Toshokan Senso
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese light novel
series by Hiro Arikawa
, with illustrations by Sukumo Adabana
. There are four novels in the series, though only the first novel is called Toshokan Sensō; the subsequent novels are named Toshokan Nairan, Toshokan Kiki, and Toshokan Kakumei. The novels were published by MediaWorks
between February 2006 and November 2007. Two volumes of a spin-off
series entitled have also been published by ASCII Media Works
. As of April 2008, the original four novels and volume one of the spin-off series have sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan. The story was inspired from the Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries of the Japan Library Association.
A manga
adaptation by Kiiro Yumi started serialization in the shōjo manga magazine LaLa
on September 24, 2007 published by Hakusensha
; another manga adaptation by Yayoi Furudori started serialization in the shōnen
manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
on November 21, 2007 published by ASCII Media Works. A twelve-episode anime
adaptation by Production I.G aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina
programming block between April and June 2008. Two Internet radio
shows started in April 2008 meant to promote the series which are hosted by voice actors
of the anime. An anime film has been announced.
The simplified declaration:
In Toshokan Sensō, the fourth chapter of the Freedom of Library Law states:
passing the Media Betterment Act (MBA) as law in 1989 which allows the censorship
of any media deemed to be potentially harmful to Japanese society by deploying agents in the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) with the mandate to go after individuals and organizations that are trying to exercise the act of conducting freedom of expression activities in the media. However, local governments opposed to the Media Betterment Act establishes armed anti-MBA defense force units to protect libraries from being raided by MBC agents under the Freedom of the Libraries Law. The conflict between MBC agents and library soldiers has continued to 2019, when the story begins. In accordance with the Japanese era calendar scheme
, 1989 in Toshokan Sensō is rendered the first year of the fictional era, rendering 2019 as Seika 31.
Toshokan Sensō follows the life of Iku Kasahara, a new recruit in the Kantō
Library Base who joined in 2019 after being inspired by a high ranking Kantō Library Defense Force member who saved a book she wanted to buy that was targeted for censorship. After joining, however, she finds the pace to be very demanding, and that her drill instructor
Atsushi Dojo seems to have it in for her and working her harder than the other recruits. On multiple occasions, Kasahara shows herself to be reckless, particularly when she puts Dojo in danger by not securing a criminal in the base's library, and later getting involved with Media Betterment Committee agents despite not being a high enough ranked official; in both instances Dojo has to help her out of trouble. Despite these imperfections, Kasahara is enlisted into the base's Library Task Force, an elite group of soldiers who go through rigorous training in order to respond during difficult operations. This is partially due to Dojo realizing that he did not give Kasahara adequate training, so he gives his recommendation that she join the task force
, of which he is a member, in order to correct this mistake on his part. Other recommendations come from the captain of the task force, Ryusuke Genda, and second class task force library officer Mikihisa Komaki who is the same rank as Dojo. Along with Kasahara, another new recruit named Hikaru Tezuka is also enlisted into the task force who is much more capable at the position than Kasahara. Kasahara continues to try her best in the face of difficult challenges while protecting the books she has sworn to protect. As the story progresses, a romance blooms and Iku and Dojo make romantic feelings for each other evident.
organization in Japan which serves to defend libraries against the Media Betterment Act (MBA) enforced by the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) and other pro-MBA independent factions. Different from the normal , which performs librarian functions like modern librarians, the LDF's main goal is to provide self-defense
from the MBC during library raids, though their jurisdiction
only extends so far as in the confines of library facilities in connection with the LDF, meaning they cannot extend their effort even into the city where an LDF base is located. However, there are provisions around this, such as in accordance with Library Law Article 30 regarding book collection in that LDF Library Officers or above can choose to buy any book they want, even books targeted for censorship by the MBC. The LDF has ten bases throughout Japan in ten regions of Japan
: Hokkaidō
, Tōhoku
, Hokuriku
, Chūbu
, Kantō
, Kansai, Chūgoku
, Shikoku
, Kyūshū
, and Okinawa
. Each of the bases act under the provisions of the local government
, and houses a public library
where civilians can read and check out books.
In the early years of the conflict the library forces were not well organized, so coordination with neighboring forces was often delayed which caused problems in times of armed conflict
. One such incident in Toshokan Sensō occurred on February 7, 1999 in Hino
at the Hino Library which later became known as the . The incident was caused by an independent group which sided with the Media Betterment Committee raiding the Hino Library and caused the deaths of twelve people who were against the Media Betterment Act. Since that day, the library forces armed themselves in self-defense and have become much more organized; the public even acknowledges the LDF as having more combat experience than the police or the Japan Self-Defense Forces
. The incident also caused the formation of library bases in ten regions, and the system of library forces in operation at the beginning of Toshokan Sensō.
The Library Defense Force has several branches which contribute to the organization as a whole. At the top is the Administrative Department where library administrators work doing daily administrative duties such as planning
, organizing, staffing
, budget
ing, or directing
. The Department of Defense works on defending against the Media Betterment Committee, and one section of the department consists of the Library Task Force, an elite group of soldiers
who go through rigorous training in order to respond during difficult operations. At the Kantō Library Base, there are about fifty members in the task force. The Logistical
Support Department works on stocking books and supplying the Department of Defense with military equipment, though it does not get involved with general outsourcing
. There is also a Human Resources Department in charge of human resources
, and an intelligence agency
. There are approximately 30,000 members in the Library Defense Force throughout Japan. The German Chamomile
is used in the insignia
of Library Officers and above because the flower was a favorite of the late wife of the Library Defense Force commander Kazuichi Inamine.
s written by Hiro Arikawa
, and drawn by Sukumo Adabana
. There are four novels in the series, though only the first novel is called Toshokan Sensō; the subsequent novels are named , , and . The novels were published by MediaWorks
between February 2006 and November 2007. The first volume of a spin-off
series entitled was published on April 10, 2008 by ASCII Media Works
, and the second followed on August 9, 2008.
adaptations based on the series. The first, entitled , is drawn by Kiiro Yumi and started serialization in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine LaLa
on September 24, 2007, published by Hakusensha
. The first bound volume
for the first manga was released on April 5, 2008 under Hakusensha's Hana to Yume Comics imprint
; the sixth volume was published on September 3, 2010. Viz Media
licensed Toshokan Sensō Love & War and will be releasing the first volume in North America in June 2010.
The second series, entitled , is drawn by Yayoi Furudori and started serialization in the Japanese shōnen
manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
on November 21, 2007, published by ASCII Media Works
. The first bound volume
for Toshokan Sensō Spitfire! was released on June 27, 2008.
shows produced by Animate
first aired on April 10, 2008 under the same main title , but with differing subtitles. The first show, with the subtitle is hosted by Tomoaki Maeno and Tatsuhisa Suzuki who play Atsushi Dōjō and Hikaru Tezuka in the anime adaptation, respectively; the second show, with the subtitle , is hosted by Marina Inoue
and Miyuki Sawashiro
who play Iku Kasahara and Asako Shibasaki in the anime, respectively. The first volume compilation CD containing some of the broadcasts was released on August 6, 2008 with the second compilation on December 26, 2008.
advertising that they would animate Toshokan Sensō. The anime
is directed by Takayuki Hamana
and written by Takeshi Konuta. It aired 12 episodes in Japan between April 11 and June 26, 2008, on Fuji TV's Noitamina
programming block. A commercial and promo were both created to promote the series after the series was announced. Five DVD compilation volumes were released between August 6 and December 3, 2008; the first two contain the two episodes each, while the latter three contain three episodes each. The third volume contains, in addition to episodes six and seven, an original video animation
episode.
The anime's opening theme is , performed and written by Hitomi Takahashi
, with Satoru Hirade on composition and arrangement and produced under Sony Music Records. The opening theme single
was released on June 4, 2008. The ending theme is "Changes" performed and arranged by Base Ball Bear
of EMI Music Japan with lyrics and composition by Yūsuke Koide. The ending theme single was released on May 8, 2008. The anime's original soundtrack was released on June 25, 2008.
for Japanese long fiction. In the initial Anime DVD charts, Toshokan Sensō was ranked first on the top ten before it went down to eighth place. The series had sold in 2008 a total of 7,949 copies. In 2008, Bessatsu Toshokan Sensō I had sold 62,737 copies and was ranked seventh best light novel while Bessatsu Toshokan Sensō II was ranked the fifth best light novel with a total of 67,874 copies sold. As of April 2008, the original four novels and volume one of the spin-off series have sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan. After its debut broadcast, Toshokan Sensō had an average household rating of 4.5. The series also has a strong fan backing, as noted by Deb Aoki, manga guide of About.com
, who says that when Viz Media announced their license for the Love and War manga version, a "a cry of delight rose up from fans of this manga, anime and light novel series."
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 by Hiro Arikawa
Hiro Arikawa
is a female Japanese light novelist from Kōchi, Japan.-Biography:Hiro Arikawa won the tenth annual Dengeki Novel Prize for new writers for Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious in 2003, and the book was published the following year. It was praised for its love story between a heroine and hero divided...
, with illustrations by Sukumo Adabana
Sukumo Adabana
is a male Japanese manga artist from Nagano, Japan. In 2002, he won the gold prize in the tenth round of the illustration division of the Dengeki Novel Prize under the name . In 2006, he debuted publicly as the artist for the Toshokan Sensō series of light novels written by Hiro Arikawa...
. There are four novels in the series, though only the first novel is called Toshokan Sensō; the subsequent novels are named Toshokan Nairan, Toshokan Kiki, and Toshokan Kakumei. The 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...
between February 2006 and November 2007. Two volumes of a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series entitled have also been published by ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
. As of April 2008, the original four novels and volume one of the spin-off series have sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan. The story was inspired from the Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries of the Japan Library Association.
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...
adaptation by Kiiro Yumi started serialization in the shōjo manga magazine LaLa
Lala
Lala VC was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.-Details:...
on September 24, 2007 published by Hakusensha
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
; another manga adaptation by Yayoi Furudori started serialization in the shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
on November 21, 2007 published by ASCII Media Works. A twelve-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....
adaptation by Production I.G aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
programming block between April and June 2008. Two Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
shows started in April 2008 meant to promote the series which are hosted by voice actors
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
of the anime. An anime film has been announced.
Plot
The background of the plot is based on the Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries that went into effect in Japan in 1954 (amended in 1979), and the terms are a little different from the Freedom of the Library Law that appears in Toshokan Sensō.The simplified declaration:
It is the most important responsibility of libraries to offer collected materials and library facilities to the people who have the Right to Know as one of their fundamental human rights. In order to fulfill their mission, libraries shall recognize the following matters as their proper duties, and shall put them into practice.
- Libraries have freedom in collecting their materials.
- Libraries secure the freedom of offering their materials.
- Libraries guarantee the privacy of users.
- Libraries oppose any type of censorship categorically.
When the freedom of libraries is imperiled, we librarians will work together and devote ourselves to secure the freedom.
In Toshokan Sensō, the fourth chapter of the Freedom of Library Law states:
- Libraries have freedom in collecting their materials.
- Libraries secure the freedom of offering their materials.
- Libraries guarantee the privacy of users.
- Libraries oppose any type of improper censorship categorically.
- When the freedom of libraries is imperiled, we librarians will work together and devote ourselves to secure the freedom.
The details will be amended anytime according to the Media Betterment Act and its enforcement.
Story
The premise of Toshokan Sensō involves the Japanese governmentGovernment of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
passing the Media Betterment Act (MBA) as law in 1989 which allows the censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
of any media deemed to be potentially harmful to Japanese society by deploying agents in the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) with the mandate to go after individuals and organizations that are trying to exercise the act of conducting freedom of expression activities in the media. However, local governments opposed to the Media Betterment Act establishes armed anti-MBA defense force units to protect libraries from being raided by MBC agents under the Freedom of the Libraries Law. The conflict between MBC agents and library soldiers has continued to 2019, when the story begins. In accordance with the Japanese era calendar scheme
Japanese era name
The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...
, 1989 in Toshokan Sensō is rendered the first year of the fictional era, rendering 2019 as Seika 31.
Toshokan Sensō follows the life of Iku Kasahara, a new recruit in the Kantō
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
Library Base who joined in 2019 after being inspired by a high ranking Kantō Library Defense Force member who saved a book she wanted to buy that was targeted for censorship. After joining, however, she finds the pace to be very demanding, and that her drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
Atsushi Dojo seems to have it in for her and working her harder than the other recruits. On multiple occasions, Kasahara shows herself to be reckless, particularly when she puts Dojo in danger by not securing a criminal in the base's library, and later getting involved with Media Betterment Committee agents despite not being a high enough ranked official; in both instances Dojo has to help her out of trouble. Despite these imperfections, Kasahara is enlisted into the base's Library Task Force, an elite group of soldiers who go through rigorous training in order to respond during difficult operations. This is partially due to Dojo realizing that he did not give Kasahara adequate training, so he gives his recommendation that she join the task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
, of which he is a member, in order to correct this mistake on his part. Other recommendations come from the captain of the task force, Ryusuke Genda, and second class task force library officer Mikihisa Komaki who is the same rank as Dojo. Along with Kasahara, another new recruit named Hikaru Tezuka is also enlisted into the task force who is much more capable at the position than Kasahara. Kasahara continues to try her best in the face of difficult challenges while protecting the books she has sworn to protect. As the story progresses, a romance blooms and Iku and Dojo make romantic feelings for each other evident.
| Military rank Military rank Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms... |
Insignia Insignia Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction... |
|---|---|
| One large German Chamomile German Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla or German chamomile, also spelled camomile, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. Synonyms are: Chamomilla chamomilla, Chamomilla recutita , Matricaria recutita, and Matricaria suaveolens.-Distribution:It usually grows near populated areas all over Europe and... |
|
| Three Chamomile over two stacked books | |
| Two Chamomile over two stacked books | |
| One Chamomile over two stacked books | |
| Three Chamomile over one book | |
| Two Chamomile over one book | |
| One Chamomile over one book | |
| Three open books in a V | |
| Two open books in a V | |
| One open book in a V | |
| One closed book |
Library Team
The , or Library Defense Force (LDF), in Toshokan Sensō is a paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization in Japan which serves to defend libraries against the Media Betterment Act (MBA) enforced by the Media Betterment Committee (MBC) and other pro-MBA independent factions. Different from the normal , which performs librarian functions like modern librarians, the LDF's main goal is to provide self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
from the MBC during library raids, though their jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
only extends so far as in the confines of library facilities in connection with the LDF, meaning they cannot extend their effort even into the city where an LDF base is located. However, there are provisions around this, such as in accordance with Library Law Article 30 regarding book collection in that LDF Library Officers or above can choose to buy any book they want, even books targeted for censorship by the MBC. The LDF has ten bases throughout Japan in ten regions of Japan
Regions of Japan
The regions of Japan are not official administrative units, but have been traditionally used as the regional division of Japan in a number of contexts...
: Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Tōhoku
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
, Hokuriku
Hokuriku region
The is located in the northwestern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan....
, Chūbu
Chubu region
The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...
, Kantō
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
, Kansai, Chūgoku
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...
, Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, and Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
. Each of the bases act under the provisions of the local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, and houses a public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
where civilians can read and check out books.
In the early years of the conflict the library forces were not well organized, so coordination with neighboring forces was often delayed which caused problems in times of armed conflict
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
. One such incident in Toshokan Sensō occurred on February 7, 1999 in Hino
Hino, Tokyo
is a city located in central Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 182,092 and a population density of 6,610 persons per km². The total area was 27.53 km².-Geography:...
at the Hino Library which later became known as the . The incident was caused by an independent group which sided with the Media Betterment Committee raiding the Hino Library and caused the deaths of twelve people who were against the Media Betterment Act. Since that day, the library forces armed themselves in self-defense and have become much more organized; the public even acknowledges the LDF as having more combat experience than the police or the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
. The incident also caused the formation of library bases in ten regions, and the system of library forces in operation at the beginning of Toshokan Sensō.
The Library Defense Force has several branches which contribute to the organization as a whole. At the top is the Administrative Department where library administrators work doing daily administrative duties such as planning
Planning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
, organizing, staffing
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
, budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
ing, or directing
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
. The Department of Defense works on defending against the Media Betterment Committee, and one section of the department consists of the Library Task Force, an elite group of soldiers
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
who go through rigorous training in order to respond during difficult operations. At the Kantō Library Base, there are about fifty members in the task force. The Logistical
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
Support Department works on stocking books and supplying the Department of Defense with military equipment, though it does not get involved with general outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
. There is also a Human Resources Department in charge of human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
, and an intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
. There are approximately 30,000 members in the Library Defense Force throughout Japan. The German Chamomile
German Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla or German chamomile, also spelled camomile, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. Synonyms are: Chamomilla chamomilla, Chamomilla recutita , Matricaria recutita, and Matricaria suaveolens.-Distribution:It usually grows near populated areas all over Europe and...
is used in the insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
of Library Officers and above because the flower was a favorite of the late wife of the Library Defense Force commander Kazuichi Inamine.
Characters
- Iku Kasahara is the main character of Toshokan Sensō; she is twenty-two-years-old and is initially ranked Library Clerk First Class, but is later promoted to Library Clerk Supervisor. She joined the Library Defense Force's KantōKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
Library Base in 2019 after being inspired by a high ranking Kantō Library Defense Force member who saved a book she wanted to buy that was targeted for censorship. She holds this unknown person in high regard, thinking of him as her "prince", and she wants to be an "ally of justice" as he was for her. As such, she has a strong sense of justice when it comes to freedom of expression and is willing to put her life on the line for the books she has sworn to protect. When she enters into recruit trainingRecruit trainingRecruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
, however, she finds it to be very challenging, made especially so by her drill instructorDrill instructorA drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
Atsushi Dojo who pushes her harder than most other recruits. In high school, she had been a member of the track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team, so she has a lot of stamina and drive to continue with the Library Defense Force.
- When the story begins, Kasahara is a sub-par recruit who constantly makes fatal mistakes and is not as knowledgeable about the cause she is in the middle of compared to others around her, mostly due to her not paying attention in lectures on the base. Despite these apparent flaws, she is recruited into the base's Library Task Force, an elite group of soldiers who go through rigorous training in order to respond during difficult operations. While at first she starts out slow, she soon becomes capable of clerical tasks in regard to working in the base's library, though still finds it difficult to make a strong presence on Dojo, her superior officer. Later on, Kasahara finds out that Dojo is actually her "prince" and she begins to warm up to him somewhat.
- Atsushi Dojo is a twenty-seven-year-old member of the Library Task Force and is ranked Librarian Second Class. He is 165 cm (5'5"), though is thought to be too short for Kasahara, despite her only being 5 cm (2") taller. He is very rough on Kasahara due to her not inspiring enough trust in him, and the fact that he believes he did not give her adequate recruit trainingRecruit trainingRecruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
. Part of the reason why he pushes Kasahara so much is that he sees his old self in her, and he is angry that she is bringing that back to him with such emotional force, despite him trying to forget about it. He later realizes that he hurt her just so he could protect his fragile self. He often worries about Kasahara and even defends her from comments from others.
- Mikihisa Komaki, like Dojo, is twenty-seven-years-old, is a member of the Library Task Force, and is ranked Librarian Second Class. He is typically seen smiling or laughing at his coworkers, especially concerning the conversations between Kasahara and Dojo. He is also one of the instructors in the task force. He often gives advice to Dojo or Kasahara in regards to the relationship between them, whether it be on a personal or professional level. He is partly responsible to Kasahara being drafted into the task force.
- Hikaru Tezuka is a member of the Library Task Force and is initially ranked Library Clerk First Class, but is later promoted to Library Clerk Supervisor. He is drafted into the Library Task Force at the same time as Kasahara, though shows himself to be much more capable in terms of knowledge gained in lectures, clerical work in the base's library, and in typical combat. He finds it hard to give credit to Kasahara in the beginning since she is not up to what he considers to be the standards of a Library Task Force member, though he later recognizes her improvement. Due to a comment by Dojo that he could learn some things from her, Tezuka asked Kasahara if she would date him, though she later turns him down. He has an older brother named Satoshi Tezuka, who is a part of the government's Library Future Planning Committee.
- Asako Shibasaki is in the Library Task Force and is initially ranked Library Clerk First Class, but is later promoted to Library Clerk Supervisor. She works as an intelligenceIntelligenceIntelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
specialist, and is very good at gathering information. She is Kasahara's roommateRoommateA roommate is a person who shares a living facility such as an apartment or dormitory. Similar terms include suitemate, housemate, flatmate , or sharemate...
, and after Kasahara joins the task force, Shibasaki helps her study the catalogs in the base's library through a form of negative reinforcementReinforcementReinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of increasing the rate or probability of a behavior in the form of a "response" by the delivery or emergence of a stimulus Reinforcement is a term in operant conditioning and behavior analysis for the process of...
involving giving her candy when she gave the wrong answers which leads her to break out in pimplePimpleA pimple, zit or spot is a kind of acne, and one of the many results of excess oil getting trapped in the pores. Some of the varieties are pustules or papules....
s. Shibasaki often tells Kasahara things she finds out in regards to Kasahara and her direct superiors such as Dojo or Genda. She tries to give Kasahara advice and cheer her up when she is sulking due to events most often brought on by Dojo.
- Ryusuke Genda is the forty-three-year-old captain of the Library Task Force and is ranked Supervising Librarian Third Class. It is partly due to him that Kasahara is drafted into the Task Force, since he is the captain and had the final say. He is very strong, and Kasahara even thinks he has enough brawn to take on a bear. He is a veteran field commanded and possessed of great politic acumen; on one operation he ensured the Media Betterment Act forces secured books and magazines the Library Defense Force already had copies of so that they do not leave empty handed and in disgrace. He is willing to take great risks to achieve objectives, such as purchasing a building for declared use as a future library only so that the Task Force could raid the premisesPremisesPremises are land and buildings together considered as a property. This usage arose from property owners finding the word in their title deeds, where it originally correctly meant "the aforementioned; what this document is about", from Latin prae-missus = "placed before".In this sense, the word is...
in order to rescue Kasahara and Inamine when they are taken hostage.
- Kazuichi Inamine is the commander of the Library Defense Forces who is in direct charge of the KantōKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
Library Base and has been involved with the conflict between the Media Betterment Committee and the Library Defense Force since the beginning. Twenty years prior to the beginning of the story, a major conflict between the two factions occurred at the library in Hino, TokyoHino, Tokyois a city located in central Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 182,092 and a population density of 6,610 persons per km². The total area was 27.53 km².-Geography:...
where a group siding with the Media Betterment Act raided the library. Inamine was caught in the middle of the conflict and lost his wife and his right leg because of it.
Light novels
Toshokan Sensō began 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 Hiro Arikawa
Hiro Arikawa
is a female Japanese light novelist from Kōchi, Japan.-Biography:Hiro Arikawa won the tenth annual Dengeki Novel Prize for new writers for Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious in 2003, and the book was published the following year. It was praised for its love story between a heroine and hero divided...
, and drawn by Sukumo Adabana
Sukumo Adabana
is a male Japanese manga artist from Nagano, Japan. In 2002, he won the gold prize in the tenth round of the illustration division of the Dengeki Novel Prize under the name . In 2006, he debuted publicly as the artist for the Toshokan Sensō series of light novels written by Hiro Arikawa...
. There are four novels in the series, though only the first novel is called Toshokan Sensō; the subsequent novels are named , , and . The 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...
between February 2006 and November 2007. The first volume of a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series entitled was published on April 10, 2008 by ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
, and the second followed on August 9, 2008.
Manga
There are two 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...
adaptations based on the series. The first, entitled , is drawn by Kiiro Yumi and started serialization in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine LaLa
Lala
Lala VC was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.-Details:...
on September 24, 2007, published by Hakusensha
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
. The first bound volume
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...
for the first manga was released on April 5, 2008 under Hakusensha's Hana to Yume Comics 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...
; the sixth volume was published on September 3, 2010. Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
licensed Toshokan Sensō Love & War and will be releasing the first volume in North America in June 2010.
The second series, entitled , is drawn by Yayoi Furudori and started serialization in the Japanese shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
on November 21, 2007, published by ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
. The first bound volume
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...
for Toshokan Sensō Spitfire! was released on June 27, 2008.
Internet radio shows
Two Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
shows produced by Animate
Animate
is the retailing arm of MOVIC and is the largest retailer of anime, games, and manga in Japan. The first and headquarters store of Animate opened in 1983 and is located in Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, there are 38 Animate stores in Japan, and two in Taipei, Taiwan...
first aired on April 10, 2008 under the same main title , but with differing subtitles. The first show, with the subtitle is hosted by Tomoaki Maeno and Tatsuhisa Suzuki who play Atsushi Dōjō and Hikaru Tezuka in the anime adaptation, respectively; the second show, with the subtitle , is hosted by Marina Inoue
Marina Inoue
is a voice actress and singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex division. As for voice acting career, she's employed by Sigma Seven...
and Miyuki Sawashiro
Miyuki Sawashiro
is a female Japanese voice actress and singer who works for Mausu Promotion.She voiced Puchiko in the English dubbed releases of Di Gi Charat the Movie and Leave it to Piyoko, making her one of the few Japanese voice actors to have reprised a role in English in addition to the original Japanese...
who play Iku Kasahara and Asako Shibasaki in the anime, respectively. The first volume compilation CD containing some of the broadcasts was released on August 6, 2008 with the second compilation on December 26, 2008.
Anime
It was announced by Production I.G via MediaWorksMediaWorks (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...
advertising that they would animate Toshokan Sensō. 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....
is directed by Takayuki Hamana
Takayuki Hamana
is a Japanese animation director attached to Trans Arts.-Anime involved in:*Chocolate Underground: Director*Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors': Key Animation *Idaten Jump: Director*Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade: Key Animation...
and written by Takeshi Konuta. It aired 12 episodes in Japan between April 11 and June 26, 2008, on Fuji TV's Noitamina
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
programming block. A commercial and promo were both created to promote the series after the series was announced. Five DVD compilation volumes were released between August 6 and December 3, 2008; the first two contain the two episodes each, while the latter three contain three episodes each. The third volume contains, in addition to episodes six and seven, 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.
The anime's opening theme is , performed and written by Hitomi Takahashi
Hitomi Takahashi (singer)
is a rock/pop singer from Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. After being selected as finalist in the Sony Music SD audition, which contained about 20,000 applicants, Hitomi entered the music scene in 2005 with her single "Bokutachi no Yukue"...
, with Satoru Hirade on composition and arrangement and produced under Sony Music Records. The opening theme single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released on June 4, 2008. The ending theme is "Changes" performed and arranged by Base Ball Bear
Base Ball Bear
Base Ball Bear is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo that formally began in 2002, although the members assembled in the autumn of 2001. The band, which was initially named Planet, was formed for a one-time performance at a high school culture festival, but decided to continue playing due to how well...
of EMI Music Japan with lyrics and composition by Yūsuke Koide. The ending theme single was released on May 8, 2008. The anime's original soundtrack was released on June 25, 2008.
Reception
In the fourth Japan Science Fiction convention, Toshokan Sensō won the 2008 Seiun AwardSeiun Award
The is a Japanese science fiction award for the best science fiction published in Japan during the preceding year, as voted by attendees of the Japan Science Fiction Convention. "Seiun" is the Japanese word for "nebula", but the award is not related to the American Nebula Award. It was named after...
for Japanese long fiction. In the initial Anime DVD charts, Toshokan Sensō was ranked first on the top ten before it went down to eighth place. The series had sold in 2008 a total of 7,949 copies. In 2008, Bessatsu Toshokan Sensō I had sold 62,737 copies and was ranked seventh best light novel while Bessatsu Toshokan Sensō II was ranked the fifth best light novel with a total of 67,874 copies sold. As of April 2008, the original four novels and volume one of the spin-off series have sold over 1.25 million copies in Japan. After its debut broadcast, Toshokan Sensō had an average household rating of 4.5. The series also has a strong fan backing, as noted by Deb Aoki, manga guide of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
, who says that when Viz Media announced their license for the Love and War manga version, a "a cry of delight rose up from fans of this manga, anime and light novel series."