Bus Gamer
Encyclopedia
is a short-lived Japan
ese manga
series created by Kazuya Minekura
. It only exists as a single volume 'Pilot Edition' due to difficulties in serialization. The manga has been licensed for North America
n distribution by Tokyopop
. The series follows the story of three young men hired by a mysterious company to participate in a business game
, in which companies gamble against each other for corporate secrets. It has also produced a drama CD
featuring the voices of Kenichi Suzumura
, Junichi Suwabe
, and Hiroki Takahashi
. An anime
adaptation of the manga premiered on the Japanese television network
KBS Kyoto
between March 14 and March 28, 2008, airing a total of three episodes. It is directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya, produced by Frontier Works
, and animated by Studio Izena. The characters are voiced by the same voice actors in the drama CD.
When three complete strangers, Toki Mishiba, Nobuto Nakajyo, and Kazuo Saitoh, are hired by a corporation to compete in the Bus Game, they are given the team code of "Team AAA" (Triple Anonymous or No Name). This group of three who differ entirely from their living environment and values to protect each other’s lives --- but without mutually wiping out their mistrust of each other or prying into each other's privacy, it would be the worst sort of teamwork, conflicting in every way. They only have one point in common, simply that each of them need a large amount of money for their individual circumstances. And to get the large monetary award, they must play in the game despite their very own lives being at stake.
series is created by Kazuya Minekura, and only exists as a single volume 'Pilot Edition' due to difficulties in serialization. Only eleven chapters of the series were ever published before Comic Rex
, the magazine in which it was serialized in, went under. While Minekura claims in the re-released Pilot Edition to still have interest in finishing the series, and characters from it appear in her regularly released art books, no word has been given on when the series will be picked up again. A tribute to Saiyuki, one of Minekura's other works, was seen on page 185 of Bus Gamer - the Pilot Edition, where Saitoh is seen challenging Keiko on a Saiyuki arcade game; she plays the character Sha Gojyo
, while he plays Chin Yisou.
adaptation of the manga premiered on the Japanese network KBS Kyoto between March 14 and March 28, 2008, airing a total of three episodes. It is directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya, produced by Frontier Works
, and animated by Studio Izena. The anime features artwork by Kazuya Minekura, who also continued the story and supervised the scripts and productions.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series created by Kazuya Minekura
Kazuya Minekura
is a Japanese manga artist most known for the Saiyuki series. Her other manga series include Wild Adapter, Shiritsu Araiso Koto Gakko Seitokai Shikkobu , and Stigma. Stigma is notable for being a full-color work, unusual as manga is generally drawn in black and white...
. It only exists as a single volume 'Pilot Edition' due to difficulties in serialization. The manga has been licensed for North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n distribution by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. The series follows the story of three young men hired by a mysterious company to participate in a business game
Business game
Business game refers to simulation games that are used at an educational tool for teaching business. Business games may be carried out for various business training such as: general management, finance, organizational behaviour, human resources, etc...
, in which companies gamble against each other for corporate secrets. It has also produced a drama CD
Radio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
featuring the voices of Kenichi Suzumura
Kenichi Suzumura
is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Niigata Prefecture, but raised in Osaka Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Arts Vision. He made his television animation debut on Macross 7 in 1994...
, Junichi Suwabe
Junichi Suwabe
is a Japanese voice actor working for Haikyo. His most known roles involve, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques , Archer , Keigo Atobe and Omega ....
, and Hiroki Takahashi
Hiroki Takahashi
is a Japanese voice actor best known for the role of Eiji Kikumaru in The Prince of Tennis, Kenji Harima in School Rumble and Katsuya Jonouchi in Yu-Gi-Oh. He works at Big Shot/Interchannel. He also has voice acted in some yaoi Drama CD's such as Love Neco, and Koi cha no Osahou...
. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation of the manga premiered on the Japanese television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
KBS Kyoto
Kyoto Broadcasting System
is a commercial broadcasting station headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It is doing business in Kyoto Prefecture as and in Shiga Prefecture as Its radio station serves Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures and is a member of National Radio Network . Its television station serves Kyoto Prefecture and is a...
between March 14 and March 28, 2008, airing a total of three episodes. It is directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya, produced by Frontier Works
Frontier Works
is a Japanese company specializing in the creation and distribution of media related to anime, such as producing OVAs, radio dramas, drama CDs, anime soundtracks, or other related products...
, and animated by Studio Izena. The characters are voiced by the same voice actors in the drama CD.
Plot
An illegal dog-fight conducted in strict secrecy, the Bus Game is a battle simulation game where gamers are selected by various corporations to compete three-on-three on a battleground which is usually inside Tokyo. The teams are divided into "HOME" and "AWAY". The "HOME" team is given a disk containing their corporation's secret files to protect while the "AWAY" team attempts to steal the disk. The "AWAY" team wins if they are able to steal the disk within the given time limit where the "HOME" team wins if they are able to keep their disk safe. The game information and details are distributed to the gamers via mini-disk. The businesses participating in the Bus Game wager large amounts of money on each game, watching the action from a distance. In other words, the Bus Games is a gambling pastime in which the gamers are pawns for their amusement. In exchange for putting their lives at stake, the gamers stand to gain large amount of money, through their contracts and through winning each match of the Bus Game.When three complete strangers, Toki Mishiba, Nobuto Nakajyo, and Kazuo Saitoh, are hired by a corporation to compete in the Bus Game, they are given the team code of "Team AAA" (Triple Anonymous or No Name). This group of three who differ entirely from their living environment and values to protect each other’s lives --- but without mutually wiping out their mistrust of each other or prying into each other's privacy, it would be the worst sort of teamwork, conflicting in every way. They only have one point in common, simply that each of them need a large amount of money for their individual circumstances. And to get the large monetary award, they must play in the game despite their very own lives being at stake.
Characters
- Age: 22
- Birthday: February 14, 1989
- Residency: Shizuoka prefectureShizuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
- Mishiba is a student at a Design trade school. He was raised in an AikidoAikidois a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
dojoDojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
, resulting in him excelling at martial arts ; he is a second degree black belt in karateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
; fourth in AikidoAikidois a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
; and first in KendoKendo, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
. He is short, lanky, reticent, and has an expressionless appearance. He barely talks, but he is always sleepy or hungry, and would sometimes just zone out. He works part-time as a tape copier and as a bartender at a bar where his surrogate older brother is the manager, who is the only person he confides in. He lives alone in a one room apartment, and the circumstances of his family are unknown, though it seems he had a twin brother named "Shigi". His favorite food is salmon, and when he eats salmon onigiriOnigiri, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative...
his mood gets better, though he does not show it.
- Age: 24
- Birthday: March 23, 1987
- Residency: Chiba prefectureChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
- Special Skill: Strategy games, theft, street fighting (received training during his gang tenure)
- Nakajyo is a college student, and is part of a medical faculty. He is his family's third son, and the heir to a serious illness hospital. However, due to his delinquent attitude and willingness to shed other's blood, he has been legally disowned, and currently does not go to college. He is tall and muscular, and usually has his hair covering his eyes. He lives in a six-foot apartment, where a different woman is usually present whenever he is there.
- Cool and completely realistic, he is a nihilistNihilismNihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
who has great confidence in himself. However, he is good at taking care of people, and as the eldest, he exists as the leader of AAA. He has experience in brawls rather than grappling, and he does not hesitate in the face of violence. Although he has accepted equal responsibility as an active team member, he shows signs of the possibility that he might abandon AAA if it was to his personal advantage. He likes to drink alcohol, and is a heavy smoker. He holds 2 or more jobs at a day laborDay laborDay labor is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. It is a form of contingent work.-Types:Day laborers find work through three common routes....
place as a manual laborer, works as a lecturer in a shogiShogi, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...
classroom, and is also a guard.
- Age: 18
- Birthday: July 18, 1992
- Residency: TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
- Saitoh is a senior in high school, making him the youngest of the team despite his height. He is the only son of the Saitoh house, and helps run a small electronics store. He lost both of his parents at a very young age, though he still has a very carefree and energetic attitude. Though Nakajyo and Mishiba initially find him irritating, they grow quite fond of him, but since he does not have any physical strengths, he is usually a burden to them during fights. However, he is, in fact, good with electronics and machines, and excels at the ability to reason through puzzles and memory problems. His favorite foods are hamburgers and spaghetti. He also works as the convenience store clerk at his school.
Manga
The Bus Gamer mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series is created by Kazuya Minekura, and only exists as a single volume 'Pilot Edition' due to difficulties in serialization. Only eleven chapters of the series were ever published before Comic Rex
Comic Rex
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Ichijinsha. The first issue was sold on December 9, 2005, and is sold monthly on the ninth. Manga collected into bound volumes which were serialized in this magazine are published under Ichijinsha's imprint...
, the magazine in which it was serialized in, went under. While Minekura claims in the re-released Pilot Edition to still have interest in finishing the series, and characters from it appear in her regularly released art books, no word has been given on when the series will be picked up again. A tribute to Saiyuki, one of Minekura's other works, was seen on page 185 of Bus Gamer - the Pilot Edition, where Saitoh is seen challenging Keiko on a Saiyuki arcade game; she plays the character Sha Gojyo
Sha Gojyo (Saiyuki)
is the third main protagonist in the manga and anime, Saiyūki, created by Minekura Kazuya. He is the hanyou companion of the Sanzo-ikkō , armed with a version of a shakujō...
, while he plays Chin Yisou.
Anime
An animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation of the manga premiered on the Japanese network KBS Kyoto between March 14 and March 28, 2008, airing a total of three episodes. It is directed by Naoyuki Kuzuya, produced by Frontier Works
Frontier Works
is a Japanese company specializing in the creation and distribution of media related to anime, such as producing OVAs, radio dramas, drama CDs, anime soundtracks, or other related products...
, and animated by Studio Izena. The anime features artwork by Kazuya Minekura, who also continued the story and supervised the scripts and productions.
External links
- Bus Gamer at Kazuya MinekuraKazuya Minekurais a Japanese manga artist most known for the Saiyuki series. Her other manga series include Wild Adapter, Shiritsu Araiso Koto Gakko Seitokai Shikkobu , and Stigma. Stigma is notable for being a full-color work, unusual as manga is generally drawn in black and white...
's website - Official anime website