Area 88
Promotional image of the 2005 anime adaptation
エリア88 (Area 88)
Genre	Action, Military, Romance
Manga
Author	Kaoru Shintani
Publisher	Shogakukan
English publisher	Eclipse Comics/VIZ Media
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Big Comic
Original run	1979 – 1986
Volumes	23
OVA
Director	Hisayuki Toriumi
Studio	Studio Pierrot
Episodes	3
Released	1985
TV anime
Director	Isamu Imagake
Studio	Group TAC
Licensor	ADV Films Madman Entertainment
Network	Animax, Asahi Broadcasting
Original run	8 January 2004 – 25 March 2004
Episodes	12

Area 88 (エリア88, Eria Hachi-Jū-Hachi^?) is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The action genre is a class of creative works characterised by a greater emphasis on exciting action sequences than on character development or story-telling War film is a Film genre concerned with Warfare usually about naval, air or land battles sometimes focusing instead on As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly (born April 26, 1951 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese Mangaka ( Writer and Artist of is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, Literature, Manga, Non-fiction, DVDs and other media in Japan. Eclipse Comics was an American Comic book Publisher, one of several influential independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986 was a Bi-weekly Manga magazine published by Shogakukan in Japan from 1979 to 1987. 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 abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be is a Japanese animation ( Anime) company founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic (anime in Japanese, Group TAC (株式会社グループ・タック Kabushiki Kaisha Gurūpu · Takku) is a Japanese Anime and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya AD Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is an American international Multimedia entertainment company based in Houston Texas, active Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that specialises in the distribution of Japanese Anime and Manga in Australia and New See also Animax Mobile TV is a Japanese Anime Satellite television network dedicated to broadcasting anime programming ( also known as EX and, is a Television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato Tokyo, Japan. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " is a Japanese Manga series by Kaoru Shintani that has been animated as an OVA and a television series in Japan is a Japanese Manga series by Kaoru Shintani that has been animated as an OVA and a television series in Japan For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly (born April 26, 1951 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese Mangaka ( Writer and Artist of The term " serial " refers to the intrinsic property of a series &mdash namely its order. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by An Air Force Base ( AFB) is a Military base of any of a number of Air forces including the United States Air Force (USAF and the South African Shin goes from head of his class at a world renowned aviation school dating the beautiful daughter of an airline president to a mercenary fighter pilot bound to Area 88 by a three-year contract that he was duped into signing by a jealous and competitive childhood friend. Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an Aircraft. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage other aircraft and typically pilots a Fighter aircraft. Determined to earn $1. 5 million dollars to buy his way out of the obligation and return home, killing becomes second nature to Shin as he quickly rises to the top rank at Area 88. Overwrought with shame and self-loathing for what he has become, Shin begins to question whether he is still fighting for survival, or like his fellow mercenaries, for the sheer excitement and camaraderie of battle. Self-hatred, self-loathing, also sometimes autophobia refers to an extreme dislike of oneself or being angry at oneself

Area 88 was among the first three manga to be translated into English and published in North America. Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[1] It has been adapted into two anime series, the first an OVA originally published in 1985, and the latest, a 12-episode anime television series, which premiered across Japan on the anime television network Animax in 2005, and a video game, U.N. Squadron. An adaptation is a characteristic of an Organism that has been favored by Natural selection and (anime in Japanese, abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) See also Animax Mobile TV is a Japanese Anime Satellite television network dedicated to broadcasting anime programming Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. UN Squadron is a 1989 Side scrolling Shooting game released for the CPS arcade hardware by Capcom. It is also a brand of model aircraft in Japan. A brand is a collection of Images and ideas representing an economic producer more specifically it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary Aircraft, often scaled down versions of full size planes using materials such as balsa While it appeals to aviation fans for its realistic depictions of aircraft and aerial combat, it has also been critically acclaimed for its strong character development and Shintani's poignant storytelling, combining action, tragedy, romance, and comedy. Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in Words Images and Sounds often by Improvisation or embellishment The action genre is a class of creative works characterised by a greater emphasis on exciting action sequences than on character development or story-telling As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and In 1985, the manga received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen. The Shogakukan Manga Award is one of Japan's major Manga awards sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. is a Japanese word literally meaning few years which can have the following meanings Shōnen a typical Boy, from elementary school through junior high ^[2]

Contents 1 Story 1.1 Time setting 1.2 Variations 1.3 Themes 2 Characters 3 Aircraft 4 Manga 5 Adaptations 5.1 OVA 5.2 TV anime 5.3 Video game 6 Theme songs 6.1 OVA 6.2 TV series 7 Soundtracks 8 References 9 External links

Story

Area 88 takes place in the late 1970s/early 1980s and is largely set in a war-embroiled Middle Eastern country called the Kingdom of Asran. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The war uses mercenary fighter pilots, with its headquarters at a secret desert air force base called Area 88. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by An Air Force Base ( AFB) is a Military base of any of a number of Air forces including the United States Air Force (USAF and the South African Up-and-coming airline pilot Shin Kazama gets tricked into signing up by his "friend" Satoru Kanzaki. Facing execution for deserting from Area 88, Shin reluctantly turns into a fighter pilot and attempts to serve his three year contract out.

Area 88 attracts all kinds of people with all kinds of assorted and often sordid pasts. Among the other mercenaries are Mick Simon, an American who couldn't adjust to normal life after his tour of duty in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Mick becomes Shin's best friend at Area 88. Another familiar sight at Area 88 is McCoy, a greedy weapons dealer who sells everything the mercenaries need from toilet paper to the planes that the mercenaries fly in battle. The commander of Area 88 is Saki Vashutal, who is actually a prince of the nation of Aslan, though his royal heritage means nothing there. Also prominent on the base are the war photographer Rocky (presented as Makoto Shinjou in the 2004 anime), the Dane Greg Gates (later featured in the video game adaptation) and the numerous pilots with whom Shin flies (most of whom die over the course of the series, often in the issue in which they were introduced). (anime in Japanese, A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Though the series focuses mostly on Shin, other characters (notably Rocky and Mick) did have their own individual storylines.

There are only three ways to leave Area 88: Survive three years (highly unlikely), buy out your contract for one and a half million dollars (difficult as a mercenary must pay for all his expenses including stiff fines for turning down hazardous missions) or desertion (a capital offense if caught). With each enemy plane brought down, Shin faces his shifting acceptance of the violence and killing that fills every day, as well as suppressing his feelings of wrong-doing.

Time setting

Area 88 is usually placed during the late 1970s, or early 1980s, although evidence points towards the latter in the OVA's case. First, during Act 1 of the OVA when the calendar in Shin's room is first seen, Shin marks off the date Wednesday, April 11th. Then, during the flashback where Shin unknowingly signs the contract from Kanzaki, the date reads on the contract 'le 29 avril 1979' or April 29th, 1979. Based on the calendar marking, it is some point past 1979 and the nearest year where April 11th falls on a Wednesday is 1984. Secondly, the OVA featured the F/A-18 Hornet, which entered service in 1983. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout From the OVA's conclusion it's reasonable to suggest the end date is sometime in early 1986 given Shin's term in Aslan (2 years 5 months). Note, however, this is directly contradicted by a scene in the third part of the OVA in which we see a calendar in Shin's room during his discharge, the date being Monday, Sept. 22, 1982. (It's more likely that the animators in fact were in error, both about the days of the week, and about the date of service of the F/A-18, as they had made a similar error with the F-14 Tomcat in the second part of the OVA, depicting the F-14 in service over Viet-Nam, when the plane did not enter service until after US forces were withdrawn. )

Variations

Each version of the Area 88 told slightly different variations on the same basic premise, and often shared individual story arcs. However, there are several key differences between each version, especially in the endings.

The original manga ending had Shin returning to Japan, but having lost all memory of Area 88.

The 3-episode OVA adaptation had Shin return to Area 88 and his (surmised) death when the Area was overrun by mercenary planes and the anti-government (Saki's father) forces.

The 2004 anime adaptation truncated the story to just after Shin lost his F-5E, but Shinjou returned to Japan to derail Kanzaki's plot to marry Ryoko. The 2004 anime also introduced the permanent characters of Kim, from the manga, and Saki's cousin Kitori, who had never appeared in any prior versions.

Despite the consistent use of existing aircraft, the manga, unlike the anime adaptations introduced, as the series progressed, a number of elements that may have been considered science fiction at the time but at least used existing technology. Such devices include the land based aircraft carrier with its fleet of robot-controlled F-18 Fighters. The Grand Slam was a drill-missile that bore under the ground towards its target. There was also other exotic weaponry, none of which appeared in either anime adaptation.

Themes

The themes in Area 88 mostly revolve on the Vietnam War and those who have participated in it. The psychological state of the base's mercenaries are also noted, showing that most soldiers who have fought in conflicts from the early 20th century have reported difficulties in getting their lives back to normal.

Area 88 also depicts the use of freelancers in fighting wars as mercenaries have fought for various countries during the 20th century, with the attention of their field work in Africa for most of the time back then.

Characters

Main article: List of Area 88 characters

Aircraft

Notable combat aircraft to have been featured in the series include A-4F Skyhawk, A-10A Thunderbolt II, AV-8A Harrier II, Blackburn Buccaneer, Dassault Mirage F1, SEPECAT Jaguar, English Electric Lightning, F-4J/E Phantom II, F-5E Tiger II, F-8E Crusader, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16A Fighting Falcon, F-20 Tigershark, F-105D Thunderchief, F-100 Super Sabre, F/A-18A Hornet, IAI Kfir, J35F Draken, MiG-17 Fresco, MiG-21 Fishbed, MiG-23 Flogger, MiG-27D Flogger, Sea Harrier FRS Mk.1, T-6 Texan, OV-10 Bronco, B-1 Lancer, X-29 and B-52 Stratofortress. The following is a list of Area 88 characters. Characters Main;Shin Kazama A Japanese pilot who was supposed to be WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see Wikipe diaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Saab 35 Draken ( Swedish: "kite" or "dragon" is a Fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Other aircraft that have appeared throughout the series include the Boeing 747, C-130 Hercules, Cessna 150, Tu-95 'Bear' and UH-1 Iroquois. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout For an overview of the whole Huey family of aircraft see Bell Huey WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft.

Manga

The original Japanese manga of Area 88 was serialized in 23 volumes between 1979 and 1986 by Shogakukan. is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, Literature, Manga, Non-fiction, DVDs and other media in Japan. Each volume was black and white with a painted color cover and contained several short stories called "missions. " In all, there were 172 such missions across the 23 volumes. Shōnen Sunday later repackaged the 23 volumes into ten thick books under its Wide Volume product line.

Area 88, along with Mai, the Psychic Girl and The Legend of Kamui, was one of the first three manga to be translated to English and published in North America by Eclipse Comics and VIZ Media in May 1987. Mai the Psychic Girl, known simply as in Japan, is a Manga written by Kazuya Kudō and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. is a Manga by the prominent Japanese Mangaka Sanpei Shirato. It ran from December 1964 to July 1971 in the monthly Gekiga magazine Garo Eclipse Comics was an American Comic book Publisher, one of several influential independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986 ^[1] It was published bi-weekly with each issue containing a single mission, of which the editors had planned to release all 172. The first 28 issues featured covers from the original manga plus some original artwork by Shintani, but as these resources were limited, the covers of issues #29-36 featured stills from the OVA film. With issue #37 in December 1988, VIZ Media took over the series, and in addition to featuring photographs of actual fighter jets on the cover, the publication went from bi-weekly to monthly and the price from $1. 50 to $1. 75. The series did not adjust well to the dramatic change, and with issue #42 in May 1989, it was canceled. It was later run as a feature in Viz's Animerica Magazine, but did not run to completion there, ending in January 1995.

Adaptations

OVA

An OVA trilogy produced by Studio Pierrot was released between 1985 and 1986 on videotape and laser disc. abbreviated (and sometimes as OAV) is a term originating from Japanese animation ( Anime) for animated films and series which are made specially to be A trilogy is a set of three works of art usually Literature, Film, or Video games, that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or three is a Japanese animation ( Anime) company founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. The Laserdisc (LD is an obsolete Home video disc format and was the first commercial Optical disc storage medium These were later released with English subtitles in North America on VHS by Central Park Media's U.S. Manga Corps in 1992. Central Park Media is an American Multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York that is active in the distribution of Central Park Media is an American Multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York that is active in the distribution of Only the first volume was later released to DVD on July 14, 2000. Central Park Media would later let the original OVA license lapse, which allowed ADV Films to re-release the trilogy on July 25, 2006. AD Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is an American international Multimedia entertainment company based in Houston Texas, active The two-DVD set included all three episodes containing the original Japanese track and the redubbed English track using the same cast from the English dub of TV series, as well as extras including an interview with Kaoru Shintani and an introduction to the fighter jets portrayed in the series. ^[3]

Media

• Area 88: Act I: Blue Skies of Betrayal (1985, VHS/LD; 1992, VHS; July 14, 2000, DVD)
• Area 88: Act II: The Requirements of Wolves (1985, VHS/LD; 1992, VHS)
• Area 88: Act III: Burning Mirage (1986, VHS/LD; 1992, VHS)
• Area 88: Original OVA Series (July 25, 2006, DVD)

TV anime

An updated 12-episode anime television series with CG graphics, produced by Animax, Group TAC and Media Factory, began production in 2003 and premiered across Japan on the anime satellite television network, Animax from 8 January 2004 – 5 March 2004, who later aired the series across its other respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South Asia, South Korea and other regions. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics See also Animax Mobile TV is a Japanese Anime Satellite television network dedicated to broadcasting anime programming Group TAC (株式会社グループ・タック Kabushiki Kaisha Gurūpu · Takku) is a Japanese Anime and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya is a Japanese Publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Chūō Tokyo. Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable See also Animax Mobile TV is a Japanese Anime Satellite television network dedicated to broadcasting anime programming Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː ADV Films licensed the series for North American distribution, releasing the series across the region, with the first DVD volume release being published in 2005 and the last volume being released in 2006. AD Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is an American international Multimedia entertainment company based in Houston Texas, active

Video game

Main article: U.N. Squadron

A shooter video game by Capcom was created in the late 80's, but it was released in the U. UN Squadron is a 1989 Side scrolling Shooting game released for the CPS arcade hardware by Capcom. For the original NASA meaning see capsule communicator. is a leading Japanese International developer S. as UN Squadron, with only the characters connecting the two versions. Versions released included the Super Nintendo, Commodore 64, and Amiga, as well as a stand-up arcade game. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation.

In the game, the player could select from Shin, Mick, or Greg as the pilot to play. Each came with a different plane and various advantages; for example, Mick could handle air-to-air dogfights well while Greg excelled at air-to-ground attacks. Each pilot also had special abilities; Shin mastered normal weaponry at the highest speed, Mick inflicted extra damage with his armaments, and Greg recovered from attacks almost before they occurred.

A few of the elements mentioned in the manga made it in here, like the land carrier and the massive Project 4 air-battleship.

Practically none of the emotion or character development that occurred in the manga or OAVs were transferred over to the game. McCoy and Saki receive zero character development and all the pilots keep the same generic quotes after completing a mission.

Theme songs

OVA

• Opening

1. "How Far to Paradise" by Derek Jackson

• Ending

1. "「悲しみのＤｅｓｔｉｎｙ」 (Kanashimi no Destiny)" by MIO

TV series

• Opening

1. "Mission (Fuga)" by Angels

• Ending

1. "Dance in the Battlefield" by Keiko Terada (eps 1-8)
2. "Dance in the Battlefield (English Version)" by Keiko Terada (eps 9-12)

Soundtracks

• Area 88 Opening Theme: Mission - Fuga
• Area 88: Sound File 1
• Area 88: Sound File 2
• Area 88: Mission Cyber Trance

References

External links

• Area 88 Website from TV Asahi (Japanese)
• Area 88 Website from ADV Films (English)
• Area 88 (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

Anime News Network (ANN is an Anime industry News Website that reports on the status of Anime, Manga, Japanese popular

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