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{{Short description|Japanese manga series}}
{{Short description|Japanese manga series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| image = TegamiBachi vol01 Cover.jpg
| image = Tegami Bachi 1.png
| caption = First ''[[tankōbon]]'' volume cover, featuring Lag Seeing (front) and Gauche Suede (back)
| caption = First {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}} volume cover, featuring Lag Seeing (front) and Gauche Suede (back)
| ja_kanji = テガミバチ
| ja_kanji = テガミバチ
| ja_romaji =
| ja_romaji =
| genre = [[Adventure fiction|Adventure]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.viz.com/tegami-bachi|title=The Official Website for Tegami Bachi|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> [[fantasy]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Crunchyroll Gets Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee TV Anime (Update 2)|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-28/crunchyroll-gets-tegami-bachi/letter-bee-tv-anime|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=January 7, 2020|date=September 28, 2009}}</ref> [[steampunk]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Viz Media to Debut the Imaginative Steampunk Action Manga Series Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2009-08-24/viz-media-to-debut-the-imaginative-steampunk-action-manga-series-tegami-bachi/letter-bee|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=January 7, 2020|date=August 24, 2009}}</ref><!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
| genre = {{ubl|[[Adventure fiction|Adventure]]<ref name="VizMedia-Official">{{cite web|url=https://www.viz.com/tegami-bachi|title=The Official Website for Tegami Bachi|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-date=August 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815201209/https://www.viz.com/tegami-bachi}}</ref>|[[Science fantasy]]<ref name="Fall2009About.com">{{cite web|last=Aoki|first=Deb|title=Fall 2009 New Manga Preview|url=http://manga.about.com/od/reviews/tp/Fall2009Preview.01.htm|website=[[About.com]]|access-date=May 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914195232/http://manga.about.com/od/reviews/tp/Fall2009Preview.01.htm|archive-date=September 14, 2009|quote=Currently featured in ''Shonen Jump'' magazine, ''Tegami Bachi'' features a mix of fantasy, action and steampunk-flavored sci-fi, all wrapped up in a beautifully drawn package.}}</ref><ref name="VizMedia-Official"/><!--"A sci-fi fantasy series with heart."-->|[[Steampunk]]<ref>{{cite press release|title=Viz Media to Debut the Imaginative Steampunk Action Manga Series Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2009-08-24/viz-media-to-debut-the-imaginative-steampunk-action-manga-series-tegami-bachi/letter-bee|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|via=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=January 7, 2020|date=August 24, 2009|archive-date=September 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930154536/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2009-08-24/viz-media-to-debut-the-imaginative-steampunk-action-manga-series-tegami-bachi/letter-bee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Fall2009About.com"/>}}<!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
{{Infobox animanga/Print
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| publisher = [[Shueisha]]
| publisher = [[Shueisha]]
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| NA = [[Viz Media]]
| NA = [[Viz Media]]
}}
}}
| demographic = ''[[Shōnen manga|Shōnen]]''
| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|[[Shōnen manga|Shōnen]]}}
| imprint = [[Jump Comics]]
| imprint = [[Jump Comics]]
| magazine = {{ubl|[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]|{{noitalic|(2006–2007)}}|[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]|{{noitalic|(one chapter; 2007)}}|[[Jump Square]]|{{noitalic|(2007–2015)}}}}
| magazine = {{ubl|[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]|{{noitalic|(2006–2007)}}|[[Jump Square]]|{{noitalic|(2007–2015)}}}}
| magazine_en = {{English manga magazine|NA=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]}}
| magazine_en = {{English manga magazine|NA=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]}}
| first = September 6, 2006
| first = September 6, 2006
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| director = Akira Iwanaga
| director = Akira Iwanaga
| producer = {{ubl|Kazuteru Oshikiri|Noriko Kobayashi|Satoshi Adachi}}
| producer = {{ubl|Kazuteru Oshikiri|Noriko Kobayashi|Satoshi Adachi}}
| writer = Tetsuya Ooishi
| writer = {{ubl|Tetsuya Ooishi ({{Abbr|S1|Season 1}})|Masanao Akahoshi ({{Abbr|S2|Season 2}})}}
| music = Kunihiko Ryo
| music = Kunihiko Ryo
| studio = Pierrot+
| studio = Pierrot+
| licensee = {{English anime licensee
| licensee = {{English anime licensee
| NA = [[Sentai Filmworks]]
| NA = [[Sentai Filmworks]]
}}
}}
| network = [[TV Tokyo]]
| network = [[TV Tokyo]]
| network_en = {{English anime licensee|SEA = [[Animax Asia]]<ref name="Animax Asia airs Letter Bee">{{cite web|title=Animax Asia airs Letter Bee|url=http://www.animaxindia.com/shows/letterbee|publisher=Animax Asia, Sony India|access-date=March 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219072820/http://www.animaxindia.com/shows/letterbee|archive-date=February 19, 2012|url-status=dead}}<!--|rem=Dead URL confirmed Sep. 13, 2016. --></ref>}}
| first = October 3, 2009
| first = October 3, 2009
| last = March 27, 2010
| last = March 26, 2011
| episodes = 25
| episodes = 50 + 25 OVA
| episode_list = List of Tegami Bachi episodes
| episode_list = List of Tegami Bachi episodes
}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
{{Infobox animanga/Footer|portal=yes}}
{{nihongo|'''''Tegami Bachi'''''|テガミバチ||"Letter Bee"}} is a Japanese [[manga]] series written and illustrated by [[Hiroyuki Asada]]. It was first serialized in [[Shueisha]]'s [[Shōnen manga|{{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} manga]] magazine ''[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]'' from September 2006 to June 2007; after the magazine ceased publication, it was transferred to ''[[Jump Square]]'', where it ran from November 2007 to November 2015. Its chapters were collected in 20 {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}} volumes. The series is set in AmberGround, a land illuminated by an artificial sun, and follows Lag Seeing, a Letter Bee with the ability to see the memories of people and objects, and his personal Dingo Niche on their journeys across AmberGround.
| type = ova
| title = Tegami Bachi Academy
| director =
| producer =
| writer =
| studio = Pierrot+
| music = Kunihiko Ryo
| first = January 27, 2010
| last = July 23, 2010
| runtime = 3 minutes (per episode)
| episodes = 25
| episode_list = List of Tegami Bachi episodes#Tegami Bachi Academy
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = tv series
| title = Tegami Bachi Reverse
| director = Akira Iwanaga
| producer = {{ubl|Kazuteru Oshikiri|Noriko Kobayashi|Satoshi Adachi}}
| writer = Masanao Akahoshi
| music = Kunihiko Ryo
| studio = Pierrot+
| licensee = {{English anime licensee
| NA = Sentai Filmworks
}}
| network = TV Tokyo
| network_en = {{English anime licensee|SEA = [[Animax Asia]]<ref name="Animax Asia airs Letter Bee">{{cite web|title=Animax Asia airs Letter Bee|url=http://www.animaxindia.com/shows/letterbee|publisher=Animax Asia, Sony India|access-date=27 March 2013|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6FR3FRVbV?url=http://www.animaxindia.com/shows/letterbee|archive-date=March 27, 2013|url-status=dead }}<!--|rem=Dead URL confirmed Sep. 13, 2016. --></ref>}}
| first = October 2, 2010
| last = March 26, 2011
| episodes = 25
| episode_list = List of Tegami Bachi episodes#Season 2: Tegami Bachi REVERSE
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
{{nihongo|'''Tegami Bachi'''|テガミバチ||"Letter Bee"}} is a Japanese [[manga]] series written and illustrated by [[Hiroyuki Asada]]. The series was first serialized in [[Shueisha]]'s [[Shōnen manga|''shōnen'' manga]] magazine ''[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]'' from 2006 to 2007, and then transferred to ''[[Jump Square]]'', where it ran from 2007 to 2015. It chapters were collected in twenty ''[[tankōbon]]''. Set in a fictional land illuminated by an artificial sun, it follows Lag Seeing, a Letter Bee with the ability to see the memories of people and items, and his personal dingo Niche on their journeys across AmberGround.


''Tegami Bachi'' was adapted into an [[anime]] television series by [[Studio Signpost|Pierrot+]], which aired for two seasons from October 2009 to March 2011. The manga was licensed for English release in North America by [[Viz Media]]; it was published in their ''[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]'' magazine, and they have released its 20 volumes. Both seasons of the anime series have been licensed by [[Sentai Filmworks]].
''Tegami Bachi'' was adapted into two separate [[anime]] television series, entitled ''[[List of Tegami Bachi episodes|Tegami Bachi]]'' and ''[[List of Tegami Bachi episodes#Season 2: Tegami Bachi REVERSE|Tegami Bachi REVERSE]]'' respectively. At the 2010 [[Comic-Con International]], [[Viz Media]] announced that it acquired the license for ''Tegami Bachi'' in North America. The company serialized the manga in the North American ''[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]'' magazine from March 2009 to March 2010. It is currently releasing the English version of the manga in the ''tankōbon'' format, with all 20 volumes released by 2017. Both seasons of the anime have been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sentai Filmworks Licenses Penguindrum, Ninja Scroll Film, Letter Bee|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-09-01/sentai-filmworks-adds-penguindrum-ninja-scroll-film-letter-bee|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sentai Filmworks Licenses Tegami Bachi Reverse Anime|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-03/sentai-filmsworks-licenses-tegami-bachi/reverse-anime|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
The story takes place in AmberGround, a land of perpetual night only partly illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing is a newly minted delivery boy, called a "Letter Bee", who worked at the Bee Hive delivery service with his ''Dingo'', Niche, and her "pet", Steak, travelling with him. As a Letter Bee, Lag's job is to deliver letters and packages from town to town while avoiding AmberGround's deadliest hazard—''Gaichuu'', giant armoured insects who attempt to feed off the "heart" that reside within these letters and packages.
The story takes place in AmberGround, a land of perpetual night partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing, who used to work for the Bee Hive delivery service, is appointed as a Letter Bee, traveling with his Dingo, Niche, and her pet, Steak, to deliver letters and packages while avoiding the Gaichuu—giant armored insects who feed on the "heart" within letters and packages. When he was a child, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital, Akatsuki, and he was sent as a "delivery" to his aunt thanks to Gauche Suede, whom he began to idolize and who was his inspiration for becoming a Letter Bee. After Lag becomes a Letter Bee, he learns that Gauche has disappeared as the resistance movement Reverse begins stealing letters from traveling Bees. Lag later encounters Gauche, who is devoted to Reverse's cause and seems to have no memory of his past, despite Lag's attempts to make him remember.

When Lag was very young, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital of Akatsuki. He was sent as a "delivery" to his aunt thanks to Gauche Suede, who Lag started to idolize and was inspired to become a Letter Bee. But as Lag becomes a Letter Bee, he is informed that Gauche has disappeared; at the same time, a resistance movement called "Reverse" begins stealing letters from travelling Bees.

Lag later encounters Gauche, who appears to have no memory of his past, and is now devoted to Reverse's cause. In desperation, Lag vainly tries to make Gauche remember. At the same time, Gauche awakens a giant flying ''Gaichuu'' that is headed for the town Yuusari, the location of the Bee Hive; and later Akatsuki to destroy AmberGround's man-made sun.


==Characters==
==Characters==
;{{nihongo|Lag Seeing|ラグ・シーイング|Ragu Shīingu}}
;{{nihongo|Lag Seeing|ラグ・シーイング|Ragu Shīingu}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Miyuki Sawashiro]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Miyuki Sawashiro]]}}
:A 12-year-old boy with a very focused mindset, regardless of what situations he gets into and always focuses on delivering the package. He was also born on the day of the Flicker. He's very emotional and is nearly constantly crying. He has a special gun called the Shindanjuu, literally the "heart bullet gun" where he loads a "fragment of heart" into the gun, then fires Akabari (Red Needle) at the target. He is seemingly being able to control the direction of the shot. His spirit amber visualizes memories of an animated object. As a child, he was "delivered" by the letter bee Gauche Suede, and was inspired by him to become a letter bee. He is searching for his mother, who was kidnapped to the capital of the country. His left eye is made of red spirit amber, allowing him to better use the Shindanjuu and also allowing him to fire a heart bullet from his own body. He originally has an antique from Campbell, though he receives the Nocturne #20, Gauche's gun. In chapter 29, after Sunny lost her heart to a Gaichuu, Lag's body glowed like spirit amber as he fired a special letter bullet at Noir (Gauche) in hopes of restoring his heart. His name is derived from "lagrima", a Spanish word for "tears", "rag", "[[Lú]]"/"Lugh", the name of the Celtic god of the sun of the [[Danann]] family, and "seeing", the measure of sight.
:A 12-year-old boy who was born on the Day of Flicker and is dedicated to his work no matter what situation he finds himself in. He wields a special gun called the Shindanjuu, which works by loading a "fragment of heart" into the gun, then firing a Akabari (Red Needle) at the target. His Spirit Amber visualizes memories of objects; his left eye is made of red Spirit Amber, which allows him to better use the Shindanjuu and fire a heart bullet from his body. When he was a child, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital, Akatsuki, and he was "delivered" by the Letter Bee Gauche Suede and inspired to become a Letter Bee like him. He originally has an antique from Campbell, though he later receives the Nocturne #20, Gauche's gun. In chapter 29, after Sunny loses her heart to a Gaichuu, he demonstrates a new power, as his body glows like Spirit Amber as he fires a special letter bullet at Noir (Gauche) in hopes of restoring his heart. His name is derived from "lagrima", a Spanish word for "tears", "rag", "[[Lú]]"/"Lugh", the name of the Celtic god of the sun of the [[Danann]] family, and "seeing", the measure of sight. His Dingo is Niche, whom he saved from a Gaichuu and decided to accompany him after seeing his memories through the Shindanjuu and he agreed when she asked him if saying goodbye would make him sad.
:His "Dingo" is Niche, a girl he saved from a Gaichuu (armored insect) who decided to stay at his side when he said yes to her asking him if saying goodbye would make him sad after seeing his memories via the Shindanjuu.
;{{nihongo|Niche|ニッチ|Nicchi}}
;{{nihongo|Niche|ニッチ|Nicchi}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Ayumi Fujimura]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Ayumi Fujimura]]}}
:Lag's personal Girl Without a Smile. She travels with Lag, acting as his bodyguard against Gaichuu, and sticks closely to Lag along with her "pet", "Steak", on her head. She battles using her hair, also known as "The Golden Sword", manipulating it into powerful blade-like tentacles capable of lifting things several times her size. She has bearlike forearms and claws which she usually keeps covered with oven mitt-like gloves. Niche displays animal-like characteristics, such as licking wounds and sniffing the air for any trace of danger. She dislikes wearing underwear, but wears them for Lag's sake, claiming that he is the first person to ever make her wear underwear. Lag assumes that she is 7 years old based on her appearance but it was later revealed that she was born approximately 200 years ago in the town of {{nihongo|Blue Notes Blues|永久氷河|Eikyūhyōga|lit. Permanent Glacier}}. Later on in {{nihongo|Blue Notes Scale|氷河湖路|Hyōgakomichi|lit. Glacier Lake Road}}, a cave by Blue Notes Blues, Niche finds out that she has a twin sister with the same power as her and that she was the child of Maka. The sister refers to Niche as "imouto" (younger sister). Her name is derived from "niche", a crevice or narrow space to put flowers as an offering to the Holy Mother.
:Lag's Dingo, who travels with him along with her pet, Steak. She fights with her hair, also known as "The Golden Sword", which she can manipulate into blade-like tentacles, and has bear-like forearms and claws. Lag finds Niche at a train station while on his way to his Bee Interview. She was a "letter", but the address on her mailing label was incomplete and she was scheduled to be "abandoned" in two days. Lag offers to take her to her new home ("{{nihongo|Rabu Samuwan Daun|ラブ・サム・ワン・ダウン|Rabu Samu Wan Daun|{{lit}} Love Someone Down, translated as ''Lovesome Downs'' in the Viz Media Manga}}" according to the mailing label, even though he is on a deadline for his interview. While traveling, Lag learns that she had several names, and so names her Niche after where he found her—in a niche at the station. After delivering Niche, Lag learns that she is to be part of a side show act as {{nihongo|"The Child of Maka"|摩訶の子|Maka no Ko|{{lit}} Child of [[wikt:महत्|Greatness]]}}, Maka being a mysterious being worshipped and feared in AmberGround's northern territories. When he returns to Love Someone Down, Niche has destroyed the sideshow tent with her "Golden Sword" and fled toward Gaichuu territory. He follows her and saves her from a Gaichuu, after which she declares that she will be his Dingo. Lag assumes that she is seven years old based on her appearance, but it is later revealed that she was born about 200 years ago in the town of {{nihongo|Blue Notes Blues|永久氷河|Eikyūhyōga|{{lit}} Permanent Glacier}}. Later on, in {{nihongo|Blue Notes Scale|氷河湖路|Hyōgakomichi|{{lit}} Glacier Lake Road}}, a cave near Blue Notes Blues, Niche learns that she has a twin sister and that she is Maka's child.
;{{nihongo|Gauche Suede|ゴーシュ・スエード|Gōshu Suēdo}} / {{Nihongo|Noir|ノワール|Nowāru}}
:Lag found Niche at a train station on his way to his Bee Interview. She was a "letter", but the address on her mailing label was incomplete and she was scheduled to be "abandoned" in two more days. Lag offered to take her to her new home ("{{nihongo|Rabu Samuwan Daun|ラブ・サム・ワン・ダウン|Rabu Samu Wan Daun|lit. Love Someone Down, translated as ''Lovesome Downs'' in the Viz Media Manga }}" according to the mailing label in the local writing, which he thought was an orphanage) even though he was on a deadline for his Bee job interview. While traveling, Lag found she had multiple names, so he named her Niche after where he found her—in a niche at the station.
:After delivering Niche, Lag found out she was to be put in a side show act as {{nihongo|"The Child of Maka"|摩訶の子|Maka no Ko|lit. Child of [[wikt:महत्|Greatness]]}}, Maka being a mysterious being both worshipped and feared in AmberGround's Northern territories. Lag hurried back to Love Someone Down with the excuse that Niche's delivery receipt had not been signed. When he got there he found that Niche had already wrecked the sideshow tent with her "Golden Sword" and gone on the run towards Gaichuu territory. He followed her and consequently saved her from a Gaichuu. She decided to stay with Lag after he explained that her address had become unknown (since she had destroyed the mailing label), and she insisted that from then on she would be Lag's "Dingo".
;{{nihongo|Gauche Suede/Noir|ゴーシュ・スエード/ノワール|Gōshu Suēdo/Nowāru, romanised as Goos Suede in Japanese media}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Jun Fukuyama]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Jun Fukuyama]]}}
:Lag's rescuer, who first appears in chapter 1. He is the letter bee that finds young Lag Seeing marked as a letter in "Cosa Bell", a small town in the "Yodaka District" (The low class district in Amberground). He has to deliver to "Campbell Litus" a town also in the "Yodaka District" so he can join his aunt who was trusted to take care of him from the person who wrote Lag's letter data. Gauche is also a caring and enthusiastic letter bee, he is trying to become the "Head Bee" (Captain of the letter bees) so he has enough money to help his sister and live peacefully. In Chapter 7 it is revealed that Gauche is no longer a Letter Bee. Gauche later appears before Lag and steals the letter he is delivering. He refers to himself as a Marauder known as Noir (meaning "Black/Dark" in french) and appears to have no memories of Lag or being a Bee, possibly having lost that part of his heart. His personality greatly differs from the time he was Gauche: as Noir, he is usually expressionless, although it is shown that he deeply cares for Roda and will do everything to protect her. Later on, a Marauder is explained to be a "Plunderer" who takes on the job of theft. Marauders mainly target Letter Bees to keep them from delivering their letters. His name is derived from [[Gauche the Cellist]]. In chapter 30, Lag fires a letter bullet through Gauche in hopes to bring back Gauche's memories, which leaves him comatose til chapter 38. Later, it is revealed that this partially failed, as it only gives Gauche the memories Lag had of him, rather than restoring his own.
:A Letter Bee and Lag's rescuer, who found him marked as a letter in Cosa Bell, a small town in AmberGround's low-class Yodaka District, and delivered him to Campbell Litus to live with his aunt. He seeks to become the Head Bee, the captain of the Letter Bees, so he can earn enough money to help his sister Sylvette live peacefully. Gauche later appears before Lag and steals the letter he is delivering, referring to himself as the Marauder Noir and seemingly without his memories of Lag or being a Bee. As Noir, he is emotionless, in contrast to Gauche's kind nature, but cares deeply for Roda and will do anything to protect her. It is revealed in chapter 10 that Gauche's sister Sylvette was born on the Day of Flicker, the day that the government went out for an investigation and to modify the artificial sun, but their mother died in childbirth. Aria claims that to fill the void in his heart left by the missing shards of his memories of his mother, he focused his attention on making Sylvette happy. In chapter 30, Lag fires a letter bullet at Gauche in hopes of restoring his memories, leaving him in a coma until chapter 38. It is later revealed that this partially worked, as it gave Gauche the memories Lag had of him rather than restoring his own. Gauche's Spirit Amber attack is called Kurobari (Black Needle). During his time as a Letter Bee, he wielded the Nocturne #20, but his current Shindanjuu is Gymnopédie, which uses the attack Raven Black.
;{{nihongo|Sylvette Suede|シルベット・スエード|Shirubetto Suēdo}}
:It is revealed in Chapter 10 by Aria Link that Gauche's sister Sylvette was born on the Day of Flicker. He'd gone to the Hill of Prayer to pray for his mother and sister when Sylvette was born. The Day of Flicker (romanised as "The day of blink" in Japanese media) was the day when the government went out for an investigation and a modification of the manmade sun. His mother died after Sylvette was born. Subconsciously, Aria says that to fill the void in his heart left by the missing shards of his memories of his mother, he started focusing all his attention on making Sylvette happy.
:Gauche's Spirit Amber attack is called Kurobari (Black Needle). During his time as a Letter Bee he owned the Nocturne #20, but his current Shindanjuu is Gymnopédie that uses the attack Raven Black.
;{{nihongo|Sylvette Suede|シルベット・スエード|Shirubetto Suēdo, romanised as Silvet Suede in Japanese media}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Nana Mizuki]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Nana Mizuki]]}}
:Gauche's younger, [[paraplegic]] sister. Born on the Day of Flicker, like Lag. Her brother left her to go to Akatsuki, and eventually disappeared. When she would meet Lag, years later, she had claimed to have given up on Gauche being alive. She later learns he is alive, and Lag promises to find him. After the encounter with Noir outside Honey Waters, when Lag returns home, Sylvette throws him a party because he had found Gauche, as promised. She rents Gauche's room to Lag, Niche, and Steak, and she makes Dolls to cover the rent and expenses. Lag thinks her soup is as terrible as "The Three Brothers' Soup" Gauche had brought with him on his journey; Zazie sympathizes with him on this.
:Gauche's younger, paraplegic sister, who was born on the Day of Flicker. After he left to go to Akatsuki, he later disappeared and she believed him to be dead, but later learns that he is alive. By the end of the story, the sun takes her heart, but Lag reclaims it.
;{{nihongo|Roda|ロダ|Roda}} {{nobold|(dog)}}
At the end of the story, Sylvette's heart is taken by the sun. However, Lag gets it back. By this point, both are in love with each other.
:Gauche's Dingo. She is a dog who specializing in fighting and tracking and is a skilled hunter.
;{{nihongo|Roda|ロダ|Roda, romanised as Lode in Japanese media}} (dog)
;{{nihongo|Roda|ロダ|Roda}} {{nobold|(human)}}
:Gauche's "Dingo". She is a skillful dog that seems to be very well trained for fighting and tracking situations. She appears to be a skilled hunter as well.
;{{nihongo|Roda|ロダ|Roda, romanised as Lode in Japanese media}} (human)
:{{Voiced by|[[Yui Horie]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Yui Horie]]}}
:A child that was given to Gauche as an assistant from the leader of Reverse. Gauche subconsciously named her after his former Dingo.
:A child who Reverse's leader gave to Gauche as an assistant and whom he subconsciously named after his former Dingo. She was a failed experiment, having been mixed with several species/creatures, but was abandoned after the experiment failed until Lawrence found her.
She is also from Reverse for she was an experiment and many species/creatures were mixed with her but the experiment failed, thus throwing her out, then found by Lawrence. She told Lag about this and said that maybe one of the creatures mixed in her is the former dingo of Gauche/Noir.
;{{nihongo|Steak|ステーキ|Sutēki}}
;{{nihongo|Steak|ステーキ|Sutēki}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Naomi Nagasawa]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Naomi Nagasawa]]}}
:Steak is Niche's live bait and emergency food supply. He followed her from the LOVE SOMEONE DOWN's sideshow after she destroyed it. He is usually seen traveling on her head, very rarely moving from his perch even while she is battling Gaichuu. He has the ability to sniff out the weak spots of Gaichuu, allowing Lag to fire his Shindanjuu at the weak spot, killing the armored insect. Steak is also known to bite people on the head, his whole body represents that of a mouth.
:Steak's pet, who began accompanying her after she destroyed Love Someone Down's sideshow and has the ability to sniff out a Gaichuu's weak spots. He is implied to be the last of the [[Kapellmeister]], a species that once coexisted with the Spirit Insects and is now thought to be extinct.
;{{nihongo|Connor Kluff|コナー・クルフ|Konā Kurufu}}
:Niche has remarked that Steak would taste delicious (hence his name). Steak seems to have accepted his fate as a future meal and appears to have meekly submitted to Niche's (interrupted) attempts to cook him. But in all the attempts to cook him, he only got his hair done.
:Steak may be the last of the [[Kapellmeister]], a species that once co-existed harmoniously with the Spirit Insects, and was thought to be extinct.
;{{nihongo|Connor Kluff|コナー・クルフ|Konā Kurufu, romanised as Connor Culh in Japanese media}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Hisayoshi Suganuma]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Hisayoshi Suganuma]]}}
:A young Letter Bee who was first seen in chapter 2, escorting Lag to his Bee job interview. Connor made regular deliveries to Campbell Litus as Lag was growing up, and seems to be popular with the townspeople. He has a hearty appetite and a stocky build, and tires easily. His Dingo is a hound dog named {{nihongo|Gus|ガス|Gasu, romanised as Gas in Japanese media}}, who is skilled at tunneling. He fell in love with Sunny, a young girl from an abbey in Lamento Town, not knowing she and all in her abbey were members of Reverse. When she, along with all other members of her abbey, lost her heart to the massive Cabernet Gaichuu, lost control and furiously tried to attack the Gaichuu, but eventually ran out of heart and passed out. As of the latest chapter, he remains in Lamento Town with the comatose Sunny, still believing she will regain her heart one day.Later in the series it is revealed that Sunny didn't lose all her heart and becomes Connor's girlfriend
:A Letter Bee who escorts Lag to his Bee job interview. Connor made regular deliveries to Campbell Litus when Lag was growing up and seems to be popular with the townspeople. He falls in love with Sunny, a young girl from an abbey in Lamento Town, but is unaware that she and the other inhabitants of the abbey are members of Reverse. When the abbey's inhabitants lose their hearts to the Cabernet Gaichuu, he tries to attack it in a fit of rage, but eventually runs out of heart and passes out. After the battle, he remains in Lamento Town with a comatose Sunny, hoping that she will regain her heart one day. Later in the series, it is revealed that Sunny did not lose all of her heart, and she later recovers and becomes Connor's girlfriend. Connor's Spirit Amber attack is called "Heart Landmine", or 'Kibaku', Yellow Bomb, which he executes by placing shards of his "Appetite" on the ground and then igniting them.
:Connor's Spirit Amber attack is called "Heart Landmine", or 'Kibaku', Yellow Bomb, which he executes by setting shards of his "Appetite" on the ground and igniting them under the Gaichuu.
;{{nihongo|Largo Lloyd|ラルゴ・ロイド|Rarugo Roido}}
;{{nihongo|Largo Lloyd|ラルゴ・ロイド|Rarugo Roido}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Katsuyuki Konishi]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Katsuyuki Konishi]]}}
:The Master of the "Bee Hive". Largo tends to have a more invested interest in Lag and his deliveries, though the reason for this is unknown. He later joins Reverse revolutionary group, having been a test subject just they have been. Unlike the Man Who Couldn't Become a Spirit, Largo has a better plan for overthrowing the government.
:The master of the Bee Hive, who later joins Reverse, having been as a test subject by them, and plans to overthrow the government.
;{{nihongo|Aria Link|アリア・リンク|Aria Rinku, romanised as Aria Rink in Japanese media}}
;{{nihongo|Aria Link|アリア・リンク|Aria Rinku}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Ami Koshimizu]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Ami Koshimizu]]}}
:The sub master of the Bee Hive, who acts as Largo's right-hand man. Aria's Spirit Amber ability is the Heart Restoration Bullet, which she executes by playing music on her violin. It has a healing effect on those who hear it, which is stronger on those closer to her. Her Spirit Amber attack is "Benihiiro no Senritsu" (Crimson Melody), which is emitted from her violin.
:The Sub Master of the "Bee Hive". Aria acts as Largo's right hand, taking care of the minor things for him. She was earlier introduced in the series in Gauche's memories as a letter bee and Gauche's love interest.
;{{nihongo|Sabrina Mary|サブリナ・メリー|Saburina Merii}}
:Aria's Spirit Amber ability is the Heart Restoration Bullet, which she executes by playing music on her violin. The music has a healing effect on everyone who hears it. The closer one stands to her while she is playing, the stronger the healing effects.
:Lag's aunt, who lives in Campbell Litus and whom Gauche entrusted with Lag's care. She is a good friend of his mother, the current Empress.
:Aria's Spirit Amber attack is called "Benihiiro no Senritsu" (Crimson Melody), which is ejected from her violin.
;{{nihongo|Sabrina Mary|サブリナ・メリー|Saburina Merī, romanised as Sabrina Merry in Japanese media}}
:Lag's aunt who lives in "Campbell Litus" and was trusted with Lag's care since he was delivered to her at the age of 7 by "Gauche Suede" the letter bee. When Lag learns about his origins as a fragment of heart, Sabrina is revealed to be his real aunt, but a good friend of his mother, the current Empress.
;Dr. Thunderland Jr.
;Dr. Thunderland Jr.
:{{Voiced by|[[Hideo Ishikawa]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Hideo Ishikawa]]}}
:A biologist who belongs to the Third Bioscience advisory panel of Amberground division. He specializes in [[pathology]] and collects corpses for dissection and study, earning him the nickname "The Corpse Doctor." He has a morbid interest in dissection. Nonetheless he has a kind heart, and makes a star-shaped memorial for each corpse he dissects. Zazie hated him at one point, because he thought Thunderland had taken a group of street kittens Zazie liked, however, it was shown he only quarantined them.
:A biologist who works for the Third Bioscience advisory panel of AmberGround division. He specializes in [[pathology]] and collects corpses for dissection and study, earning him the nickname "The Corpse Doctor." Despite his job, he has a kind heart, as he makes a star-shaped memorial for each corpse he dissects. Zazie once hated him because he thought he had taken a group of street kittens, but in reality he had quarantined them because of a disease. He is also one of the five survivors of the airship that crashed on the Day of Flicker.
:Dr. Thunderland Jr. is also one of the five survivors of the airship that crashed on the Day of Flicker due to the blindness of the light going out.
;{{nihongo|Zazie Winters|ザジ|Zaji}}
;{{nihongo|Zazie Winters|ザジ|Zaji}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Daisuke Kishio]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Daisuke Kishio]]}}
:Zazie is a young Letter Bee who was introduced in chapter seven. He is very skilled at killing Gaichuu. Zazie's parents were killed by Gaichuu when he was young, leading him to become a Letter Bee so that he could seek revenge against all Gaichuu. Because he is so focused on killing Gaichuu, delivering Letters is of course of little interest to Zazie. Zazie is very fond of cats. At one point, he was mad at Dr. Thunderland because he thought that the Doctor killed an alley cat he was feeding. However, when he found that Dr. Thunderland quarantined the cat because of a disease, Zazie forgave him.
:A Letter Bee. When he was a child, his parents were killed by a Gaichuu, leading him to become a Letter Bee in order to seek revenge against the Gaichuu, whom he is skilled at killing. Since he has dedicated himself to killing Gaichuu, he does not care for delivering letters. Zazie is fond of cats, which caused him to hate Dr. Thunderland because he thought that he had killed an alley cat he was feeding. However, he forgives him after learning that he had quarantined the cat because of a disease. Zazie is also fond of Jiggy Pepper and looks up to him. Zazie's Spirit Amber attack is Aotoge (Blue Thorn), which uses shards of his "Malice" instead of his heart.
:Zazie is also quite fond of Jiggy Pepper, and looks up to him as, in a sense, 'his idol.' A minor reference to that is at the end of Chapter 20, when Lag is telling Zazie (and Conner, who happen to be at Sylvette's) about what had happened, and Zazie yelling in disbelief that he really rode Jiggy's Bike. He then goes on to questioning every detail, with a hint of jealousy in the comic panel that it's explained in. There's also been a four-strip comic in which Zazie questions Jiggy's pay, and finds that he plans to be an express deliverer like Jiggy. Lastly, in chapter 43, Zazie wakes to find himself on Jiggy's bike, and, while combating the Cabernet Gaichuu, he claims that he'd 'rather die' than back down when Jiggy speaks of the risks.
:Zazie's Spirit Amber attack is called Aotoge (Blue Thorn), which uses shards of his "Malice" instead of his heart.
;{{nihongo|Wasiolka|ヴァシュカ|Vashuka}}
;{{nihongo|Wasiolka|ヴァシュカ|Vashuka}}
:Zazie's Dingo, which takes the form of a black panther. It has stuck with Zazie since it was a kitten, being fond of its owner.
:Zazie's Dingo, which is a black panther. It has stuck with Zazie since it was a kitten out of fondness towards him.
;{{nihongo|Jiggy Pepper|ジギー・ペッパー|Jigī Peppā}}
;{{nihongo|Jiggy Pepper|ジギー・ペッパー|Jigī Peppā}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Kazuya Nakai]]}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Kazuya Nakai]]}}
:A semi-recurring Bee, whose Shindanjuu is his motorcycle. He was first mentioned in chapter three by his adopted sister, Nelli. Nelli hated him because she blamed the death of her brother Nello on his leaving them. When Lag shot off a heart bullet at Nello's letter, it was revealed he wanted to get stronger for Nelli. Jiggy later appeared saving Lag from a giant Gaichuu that had trapped him in a trance. He said he had received a letter from his sister Nelli, telling him about Lag's efforts, and thanked him, before departing. He later appears due to a request from Largo and says that he follows who he wants to follow and no one else. Largo then gives him a wounded Zazie to take care of and they leave pursuing the Gaichuu heading towards the capital. Zazie worships him as a hero. His Dingo is a hawk named Harry.
:A Letter Bee who is first mentioned by his adopted sister, Nelli, and who Zazie looks up to. He seeks to become stronger for her, and only follows who he wants to follow. Nelli hated him because she blamed the death of her brother Nello on him leaving them. Jiggy later saves Lag from a giant Gaichuu, telling him that had received a letter from Nelli telling him about his efforts, and thanks him before departing. Largo later entrusts him with caring for Zazie, and they leave to pursue the Gaichuu heading towards Akatsuki. His Dingo is a hawk named Harry. His Spirit Amber is Gunjou, Sea Blue Ultramarine, which he executes through a Shindanjuu he carries besides his motorcycle.
:Jiggy's spirit amber is Gunjou, Sea Blue Ultramarine, which he executes through a Shindanjuu he carries besides his motorcycle.
;{{nihongo|Anne Seeing|アン.シーイング|An Shīingu}}
;{{nihongo|Anne Seeing|アン.シーイング|An Shīingu}}
:Lag's mother. She was kidnapped to the capital of the AmberGround, Akatsuki at the start of this manga. She is later revealed to have been from the royal bloodline, and is now part of the machine continuing to keep the man-made sun lit. During the Day of Flicker, a fragment of heart hit her, causing an accelerated pregnancy within minutes. What was born was a boy being of pure heart; to keep him from fading, Anne had Sabrina Mary place a Spirit Amber in his eye socket. This gave the boy human form, and Anne named him Lag.
:Lag's mother, who at the beginning of the story was kidnapped by men from Akatsuki. She is later revealed to be from the royal bloodline and part of the machine keeping the artificial sun lit. During the Day of Flicker, she was struck by a fragment of heart, causing an accelerated pregnancy. After giving birth to Lag, who was a being of pure heart, she had Sabrina place a Spirit Amber in his eye socket to prevent him from fading away, which gave him human form.
;{{nihongo|Lawrence|ローレンス|Rōrensu}}
;{{nihongo|Lawrence|ローレンス|Rōrensu}}
:He is the leader of the Reverse society to plunder the letters that Letter Bees delivered. He, while Gauche no longer remembers his past, gives him name as Noir, the Marauder.
:Reverse's leader, who aims to plunder the letters that Letter Bees deliver. He gave Gauche his new identity as Noir.


==Media==
==Media==
===Manga===
===Manga===
{{Main|List of Tegami Bachi chapters}}
{{Main|List of Tegami Bachi chapters{{!}}List of ''Tegami Bachi'' chapters}}
Written and illustrated by [[Hiroyuki Asada]], ''Tegami Bachi'' debuted in [[Shueisha]]'s ''[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]'' on September 6, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hiroyuki|first=Asada|script-title=ja:はじめまして「asada hiroyuki.com」です|url=http://www.asadahiroyuki.com/archives/50079897.html|website=asadahiroyuki.com|access-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913192544/http://www.asadahiroyuki.com/archives/50079897.html|archive-date=September 13, 2011|language=ja|date=September 2, 2006}}</ref> The magazine ceased its publication on June 6, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|last=Macdonald|first=Christopher|title=Shueisha to Launch New Monthly Magazine|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-06/shueisha-to-launch-new-monthly-magazine|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|date=April 6, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=More Revealed on Monthly Shonen Jump's Aftermath|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-04/more-revealed-on-monthly-shonen-jump's-aftermath|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> Following a special un-numbered one-shot chapter published in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' on October 15, 2007,<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Four Monthly Shonen Jump Titles to Run After Mag's End|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-29/four-monthly-shonen-jump-titles-to-run-after-mag's-end|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=April 29, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2007年新年46号|url=http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2007/46.html|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205062530/http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2007/46.html|archive-date=February 15, 2008|language=ja}}</ref> the series was transferred to the then brand new magazine ''[[Jump Square]]'' on November 2 of the same year,<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Jump Square to Replace Monthly Shonen Jump in November|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-07-05/jump-square-to-replace-monthly-shonen-jump-in-november|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=July 5, 2007}}</ref> where it ran until its conclusion on November 4, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pienda|first=Rafael Antonio|title=Tegami Bachi Manga Ends Magazine Run on November 4|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-04/tegami-bachi-manga-ends-magazine-run-on-november-4/.93786|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=October 4, 2015}}</ref> Shueisha collected its chapters in twenty ''[[tankōbon]]'' volumes, released from January 4, 2007,<ref name="Shueisha-vol01">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874312-7|script-title=ja:テガミバチ/1|trans-title=''Tegami Bachi'' 1|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=Japanese|accessdate=April 27, 2020|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130629045428/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874312-7|archivedate=June 29, 2013}}</ref> to January 4, 2016.<ref name="Shueisha-vol20">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-880506-1|script-title=ja:テガミバチ/20|trans-title=''Tegami Bachi'' 20|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=Japanese|accessdate=April 27, 2020|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20160117162324/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-880506-1|archivedate=January 17, 2016}}</ref>
Written and illustrated by [[Hiroyuki Asada]], ''Tegami Bachi'' debuted in [[Shueisha]]'s ''[[Monthly Shōnen Jump]]'' on September 6, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hiroyuki|first=Asada|script-title=ja:はじめまして「asada hiroyuki.com」です|url=http://www.asadahiroyuki.com/archives/50079897.html|website=asadahiroyuki.com|access-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011110103/http://www.asadahiroyuki.com/archives/50079897.html|archive-date=October 11, 2007|language=ja|date=September 2, 2006}}</ref> The magazine ceased its publication on June 6, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|last=Macdonald|first=Christopher|title=Shueisha to Launch New Monthly Magazine|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-06/shueisha-to-launch-new-monthly-magazine|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|date=April 6, 2007|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320073315/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-06/shueisha-to-launch-new-monthly-magazine|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=More Revealed on Monthly Shonen Jump's Aftermath|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-04/more-revealed-on-monthly-shonen-jump%27s-aftermath|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|date=June 4, 2007|archive-date=August 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808215344/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-04/more-revealed-on-monthly-shonen-jump%27s-aftermath|url-status=live}}</ref> Following a special un-numbered one-shot chapter published in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' on October 15, 2007,<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Four Monthly Shonen Jump Titles to Run After Mag's End|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-29/four-monthly-shonen-jump-titles-to-run-after-mag%27s-end|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=April 29, 2007|archive-date=April 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425164125/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-29/four-monthly-shonen-jump-titles-to-run-after-mag%27s-end|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2007年新年46号|url=http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2007/46.html|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|access-date=October 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205062530/http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/henshu/backnumber/2007/46.html|archive-date=February 5, 2008|language=ja}}</ref> the series was transferred to the then brand new magazine ''[[Jump Square]]'' on November 2 of the same year,<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Jump Square to Replace Monthly Shonen Jump in November|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-07-05/jump-square-to-replace-monthly-shonen-jump-in-november|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=July 5, 2007|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627210501/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-07-05/jump-square-to-replace-monthly-shonen-jump-in-november|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:【ジャンプスクエア】ジャンプSQ.創刊号、11月2日発売!!|url=http://manganohi.jp/2007/11/8808.html|website=manganohi.jp|access-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202165452/http://manganohi.jp/2007/11/8808.html|archive-date=December 2, 2007|language=ja|date=November 2, 2007}}</ref> where it ran until its conclusion on November 4, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pienda|first=Rafael Antonio|title=Tegami Bachi Manga Ends Magazine Run on November 4|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-04/tegami-bachi-manga-ends-magazine-run-on-november-4/.93786|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=April 25, 2019|date=October 4, 2015|archive-date=April 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425221608/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-04/tegami-bachi-manga-ends-magazine-run-on-november-4/.93786|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:「テガミバチ」約9年の連載に幕、「テガミ」運ぶ郵便配達員のファンタジー|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/164923|website=[[Comic Natalie]]|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|access-date=October 23, 2021|language=ja|date=November 4, 2015|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023000246/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/164923|url-status=live}}</ref> Shueisha collected its 99 individual chapters in twenty {{Transliteration|ja|[[tankōbon]]}} volumes, released from January 4, 2007,<ref name="Shueisha-vol01">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874312-7|script-title=ja:テガミバチ/1|trans-title=''Tegami Bachi'' 1|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=April 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629045428/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874312-7|archive-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref> to January 4, 2016.<ref name="Shueisha-vol20">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-880506-1|script-title=ja:テガミバチ/20|trans-title=''Tegami Bachi'' 20|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=Japanese|access-date=April 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160117162324/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-880506-1|archive-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref>


[[Viz Media]] announced that it had licensed ''Tegami Bachi'' for an English-language adaption in North America at the Comic-Con International on February 28, 2010.<ref name="ann20080725">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-25/viz-picks-up-waq-waq-tegami-bachi-manga|title=Viz Picks Up Wāq Wāq, Tegami Bachi Manga|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=2008-07-25|access-date=September 20, 2011}}</ref> It was announced that ''Tegami Bachi'', otherwise known as ''Letter Bee'' in English translations, will be serialized in the monthly manga anthology ''[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]'', where it replaced the manga series ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]''.<ref name="ann20080725" /> It debuted in the March 2009 issue of the magazine.<ref name="ann20080725" />
[[Viz Media]] announced that it had licensed ''Tegami Bachi'' for an English-language adaption in North America at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] on February 28, 2010.<ref name="ann20080725">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-25/viz-picks-up-waq-waq-tegami-bachi-manga|title=Viz Picks Up Wāq Wāq, Tegami Bachi Manga|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=July 25, 2008|access-date=September 20, 2011|archive-date=September 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916200028/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-25/viz-picks-up-waq-waq-tegami-bachi-manga|url-status=live}}</ref> It was announced that ''Tegami Bachi'', otherwise known as ''Letter Bee'' in English translations, will be serialized in the monthly manga anthology ''[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]'', where it replaced the manga series ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]''.<ref name="ann20080725" /> It debuted in the March 2009 issue of the magazine.<ref name="ann20080725" />


===Drama CD===
===Drama CD===
Line 171: Line 121:


===Anime===
===Anime===
{{Main|List of Tegami Bachi episodes}}
{{Main|List of Tegami Bachi episodes{{!}}List of ''Tegami Bachi'' episodes}}
A special anime adaptation, running for about 30 minutes, was shown during the Jump Super Anime Tour events in Japan in the fall of 2008.<ref name="Letter Bee page">{{cite web|url=http://www.jumpland.com/animetour/sva/lb-en.sva|title=LETTER BEE|publisher=Jumpland|access-date=2008-12-12}}</ref> It was titled {{nihongo3|''Letter Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy''|テガミバチ 〜光と青の幻想夜話〜|Tegami Bachi: Hikari to Ao no Gensō Yawa}}, and was animated by [[Studio Signpost|Pierrot+]]. The Original Video Animation was translated for free by Anthony Carl Kimm on the Jumpland website with English subtitles.<ref name="Letter Bee page"/> It was later released on DVD in the beginning of 2009.
A special anime adaptation, running for about 30 minutes, was shown during the Jump Super Anime Tour events in Japan in the fall of 2008.<ref name="Letter Bee page">{{cite web|url=http://www.jumpland.com/animetour/sva/lb-en.sva|title=LETTER BEE|publisher=Jumpland|access-date=December 12, 2008|archive-date=December 24, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224022401/http://www.jumpland.com/animetour/sva/lb-en.sva|url-status=live}}</ref> It was titled {{nihongo3|''Letter Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy''|テガミバチ 〜光と青の幻想夜話〜|Tegami Bachi: Hikari to Ao no Gensō Yawa}}, and was animated by [[Studio Signpost|Pierrot+]]. An [[original video animation]] was translated for free by Anthony Carl Kimm on the Jumpland website with English subtitles.<ref name="Letter Bee page"/> It was later released on DVD in the beginning of 2009.


In the June 2009 issue of the Jump SQ magazine, it was announced that ''Tegami Bachi'' will get an anime series in the fall of 2009.<ref name="ann20090430">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-30/tegami-bachi-manga-gets-tv-anime-green-lit-for-fall|title=Tegami Bachi Manga Gets TV Anime Green-Lit for October (Update 2)|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=2009-04-30|access-date=2011-09-20}}</ref> This anime series is directed by Akira Iwanaga, and it features the same voice cast which had voiced characters in the previous 2008 special anime.<ref name="natalie20090502">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/comic/news/16122|title=浅田弘幸「テガミバチ」地上波TVアニメ化決定|publisher=[[Comic Natalie]]|date=2009-05-02|access-date=2011-09-22|language=ja}}</ref> This anime started airing in Japan on the [[TV Tokyo]], [[TV Osaka]], [[TV Aichi]] and other affiliated television networks around Japan on October 3, 2009,<ref name="natalie20090907" /> and it ended on March 27, 2010. The first opening theme song for this anime was revealed to be the song {{nihongo|''Hajimari no Hi''|はじまりの日}}, which is sung by [[Suga Shikao]] and features Mummy-D, on September 7, 2009.<ref name="natalie20090907">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/music/news/20837|script-title=ja:スガシカオがアニメ版「テガミバチ」主題歌に新曲提供|publisher=Music Natalie|date=2009-09-07|access-date=2011-09-22|language=ja}}</ref> This theme song was replaced by the song {{nihongo|''Love Letter no kawari ni kono Uta wo''|ラブレターのかわりにこの詩を。|Lit. Rather than a Love Letter, Choose This Poem}}, which is sung by singer Seira, in episode 14 of the anime onwards.<ref name="natalie20091204">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/music/news/24728|title=星羅ニューシングルはアニメ「テガミバチ」新OPテーマ|publisher=Music Natalie|date=2009-12-04|access-date=2011-09-22|language=ja}}</ref> In 2013, [[Animax Asia]] re-aired Tegami Bachi in English, under the title ''Letter Bee''.<ref name="Animax Asia airs Letter Bee"/>
In April 2009, it was announced that ''Tegami Bachi'' would receive an [[anime]] television series adaptation.<ref name="ann20090430">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-30/tegami-bachi-manga-gets-tv-anime-green-lit-for-fall|title=Tegami Bachi Manga Gets TV Anime Green-Lit for October (Update 2)|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=April 30, 2009|access-date=September 20, 2011|archive-date=May 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503015012/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-30/tegami-bachi-manga-gets-tv-anime-green-lit-for-fall|url-status=live}}</ref> The series was directed by Akira Iwanaga.<ref name="natalie20090502">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/comic/news/16122|script-title=ja:浅田弘幸「テガミバチ」地上波TVアニメ化決定|website=[[Comic Natalie]]|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|date=May 2, 2009|access-date=September 22, 2011|language=ja|archive-date=September 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927094029/http://natalie.mu/comic/news/16122|url-status=live}}</ref> The series aired on [[TV Tokyo]], [[TV Osaka]], [[TV Aichi]] and other affiliated television networks from October 3, 2009, to March 27, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Crunchyroll Gets Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee TV Anime (Update 2)|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-28/crunchyroll-gets-tegami-bachi/letter-bee-tv-anime|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=January 7, 2020|date=September 28, 2009|archive-date=May 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528141827/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-28/crunchyroll-gets-tegami-bachi/letter-bee-tv-anime|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="natalie20090907" /> The first opening theme song is {{nihongo|''Hajimari no Hi''|はじまりの日}}, performed by [[Suga Shikao]] featuring Mummy-D.<ref name="natalie20090907">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/music/news/20837|script-title=ja:スガシカオがアニメ版「テガミバチ」主題歌に新曲提供|website=[[Music Natalie]]|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|date=September 7, 2009|access-date=September 22, 2011|language=ja|archive-date=September 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924154720/http://natalie.mu/music/news/20837|url-status=live}}</ref> The second opening theme song is {{nihongo|''Love Letter no Kawari ni Kono Uta O''|ラブレターのかわりにこの詩を。||{{lit}} Rather than a Love Letter, Choose This Poem}}, performed by Seira.<ref name="natalie20091204">{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/music/news/24728|script-title=ja:星羅ニューシングルはアニメ「テガミバチ」新OPテーマ|website=[[Music Natalie]]|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|date=December 4, 2009|access-date=September 22, 2011|language=ja|archive-date=September 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924154741/http://natalie.mu/music/news/24728|url-status=live}}</ref> In Southeast Asia, the series aired on [[Animax Asia]] under the title ''Letter Bee''.<ref name="Animax Asia airs Letter Bee"/>


A second season of the anime, called ''Tegami Bachi REVERSE'' was announced in the ''Puff'' magazine in Japan during an interview with the artist.<ref name="ann20100228">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-28/tegami-bachi/leter-bee-2nd-anime-season-airs-in-fall|title=Tegami Bachi: Leter Bee's 2nd Anime Season Airs in Fall|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=2010-02-28|access-date=2011-09-20}}</ref> This season of the anime retained its previous voice cast, and is also directed by Akira Iwanaga.<ref name="zakzak20100819">{{cite web|url=http://www.zakzak.co.jp/anime/news/1008/100819-006.html|title=アニメ「ガミバチ」第2期 正式タトル&ビジュアル他、初公開!|publisher=ZAKZAK|date=2010-08-19|access-date=2011-09-23}}</ref> The second season of the anime premiered on October 1, 2010.<ref name="ann20100228" />
A second season, ''Tegami Bachi Reverse'', was announced in February 2010.<ref name="ann20100228">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-28/tegami-bachi/leter-bee-2nd-anime-season-airs-in-fall|title=Tegami Bachi: Leter Bee's 2nd Anime Season Airs in Fall|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=February 28, 2010|access-date=September 20, 2011|archive-date=March 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302184352/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-28/tegami-bachi/leter-bee-2nd-anime-season-airs-in-fall|url-status=live}}</ref> The second season aired from October 3, 2010, to March 26, 2011.<ref name="ann20100228" /> The first opening theme song is {{nihongo|''[[Chiisana Mahō]]''|小さな魔法|Little Magic}}, performed by [[Stereopony]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stereopony.com/info/index.html|title=レオポニーンフォーション|access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> while the first ending theme song is {{nihongo|''Wasurenagusa''|勿忘草|Forget-Me-Not}}, performed by Piko.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.piko-piko.jp/info/index.html|title=ピコ Official Web Site Information|access-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> The second opening theme song is {{nihongo|''Yakusoku''|約束|Promise}}, performed by [[Suga Shikao]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.office-augusta.com/suga/information.html#release_yakusoku_haishin|title=Suga Shikao Official Website: Release|access-date=January 11, 2011}}</ref> while the second ending theme {{nihongo|''Perseus''|ペルセウス|Perseus}}, performed by Yamazaru.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nodoubttracks.com/news/tv.php#7|script-title=ja:TV NEWS ニュース:NO DOUBT TRACKS Official Web Site|access-date=January 11, 2011}}</ref>


In North America, both seasons have been licensed by [[Sentai Filmworks]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Sentai Filmworks Licenses Penguindrum, Ninja Scroll Film, Letter Bee|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-09-01/sentai-filmworks-adds-penguindrum-ninja-scroll-film-letter-bee|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=September 2, 2012|archive-date=September 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904223713/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-09-01/sentai-filmworks-adds-penguindrum-ninja-scroll-film-letter-bee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sentai Filmworks Licenses Tegami Bachi Reverse Anime|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-03/sentai-filmsworks-licenses-tegami-bachi/reverse-anime|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=January 3, 2013|archive-date=January 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105145638/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-03/sentai-filmsworks-licenses-tegami-bachi/reverse-anime|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception==


==Reception==
===Manga===
===Manga===
Deb Aoki of [[About.com]] reviewed ''Tegami Bachi'' Volume 1.<ref name="aboutreview" /> Aoki said that the series "has the right stuff to appeal to both male and female readers: thrilling action, a magical world full of mysteries, likeable characters that are worth caring about, and lovely artwork, all done with a touch of light-hearted humor."<ref name="aboutreview">{{cite web|url=http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/TegamiBachi1.htm|title=Tegami Bachi Volume 1 Review|publisher=[[About.com]]|access-date=October 8, 2009}}.</ref>
Deb Aoki of [[About.com]] reviewed ''Tegami Bachi'' Volume 1.<ref name="aboutreview" /> Aoki said that the series "has the right stuff to appeal to both male and female readers: thrilling action, a magical world full of mysteries, likeable characters that are worth caring about, and lovely artwork, all done with a touch of light-hearted humor."<ref name="aboutreview">{{cite web|url=http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/TegamiBachi1.htm|title=Tegami Bachi Volume 1 Review|publisher=[[About.com]]|access-date=October 8, 2009|archive-date=September 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925010800/http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/TegamiBachi1.htm|url-status=dead}}.</ref>


In Japan, volume 2 of the manga debuted at the 6th position during the first week of its release.<ref name="ann20070613">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-13/japanese-comic-ranking-june-5-june-11|title=Japanese Comic Ranking, June 5–June 11|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=2007-06-13|access-date=September 20, 2011}}</ref>
In Japan, volume 2 of the manga debuted sixth during the first week of its release.<ref name="ann20070613">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-13/japanese-comic-ranking-june-5-june-11|title=Japanese Comic Ranking, June 5–June 11|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=June 13, 2007|access-date=September 20, 2011|archive-date=November 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122110200/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-06-13/japanese-comic-ranking-june-5-june-11|url-status=live}}</ref>


===Anime===
===Anime===
Carlo Santos of [[Anime News Network]] reviewed the first 6 episodes of ''Tegami Bachi''.<ref name="annanimereview">Santos, Carlo. "[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tegami-bachi/letter-bee/episodes-1 Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Episodes 1-6 streaming - Review - Anime News Network]." [[Anime News Network]]. Retrieved on May 5, 2010.</ref> He commented that the series "may be one of the last few adventure series that is genuinely about adventure" and "an adventure with a unique vibe".<ref name="annanimereview" /> Santos went on to say how the series as a whole isn't like typical [[Adventure|adventure series]], which deal with "the triumphs and tragedies of having the best sword", as it is built on "the triumphs and tragedies of the human heart".<ref name="annanimereview" /> A negative point he said was about the animation—describing the Gaichuu as "plastic-looking CGI beasts looking woefully out of place among the scenery".<ref name="annanimereview" /> However, Santos complimented the series' art direction by saying that "the artistry is far more commendable: the blend of feudal and industrial eras results in a unique visual aesthetic".<ref name="annanimereview" /> Overall, Santos gave a positive review of the first 6 episodes of ''Tegami Bachi'' with an overall grade of B−.<ref name="annanimereview" />
Carlo Santos of [[Anime News Network]] reviewed the first 6 episodes of ''Tegami Bachi''.<ref name="annanimereview">{{cite web|last=Santos|first=Carlo|title=Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Episodes 1–6 streaming – Review|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tegami-bachi/letter-bee/episodes-1|website=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=May 5, 2010|date=November 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324195644/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tegami-bachi/letter-bee/episodes-1|archive-date=March 24, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> He commented that the series "may be one of the last few adventure series that is genuinely about adventure" and "an adventure with a unique vibe".<ref name="annanimereview" /> Santos went on to say how the series as a whole isn't like typical [[Adventure|adventure series]], which deal with "the triumphs and tragedies of having the best sword", as it is built on "the triumphs and tragedies of the human heart".<ref name="annanimereview" /> A negative point he said was about the animation—describing the Gaichuu as "plastic-looking CGI beasts looking woefully out of place among the scenery".<ref name="annanimereview" /> However, Santos complimented the series' art direction by saying that "the artistry is far more commendable: the blend of feudal and industrial eras results in a unique visual aesthetic".<ref name="annanimereview" /> Overall, Santos gave a positive review of the first 6 episodes of ''Tegami Bachi'' with an overall grade of B−.<ref name="annanimereview" />


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.tegamibachi.com/}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Official website|http://www.tegamibachi.com/}} {{in lang|ja}}
** [http://mj.shueisha.co.jp/t_bachi/index.html Shueisha ''Tegami Bachi'' official website] {{in lang|ja}}
** {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023060531/http://mj.shueisha.co.jp/t_bachi/index.html|title=Official manga website at Shueisha}} {{in lang|ja}}
** [http://www.asadahiroyuki.com/ Hiroyuki Asada's blog] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://www.viz.com/tegami-bachi Official manga website at Viz Media]
* [http://www.konami.jp/tegamibachi/ PSP game website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.konami.jp/tegamibachi/ PSP game website] {{in lang|ja}}
* {{ann|manga|8256}}
* {{Anime News Network|manga|8256}}


{{Monthly Shōnen Jump}}
{{Monthly Shōnen Jump}}
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{{Studio Signpost}}
{{Studio Signpost}}


[[Category:2006 manga]]
[[Category:2009 anime television series]]
[[Category:2010 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:2010 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:2010 anime television series]]
[[Category:Adventure anime and manga]]
[[Category:Adventure anime and manga]]
[[Category:Fantasy anime and manga]]
[[Category:Fiction about orphans]]
[[Category:Orphans in fiction]]
[[Category:Fiction about postal systems]]
[[Category:Studio Signpost]]
[[Category:Studio Signpost]]
[[Category:Science fantasy anime and manga]]
[[Category:Sentai Filmworks]]
[[Category:Sentai Filmworks]]
[[Category:Shōnen manga]]
[[Category:Shōnen manga]]

Latest revision as of 11:18, 15 November 2024

Tegami Bachi
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Lag Seeing (front) and Gauche Suede (back)
テガミバチ
Genre
Manga
Written byHiroyuki Asada
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
Magazine
English magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runSeptember 6, 2006November 4, 2015
Volumes20 (List of volumes)
Original video animation
Tegami Bachi: Hikari to Ao no Gensou Yawa
Directed byMamoru Kanbe
Produced by
  • Kazuteru Oshikiri
  • Tetsurou Saitou
Written byTetsuya Ooishi
Music byKunihiko Ryo
StudioPierrot+
ReleasedNovember 24, 2008
Runtime27 minutes
Anime television series
Directed byAkira Iwanaga
Produced by
  • Kazuteru Oshikiri
  • Noriko Kobayashi
  • Satoshi Adachi
Written by
  • Tetsuya Ooishi (S1)
  • Masanao Akahoshi (S2)
Music byKunihiko Ryo
StudioPierrot+
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo
English network
Original run October 3, 2009 March 26, 2011
Episodes50 + 25 OVA (List of episodes)
icon Anime and manga portal

Tegami Bachi (テガミバチ, "Letter Bee") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Asada. It was first serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Jump from September 2006 to June 2007; after the magazine ceased publication, it was transferred to Jump Square, where it ran from November 2007 to November 2015. Its chapters were collected in 20 tankōbon volumes. The series is set in AmberGround, a land illuminated by an artificial sun, and follows Lag Seeing, a Letter Bee with the ability to see the memories of people and objects, and his personal Dingo Niche on their journeys across AmberGround.

Tegami Bachi was adapted into an anime television series by Pierrot+, which aired for two seasons from October 2009 to March 2011. The manga was licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media; it was published in their Shonen Jump magazine, and they have released its 20 volumes. Both seasons of the anime series have been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

Plot

[edit]

The story takes place in AmberGround, a land of perpetual night partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing, who used to work for the Bee Hive delivery service, is appointed as a Letter Bee, traveling with his Dingo, Niche, and her pet, Steak, to deliver letters and packages while avoiding the Gaichuu—giant armored insects who feed on the "heart" within letters and packages. When he was a child, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital, Akatsuki, and he was sent as a "delivery" to his aunt thanks to Gauche Suede, whom he began to idolize and who was his inspiration for becoming a Letter Bee. After Lag becomes a Letter Bee, he learns that Gauche has disappeared as the resistance movement Reverse begins stealing letters from traveling Bees. Lag later encounters Gauche, who is devoted to Reverse's cause and seems to have no memory of his past, despite Lag's attempts to make him remember.

Characters

[edit]
Lag Seeing (ラグ・シーイング, Ragu Shīingu)
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro
A 12-year-old boy who was born on the Day of Flicker and is dedicated to his work no matter what situation he finds himself in. He wields a special gun called the Shindanjuu, which works by loading a "fragment of heart" into the gun, then firing a Akabari (Red Needle) at the target. His Spirit Amber visualizes memories of objects; his left eye is made of red Spirit Amber, which allows him to better use the Shindanjuu and fire a heart bullet from his body. When he was a child, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital, Akatsuki, and he was "delivered" by the Letter Bee Gauche Suede and inspired to become a Letter Bee like him. He originally has an antique from Campbell, though he later receives the Nocturne #20, Gauche's gun. In chapter 29, after Sunny loses her heart to a Gaichuu, he demonstrates a new power, as his body glows like Spirit Amber as he fires a special letter bullet at Noir (Gauche) in hopes of restoring his heart. His name is derived from "lagrima", a Spanish word for "tears", "rag", ""/"Lugh", the name of the Celtic god of the sun of the Danann family, and "seeing", the measure of sight. His Dingo is Niche, whom he saved from a Gaichuu and decided to accompany him after seeing his memories through the Shindanjuu and he agreed when she asked him if saying goodbye would make him sad.
Niche (ニッチ, Nicchi)
Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura
Lag's Dingo, who travels with him along with her pet, Steak. She fights with her hair, also known as "The Golden Sword", which she can manipulate into blade-like tentacles, and has bear-like forearms and claws. Lag finds Niche at a train station while on his way to his Bee Interview. She was a "letter", but the address on her mailing label was incomplete and she was scheduled to be "abandoned" in two days. Lag offers to take her to her new home ("Rabu Samuwan Daun (ラブ・サム・ワン・ダウン, Rabu Samu Wan Daun, lit. Love Someone Down, translated as Lovesome Downs in the Viz Media Manga)" according to the mailing label, even though he is on a deadline for his interview. While traveling, Lag learns that she had several names, and so names her Niche after where he found her—in a niche at the station. After delivering Niche, Lag learns that she is to be part of a side show act as "The Child of Maka" (摩訶の子, Maka no Ko, lit. Child of Greatness), Maka being a mysterious being worshipped and feared in AmberGround's northern territories. When he returns to Love Someone Down, Niche has destroyed the sideshow tent with her "Golden Sword" and fled toward Gaichuu territory. He follows her and saves her from a Gaichuu, after which she declares that she will be his Dingo. Lag assumes that she is seven years old based on her appearance, but it is later revealed that she was born about 200 years ago in the town of Blue Notes Blues (永久氷河, Eikyūhyōga, lit. Permanent Glacier). Later on, in Blue Notes Scale (氷河湖路, Hyōgakomichi, lit. Glacier Lake Road), a cave near Blue Notes Blues, Niche learns that she has a twin sister and that she is Maka's child.
Gauche Suede (ゴーシュ・スエード, Gōshu Suēdo) / Noir (ノワール, Nowāru)
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
A Letter Bee and Lag's rescuer, who found him marked as a letter in Cosa Bell, a small town in AmberGround's low-class Yodaka District, and delivered him to Campbell Litus to live with his aunt. He seeks to become the Head Bee, the captain of the Letter Bees, so he can earn enough money to help his sister Sylvette live peacefully. Gauche later appears before Lag and steals the letter he is delivering, referring to himself as the Marauder Noir and seemingly without his memories of Lag or being a Bee. As Noir, he is emotionless, in contrast to Gauche's kind nature, but cares deeply for Roda and will do anything to protect her. It is revealed in chapter 10 that Gauche's sister Sylvette was born on the Day of Flicker, the day that the government went out for an investigation and to modify the artificial sun, but their mother died in childbirth. Aria claims that to fill the void in his heart left by the missing shards of his memories of his mother, he focused his attention on making Sylvette happy. In chapter 30, Lag fires a letter bullet at Gauche in hopes of restoring his memories, leaving him in a coma until chapter 38. It is later revealed that this partially worked, as it gave Gauche the memories Lag had of him rather than restoring his own. Gauche's Spirit Amber attack is called Kurobari (Black Needle). During his time as a Letter Bee, he wielded the Nocturne #20, but his current Shindanjuu is Gymnopédie, which uses the attack Raven Black.
Sylvette Suede (シルベット・スエード, Shirubetto Suēdo)
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki
Gauche's younger, paraplegic sister, who was born on the Day of Flicker. After he left to go to Akatsuki, he later disappeared and she believed him to be dead, but later learns that he is alive. By the end of the story, the sun takes her heart, but Lag reclaims it.
Roda (ロダ, Roda) (dog)
Gauche's Dingo. She is a dog who specializing in fighting and tracking and is a skilled hunter.
Roda (ロダ, Roda) (human)
Voiced by: Yui Horie
A child who Reverse's leader gave to Gauche as an assistant and whom he subconsciously named after his former Dingo. She was a failed experiment, having been mixed with several species/creatures, but was abandoned after the experiment failed until Lawrence found her.
Steak (ステーキ, Sutēki)
Voiced by: Naomi Nagasawa
Steak's pet, who began accompanying her after she destroyed Love Someone Down's sideshow and has the ability to sniff out a Gaichuu's weak spots. He is implied to be the last of the Kapellmeister, a species that once coexisted with the Spirit Insects and is now thought to be extinct.
Connor Kluff (コナー・クルフ, Konā Kurufu)
Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma
A Letter Bee who escorts Lag to his Bee job interview. Connor made regular deliveries to Campbell Litus when Lag was growing up and seems to be popular with the townspeople. He falls in love with Sunny, a young girl from an abbey in Lamento Town, but is unaware that she and the other inhabitants of the abbey are members of Reverse. When the abbey's inhabitants lose their hearts to the Cabernet Gaichuu, he tries to attack it in a fit of rage, but eventually runs out of heart and passes out. After the battle, he remains in Lamento Town with a comatose Sunny, hoping that she will regain her heart one day. Later in the series, it is revealed that Sunny did not lose all of her heart, and she later recovers and becomes Connor's girlfriend. Connor's Spirit Amber attack is called "Heart Landmine", or 'Kibaku', Yellow Bomb, which he executes by placing shards of his "Appetite" on the ground and then igniting them.
Largo Lloyd (ラルゴ・ロイド, Rarugo Roido)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi
The master of the Bee Hive, who later joins Reverse, having been as a test subject by them, and plans to overthrow the government.
Aria Link (アリア・リンク, Aria Rinku)
Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu
The sub master of the Bee Hive, who acts as Largo's right-hand man. Aria's Spirit Amber ability is the Heart Restoration Bullet, which she executes by playing music on her violin. It has a healing effect on those who hear it, which is stronger on those closer to her. Her Spirit Amber attack is "Benihiiro no Senritsu" (Crimson Melody), which is emitted from her violin.
Sabrina Mary (サブリナ・メリー, Saburina Merii)
Lag's aunt, who lives in Campbell Litus and whom Gauche entrusted with Lag's care. She is a good friend of his mother, the current Empress.
Dr. Thunderland Jr.
Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa
A biologist who works for the Third Bioscience advisory panel of AmberGround division. He specializes in pathology and collects corpses for dissection and study, earning him the nickname "The Corpse Doctor." Despite his job, he has a kind heart, as he makes a star-shaped memorial for each corpse he dissects. Zazie once hated him because he thought he had taken a group of street kittens, but in reality he had quarantined them because of a disease. He is also one of the five survivors of the airship that crashed on the Day of Flicker.
Zazie Winters (ザジ, Zaji)
Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio
A Letter Bee. When he was a child, his parents were killed by a Gaichuu, leading him to become a Letter Bee in order to seek revenge against the Gaichuu, whom he is skilled at killing. Since he has dedicated himself to killing Gaichuu, he does not care for delivering letters. Zazie is fond of cats, which caused him to hate Dr. Thunderland because he thought that he had killed an alley cat he was feeding. However, he forgives him after learning that he had quarantined the cat because of a disease. Zazie is also fond of Jiggy Pepper and looks up to him. Zazie's Spirit Amber attack is Aotoge (Blue Thorn), which uses shards of his "Malice" instead of his heart.
Wasiolka (ヴァシュカ, Vashuka)
Zazie's Dingo, which is a black panther. It has stuck with Zazie since it was a kitten out of fondness towards him.
Jiggy Pepper (ジギー・ペッパー, Jigī Peppā)
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai
A Letter Bee who is first mentioned by his adopted sister, Nelli, and who Zazie looks up to. He seeks to become stronger for her, and only follows who he wants to follow. Nelli hated him because she blamed the death of her brother Nello on him leaving them. Jiggy later saves Lag from a giant Gaichuu, telling him that had received a letter from Nelli telling him about his efforts, and thanks him before departing. Largo later entrusts him with caring for Zazie, and they leave to pursue the Gaichuu heading towards Akatsuki. His Dingo is a hawk named Harry. His Spirit Amber is Gunjou, Sea Blue Ultramarine, which he executes through a Shindanjuu he carries besides his motorcycle.
Anne Seeing (アン.シーイング, An Shīingu)
Lag's mother, who at the beginning of the story was kidnapped by men from Akatsuki. She is later revealed to be from the royal bloodline and part of the machine keeping the artificial sun lit. During the Day of Flicker, she was struck by a fragment of heart, causing an accelerated pregnancy. After giving birth to Lag, who was a being of pure heart, she had Sabrina place a Spirit Amber in his eye socket to prevent him from fading away, which gave him human form.
Lawrence (ローレンス, Rōrensu)
Reverse's leader, who aims to plunder the letters that Letter Bees deliver. He gave Gauche his new identity as Noir.

Media

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Manga

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Written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Asada, Tegami Bachi debuted in Shueisha's Monthly Shōnen Jump on September 6, 2006.[5] The magazine ceased its publication on June 6, 2007.[6][7] Following a special un-numbered one-shot chapter published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on October 15, 2007,[8][9] the series was transferred to the then brand new magazine Jump Square on November 2 of the same year,[10][11] where it ran until its conclusion on November 4, 2015.[12][13] Shueisha collected its 99 individual chapters in twenty tankōbon volumes, released from January 4, 2007,[14] to January 4, 2016.[15]

Viz Media announced that it had licensed Tegami Bachi for an English-language adaption in North America at San Diego Comic-Con on February 28, 2010.[16] It was announced that Tegami Bachi, otherwise known as Letter Bee in English translations, will be serialized in the monthly manga anthology Shonen Jump, where it replaced the manga series Slam Dunk.[16] It debuted in the March 2009 issue of the magazine.[16]

Drama CD

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A drama CD, which adapted the Jiggy Pepper arc, was released on February 16, 2009.[17]

Anime

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A special anime adaptation, running for about 30 minutes, was shown during the Jump Super Anime Tour events in Japan in the fall of 2008.[18] It was titled Tegami Bachi: Hikari to Ao no Gensō Yawa (テガミバチ 〜光と青の幻想夜話〜, Letter Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy), and was animated by Pierrot+. An original video animation was translated for free by Anthony Carl Kimm on the Jumpland website with English subtitles.[18] It was later released on DVD in the beginning of 2009.

In April 2009, it was announced that Tegami Bachi would receive an anime television series adaptation.[19] The series was directed by Akira Iwanaga.[20] The series aired on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi and other affiliated television networks from October 3, 2009, to March 27, 2010.[21][22] The first opening theme song is Hajimari no Hi (はじまりの日), performed by Suga Shikao featuring Mummy-D.[22] The second opening theme song is Love Letter no Kawari ni Kono Uta O (ラブレターのかわりにこの詩を。, lit. Rather than a Love Letter, Choose This Poem), performed by Seira.[23] In Southeast Asia, the series aired on Animax Asia under the title Letter Bee.[4]

A second season, Tegami Bachi Reverse, was announced in February 2010.[24] The second season aired from October 3, 2010, to March 26, 2011.[24] The first opening theme song is Chiisana Mahō (小さな魔法, Little Magic), performed by Stereopony,[25] while the first ending theme song is Wasurenagusa (勿忘草, Forget-Me-Not), performed by Piko.[26] The second opening theme song is Yakusoku (約束, Promise), performed by Suga Shikao,[27] while the second ending theme Perseus (ペルセウス, Perseus), performed by Yamazaru.[28]

In North America, both seasons have been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.[29][30]

Reception

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Manga

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Deb Aoki of About.com reviewed Tegami Bachi Volume 1.[31] Aoki said that the series "has the right stuff to appeal to both male and female readers: thrilling action, a magical world full of mysteries, likeable characters that are worth caring about, and lovely artwork, all done with a touch of light-hearted humor."[31]

In Japan, volume 2 of the manga debuted sixth during the first week of its release.[32]

Anime

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Carlo Santos of Anime News Network reviewed the first 6 episodes of Tegami Bachi.[33] He commented that the series "may be one of the last few adventure series that is genuinely about adventure" and "an adventure with a unique vibe".[33] Santos went on to say how the series as a whole isn't like typical adventure series, which deal with "the triumphs and tragedies of having the best sword", as it is built on "the triumphs and tragedies of the human heart".[33] A negative point he said was about the animation—describing the Gaichuu as "plastic-looking CGI beasts looking woefully out of place among the scenery".[33] However, Santos complimented the series' art direction by saying that "the artistry is far more commendable: the blend of feudal and industrial eras results in a unique visual aesthetic".[33] Overall, Santos gave a positive review of the first 6 episodes of Tegami Bachi with an overall grade of B−.[33]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Official Website for Tegami Bachi". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Aoki, Deb. "Fall 2009 New Manga Preview". About.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2022. Currently featured in Shonen Jump magazine, Tegami Bachi features a mix of fantasy, action and steampunk-flavored sci-fi, all wrapped up in a beautifully drawn package.
  3. ^ "Viz Media to Debut the Imaginative Steampunk Action Manga Series Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee" (Press release). Viz Media. August 24, 2009. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020 – via Anime News Network.
  4. ^ a b "Animax Asia airs Letter Bee". Animax Asia, Sony India. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  5. ^ Hiroyuki, Asada (September 2, 2006). はじめまして「asada hiroyuki.com」です. asadahiroyuki.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Macdonald, Christopher (April 6, 2007). "Shueisha to Launch New Monthly Magazine". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Loo, Egan (June 4, 2007). "More Revealed on Monthly Shonen Jump's Aftermath". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Loo, Egan (April 29, 2007). "Four Monthly Shonen Jump Titles to Run After Mag's End". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  9. ^ 週刊少年ジャンプ 2007年新年46号 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Loo, Egan (July 5, 2007). "Jump Square to Replace Monthly Shonen Jump in November". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  11. ^ 【ジャンプスクエア】ジャンプSQ.創刊号、11月2日発売!!. manganohi.jp (in Japanese). November 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 2, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Pienda, Rafael Antonio (October 4, 2015). "Tegami Bachi Manga Ends Magazine Run on November 4". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  13. ^ 「テガミバチ」約9年の連載に幕、「テガミ」運ぶ郵便配達員のファンタジー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 4, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  14. ^ テガミバチ/1 [Tegami Bachi 1] (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  15. ^ テガミバチ/20 [Tegami Bachi 20] (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. ^ a b c "Viz Picks Up Wāq Wāq, Tegami Bachi Manga". Anime News Network. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  17. ^ テガミバチ ドラマ (CD). Shueisha. ASIN 4089011671.
  18. ^ a b "LETTER BEE". Jumpland. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  19. ^ "Tegami Bachi Manga Gets TV Anime Green-Lit for October (Update 2)". Anime News Network. April 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  20. ^ 浅田弘幸「テガミバチ」地上波TVアニメ化決定. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 2, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  21. ^ Loo, Egan (September 28, 2009). "Crunchyroll Gets Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee TV Anime (Update 2)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  22. ^ a b スガシカオがアニメ版「テガミバチ」主題歌に新曲提供. Music Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 7, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  23. ^ 星羅ニューシングルはアニメ「テガミバチ」新OPテーマ. Music Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 4, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  24. ^ a b "Tegami Bachi: Leter Bee's 2nd Anime Season Airs in Fall". Anime News Network. February 28, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  25. ^ "ステレオポニー インフォメーション". Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  26. ^ "ピコ Official Web Site Information". Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  27. ^ "Suga Shikao Official Website: Release". Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  28. ^ TV NEWS ニュース:NO DOUBT TRACKS Official Web Site. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  29. ^ Loo, Egan. "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Penguindrum, Ninja Scroll Film, Letter Bee". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  30. ^ "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Tegami Bachi Reverse Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  31. ^ a b "Tegami Bachi Volume 1 Review". About.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2009..
  32. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, June 5–June 11". Anime News Network. June 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  33. ^ a b c d e f Santos, Carlo (November 20, 2009). "Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Episodes 1–6 streaming – Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
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