Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed
Encyclopedia
Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, titled in Japan, or simply Shigofumi, is a Japanese anime
television series created by Tomorō Yuzawa and produced by Bandai Visual
and Genco, which aired in Japan on Chiba TV
and other networks between January 6 and March 22, 2008 and contains twelve episodes. An original video animation
episodes was included with the final anime DVD
volume released on September 26, 2008. A light novel
series was originally adapted from the anime's premise set by Tomorō Yuzawa, featuring story composition and illustrations by Ryō Amamiya and Poko, respectively. Four novels were published by MediaWorks
under their Dengeki Bunko
imprint
between October 2006 and March 2008. Despite the novels being produced first, the anime is considered the original work, as stated by Yuzawa. The anime has been acquired by Bandai Visual for English language localization. The title Shigofumi comes from the combination of the Japanese words for , and , which literally translates to an "after death letter".
to deliver . These letters are written by people after they die and are delivered to the person the letter is addressed to in the living world. The letters contain things that the now-deceased could not say while they were alive, such as things they wanted to say before they died, or even to inform others about who killed them in the case of a murder. Accompanying Fumika is her talking staff Kanaka which can also float of its own accord and likes to be treated as if "she" were a human. In contrast to Fumika who is quiet and serious about her job, Kanaka is loud and boisterous. The story follows Fumika and Kanaka as they interact with the living via the shigofumi. Shigofumi mail carriers are assigned a specific area that they deliver letters to, just like a normal mail carrier. When they are not delivering letters from the dead, they are in another realm called Shigo. The mail carriers are usually now-dead humans who do not age, and take on the appearance of just before they died, but Fumika does age, signifying that she is not dead yet.
s written by Ryō Amamiya, and drawn by Poko. Despite the novels being produced first, the anime
series is considered by Tomorō Yuzawa as the original work. The novels are published by MediaWorks
under their Dengeki Bunko
imprint. The first novel was released on October 10, 2006, with the fourth, and final, volume published on March 10, 2008. The story from the novels differs somewhat from that of the anime.
show called , hosted by Beat Net Radio!, originally had a pre-broadcast on December 28, 2007, and another the following the week on January 4, 2008; these two broadcasts served as an introduction to what the show would consist of, and also asking listeners to send in comments and questions about the show. Regular weekly broadcasts every Friday began the following week on January 11, 2008. The show has two hosts — Kana Ueda
and Masumi Asano
who play Fumika and Chiaki in the anime respectively — and is produced by Bandai Visual
. There are three corners on the show, which is used mainly to promote the anime version.
, directed by Tatsuo Satō
and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi
, features original character designs by Kouhaku Kuroboshi and assistant direction by Katsushi Sakurabi
. Animated by J.C.Staff
and produced by Bandai Visual
and Genco, it first aired in Japan on numerous UHF
stations and BS11 between January 6 and March 22, 2008, containing twelve episodes. The series was released in six DVD
compilations in Japan by Bandai Visual
between March 25 and August 22, 2008. Presented on a 16:9 anamorphic frame rate
, the DVDs feature the two episodes each along with numerous extras, including audio commentary, liner notes, picture dramas, and Shigofumi letter sets. An original video animation
episode was released on DVD on September 26, 2008. The televised broadcast of episodes three and eight, "Friends" and "Beginning," respectively, were "altered in light of recent circumstances in the society at large," as reported on the anime's official website. Sun TV also ceased broadcast of Shigofumi episode six and resumed broadcasting with episode seven. Other recent 2007 anime series which were changed due to current events in Japan include School Days, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, and Kodomo no Jikan.
The anime was licensed by Bandai Visual
for English language localization, and the first DVD release was originally scheduled for May 13, 2008, but was placed on hold as Bandai Visual reconsidered their release plans. On May 21, 2010, anime distributor Section23 Films
announced that Sentai Filmworks has now licensed the series and will release the entire series on August 17, 2010.
Two pieces of theme music
are used for the anime: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme, , is performed by Ali Project
, and the single was released on January 23, 2008. Written by Saori Kodama with composition
and arrangement
by Pe-jun, the ending theme "Chain" is performed by Snow*; it was released on February 6, 2008. The anime's original soundtrack will be released on March 26, 2008; each of the albums are released by Lantis
.
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 created by Tomorō Yuzawa and produced by Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
and Genco, which aired in Japan on Chiba TV
Chiba TV
, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
and other networks between January 6 and March 22, 2008 and contains twelve episodes. An original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episodes was included with the final anime DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
volume released on September 26, 2008. A light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
series was originally adapted from the anime's premise set by Tomorō Yuzawa, featuring story composition and illustrations by Ryō Amamiya and Poko, respectively. Four novels were published by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
under their Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
between October 2006 and March 2008. Despite the novels being produced first, the anime is considered the original work, as stated by Yuzawa. The anime has been acquired by Bandai Visual for English language localization. The title Shigofumi comes from the combination of the Japanese words for , and , which literally translates to an "after death letter".
Plot
Shigofumi primarily centers around a young-looking girl named Fumika who works as a mail carrierMail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
to deliver . These letters are written by people after they die and are delivered to the person the letter is addressed to in the living world. The letters contain things that the now-deceased could not say while they were alive, such as things they wanted to say before they died, or even to inform others about who killed them in the case of a murder. Accompanying Fumika is her talking staff Kanaka which can also float of its own accord and likes to be treated as if "she" were a human. In contrast to Fumika who is quiet and serious about her job, Kanaka is loud and boisterous. The story follows Fumika and Kanaka as they interact with the living via the shigofumi. Shigofumi mail carriers are assigned a specific area that they deliver letters to, just like a normal mail carrier. When they are not delivering letters from the dead, they are in another realm called Shigo. The mail carriers are usually now-dead humans who do not age, and take on the appearance of just before they died, but Fumika does age, signifying that she is not dead yet.
Characters
- Fumika is the main character in the anime series. She appears to be a young girl, though her real age is never mentioned. She works as a mail carrierMail carrierA mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
from the afterlife realm of Shigo, delivering what are known as "shigofumi" to people in a Japanese city that she has been assigned to. These shigofumi are letters written by those who have recently died, and it is Fumika's job to deliver the letters to whoever the dead wanted them to go to. Though typically the shigofumi mail carriers are people who have already died, and thus do not age, Fumika is different in that she ages at the same rate as a normal person, signifying that she has not died yet but is merely in a state of astral projectionAstral projectionAstral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
.
- Fumika is almost always calm and speaks in a low monotonic voice. She is serious about her job and carries out her duties even if it takes her longer to deliver a given letter, such as her having to follow the recipient by train to another part of Japan. She does not like normal people interfering with her work, and often has to resort to violence or threaten others with a large gun she carries in order to complete her deliveries. Due to her unusual occupation and the uniform she wears, she is generally not taken seriously when she tells others that she is delivering an "after death letter" to them, but continues to persist until she has handed over the letter. The only time she shows any expression is when around cats which make her very agitated to the point of her losing her composure entirely.
- While still the main focus in the light novels, her character is somewhat different. She still appears the same and generally carries the same personality, though Fumika in the novel, for one, hates all insects vehemently and will not even go near them. She loves to play 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...
(Japanese chess), though she plays on only intuition alone.
- Fumika actually suffers from dissociative identity disorderDissociative identity disorderDissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
due to the abuse from her father, Kirameki Mikawa, while growing up. The two personalities are Fumi and Mika. Mika is the shigofumi mail carrier that takes her job very seriously; and Fumi is a kind, outgoing young girl. Mika is the one that shot Kirameki when he tried to kill Fumika when she made him remember her mother. Fumi blamed herself for the shooting, withdrawing to a coma-like state, causing Mika to "die". Mika has said that even her words do not reach Fumi.
- The artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
staff that Fumika carries is named Kanaka in the anime and Mayama in the light novels, and are drastically different between the two media. The function of the staff is meant to aid the shigofumi mail carrier by keeping track of senders, receivers, the delivery area, and supplementing other usual tasks. The mail carrier can give the staff a numeral code pertaining to a program which can be activated and aid the mail carrier further, such as turning them invisible, or supplementing white wings on their back to enable them to fly, though there are time limits on these programs. The staffs carry their own personalities and have the ability to levitate. In the anime, Fumika's staff Kanaka has a female voice and a loud, boisterous personality which directly contrasts Fumika's otherwise placid disposition. Kanaka often gives Fumika her opinion on matters pertaining to who she is delivering letter to, though Fumika just goes along her business as usual either way. Despite technically not being alive, Kanaka still insists that "she" be referred to as a person, or in terms of what a person would do, such as while levitating or regenerating which she calls "standing" and "sleeping" respectively. Kanaka is prone to making mistakes while on the job, such as misplacing letters.
- In the light novels, Mayama as the staff is called, has a young boy's voice, though still serves the same function of supporting Fumika in her delivering. "He" always talks down to Fumika and proves her to be wrong in certain situations. He has never been able to beat Fumika at shogi, though he can still do things she cannot, such as reading foreign languages.
- Chiaki is Fumika's coworker and superior, though unlike Fumika, Chiaki has already died. Chiaki died due to a car accident and thus retains the appearance of how she looked before she died, which happens to be very similar to Fumika, though Chiaki does not age. She says she is "over twenty-one-years-old" (and admits in that she died over 'fifty years ago'), however looks roughly as old as Fumika is. She is assigned a different city in Japan than Fumika, and the two rarely ever meet on Earth, but do see each other more often when in Shigo. Chiaki has a bright personality and likes to express her emotions outwardly, whether they be related to frustration, or happiness. As observed by Fumika, Chiaki usually is not as diligent about her job as Fumika is, and if a delivery is too much of a pain, she will generally drop it, marking the letter with an invalid addressee.
- Matoma is the staff that Chiaki carries and like Fumika's staff, helps her with her job. Matoma has a male voice and speaks in a monotonic tone. He is better at the job than Kanaka is and talks down to Kanaka for doing a poor job. Kanaka in turn needles Matoma by mocking him by twisting his name as in calling him 'Tomato Juice'.
- Kaname is a male high school student who briefly knew Fumika Mikawa back in junior-high school when they were in the same class. After he initially met Fumika the mail carrier, he recognized her face and was reminded how Fumika had shot her father three years prior, which led him to continue to search for Fumika later on. Kaname had liked Fumika in junior-high, and even went so far as to confess his love to her, but she rejected him, though Fumika the mail carrier later tells him that she was merely surprised and does not dislike him. Even now, it would seem he still has feelings for Fumika.
- Natsuka is an energetic high school girl who knew Fumika from junior-high school when they were in the same class, though they first talked in the school infirmary. She has a tendency to like guys who are intelligent and even goes as far as to read the same books of guys she likes; incidentally, she likes Kaname who is one such type. After Kaname comes to her regarding information pertaining to Fumika, she gets involved with him in his search to discover what really happened to Fumika three years prior to the beginning of the story.
- Kirameki is a famous writer and the father of Fumika Mikawa. He is obsessed with beauty, and goes so far as to suggest that ugly people should kill themselves. Kirameki lives and works in a twisted glass building called "The forever leading silver road". His name, Kirameki, translates to glitter, or twinkle.
Media
Light novels
Shigofumi was first released as a series of light novelLight novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s written by Ryō Amamiya, and drawn by Poko. Despite the novels being produced first, the 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....
series is considered by Tomorō Yuzawa as the original work. The novels are published by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
under their Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
imprint. The first novel was released on October 10, 2006, with the fourth, and final, volume published on March 10, 2008. The story from the novels differs somewhat from that of the anime.
Internet radio show
An Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
show called , hosted by Beat Net Radio!, originally had a pre-broadcast on December 28, 2007, and another the following the week on January 4, 2008; these two broadcasts served as an introduction to what the show would consist of, and also asking listeners to send in comments and questions about the show. Regular weekly broadcasts every Friday began the following week on January 11, 2008. The show has two hosts — Kana Ueda
Kana Ueda
is a Japanese Seiyū employed by I'm Enterprise. She is best known as the voices of Yumi Fukuzawa in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rin Tohsaka in Fate/Stay Night and Hayate Yagami in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's and Strikers...
and Masumi Asano
Masumi Asano
is a Japanese voice actress from Noshiro, Akita who works for Aoni Production. She is also known by her nickname, Masumin.- Notable voice roles :Anime* Saga in A Little Snow Fairy Sugar...
who play Fumika and Chiaki in the anime respectively — and is produced by Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
. There are three corners on the show, which is used mainly to promote the anime version.
Anime
The 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....
, directed by Tatsuo Satō
Tatsuo Sato (director)
' is a Japanese anime director most famous for Martian Successor Nadesico.- Works :* Martian Successor Nadesico* Cat Soup* Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars* Stellvia* Ninja Scroll: The Series* Tokyo Tribe 2...
and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi
Ichiro Okouchi
is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. He is a graduate of Waseda University, School of Human Sciences.In 2006, Ōkouchi collaborated with director Gorō Taniguchi for composing the story and script of the Sunrise original production, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and its sequel Code Geass:...
, features original character designs by Kouhaku Kuroboshi and assistant direction by Katsushi Sakurabi
Katsushi Sakurabi
is a Japanese anime director.-Filmography:*Asatte no Houkou*Gunparade March*Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie*The Melody of Oblivion*Tsukihime, Lunar Legend*Yomigaeru Sora - Rescue Wings-External links:...
. Animated by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
and produced by Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
and Genco, it first aired in Japan on numerous UHF
UHF anime
refers to the anime broadcast by independent stations generally located in the Kanto, Chukyo and Kansai regions of Japan, who are members of the Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations . Other common names for UHF anime include and...
stations and BS11 between January 6 and March 22, 2008, containing twelve episodes. The series was released in six DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilations in Japan by Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
between March 25 and August 22, 2008. Presented on a 16:9 anamorphic frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, the DVDs feature the two episodes each along with numerous extras, including audio commentary, liner notes, picture dramas, and Shigofumi letter sets. An original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episode was released on DVD on September 26, 2008. The televised broadcast of episodes three and eight, "Friends" and "Beginning," respectively, were "altered in light of recent circumstances in the society at large," as reported on the anime's official website. Sun TV also ceased broadcast of Shigofumi episode six and resumed broadcasting with episode seven. Other recent 2007 anime series which were changed due to current events in Japan include School Days, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, and Kodomo no Jikan.
The anime was licensed by Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
for English language localization, and the first DVD release was originally scheduled for May 13, 2008, but was placed on hold as Bandai Visual reconsidered their release plans. On May 21, 2010, anime distributor Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
announced that Sentai Filmworks has now licensed the series and will release the entire series on August 17, 2010.
Two pieces of theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
are used for the anime: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme, , is performed by Ali Project
Ali Project
Ali Project is a Japanese band with a strong Japanese Aristocrat-style image, consisting of and .In the band's earlier days, their musical style tended towards light, cheerful and/or refreshing songs. However, the sound has changed in recent times to take on a darker and more mysterious tone...
, and the single was released on January 23, 2008. Written by Saori Kodama with composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
by Pe-jun, the ending theme "Chain" is performed by Snow*; it was released on February 6, 2008. The anime's original soundtrack will be released on March 26, 2008; each of the albums are released by Lantis
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
.