60 Shirow Masamune $@;NO:@5=!(B
Description
This article is from the Manga FAQ, by Steve Pearl starbuck@cybercomm.net with numerous contributions by others.
60 Shirow Masamune $@;NO:@5=!(B
Formerly a high school art teacher, Shirow (a pseudonym) started out drawing
Black Magic M66 for a dojinshi anthology. He turned pro in 1985, after the
first volume of Appleseed was well-received. He worked on the Black Magic M66
anime and hired an assistant, but Shirow found both arrangements unworkable and
he settled down as a solo manga-ka. In 1990, Seishinsha launched Comic Gaia to
showcase Shirow's work. It featured many Shirow-like artists, but it folded in
mid-1993. His current manga projects are shared between at least three
different publishers.
Shirow's library includes magazines (he subscribes to a couple of dozen
titles), books on biotechnology, military technology, mythology, cars, and
artbooks; about half of these are imported. Apart from his work, his hobbies
include window shopping and watching TV with friends. Shirow has expressed
dissatisfaction with most popular Japanese SF anime and manga, although he
cites Miyazaki, Otomo and filmmaker Terry Gilliam as important influences.
(born 23 November 1961, debut 1982)
See also: Randall Wood's Shirow homepage
<http://www.acs.appstate.edu:80/~rw6946/Shirow/>
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Black Magic M66 $@%V%i%C%/%^%8%C%/(B - published by Seishinsha, 1986, Y880.
Black Magic M66 E-conte $@%V%i%C%/%^%8%C%/#M#6#63(%3%s%F(B Seishinsha, 1986,
Y1240.
Dominion $@%I%_%K%*%s(B - published by Hakusensha, 1987, 2 volumes @ Y900.
Sometime in the future, both crime and pollution proliferate in the
cities. Leona is a member of the Tank Police, and loves her tank Napoleon
over all else. Pitted against the Tank Police is the master criminal
Buaku, and his cat-girl assistants.
Dominion Conflict-shuu #1: No More Noise! $B%I%_%K%*%s(B
$B%3%s%U%j%/%HJTBh#1OC(B - published by Seishinsha, 1995, 2 volumes @ Y900.
New instalments of Dominion were published just before Shirow's magazine
Comic Gaia folded in 1993. Buaku is on the loose again, and the Puma
sisters join the Tank Police.
Appleseed $@%"%C%W%k%7!=%I(B - published by Seishinsha, 1988-present, 5
volumes @ Y880.
As the earth recovers from nuclear war, the utopian city of Olympus
emerges as a powerful force. Controlled by a central computer called Gaia,
and sparsely populated by synthetic humanoids called ``bioroids'', even
utopia turns out to have its problems. Appleseed is the story of Deunan
Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires, former outsiders who are now key members
of Olympus' E-SWAT team.
Appleseed Databook $@%"%C%W%k%7!=%I!&%G!=%?%V%C%/(B - published by
Seishinsha, 1990, Y880.
Includes a timeline, organisations of Olympus, character details, mecha
designs, sketches, a substantial short story, and other bits and pieces.
Comic Gaia-ban Appleseed Soushuuhen: Shirow Masamune Hypernauts
$B%3%_%C%/%,%$%"HG%"%C%W%k%7!=%IAm=8JT(B $B;NO:@5=!%O%$%Q!=%N!<%D(B -
published by Seishinsha, 1995.
(?)
Kokaku Kidotai $@963L5!F0Bb(B [The Ghost in the Shell] - irregularly featured
on Young Magazine Kaizokuban, 1991-present, 1 volumes @ Y1000.
Set in the near future, where information networks and direct neural
interfaces are revolutionizing society. But the divisions of nations and
races remain, and keeping the peace is the ``Shell'' mobile strike force.
Major Kusanagi Motoko is an officer of the Shell's 9th division; she has a
full cyborg body, which houses her living brain. Together with team leader
Aramaki and fellow part-cyborg Bato, the 9th division takes on the
terrorists of the information age.
For the tankoubon, Shirow drew 36 additional color pages, many of which
are "fade-ins" and "fade-outs" to the black and white pages. The plot is
more or less episodic, with less of the twisting intrigue that
characterises Appleseed, though there is a lot of difficult
mecha/cyberpunk jargon. A second volume is planned; one new instalment was
published in Young Magazine Weekly #26, 1992, with slightly revised
character designs. An anime is also planned for release in late 1995.
Illustrations to publicise the anime were published in the February 1995
issue of Young Magazine Kaizokuban.
Senjutsu Chokokaku Orion $@@g=QD6963L%*%j%*%s(B Seishinsha, 1991, Y950.
In the Yamata People's Empire, powerful technology is based solely on
consciousness. Dr. Snake-eye has devised a `dharmaquation', which will
release Kuturyu, a 9-headed dragon, to devour the planet's bad karma.
However, the `dharmaquation' is incomplete, and by chance, the stellar
navigator Seska becomes its 10th, evil component. The `dharmaquation' has
already begun to manifest and Seska's father, Fuzen, desperately summons
the destructive god Susa-no-Oo to counter it...
While Orion is essentially a comedy manga, it contains some interesting
ideas, incorporating elements from Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu and Shinto
mythology. It can be enjoyed at face value, although many concepts will
remain opaque to Western readers.
Intron Depot $@%$%s%H%m%s%G% ](B artbook - published by Seishinsha, 1992,
Y2400.
Includes all Shirow's color illustrations from 1981 to 1991. There is an
extensive bilingual Japanese/English commentary. A sequel is not being
planned (but is probably inevitable).
Exon Depot $@%(%C%/%=%s%G% ](B Seishinsha, 1992.
A very short (no more than 20 pages) color manga, which remained
unfinished with the demise of Comic Gaia.
Neuro Hard $B%K%e!<%m%O!<%I(B - irregularly featured on Comic Dragon,
1993-1995.
Subtitled Hachi no Wakusei $BK*$NOG@1(B [Planet of the Bee]. (Shirow has
a keen interest in bees and wasps.) Not a manga, but a complete
illustrated specification for an imaginary universe, listing
personalities, politics, races, technology, locations, and much more. An
interesting experiment, described by Shirow as ``e-conte''. Shirow fans in
the West will enjoy the few pictures that are there, although they make no
sense at all without following the highly dense, jargony, kanji-dependent
text. Not enough instalments have been published to make up a tankoubon.
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