Weed (manga)

Weed (manga)
File:Jknljk.PNG Ginga Densetsu Weed Japanese manga cover, volume 1
Genre	Drama, Action, Adventure
Manga
Written by	Yoshihiro Takahashi
Published by	Nihon Bungeisha
Anime
Directed by	Toshiyuki Kato
Studio	Studio Deen

Ginga Densetsu Weed (銀牙伝説ウィード, Ginga Densetsu Wiido "Silver Fang Legend WEED") is a Japanese manga and anime series by Yoshihiro Takahashi, which was serialized between 1999 and July 2007 in the magazine Manga Goraku. The story takes place 14 years after Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin. The main character, Weed, is the son of Gin.

Studio Deen produced the anime adaptation, which premiered in November 2005 on Animax.

Future Film in Finland has translated the anime for Scandinavia, and released DVDs in November 2006. A complete box set is in the works. No plans to release the anime for English-speakers are in the works at present date.

Story

The following synopsis describes the story as presented in the anime. Many events differ from those in the manga. For example, in the manga it is reported that the story was 10 years later, not 14.

Kaibutsu Arc

Roughly 10 years after the final battle between the Tora-ge Akita Gin and his army against the bear Akakabuto, peace reigns in Futago Pass, under the care of the Ou Soldiers. The dogs are allowed to live undisturbed by the humans, until one day a monster appears in the mountains.

Slaughtering humans without remorse, the creature is mistaken for the dogs of Ou, and the humans begin a project to eliminate the dogs.

Far away, a dog has fled Futago Pass to bear her puppies in safety. She is Sakura, Gin's mate. Soon after giving birth to Weed and two others, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his father, Sakura contracts a deadly illness.

In an attempt to nurse his mother back to health, Weed hunts for food, eventually leading him to the cowardly but good-hearted GB. When Weed and GB find themselves in danger, they are suddenly rescued by an old friend of both GB and Sakura - Smith of Ohu.

The dogs return to Sakura, but the illness has proved too much and she dies, asking in her final moments that Smith take Weed to his father in Futago. GB, wishing to better himself as a canine, eagerly joins them in their journey.

After many days' travel, the group rescue a young puppy named Mel, who decides to join their cause in hopes of becoming brave like Weed. When they finally reach Futago, they find the mountains in chaos, with dogs being shot by humans, and the Boss Dogs nowhere to be seen.

Weed is determined to get to the bottom of the killings, and with help from a group of Ohu rebels, finds that the creature responsible for the madness is a dog-like beast created in a laboratory by humans - "Kaibutsu", or "the monster of P4".

Kaibutsu has been pursued to Futago Pass by a band of assassins led by the German Shepherd Jerome. Though they are at first reluctant to accept Weed's help, they soon realize that the young dog is a great asset, and, united, both groups of dogs proceed to kill Kaibutsu and restore peace to the pass.

Hougen Arc

The legendary father of Weed and his right-hand dogs, John and Akame, have traveled far from Ou, leaving body doubles in their place, such as Tokimune, and completely unaware of the chaos back at home.

Hougen and Genba took over Ou, after the defeat of Kaibutsu, and used the former dog paradise to form a massive and deadly army.

When a blizzard forces Gin and the other two to seek refuge, they are offered help by a house dog named Reika, whose father fought alongside Gin in the battle against Akakabuto.

Unbeknownst to the four, spies lurk in the forests. No sooner do they find shelter in an abandoned shed than they are surrounded by the army of a new enemy, Hougen.

Unable to fight against such odds, Gin, John, and Reika are taken captive, while Akame flees to Ou to find help. What he finds is Weed.

After hearing the desperate situation, Weed, Jerome, GB and the others begin a new journey, to build an army and rescue Gin.

Characters

Weed and his followers

Weed

(Akita Inu/Kishu mix) The son of Gin. Gin has never met Weed, and it is Sakura's dying request that Weed find his father in Ohu. Weed became the interim ruler of Gin's territory and leader of the Ohu soldiers in Gin's absence, officially as of episode 5. Weed is forgiving and kind-hearted almost to fault, refusing to kill his enemies unless the circumstances are dire. Voiced by Sachi Kokuryū.

GB

(English Setter) Cowardly but good-hearted, GB was formerly a slave of rogue boss dog Nero. His life was saved by Smith several months before Weed's birth. He is now Weed's godfather and closest friend. Voiced by Naru Kawamoto.

Sasuke

(Shiba Inu) One of GB's friends. Weed saved him from a guard dog in the first episode, then he left on his own to find his old master. He turned up in episode 19, a slave of Hougen, and GB and Weed were able to bring him into the Ohu soldiers. Sasuke is shown to be a little absent-minded and slow to catch on, cheerfully revealing GB's identity to Hougen's soldiers in episode 19 and nearly resulting in both of their deaths. Voiced by Makoto Ueki.

Mel

(Golden Retriever) A puppy younger than Weed. Formerly a slave of rogue boss dog Blue. He has shown considerable tenacity, especially in defense of Gajou. Voiced by Akiko Kobayashi.

Hook

(Labrador Retriever mix) Formerly a pet, and a slave to Blue before that, he escaped to avenge his brother Kuro's death. He is working for Weed independently. He is the one that told Gin about Weed, and helped Gin in secret during his detention by Hougen. He brought Reika to Gajou after Weed's first encounter with Hougen. Voiced by Kan Tanaka.

Ken

(Great Dane//Saluki mix) One of the commanders of the Ohu Soldiers prior to Weed's arrival. He is the son of Ben and Cross, and seems to have a certain lack of faith in his parents' abilities, something which vexes Ben, as well as Kagetora's father Kurotora. Voiced by Teruaki Ogawa.

Kagetora

(Kai Ken) Son of Kurotora, and one of the commanders of the Ohu Soldiers prior to Weed's arrival. Ken and Kagetora, like their parents Ben and Kurotora, are extremely close friends. Voiced by Eiji Takemoto.

Jerome

(German Shepherd) A trained guard dog and assassin. He was sent after Kaibutsu by his creators in order to kill the mutant. He originally had 15 subordinates; the last four of them died in episodes 4 and 5. He became Weed's advisor, but was driven out when he murdered two of Hougen's assassins in episode 16. He worked for Weed independently from then on. After Hougen threw him into a river, he drowned trying to save Weed in episode 25. Before his death, he awaits to meet his fallen comrades again as well as, interestingly, Kaibutsu. (In the manga, Jerome does not drown in the river.) Voiced by Masaya Takatsuka.

Reika

(Akita Inu mix) Daughter of one of Gin's old comrades. She was captured with John and Gin by Hougen, but escaped with John and Hiro. A pet, she is unaccostomed to fighting, but in episode 24 she bravely attacks Hougen, dragging him into an icy river in an attempt to drown him. Voiced by Eri Nakagawa.

Rocket

(Borzoi) Formerly one of Hougen's spies, he defected and joined Weed's group. His loyalty was solidified when his brothers, Missile and Jet, were murdered by Hougen. Though Jerome and the others were hesistant to trust him, he proved himself by rescuing GB in episode 8. Voiced by Tsuyoshi Maeda.

Hiro

(Great Pyrenees) Nicknamed "the ballsnatcher" due to his signature attack of tearing the testicles from his enemies. He helped John and Reika escape from Hougen's clutches, then joined Weed's group. He seeks vengeance on Kamakiri for murdering his father and gouging out his right eye. He finally defeated Kamakiri and avenged his father in episode 22. Voiced by Kenji Nomura.

Kyoushiro Shirogane

(Kishu Inu) The leader of a large but strong group of juvenile dogs, all abused or abandoned by their parents. After several episodes of dispute, Weed wins his loyalty, and the entire pack comes under Weed's leadership. He almost defected when Jerome was exiled, but Jerome convinced him to remain with Weed. In episode 20, he infiltrated Hougen's pack in an attempt to rescue Gin; he made his dogs believe he was really betraying Weed, to test their willingness to fight for Ohu. Voiced by Yūki Masuda.

Tesshin

(Shikoku Inu?) Leader of the Kōga ninja dogs. Prior to Weed's birth, Gin chose him as the successor to Gajou to Futago Pass. Now he and his ninja dogs are under Weed's leadership. Voiced by Kōsuke Takeuchi. (Note: Tesshin was the pup affectionately titled Chibi" in Nagareboshi Gin.)

The oldest Ohu Soldiers

Gin

(Akita Inu) Weed's father. The hero of the battle with the bear demon Akakabuto 14 years ago, and now the ruler of Futago Pass. Was captured and held hostage by Hougen, but later rescued by Kyōshirō and Toubē. He then recovered and gave up leadership to his son Weed. Voiced by Hiroki Touchi.

Akame

(Kishu Inu) One of Gin's direct lieutenants. The last living Iga ninja dog. He assists in the defense of Gajou after escaping during Gin and John's capture by Hougen. He was the one who poisoned Ben, causing his blindness. Voiced by Takashi Matsuyama.

John

(German Shepherd) Gin's other direct lieutenant. He was killed by Hougen in episode 9 after escaping with Reika. Voiced by Tōru Ōkawa.

Smith

(French Spaniel mix) One of Gin's commanders. He lost his leg after saving GB from being hit by a car. He was sent off during Kaibutsu's invasion to protect Sakura and tell Gin of the attack. He was killed by Kaibutsu in episode 4 in attempt to save Weed. Voiced by Ryūsei Nakao.

Ben

(Great Dane) One of the oldest of the surviving Ohu soldiers from the battle with Akakabuto. Ken's father. He's still very strong despite advanced age, but virtually blind, due to poison. He has to be guided by his mate, Cross. Voiced by Katsuhisa Hōki.

Cross

(Saluki) The only female Soldier of Ohu. Ben's mate, and Ken's mother. She serves as Ben's eyes in his old age. Voiced by Keiko Mizutani.

Kurotora

(Kai Ken) One of Gin's commanders and the only living one of three Kai brothers. Kagetora's father and Shigure's uncle. Voiced by Tadashi Miyazawa.

Moss

(English Mastiff) One of Gin's closets allies. A former Villan, in the Gin series, He and Musashi came to Ohu from Shikoku after hearing the situation in Futago Pass from Jerome.

Musashi

(Tosa Inu) Musashi was the champion of the fighting dog middle weight division. Musashi went up against Toube in the ring and lost. He comes to Ohu with Moss to help Weed rescue Gin and defeat Hougen.

Main Enemies

Kaibutsu

Also known as experiment P4, he is a genetically altered dog created by humans; an enormous beast that weighs almost 600 pounds. During the painful lab experiments, Jerome was the only dog to comfort him. After escaping his laboratory, Jerome and his corps were sent to destroy him. Kaibutsu eventually took shelter in Gajou where he killed and devoured humans as he pleased. With the combined strength of Weed, Ken, Kagetora and Jerome, Kaibutsu's suffering finally came to an end when he fell from a cliff and was impaled on a fallen tree in episode 6. Voiced by Kong Kuwata.

Hougen

(Great Dane) A rogue boss dog in the Southern Alps. He took the injured Gin captive and intended to take over Futago Pass using Gin as trump card. In the past, he and his brother Genba were maneaters, and cannibals as well, devouring the dogs they were left in a shed with by a careless breeder. In episode 26 Weed used the Battouga, with the aid of the strong wind to make it more effective, on Hougen's head and left him half-dead. However, Hougen secretly climbed to the top of Gajou. He stood triumphant that he had won until a bolt of lightning struck him, killing him instantly. Voiced by Kōji Ishii.

Genba

(Great Dane) Hougen's younger brother. He leads Hougen's invasion of the Futago Pass in episode 13. Hougen killed him in episode 18 out of mercy after he suffered a massive head injury from being thrown off a cliff by Tesshin and Shigure. Voiced by Masami Iwasaki.

Lector and Thunder

(Doberman Pinschers) Brothers that are Hougen's top assassins. Their teeth are essentially steel. Weed used a branch and then a razor to shatter their fangs. Jerome killed both of them in episode 16, leading to his exile from the Ohu Soldiers. Lector is voiced by Teruaki Ogawa, and Thunder is voiced by Susumu Akagi.

Kamakiri

(Irish Wolfhound) A rival of Hiro in the Southern Alps, he allies with Hougen in the takeover of Futago Pass. After Genba's death, however, he develops ambitions of his own. Kamakiri is also the murderer of Hiro's father Yukima, and tore out Hiro's right eye. In episode 22, he was defeated by the vengeful Hiro, with his fangs and testicles ripped off. Before Hiro leaves, however, he told Kamakiri to head south where there was a high population of rats - prey easy to catch with no fangs. As Hiro leaves, Kamakiri grieves in pain, despair and defeat. It is implied that a flock of crows who watched the battle devoured him. Voiced by Yoshitaka Kaizu.

Manga-only characters

As the manga is much longer and more detailed than the anime, certain characters did not make it into the TV show. There are new characters as well as reapperances from Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. Please note that these are only a very small few of the characters who appear in the manga, but not in the anime.

Joe & Yukimura

(Akita Inu/Kishu Inu mix) Joe and Yukimura are Weed's siblings. Joe inherited his father's silver fur, but no Tora-ge markings, while Yukimura had the red/brown coat of his grandfather, Riki. After their mother, Sakura, contracted an illness, she asked a dog named Saheiji to look after two of her pups since she couldn't hunt to feed all three of them. Saheiji agrees and takes them in as his own sons. After months pass, tragedy strikes. A clan of monkeys lead by an albino gelada baboon named Shougun try to take over Saheiji's territory in the Southern Alps. Yukimura is attacked by Shougun and receives three scars across his right eye. Saheiji tries to protect them, but gets his spine damaged and loses movement in his lower body. Shogun and his clan take Joe away and kill him. Yukimura vows revenge and will kill any monkey that crosses him. Months pass and Yukimura is a platoon leader in Saheiji's pack. He then crosses paths with his brother Weed. Yukimura recognizes him immediately, but Weed doesn't know who Yukimura really is. They both learn of a rebellion group lead by the monkey Ishizaru. He and his followers want revenge on Shougun for ruining their lives. Weed and Yukimura agree to help them. The final battle is fierce. Shougun stabs a sharp branch into the side of Yukimura's stomach. He then jumps and attacks Shougun with Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, wounding him badly. Yukimura watches as the remaining monkeys stab and pound Shougun to death. Yukimura dies shortly after from his wounds. Saheiji tells Weed that Yukimura was his brother and that Yukimura didn't want him to get mixed up in the fight against Shougun.

George

(Great Dane/Saluki mix) Ken's brother and Ben and Cross' son. He more resembles his mother than his father. He meets up with his brother and Weed while they look for the Koga dog Tesshin. He blames himself for his sister Miney's (also not shown in the anime) death when she jumped across a river to reach him and drowned.

Daisuke

Gin's former owner and best friend. Daisuke has grown from an "adventurous little kid" into a responsible young man. He hears about a monster (Kaibutsu) in Futago Pass that's been attacking people and killing them. Daisuke drives up to the mountain to see if it's true. On the way, he finds Weed, riddled with bullet wounds, and is speechless: The young dog is a Tora-ge, just like Gin. Positive that the puppy is Gin's son, Daisuke goes after him but then runs into Kaibutsu. Weed saves him and Kaibutsu is driven off by hunters and their rifles. Daisuke then takes Weed home and treats his wounds. After Weed is fully recovored, Daisuke lets him return to Futago Pass.

Akira Osamu Sudou

Akira is an one-eyed retired policeman who has an intense hatred for Hougen. Long ago, he and his partner, Tanuma, was in the Southen Alps on a mission to capture an criminal. There they found an abandoned kennel. As they inspect it inside, they saw the two Great Danes, Hougen and Genba, eating a human. Then the danes suddenly attacked the policemen. Though Akira only lost his left eye, Tanuma was mercilessly killed by Hougen. Fuelled with hatred, Akira swore to hunt down and kill Hougen for the death of Tanuma. In the end, he finally found Hougen, heavily wounded and tired from his defeat by Weed. Without an ounce of mercy for the defeated dog, Akira shoots Hougen straight through the head with his rifle and avenged his friend.

Jaguar

(English Mastiff) Moss's son. He accompanies his father and the fighting dog Musashi to Ohu after hearing about Hougen's invasion on Futago Pass.

Kisaragi

(Siberian Husky) The former leader of the four Mutsu Generals. After hearing about Hougen and Genba from Chutora's son Shigure, he sends his six sons to Ohu to aid Weed and the others in battle. Kisaragi stays behind because he fears he would not be of any help because of his old age.

Takeshi

A young puppy in Kyoushiro's pack. He slipped into a river, and Toube rescues him, but Kamakiri passed by so Toube lied to Kamakiri that Takeshi is a hostage. He escapes Hougen with Kyoushiro and Toube fight off Kamakiri's pack.

Wilson

(Rough Collie) A veteran from the battle against Akakabuto. He stays in Ohu and meets Weed during the Kaibutsu arc. At first, he doesn't believe that Weed is the son of Gin.

Theme Songs

• Opening: Ginga Densetsu WEED by Dohatsuten
• Ending : Tsuki Akari by Dohatsuten

Trivia

• The battle with Akakabuto in episode one of the anime is different from how it originally ended in Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. Akakabuto's head was severed from his neck by the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, yet in the anime, Gin is shown to cut into the bear's heart. The changes made were likely due to changes in law concerning animated violence, which also explains the toned-down violence later on in the series, i.e., a lack of flying eyeballs as seen in the manga.

• Concerning Hiro's Breed : While the art book does state in English and in the Japanese text above it that Hiro is a Saint Bernard, the WEED extra manga states in Japanese that he is a Great Pyrenees. It is debatable whether Takahashi made a mistake, or just doesn't know the difference between the breeds. It is also possible that the person or persons responsible for the text in the art book did not know what breed he was intended to be. Nevertheless, it has been confirmed that the supplemental manga declares him a Great Pyrenees.

See also

• Ginga Nagareboshi Gin
• Ginga Densetsu Riki

External links

Official

• Animax's official Ginga Densetsu WEED website Template:Ja icon

Fansites

• Hopeanuoli.com Template:Fi icon/Template:En icon
• GingaWorld.NET Template:Sv icon
• GingaSite.net - English information site for Yoshihiro's works