is an ongoing fantasy
mangaManga consist of comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century...
by Yun Kōga. It is currently
serializedThe term "serial" refers to the intrinsic property of a series – namely, its order. In literature, the term is used as a noun to refer to a format by which a story is told in contiguous installments in sequential issues of a single periodical publication.More generally, "serial" is applied...
in the Japanese magazine
Monthly Comic Zero Sum by
Ichijinshais 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...
and collected in nine
tankōbon, 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...
as of November 2009. Kōga plans to end the manga at fifteen volumes.
TokyopopTokyopop, stylized TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Original English-language manga in English, German, and Japanese. Tokyopop is incorporated in Tokyo, Japan, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California and branches in...
licensed
Loveless for an English-langauge release in North America. It released the series from February 7, 2006 to September 1, 2008.
A 12-episode
animeis animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...
television seriesTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
adaptation was made by
J.C.Staff, is a Japanese animation studio founded on January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Honey and Clover,...
, broadcast in a post-midnight slot on
TV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network.-Headquarters:In 2003, the company...
and
ABC, is a regional radio and television broadcaster headquartered in Osaka, Japan.-Offices:*Headquarters: 1-30, Fukushima Itchome, Fukushima-ku, Osaka-shi, Japan...
from April 2005 to June 2005. The anime series was licensed and released in the US by
Media BlastersMedia Blasters is a corporation in New York City that was founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz that acquires films that they translate, package, and dub. They are most well known for anime and live action Asian films for home video release...
in a set of 3 DVDs in early 2006.
The most immediately noticeable aspect of the story is that many characters are
kemonomimi — cat-like features (in this case, ears and tails) are universal from birth, so there are as many catboys, including the
protagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, video game, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to share the most empathy...
, as there are
catgirlA catgirl is a female with cat ears, a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human body. Catgirls are found occasionally in anime and manga either as a form of cosplay or actual body parts, as well as in a few video games. Catgirls may wear over-sized mittens and shoes that...
s. People in the
Loveless universe lose their animal features when they lose their virginity. Those who no longer have animal features are differentiated by society as "adults", illustrating an underlying theme of sexuality in society.
Plot
On his first day at his new school, twelve-year-old Ritsuka Aoyagi met a mysterious twenty one year-old male named Soubi Agatsuma. He claims to be a good friend of Ritsuka's brother, Seimei, who had been murdered when Ritsuka was ten years old. Upon the inspection of Seimei's abandoned computer files, Ritsuka discovered that an organization called was responsible for Seimei's death.
As Ritsuka quickly discovers, Seimei and Soubi acted as a pair involved in spell battles invoked by carefully selected words. Now Soubi is Ritsuka's 'sentouki', or Fighter Unit, and Ritsuka is his 'Sacrifice'. Together, they challenge Septimal Moon to find out the truth behind Seimei's murder and the reason for Ritsuka's amnesia and form an intimate bond as they unravel the mystery.
Main characters
-
- Ritsuka is twelve years old and the protagonist of the story. He was named after the lunar day "Rikka," which fell on May 5 in the year 2005. In the sixth volume, Ritsuka and Seimei have a discussion about this. His "true name" is Loveless, although it is yet to be seen on his body as the other teams' names are. He enjoys taking photographs and "making memories."
- In the first volume, the story alludes to an abrupt change of personality occurring in Ritsuka two years prior. It is seen often through flashbacks, when his mother beats him and denies that he is truly Ritsuka and that he is actually someone else in his body. He became the opposite of his former self. Before, he was a popular, academically average student; now, he doesn't get along with his classmates, and he purposely points out their faults, often expressing that he "hates this and that" aspect in a person. He gets perfect scores in school. In addition to the personality change, he suffers a loss in memory
Amnesia is a memory condition in which memory is disturbed. In simple terms it is the loss of memory. The causes of amnesia are organic or functional. Organic causes include damage to the brain, through trauma or disease, or use of certain drugs. Functional causes are psychological factors, such...
. The cause of these drastic changes is still unknown, although he has regular therapy sessions to determine why.
- On his first day at his new school, Ritsuka meets Soubi Agatsuma for the first time. Soubi confuses him with his sudden intimacy and puzzling claims that he was Seimei's friend and Fighter Unit. As Ritsuka discovers, Seimei's impromptu will
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his estate and provides for the transfer of his property at death. For the devolution of property not disposed of by will, see inheritance and intestacy...
dictates that Soubi shall "become Ritsuka's" upon his death. Later in the series Ritsuka falls deeply in love with Soubi, afterwards Ritsuka realizes he's destined to love Soubi. Ritsuka deeply admired and idolized Seimei, and to discover later that there were many things kept secret came as a great shock. It further poisoned his difficulty in trusting others, particularly Soubi. He had a friend from his previous school, Osamu. Osamu has stated that Ritsuka used to be in a photography club in his previous school. Ritsuka usually takes pictures of humans, while Osamu takes pictures of flowers and plants.
- Despite his young age and inexperience, Ritsuka is very intelligent and approaches things with startling maturity. The circumstances of his life encourage his lack of innocence; however, there have been notable incidents that bare his still-strong naïveté, particularly in sexual love and dating. Despite this, he still has firm opinions and unrelenting ideas about those subjects. It is these opinions that clash dramatically with adults and authority figures around him, most notably Soubi. Ritsuka is a pacifist, and strongly opposes violence under any circumstance.
- Love is an uncomfortable subject for Ritsuka. He is wary of compliments, and doesn't like hearing phrases such as "I like you." Early on in the series, Soubi says "I love you" frequently, which Ritsuka doesn't believe is true and, at first, has trouble tolerating. Because of Ritsuka's cynical reaction, Soubi stops saying it altogether after volume 2 of the manga. Still, Ritsuka's inner conflict over whether he believes what Soubi says becomes a source of great tension and bitterness in their relationship.
-
- Soubi is a twenty-year-old student, studying Japanese art. He is a former student of Shichisei Gakuen ("Seven Moons Academy"), a school for fighters, where Ritsu Minami was his teacher.
- As ordered, Soubi contacted Ritsuka after Seimei's death. He introduced Ritsuka to the world of fighters and sacrifices and told Ritsuka he would be his Fighter Unit. He fought beside Seimei for some time, and many people believe that he is Beloved's Fighter Unit. The appearance of Nisei in the manga, however, proves this to be false later in the manga. Soubi now fights for Ritsuka as Loveless, which is considered taboo because there is not a fighter-sacrifice bond between them. There is also a severe loss of strength, and in Soubi's case, his markings bleed in battle. Soubi was revealed to not have a true name at all — in fact, Ritsu comments that he is a blank slate, and whatever marking he is given becomes his name. Since Seimei carved Beloved into his skin, it became his name. When given a command to break the windows, courtesy of Seimei, in volume 8, it is shown that he cannot disobey, no matter how strongly he is against it.
- Soubi appears to know much more about Seimei and his cause of death than he will divulge. Despite Ritsuka's insistence that he tell him everything he knows, Soubi refuses. In volume 5 of the manga, he even says, "Seimei is my God." He openly declares that he lives his life by Seimei's orders, but still says he'll obey Ritsuka's every order, which is not necessarily true. Never the less, he unintentionally fell in love with the younger boy.
- In the beginning of the series he frequently touches, kisses, and caresses Ritsuka, but on many occasions states he is not a pervert. As the series moves on though, it becomes clear that he does truly love Ritsuka despite the fact he also acts as a protective brother figure, regardless of the sexual innuendo present.
- In episode 8 of the anime, Zero meets Yuiko, and states that she has "huge tits", the other part of Zero says "That's Aoyagi Ritsuka's woman", after looking at Soubi's reaction they afirm that he made a 'scary face'.
Minor characters
-
- Yuiko is Ritsuka's classmate. Despite her ditzy, bubbly exterior, she is sharp and goodhearted. Ritsuka at first thought her annoying. On Ritsuka's first day in school, she immediately is overcome with awe and a fascination for him. At the prodding of her mean-spirited classmates, she befriends him, although he is very reluctant to accept her because he thinks she is weird and unintelligent. As Ritsuka overcomes his initial impressions of her and realizes she is rather smart, they become good friends.
- Yuiko and Ritsuka's friendship greatly irritates their classmate, Yayoi. He had been recently rejected by Yuiko, although rather sorrowfully, claiming she will only date boys taller than her. Much to Yuiko's dismay, Ritsuka insists their friendship is platonic and it, indeed, remains that way. However, in two separate confessions to Hitomi Shinonome, Yuiko professes her love and devotion to Ritsuka. Their relationship is close, but Yuiko's seems to be a one-sided obsession. One incident of Ritsuka actually demonstrating care for Yuiko is in volume 2 of the manga and episode 4 of the anime, when she is bullied by her 'friends', whom Ritsuka fittingly says are using her. Because Yuiko had brought Ritsuka homemade strawberry jam, they went so far as to smash the jar in front of her, and demanded she apologize for breaking school rules. Ritsuka came to her aid and stated that they were 'less than human'. This may have spurred on her love for him. Though, a notable scene in volume 4 depicts Ritsuka abandoning Yuiko abruptly to go to Soubi's aid, and Yuiko sadly recalls her efforts to become good friends with him without achieving any results.
- Yuiko also has a fear of heights indicated in episode 11, while on a ferris wheel with Ritsuka.
- As the series progresses, a rather unusual, yet harmonious, friendship is struck between Yuiko and Soubi. Although it seems their personalities would clash, they have a unique understanding of each other.
- Yuiko is characterized by her unusually large breasts and considerable height. At 167 cm tall, Yuiko is much taller than Ritsuka and her other classmates and is often mistaken for being older than she actually is.
-
-
- He is a friend and classmate of Soubi's. They are both art students, and in volume 6 Kio tells Ritsuka, "I'm probably Sou-chan's only friend." Most of his early dialogue is filled with flirtations and passes at Soubi, despite being gently ignored or indirectly rejected each time.
- Despite his early presence as a character who exists solely to create a lighter atmosphere among a very dark story, he gradually gains depth and justifies his existence as the story progresses. He becomes a loud voice that champions pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
and self-worth. This contrasts strongly against Soubi's submissive nature that willingly accepts violent treatment and strongly desires to be completely controlled, albeit from only very certain people. More significantly, Kio's views are shared by Ritsuka. Together, they provide a very black-and-white atmosphere that allows only one line of thinking.
- It was recently revealed that Soubi only became interested in Kio because of a tattoo on his back, and a vow that he took when he got it.
-
- She is Ritsuka, Yuiko and Yayoi's teacher. She is very naive and innocent, and painfully aware of these characteristics. At twenty-three years old, she is teased and ridiculed for retaining her ears (and therefore her virginity) to such an age. She is visibly embarrassed, but as the story progresses, she gains confidence and pride over making her own choices.
- Hitomi is greatly troubled by Ritsuka's mother and the injuries he sustains from her, and greatly desires to involve herself in the situation to make a change, despite her fears and her colleagues' dissent.
- Her very caring and naive nature clashes spectacularly when confronted with Soubi. He brusquely rejects her and says he doesn't care for older women, despite the fact she never made a romantic move towards him and is no more than three years older than him. Despite his cold treatment, Hitomi seems to have had some feelings for Soubi, due to the fact in volume 2 of the manga (episode 8 of the anime), she burst into tears and brooded over him. His brash actions are mysterious, but a bit more reasonable when you consider his undiscerning hatred towards teachers as a result of his experiences with Ritsu Minami.
- Although he has rejected her, it can be noted that Soubi enjoys tormenting her to some degree. In their first meeting, he takes pleasure in confronting her uneasily face-to-face. In volume 2 of the manga (episode 6 of the anime), he holds her closely when she faints. This is notable because there are only two characters he physically interacts with in the entire series: one being Hitomi and the other Ritsuka.
- Reasons for this awkward behavior towards Hitomi may be stemmed from jealousy. It is interesting to note that Soubi refers to Hitomi as 'childish', despite her being three years older than he is. Yet he still respectfully calls her "Shinonome-sensei." The only way he degrades her is by her sexuality, possibly because Hitomi has remained a virgin while he lost his ‘ears’ at a much earlier age. In volume 2 of the manga and episode 6 of the anime, Soubi also 'saves' Hitomi from the male Zeros, Yoji and Natsuo. They threatened to get rid of her ears, despite the Zeros being very young themselves, and she protested immensely. Although she is grateful for Soubi's protection, it only embarrasses her more. In comparison with his extreme dislike of his own teacher figure, Ritsu, Soubi still manages to treat Hitomi as a subordinate, constantly belittling her.
-
- She is the mother of Seimei and Ritsuka. She has an important influence over her sons. Being emotionally and mentally weak, Misaki has very little grip on reality, and often hallucinates, particularly after certain events in volume 5. She is abusive and violent and blames Ritsuka's personality change for the reason Seimei "left", demanding that she wants her former Ritsuka back when she beats him. To many, she is seen as a cruel villain, but in volume 5, she has inner dialogues of her own, allowing the reader to witness a more human, fragile side to her behavior which she cannot control.
-
- Yayoi is another classmate of Ritsuka's. He is shown as being socially awkward and with low self esteem, and feels great jealousy towards Ritsuka. Yayoi admits that he loves Yuiko, but when he confessed to her, he was rejected for being too short. Yuiko claims that she only dates boys taller than her, but the truthfulness of that statement is called into question when it is painfully obvious she loves Ritsuka, who is barely taller than Yayoi.
- Despite his jealousy of Ritsuka's close friendship with Yuiko, he is encouraged by Ritsuka's adamant claims that their relationship is purely platonic
Plato's influence on Western culture was so profound that several different concepts are linked by being called "platonic" or Platonist, for accepting some assumptions of Platonism, but which do not imply acceptance of that philosophy as a whole....
. He makes a firm statement he will not give up on Yuiko, and spends more time with her than ever.
- It is notable that in the manga, Yayoi has a rather small role. He is absent for large parts of the story, and has only a small amount of dialogue. In the anime, they utilized his character much more to enhance the would-be Yayoi-Yuiko-Ritsuka love triangle, and to inject comic relief into a dark story.
-
- She is an easily angered woman who conducts experiments and creates humans who cannot feel physical pain. Although Nagisa is very young in appearance, it is later revealed that Nagisa is over 30 years old. Her background, and affiliation are unknown. She had a sister, but what has become of her has not yet been confirmed. She created Youji after the image of her younger sister, perhaps in remembrance or to ease the pain in her heart, but exact reasons are still unknown. Her over-the-top behavior and strange lifestyle leaves her alone and alienated. She befriends Nana, and shamefully confesses that she is her only friend.
- Her relationship with Ritsu is an intriguing one. She puts up a front of hating him deeply, and wishing for nothing more than to see him fail. However, there are small moments that reveal possibly more intimate feelings, as she blushes deeply whenever he is near her or touches her, though she steadfastly denies caring for him. Starting in volume 3 and finishing in volume 4, she makes a bet with Ritsu that her older Zero pair, Yamato and Koya, can beat Ritsuka's Soubi. Ultimately, Yamato and Koya are defeated, and Nagisa's sibling rivalry-like attitude towards Ritsu continues.
-
- He is the fighter of the male Zero pair. He is one of Nagisa's experiments, and presumably the second generation of Zeros. He first makes an appearance in volume 2, when he and Youji corner Soubi when he's alone. When Soubi wins the battle, Natsuo tells him that he and Youji have no place to return to if they lose a battle. Soubi offers to let them live at his apartment, and Natsuo warily accepts. Natsuo seems to care for Soubi and Ritsuka, and in turn, does nothing to harm them.
- In one of the Zero-sum chapters, they are told to defeat Seimei. But because of the other's unusual power with words, the Zero team was rendered practically useless.
-
- He is the sacrifice of the male Zero pair. He is the more cruel and brutal of the two; however, they are both rather blunt and cold towards others. Like Natsuo, Youji seems to care for Soubi and Ritsuka, and in turn, does nothing to harm them.
- Nagisa is unashamedly biased towards Youji, often ignoring Natsuo. According to Youji, this is because he bears a significant resemblance to Nagisa's younger sister.
- In one of the Zero-sum chapters, they are told to defeat Seimei. But because of the other's unusual power with words, the Zero team was rendered practically useless.
-
- She is the fighter of the female Zero pair. Until they met, both pairs believed they were the only Zero pair to exist. Both teams are experiments created by Nagisa at different times, and the female pair is presumably the first generation. Despite their unusual background, both Koya and Yamato attend high school, although different ones.
- In an interesting demonstration of the series' fictional world's rules and expectations of society, Koya wears fake cat ears despite not being a virgin. Yamato often teases her about it, particularly because Yamato doesn't try to hide her status.
-
- She is the sacrifice of the female Zero pair. In contrast to Koya's solemness, Yamato has an outgoing, vivacious personality. Their relationship is the focus of a mini-arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
in volume 4.
- The relationship Yamato has with Koya is a passionate and dedicated one that becomes unexpectedly stressful for Yamato in volume 4. Her marking, which she interprets as physical proof of her relationship with Koya, slowly fades without warning. In a blatant reference to the homosexual nature of their relationship, both girls' markings — a 0 with a line through the middle — are on the same place: their breast.
-
- He is Soubi's former teacher, and held a very influential role in Soubi's life when he was still his teacher. The extent of their master/slave relationship is left unknown, but it is clear that Ritsu misses those days. In the few times they have made contact within the current timeline, Soubi acts very brusque and treats him with disgust, in a way that almost recalls the dynamics of a parent-child relationship. It is also revealed that he was the one who took away Soubi's virginity. Ritsu is said to have been the Sacrifice to Soubi's mother, which lead to him and Soubi meeting.
- In one of the Zero-sum chapters Ritsu has his eyes gouged out by Seimei, so he could write a message to Ritsuka on the wall in the man's blood.
- In the latest chapter of Zero-Sum Monthly Comic (March 2008), the seven members of Septimal Moon were revealed. Included as members were Ritsu Minami, Nagisa Sagan, and Nana. Both Ritsu and Nagisa had previously denied any affiliation with the Septimal Moon.
Manga characters
-
- He is Ritsuka's older brother. Born on November 14, his name comes from the lunar day "Seimei", which falls around April 4. He was seventeen when he was found murdered,in Ritsuka's classroom, although he died under mysterious circumstances and could only be identified by his dental records
Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology is the proper handling, examination and evaluation of dental evidence, which will be then presented in the interest of justice. The evidence that may be derived from teeth, is the age and identification of the person to whom the teeth belong. This is done...
. We later learn that Seimei had faked his death, but who the person was that died in his place has not yet been revealed. He is also the sacrifice of the Beloved pair. Soubi was given to Seimei (mostly at Seimei's request) as a fighter when Seimei was only fourteen years old. It is speculated by fans that there is some kind of rivalry between Seimei and Ritsu over Soubi and perhaps over other things, but there's no information in the series that confirms these speculations.
- When Ritsuka lost his memory, Seimei stepped in and became an extremely important figure in his life. He protected Ritsuka from their abusive mother, Misaki, and was a great source of comfort and trust. As a result, Ritsuka was hit hardest of all by the news of his brother's death. He is very bitter and vengeful towards those who may have been involved in the murder of his brother.
- His personality is subject of great debate, and many readers have very different interpretations of his actions. To make things more confusing, the characters in the story themselves clash with their different beliefs and experiences. Ritsuka claims Seimei was a kind, gentle, loving person that always protected him. Soubi, on the other hand, is almost afraid and spiteful of Seimei. He tells Youji he would have to wait a hundred years before Seimei would speak to him. Misaki, Ritsuka and Seimei's mother, believes Seimei will protect her from hurting Ritsuka. Others, such as Nagisa and 7, think he was cruel, merciless, and hateful. They claim Seimei acted strangely and would be close to no one, and go so far as refusing to eat in the presence of anyone else. Soubi's friend Kio bitterly resents Seimei for the apparently abusive manner in which he treated Soubi, but Soubi refuses to back up Kio's accusations. Ritsuka denies all of this; however, he has some startling flashbacks that show a more disturbed, obsessive side of Seimei, and even sometimes borderline incest
Incest is any sexual activity between close relatives irrespective of the ages of the participants and irrespective of their consent, that is illegal or socially taboo. The type of sexual activity and the nature of the relationship between persons that constitutes a breach of law or social taboo...
uous behavior towards Ritsuka. Seimei has said in Volume 7 that in his world, he and Ritsuka are the only two humans that exist and everyone else to him is an animal. He later states in volume 8 that Ritsuka is the only human alive that is exactly like him. When he meets Ritsuka again he asks Ritsuka if Ritsuka would still love him. He states that if Ritsuka loves him so much that Ritsuka would be able to give his whole being to him. His body, soul, love, and mind.
- However, it has recently been confirmed that Seimei does indeed have a violent personality, or destructive behavior at the very least. In volume eight, Seimei stabs the wary Ritsu in the eyes after the two have a short yet heated conversation about Soubi; the wounds leaves Ritsu blind. Seimei then proceeded to write the haunting message "Ritsuka I'm Back" on the wall in Ritsu's blood for his brother, Ritsuka, to later see. There are also suggestions in canon that Seimei possesses powers beyond that of a normal sacrifice. He has been described as inhuman by Soubi and others.
- He first appeared in the manga in volume 5. Although his character is largely a mystery, he appears to be very devious. He is the real Fighter Unit of Beloved.
He helps keep track of Ritsuka by spying on him and reports the information back to a mysterious boss. He and Soubi meet in volume 6 and from then on, Nisei stops spying on Ritsuka, but his presence is still near.
- His role in volume 5 was a pivotal one: he was first introduced as "Seimei," although he was only masquerading as Seimei to gain the trust of Misaki. It is unknown if it was carried out by Seimei's orders, but Nisei ended up drugging Misaki and trying in vain to convince her to murder Ritsuka, on the promise that Seimei would come back for good. Due to his smug demeanor and malicious behaviour towards Ritsuka, Nisei and Soubi have great animosity between each other. In volume 6, Soubi expresses his deep desire to murder Nisei at any cost. Volume 8 shows that he was captured by security at the Seven Voices Academy, but despite his struggles to respond to Seimei's calling, it appears that he was successfully restrained.
- There is a strong belief among fans that Nisei is a Sociopath
Psychopathy is a psychological construct that describes chronic disregard for ethical principles and antisocial behavior.The term is often used interchangeably with sociopathy. This is a commonly made mistake. Sociopathy is no longer a correct term to use, and when it is used it actually refers to...
, judging by his actions and the way he says he can't experience feelings such as love or desire.
-
- She first appeared in volume 3 of the manga and Episode 12 in the anime. The strange coded message that Ritsuka receives from SLEEPLESS is from her. Ritsuka meets her in a special area of an MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
called Wisdom Resurrection several times to discuss Septimal Moon and Seimei. Her mission as stated in volume 5 is to determine whether Seimei really faked his death. She is a member of Septimal Moon, although her role in the organization (outside of the previously described mission) is unclear. She has tell-tale signs of a hikikomoriis a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive individuals who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement because of various personal and social factors in their lives...
, leaving her computer rarely and has even admitted to Nagisa she has no other friends.
- A young man who still retains his ears and who first appears in volume 6. Little is known about Nakahira, although he seems protective and respectful of Chaco. His distrust and annoyance of Seimei is both shown and spoken. Nakahira owns a cat, named , who gives birth to four kittens. When told by Seimei that the cat would eat her young before allowing someone to take them away, Nakahira is plainly disgusted. Seimei usually refers to him as "Nakahira-san".
- Ritsuka's friend from his previous school. Her only appearance is in a side story in volume 4. She allows only Ritsuka to call her Osamu, but after a while lets Yuiko use it too. At first, Yuiko sees her as a love rival, but gradually they become friends and Osamu even shares her photos of Ritsuka with Yuiko.
Themes
Loveless focuses on "the power of words in creating our reality, the meaning of memory, the strength of family, and the loss of innocence".
Manga
Written and illustrated by Yun Kōga,
Loveless currently appears as a
serialThe term "serial" refers to the intrinsic property of a series – namely, its order. In literature, the term is used as a noun to refer to a format by which a story is told in contiguous installments in sequential issues of a single periodical publication.More generally, "serial" is applied...
in Japanese magazine
Monthly Comic Zero Sum, where it has been serialized since May 2002. The chapters are collected into
tankōbon, 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...
and published by
Ichijinshais 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...
. Eight
tankōbon have been released so far, with the first being published on July 2002 and the ninth planned to be released on November 25, 2009.
TokyopopTokyopop, stylized TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Original English-language manga in English, German, and Japanese. Tokyopop is incorporated in Tokyo, Japan, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California and branches in...
licensed
Loveless for an English-language release in North America. The first volume was published on February 7, 2006 and the eighth was released on September 1, 2008. The series is also licensed in Australia and New Zealand by
Madman EntertainmentMadman Entertainment is an Australian company which specialises in the distribution of Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by the ASX listed Funtastic Limited and Madman Entertainment is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia, along with Warner...
, in French by Soleil Manga, and in German by
Egmont Manga & Anime* This is about the German company Egmont Manga & Anime, a subsidiary to Egmont Ehapa Verlag. It should not be confused with other companies with the same name from other countries, which are subsidiaries or parts of other companies owned by Egmont ....
.
Volume list
Light novel
A light novel
Loveless - Ephemeral Bonds written by Natsui Aya and illustrated by Yun Kōga. It was published last July in Iris magazine, published by Ichijinsha, the original
Loveless publisher.
Anime
A 12-episode
animeis animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...
adaptation was made by J.C. STAFF, and first aired in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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...
from April 2005 to June 2005. The episodes covered approximately volumes 1-4, due to production starting in August 2004 — about 4 months before volume 5 was published. Because the source material hadn't finished its serialization, and with a limit of 12 episodes, the anime adaptation has quite a few differences. The most notable is the series finale, which was written specifically for the anime and left the storyline open to the possibility of a future
sequelA sequel is a work in literature, film, or other media that chronologically portrays events following those of a previous work.In many cases, the sequel continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel can lead to a series, in which key elements appear...
. The opening theme music was "Tsuki no Curse" and the ending theme was "Michiyuki"; both were composed by
Yuki Kajiura, born August 6, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as Madlax, Noir, .hack//SIGN, Aquarian Age, My-HiME, Pandora Hearts, My-Otome, Tsubasa Chronicle, and one of the Kimagure Orange Road movies...
and arranged by Masayuki Sakamoto. Media Blasters licensed and released an English subtitled version in early 2006.
CDs
Geneon Entertainment published multiple
Loveless drama CDs. It re-released five drama CDs based on the manga from October 24, 2007 to December 2, 2007. Four drama CDs based on the anime adaption were released from May 25, 2005 to September 22, 2005. Another set of drama CDs based on the anime adaption,
Hairless and
Actless, were released on April 23, 2008 and May 23, 2008, respectively.
Five character drama CDs were released from May 25, 2006 to September 22, 2006.
Geneon Entertainment also released the soundtrack to the anime on June 24, 2005. The CD included the beginning and ending themes and fifteen background tracks. On September 8, 2006, a vocal album featuring songs performed by Konishi Katsuyuki,
Junko Minagawais a seiyū affiliated with Haikyo. She is well-known for voicing young boys, although she has done "feminine" lady roles, as well as flirtatious women.-Anime:* .hack//Legend of the Twilight * ARIA The Animation is a seiyū affiliated with Haikyo. She is well-known for voicing young boys, although...
, and
Jun Fukuyamais a male seiyū . He was previously represented by Aoni Production and is now represented by Production Baobab. In 2007, he won the first Seiyu Awards for the best actor in leading role as Lelouch Lamperouge in Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion...
was released.
Reception
Some readers of
Loveless regard the relationship between Soubi Agatsuma and Ritsuka Aoyagi as
shotacon, sometimes shortened to , is a Japanese slang portmanteau of the phrase and describes an attraction to young boys, or an individual with such an attraction. Outside Japan, the term is used less often with this meaning. It refers to a genre of manga and anime wherein pre-pubescent or pubescent...
-esque. IGN considers the relationship between Soubi and Ritsuka to be handled tastefully, despite their large age gap. Yun Kōga stated that she doesn't "consider it as yaoi" manga, although her "fans do".
Julie Rosato of Mania regards the art as beautiful, saying that she would read the story for the art alone, but fortunately the storyline is complex and dark.
The Book Report's Robin Brenner liked the art, describing it as "breathtaking --- fluid, dark, and full of slicing edges". Brenner also commented that the series is "the kind of manga that startles a reader with just how close it treads to taboo lines without ever crossing over into true transgression."
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