Mizukami Satoshi's manga "Planetarian" will be adapted into an anime starting in July 2022. The series was serialized from 2005 to 2010, but was generally considered a hidden gem. However, with its unique worldview, emotional laughter and tears, and the satisfying feeling of seeing plot twists come together, it has come to be spoken of as a beautifully put together masterpiece despite being only 10 volumes long, and has finally been adapted into an anime. While it has heartwarming, slice-of-life attributes, it also features some dark content and life-risking battles, so we would like to introduce some of the terms that appear in "Planetarian"!
Glossary Part 1: The Knights of the Ring
A human chosen by the beast servants of the Ring. There are a total of 12 servants, so there are 12 knights in total. The chosen one is given a ring and is granted the power to fight the clay dolls created by the wizard. Becoming a knight is compulsory, and one cannot refuse, but there is no compulsion to run from the battle. However, whether one wants to or not, fighting the clay dolls is an inevitable fate.
Glossary Part 2: Squires of the Ring
One of the twelve animals appears before a gifted individual and becomes their companion. The chosen one becomes a Knight of the Ring, receiving a ring to fight against the clay dolls created by the wizard, along with the abilities that come with the ring. Knights and squires cannot be separated by a certain distance, and even if they force themselves to move away, they will return to their companions without even noticing. While they do not need to eat, they draw energy from their companions, and will disappear upon their partner's death. There are a total of 12 servants: a lizard, a dog, a crow, a horse, a snake, a black cat, a chicken, a turtle, a mouse, a praying mantis, an owl, and a swordfish.
Glossary Part 3: Mastery Area
Telekinetic powers bestowed by the Knight of the Ring. They are activated by concentrating on the ring and serve as a countermeasure against mud dolls. Activating the area allows the user to exert telekinetic powers on anything contained within. The characteristics of the area vary greatly from individual to individual, with some being able to perform delicate tasks and others being able to freeze objects. Since the energy source is the user's physical strength, it will deteriorate if not used, but can also become stronger with training.
Glossary Part 4: Mud Dolls
These are dolls created by the wizard Animus. Kazamaki, one of the characters, can also create similar dolls. The Knights of the Ring are destined to fight these mud dolls, and they will attempt to kill the knights. They are generally not something that a single knight can handle; only Princess Samidare and the Three Mythical Beast Knights can defeat them individually.
Glossary #5: Contract Reward
Unlike the contracts in certain magical girl anime, where one wish is granted in exchange for daily combat against powerful enemies, the contracts in this work are unilateral and do not require the consent of either party. Even if the player refuses to fight, their life is threatened. However, as a reward, the player is granted the right to have one wish granted. While many wishes, such as bringing the dead back to life, are impossible to fulfill, recovery from fatal injuries is possible. Even if the player sustains fatal injuries in battle, the contract also grants the right to revive once, as long as they survive.
Glossary Part 6: Biscuit Hammer
A clay doll created by the wizard Animus to destroy the Earth. It floats in space and is shaped like a large hammer. Any knight can see it anywhere, but non-knights cannot. However, very rarely, some people can sense its presence. Animus's goal is to activate the Biscuit Hammer, but the current condition for this is the death of all knights or the death of the princess.
Glossary Part 7: The Three Knights of Mythical Beasts
By making a contract with the spirit Anima, these knights possess enough power to individually counter a clay doll. When the Anima bestows power upon their servants, the servants transform, granting the knights great power. However, immediately afterward, their Anima will temporarily lose a large amount of power. The criteria for granting power seem to depend on the Anima's will, and the exact criteria and conditions for granting abilities have never been revealed. There are three types: Black Dragon (Invisible), Sacred Horse (Unicorn), and Divine Bird (Fresberg). The Black Dragon Knight is Hakudo Yashiro, the Sacred Horse Knight is Nagumo Soichiro, and the Divine Bird Knight is Akane Taiyou.
Glossary #8: Blues Drive Monster
A counter small celestial body weapon created by the spirit Anima to counter the Biscuit Hammer. It has a toy-like appearance with a shield and hammer, and Anima has been waiting for someone to perceive it. The name likely originates from the pillows' song of the same name, "Blues Drive Monster."
Glossary 9: Ramen - Kaioken
This ramen shop is frequented by Yuhi, Samidare, and other knights. It's undoubtedly inspired by Kaioken from Dragon Ball. We're always looking for challengers for the Quadruple Ramen Challenge, where you can win 10,000 yen if you finish four bowls of special ramen in 30 minutes. Samidare Asahina and Hyo Kazamaki have already completed the challenge, so they are ineligible to participate.
Glossary #10: Magical Girl Magical Marie
This is the magical girl anime that airs in the story. At first glance, it looks like a typical magical girl anime, but it's actually a bit erotic, violent, and bloody. After the serialization of "Samidare: The Last Samurai" ended, a shady animal asks the girl to make a contract with him and become a magical girl! In exchange for granting her wish, she makes the contract and fights witches.
[Samidare: The Last Samurai] Summary of Terms Appearing in the Series
Here's a list of terms that appear in "Samidare: The Last Samurai"! While this work is a heartwarming, everyday comedy manga, it suddenly transforms into a tense, life-threatening battle, and from a hopeless turn of events with characters being eliminated, the story moves on to the thoughts and actions of the remaining characters, leading to a finale where many mysteries are revealed. The final chapter wraps up beautifully, leaving a great feeling after reading it, and I'm sure there are many people who would like to see this work made into an anime! Planet Samidare is scheduled to air from July 2022, so be sure to check it out.
