Niji Iro Togarashi
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series with elements of science fiction
and jidaigeki
written by Mitsuru Adachi
. The series ran in Shōnen Sunday
from issue 4/5 in 1990 to issue 19 in 1992. The story is set in a place very similar in appearance to Earth
in the Edo period
. However, Adachi regularly reminds the reader all throughout the series that the setting is another planet
in the distant future
which just happens to look like Earth.
After the death of his mother, Shichimi sets out to join his half-brothers and -sister who live together in Karakuri Tenement
, a place provided by the father they have never met. He finds out that each of them had different mothers (all of whom have died), but were fathered by the same man. Not long after Shichimi's arrival, the siblings decide to journey to visit the graves of each of their mothers. On this journey, they encounter many dangers.
The names are pun
s on Japanese spices, each one being an ingredient in shichimi tōgarashi, also known since the Edo era as nana-iro tōgarashi, a seasoning made of seven ingredients including chili powder.
Swordsman Furon: A swordsman for hire who always wants to fight strong fighters. He is really one of the seven siblings, and half brother of Natane.
Sources:
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 with elements of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
written by Mitsuru Adachi
Mitsuru Adachi
is a Japanese manga artist. After graduating from Gunma Prefectural Maebashi Commercial High School in 1969, Adachi worked as an assistant for Isami Ishii. He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kieta Bakuon, based on a manga originally created by Satoru Ozawa...
. The series ran in Shōnen Sunday
Shonen Sunday
, first published on March 17, 1959, is a weekly shōnen manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan. Contrary to its title, Weekly Shōnen Sunday issues are released on Wednesdays.- History :...
from issue 4/5 in 1990 to issue 19 in 1992. The story is set in a place very similar in appearance to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. However, Adachi regularly reminds the reader all throughout the series that the setting is another planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
in the distant future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
which just happens to look like Earth.
After the death of his mother, Shichimi sets out to join his half-brothers and -sister who live together in Karakuri Tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
, a place provided by the father they have never met. He finds out that each of them had different mothers (all of whom have died), but were fathered by the same man. Not long after Shichimi's arrival, the siblings decide to journey to visit the graves of each of their mothers. On this journey, they encounter many dangers.
The names are pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s on Japanese spices, each one being an ingredient in shichimi tōgarashi, also known since the Edo era as nana-iro tōgarashi, a seasoning made of seven ingredients including chili powder.
Seven siblings
- Goma is the oldest of the siblings at 22 years old. He's a rakugoRakugois a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
comedian, though he's not very good at it. He loves to eat and drink a lot. Goma means sesameSesameSesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
in Japanese.
- Asajirō is the second oldest, 20 years old, and a wandering artist. He frequently takes long trips for inspiration, occasionally briefly stopping by the tenement between trips. He holds the record for being the youngest to achieve the rank of master in the Haniwa-style sword techniqueIaidois a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
. He has the ability of foresight. The first character of Asajiro's name means hempHempHemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
.
- The third oldest, 18 years old, and raised as a monkMonkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in a BuddhistBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple. He is an extremely strong martial artistMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, though he is weak when it comes to alcohol and dealing with women. It seems he was a bully when he was a kid, seen from the attitude of villagers (and his friend) after they hear his name. Keshi means poppy seedPoppy seedPoppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy . The tiny kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years...
.
- The main character in the series, the fourth oldest, and 15 years old. In his hometown, he was a fireman. He is an expert at using a fireman's pike, and he uses as a weapon a telescopingTelescoping (mechanics)Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object from its rest state. In modern equipment, this is often done by hydraulics....
fireman's pike created by Chinpi. He can't swim. Unexpectedly strong, he may be the second strongest fighter (or may be the first), behind Asajirō, in their family.
- The only girl among the siblings, Natane is 13 years old. She's learned her swordcraft from Asajirō, and has become very skilled. She is constantly bickering with Shichimi. Later it turns out she is not actually related to the siblings. She is half sister of Swordsman Furon (which then revealed as the real siblings), through their mother. Her father died accidentally while training with Furon. Natane means rapeseedRapeseedRapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...
.
- Chinpi is a brilliant inventor despite being only 10 years old. He wears glasses, and is the second youngest. Chinpi means citrus peelPeel (fruit)Peel, also known as rind or skin, is the outer protective layer of a fruit or vegetable which could be peeled off. The rind is usually the botanical exocarp, but the term exocarp does also include the hard cases of nuts, which are not named peels since they are not peeled off by hand or peeler, but...
.
- The youngest, at three years old, Sanshō possesses amazing ninjutsuNinjutsuor may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
abilities due to his frequent training with Hanzō. Sanshō mean Sichuan pepperSichuan PepperSichuan pepper is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum , widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers...
.
Swordsman Furon: A swordsman for hire who always wants to fight strong fighters. He is really one of the seven siblings, and half brother of Natane.
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