Desert Punk
Encyclopedia
is a post-apocalyptic manga
series written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, serialized in Enterbrain
's Comic Beam
since 1997. The published chapters have been collected in 13 volumes
.
The manga was adapted into a 24-episode anime
television series produced by Gonzo and directed by Takayuki Inagaki with character designs by Takahiro Yoshimatsu and music by Kōhei Tanaka
. FUNimation has licensed the series for distribution in the United States.
series written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, which began serialization in Enterbrain
's Comic Beam
manga magazine on August 5, 1997. Fourteen bound volumes
have been released in Japan as of March 2010. The manga is significantly different from the anime with a more realistic look and far more common use of black comedy as opposed to quirky and sexual humor. Many changes were made to give the anime a more light hearted feel when adapting it from the manga. The manga also has a different ending than the anime. Also notable is that five story arcs are missing from the anime and at episode 19 the anime separates from the manga, leaving a new 6 episode ending in place of chapters 43 to 86 of the manga.
Ending theme songs
Original soundtracks
Funimation's official website [1]
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 written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, serialized in Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
's Comic Beam
Comic Beam
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Enterbrain on a monthly basis since November 1995. In 2006, it had a circulation of 25,000. Popular manga serialized in Comic Beam include Kaoru Mori's Emma about the love story between a maid and an aristocratic man in Victorian England. Emma was...
since 1997. The published chapters have been collected in 13 volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
.
The manga was adapted into a 24-episode 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....
television series produced by Gonzo and directed by Takayuki Inagaki with character designs by Takahiro Yoshimatsu and music by Kōhei Tanaka
Kohei Tanaka (composer)
is a Japanese composer, arranger and singer. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for famous anime TV series, OVAs, movies, computer games and tokusatsu series. Tanaka was born in Ebisubashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture on February 14,...
. FUNimation has licensed the series for distribution in the United States.
Plot
After an implied global nuclear catastrophe Japan has been reduced to a desert and the surviving humans seek out a meager living in the hot sands. Desert Punk focuses on the adventures of a wandering mercenary named Kanta Mizuno, nicknamed Desert Punk (Sunabōzu), due to his seemingly incredible feats of skill and daring while on the job. Throughout the series, he acquires an apprentice and makes a few friends as well as enemies. "The Great Kanto Desert is a truly miserable place. It’s also the home of hero-for-hire Desert Punk, the closest thing to a good guy the sandy wasteland’s got. He’s never failed to complete a mission, and he’s known far and wide as the best man for any job." [1]Protagonists
- Real name being , he is also known as the "Demon of the Desert". A 17 year old member of a mercenaryMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
group known as the Handyman Guild, he is outwardly obsessed with large female breasts and sexSexual intercourseSexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
. Although thought of as a despicable person, he is highly professional in accomplishing assigned tasks. His legendary reputation is due to his good luck, practicality, sharp wit, specialist equipment, and his grandiose self-promotion.
- Desert Punk uses his father's old Winchester Model 1897Winchester Model 1897The Winchester Model 1897, also known as the Model 97, M97, or Trench Gun, was a pump-action shotgunwith an external hammer and tube magazine manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The Model 1897 was an evolution of the Winchester Model 1893 designed by John Browning. From 1897...
shotgun, along with other equipment. Enemies will often mistake his rocket-powered winchWinchA winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
with an ability to levitate and fly. He carries a high quantity of balloons which are identical to his outward appearance to obscure his position. He also employs smoke bombs, and has sabotage devices for his own equipment in case it is stolen.
- Real name: . Kosuna is the former apprentice of the Shimmer Sniper with a goal to become the desert's number one "power babe" mercenary. After the Shimmer Sniper is lying naked and defeated, Kosuna immediately abandons him and begs to be made Kanta's apprentice. He only accepts after she shows him a picture of a large breasted woman Kosuna claims to be her mother.
- Seemingly unable to complete any task by herself at first, she is an able assistant and honestly looks up to Kanta, despite his extremely perverted ways. She is very loyal and follows orders with little or no complaints. As the series progresses, Kosuna becomes an excellent mercenary, surpassing Kanta's abilities in marksmanship even when her weapon is unfamiliar or oversized. Kosuna has been the series' main character since volume 13.
Machine Gun Brothers
- Childhood friends of Desert Punk. They are often seen making fun of Desert Punk, though it is implied they actually respect him. In situations where they save Desert Punk, they are seen jokingly asking if they should finish him off, with quotes such as "well, time to go kill him".
- Their names are based on the seasons of winter, autumn and spring respectively, while their sister's is based on summer.
- Fuyuo is the biggest of the three, and is seen giving orders occasionally. His weapon of choice is a Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun with rifle stock and forward grip.
- Akio is the second oldest brother and the biggest smart-aleck. His is seen with a weapon designated as a "M249 SAW".
- The youngest brother, Haruo carries the traits of a crybaby. He is good frends with Taiko, and uses an M60 machine gun.
Others
- A female rival of Desert Punk with comically large breasts, she is known as the "Vixen of the Desert". She is introduced to the series in a situation where she uses her sex appeal to steal an important key from Desert Punk which he recently procured as part of a mercenary contract. Despite this and other similar actions, she remains an object of Kanta's desires, which she uses to further manipulate him. Despite often working closely together, the series never confirms if she and Desert Punk become romantically intimate.
- A male rival of Desert Punk, he is depicted as an equal match for him in combat. He is renowned as a fearsome debt collector who is rumored to collect even the souls of his targets. While he has earned his reputation through forceful tactics, he is not against running away when he is at a disadvantage.
- Sister of the Machine Gun Brothers, she was a childhood friend of Kanta. She is a proficient hand-to-hand combatant and the current idol of Kosuna.
Manga
Desert Punk began as a 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 written and illustrated by Usune Masatoshi, which began serialization in Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
's Comic Beam
Comic Beam
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Enterbrain on a monthly basis since November 1995. In 2006, it had a circulation of 25,000. Popular manga serialized in Comic Beam include Kaoru Mori's Emma about the love story between a maid and an aristocratic man in Victorian England. Emma was...
manga magazine on August 5, 1997. Fourteen bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
have been released in Japan as of March 2010. The manga is significantly different from the anime with a more realistic look and far more common use of black comedy as opposed to quirky and sexual humor. Many changes were made to give the anime a more light hearted feel when adapting it from the manga. The manga also has a different ending than the anime. Also notable is that five story arcs are missing from the anime and at episode 19 the anime separates from the manga, leaving a new 6 episode ending in place of chapters 43 to 86 of the manga.
Anime
During the first half, the series has light-hearted overtones as Kanta and his life in the desert are introduced through his humorous adventures. The show adopts a more serious atmosphere during the second half of the anime as Kanta becomes embroiled in political turmoil that erupts over the Great Kanto Desert. This change in tone is reflected in a change of the opening and closing themes of the series. There is currently no plans to continue the anime series.Episodes
| # | Title (Dubbed) | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
Music
Opening theme songs- "Sand Mission" by Hideaki Takatori (Japanese Version)/Gary Eckert (English Version) (episodes 1–12)
- "Destiny of the Desert" by Yuka (episodes 13–23)
- "Shinkirō" ("Mirage") by Yuka (episode 24)
Ending theme songs
- "Sunabōzu Ekaki Uta" ("How to Draw Sunabōzu") by Hideaki Takatori (episodes 1–12)
- "Shinkirō" ("Mirage") by Yuka (episodes 13–23)
- "Sand Mission" by Hideaki Takatori (Japanese Version)/Gary Eckert (English Version) (episode 24)
Original soundtracks
- Composed by Kōhei TanakaKohei Tanaka (composer)is a Japanese composer, arranger and singer. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for famous anime TV series, OVAs, movies, computer games and tokusatsu series. Tanaka was born in Ebisubashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture on February 14,...
Reference
internet movie database: desert punk list of episodesFunimation's official website [1]