Newsgroups: rec.arts.manga Path: news.delphi.com!uunet!EU.net!sun4nl!htsa!richardv From: richardv@htsa.aha.nl (Richard Vermaas) Subject: CLAMP Internet Guide 1.0 Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 16:26:01 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: solist.htsa.aha.nl Nntp-Posting-User: richardv Organization: Hogeschool van Amsterdam, The Netherlands, E.E. & C.S. Dept. Keywords: CLAMP, FAQ, X, Tokyo Babylon, RG Veda Sender: news@htsa.aha.nl (News Manager) Summary: Internet Guide on CLAMP (manga, anime, translations, etc.) Message-ID: <1994Jun3.162601.27370@htsa.aha.nl> Lines: 1292 Hello everyone, This is something that I cooked up with the help of lots of people. I am looking for additions and corrections but I can live with flames as well ^_^ I hope you'll enjoy it... Richard Vermaas ============================================================================= CLAMP Internet Guide Maintained by Richard Vermaas Version 1.0 Last changes June 3, 1994 Last posting June 3, 1994 ============================================================================= Changes to this guide since last posting: Additions: Corrections: ============================================================================= Sources: Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide Version 5.05, 03 March 1994 Maintained by Iain Sinclair Griffin Report #4 Miho Nishida 09 March 1993 Griffin Report #5 Miho Nishida 24 March 1993 Rec.Arts.Manga Animerica [not included yet] Best of the East by Yoshitaka Ishigami April 1993, Volume 1 Issue 2 Animerica [not included yet] Extreme Closeup by Matt Thorn February 1994, Volume 2 Issue 2 Asuka Comic Genki Newtype Contributions by: Steven E. Barnes (akuma@netcom.com) Peter Evans (peter@ryutai.co.jp) Tonghyun `Vajra' Kim (tkim@sdcc3.ucsd.edu) Cynthia Ma (cynthia@wapiko.apana.org.au) Miho Nishida (vray@brewhq.swb.de) Steve Pearl (pearl@remus.rutgers.edu) Iain Sinclair (axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au) ============================================================================= CONTENTS: O Administrativia O Biography O Bibliography O Animatography O Music O Merchandising O Publications O Available Translations O Available Illustrations O Frequently Asked Questions ============================================================================= O Administrativia Because this guide is far from complete I am looking for corrections and additions from more knowledgeable CLAMP fans. As you can see the guide has several sections. The first section, the biography, could use lots more background information on the members of CLAMP. Interviews would be perfect! The bibliography is in dire need of additions like artbooks and other nice publications. I would also appreciate JIS codes and ISBN numbers for the titles listed below. The smallest sections are the Animatography and the Merchandising section. I am looking for lots of additions for these two sections. Anyone who knows if there is an X tarot deck? ^_^ This guide is distributed on the following mailing lists and newsgroups: Shoujo Mailing List (shoujo@usagi.jrd.dec.com) Rec.Arts.Manga It will also available by FTP in the near future. If you don't have access to FTP you can request the latest version of this guide through email from Richard Vermaas at the address mentioned below. Some of the names in this FAQ have been written in JIS (NewJIS) format and unless you have some sort of JIS viewing software, the JIS codes will look like garbage to you. Please refer to Ken Lunde's excellent document "Electronic handling of Japanese text" for information on how to view JIS on your computer. The document can be fetched from several FTP servers around the world. Some of these are: USA ............. remus.rutgers.edu /pub/anime/lyrix/JIS.inf.Z Europe .......... nic.funet.fi /pub/culture/japan/info/japan.inf-1.2.Z Australia ....... monu6.cc.monash.edu.au /pub/nihongo/japan.inf Please send all questions, additions (cross my fingers) and corrections (I'm sure there will be lots of those) to: Richard Vermaas James Wattstraat 13 1097 DJ Amsterdam The Netherlands Phone: 020-6934346 Email: richardv@htsa.aha.nl You can also find me as Hojo on IRC channel #anime! from time to time... ============================================================================= O Biography Mokono Apapa Date of birth: 16 June 1968 Ookawa Nanase Date of birth: 02 May 1967 Igarashi Satsuki Date of birth: 08 February 1969 Nekoi Mikku Date of birth: 21 January 1969 CLAMP is composed of 4 talented ladies and each member has her own specialty. Core members of CLAMP are Mokona Apapa (main artist) and Ookawa Nanase (writer) who are directly responsible for such manga as RG Veda, X and Tokyo Babylon. Without doubt, CLAMP is the hottest shojo-manga artist in Japan now. *** Tonghyun Kim, Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide CLAMP (Art: Mokona Apapa; Story: Ookawa Nanase) CLAMP with Mokona as the artist and Ookawa as the story creator is the best. I have no idea why all the CLAMP members draw similar (almost identical) arts, but Mokona still outshines the other CLAMP artists in terms of skill. Her color works are breathtaking. *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 CLAMP, a manga drawing group consisting of four female artists (Ookawa Nanase: script and direction; Mokona Apapa: characters, difficult backgrounds and zip-tone art; Nekoi Mick: direction and art assistance; Igarashi Satsuki: art assistance and cooking), has made a name for itself with RG VEDA and is currently enjoying wide popularity. Their works have had wide appeal and are read by both male and female readers (Japanese mangas can be classified into 2 major categories: shonen mangas targeted for the male readers and shohjo mangas targeted for the female readers). They're currently busily producing several series at the same time (_RG VEDA_ in _Wings_, _X_ in _Asuka_, _Tokyo Babylon_ in _South_, _School Special Police Duklyon_ in _Genki_). RG VEDA, unlike mangas such as Takahashi Rumiko's Ranma that are more familiar to the U.S. fans, takes on the novel-style that is used by most shohjo mangas, i.e. the story is continual and not a series of separate episodes. Like a novel, there is a story-line and a definite conclusion. RG VEDA has not yet concluded and appears in the monthly comic magazine _Wings_. *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #5, 24 March 1993 There is a picture with all four members of CLAMP available by FTP (see the section Available Illustrations below). The following is an interview translated by Cynthia Ma. It was posted on rec.arts.manga on May 11, 1993. ------------------ Here is the translation of part of the interview of Clamp on [X]. The original can be found in Asuka #6, June, 1993. *What is the meaning of "X"? Ookawa : There are several meanings. It can mean a cross of cruxification, of course, or unknown in formulae and scientific analysis, and there is also a narcotic named "X". "X" is a combination of meaning like these. *What is the meaning of "the promised day of 1999"? Ookawa : Like the "Revelation to John" of Christians and Nostradams (sp?), the final judgement day is called the "promised day". Although the Christians did not presume it to be in the year of 1999, combining the stories of the "last war" according to various religion, it is said to be 1999. *What is the difference between "seven seals" and "seven messengers"? Ookawa : "Seven messengers" belong to the Kanoe side of the Earth Dragon, while the "seven seals" belong to the Hinoto side of the Heaven Dragon. (In Chinese, the word "hinoto" is the 4th of the 10 Heavenly Stems, and "kanoe" is the 7th of the 10 Heavenly Stems.) *Are Hinoto and Kanoe really sisters? Ookawa : They don't look alike, but they are sisters. *Does Sorata go to school? Ookawa : He has applied for leave of absence, so he is taking a break now. *Is Kamui human? Ookawa : Although his eyes are too big to look like human, (laugh) he is human. *It is said that characters from other stories will also appear in "X". Ookawa : Yes, they will appear properly. Mokona : The trio from "Clamp Campus Detective Team" (Clamp Gakuen Tanteidan) will also appear, too. Ookawa : When they appear, it will be understood why the Clamp campus has a star shaped plan. Mokona : We really did plan it right from the start! (laugh) *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 11 May 1993 ============================================================================= O Bibliography Manga: Title Vol Publisher ISBN Year Price 20 Menshou Onegai 1 Kadokawa 1990 800 20 Menshou Onegai 2 Kadokawa 1990 800 Campus Police Duklyon 1 Kadokawa 1992 900 Campus Police Duklyon 2 Kadokawa 1992 900 Chunhyan-Jun - 1992 CLAMP Campus Detective Service 1 Asuka 1992 520 CLAMP Campus Detective Service 2 Asuka 1992 520 Cluster 0 Shinkigensha 1990 880 Cluster 1 Shinkigensha 1990 880 Cluster 2 Shinkigensha 1990 880 Combination 1 Kobunsha 1991 500 Derayd 1 Shinkigensha 1989 1000 Left Hand - Shinshokan - Magic Knight Rayearth - Koudansha 1994 - Miyuki-chan in Wonderland - Kadokawa 1993 - Night Head 1 Kadokawa 1993 1400 Night Head 2 Kadokawa 1500 REX Kyouryuu Monogatari 1 Asuka 1993 800 RG Veda 1 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 2 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 3 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 4 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 5 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 6 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda 7 Shinshokan 490 RG Veda [June] 8 Shinshokan 490 Shirahime Shou 1 Koubunsha 1992 490 Tokyo Babylon 1 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 2 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 3 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 4 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 5 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 6 Shinshokan 580 Tokyo Babylon 7 Shinshokan 580 X 1 Asuka 4-04-924306-7 1992 390 X 2 Asuka 4-04-924323-7 1992 390 X 3 Asuka 4-04-924338-5 1993 390 X 4 Asuka 4-04-924358-X 1993 390 X 5 Asuka 1994 390 X 6 Asuka 1994 390 Available Artbooks: CLAMP Illustration Book 1 Kadokawa 1990 Cluster Hiten Muma (RG Veda art) 1 Shinshokan 3200 ============================================================================= O Manga Synopses and JIS codes Campus Police Dukylon ^[$@3X1`FC7Y%G%e%+%j%*%s^[(B 1992 2 Newtype 900 CLAMP did this manga as a joke. Gakuen Tokkei Dyucarion [School Special Police Duklyon; Genki; K; 1+; Semi-SF gag] ** CLAMP's very unserious and very silly manga about two teenagers assigned the task of protecting the CLAMP school from the evil secret cartel, Imonoyama-Syoutengai (silly name), by a mysterious Head officer (who has a very strong resemblance to Nokoru - he wears sunglasses, so it's not supposed to be evident to the characters in the manga). The two boys' direct officer, Ellie, is even stronger than the two, but she doesn't fight (just threatens them). Nanase thought up this series after watching those afternoon real-life action crime-fighting hero stuff for kids. It's funny ... if you're in the mood. (I don't know what struck me, but I own the book, so there it is) *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 CLAMP Campus Detective Service ^[$B#C#L#A#M#P3X1`C5De^[(B 1992 3 Asuka 520 A light comedy featuring three whiz kids in Clamp Elementary School. Takes place in the same campus as Dukylon. *** Tongyun Kim, Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide The detective team aims to help female students on campus to find clues to their lost stuff. Nokoru is very popular among female students, and he's quite glad to help them. He is sort of the "leader" of the team, and he is extremely smart. *** Cynthia Ma, Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide CLAMP Gakuen Tanteidan [CLAMP School Detective Group; Mystery DX; K; 2+; school gag/comedy] *** Series about three boys, who make up the CLAMP school elementary division school officers, performing semi-detective duties when ladies are in need of it! Nokoru, the youngest son of the Imonoyama family that set up the CLAMP school (mass university is closer) is the President, Suow is the Vice President, and Rei (who also appears in New-Types "20 Mensou ni Onegai (thief story)" as the hero thief himself) is the Secretary. Inhabits the same universe as Ducarion (and for that matter, "20 Mensou"). *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 Cluster 1990 3 Shinkigensha 880 There are already 2 volumes of "Cluster" tankoubon, by Clamp and Akiyama Tamayo, and the new one will be "Cluster 0 (zero)"!!! It is released in April, which is a special collection of characters introduction, colouring works and the preface of Cluster. It is A5 size, and 880 yen. Another book called "Derayd" is released too, B6 size, 500 yen. *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 5 May 1993 (from Asuka 5 (May, 1993)) Combination 1991 1F Kobunsha 500 *** Iain Sinclair Magic Knight Rayearth 1994 - Koudansha Currently running in the magazine Nakayoshi. *** Peter Evans Night Head 1993 2 Kadokawa Shoten 1400 (story by Iita Jouji ^[$BHSED>y<#^[(B) This was originally a late-night TV series using real actors. It was about two brothers who were locked up in a lab because of their psychic powers, and what happens to them after they leave the lab. I think the video is already out. The novel, written by the director of the TV series, will finish at 5 volumes. -TKa REX Kyouryuu Monogatari ^[$@#R#E#X62N5J*8l^[(B 1993 1F Asuka 800 A promo manga for the REX movie. RG VEDA [Rig Veda; Wings; S; 6+; Mythological fantasy] ***** %5? 100 years passed since Taishaku-Ten rebelled against the Heavenly Emperor and taken the seat for himself. The sole heir to the now extinct Ashura god clan, Ashura, is awakened from his/her sealed sleep by Yasha-Oh of the Yasha clan. Thus the wheel of destiny begins to turn towards the "Break" of Heaven.... (Too difficult to describe. Read the coming Griffin Review! This manga is great. IMO) Continuous episodic-type story. *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 For a *very* extensive description of RG Veda see also the excellent Griffin Report #5 from 24 March 1994, which is included at the end of this guide... Seiden (RG Veda) ^[$@@;EA!J%j%0!&%t%'!<%@!K^[(B 1991 7 Shinshokan 490 Although CLAMP borrowed ideas and names from Hindu/Buddhist mythology, RG-VEDA has very little to do with them in terms of story. This manga is CLAMP's first major work and its story and art are getting better and better with each volume. IMO, RG-VEDA defines the current "state of the art" of Shojo-manga. HIGHLY recommended. Shirahime Shou ^[$@GrI1>6^[(B 1992 1F Koubunsha 500 This book consists of 3 romance short stories about "snow". There is a legend that whenever it snows, it is the tears of a white princess. Artwork may not appeal to many, because to create the sentimental snow environment, the background is always dark. But the stories are quite good and romantic. *** Cynthia Ma, Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide Tokyo Babylon ^[$@El5~#B#A#B#Y#L#O#N^[(B 1991 7 South 580 Demon hunt story heavily influenced by Kujaku-Oh. However, it concentrates more on the social background and inner feelings of characters rather than violence and action. *** Tonghyun Kim, Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide Tokyo Babylon [; South; S; 4+; Occult action drama] *** Subaru is the head of the reinoh-ryokusha (spirit exorcisits) family Sumeragi. He has his twin sister, Hokuto, and a male friend, Seiichiroh, to care for him (these two often tease Subaru about Seiichiroh wanting to marry him and so forth). Subaru helps out various people with occultic troubles and otherwise, while Seiichiroh seems to be hiding another darker personality behind his always smiling face.... (Boy, does he look evil when he takes off his eyeglasses!) Series-type story. *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 X 1992 5 Asuka 390 Occult battle manga taking place in the near future. Features great artwork, intriguing characters and complex plots. It takes place in the same Universe as Tokyo Babylon. *** Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide X [; Asuka; K; 3+; contemporary occult-SF action drama] **** A seeress sees the coming of the "End of the World". In her vision, a boy, Kamui, who can either be an angel or a demon, seems to hold the key to the world's destiny. Two destiny collides as two seeress (sisters, it turns out) each try to bring about the future as she sees them. Group of men and women called the "Seven Seals", who would side with the seeress Hinoto, and the "Seven Heralds", who would side with the seeress Kanoe, begin to gather around Kamui. The final legend of the Earth is about to begin.... Continuous novel-type. *** Miho Nishida, Griffin Report #4, 9 March 1993 X is currently running in the magazine Asuka. Apparently there are character cards included with each installment! *** Richard Vermaas Well, as I mentioned on my post, the cards were supposed to continue for 7 months; two characters each month. It just started last month, and it was, naturally, Kamui and Fuuma. However, there are no cards for this month (7). I kind of wonder if there will be cards next month, since X is probably not going to be on ASUKA, again. One thing I forgot to mention in the article was that the release date of X 6 is pushed back; the actual date now unknown. I guess it would be June 17, but that's only a guess. *** Pei Lee, 2 June 1994 ^[$@%7%c%$%s%$%s%0%9%?!<^[(B 1987 1F Kadokawa Shoten 520 20 Menshou Onegai 20^[$@LLAj$K$*4j$$^[(B! 1990 2 Kadokawa Shoten 800 ^[$@?7AuHG%G%i%$%I^[(B 1993 1F Shinkigensha 500 Miyuki-chan in Wonderland ^[$BIT;W5D$N9q$NH~9,$A$c$s^[(B 1993 s Kadokawa Shoten ~Love Letters I haven't got a clue what this is but I found this on an add included with the first volume of X. *** Richard Vermaas Collaberations: Okazaki Takeshi ^[$@2,:jIp;N^[(B Koi ^[$BNx^[(B 1993 1F South 580 Okazaki remarked that he enjoyed drawing this manga because "it is his true story". (The co-author is Ookawa Nanase... !!) *** Rec.Arts.Manga Manga Guide ============================================================================= O Animatography RG Veda Manga Video, PAL format, dubbed, VHS Tokyo Babylon Sony Music Entertainment, NTSC format, 50 minutes, VHS Y9800 / LD Y7600 X^2 Image Clip X movie (?) CLAMP in Wonderland CLAMP in Wonderland is basically a film event. CLAMP work along with SONY and MAD HOUSE (animator) to bring out a 7 min film that includes all of CLAMP'scharacters. (I guess they mean major ones.) On the drawing from the notice there were: Kamui, the Rayearth Knights (3), those three little CLAMP detectives (Nokoru, Akira, and Sunao?), Subaru (Tokyo Babylon), and Ashiura. (There could be a few more but I can't remember). The event is going to be held in several places. It's that 7 min film plus a sale of some parody books, made-for-this-event poster, etc. *** Pei Lee, 2 June 1994, translated from Asuka issue 7, 1994 ============================================================================= O Music A mini album of "Clamp Campus Detective Team" is released on April 28. There are 5 songs, with lyrics all written by Ookawa Nanase, in a booklet-type box and completed with a colour Clamp poster and a Clamp Campus student card. (A stolen idea from Ah! My Goddess!???) The CD is released by Toshiba EMI, 2000 yen, catalogue number : TOCT-7022. If you order it by mail (in Japan, of course), you'll get an extra bonus present, a colour cosmetic box illustrated by Clamp! *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 11 May 1993 (from Asuka 5 (May, 1993)) Tokyo Babylon CD Released September 22, 1993 ============================================================================= O Merchandising Calendars: Clamp's 1993 calendar is on sale in Japan now, titled "X". Size B3, all colored, spiral type. Price is Y3000. *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 2 November 1992 [Who do I kill to get hold of a copy? - ed.] Laminated Pictures: The May issue of Nikaku Animart's email catalog lists three kinds of laminated pictures from CLAMP. These `writing boards' are 7" x 10" and cost $ 4.95. You can get the current email catalog by sending an empty email message with subject `catalog' to nikaku@netcom.com. Notebooks: That same catalog also lists RG Veda notebooks, 7" x 10", 28 lined pages. These also go for $ 4.95. Posters: [OK, where do I get a live sized poster of Kamui from X? - ed.] Stationary Sets: Whatever this is, it's listed in the catalog. An RG Veda set costs $ 5.25 ============================================================================= O Publications Anime UK, ISSN 0968-588X RG Veda by Pat Munson Siter Issue 9, volume 2 number 4, August/September 1993, pages 21-26 Background article on RG Veda. Explains the differences between the manga and the anime. Animerica, published by Viz Communications, ISSN 1067-0831 Best of the East by Yoshitaka Ishigami Volume 1 issue 2, April 1993, page 58 Best of the East is a regular column about Japanese anime releases. This issue contains a review about Tokyo Babylon. Extreme Closeup by Matt Thorn Volume 2 issue 2, February 1994, page 35 Extreme Closeup is a regular column about shoujo manga in general. This issue contains a small section about CLAMP. Newtype October 1992 I don't have a copy of this Newtype but it contains a great poster from Tokyo Babylon 1999 After 5 Years September 1993, pages 22-23 An article on Tokyo Babylon. 1999 Separated 2 Futures September 1993, pages 24-25 An article on XX with some artwork that is begging for a colour scanner... January 1994, calendar This Newtype contains a calendar with a picture of "Miyuki-chan in Wonderland". This picture is available by FTP (see below). Scream from Tokyo Underground April 1994, pages 96-97 An article on Tokyo Babylon. This issue of Newtype also contains the April issue of Comic Genki with an installment of "Miyuki-chan in Wonderland" The following is from an article posted by Cynthia Ma on rec.arts.manga on May 11, 1993. For all the Clamp fans out there, buy Asuka this month!!!! In this June issue, Asuka features : - A reversible (double-side) huge poster of "REX" and "X" by Clamp. One side is "X" characters wearing "REX" jumpers, and the other side is "REX" characters reading "X" mangas. Very cute! - In case you don't know what is "REX"... To promote the movie "REX - the story of dinsaurs" which will be shown on July 3, Kadogawa invited Clamp to write a manga of "REX", and they also invite the popular group Kome Kome Club to sing the image song for the movie! - A BIG special on Clamp this issue. Includes : * Interview with Clamp about REX movie and manga. * X character design. * Explanations on uniforms of Kamui and Kotori. * Data on Clamp. - Igarashi Satsuki, born 8 Feb, 1969. _ Ookawa Nanase, born 2 May, 1967. - Nekoi Mikku, born 21 Jan, 1969. - Mokona Apapa, born 16 Jun, 1968. * Private life of Clamp. * Working place of Clamp. * Interviews with Clamp on "X" and "Clamp Campus Detective Team". * Data and explanation on characters of "X" and "Clamp Campus Detective Team". * Explanation of the sword in "X". * Readers' polls on favourite characters and scenes on "X" and "Clamp Campus Detective Team". *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 11 May 1993 [Waaaah! Where do I get back-issues from Asuka? ^_^ - ed.] And yet another from Cynthia Ma. Posted on rec.arts.manga on May 11, 1993. This is the result (or rather, top ten) of the readers' poll on their favourite characters of Clamp's "X" and "Clamp Campus Detective Team". The original article appears in the special section on Clamp in Asuka this month, June 1993. 1. Shirou Kamui (X) 1284 votes 2. Imonoyama Nokoru (CCDT) 730 3. Arisugawa Sorota (X) 727 4. Ijuuin Akira (CCDT) 538 5. Takamura Suou (CCDT) 434 6. Kishuu Arashi (X) 424 7. Monou Fuuma (X) 401 8. Monou Kotori (X) 374 9. Kigai Yuuto (X) 235 10. Hinoto (X) 231 *** Cynthia Ma, rec.arts.manga, 11 May 1993 [What? Magami Tokiko and Yatouji Satsuki aren't on the list??? ^_^ - ed. ] ============================================================================= O Available Manga Translations Left Hand (Hidarite) (ASCII) Translated by Cynthia Ma A short story published in the summer issue of Shinshokan's magazine South on May 16, 1994. X (ASCII) Up to May 31, 1994 four volumes of CLAMP's X have been translated. The translations are available from venice.mps.ohio-state.edu in the directory /anime-manga/sorted/X/Manga. Credits: X Volume 1: Kamui Shirou Translated by Tonghyun `Vajra' Kim Edited by Iain Sinclair X volume 2: Hinoto Translated by Steven E. Barnes Edited by Tonghyun `Vajra' Kim X volume 3: Kanoe Translated by Steven E. Barnes Edited by Tonghyun `Vajra' Kim X volume 4: Kyougo Monou Translated by Steven E. Barnes Edited by Tonghyun `Vajra' Kim X (LaTeX) The first four volumes of X are also available in LaTeX format. LaTeX is a `document preparation system' that can produce nice PostScript output. Search your system for the programs latex and dvips to check if you can prepare and print latex documents. The LaTeX versions of the translations are available from FTP host venice.mps.ohio-state.edu. If you don't have access to FTP then you can also request them by email from Richard Vermaas (richardv@htsa.aha.nl). O Available Anime Translations RG Veda (Turbo Title) Turbo Title script for the anime of RG Veda. Available by FTP from bongo.cc.utexas.edu (128.83.186.13) /anime/TTS_SCRIPTS: 11941 Aug 6 1992 RGVeda1.tts.Z ftp.ics.uci.edu (128.195.1.1) /pub/anime/scripts/titling: 11781 Jun 16 1993 rgveda.js.Z O Available Illustrations ftp.white.toronto.edu (128.100.2.220) /pub/anime/AnimeB/old_images: 167286 Apr 21 1992 RGVEDA3.gif venice.mps.ohio-state.edu (128.146.37.77) (mirrored by ftp.sunet.se in directory /pub/pictures/anime-manga) /anime-manga/new: 279054 Apr 30 16:01 TB2-Collage_01.jpg 249453 Apr 30 16:04 TB2-Collage_02.jpg 264019 Apr 30 16:06 TB2-Collage_03.jpg 240327 Apr 30 16:09 TB2-Collage_04.jpg /anime-manga/sorted/Misc/Images: 178774 Jan 15 02:52 CLAMP-Miyuki_in_WL.jpg /anime-manga/sorted/Misc/Images-live: 103667 Sep 21 1993 CLAMP.GIF CLAMP members /anime-manga/sorted/RGVeda/Images: 219070 Feb 23 20:33 RGV-001.GIF 206010 Feb 23 20:33 RGV-002.GIF 17866 Mar 5 00:33 RGVeda_index-01.jpg 42 Mar 5 00:33 RGVeda_index.txt /anime-manga/sorted/TokyoBabylon/Images: 167812 Mar 30 10:04 TB2-Art.jpg 14370 Mar 15 22:40 TB2_01.jpg 31079 Mar 15 22:40 TB2_02.jpg 87160 Mar 15 22:41 TB2_03.jpg 14166 Mar 15 22:42 TB2_04.jpg 23275 Mar 15 22:42 TB2_05.jpg 16178 Mar 15 22:42 TB2_06.jpg 34096 Mar 15 22:42 TB2_07.jpg 56290 Apr 14 02:07 TokyoBabylon_index-01.jpg 107 Apr 14 02:077 TokyoBabylon_index.txt /anime-manga/sorted/X/Images: 77695 Feb 3 12:26 CLAMP-X_squared_title.jpg 45833 Mar 5 00:30 X_index-01.jpg 81 Mar 5 00:30 X_index.txt 461292 Mar 23 1993 x-hinoto.jpg 245551 Mar 23 1993 x-kamui.jpg 32996 Mar 23 1993 x-logo.tif 362015 Mar 23 1993 x-tarot.jpg ============================================================================= O Frequently Asked Questions What is the connection between Okazaki and CLAMP? Apparently he created a manga together with CLAMP writer Ookawa Nanase but how did he get the CLAMP style? Do Hagiwara, Okazaki and CLAMP have something in common that caused them to draw in a similar style? He used to work with CLAMP. He still does occasionally. They are good friends. *** Peter Evans, rec.arts.manga, 26 May 1994 I'm hardly the best person to answer this, but.. I gather that Hagiwara, Okazaki and CLAMP are friends and share a lot of ideas. This circle of friends (which includes Utatane?, et al.) is not that far from being a minor manga subculture, and they've probably all worked for each other in some capacity, at some stage. Someone with better info might want to elaborate. *** Iain Sinclair, rec.arts.manga, 26 May 1994 Which of CLAMP's characters appear in other manga? All of "CLAMP Campus Detective Service", "Campus Police Dukylon" and "20 Menshou Onegai" are in the same universe. Rei from "CLAMP Campus Detective Service" appears "20 Mensou ni Onegai" The trio from "Clamp Campus Detective Team" will appear in "X". Sorata from "X" refers to Subaru Sumeragi from "Tokyo Babylon" in volume 4 of "X". ============================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GRIFFIN MANGA REPORT #5 GRIFFIN SCRIPT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "A shohjo manga review by a shohjo manga reader." featuring: _RG VEDA_ by CLAMP [Holy Legend] Currently running in _Wings_ magazine. Shinshokan publishing. Book 1-6 out. More to follow. Continuous novel-type manga. Heroic legend, fantasy. 3/24/93 Miho Nishida ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This review was originally written as an article for the anime and manga fanzine _Atlantia_. It is reproduced here with permission from the kind editors, Chet and Steven Pearl. Since I don't have the time to look over it and make it into the same format I've been using for Review 1 to 4, I'm just going to send it as it was originally sent to _Atlantia_. (ergo, outdated info: _School Special Police Duklyon_ has concluded in _Genki_) [Complete Aside for those fans who are confused about Ashura's sex... He/she was voted 6th in the "magazine for manga" _Puff_ 's 1993 "Leading Actress Award". CLAMP might decide him/her to be male later, but at least most fans of RG VEDA thinks Ashura's a "she"!!! ] -----------------* *----------------- CLAMP's RG VEDA: Sei-Den (The Holy Legend) ------------------------------------------ article by Miho Nishida Six stars fall Thou art a Dark Star that rises against the Heaven At the tip of the destiny being woven Thou shalt thyself foster As the extinct blood clan dictates Thou shalt depart with a child Though neither good nor ill be determined That child shall move the wheel of the destiny of the Heavenly Kingdom The gathering of the Six Stars forewarns the end of Heaven But to the side of the Darkness one will come Who governs the orbit of the stars and rules both the Dark Star and the Heavenly Star That one, not even my zodiac can ascertain The red flame that you nurture Will burn away all evil Together, the Six Stars shall overwhelm any and all others and be unconquerable And... You[=the Six Stars] shall become the "Break" that will destroy the Heaven Thus began CLAMP(*)'s RG VEDA (pronounced rig veida) where Yasha, a young but matured god of the Yasha clan, takes up the burden of raising and protecting Ashura, sole survivor and heir to the now forbidden Ashura god clan. The two set out on a search to find the four other destined companions, who, as six, can destroy Taishaku-Ten, the Heavenly Emperor. With just this description, readers may think "Oh, just another god story", but this is not so. Set in the Heavenly Kingdom of Buddhism, the gods are no different from any warring clan leaders, except, of course, that they are more powerful. The appeal of RG VEDA is in the combination of a solid story-line, interesting characters (almost all gods), lots of mysteries, powerful art style, and fantastic action scenes. The word RG VEDA comes from _Rig Veda_, one of the sacred writings of Hinduism, filled with holy legends and many colorful gods. When Buddhism was born from Hinduism, many of the old gods retained their places in the new religion. In Buddhism, spiritual enlightenment of one's self can be taught, and therefore, there are no "gods" that need worshipping. These gods thus "survived" by becoming the protectors of Buddhism. Buddhism spread from India to all of Asia, finally reaching Japan as well. The names of the gods were Japanized and the gods and their legends began seeping into Japanese culture. Many of the names that appear in RG VEDA comes from Japanese Buddhism. The main story line of RG VEDA is very simple. It's your basic revenge story with an added twist that, for these six, their very existence is denied unless they can overthrow the usurper Taishaku-Ten. The comic novel follows Ashura and Yasha in their search and lets the story branch out along the way. Thus, on a straight, simple tree, there are abundant branches full of hate, love, friendship, and mysteries. Taishaku-Ten is an extremely powerful god who had succeeded in defeating both the late Heavenly Emperor and the till-then-most-powerful-god, the late Ashura-Oh. Before I forget, there are many god clans within the Heavenly Kingdom and a leader of a clan, called "elder" (or "young elder" if that's the case), takes up the name of the clan. Thus, for Ashura clan, there was an Ashura-Oh, and similarly, there is a Yasha-Oh for the Yasha clan. (For those interested, Yasha had the name "Yama" when he was younger. Ashura never had any other name than "Ashura" since she was born after all of her clan members were annhilated.) To better help readers grasp the world of RG VEDA, a character description is in order. First, the Six Stars; consists of Ashura, Yasha, Ryu-Oh, Karura-Oh, Sohma, and Kendappa-Oh. Ashura is the sole survivor of the Ashura clan and heir to the former God-King Ashura (Ashura-Oh). Though 300 years old (which should have given her/him an appearance of at least a 17 year old or round about), she/he was only recently unsealed from a power barrier by Yasha and looks and acts like a 6-7 year old. With the Japanese language being what it is, Ashura's sex is not evident from the dialogues. In Buddhist mythology, the god Ashura has been depicted as either a demon-god or a youth with indeterminate sex. Add to this, The creators note him/her as being neither female nor male (ref: CLAMP RG VEDA art book "Hi-Ten-Mu-Ma [The Un-Emperor Dream Demon ]". The Ashura Kings were called the "Un-Emperor", or rather, the "Not-Emperor", to the Ten-Tei's "Emperor". Sort of like a check of power.) But since I like to think of Ashura as female (I always like female protagonists *sorry* and, in fact, his/her dialogues and actions lean toward the female), I will be referring to him/her as "she" in this article. But she should be thought of as androgynous. She is one of the Six Stars that were prophesied to bring the downfall of the reign of Taishaku-Ten and she is heir to the sorcerous sword, Shura-toh. By the way, Shura-toh's scabbard is Ashura herself. There is one dark twist to the prophecy. The prophecy given at the top of this article was given to Yasha-Oh by Kuyoh, the Star Seer, but she prophecised at the same time that the child, Ashura, will be his death.... ("That child was born under a destiny to kill you") Ashura's father, the then Ashura-Oh, as the Protector Warrior God of Heaven and Emperor, had fought the rebel, Taishaku-Ten, in what later would be known as the Sei-Sen (Holy War). With the betrayal of his wife, Shashi, Ashura-Oh's forces were annihilated and the God-Emperor slain. After the birth of both Ashura and Taishaku's son, Ten-Oh (they were twins, though with a different father!!!!!), Shashi, who had become the wife of Taishaku-Ten, attempted to kill the now in-the-way Ashura. As a result Ashura was sealed in a power barrier (probably she did it out of self-preservation) until Yasha broke it and woke her. One last note, Ashura is schizophrenic. Well, not exactly. There are two Ashuras in one body (to represent the male-female duality, I think). The "Black Ashura", as the creators like to call "him", is the "real" Ashura who was woken up by Yasha and has the mentality of a 300 year old . "He" is a rather cruel personality and can control more power than the younger Ashura. The younger Ashura, who is the dominant personality after Yasha woke up Ashura, is a sweet child who suffers from the fact that her mother did not want her and even tried to kill her. Yasha, or Yasha-Oh, is the God-King (young elder) of the Yasha clan and was a Bushinshoh (Warrior-Chief God) of the North. His clan was annihilated by Taishaku-Ten after, lead by the prophecy, he breached the power barrier that had been sealing Ashura. Currently, though only circa 500 years young, he's an adopted father to Ashura and is rumored to have become "aged" for his years. He wields Yama-toh, which somehow resonates with Ashura's Shura-toh. Ashura thinks she had caused the destruction of the Yasha clan which caused Yasha to be alone as well. These two are very deeply commited to each other: To Ashura, Yasha is the only one in the world who says she is needed, and to Yasha, she is the only one worth protecting. The feeling is like what a child would feel towards a father and vice versa. (from RG VEDA volume 3, p53-59. After finding out for the first time that her mother tried to kill her when she was born, she realizes her power of fire. She is not able to control it yet and she stands amidst the flames of her creation, though she is not harmed by it.) Ashura Yasha... Yashaaaa.... Yasha What happened, Ashura!? Ryu-Oh Wait! Wowa ("Waaa") Yasha-Oh, you'll burn! Ashura It ... It doesn't stop. Don't come near! You'll burn!! (Yasha struggles to reach Ashura) Ashura I'm an unwanted child. [Literally: I'm not a needed child] Even my mother tried to kill me.... No one needs me. You'll die as well if you stay with me. I ... I wasn't supposed to be born. If ... If I wasn't of the Ashura clan, I wonder if Mother would've liked me a little more. Yasha Ashura. Ashura I won't interfere with you in any way, Mother. If you don't want to even see my face, I won't ever again say that I want to see you again. I'll be quiet. Even then ... do you hate me enough to want to kill me? Ryu-Oh Yasha.... (Yasha succeeds in reaching Ashura. He's powerful enough not to burn in the flames) Yasha I will protect you from any and all that may harm you. Ashura If even my mother didn't want me, why was I born? Who else would say I'm a wanted child? Yasha Didn't we promise, Ashura. That we'll be together for always.... I've sworn to protect you forever. It's a promise between you and me. Even if everyone in the world says they don't want you, I need you. Ashura. (The flames die down) Ashura I'm sorry. I've come home, Yasha. Next is Ryu-Oh. He is the God-King of the Ryu (=Dragon) clan and Bushinshoh of the West. After ascending to the position due to his grandfather's illness (his mother, the previous Bushinshoh, was killed by demons when he was still young, and so his grandfather, once retired, had taken back the duty of the leader of the clan), he joined Yasha and Ashura in their journey purely because he wanted to have a fighting match with Yasha, who is reputed to be the strongest of the Bushinshohs. One of the few characters with no sad past, he's basically there for comic relief. All he has to worry about is from where Ashura's meals are coming next ("Ryu-chan. I'm hungry." "You just ate!!"). Karura-Oh is a God-King(Queen) of the Karura clan and Bushinshoh of the South. She joins forces with Yasha in their quest to destroy Taishaku-Ten after her sister, Karyoh-Binga, was cruelly driven to death by him and fed to his beasts. Karura-Oh has with her Garuda, a golden sorcerous predatory bird that shares her life energy. Sohma is the last surviving member of the Sohma clan. Her clan was destroyed by Taishaku-Ten for fear of the Sohma legend. The legend claims that a Sohma can grant one person eternal life. She was saved by Kendappa-Oh and is sent to help Yasha-Oh by Kissho-Ten, the late Heavenly Emperor's only daughter and now a wife to Bishamon-Ten, Taishaku-Ten's head huncho, when the goddess could no longer bear the cruelty of Taishaku-Ten's reign. Lastly, we have Kendappa-Oh. Called the Gakushi no Kimi, or Lord(Lady) of Instruments, she is an adept of the harp and is a court player at Taishaku-Ten's palace. She is one of the more mysterious of the characters. She serves Taishaku-Ten loyally though her father was killed by him in the Sei-Sen. "I like strength," says she. "And you are strong, Lord Taishaku-Ten." Though she is one of the Six Stars, she hasn't the motive to join them yet. Though she seems soft, she does very occasionally show an ice-cold sharpness that then disappears in a glimpse. Even Yasha-Oh, the strongest of the Bushinshohs, becomes a toy for her. (Yasha, being a simple man, can't understand the female complexity that is Kendappa-Oh) (from RG VEDA volume 2, p20. Kendappa-Oh welcomes Yasha and Ashura into her moving fortress) Yasha Kendappa-Oh, why did you welcome us, we who are being pursued ? Kendappa-Oh What.... Why, you ask? How cruel of you, Brother! We're each the only sibling the other has. Yasha I don't remember having a sister, while I do have a brother.... Kendappa-Oh He's become so cynical! I guess being a concubine's child lead to this. He's become soooo twisted! [NOTE: by the way, Yasha is indeed a child of a concubine. This is revealed in volume 6] Ashura Yasha. What's a "concubine's child"? Yasha Well, it's.... Kendappa-Oh Who's this child? Another child you've made somewhere? [LT: Another child you've had a woman give birth to] Yasha-Oh, you're UNCLEAN!!! (and she pursues to strike Yasha on the head with her harp) Kendappa-Oh's late mother died from the heart-wrenching dilemma of falling in love with young Yasha (when he was still called Yama) while being already married and even had a child about the same age as Yasha. Kendappa-Oh has gotten over the anger she once felt towards Yasha (it wasn't his fault that an elder lady found him too delicious to pass over), but the feeling of wanting to make Yasha squirm is still there. Thus something like the above happens from time to time. The other important characters are Kujaku and Taishaku-Ten. Kujaku is a mysterious visitor to Yasha's group. He tells them that he is neither one of Taishaku-Ten's men nor one of the Six Stars. Though he claims to be just a wanderer pursuing entertainment, he knows many things that no one else knows about. He has purple eyes, a mark of demons, and wings that are revealed later on. But he is not a demon. What is he? The mystery remains. Taishaku-Ten is the rebel who claimed the Ten-Tei(God-Emperor)'s seat when his forces overwhelmed and defeated the former Ten-Tei's and Ashura-Oh's forces. He is extremely powerful and he also has four Shitennohs to guard him. Shitennohs are higher in rank than the Bushinshohs and each Bushinshoh is assigned under one Shitennoh to guard the four directions of the Heavenly Kingdom. Outside the boundary of the Heavenly Kingdom is the I-kai, the Other World, where the demons reign. These demons are ever trying to invade the Kingdom. One note. In RG VEDA, the "God race" have a longer life span than humans, but are not invincible nor deathless. They do, however, have powers humans do not have. But since the heir of a clan king always takes up the name of the clan when he/she accedes the position, one can say that so-and-so god is permanent and deathless. As can be understood from the character description alone, RG VEDA is a complex story within a very richly detailed world. Besides the story, the art work is one of the best available. The use of the zip-tone is amazing. Though the pages are in the standard black-and-white print, the various shades and zip-tone art create color where there is none. Most eye-catching is the action sequences. They are extremely visual and fast-paced. The fighting sequences between the gods are too delicious . The gods fight with swords, but the swords act mainly as a channel to direct the internal power of the gods. Thus, they rarely fight hand-to-hand. They swing the swords, and the power ripples across the space between them, causing destruction and havoc. Combining excellent art with an intriguing story-line, CLAMP has made RG VEDA one of the more well known mangas in an industry that produces countless mangas every month (or week, for that matter). For any manga fan, RG VEDA is an excellent buy and even perhaps a must. (*) CLAMP, a manga drawing group consisting of four female artists (Ookawa Nanase: script and direction; Mokona Apapa: characters, difficult backgrounds and zip-tone art; Nekoi Mick: direction and art assistance; Igarashi Satsuki: art assistance and cooking), has made a name for itself with RG VEDA and is currently enjoying wide popularity. Their works have had wide appeal and are read by both male and female readers (Japanese mangas can be classified into 2 major categories: shonen mangas targeted for the male readers and shohjo mangas targeted for the female readers). They're currently busily producing several series at the same time (_RG VEDA_ in _Wings_, _X_ in _Asuka_, _Tokyo Babylon_ in _South_, _School Special Police Duklyon_ in _Genki_). RG VEDA, unlike mangas such as Takahashi Rumiko's Ranma that are more familiar to the U.S. fans, takes on the novel-style that is used by most shohjo mangas, i.e. the story is continual and not a series of separate episodes. Like a novel, there is a story-line and a definite conclusion. RG VEDA has not yet concluded and appears in the monthly comic magazine _Wings_. 3/24/93 Miho Nishida, Griffin Script Manga Report ============================================================================= Richard Vermaas James Wattstraat 13 1097 DJ Amsterdam The Netherlands Phone: 020-6934346 Email: richardv@htsa.aha.nl ============================================================================= -- __________(Richard Vermaas)________________(richardv@htsa.aha.nl)___________ "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care, or indeed why it should be necessary to prove it at all." [Avon] .