Pet Shop of Horrors
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese horror
manga
created by Matsuri Akino
. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown
, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop.
The manga, published by Asahi Sonorama
in 10 graphic novel
s, consists of 41 chapters in total. It has been licensed for distribution in the United States
by Tokyopop
. Recently, Matsuri has begun a sequel, . TOKYOPOP has acquired the rights to this sequel and calls it "Pet Shop of Horrors – Tokyo," and the first volume was released in February 2008.
' Chinatown
. Each of D's rare pets, which all have strangely humanoid appearances, comes with a contract
with three major points. These points differ for each animal sold (although each animal's contract includes not showing it to anyone) , and breaking this contract usually results in dire (and sometimes disturbing) consequences for the buyer, for which the pet shop claims no liability.
Individual chapters of Pet Shop of Horrors are often based on these consequences, and are each written as a stand-alone story, usually introducing one or more new characters in each chapter. With the exception of the main characters and their families, it is rare for a character to carry over to a later chapter, providing the series with a very episodic
nature.
The detective Leon Orcot is used to tie the chapters together into an ongoing plot, usually in the form of a subplot
within each chapter. Initially he suspects Count D of malicious criminal activity and using the pet shop as a front
for drug trafficking
. As the series progresses, he learns more about the pet shop and Count D himself, entering into a strange friendship of sorts with the Count as he works to uncover the truth.
Leon Orcot
Jill
Samantha
Josie
Pon-chan
Ten-chan
"Honlon" – Shuko, Kanan and Junrei
Femuto-kun
Golden Kirin
Q-chan/Sofu D
New D appeared at the very end of Vol. 10 Chap. 2 - he is most likely the re-born Papa D...however he refers to the current Count D as "father" rather than Sofu D as father and may be yet another D. Since all members of the D family are identical (except for the color of their eyes) and the manga was in black and white, it's impossible to say which D he actually is. He winds up meeting Chris Orcot (now an adult and an FBI agent) 20 years after Papa D's death. He invites Chris in to talk when offered some cherry tarts.
licensed Pet Shop of Horrors for an English-language release in North America and published the series from June 17, 2003 to January 11, 2005. The series is also distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Madman Entertainment
. The series is also licensed in Germany by Tokyopop Germany and in Russia by Comics Factory
.
The sequel, Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo is licensed in English by Tokyopop, who has published seven volumes as of November 2009.
produced a 4-episode OVA adaptation of various chapters of the manga in March 1999. In an unusual move for an OVA series, the anime first aired as a miniseries on the TBS
television network (as part of their now-defunct programming block "Wonderful") before being sold on VHS
and LaserDisc
.
Urban Vision
released the Pet Shop of Horrors anime in North America, initially across two VHS
tapes (each available in either subtitled or dubbed format) in February 2000 and May 2000 respectively. It was then re-released on a single DVD video (containing all four episodes and both language options) in February 2001. Sentai Filmworks had acquired the license in October 2008, with distribution by ADV Films. However, in 2009, A.D. Vision announced that it has shut down ADV Films and distribution rights were transferred to Section23 Films
, who continues to distribute titles from Sentai. In the UK this will get its DVD release via MVM on August 2, 2010.
Episode 2 – Delicious – The popular idol singer Evangeline Blue and her manager Jason are about to be wed on a luxury ship when Evangeline "accidentally" falls overboard, her body never to be found. The heartbroken Jason travels to Count D's to pick up a pet that Eva had supposedly ordered. But to his surprise, the pet turns out to be a very large rare species of a fish but looks (to him at least) like a mermaid
who looks exactly like Eva.
Episode 3 – Despair – Actor Robin Hendrix was a one-hit wonder. After the phenomenal success of his debut movie, Robin couldn't get any more acting jobs. It seemed he'd been stereotyped by the very role that made him famous. To top it off, his wife has left him. Robin loves keeping pet reptiles, and so he goes to Count D's to pick up an additional pet to cheer himself up. But Count D has something special for Robin: a very rare species of reptile known as Medusa
for its lethal stare, with the face and upper body of a beautiful woman, but the lower half of a large lizard.
Episode 4 – Dual – Roger Stanford comes from a long line of successful politicians, but is considered the bad apple of the family due to his carefree and womanising ways. His faithful assistant, Kelly Vincent, is determined to make Roger the president of the United States, even if it means making a pact with the legendary animal called the Kirin
, who grants the wish of its sovereign through the blood of others. Count D just happens to have one Kirin in stock.
described the plot of Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo as "the series' greatest strength but also its weakness: the plot formula makes it easy to dish out just the right amount of human drama, but those familiar with the Pet Shop will see each twist coming—and may even find some of them to be too far-fetched." Santos also felt that the art was "not particularly horrifying," commenting that "it's clear that Akino struggles with any artwork beyond the usual range of attractive young men, fashionable women and the occasional bizarre creature." However, he commended the "well-planned" layout and pacing of the volume. Robin Brenner commented that "Pet Shop of Horrors has always been more about atmosphere than about truly surprising plots... Instead, the pleasure comes from Matsuri Akino's talent for truthful dialogue, attention to detail in the art, and a fine sense of how to portray both laughter and dread."
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 horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
manga
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...
created by Matsuri Akino
Matsuri Akino
, is a Japanese manga artist from Mitaka, Tokyo, now a resident of Yokohama.Her work is a mix of the fantasy, mystery, and horror genres. Her self portrait is usually a kappa, sometimes with braids or an odango hairstyle.-Reikan Shouhou Kabushikigaisha:...
. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop.
The manga, published by Asahi Sonorama
Asahi Sonorama
is a Japanese book, magazine, and manga publisher and a division of Asahi Shimbun Publications, which is a subsidiary of the publisher of the Asahi Shimbun. "Sonorama" is a coined word combining sonus, the Latin word for "sound", and horama, the Greek word for "sight"...
in 10 graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s, consists of 41 chapters in total. It has been licensed for distribution in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. Recently, Matsuri has begun a sequel, . TOKYOPOP has acquired the rights to this sequel and calls it "Pet Shop of Horrors – Tokyo," and the first volume was released in February 2008.
Plot
Count D is the mysterious caretaker of a pet shop in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. Each of D's rare pets, which all have strangely humanoid appearances, comes with a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with three major points. These points differ for each animal sold (although each animal's contract includes not showing it to anyone) , and breaking this contract usually results in dire (and sometimes disturbing) consequences for the buyer, for which the pet shop claims no liability.
Individual chapters of Pet Shop of Horrors are often based on these consequences, and are each written as a stand-alone story, usually introducing one or more new characters in each chapter. With the exception of the main characters and their families, it is rare for a character to carry over to a later chapter, providing the series with a very episodic
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
nature.
The detective Leon Orcot is used to tie the chapters together into an ongoing plot, usually in the form of a subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
within each chapter. Initially he suspects Count D of malicious criminal activity and using the pet shop as a front
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
for drug trafficking
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. As the series progresses, he learns more about the pet shop and Count D himself, entering into a strange friendship of sorts with the Count as he works to uncover the truth.
Primary characters
Count D- Gender: Male (though his appearance is androgynous and he is often mistaken for a woman)
- Nationality: Overseas ChineseOverseas ChineseOverseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
- Age: Never specified
- Occupation: Owner of "Count D's Pet Shop"
-
- Though he denies the name is "Count D" – claiming that this title belongs only to his grandfather, the shop's true owner – most humans refer to him by this name, often shortened to "The Count", "Count", or simply "D". He runs a pet shop in ChinatownChinatownA Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
while the shop's alleged true owner is travelling abroad. His motto suggests he doesn't actually sell pets but rather "love, dreams, and hope" with a three-term contract. - He appears more fond of animals than humans and displays a love of the natural world. He usually appears calm and soft-spoken (except when he is fighting with Leon), though towards the end of the manga series, his attitude changes. He enjoys drinking teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and has a special fondness for confectionery. In fact, Leon often bribes him with sweets and pastries in return for information. Although he often expresses disdain for humans and claims to hate human children, he eventually becomes very attached to Chris, and he also seems to hold his brother Leon in affection. - In Volume 4, Leon suspects that D may be a vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, but D's father later refutes this (and D is actually a vegetarian). He shares a striking resemblance to his father, and to his grandfather, the real Count D. This is because they are imperfect clonesClonesClones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
or, more correctly, duplicates of one another. They are almost identical except for the colour of their eyes; D has one purple eye, like his father, and one golden eye, inherited from his grandfather. Though it is hinted earlier in the series, it is revealed in Volume 10 that he is not human, though what he and his family are exactly is left open to interpretation. According to D's father, they are the last of an ancient Chinese civilization that was very close to animals. Because of their wisdom, the people were kept at the imperial palace as wise men, priests, giving them all superior treatment. When the prince asked one of the priestesses for her hand in marriage and she refused him, however, he grew angry and ordered a massive genocide of the people. Only one man from the civilization survived, vowing to take revenge on the humans for what they did to his family. - As well as being the main character in Pet Shop of Horrors, D makes a cameo appearance in volume 4 of Genju no SeizaGenju no Seizais a Japanese supernatural manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series is focused on Kamishina Fuuto, a teenager who has spiritual senses, and his struggle to maintain a normal life while being a reincarnation of the High Priest of Dhalashar....
, another manga series by Matsuri AkinoMatsuri Akino, is a Japanese manga artist from Mitaka, Tokyo, now a resident of Yokohama.Her work is a mix of the fantasy, mystery, and horror genres. Her self portrait is usually a kappa, sometimes with braids or an odango hairstyle.-Reikan Shouhou Kabushikigaisha:...
.
- Though he denies the name is "Count D" – claiming that this title belongs only to his grandfather, the shop's true owner – most humans refer to him by this name, often shortened to "The Count", "Count", or simply "D". He runs a pet shop in Chinatown
Leon Orcot
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: American
- Age: 24 at the beginning of the series
- Height: 184 cm
- Weight: 72 kg
- Occupation: DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
-
- Leon Orcot is a hot-headed young detective who attempts to connect the pet shop with mysterious deaths in the region. He is convinced Count D is a criminal and proceeds to investigate him with an iron will, determined to be the one to put the cuffs on the manicured hands of D. Over time, he forms a close and complicated relationship with the Count. He has a disdain for the supernatural and therefore refuses to be believe D's explanations for the events of the story, though this attitude is challenged as the series progresses. He is extremely lecherous as displayed though the series, and spends a lot of time chasing girls. Over the course of the series, Leon is given two pets by D (a flowering plant and a butterfly), both of which help him through hard times in his life (as opposed to other pets sold, which are meant to teach their owners a lesson).
Humans
Chris Orcot- Age: 6
- Height: Short
- Weight: Light
- Personality: Cheerful and innocent, but a bit of a crybaby
-
- Chris is Leon's much younger brother – their mother became pregnant with Chris when she was fifty, and died during childbirth. As a result, Chris was raised by his aunt and uncle, who he grew up calling "Mom" and "Dad". When Chris' younger cousin, Sam, told him that he was responsible for his mother's death, he was so shocked that he lost his ability to speak. Chris was sent to Los Angeles with Leon and spends most of his time in D's pet shop. Although he can't talk, Chris has the ability to telepathically speak to all of D's animals as well as the Count and Leon. He also thinks very highly of Q-chan saying that he was "The cutest, rarest, and highest priced pet in the shop," though as it turns out, Q-chan is the only "pet" Chris perceives as an animal. Since he initially only ever sees the animals in their human form, he believes that the Count actually sells human children, although he feels all right with that as long as the children don't mind it.
- In Volume 10, Chris reconciles with his cousin, regains his ability to speak, and moves back to his aunt's house. This comes at the price of his loss of ability to see the animals in their humanoid forms, referred to in the manga as something of a "Departure from Eden". Twenty years later, he is shown as an FBI officer, tracking down the next generation of the Count's family. Rather than trying to arrest "New D" for the mysterious deaths caused by a pet, Chris only wishes to talk about his brother who disappeared 20 years ago. He does not seem to regard "New D" in an adversarial light the way his brother Leon regarded Count D or Agent Howell regarded Papa D. It seems that he remembers the Pet Shop in a positive light.
Jill
- Height: 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
- Weight: 53 kg (117 lbs)
-
- Jill is Leon's fellow police officer. She is far more sensible than he is as well as far more knowledgeable (for example, she learned ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and rattled off the life cycle of the butterfly to D). Jill seems to like D a lot and is usually exasperated by Leon's constant claims that D is a criminal.
- Jill is Leon's fellow police officer. She is far more sensible than he is as well as far more knowledgeable (for example, she learned Chinese
Samantha
-
- Commonly known as "Sam". The cousin that caused Chris to stop speaking. She was four years old when Chris came to live in her household and disliked him immensely, especially when he ruined her bunny doll. She later regrets her outburst, realizing she misses him, and, with the help of Ten-chan, the two reconcile and she begins to refer to him as her "brother".
Josie
-
- Chris' cousin and Sam's older sister. Despite Chris not being her biological brother, she has never thought of him as anything other than her little brother.
Animals
Tetsu-
- Often referred to as "T-chan". He is a totetsuTaotieThe Taotie is a motif commonly found on ritual bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasty. The design typically consists of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, bilaterally symmetrical, with a pair of raised eyes and typically no lower jaw area...
, a mystical carnivorous animal that is a distant relative of the goatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
. He is a somewhat rough friend of Chris, and they are almost always together. To most people, T-chan appears to be a small, primarily goat like animal though he has the striped paws of a tiger, not hooves. To the Count and Chris, he looks like a young man with wild hair and goat horns. He was originally the chef of a popular Chinese restaurant (in vol. 3), which Count D frequented. The two fell into a sort of 'love', Count D wanting to possess the rare and exotic animal, T-chan wishing to eat the vegetarian D. In the end, Leon and his police cohorts arrest T-chan as he is about to feast on D (a sacrifice he was willing to make). Later, he ripped out his heart and tried to eat it, thereby "becoming" T-Chan.
- Often referred to as "T-chan". He is a totetsu
Pon-chan
-
- Pon-chan is a RaccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
who lives at D's pet shop. She is a special friend of Chris and is more gentle than T-chan. To most people, Pon-chan looks like a normal raccoon. To the Count and Chris, she looks like a little girl with curly hair and a cute dress. She has quite a distinct crush on Chris. (Due to a translation mistake many fans believe that she is a badgerBadgerBadgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
, because Leon refers to Pon-chan as a raccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
and D corrects him, saying that she is a European badger.)
- Pon-chan is a Raccoon
Ten-chan
-
- Ten-chan is a shape-shifting nine-tailed foxFoxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
with a relaxed personality and a crude manner of speech. He has such a potent ability to shape-shift that he can look like several different things at the same time, depending on who's looking at him. He also has the ability to mimic the personality of whatever he's shifted into and seems to have somewhat occult powers as well. It is uncertain how he got the name "Ten-chan", since he said once that it was not his name; it may have been derived from tenko, which is the highest rank a kitsuneKitsuneis 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...
can achieve. To most people, when he's not transformed, Ten-chan looks like a little white fox with multiple tails. To the Count and Chris, he looks like a laid-back young man wearing casual clothes.
- Ten-chan is a shape-shifting nine-tailed fox
"Honlon" – Shuko, Kanan and Junrei
-
- Introduced in Volume 2, this dragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
was born with three heads. In human form it is portrayed as a little girl with three distinct personalities. According to Shuko, "The simplest explanation is that we're triplets that were all born with the same body". The triplets are: Shuko, the responsible one; Kanan, the violent one; and Junrei, the childish one. According to Shuko, each one of them was strongly influenced by the person who helped birth them. Shuko was born 60 years ago and since then had been raised by the Count. Her two other sisters had hatched more recently. Kanan and Junrei had hatched in Volume 2, Kanan after bein held by Leon and Junrei had after being held by a young boy (the grandchild of a Mr. Smith, to whom her egg was accidentally given). Each one had taken on the personality of the last person to hold them while still in the egg. Kanan has the tendency to bully Junrei by pulling their hair. After meeting Chris, he made a contract with them, and like Pon-chan, they can get slightly jealous when he notices someone else.
- Introduced in Volume 2, this dragon
Femuto-kun
-
- An Egyptian MauEgyptian MauEgyptian Maus are a small-medium sized short-haired cat breed. Along with the Bahraini Dilmun Cat, they are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots on an Egyptian Mau are not only on the coat; a shaved Mau has spots on its skin...
who makes an appearance in Dice in Volume 2, he is a character from Akino's previous series "Reikan Shouhou Kabushikigaisha".
- An Egyptian Mau
Golden Kirin
-
- Never actually from the shop. The KirinQilinThe Qilin is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a wise sage or an illustrious ruler. It is a good omen that brings rui . It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over...
is said to grant any wish, desire and power to its owner, and that the Kirin will be the one to choose. In Akino's Genju no SeizaGenju no Seizais a Japanese supernatural manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series is focused on Kamishina Fuuto, a teenager who has spiritual senses, and his struggle to maintain a normal life while being a reincarnation of the High Priest of Dhalashar....
another Kirin, the Blue Kirin Sohki, appears.
- Never actually from the shop. The Kirin
Others
Count D's father-
- Just as no one ever knows what Count D's true name is, D's father's name is never revealed. He is sometimes referred to in fan circles as "Papa D." He is somewhat manipulative and holds a grudge against humanity for destroying the environment and many species of animals. His own son doesn't trust him very much, even believing him capable of kidnapping Chris at one point. D's father looks almost exactly like his son (even with identical fingerprints), except that his hair is much longer and both of his eyes are purple. Like D, he is not human, but his species is not revealed.
- It is known that he attended to the university in 1975, passing as an exchange student from Hong Kong and being occupied with research at a genetic engineering laboratory. During this time, he met a human by the name of Vesca Howell, who later abandoned his career as a medical doctor to become an FBI agent, his sole intent being arresting D's father, as he, like Leon Orcot with Count D, believed him to be a criminal. Such goal was never fulfilled, though, as both died by the end of the series; Leon shot D's father, and D's father killed Agent Howell. In the Manga "papa D" is reborn as a human and carried off by "grandpa D" to be raised as his son.
Q-chan/Sofu D
-
- Q-chan is a little bat-like creature and is D's constant companion. His name is perhaps derived from the sound he makes – "kyū". He is the only creature in the shop that looks like an animal to everyone (almost all of the other animals look like strange humans to Chris and the Count). After being hinted at through the series, Q-chan's true identity is revealed in Volume 10 as Count D's Grandfather, and the proper holder of the title "Count" and name "D". He tells Eva Braun at the end of the first volume of the sequel series that the title of Count was received in his own grandfather's time, and is now simply the name of his store. Although we never see the name in the English translation of the series, he is often referred to in fandom as "Sofu D," "sofu" meaning "grandfather" in Japanese. Upon the end of the series, "Q-chan" reverts back to his humanoid form (identical to D apart from his two golden eyes) and takes the reborn Count D's father to raise.
New D appeared at the very end of Vol. 10 Chap. 2 - he is most likely the re-born Papa D...however he refers to the current Count D as "father" rather than Sofu D as father and may be yet another D. Since all members of the D family are identical (except for the color of their eyes) and the manga was in black and white, it's impossible to say which D he actually is. He winds up meeting Chris Orcot (now an adult and an FBI agent) 20 years after Papa D's death. He invites Chris in to talk when offered some cherry tarts.
Manga
TokyopopTokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
licensed Pet Shop of Horrors for an English-language release in North America and published the series from June 17, 2003 to January 11, 2005. The series is also distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
. The series is also licensed in Germany by Tokyopop Germany and in Russia by Comics Factory
Comics Factory
Comics Factory is a comics imprint of major Russian book publisher AST. It serves as a translator and the licensor of European graphic novels, Japanese manga, manhwa, Taiwan and Hongkong manhua, Original English-language manga. It also released Russian-language manga of Russian and Ukrainian...
.
The sequel, Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo is licensed in English by Tokyopop, who has published seven volumes as of November 2009.
OVA
MadhouseMadhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
produced a 4-episode OVA adaptation of various chapters of the manga in March 1999. In an unusual move for an OVA series, the anime first aired as a miniseries on the TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
television network (as part of their now-defunct programming block "Wonderful") before being sold on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and LaserDisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
.
Urban Vision
Urban Vision
Urban Vision Entertainment Inc., an American based production/distribution company created in Los Angeles, California formed in July, 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the alternative animation genre known as anime or Japanimation to mainstream media....
released the Pet Shop of Horrors anime in North America, initially across two VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tapes (each available in either subtitled or dubbed format) in February 2000 and May 2000 respectively. It was then re-released on a single DVD video (containing all four episodes and both language options) in February 2001. Sentai Filmworks had acquired the license in October 2008, with distribution by ADV Films. However, in 2009, A.D. Vision announced that it has shut down ADV Films and distribution rights were transferred to Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
, who continues to distribute titles from Sentai. In the UK this will get its DVD release via MVM on August 2, 2010.
Episodes
Episode 1 – Daughter – A rich couple has lost their only daughter, Alice. Fortunately, Count D is able to acquire a very rare species of rabbit that looks exactly like Alice. The couple is overjoyed and immediately takes the rabbit home. But their love for Alice makes them breach one of the contract's terms.Episode 2 – Delicious – The popular idol singer Evangeline Blue and her manager Jason are about to be wed on a luxury ship when Evangeline "accidentally" falls overboard, her body never to be found. The heartbroken Jason travels to Count D's to pick up a pet that Eva had supposedly ordered. But to his surprise, the pet turns out to be a very large rare species of a fish but looks (to him at least) like a mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
who looks exactly like Eva.
Episode 3 – Despair – Actor Robin Hendrix was a one-hit wonder. After the phenomenal success of his debut movie, Robin couldn't get any more acting jobs. It seemed he'd been stereotyped by the very role that made him famous. To top it off, his wife has left him. Robin loves keeping pet reptiles, and so he goes to Count D's to pick up an additional pet to cheer himself up. But Count D has something special for Robin: a very rare species of reptile known as Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
for its lethal stare, with the face and upper body of a beautiful woman, but the lower half of a large lizard.
Episode 4 – Dual – Roger Stanford comes from a long line of successful politicians, but is considered the bad apple of the family due to his carefree and womanising ways. His faithful assistant, Kelly Vincent, is determined to make Roger the president of the United States, even if it means making a pact with the legendary animal called the Kirin
Qilin
The Qilin is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a wise sage or an illustrious ruler. It is a good omen that brings rui . It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over...
, who grants the wish of its sovereign through the blood of others. Count D just happens to have one Kirin in stock.
Reception
Carlo Santos of Anime News NetworkAnime 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...
described the plot of Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo as "the series' greatest strength but also its weakness: the plot formula makes it easy to dish out just the right amount of human drama, but those familiar with the Pet Shop will see each twist coming—and may even find some of them to be too far-fetched." Santos also felt that the art was "not particularly horrifying," commenting that "it's clear that Akino struggles with any artwork beyond the usual range of attractive young men, fashionable women and the occasional bizarre creature." However, he commended the "well-planned" layout and pacing of the volume. Robin Brenner commented that "Pet Shop of Horrors has always been more about atmosphere than about truly surprising plots... Instead, the pleasure comes from Matsuri Akino's talent for truthful dialogue, attention to detail in the art, and a fine sense of how to portray both laughter and dread."
External links
- Pet Shop of Horrors at Tokyopop's website
- Pet Shop of Horrors at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- IGN.com review