Medaka Box Explained

Ja Kanji:めだかボックス
Ja Romaji:Medaka Bokkusu
Type:manga
Author:Nisio Isin
Illustrator:Akira Akatsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump Comics
Magazine:Weekly Shōnen Jump
First:May 11, 2009
Last:April 27, 2013
Volumes:22
Volume List:List of Medaka Box chapters
Type:tv series
Director:Shouji Saeki
Music:Tatsuya Kato
Studio:Gainax
Network:TV Tokyo, TVA, TVO
First:April 5, 2012
Last:December 27, 2012
Episodes:24
Episode List:List of Medaka Box episodes
Shōsetsu-ban Medaka Box
Type:light novel
Author:Nisio Isin
Illustrator:Akira Akatsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump J-Books
Demographic:Male
First:May 2, 2012
Last:June 4, 2012
Volumes:2
Medaka Box Gaiden: Good Loser Kumagawa
Type:light novel
Author:Nisio Isin
Illustrator:Akira Akatsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump J-Books
Demographic:Male
First:October 10, 2012
Last:November 12, 2012
Volumes:2
Medaka Box: Juvenile – Shousetsu-ban
Type:light novel
Author:Nisio Isin
Illustrator:Akira Akatsuki
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump J-Books
Demographic:Male
Published:October 4, 2013

is a Japanese manga series written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Akira Akatsuki. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump between May 2009 and April 2013, with its chapters collected in 22 volumes. The series follows Medaka Kurokami, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, Kouki Akune and Mogana Kikaijima, who are the members of the student council, during their various adventures to honor suggestions presented by academy members in order to better the academy.

It received three light novel series, two series with two volumes and one with one volume between 2012 and 2013. It was adapted into a 12-episode anime television series that aired between April and June 2012. A second 12-episode season aired between October and December 2012.

Plot

The series follows Medaka Kurokami, a gifted, charismatic and attractive first-year Hakoniwa Academy student who is elected Student Council President with 98% of the vote. She institutes a suggestion box, and with the help of her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, addresses these requests in an unconventional manner. Over the course of the story, she distributes the student council leadership positions to other students such as Kouki Akune and Mogana Kikaijima.

The Student Council learns that the academy chairman intends to initiate the Flask Plan, a project to forcefully experiment on regular students, called Normals, in order to turn them into humans with superhuman abilities called Abnormals. The Student Council infiltrates the academy's secret lab and battles other students that are involved with the project.

Shortly after, the Student Council are challenged to a tournament by Misogi Kumagawa who wishes to replace Medaka's Student Council with one of his own. After Kumagawa's defeat, two students are unsealed from his powers and complete their transfer to Hakoniwa Academy. The two are more powerful than Abnormals and are dubbed "Not Equals". Their leader, Anshin'in, threatens to restart the Flask Plan once Medaka graduates, forcing the Student Council to train their successors. However, Anshin'in's true plan is to have Zenkichi usurp Medaka's position as Student Council President. Zenkichi does so on the pretense of improving the student life and succeeds. He convinces Medaka to allow the Flask Plan for those who are willing.

Relieved from her duties as president of the Student Council, Medaka soon becomes involved in a tournament to decide her husband. Medaka enters herself and becomes the victor, choosing to marry Zenkichi once they both graduate. Soon after, Zenkichi's close friend Hansode Shiranui leaves the academy. Medaka and Zenkichi discover she is to become the next host for Iihiko Shishime, a 5000-year-old being. Medaka defeats him and disappears after stopping the moon from crashing towards the Earth, just to reappear in time for the year-end ceremony. Following her return, Medaka decides to leave the academy and assume her father's place ahead of her family's business conglomerate, the Kurokami Group, just to later return as the new chairwoman. Ten years later, Zenkichi, has worked his way up the Kurokami Group, becoming a high-level employee before reuniting with her, with both promising to get married after another fight.

Media

Manga

Written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Akira Akatsuki, Medaka Box was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump between May 11, 2009,[1] [2] and April 27, 2013.[3] [4] Shueisha collected its 192 individual chapters in twenty-two volumes, released from October 2, 2009, to September 4, 2013.[5] [6]

Anime

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Gainax,[7] [8] was broadcast on TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, and TV Osaka from April 5 to June 21, 2012;[9] [10] a second season,, was broadcast from October 11 to December 27 of that same year.[11] [12]

The anime has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks, who released the anime in both digital and home video formats in September 2013. Sentai Filmworks has also licensed the second season for digital and home video, which was released on January 21, 2014.[13] [14] [15] Both season were streamed by Crunchyroll; after the acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony Pictures Television, Medaka Box, among several Sentai Filmworks titles, was dropped from the Crunchyroll streaming service on March 31, 2022.[16]

Light novels

Three light novel works, also written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Akira Akatsuki, have been released by Shueisha under their Jump J-Books imprint. A two-volume spin-off light novel series, titled, was released on May 2 and June 4, 2012.[17] [18] A second two-volume spin-off novel series, titled, was released on October 10 and November 19, 2012.[19] [20] A prequel light novel, titled , was released on October 4, 2013.[21]

Video game

Medaka Kurokami appears as a playable character in the Jump crossover fighting game J-Stars Victory VS, with Kumagawa appearing as a support character.[22]

Reception

By 2013, the series had over 5 million copies in circulation.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ja:ジャンプ次号の新連載「めだかボックス」は原作に西尾維新. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/15919. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. ja. April 27, 2009. December 5, 2018. December 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205193609/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/15919. live.
  2. Web site: ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2009年 Vol. 24. http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2009/24.html. Shueisha. https://web.archive.org/web/20090514143717/http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2009/24.html. May 14, 2009. ja.
  3. Web site: Medaka Box Manga Ends. Anime News Network. April 23, 2013. April 23, 2013. April 25, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130425074402/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-04-23/medaka-box-manga-ends-this-week. live.
  4. Web site: ja:「めだかボックス」最終回!夏発売のNEXT!に球磨川完結編. http://natalie.mu/comic/news/89638. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. June 12, 2013. ja. April 27, 2013. May 30, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130530165607/http://natalie.mu/comic/news/89638. live.
  5. Web site: http://books.shueisha.co.jp/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-874776-7. ja:めだかボックス 1. Shueisha. September 4, 2013. ja. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231120110954/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/alert.html.
  6. Web site: http://books.shueisha.co.jp/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-870804-1. ja:めだかボックス 22. Shueisha. September 4, 2013. ja. December 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181206103859/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-870804-1.
  7. Web site: Loo. Egan. Medaka Box Manga Gets TV Anime. September 28, 2011. September 28, 2011. Anime News Network. September 30, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110930115712/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-09-28/medaka-box-manga-gets-tv-anime. live.
  8. Web site: Loo. Egan. Medaka Box School Comedy Anime To Be Produced By Gainax. Anime News Network. November 16, 2011. November 16, 2011. November 17, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111117133033/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-11-16/medaka-box-school-comedy-tv-anime-made-by-gainax. live.
  9. Web site: ja:「めだか」キャストに浪川大輔ら、5月に西尾維新小説も. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/65196. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. November 20, 2023. ja. February 28, 2012.
  10. Web site: ja:めだか ボックス. http://mediaarts-db.jp/an/anime_series/15646. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20160815010532/http://mediaarts-db.jp/an/anime_series/15646. August 15, 2016. ja.
  11. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Sentai Filmworks Licenses Medaka Box TV Anime. Anime News Network. April 16, 2012. April 16, 2012. April 19, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120419054941/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-04-16/sentai-filmworks-licenses-medaka-box-tv-anime. live.
  12. Web site: ja:めだか ボックス アブノーマル. http://mediaarts-db.jp/an/anime_series/18205. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20160816065932/http://mediaarts-db.jp/an/anime_series/18205. August 16, 2016. ja.
  13. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Sentai Filmworks Adds Medaka Box Abnormal TV Anime. Anime News Network. September 28, 2012. September 28, 2012. September 30, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120930234628/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-09-28/sentai-filmworks-adds-medaka-box-abnormal-tv-anime. live.
  14. Web site: Beveridge. Chris. Medaka Box Abnormal Complete Collection Blu-ray Anime Review. The Fandom Post. January 17, 2014. January 17, 2020. December 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211203081216/https://www.fandompost.com/2014/01/17/medaka-box-abnormal-complete-collection-blu-ray-anime-review/. live.
  15. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. North American Anime, Manga Releases, January 19–25. Anime News Network. January 21, 2014. January 22, 2014. January 22, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140122052946/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-21/north-american-anime-manga-releases-january-19-25. live.
  16. Web site: Cardine. Kyle. Food Wars, Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and More Are Leaving Crunchyroll. Crunchyroll. August 3, 2023. March 24, 2022. March 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220325082132/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2022/03/24/food-wars-is-it-wrong-to-pick-up-girls-in-a-dungeon-and-more-are-leaving-crunchyroll. live.
  17. Web site: ja:小説版めだかボックス (上). http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703261-1. Shueisha. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20151105124832/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703261-1. November 5, 2015. ja.
  18. Web site: ja:小説版めだかボックス (下). http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703264-2. Shueisha. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20151105124837/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703264-2. November 5, 2015. ja.
  19. Web site: ja:めだかボックス外伝 グッドルーザー球磨川 小説版【上】. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703278-9. Shueisha. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20171023031433/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703278-9. October 23, 2017. ja.
  20. Web site: ja:めだかボックス外伝 グッドルーザー球磨川 小説版【下】. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703280-2. Shueisha. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20171023022236/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703280-2. October 23, 2017. ja.
  21. Web site: ja:めだかボックス ジュブナイル 小説版. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703300-7. Shueisha. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20151105125100/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-703300-7. November 5, 2015. ja.
  22. Web site: Medaka Box Joins Shonen Jump Crossover Game J-Stars Victory Vs.. Anime News Network. 2013-10-02. 2013-10-02. April 2, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140402203043/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-10-02/medaka-box-joins-shonen-jump-crossover-game-j-stars-victory-vs. live.
  23. Web site: http://mantan-web.jp/2013/04/27/20130426dog00m200056000c.html. ja:めだかボックス : 西尾維新原作の人気マンガついに完結 4年の歴史に幕. April 27, 2013. November 22, 2014. Mantan Web. August 19, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819222308/http://mantan-web.jp/2013/04/27/20130426dog00m200056000c.html.