Tower of the Future
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
written and illustrated by Saki Hiwatari
. The manga was serialised in Hakusensha
's Hana to Yume
and collected in eleven tankōbon
volumes which were released between March 1995 and April 1999. The series has been licensed in North America by CMX Manga, which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between August 16, 2005 and June 18, 2008. It is also licensed in France as Mirai no Utena - La Mélodie du futur by Delcourt
.
like his father. On Hinami's open day, Takeru sees his own incentive to go to Hinami: Ichigo Suzunari, a girl with a melodic voice. Just before his exams, Takeru's mother is critically injured in a car accident. On her deathbed, she reveals to Takeru that he has an older half-sister, Hyoju, living alone in England. His mother feels guilt for refusing to take in Hyoju after her mother died and wishes for Hyoju to come to Japan and live with them. Takeru's mother then dies. After a period of unrest between Takeru and his father, Takeru allows Hyōju to live with them. Takeru does poorly in his senior school selection exam and ends up in Tennendo, a public high school. However, he sees Ichigo there as well. He confesses his love for her and she off-handedly accepts. He meets Zen Hokuoin, a kindergarten boy, who shows up at odd moments and innocently and strangely gives wise advice to Takeru. Takeru discovers that Ichigo's older brother, Kazuki, is a photographer. He, with the help of his classmates, Seika Nishizawa and Yoruko Tōsaka, enters a modeling agency competition in which Kazuki is one of the judges. Takeru's classmate, Kouki Noda, is inadvertently entered into the competition as well. Kazuki shows his over protectiveness of his sister to Takeru coupled with rumours that Kazuki kisses his sister daily, Takeru turns to the Hokuoin family for help. Zen finds out that Kazuki is infected by the Noize, a parasite that amplifies the person's strongest desires. He takes Takeru to his house so that his sisters can explain that he is part of the Nan'itsu family, tasked with opposing the Noize. The head of the Hokuoin family, Jin, and his family expels the Noize from Kazuki's body. Later, Kazuki asks Takeru to introduce him to Hyōju.
In the school holidays, Takeru works part-time in a game arcade
with Hotei, one of the Seven Stars, the group opposing the Nan'itsu family. Hotei's androgynous
friend, Hijiri, informs Takeru that his true love is not Ichigo but Yoruko. He also teaches Takeru to climb the "tower", where the past and future of people's lives can be seen. Ichigo, Takeru and Noda were planning for a trip to the beach with their friend but Takeru subconsciously climbed the tower and warped them 14 years in the past to 1982. The trio have to survive in the past without using ¥
1000 notes and ¥500 coins
.
. The manga was serialised in Hakusensha
's Hana to Yume
and collected in eleven tankōbon
volumes which were released between March 1995 and April 1999. The series has been licensed in North America by CMX Manga, which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between August 16, 2005 and June 18, 2008. It is also licensed in France as Mirai no Utena - La Mélodie du futur by Delcourt
which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between July 12, 2007 and May 14, 2008.
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...
written and illustrated by Saki Hiwatari
Saki Hiwatari
is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her first work, Mahōtsukai wa Shitteriu was published in the weekly shōjo anthology Hana to Yume in 1982. Hiwatari is probably most well known for Please Save My Earth, a 21-volume series concerning several alien scientists who are reincarnated as high school...
. The manga was serialised in 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....
's Hana to Yume
Hana to Yume
is a semi-monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Hakusensha.The magazine is published on the 4th and 22nd of every month. It is often nicknamed as among the readers...
and collected in eleven tankōbon
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...
volumes which were released between March 1995 and April 1999. The series has been licensed in North America by CMX Manga, which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between August 16, 2005 and June 18, 2008. It is also licensed in France as Mirai no Utena - La Mélodie du futur by Delcourt
Delcourt (publisher)
Delcourt is a French publishing house that specializes in comics and manga.It was founded in 1986 through the fusion of the magazines Charlie Mensuel and Pilote...
.
Plot
Takeru Matsuyuki, a junior school student, is forced to aim for Hinami Private High School for his senior school selection exam by his mother, who wants him to be bilingualMultilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
like his father. On Hinami's open day, Takeru sees his own incentive to go to Hinami: Ichigo Suzunari, a girl with a melodic voice. Just before his exams, Takeru's mother is critically injured in a car accident. On her deathbed, she reveals to Takeru that he has an older half-sister, Hyoju, living alone in England. His mother feels guilt for refusing to take in Hyoju after her mother died and wishes for Hyoju to come to Japan and live with them. Takeru's mother then dies. After a period of unrest between Takeru and his father, Takeru allows Hyōju to live with them. Takeru does poorly in his senior school selection exam and ends up in Tennendo, a public high school. However, he sees Ichigo there as well. He confesses his love for her and she off-handedly accepts. He meets Zen Hokuoin, a kindergarten boy, who shows up at odd moments and innocently and strangely gives wise advice to Takeru. Takeru discovers that Ichigo's older brother, Kazuki, is a photographer. He, with the help of his classmates, Seika Nishizawa and Yoruko Tōsaka, enters a modeling agency competition in which Kazuki is one of the judges. Takeru's classmate, Kouki Noda, is inadvertently entered into the competition as well. Kazuki shows his over protectiveness of his sister to Takeru coupled with rumours that Kazuki kisses his sister daily, Takeru turns to the Hokuoin family for help. Zen finds out that Kazuki is infected by the Noize, a parasite that amplifies the person's strongest desires. He takes Takeru to his house so that his sisters can explain that he is part of the Nan'itsu family, tasked with opposing the Noize. The head of the Hokuoin family, Jin, and his family expels the Noize from Kazuki's body. Later, Kazuki asks Takeru to introduce him to Hyōju.
In the school holidays, Takeru works part-time in a game arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
with Hotei, one of the Seven Stars, the group opposing the Nan'itsu family. Hotei's androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
friend, Hijiri, informs Takeru that his true love is not Ichigo but Yoruko. He also teaches Takeru to climb the "tower", where the past and future of people's lives can be seen. Ichigo, Takeru and Noda were planning for a trip to the beach with their friend but Takeru subconsciously climbed the tower and warped them 14 years in the past to 1982. The trio have to survive in the past without using ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
1000 notes and ¥500 coins
500 yen coin
The is the largest coin denomination of the Japanese yen. Depending on fluctuations in exchange rates it is often the highest valued regularly used coin in the world. As of October 28, 2011, it is valued at US$6.60. As of August 13, 2011, it is valued at €4.57, £4.00, C$6.43, CHF5.07, A$6.29 and...
.
Manga
Tower of the Future is written and illustrated by Saki HiwatariSaki Hiwatari
is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her first work, Mahōtsukai wa Shitteriu was published in the weekly shōjo anthology Hana to Yume in 1982. Hiwatari is probably most well known for Please Save My Earth, a 21-volume series concerning several alien scientists who are reincarnated as high school...
. The manga was serialised in 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....
's Hana to Yume
Hana to Yume
is a semi-monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Hakusensha.The magazine is published on the 4th and 22nd of every month. It is often nicknamed as among the readers...
and collected in eleven tankōbon
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...
volumes which were released between March 1995 and April 1999. The series has been licensed in North America by CMX Manga, which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between August 16, 2005 and June 18, 2008. It is also licensed in France as Mirai no Utena - La Mélodie du futur by Delcourt
Delcourt (publisher)
Delcourt is a French publishing house that specializes in comics and manga.It was founded in 1986 through the fusion of the magazines Charlie Mensuel and Pilote...
which released the manga's eleven tankōbon volumes between July 12, 2007 and May 14, 2008.