue as holograms, giving rise to a mixed reality
where past and present co-exist, and forced the evolution
of the citizens, including those who were administered the Towa drug by Dr Kisugi. The series is concerned with these evolved individuals, how evolution affected their lives, and their disappearance after meeting Boogiepop Phantom. The Phantom explains it hid them below the city to save them, and that although their bodies no longer function, their nerves extend across the city so they will keep dreaming until the day the rest of humanity catches up to them.
" with the appearance of a beautiful boy dressed all in black, who comes with a whistle to take girls away before they turn ugly. Few people know that Boogiepop actually exists, and is the dormant alter ego
of Touka Miyashita who rises to the surface when enemies of the world appear. The androgynous reaper hides beneath its signature black cloak and hat, and acts in a mechanical and automatic fashion. Straight-faced and to the point, it speaks in an archaic manner, and seems fond of whistling the overture to Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
.
is an entity born in the electromagnetic field the moment Echoes' light appeared in the sky. Amongst the memories scattered by the light it could only find Boogiepop's attire, but not his face, and so chose the appearance of Minako Yurihara at random. He claims to be Boogiepop, but later renames himself Boogiepop Phantom out of respect for the original. He too confronts the enemies of the world, but has his own agenda in mind.
was to be Dr. Kisugi's next victim, until Boogiepop and the Fire Witch put a stop to the killings. With the knowledge that her life had been in danger, she developed a fascination for criminal
and abnormal psychology
, and a desire to not let anything occur around her without her knowing. She desperately seeks the truth behind the unexplained happenings in the city, and meddles with forces best left untouched. Kazuko longs to be closer to Nagi Kirima, who seems to know the answers she seeks.
is a highly-evolved being with the ability to draw memories from her surroundings in the form of butterflies of light. She was given the Towa drug by Dr Kisugi as an unborn child, which caused her abilities to develop. The "devil's child", as she was known, was killed by her dying grandmother. Echoes' light brought Manaka back to life and caused accelerated aging. Her grandmother died soon after. Her insight into people's memories makes her aware of Echoes, whom she emulates.
is another product of Echoes' light, one who possesses the remnants of Manticore's consciousness and the visage of Masami Saotome. No longer the threat it once was, it now preys only on distressed, easy targets. Manticore Phantom seeks a way to sustain himself permanently when he learns that he will be gone once the electromagnetic field returns to its original state.
, the Fire Witch, has made few friends because she knows she is too dangerous for 'normal' people to associate with. She has a Messiah complex
, and seeks to save the world from whatever may threaten it. Her father's death and her brief friendship with Shinpei Kuroda motivated Nagi to become a defender of justice. She is very strong both physically and mentally, and uses her abilities and inheritance in her self appointed mission.
is a phantom created by Manaka Kisaragi. Born from the memories of Mamoru Oikawa playing the Pied Piper in a school play, it evolved to take on qualities of Akane Kojima's fictional character of Poom Poom. By handing out red balloons to people who regret the direction their lives have taken, he takes a manifestation of their childhood hopes and dreams with him to Paisley Park, leaving only an empty shell behind.
possesses the appearance of an ordinary school girl at Shinyo Academy, but unknowingly suffers from multiple personality disorder. At the age of twelve, she witnessed the death of Shinpei Kuroda, and the resulting mental trauma gave birth to the alternate personality of Boogiepop. Whenever enemies of the world appear, Boogiepop takes over to do battle. Touka is not aware this is happening, as she deletes her memories of being Boogiepop, and carries all of Boogiepop's effects in a Spalding sports bag without realizing it.
Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu (Japanese), Debora Rabbai
(English)
as he encourages people to move forward with their lives while hunting down evolved humans thus preventing the possible transformation of society.
Retreat from reality
and the consequences of escapism
are important themes that play a major role in the series. The image of burning memories to forget them and so escape them is used throughout the latter half of the series to symbolize the theme of escapism. For the characters Misuzu and Yoji, their retreat from reality has devastating consequences: Misuzu enters a despairing insanity after being forced to realize the truth of her reality, while Yoji goes through a mental breakdown as his reality is no longer the fantasy he believed it to be. However, the question as to how people should live their lives goes unanswered by the series. Later on in the series, retreat from reality is revisited in the form of Poom Poom, who represents the ultimate escape from reality into childhood.
Relationships, and the tragedy of loss and misunderstanding inherent within them, are major themes in Boogiepop Phantom. The relationships that the characters Mamoru, Manaka, and Shizue have with their parents highlights the lack of support that children receive from parents who are otherwise busy, and the resulting disconnection between parents and children. With the actions of Poom Poom later in the series the theme of the Pied Piper is explored, as Poom Poom takes away the children because the parents have broken their promise. The message the show leaves the viewer however is positive, as both Manaka and Shizue reconcile with their mothers, and so the parent-child relationship can be saved by open communication and understanding. Another form of relationship is explored through the interaction between Moto and Manticore Phantom, where the physical surrender of Moto, who harboured feelings for Masami, associates the sexual relationship with death.
Boogiepop Phantom is also a series that is about memory and how memories help define who we are. For most of the characters, their memories of the past and background are crucially important in determining the direction their lives have taken.
Boogiepop Phantom was conceived as an original story taking place after the events of the novels Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop at Dawn. Sadayuki Murai developed the series concept and wrote the screenplay for both the anime and the live-action prequel Boogiepop and Others, having previously worked on the script for Perfect Blue
, a feature film that explored many similar themes. The character designer and key animator Shigeyuki Suga had been a key animator for Serial Experiments Lain
, a series with which Boogiepop Phantom is often compared. The reduced brightness and sepia colour palette for most of the episodes, added to the anxieties
and depressions
of the characters, were designed to make the series play like a psychological horror. Production staff later commented that the colour scheme was more effective than they had originally intended, and were surprised by how bleak the series turned out.
A mixed media campaign was planned which would have had the live action prequel Boogiepop and Others released before the anime
series, with the idea that people would watch the anime after seeing the movie, but the release of the film was delayed until after the series had neared the end of its original run, and so this strategy failed.
song of the same name, which itself is a possible allusion to 2001: A Space Odyssey with its themes of evolution
and transcendence. Another possible allusion comes in the form of a sonar-ping sound effect utilized throughout the series. The intro to Echoes was devised from an experiment where the band tried to recreate that particular sound on a grand piano. Further, Towa agent Spooky Electric is a homage to a personality Prince
claims to have that encouraged him to write The Black Album. The trend of referencing music was carried over to the anime as well. Episode five, which is one of the few episodes not to focus on a specific character, is named "Interlude" after a break in a musical play. "She's So Unusual" was the name of Cyndi Lauper
's debut album, while "My Fair Lady" was the title of a popular musical made in 1956. "Until Ure in My Arms Again" and Poom Poom are Prince singles, and AC/DC
released the single Snake Eye.
Mythology also plays a large part in Boogiepop Phantom. Two of the main protagonists are said to be Shinigami
, death deities of Japanese folklore
who can take on many forms. Kitsune
are fox spirits of Japanese folklore, they possess magical powers that increase with age and are capable of assuming human form, with Boogiepop being described as a kitsune by Touka Miyashita's parents. The Manticore
is named after the man-eater of Persian mythology
, sometimes described as being a chimera
with the face of a beautiful women, or to inhabit the forests of Asia and kill with a single scratch or bite, before devouring the entire body leaving no evidence. The title of episode eleven "Under the Gravity's Rainbow" is a homage to the novel Gravity's Rainbow
by Thomas Pynchon
, which is known for ripping the normal rules of narrative and character development wide open and covering specialist knowledge from many fields, and is subsequently criticized for being "difficult" and "unreadable". The famous quote by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
"God is Dead" was used as the title of the CD given to Panuru, who didn't believe in the existence of God.
Yota Tsuruoka was the sound and music director for Boogiepop Phantom. The soundtrack
for the series featured many artists and various styles, ranging from Gregorian
to electronic
, as well as containing some sounds that were created specifically for the series. The opening theme song , which was also used as the ending theme for the live action prequel Boogiepop and Others, was composed, arranged, and performed by Shikao Suga
. Kyoko composed and performed the ending song . The Boogiepop Phantom soundtrack was published by AnimeTrax
and released by The Right Stuf International
as a two-disc CD on 30 April 2002. The songs "Evening Shower" and "Future Century Secret Club" were not included on the OST with the rest of the soundtrack, but were instead released separately by the artists. "Evening Shower" was published on 8 September 1999, prior to the initial airing of the series, on Shikao Suga’s album Sweet, while Kyoko’s "Future Century Secret Club" was initially released as a single of the same name on 9 February 2000, and later as part of an album titled Under The Silk Tree on 8 November 2000.
Originally broadcast on TV Tokyo
from 6 January to 22 March 2000, Boogiepop Phantom was released in Japan on six DVDs subtitled "Evolution
" 1-6 with two episodes per disc. The Right Stuf International
confirmed on 6 January 2001 that they had licensed the property for release in North America
and Europe
while ADV Films
would handle distribution. The English dub was recorded at Headline Sound Studios and received a 15 rating from the British Board of Film Classification
.
The Right Stuf International
first showed Boogiepop Phantom at various conventions and festivals such as Anime Expo
and Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival
, before being released in the United States as four bilingual DVDs containing 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Stereo English and 2.0 Japanese with English subtitle soundtracks from 9 October 2001 until 12 February 2002. A boxed set containing all four "Evolution" DVDs was also released alongside "Evolution" 4. Extras on the discs included ADV
previews, original Japanese promotions, producer and character notes, music videos for both the opening and ending songs, a special edit ending sequence, and English language commentaries for each episode. In 2003 The Right Stuf International released a limited edition
boxed set containing all four DVDs, the 2-disc Boogiepop Phantom soundtrack and the Boogiepop: Music Inspired By Boogiepop and Others CD, as well as a limited edition Boogiepop Phantom card set and pencil boards, which were available exclusively from The Right Stuf International and Best Buy
. Boogiepop Phantom was later released as a thinpak collection in 2006 that also came with the live action Boogiepop and Others.
The rights to broadcast the series were acquired by Anime Network
, the first time a non-ADV
title had been broadcast on that network, with broadcasting beginning from 1 July onwards. TechTV
later announced that they would also broadcast the series with the premiere
on 28 July 2003. Since then, the rights to broadcast the series have been acquired by FUNimation Channel
, and the series aired in early 2007.
, while revealing tidbits about the larger plot in a nonlinear
fashion. Christopher Macdonald of Anime News Network
gives special mention to Sadayuki Murai's skill as a screenwriter, for being able to keep the viewer engrossed as well as tying all elements and plot threads by the final episode.
But the series' intricate nature is counterproductive. Its increasingly convoluted plot can discourage people from watching, and viewers not familiar with the Boogiepop universe will leave with "more questions than answers".
The reduced colour palette was applauded for highlighting the sense of "mental disease" and "emotional malaise
" that affected most of the characters, while the vignette
effect allowed the viewer to observe inside the series rather than just watch it. Character designs have been criticized as "bland" but also "realistic" since none of the characters have "outrageous hair styles or colours". Reviews also recognized that "astute viewers may notice some rather interesting, although not very blatant, differences between the various characters", and that the "realistic" character designs created a degree of "normalcy" that was important to the story while also helping to draw in the viewer. The audio of the series has been described as "unique" and "incredible", going beyond what is expected of normal sound design and enhancing the "creepy" atmosphere of the show. Also noted was that the opening and ending songs don't appear to fit in well with the mood of the series. The English language track was not as well received as its Japanese counterpart, but still reviewed favorably. In particular, the performance of Jessica Calvello
in the English dub was singled out and praised as being her best performance to date.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series produced by Madhouse Studios, based on the Boogiepop
Boogiepop series
The of Japanese light novels is written by Kouhei Kadono and illustrated by Kouji Ogata. It includes titles from different media, each connected by repeating characters and related plots...
light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
series by Kouhei Kadono
Kouhei Kadono
is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series, which has also been adapted as a live action movie, two manga and an anime.- Biography :Born December 12, 1968, he graduated from Hosei University...
, particularly that of Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop At Dawn. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe
Takashi Watanabe
is a Japanese director. He is best known for directing the anime seies Boogiepop Phantom and Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maō.-Director:*Boogiepop Phantom*Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maō*Ikki Tousen*Kino's Journey Life Goes On...
, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by novel illustrator Kouji Ogata
Kouji Ogata
is a Japanese artist, character designer, and manga artist best known for his work on the Boogiepop series and Gin-iro no Kami no Agito. He was born on December 14, 1970. He has another pen name .- External links :...
, and sound direction by Yota Tsuruoka.
The story takes place in an unnamed Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese city, a month after a pillar of light appeared in the night sky and five years after a string of serial killings. Boogiepop Phantom follows an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
of characters, mostly high school students, who are witnesses to the incident and its consequences. At the time of the series, high school students have started to disappear again and the blame is placed on Boogiepop, an urban legend who is said to be the personification of Death
Shinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
.
Each episode centers on different characters who sometimes have just a short involvement in the major events of the series. For this reason, many scenes are seen twice, from different perspectives, and some episodes are out of sequence, although there is a slow general time progression. An unusual visual style is employed wherein, for all but the last episode, a much reduced colour palette is used in conjunction with a vignette
Vignetting
In photography and optics, vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the periphery compared to the image center. The word vignette, from the same root as vine, originally referred to a decorative border in a book. Later, the word came to be used for a photographic...
effect. The sound design features many varied music genres from Gregorian to electronic, and even some sounds that appear to be unique to the show. Through the non-linear style of the series, the characters are used to develop the central themes of the series: Change, Escapism, Memory, and Relationships.
Boogiepop Phantom aired from January 6, 2000 to March 22, 2000 on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
. The series is licensed in North America and Europe by Right Stuf International and distributed by ADV Films
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
on DVD and VHS.
Plot summary
Five years before the events of Boogiepop Phantom, Nagi Kirima met and befriended Shinpei Kuroda, an undercover agent of the Towa organization, at the local prefecture's hospital. Nagi was hospitalized because she was dying as her body was evolving. Shinpei, upon learning the truth behind Nagi's sickness, betrayed the Towa organization and administered a stolen Towa drug to Nagi that saved her life. He was mortally wounded by Towa agents as he fled from the hospital, leaving the drug behind in the process. Touka Miyashita came across Shinpei (as the Towa Agent Scarecrow) and the psychological traumaPsychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
from seeing the dying man (after being hit by More Murder) created her Boogiepop persona.
The Boogiepop at Dawn light novel describes how Dr Kisugi witnessed Nagi's remarkable recovery and, through experimentation on rats, learned of the drug's powers to grant superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities, before administering it to herself. The drug changed the doctor into a composite human, granting her the vast increase in physical and mental attributes shared with all composite humans and allowing her to sense the hormones that produce fear and develop a craving for them. At first terrorizing her patients and sampling their blood, she then murdered a number of strong-willed girls to consume the fear they produced at the moment of their death. Boogiepop Phantom shows how Dr Kisugi gave the drug to her patients, claiming it could heal them, and how it worsened their problems and resulted in their evolution. Kirima investigated the murders, and discovered Dr Kisugi was the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Nagi and Dr Kisugi confronted each other at the hospital, where The Fire Witch was initially overwhelmed by the doctor’s power, but managed to kill her with Boogiepop's help.
The Boogiepop and Others novel tells of Manticore, an imperfect clone of the alien entity Echoes, created by the Towa Organization five years later. Escaping the laboratory, Manticore killed Minako Yurihara with the intention of assuming her form when it was found by Masami Saotome. Instead of killing Masami, Manticore struck a deal with him. Manticore (as Minako) and Masami experimented with production of Type S, a highly addictive drug that would enslave all its users to their will, while killing students for Manticore's consumption. Meanwhile, Echoes escaped from the Towa laboratory in chase of Manticore. The alien met up with Nagi Kirima, who was investigating the recent student disappearances.
Learning they were being pursued, Masami and Manticore set a trap for Echoes and Nagi. Events culminated one evening at Shinyo Academy, when Masami crippled Echoes with poison and killed Nagi, who did not expect Manticore to have a human ally. Manticore chased Echoes as he attempted to escape with Nagi's body, and beat him to the verge of death. Manticore and Masami were attacked by Boogiepop, who held Manticore in place while Echoes turned himself into light. The light pierced the sky and destroyed Manticore, with Masami committing suicide by flying into the pillar. Nagi was revived by Echoes before he left the planet.
Boogiepop Phantom is set one month later and revolves around the consequences of the pillar of light. Echoes' light inadvertently allowed the memories of that night to continue as holograms, giving rise to a mixed reality
Mixed reality
Mixed reality refers to the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualisations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time...
where past and present co-exist, and forced the evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of the citizens, including those who were administered the Towa drug by Dr Kisugi. The series is concerned with these evolved individuals, how evolution affected their lives, and their disappearance after meeting Boogiepop Phantom. The Phantom explains it hid them below the city to save them, and that although their bodies no longer function, their nerves extend across the city so they will keep dreaming until the day the rest of humanity catches up to them.
Characters
is the urban legend whispered of among the female students of Shinyo Academy. Reputed to be an "Angel of DeathShinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
" with the appearance of a beautiful boy dressed all in black, who comes with a whistle to take girls away before they turn ugly. Few people know that Boogiepop actually exists, and is the dormant alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of Touka Miyashita who rises to the surface when enemies of the world appear. The androgynous reaper hides beneath its signature black cloak and hat, and acts in a mechanical and automatic fashion. Straight-faced and to the point, it speaks in an archaic manner, and seems fond of whistling the overture to Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
.
is an entity born in the electromagnetic field the moment Echoes' light appeared in the sky. Amongst the memories scattered by the light it could only find Boogiepop's attire, but not his face, and so chose the appearance of Minako Yurihara at random. He claims to be Boogiepop, but later renames himself Boogiepop Phantom out of respect for the original. He too confronts the enemies of the world, but has his own agenda in mind.
was to be Dr. Kisugi's next victim, until Boogiepop and the Fire Witch put a stop to the killings. With the knowledge that her life had been in danger, she developed a fascination for criminal
Criminal psychology
Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals. It is related to the field of criminal anthropology. The study goes deeply into what makes someone commit crime, but also the reactions after the crime, on the run or in court...
and abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder...
, and a desire to not let anything occur around her without her knowing. She desperately seeks the truth behind the unexplained happenings in the city, and meddles with forces best left untouched. Kazuko longs to be closer to Nagi Kirima, who seems to know the answers she seeks.
is a highly-evolved being with the ability to draw memories from her surroundings in the form of butterflies of light. She was given the Towa drug by Dr Kisugi as an unborn child, which caused her abilities to develop. The "devil's child", as she was known, was killed by her dying grandmother. Echoes' light brought Manaka back to life and caused accelerated aging. Her grandmother died soon after. Her insight into people's memories makes her aware of Echoes, whom she emulates.
is another product of Echoes' light, one who possesses the remnants of Manticore's consciousness and the visage of Masami Saotome. No longer the threat it once was, it now preys only on distressed, easy targets. Manticore Phantom seeks a way to sustain himself permanently when he learns that he will be gone once the electromagnetic field returns to its original state.
, the Fire Witch, has made few friends because she knows she is too dangerous for 'normal' people to associate with. She has a Messiah complex
Messiah complex
A messiah complex is a state of mind in which an individual holds a belief they are, or are destined to become, a savior. The messiah complex does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ....
, and seeks to save the world from whatever may threaten it. Her father's death and her brief friendship with Shinpei Kuroda motivated Nagi to become a defender of justice. She is very strong both physically and mentally, and uses her abilities and inheritance in her self appointed mission.
is a phantom created by Manaka Kisaragi. Born from the memories of Mamoru Oikawa playing the Pied Piper in a school play, it evolved to take on qualities of Akane Kojima's fictional character of Poom Poom. By handing out red balloons to people who regret the direction their lives have taken, he takes a manifestation of their childhood hopes and dreams with him to Paisley Park, leaving only an empty shell behind.
possesses the appearance of an ordinary school girl at Shinyo Academy, but unknowingly suffers from multiple personality disorder. At the age of twelve, she witnessed the death of Shinpei Kuroda, and the resulting mental trauma gave birth to the alternate personality of Boogiepop. Whenever enemies of the world appear, Boogiepop takes over to do battle. Touka is not aware this is happening, as she deletes her memories of being Boogiepop, and carries all of Boogiepop's effects in a Spalding sports bag without realizing it.
Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu (Japanese), Debora Rabbai
Debora Rabbai
Debora Rabbai is an American voice actress who is also credited as Debbie Rabbai and Angora Deb.- Anime Roles :* Agent Aika - Aika Sumeragi* Alien 9 - Kumi Kawamura* Ayane's High Kick - Ayane Mitsui...
(English)
Themes
Boogiepop Phantom is a story that primarily deals with change and how perceptions change as people grow older. The theme of change is represented not only by the ongoing struggle between the Towa organization and the evolved humans, but also by the way the look of the city is changing and through the growth of children into adults. Similar to the theme of change, the concept of moving on and not being stuck in the past is integral to the story as both Boogiepop and Boogiepop Phantom confront Manaka for what they perceive as keeping people stuck in the past. However, the series' view on change is presented ambiguously, as while the Towa organization seeks to prevent change in the world, it has world domination as its agenda. Boogiepop parallels this dualismDualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
as he encourages people to move forward with their lives while hunting down evolved humans thus preventing the possible transformation of society.
Retreat from reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
and the consequences of escapism
Escapism
Escapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an "escape" from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life...
are important themes that play a major role in the series. The image of burning memories to forget them and so escape them is used throughout the latter half of the series to symbolize the theme of escapism. For the characters Misuzu and Yoji, their retreat from reality has devastating consequences: Misuzu enters a despairing insanity after being forced to realize the truth of her reality, while Yoji goes through a mental breakdown as his reality is no longer the fantasy he believed it to be. However, the question as to how people should live their lives goes unanswered by the series. Later on in the series, retreat from reality is revisited in the form of Poom Poom, who represents the ultimate escape from reality into childhood.
Relationships, and the tragedy of loss and misunderstanding inherent within them, are major themes in Boogiepop Phantom. The relationships that the characters Mamoru, Manaka, and Shizue have with their parents highlights the lack of support that children receive from parents who are otherwise busy, and the resulting disconnection between parents and children. With the actions of Poom Poom later in the series the theme of the Pied Piper is explored, as Poom Poom takes away the children because the parents have broken their promise. The message the show leaves the viewer however is positive, as both Manaka and Shizue reconcile with their mothers, and so the parent-child relationship can be saved by open communication and understanding. Another form of relationship is explored through the interaction between Moto and Manticore Phantom, where the physical surrender of Moto, who harboured feelings for Masami, associates the sexual relationship with death.
Boogiepop Phantom is also a series that is about memory and how memories help define who we are. For most of the characters, their memories of the past and background are crucially important in determining the direction their lives have taken.
Production
| Director | Takashi Watanabe Takashi Watanabe is a Japanese director. He is best known for directing the anime seies Boogiepop Phantom and Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maō.-Director:*Boogiepop Phantom*Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maō*Ikki Tousen*Kino's Journey Life Goes On... Shigeyuki Suga (OP) |
|---|---|
| Screenplay | Rokuro Niga Sadayuki Murai Seishi Minakami Yasuyuki Nojiri |
| Original Character Design | Kouji Ogata Kouji Ogata is a Japanese artist, character designer, and manga artist best known for his work on the Boogiepop series and Gin-iro no Kami no Agito. He was born on December 14, 1970. He has another pen name .- External links :... |
| Character Design | Shigeyuki Suga |
| Art Director | Izumi Hoki Yuka Hirama |
| Original Novel | Kouhei Kadono Kouhei Kadono is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series, which has also been adapted as a live action movie, two manga and an anime.- Biography :Born December 12, 1968, he graduated from Hosei University... |
| Art Design | Akihiro Hirasawa |
| Art Supervision | Hiroshi Kato |
| Editing | Takeshi Seyama |
| Music Director, Sound Director | Yota Tsuruoka |
| Producer | Kazuya Furuse Masao Nishimura Shigeyuki Suga (OP) Yasuo Ueda |
| Series Concept | Sadayuki Murai |
| Series Management | Keisuke Iwata |
| Sound Design | Koji Kasamatsu |
Boogiepop Phantom was conceived as an original story taking place after the events of the novels Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop at Dawn. Sadayuki Murai developed the series concept and wrote the screenplay for both the anime and the live-action prequel Boogiepop and Others, having previously worked on the script for Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue
is a 1997 Japanese animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon and written by Kon and Sadayuki Murai based on the novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. Junko Iwao plays Mima Kirigoe, a member of a Japanese pop-idol group called "CHAM!", who decides to pursue her career as...
, a feature film that explored many similar themes. The character designer and key animator Shigeyuki Suga had been a key animator for Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, original character design by Yoshitoshi ABe, screenplay written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda for Triangle Staff. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to September 1998...
, a series with which Boogiepop Phantom is often compared. The reduced brightness and sepia colour palette for most of the episodes, added to the anxieties
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and depressions
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
of the characters, were designed to make the series play like a psychological horror. Production staff later commented that the colour scheme was more effective than they had originally intended, and were surprised by how bleak the series turned out.
A mixed media campaign was planned which would have had the live action prequel Boogiepop and Others released before the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, with the idea that people would watch the anime after seeing the movie, but the release of the film was delayed until after the series had neared the end of its original run, and so this strategy failed.
Artistic homages
Many homages are made to other works throughout Boogiepop Phantom. In particular, musical references are a characteristic trait of the Boogiepop novels, such as the character Echoes being an allusion to the Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
song of the same name, which itself is a possible allusion to 2001: A Space Odyssey with its themes of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and transcendence. Another possible allusion comes in the form of a sonar-ping sound effect utilized throughout the series. The intro to Echoes was devised from an experiment where the band tried to recreate that particular sound on a grand piano. Further, Towa agent Spooky Electric is a homage to a personality Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
claims to have that encouraged him to write The Black Album. The trend of referencing music was carried over to the anime as well. Episode five, which is one of the few episodes not to focus on a specific character, is named "Interlude" after a break in a musical play. "She's So Unusual" was the name of Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
's debut album, while "My Fair Lady" was the title of a popular musical made in 1956. "Until Ure in My Arms Again" and Poom Poom are Prince singles, and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
released the single Snake Eye.
Mythology also plays a large part in Boogiepop Phantom. Two of the main protagonists are said to be Shinigami
Shinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
, death deities of Japanese folklore
Japanese folklore
The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...
who can take on many forms. Kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
are fox spirits of Japanese folklore, they possess magical powers that increase with age and are capable of assuming human form, with Boogiepop being described as a kitsune by Touka Miyashita's parents. The Manticore
Manticore
The manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
is named after the man-eater of Persian mythology
Persian mythology
Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
, sometimes described as being a chimera
Chimera (mythology)
The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
with the face of a beautiful women, or to inhabit the forests of Asia and kill with a single scratch or bite, before devouring the entire body leaving no evidence. The title of episode eleven "Under the Gravity's Rainbow" is a homage to the novel Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow is a postmodern novel written by Thomas Pynchon and first published on February 28, 1973.The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military, and, in particular, the quest...
by Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, which is known for ripping the normal rules of narrative and character development wide open and covering specialist knowledge from many fields, and is subsequently criticized for being "difficult" and "unreadable". The famous quote by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
"God is Dead" was used as the title of the CD given to Panuru, who didn't believe in the existence of God.
Music
- See Also: List of Boogiepop media
Yota Tsuruoka was the sound and music director for Boogiepop Phantom. The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the series featured many artists and various styles, ranging from Gregorian
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
to electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, as well as containing some sounds that were created specifically for the series. The opening theme song , which was also used as the ending theme for the live action prequel Boogiepop and Others, was composed, arranged, and performed by Shikao Suga
Shikao Suga
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo. Though he uses katakana for his recording name, the kanji for his name are 菅 止戈男, but the romanization is the same. Suga is his family name and Shikao is his given name....
. Kyoko composed and performed the ending song . The Boogiepop Phantom soundtrack was published by AnimeTrax
AnimeTrax
AnimeTrax is a joint venture between ADV Films and The Right Stuf International to distribute anime soundtracks in the United States. In 2003 ADV Films formed their own music division to serve the same purpose in the form of ADV Music...
and released by The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
as a two-disc CD on 30 April 2002. The songs "Evening Shower" and "Future Century Secret Club" were not included on the OST with the rest of the soundtrack, but were instead released separately by the artists. "Evening Shower" was published on 8 September 1999, prior to the initial airing of the series, on Shikao Suga’s album Sweet, while Kyoko’s "Future Century Secret Club" was initially released as a single of the same name on 9 February 2000, and later as part of an album titled Under The Silk Tree on 8 November 2000.
Releases
- See also: List of Boogiepop Phantom media
Originally broadcast on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from 6 January to 22 March 2000, Boogiepop Phantom was released in Japan on six DVDs subtitled "Evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
" 1-6 with two episodes per disc. The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
confirmed on 6 January 2001 that they had licensed the property for release in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
while ADV Films
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
would handle distribution. The English dub was recorded at Headline Sound Studios and received a 15 rating from the British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
.
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
first showed Boogiepop Phantom at various conventions and festivals such as Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
and Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
, before being released in the United States as four bilingual DVDs containing 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Stereo English and 2.0 Japanese with English subtitle soundtracks from 9 October 2001 until 12 February 2002. A boxed set containing all four "Evolution" DVDs was also released alongside "Evolution" 4. Extras on the discs included ADV
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
previews, original Japanese promotions, producer and character notes, music videos for both the opening and ending songs, a special edit ending sequence, and English language commentaries for each episode. In 2003 The Right Stuf International released a limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
boxed set containing all four DVDs, the 2-disc Boogiepop Phantom soundtrack and the Boogiepop: Music Inspired By Boogiepop and Others CD, as well as a limited edition Boogiepop Phantom card set and pencil boards, which were available exclusively from The Right Stuf International and Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
. Boogiepop Phantom was later released as a thinpak collection in 2006 that also came with the live action Boogiepop and Others.
The rights to broadcast the series were acquired by Anime Network
Anime Network
The Anime Network , a former subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. , is a cable and satellite digital broadcast service in North America dedicated to anime.-History:...
, the first time a non-ADV
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
title had been broadcast on that network, with broadcasting beginning from 1 July onwards. TechTV
TechTV
TechTV was a 24-hour cable and satellite channel based in San Francisco featuring news and shows about computers, technology, and the Internet. In 2004, it merged with the G4 gaming channel which ultimately dissolved TechTV programming...
later announced that they would also broadcast the series with the premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
on 28 July 2003. Since then, the rights to broadcast the series have been acquired by FUNimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
, and the series aired in early 2007.
Critical reception
Boogiepop Phantom was a hit. The "spooky sepia puzzle" juggles an ensemble cast of characters, each with unique point of viewPoint of view (literature)
The narrative mode is the set of methods the author of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical story uses to convey the plot to the audience. Narration, the process of presenting the narrative, occurs because of the narrative mode...
, while revealing tidbits about the larger plot in a nonlinear
Nonlinear (arts)
Nonlinear narrative, disjointed narrative or disrupted narrative is a narrative technique, sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other narratives, wherein events are portrayed out of chronological order...
fashion. Christopher Macdonald of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
gives special mention to Sadayuki Murai's skill as a screenwriter, for being able to keep the viewer engrossed as well as tying all elements and plot threads by the final episode.
But the series' intricate nature is counterproductive. Its increasingly convoluted plot can discourage people from watching, and viewers not familiar with the Boogiepop universe will leave with "more questions than answers".
The reduced colour palette was applauded for highlighting the sense of "mental disease" and "emotional malaise
Malaise
Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, of being "out of sorts", often the first indication of an infection or other disease. Malaise is often defined in medicinal research as a "general feeling of being unwell"...
" that affected most of the characters, while the vignette
Vignette (graphic design)
Vignettes, in graphic design, are decorative designs usually in books, used both to separate sections or chapters and to decorate borders.In Descriptive, or Analytical Bibliography for the hand-press period a vignette refers to an engraved design printed using a copper-plate press, on a page that...
effect allowed the viewer to observe inside the series rather than just watch it. Character designs have been criticized as "bland" but also "realistic" since none of the characters have "outrageous hair styles or colours". Reviews also recognized that "astute viewers may notice some rather interesting, although not very blatant, differences between the various characters", and that the "realistic" character designs created a degree of "normalcy" that was important to the story while also helping to draw in the viewer. The audio of the series has been described as "unique" and "incredible", going beyond what is expected of normal sound design and enhancing the "creepy" atmosphere of the show. Also noted was that the opening and ending songs don't appear to fit in well with the mood of the series. The English language track was not as well received as its Japanese counterpart, but still reviewed favorably. In particular, the performance of Jessica Calvello
Jessica Calvello
Jessica Lynn Calvello is an American voice actress primarily known for her anime voiceover work, particularly with ADV Films and later 4Kids Entertainment....
in the English dub was singled out and praised as being her best performance to date.