is a 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...

-style story book written by Katsuhiro Otomo

Katsuhiro Otomo

is a Japanese comic book creator, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi.-Biography:Katsuhiro Otomo was...

 and illustrated by Shinji Kimura. The manga is licensed in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

. The manga was adapted into an anime and broadcast on NHK BS-2

NHK

NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....

 from December 21–25, 2009.

Manga

Shufu-to-Seikatsu Sha Ltd. released the manga on September 2002. The manga is licensed in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

, which released the manga on August 24, 2005. Casterman

Casterman

Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Tournai, Belgium.Founded in 1780, Casterman was originally a printing company and publishing house...

 released the manga on October 17, 2007.

Anime

The manga to be adapted into an anime and broadcast on NHK BS-2

NHK

NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....

's BS Fuyu Yasumi Anime Tokusen program for five consecutive days starting from December 21, 2009. The anime will feature Yumiko Kobayashi

Yumiko Kobayashi

is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently a freelance voice actor but until August 2007 was affiliated with Arts Vision.She and fellow Excel Saga voice actress Mikako Takahashi are known as the duo "The Excel Girls"...

 as Hipira, Sayaka Ohara

Sayaka Ohara

is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently affiliated with Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. She is a graduate of Aoyama Gakuin University's Department of Literature. Her nickname is...

 as Soul, Bin Shimada

Bin Shimada

is a Japanese voice actor. He is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.-References:* Nakagami, Yoshikatsu et al. "You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle". Newtype USA. pp. 48–49.-External links:...

 as Chōrō, Chihiro Suzuki

Chihiro Suzuki

is a Japanese voice actor. He made his debut role as Soichiro Arima in Kare Kano. He is currently a free agent and his nickname is "Chi-chan".-Anime:*Inazuma Eleven *Amaenaideyo!! *Angel Heart...

 as Georuge and Ayumi Fujimura

Ayumi Fujimura

in Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Ken Production.-Anime:*Asatte no Houkou as Karada Iokawa*Astarotte no Omocha! as Zelda*Bakuman as Aiko Iwase*Bartender as Miwa Kurushima*Basquash! as Aulora Skybloom...

 as Erena.

Reception

NewType USA

Newtype (magazine)

is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...

magazine commends Shinji Kimura's artwork saying that his illustrations are both "creepy and cute". A reviewer at Fourth-Rate Reader commends the manga for being "tooth-achingly sweet and cute". However, the reviewer felt that the translation and editing of the manga from Japanese to English was done poorly.