Free Collars Kingdom
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Fujima Takuya. The individual chapters were serialized in Magazine Z
, and compiled into three tankōbon
volumes released by Kodansha
from February 2003 to March 2004. Set in Ikebukuro
, Japan, the series revolves around the struggle of two stray
cat groups. Cyan, a young newly-abandoned cat, joins one of them, the Free Collars. Each cat has two appearances; to humans, they appear as normal cats, but to other cats, they appear as catboy
s and catgirls. Each cat has their own attack, and some carry weapons.
While drawing the series, Fujima changed his art style from one used previously, though he was asked to use his original styling. He also noted that the series was different from his other works, and was unsure of how the audience would respond to it. Free Collars Kingdom is licensed for English language release in the United States by Del Rey
, which released the series in 2007, and in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi
, which released it in 2008. It was licensed for regional release by Tong Li Publishing in Taiwan, Jonesky
in Hong Kong, and Star Comics
in Italy. Free Collars Kingdom garnered mixed reviews from critics. The series was praised for its artwork and humor, but criticized for its plot and characters.
cat who lives with a boy named Kokoro and his parents in Ikebukuro. When Kokoro becomes sick, his parents abandon Cyan, leaving him in the basement of their apartment complex. Soon he discovers a group of stray cats called the "Free Collars", who control East Ikebukuro and believe that collars hold down cats' "Wild Spirit". Cyan is given the opportunity to join, provided that he removes his collar, the symbol that he is still Kokoro's pet. Cyan declines, opting to remain in the basement and await Kokoro's return. However, Cyan comes to realize that he must join the Free Collars if he hopes to survive and reunite with Kokoro. He removes his collar and joins them in their fight against Siam, a rival gang leader who wants control of East Ikebukuro and plans to rule the world and enslave humans.
In his ensuing adventures, Cyan grows close to the Free Collars, yet still longs for Kokoro. He becomes frustrated by Siam's continued advances on East Ikebukuro and his teammates' unwillingness to mount an offensive attack. Convinced that Siam must be destroyed, Cyan confronts her and learns she was once a Free Collar until her brother, Puriam, was chased onto a road by humans and killed by a bus. Cyan is able to defeat her, and, reminded of Puriam, Siam silently wishes him farewell. Soon after, Cyan learns that Kokoro had recovered but is moving away. Saddened by the thought of leaving the Free Collars, he meets Kokoro at the train station and gives him his torn collar as a memento. Kokoro promises to visit Cyan, and Cyan returns to his new friends.
who joins the Free Collars after being abandoned. He tends to be childlike, which sometimes irritates other members of the group. Scottie is a Scottish Fold
who spends much of her time with the Free Collars but is not a member. She was discovered by Amesho, an old American Shorthair
and leader of the Free Collars, in a bookstore. Char is a Chartreux
and was once part of the "Cat House Kingdom", a household of high-class cats, but left, feeling she was being used by humans. Rat is a Korat
and the most talented with gadgets and technology
within the group. Coon is an easily angered Maine Coon
who specializes in swimming. Minky is a Tonkinese
who befriends Cyan and Scottie and is named after her mink
-like fur.
On the opposing side is Siam, a Siamese cat who controls all of West Ikebukuro and is the leader of the Siam Army. Siam's principal henchman
and general of the Siam Army is Kline, who has a distinct hatred for humans and sees them only as her potential slaves. Acting as Siam's bodyguards are A-Ko and I-Ko, two Manx
cats. Having been previously discriminated against for their lack of tails, A-Ko and I-Ko pretended to have tails, fearing rejection from Siam.
In the first volume of Free Collars Kingdom, Fujima expressed his feelings on the series' release, while also stating that "it went to the press before I knew it". Fujima noted that the series was "quite a bit different" compared to previous series he had worked on, and that he "had no idea how" the audience would respond to it. He explained that "if you have fun reading it, then I'll be happy". In volume two, due to having left-over "open pages", Fujima used the extra pages to "describe characters" and "have fun".
from 2002 to 2004. Those chapters were collected and published in three tankōbon
volumes by Kodansha
, with the first released on February 21, 2003 and the last on March 23, 2004. On July 27, 2010, the company Ichijinsha
released a reprint of the series in two collected volumes.
The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Del Rey
, which published the series from January 30, 2007 to July 31, 2007. In the United Kingdom, it was published by Tanoshimi
from February 1, 2007 to August 2, 2008. It is also licensed for regional language releases in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing, in Italy by Star Comics
, and Hong Kong
by Jonesky
.
In reviewing the second volume, Manga Lifes Dan Polley felt "Fujima [did] a very good job of laying down the framework and executing a plot for fun and carefree adventures." In his review of the third volume, Polley wrote that "the art is enjoyable, but can sometimes be overloaded" and that "often there are sequences in which there is too much going on and it is hard to decipher exactly what the eyes are seeing." However, he noted that "fans of the series will continue to enjoy the animalistic cheekiness."
Writing for School Library Journal
, Benjamin Russell criticized the series for being "slow and formulaic" with "similarly formulaic" character designs that made "it seem staid". He also stated that the "animal world" portrayed could be fun and that it was "interesting to see humanoid characters so tiny next to artifacts of human culture", but it failed to hold the reader's interest. Casey Brienza of Anime News Network
heavily criticized the story, grading it as an "F" and calling it "a pastiche of a large number of manga and anime clichés, not because it seems like it was intended to be a pastiche, but because the manga artist [Fujima] flatly is unable to sustain a coherent, unified storyline that is his own, original creation." However, Brienza did praise the artwork, grading it as an "A" and calling it rich and "beautifully drawn". In Manga: The Complete Guide
, Jason Thompson
notes that the series' "hook" is that characters are all "drawn as hot anthropomorphic cat-girls and cat-boys" and praises it for having a "unique twist".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Fujima Takuya. The individual chapters were serialized in Magazine Z
Magazine Z
was a Japanese seinen mixed-media magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage males and above, but particularly at hardcore anime and manga fans, featuring articles as well as manga tied into popular franchises. Original manga were also featured in the magazine.It was announced in September...
, and compiled into three tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes released by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
from February 2003 to March 2004. Set in Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
, Japan, the series revolves around the struggle of two stray
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
cat groups. Cyan, a young newly-abandoned cat, joins one of them, the Free Collars. Each cat has two appearances; to humans, they appear as normal cats, but to other cats, they appear as catboy
Catgirl
A catgirl is a female character with cat traits, such as cat ears, a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human body. Catgirls are found in various fiction genres, and in particular Japanese anime and manga where they are more commonly referred to as Neko or Nekomimi , in...
s and catgirls. Each cat has their own attack, and some carry weapons.
While drawing the series, Fujima changed his art style from one used previously, though he was asked to use his original styling. He also noted that the series was different from his other works, and was unsure of how the audience would respond to it. Free Collars Kingdom is licensed for English language release in the United States by Del Rey
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
, which released the series in 2007, and in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi is a part of Random House a US based publisher. Tanoshimi is an arm of the United Kingdom branch of the company and is used for the publication of new English Language Manga titles...
, which released it in 2008. It was licensed for regional release by Tong Li Publishing in Taiwan, Jonesky
Jonesky
Jonesky Limited is a Hong Kong publisher of domestic Chinese manhua and translated, imported comics from Japan. Several of their titles have been translated and released in English...
in Hong Kong, and Star Comics
Star Comics (Italy)
Star Comics is an Italian comic book publisher born in December 1985 that publishes Italian edition of manga and Italian comics in Italy. Until the birth of Marvel Italia in 1994 it also published Italian editions of many Marvel Comics's comic books...
in Italy. Free Collars Kingdom garnered mixed reviews from critics. The series was praised for its artwork and humor, but criticized for its plot and characters.
Plot
Cyan is a young AbyssinianAbyssinian (cat)
The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Ethiopia, but the actual origins are uncertain...
cat who lives with a boy named Kokoro and his parents in Ikebukuro. When Kokoro becomes sick, his parents abandon Cyan, leaving him in the basement of their apartment complex. Soon he discovers a group of stray cats called the "Free Collars", who control East Ikebukuro and believe that collars hold down cats' "Wild Spirit". Cyan is given the opportunity to join, provided that he removes his collar, the symbol that he is still Kokoro's pet. Cyan declines, opting to remain in the basement and await Kokoro's return. However, Cyan comes to realize that he must join the Free Collars if he hopes to survive and reunite with Kokoro. He removes his collar and joins them in their fight against Siam, a rival gang leader who wants control of East Ikebukuro and plans to rule the world and enslave humans.
In his ensuing adventures, Cyan grows close to the Free Collars, yet still longs for Kokoro. He becomes frustrated by Siam's continued advances on East Ikebukuro and his teammates' unwillingness to mount an offensive attack. Convinced that Siam must be destroyed, Cyan confronts her and learns she was once a Free Collar until her brother, Puriam, was chased onto a road by humans and killed by a bus. Cyan is able to defeat her, and, reminded of Puriam, Siam silently wishes him farewell. Soon after, Cyan learns that Kokoro had recovered but is moving away. Saddened by the thought of leaving the Free Collars, he meets Kokoro at the train station and gives him his torn collar as a memento. Kokoro promises to visit Cyan, and Cyan returns to his new friends.
Characters
The Free Collars are a group a stray cats who have removed their collars and refuse to have any relationship with humans. Cyan is a young AbyssinianAbyssinian (cat)
The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Ethiopia, but the actual origins are uncertain...
who joins the Free Collars after being abandoned. He tends to be childlike, which sometimes irritates other members of the group. Scottie is a Scottish Fold
Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold is a breed of cat with a natural dominant-gene mutation that makes its ear cartilage contain a fold, causing the ears to bend forward and down towards the front of their head, which gives the cat what is often described as an "owl-like" appearanceOriginally called lop-eared or...
who spends much of her time with the Free Collars but is not a member. She was discovered by Amesho, an old American Shorthair
American Shorthair
The American Shorthair is a breed of cat believed to be descended from European domestic cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats...
and leader of the Free Collars, in a bookstore. Char is a Chartreux
Chartreux
The Chartreux is a breed of domestic cat from France and is recognised by a number of registries around the world. It is not recognised by the GCCF in the UK, ostensibly for being too similar to the British Shorthair, one of whose colours is a similar blue-grey. The Chartreux is large and...
and was once part of the "Cat House Kingdom", a household of high-class cats, but left, feeling she was being used by humans. Rat is a Korat
Korat
Korats are a slate blue-grey shorthair domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Their bodies are semi-cobby, and surprisingly heavy for their size. They are intelligent, playful, active cats and form strong bonds with people. Among Korats' distinguishing...
and the most talented with gadgets and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
within the group. Coon is an easily angered Maine Coon
Maine Coon
The Maine Coon is a breed of domestic cat with a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official State Cat....
who specializes in swimming. Minky is a Tonkinese
Tonkinese (cat)
Tonkinese are a medium-sized cat breed distinguished by points as with Siamese and Burmese breeds. They are lively, friendly, often talkative cats, with gregarious personalities. But they are happy apartment cats if they have some exercise opportunity. They are commonly referred to as 'Tonks'...
who befriends Cyan and Scottie and is named after her mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
-like fur.
On the opposing side is Siam, a Siamese cat who controls all of West Ikebukuro and is the leader of the Siam Army. Siam's principal henchman
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
and general of the Siam Army is Kline, who has a distinct hatred for humans and sees them only as her potential slaves. Acting as Siam's bodyguards are A-Ko and I-Ko, two Manx
Manx (cat)
The Manx cat , formerly often spelled Manks, is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a naturally occurring mutation that shortens the tail...
cats. Having been previously discriminated against for their lack of tails, A-Ko and I-Ko pretended to have tails, fearing rejection from Siam.
Production
Fujima had originally been asked to draw Free Collars Kingdom in a style he had used previously on other works. However, his drawing style evolved during the development of Free Collars Kingdom.In the first volume of Free Collars Kingdom, Fujima expressed his feelings on the series' release, while also stating that "it went to the press before I knew it". Fujima noted that the series was "quite a bit different" compared to previous series he had worked on, and that he "had no idea how" the audience would respond to it. He explained that "if you have fun reading it, then I'll be happy". In volume two, due to having left-over "open pages", Fujima used the extra pages to "describe characters" and "have fun".
Media
Written and illustrated by Fujima Takuya, the individual chapters of Free Collars Kingdom were first serialized in Japan in Magazine ZMagazine Z
was a Japanese seinen mixed-media magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage males and above, but particularly at hardcore anime and manga fans, featuring articles as well as manga tied into popular franchises. Original manga were also featured in the magazine.It was announced in September...
from 2002 to 2004. Those chapters were collected and published in three tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
, with the first released on February 21, 2003 and the last on March 23, 2004. On July 27, 2010, the company Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
released a reprint of the series in two collected volumes.
The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Del Rey
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
, which published the series from January 30, 2007 to July 31, 2007. In the United Kingdom, it was published by Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi
Tanoshimi is a part of Random House a US based publisher. Tanoshimi is an arm of the United Kingdom branch of the company and is used for the publication of new English Language Manga titles...
from February 1, 2007 to August 2, 2008. It is also licensed for regional language releases in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing, in Italy by Star Comics
Star Comics (Italy)
Star Comics is an Italian comic book publisher born in December 1985 that publishes Italian edition of manga and Italian comics in Italy. Until the birth of Marvel Italia in 1994 it also published Italian editions of many Marvel Comics's comic books...
, and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Jonesky
Jonesky
Jonesky Limited is a Hong Kong publisher of domestic Chinese manhua and translated, imported comics from Japan. Several of their titles have been translated and released in English...
.
Volume list
Reception
Free Collars Kingdom received mixed reviews from English-speaking audiences. Matthew Alexander of Mania praised the artwork, noting that characters were "cute and sexy with a wide variety of clothing that does a good job expressing the character's personality" and that, overall, the artwork was "very clean with attractive characters and well-detailed backgrounds". In his review of the second volume, Alexander wrote that "so far, the story continues to be a fun examination of what life might be like from the cat's point of view, but I don't know how the whole Wild Cat storyline is going to be wrapped up in only one more volume". In his review of the third volume, Alexander felt that "the story probably received an early ending", but concluded that "despite the series only being three volumes, it really is a worthy read and quite funny if you've ever owned a cat".In reviewing the second volume, Manga Lifes Dan Polley felt "Fujima [did] a very good job of laying down the framework and executing a plot for fun and carefree adventures." In his review of the third volume, Polley wrote that "the art is enjoyable, but can sometimes be overloaded" and that "often there are sequences in which there is too much going on and it is hard to decipher exactly what the eyes are seeing." However, he noted that "fans of the series will continue to enjoy the animalistic cheekiness."
Writing for School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
, Benjamin Russell criticized the series for being "slow and formulaic" with "similarly formulaic" character designs that made "it seem staid". He also stated that the "animal world" portrayed could be fun and that it was "interesting to see humanoid characters so tiny next to artifacts of human culture", but it failed to hold the reader's interest. Casey Brienza 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...
heavily criticized the story, grading it as an "F" and calling it "a pastiche of a large number of manga and anime clichés, not because it seems like it was intended to be a pastiche, but because the manga artist [Fujima] flatly is unable to sustain a coherent, unified storyline that is his own, original creation." However, Brienza did praise the artwork, grading it as an "A" and calling it rich and "beautifully drawn". In Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
, Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
notes that the series' "hook" is that characters are all "drawn as hot anthropomorphic cat-girls and cat-boys" and praises it for having a "unique twist".