K (TV series) explained

K
Genre:Action, science fantasy[1] [2]
Type:manga
K: Memory of Red
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yui Kuroe
Publisher:Kodansha
Demographic:Shōjo
Magazine:Aria
First:May 28, 2012
Last:August 15, 2013
Volumes:3
Type:tv series
Music:Mikio Endō
Studio:GoHands
Network:MBS, TBS, CBC, AT-X, BS-TBS
First:October 5, 2012
Last:December 28, 2012
Episodes:13
Episode List:List of K episodes
Type:manga
K: Stray Dog Story
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yui Kuroe
Publisher:Kodansha
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:good! Afternoon
First:November 2012
Last:March 2013
Volumes:1
Type:manga
K: Days of Blue
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yui Kuroe
Publisher:Kodansha
Demographic:Shōjo
Magazine:Aria
First:November 5, 2013
Last:July 28, 2014
Volumes:2
Type:manga
K: The First
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Rin Kimura
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:GFantasy
First:December 18, 2013
Last:March 18, 2015
Type:manga
Gakuen K
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Jirō Suzuki
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:Monthly GFantasy
First:January 18, 2014
Last:January 18, 2016
Type:manga
K: Lost small world
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yoru Ōkita
Demographic:Shōjo
Magazine:Hatsu Kiss
First:June 13, 2014
Last:June 13, 2016
Type:manga
K: Countdown
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yui Kuroe
Publisher:Kodansha
Demographic:Shōjo
Magazine:Aria
First:December 27, 2014
Last:July 28, 2015[3]
Type:film
Producer:Haruki Hayashi
Music:Mikio Endō
Studio:GoHands
Runtime:73 minutes
Gakuen K: Wonderful School Days
Developer:Otomate
Publisher:Idea Factory
Genre:Visual novel
Platforms:PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita
Type:manga
K: Missing Kings
Author:Hideyuki Furuhashi
Illustrator:Haruto Shiota
Publisher:Square Enix
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:Monthly GFantasy
First:April 18, 2015
Last:August 18, 2015
Type:manga
K: Dream of Green
Author:GoRA
Illustrator:Yui Kuroe
Publisher:Kodansha
Demographic:Shōjo
Magazine:Aria
First:September 28, 2015
Last:February 28, 2016
Type:Tv series
K: Return of Kings
Music:Mikio Endō
Studio:GoHands
Network:MBS, TBS, CBC, BS-TBS, AT-X
First:October 3, 2015
Last:December 26, 2015
Episodes:13
Episode List:List of K episodes#K: Return of Kings
Type:manga
K: Return of Kings
Author:Hideyuki Furuhashi
Illustrator:Haruto Shiota
Publisher:Square Enix
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:Monthly GFantasy
First:October 17, 2015
Type:film series
K: Seven Stories
Director:Shingo Suzuki
Music:Mikio Endō
Studio:GoHands
Runtime:59–66 minutes
Episodes:6
Episode List:List of K episodes#K: Seven Stories
Portal:yes

K (also called K Project) is a Japanese anime series created by the animation studio GoHands and GoRA, a group consisting of seven anonymous authors known as Kōhei Azano, Tatsuki Miyazawa, Yukako Kabei, Yashichiro Takahashi, Hideyuki Furuhashi, Suzu Suzuki, and Rei Rairaku. The series is directed by Shingo Suzuki, who also serves as its character designer. It began airing on MBS on October 5, 2012. The anime has been licensed by Viz Media in North America and by Madman Entertainment in Australia. The series is set when Japan is secretly being ruled by seven Kings of psychic clans called the Seven Clans of Color. Yashiro Isana, a seemingly normal student of Ashinaka High School, is targeted by HOMRA of the Red Clan and Scepter 4 of the Blue Clan, following the murder of pacifist Tatara Totsuka from HOMRA. With the help of a highly skilled swordsman named Kuroh Yatogami and a feline Strain with the ability of sensory interference named Neko, Yashiro rediscovers his true identity.

A manga prequel called K: Memory of Red, drawn by Yui Kuroe was serialized in Kodansha's Aria between May 28, 2012 and August 15, 2013.[4] Another prequel manga, K: Stray Dog Story, ran in Kodansha's good! Afternoon between November 2012 and March 2013. A third manga K: Days of Blue, was serialized in Kodansha's Aria between November 2013 and July 2014, and a fourth, K: Countdown, ran in Aria from December 2014 to July 2015, while a fifth, K: Missing Kings, ran in Monthly GFantasy from April to August 2015. Five more manga series; K: The First, Gakuen K, K: Lost small world, K: Dream of Green, and K: Return of Kings, are also still ongoing. Furthermore, two light novels, called K Side:Blue and K Side:Red, were released in October and November 2012. A third light novel called K Side:Black and white was released in May 2013 and another one, K - Lost small world was released in April 2014.

A sequel film was released on July 12, 2014.[5] A visual novel is also in development by Otomate.

A sequel anime project was announced on the official Twitter account of the series. The new anime series, K: Return of Kings, aired from October 3, 2015 to December 26, 2015, rounding up the anime series and delivering its ending.[6]

A new anime project featuring an original story by GoRA and GoHands, titled K: Seven Stories, has been green-lit. GoHands and Shingo Suzuki are returning to produce and direct the anime, respectively. [7]

Plot

See also: List of K characters. Yashiro Isana has lived a relatively ordinary, simple life. He lives in the technologically advanced Shizume City and attends Ashinaka High School, a notable high school that is located on an island just outside the areas. Yashiro is friendly with everyone. Nothing seems wrong about him, except perhaps his habit of forgetting where his school-issued PDA is. However, nothing normal has been happening since the recent murder of Tatara Totsuka, prominent member of the infamous HOMRA. No one knows who exactly killed him but the man responsible bears an uncanny, identical appearance to Yashiro. Seeking vengeance, the Red Clansmen of HOMRA set out to get Yashiro and kill him. Everyone suspects that Yashiro is the murderer.

Media

Anime

See also: List of K episodes. The anime began airing on October 5, 2012. The anime has been licensed by Viz Media in North America[8] and by Madman Entertainment in Australia.[9] It was also being streamed on VizAnime video site. The opening theme song is "KINGS" by Angela and the ending theme song is "Tsumetai Heya, Hitori" (冷たい部屋、一人) by Mikako Komatsu. Insert songs include "Circle of Friends" by Yūki Kaji and "Itsuka no Zero Kara" (いつかのゼロから) by Angela. The anime has a movie sequel released in 2014.[10] [11] Viz has also licensed the second season.

Film

It was announced that there will be a sequel to the anime series in the form of a film.[12] The movie was released on July 12, 2014. Its title is "" and includes a new character Mishakuji Yukari. The movie takes place one year after anime in the summer. Viz Media has licensed the movie.[13]

It was announced that there will be a six-part film series, titled "K: Seven Stories"[14] and was released between July 7, 2018 and December 1, 2018. Viz Media has licensed the film series.[15]

Manga

Illustrated by Yui Kuroe, written by Rei Rairaku (GoRA). Spin-off that focuses on Homra. The story follows events that took place before the TV series.
Illustrated by Saki Minato, written by Tatsuki Miyazawa (GoRA). Spin-off that focuses on Kuroh Yatogami.
Illustrated by Yui Kuroe, written by Rei Rairaku (GoRA). Spin-off that focuses on Scepter 4. The story follows events that took place before the TV series.
K - The First
  • Illustrated by Rin Kimura, written by Suzu Suzuki (GoRA). Mainly a re-telling of the story in the TV series.
    Gakuen K
  • Illustrated by Jirō Suzuki, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi (GoRA). Comedy spin-off where all the K characters are going to high school together.
    K: Lost small world
  • Illustrated by Yoru Ōkita, written by Yukako Kabei (GoRA). Focuses on Yata's and Fushimi's past.
    K: Countdown
  • Illustrated by Yui Kuroe, written by Rei Rairaku. The story reveals what happens after the Missing Kings movie from the viewpoints of different characters.
    K: Missing Kings
  • Illustrated by Haruto Shiota, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi. K: Missing Kings is an adaptation of the film of the same name, and ran in the Monthly GFantasy magazine from April 18, 2015, to August 18, 2015.[16]
    K: Dog and Cat
  • Illustrated by Rin Kimura, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi. About Neko and Kuroh. The story takes place between the first season and the movie. Published in G-Fantasy between May 18 and November 18, 2015.
    K: Dream of Green
  • Illustrated by Yui Kuroe, written by Rei Rairaku. Began publication in Aria on September 28, 2015.
    K: Return of Kings
  • The K: Return of Kings manga is an adaptation of the anime television series of the same name, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Haruto Shiota. It began serialization in the G Gantasy magazine on October 17, 2015.[17]

    Visual novel

    A visual novel adaptation was developed by Otomate and subsequently released in 2014. The game is targeted towards a female audience, allowing the player to be the heroine of the story. The player takes on the role of an original character named who does not show up in the anime. The objective of the game is to pursue one of the available heroes using the school as a setup.

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Foote. Aiden. K. THEM Anime Reviews. July 1, 2021. October 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181027021723/https://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1524. live.
    2. Web site: The Official Website for K. Viz Media. November 5, 2018. May 9, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190509041126/https://www.viz.com/k. live.
    3. Web site: K: Countdown Manga Ends, K: Dream of Green Manga Launches. July 29, 2015. Anime News Network. July 29, 2015. October 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021034010/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-29/k-countdown-manga-ends-k-dream-of-green-manga-launches/.91028. live.
    4. Web site: K Anime Gets Manga Adaptation. Anime News Network. 25 September 2012. May 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190506063123/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-05-28/k-anime-gets-manga-adaptation. live.
    5. Web site: K Film's July 12 Opening, Yukari Mishakuji Visual Unveiled. 2013-12-11. 2013-12-12. Anime News Network. May 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190524065904/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-12-11/k-film-july-12-opening-yukari-mishakuji-visual-unveiled. live.
    6. Web site: K Anime Project Gets Sequel in 2015. Anime News Network. October 18, 2014. October 18, 2014. May 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190512183343/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-10-18/k-anime-project-gets-sequel-in-2015/.80070. live.
    7. Web site: K Project Gets New Anime, Stage Play, Dance Performance. April 30, 2016. Anime News Network. April 30, 2016. May 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190530130917/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-04-30/k-project-gets-new-anime-stage-play-dance-performance/.101645. live.
    8. Web site: Viz Media Licenses "K" Anime. Crunchyroll News. September 26, 2012. February 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210201154108/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/09/25/viz-media-licenses-k-anime. live.
    9. Web site: Madman Entertainment Loads Up On New Anime Acquisitions. 2012-11-12. Madman Entertainment. November 13, 2012. December 19, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121219143333/http://www.fandompost.com/2012/11/12/madman-entertainment-loads-up-on-new-anime-acquisitions/. live.
    10. Web site: K Anime Gets Sequel Green-Lit . 2012-12-27. Anime News Network. January 10, 2013. January 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130118193658/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-12-27/k-anime-gets-sequel-green-lit. live.
    11. Web site: K Movie Adaptation Green-lit. Anime News Network. 7 September 2013. 2013-05-26. April 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160427211814/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-05-26/k-anime-movie-adaptation-green-lit. live.
    12. Web site: Anime News Network. K Anime Movie Adaptation Green-Lit. September 7, 2013. April 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160427211814/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-05-26/k-anime-movie-adaptation-green-lit. live.
    13. Web site: Viz Adds Legend of the Galactic Heroes Novels, One-Punch Man Anime. Anime News Network. 2015-07-02. September 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150921051506/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-02/viz-adds-legend-of-galactic-heroes-novels-one-punch-man-anime/.89995. live.
    14. Web site: K: Seven Stories Theatrical Anime Project Opens in Japan Starting in Summer 2018. Anime News Network. April 9, 2017. April 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170410143548/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-04-09/k-seven-stories-theatrical-anime-project-opens-in-japan-starting-in-summer-2018/.114568. live.
    15. Web site: Viz Media Licenses K: Seven Stories Film Series. Anime News Network. March 30, 2018. May 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180514130142/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-03-30/viz-media-licenses-k-seven-stories-film-series/.129743. live.
    16. Web site: Haruto Shiota Ends K: Missing Kings Manga in August. July 19, 2015. Anime News Network. August 15, 2015. November 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211109131708/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-19/haruto-shiota-ends-k-missing-kings-manga-in-august/.90626. live.
    17. Web site: K: Return of Kings TV Anime Gets Manga Adaptation. August 15, 2015. Anime News Network. August 15, 2015. July 5, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220705021816/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-08-15/k-return-of-kings-tv-anime-gets-manga-adaptation/.91703. live.