Freesia (manga)

Freesia
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Hiroshi Kanō
フリージア
(Furījia)
Genre
Manga
Written byJiro Matsumoto
Published byShogakukan
ImprintIkki Comix
MagazineMonthly Ikki
Original runSeptember 29, 2001 – August 25, 2009
Volumes12
Live-action film
Directed byKazuyoshi Kumakiri
Written byTakashi Ujita
Music byAkainu
Studio
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2007 (2007-02-03)
Runtime103 minutes

Freesia (Japanese: フリージア, Hepburn: Furījia) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Jiro Matsumoto. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki between September 2001 and August 2009, with its chapters collected in 12 tankōbon volumes. A live-action film adaptation was released in February 2007.

Plot

In alternate history Japan is engaged in protracted war and massive economic recession. Due to massive military spending, many prisons are shut and a Vengeance Act is created instead to allow those who have been hurt by convicted criminals to get revenge. Various Vengeance Proxy Enforcer firms are created to supply the massive demand for these.

Characters

Hiroshi Kanō (叶ヒロシ, Kanō Hiroshi)
A mentally unstable former military assassin works as a Vengeance Proxy in an alternate-history Japan. He resides with his catatonic mother and girlfriend. His military training granted him a form of active camouflage, allowing him to evade detection and even phase through bullets. This ability is later revealed as a sophisticated manipulation of others' senses, creating convincing illusions of his presence. His psychological state deteriorates significantly; he begins compulsively repeating phrases from television, hears non-existent telephones and clocks, and holds conversations with the deceased.
Masaki Mizoguchi (溝口正樹, Mizoguchi Masaki)
A long-serving proxy at the same firm, Mizoguchi believes society is divided into lions, the hunters, and zebras, the prey. He joined the organization to freely hunt the "zebras" he considers everyone else, focusing particularly on his bizarre coworker, Kanō. Mizoguchi's abusive behavior towards his wife, whom he considered a zebra, contributes to her psychological decline and eventual suicide.
Ichirō Yamada (山田一郎, Yamada Ichirō)
A proxy hired alongside Kanō, he required three attempts to pass the firm's entrance exam, succeeding only by memorizing the entire manual while others received answer sheets. Initially optimistic about his new role, he becomes increasingly jaded upon discovering the grim reality behind the enforcement system.
Higuchi (ヒグチ)
A proxy scout for the firm, Higuchi secures contracts and handles the necessary paperwork for the association. She possesses extensive knowledge about her colleague, Kanō, and their histories are linked by a significant past event. Higuchi claims an intimate understanding of Kanō's behavior, asserting she can predict his every decision.

Media

Manga

Freesia, written and illustrated by Jiro Matsumoto, was serialized in Shogakukan's Spirits Zōkan Ikki (later Monthly Ikki) from September 29, 2001,[3] to August 25, 2009.[4][5] Shogakukan collected its chapters in 12 tankōbon volumes, released from July 30, 2003,[6] to November 30, 2009.[7]

Volumes

No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1July 30, 2003[6]978-4-09-188381-0
2July 30, 2003[8]978-4-09-188382-7
3December 25, 2003[9]978-4-09-188383-4
4June 30, 2004[10]978-4-09-188384-1
5January 28, 2005[11]978-4-09-188385-8
6September 30, 2005[12]978-4-09-188386-5
7May 30, 2006[13]978-4-09-188317-9
8January 1, 2007[14]978-4-09-188353-7
9September 28, 2007[15]978-4-09-188376-6
10June 30, 2008[16]978-4-09-188416-9
11January 30, 2009[17]978-4-09-188438-1
12November 30, 2009[7]978-4-09-188486-2

Film

A live-action film based on the manga was released on February 3, 2007, by Cine Quanon.[18] It was directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, written by Takashi Ujita, and starred Tetsuji Tamayama as Hiroshi.[19][20]

Reception

Freesia is Matsumoto's internationally best known work and although not officially translated into English it has been popular on the scanlation circuit.[1][21]

Ryan Payton of 1UP.com described it as having "awesome art, intense stakeouts and firefights, and lots of psychoanalysis."[22] Gavin J. Blair wrote for The Hollywood Reporter that it has elements that would attract a Hollywood adaptation and compared it to Purge.[2]

The film adaptation received a four out five rating from The Japan Times's Mark Schilling.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b McCulloch, Joe (September 6, 2011). "This Week in Comics! (9/7/11 – Machine Power)". The Comics Journal. Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Blair, Gavin J. (May 10, 2016). "Why Hollywood Is Mad About Manga, Despite 'Ghost in the Shell' Controversy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  3. ^ ＩＫＫＩ（イッキ） ６ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 2, 2002. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  4. ^ Loo, Egan (August 25, 2009). "To Love-Ru, Freesia, Noramimi Manga End This Month". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  5. ^ 松本次郎「フリージア」＆原一雄「のらみみ」が最終回. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 25, 2009. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  6. ^ a b フリージア 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  7. ^ a b フリージア 12 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  8. ^ フリージア 2 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  9. ^ フリージア 3 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  10. ^ フリージア 4 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  11. ^ フリージア 5 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 20, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  12. ^ フリージア 6 (in Japanese). ASIN 4091883869.
  13. ^ フリージア 7 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  14. ^ フリージア 8 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  15. ^ フリージア 9 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  16. ^ フリージア 10 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  17. ^ フリージア 11 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  18. ^ 【敵討ち法】は是か非か、映画『フリージア』西島秀俊インタビュー (in Japanese). Oricon. February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Schilling, Mark (February 9, 2007). "Freesia". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  20. ^ Loo, Egan (March 9, 2008). "Michiko to Hatchin TV Anime Confirmed for 2008". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 8, 2013. Live-action Freesia film scriptwriter Takashi Ujita will pen the work
  21. ^ Green, Scott (August 29, 2011). "AICN Anime Recommends Mind *Expletive* Zombie Manga That Aims for the Head "Velveteen and Mandala"". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  22. ^ Payton, Ryan (March 24, 2005). "Read Manga and Books on PSP". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
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