“There is an urban legend that children tell one another about a shinigami that can release people from the pain they may be suffering. This "Angel of Death" has a name--Boogiepop. And the legends are true. Boogiepop is real.”

 

“I am automatic.  When I detect adversity approaching, I float to the surface.  That's why I am Boogiepop – phantasmal, like bubbles.”

                   -Boogiepop

 

 “Apparently the Boogiepop stories were being kept secret from the boys.  A myth only the girls know.”

                                    Suema Kazuko

 

Premise:

Kadono Kouhei wrote Boogiepop and Others in 1997.  The same year, it won the Fourth Dengeki Novel Prize.  Early the following year, the novel released to widespread acclaim and ignited the Japanese “light novel” (a novel with anime or manga style illustrations, primarily targeting teens and young adults) trend.  Kadono has written a total 15 light novels and 2 manga series set in the Boogiepop universe.  In addition to this, a live action movie and a hit anime series have been made.

 

 

 

Franchise:

Novels:

            Boogiepop and Others

            Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1

            Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 2

            Boogiepop in the Mirror: “Pandora”

            Boogiepop Overdrive: The Piper

            Boogiepop at Dawn

            Boogiepop Missing: Peppermint Wizard

            Boogiepop Countdown Embryo: Erosion

            Boogiepop Wicked Embryo: Eruption

            Boogiepop Paradox: Heartless Red

            Boogiepop Unbalance: Holy & Ghost

            Boogiepop Stacatto: Welcome to Jinx Shop

            Boogiepop Bounding: Lost Moebius

            Boogiepop Intolerance: The Ark of Orpheus

            Boogiepop Question: The Silent Pyramid

Movie:

            Boogiepop and Others

Music:

            Boogiepop Phantom Original Soundtrack

            Music Inspired by Boogiepop and Others

Anime:

            Boogiepop Phantom

Manga:

            Boogiepop Doesn't Laugh

            Boogiepop Dual: Losers' Circus

Books:

            Boogiepop wa Warawanai THE MOVIE Eiga Fanbook

            The Art of Kouji Ogata Boogiepop and Others

 

 

Characters:

 

Kirima Seiichi – noted author of numerous criminal/pathological psychology books, father to Kirima Nagi, murdered by Towa Kikou’s More Murder

 

 

Kirima Nagi – The only child of Kirima Seiichi, she appears to have spontaneously undergone “evolution”.  The evolution was premature, very painful, and fatal if left unchecked.  She is given an evolution drug that Kuroda stole from Towa, which halted her evolution.  After her recovery, and alone since her father’s murder, Nagi decides to become a “Defender of Justice”.  She solves many unusual occurrences, usually with help from Boogiepop.

 

 

Towa Kikou – from "tou" = control/govern, "wa" = peace/calm, "kikou" = organization.  A secret society, the Towa Kikou monitors the world and weeds out those undergoing premature “evolution”.  Its agents consist of synthetic human “agents” who have abilities similar to those who undergo spontaneous evolution.  Though the organization works to suppress evolution, it has created several evolutionary drugs and techniques, drugs and techniques that either start or stop evolution.  The Towa Kikou does not seem to be against evolution, as it makes the drugs as well as creating its own evolutions.  Instead, the organization appears to seek to prevent uncontrolled evolution.

 

 

Synthetic Humans:

• More Murder – an assassin assigned to kill Kuroda, killed Kirima Seiichi

• Scarecrow (Kuroda Shinpei) – an agent of the Towa Kikou, he is assigned to monitor for early evolution.  He is aided in this mission by his being a private detective.  He befriends Kirima Nagi in the prefectural hospital that she is taken to, and can’t let her be taken to be experimented on.  He steals the evolution drug and gives it to Nagi at the cost of his own life.  He is hunted by More Murder, and though he evades the synthetic human, he is ultimately fatally wounded.  Miyashita Touka finds him dying.  Boogiepop bases his costume from Scarecrow’s outfit, a dark gray hat and long gray overcoat.

• Pigeon – an agent assigned to deliver assignments to other synthetic humans.  She is killed by Fear Ghoul

• Fear Ghoul – a young doctor who finds the evolution drug left behind by Scarecrow/Kuroda.  She takes the drug and becomes a synthetic human.  Fear Ghoul feeds on the chemicals produced in the bloodstream when a human feels fear.  She kills More Murder and Pigeon, and fights Nagi.  Fear Ghoul is ultimately hunted and killed by Boogiepop.

 

 

Miyashita Touka – a junior at Shinyou High School, Touka is an average student well aware of her limitations.  When she was ten years old, she stumbled across a dying Scarecrow/Kuroda, the trauma of which creates Boogiepop.  Only female students are aware of Boogiepop, and it is likely that Touka herself is responsible for spreading the rumors.  Touka is unaware of her Boogiepop personality, though she sometimes seems to know about him.

 

 

Boogiepop – whenever he senses danger, Boogiepop surfaces in Touka.  While he is in control of her body, he erases or alters Touka’s memories to prevent any discrepancies.  Boogiepop displays superhuman speed and strength, plus enhanced memory and other cognitive skills.  Unlike Nagi, Boogiepop prefers to ambush his prey once he has ascertained the enemy’s true nature.

 

Echoes – the originator of the synthetic humans and evolution drugs.  He is captured by the Towa Kikou and experimented on.  He is an alien-type being sent to Earth to judge humankind. Given the difficulties in synching with the Earth’s time-axis, so he comes to Earth far more evolved than the actual humans.  Because of this, he has a fail-safe program that prevents him directly communicating with others; he can only echo back what he hears.

 

Manticore – Echoes failed clone, the Manticore escapes from the Towa Kikou and hides at Shinyou High School.  She takes the forms of humans by devouring them, hence “Manticore”, or man-eater.  She is the reason that Boogiepop comes to light in both Boogiepop and Others and Boogiepop Phantom.

 

Other Characters:

• Kamikishiro Naoko

• Kisaragi Manaka

• Masami Saotome

 

 

Boogiepop and Others:

An alien being chases an escaped clone of itself, a man-eater hiding in Shinyou Academy. As students disappear one-by-one, people begin to wonder if they are being taken by the legendary Boogiepop. As five different students try to understand different aspects of the puzzle, will anyone every truly know the truth of the events?

 

 

Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1:

A year ago, Boogiepop defeated Imaginator, however, it appears to be trying to return: Asakura Jin, who can see people's hearts as plants, is being visited by the phantom of Imaginator's last host. Meanwhile, two agents from the Towa Organization are trying to find Boogiepop. Whilst Camille tries to lure out Boogiepop indirectly, Spooky E finds himself face-to-face with Shinyou Academy's shinigami.

 

 

Boogiepop Phantom

:

A month ago, a pillar of light pierced the sky. Now, some people are beginning to show signs of highly-evolved powers, and others are seeing the apparitions of people who should be dead. Rumors circulate about Boogiepop being involved, but does this urban legend even exist, and does anybody really know what is going on?

 

Sources:

Angel in the Dark...a Boogiepop Phantom Fanlisting

Boogiepop: The Ultimate Guide

boogiesite

The Boogiepop Otaku Page

Wikipedia's Listing of Boogiepop Media

Boogiepop and Others

Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 1

Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 2

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See also: Anime