The Seven Deadly Sins (manga)

The Seven Deadly Sins

First volume of The Seven Deadly Sins, released in Japan by Kodansha on February 15, 2013.
七つの大罪
(Nanatsu no Taizai)
Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Manga
Written by Nakaba Suzuki
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine
Original run October 10, 2012 – present
Volumes 20
Manga
Mayoe! The Seven Deadly Sins Academy!
Written by Juichi Yamaki
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
Original run August 9, 2014 – present
Volumes 2
Anime television series
Directed by Tensai Okamura
Written by Shōtarō Suga
Music by Hiroyuki Sawano
Takafumi Wada
Studio A-1 Pictures
Licensed by Netflix (streaming rights)
Network JNN (MBS)
English network
Original run October 5, 2014 – March 29, 2015
Episodes 24 + 2 OVA
Manga
The Seven Deadly Sins Production
Written by Chiemi Sakamoto
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Aria
Original run November 28, 2015 – present
Anime television series
The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War
Directed by Tomokazu Tokoro
Written by
  • Nakaba Suzuki
  • Yuniko Ayana
  • Yuichiro Kido
Music by
  • Hiroyuki Sawano
  • Takafumi Wada
Studio A-1 Pictures
Network JNN (MBS, TBS)
Original run August 2016 – scheduled
Episodes 4
Anime television series
Directed by Tensai Okamura
Written by Shōtarō Suga
Music by Hiroyuki Sawano
Studio A-1 Pictures
Original run 2016 – scheduled

The Seven Deadly Sins (Japanese: 七つの大罪 Hepburn: Nanatsu no Taizai) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since October 2012, with the chapters collected into twenty tankōbon volumes as of April 15, 2016. The manga features a setting similar to the European Middle Ages, with its titular group of knights representing the seven deadly sins.

As of January 2015, The Seven Deadly Sins had sold over 10 million copies. It was adapted into a 24-episode television anime by A-1 Pictures that aired from October 2014 to March 2015. The manga has been licensed by Kodansha Comics USA for English publication in North America, while the chapters are released digitally by Crunchyroll in over 170 countries as they are published in Japan. Netflix acquired the exclusive English streaming rights for the anime series.

Plot

The Seven Deadly Sins were once an active group of knights in the region of Britannia (ブリタニア Buritania), who disbanded after they supposedly plotted to overthrow the Liones Kingdom (リオネス王国 Rionesu Ōkoku). Their supposed defeat came at the hands of the Holy Knights, but rumors continued to persist that they were still alive. Ten years later, the Holy Knights staged a coup d'état and captured the king, becoming the new, tyrannical rulers of the kingdom. The third princess, Elizabeth, then starts out on a journey to find the Seven Deadly Sins and enlist their help in taking back the kingdom.

Characters

Meliodas (メリオダス Meriodasu)
Voiced by: Yūki Kaji (Japanese); Bryce Papenbrook (English)
The Dragon's Sin of wrath and the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins. He is the main protagonist and owner of the Boar Hat (豚の帽子亭) bar, known for its exquisite ale and less known for its horrible food (cooked by Meliodas). Although he appears to be no older than a child, Meliodas is actually very powerful and is vastly older than he appears. Despite being the Sin of Wrath, he is rarely angry, and is, in fact, childishly playful, perverted, confident, and kind to those he cares about. He has also been believed to be part of the demon clan.
Elizabeth Liones (エリザベス・リオネス Erizabesu Rionesu)
Voiced by: Sora Amamiya (Japanese); Erika Harlacher (English)
The Third Princess of the Kingdom of Liones who, along with Meliodas, is searching for the Seven Deadly Sins in order to fight against the Holy Knights. She is a main female protagonist in the story and becomes a waitress at the Boar Hat bar after she is saved by Meliodas. She is kind to a fault, timid, and trusting. Elizabeth is driven by her devotion to saving the lives of those within her kingdom, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Hawk (ホーク Hōku)
Voiced by: Misaki Kuno (Japanese); Cristina Vee (English)
A talking pig and Meliodas's companion. He is introduced as the cleaner of the Boar Hat bar who helps clean the disgusting food scraps. He often scolds Meliodas for his perverted ways. The fact that he is a pig that can talk is a running gag throughout the series. Hawk is referred to as "master" by Ban.
Ban (バン Băn)
Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese); Ben Diskin (English)
The Fox's Sin of Greed. Also known as the "undead" Ban, he is immortal. He's violent yet laid back, and seems to only have concern for Meliodas and the other sins above his own desires. Despite being the sin of "greed", he does have a deeply caring heart, and fears losing those he cares about. He also seems to be highly masochistic and is driven by a challenge.
Diane (ディアンヌ Diannu)
Voiced by: Aoi Yūki (Japanese); Erica Mendez (English)
The Serpent's Sin of Envy. She is a giant with immense physical power and a deep connection to the earth. She is confident, short-fused, and will do anything to protect innocent life. She is infatuated with the captain, Meliodas, and is often jealous of any women who show interest toward him. Although she eventually cares deeply for Elizabeth, Diane is envious of Meliodas' affection toward Elizabeth instead of her.
King/Harlequin (キング ／ ハーレクイン Kingu / Hārekuin)
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese); Max Mittelman (English)
The Grizzly's Sin of Sloth. His true name is Harlequin, the fairy king, and was once the protector of the fairy forest and fountain of eternal youth within. It is mentioned that he is probably the most powerful out of the Seven Deadly Sins. King is gentle, respectful, empathetic but fierce when required. He is also "secretly" in love with fellow sin, Diane.
Merlin (マーリン Mārin)
Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese); Lauren Landa (English)
The Boar's Sin of Gluttony. She is a mage who displays a mockingly playful and confident nature. Merlin is referred to as the greatest mage in all of Britannia.
Gowther (ゴウセル Gōzer)
Voiced by: Yūhei Takagi (Japanese); Erik Scott Kimerer (English)
The Goat's Sin of Lust. He is a doll who has little or no concept of typical social interaction and emotions, but he seems to try his best to learn and understand. He is observant, nonchalant, and extremely logical. He is known to state observed or obvious facts and information without tact or consideration of others' feelings.
Escanor (エスカノール Esukanōru)
The Lion's Sin of Pride. His strength and personality changes depending on the time of day with his power being immense and personality arrogant during the daytime, but becoming frail and submissive at night. He has feelings for Merlin.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki, The Seven Deadly Sins began as a one-shot pilot chapter published on November 22, 2011 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine's 52 issue of the year.[1] The manga started serialization in the magazine's 45 issue of 2012, released on October 10, 2012. The chapters have been collected into 20 tankōbon volumes as of April 15, 2016.[2] The first of three planned story arcs was completed with chapter 100 and Suzuki has projected that the series will run for 20 to 30 volumes.[3]

A special issue of Weekly Shōnen Magazine, published on October 19, 2013, featured a small crossover between The Seven Deadly Sins and Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, where each artist drew a yonkoma (four-panel comic) of the other's series.[4] An actual crossover chapter between the two ran in the magazine's combined 4/5 issue of 2014, which was released on December 25, 2013.[5] A comedic spinoff series by Juichi Yamaki, titled Mayoe! The Seven Deadly Sins Academy! (迷え！七つの大罪学園！ Mayoe! Nanatsu no Taizai Gakuen!) and imagining the characters as high school students, launched in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine's September issue on August 9, 2014,[6] with the first tankōbon volume published on February 17, 2015.[7] Nakaba himself wrote a one-shot for the November 2014 issue of the shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi, released on October 3, 2014.[8] He also created a comedic one-shot depicting how Meliodas and Hawk first met that ran in the October 20, 2014 issue of Magazine Special.[9] From February 24 to May 10, 2015, two more spin-off manga by Nakaba were available on the smartphone and tablet application Manga Box. Naku na, Tomo yo (泣くな 友よ, "Do Not Cry, My Friend") is about Hendrickson and Dreyfus' younger years, while Gilthunder no Shinjitsu (ギルサンダーの真実, "Gilthunder's Truth") is set after the Byzel Fight Festival arc and follows Gilthunder.[10] The Seven Deadly Sins Production, a comedic spin-off by Chiemi Sakamoto that imagines the characters as actors performing in a live-action TV show, began in the January 2016 issue of Aria on November 28, 2015.[11] A comedic yonkoma, titled The Seven Deadly Sins: King's Road to Manga (七つの大罪 キングの漫画道 Nanatsu no Taizai Kingu no Manga Michi) and written by Masataka Ono, that depicts King as an aspiring manga artist began on February 20, 2016 in Magazine Special.[12]

The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Kodansha Comics USA, who published the first volume on March 11, 2014.[13][14] As the series is published in Japan, it is also released simultaneously in English digitally by Crunchyroll in over 170 countries.[15][16]

Anime

In April 2014, the 20th issue of Weekly Shōnen Magazine announced that The Seven Deadly Sins was being adapted into a television anime.[17][18] The series debuted on MBS and other Japan News Network stations on October 5, 2014 at 5:00pm.[19][20] The staff was revealed in the combined 36/37 issue of the year: created by A-1 Pictures, directed by Tensai Okamura, written by Shōtarō Suga (Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne), with Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist) providing character designs and Hiroyuki Sawano composing the music.[21] The show's first opening theme song is "Netsujō no Spectrum" (熱情のスペクトラム Netsujō no Supekutoramu, "Spectrum of Passion") performed by Ikimono-gakari for the first twelve episodes and the second opening theme is "Seven Deadly Sins" performed by Man with a Mission, while the first ending theme titled "7-Seven" is a collaboration between Flow and Granrodeo, the second ending theme from episode thirteen onwards is "Season" the major label debut of Alisa Takigawa.[22][23] A second anime series was confirmed on September 27, 2015, to air in 2016.[24]

An original video animation (OVA) titled "Ban's Additional Chapter" (バンの番外編 Ban no Bangai-hen) was included with the limited edition of volume 15 of the manga, released on June 17, 2015.[25] A second OVA composed of nine humorous shorts was shipped with the limited edition of the sixteenth volume of the manga, released on August 12, 2015.[26]

A four week television anime special featuring an original story by Nakaba Suzuki, titled The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (七つの大罪 聖戦の予兆 Nanatsu no Taizai Seisen no Shirushi), will begin airing in August 2016 on MBS and TBS. The special is produced by A-1 Pictures, directed by Tomokazu Tokoro, and written by Yuniko Ayana and Yuichiro Kido, featuring character designs by Keigo Sasaki. The music is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano and Takafumi Wada.[27]

The first The Seven Deadly Sins anime series was licensed for English release by Netflix as its second exclusive anime, following their acquisition of Knights of Sidonia.[28] All 24 episodes were released on November 1, 2015 in both subtitled or English dub formats.

Other media

Three light novels based on The Seven Deadly Sins have been published; The Seven Deadly Sins -Gaiden- The Seven Wishes of the Royal City from Old Times (七つの大罪　―外伝―　昔日の王都　七つの願い Nanatsu no Taizai -Gaiden- Sekijitsu no Ōto Nanatsu no Negai) by Shuka Matsuda on December 17, 2014; The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days (七つの大罪　セブンデイズ Nanatsu no Taizai Sebun Deizu) by Mamoru Iwasa on December 26, 2014; and The Seven Deadly Sins -Gaiden- The Seven Scars Left Behind (七つの大罪　―外伝―　彼らが残した七つの傷跡 Nanatsu no Taizai -Gaiden- Karera ga Nokoshita Nanatsu no Kizuato) by Shuka Matsuda on October 16, 2015.[29][30][31]

An illustration collection titled Rainbow of Sin (七色の罪 Nanairo no Tsumi) and an official fan book were both released on February 17, 2015,[32][33] while a guidebook for the anime called Ani-Sin (アニ罪 Ani-Tsumi) was released on April 17, 2015.[34]

A video game titled Seven Deadly Sins: Unjust Sin (七つの大罪 真実の冤罪 Nanatsu no Taizai Shinjitsu no Enzai) was developed by Bandai Namco Games and released for the Nintendo 3DS on February 11, 2015.[22]

Reception

As of August 2014, the collected volumes of The Seven Deadly Sins had 5 million copies in circulation.[22] By January 2015, this number had grown to 10 million sold.[35] The first collected volume of the series sold 38,581 copies in its first week, ranking number 13 on the Oricon manga chart.[36] Its second volume ranked 5 selling 106,829 in its first week,[37] while its third debuted at number 4 with 135,164 copies.[38] The thirteenth volume had the manga's best debut week to date, selling 442,492 for first place on the chart.[39] The series was the ninth best-selling manga of 2014, with over 4.6 million copies sold that year.[40] For the first half of 2015, The Seven Deadly Sins was the number one best-selling series.[41] It finished the year in second place with over 10.3 million copies sold, behind only One Piece.[42] The 2014 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, which surveys people in the manga and publishing industry, named The Seven Deadly Sins the fifth best manga series for male readers.[43] The title was named Best Shōnen Manga at the 39th Kodansha Manga Awards alongside Yowamushi Pedal.[44] It was also nominated for the 2014 Manga Taishō award and as Best Youth Comic at the 42nd Angoulême International Comics Festival in France.[45][46]

The North American releases of volumes two and four charted on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list at number seven and nine respectively.[47][48] Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network gave the first volume a B grade, calling the art interesting and the story a "neat take on the basic knights-in-shining-armor." She saw influence from Akira Toriyama in Meliodas and 1970s shōjo manga in the female characters. However, Silverman felt the art had issues with perspective and commented that Elizabeth lacked character development.[49] Both Silverman and Danica Davidson of Otaku USA warned that Meliodas' perverted actions towards Elizabeth, which are supposedly used for comedic relief, could be possibly misinterpreted by some readers.[50] In a brief review, Jason Thompson claimed that the series follows common shōnen manga elements, making its plot twists and dialog predictable. He did however like the art and the series' European setting.[51]

The first DVD volume of the anime debuted at number one on Oricon's Japanese animation DVD chart with 3,574 copies sold.[52] With 32,762 copies sold of the five volumes released at the time, The Seven Deadly Sins was the 30th best-selling anime of the first half of 2015.[53]

The novel The Seven Deadly Sins -Gaiden- Sekijitsu no Ōto Nanatsu no Negai was the 33rd best-selling light novel of the first half of 2015, with 61,939 copies sold.[54]

References

  1. ↑ "No.52 2011年11月22日（火）発売" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
  2. ↑ 七つの大罪 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  3. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga's 1st of 3 Planned Arcs Ends". Anime News Network. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
  4. ↑ "鈴木央が「FAIRY TAIL」、真島ヒロが「七つの大罪」を執筆" (in Japanese). Natalie. 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  5. ↑ "Fairy Tail, The Seven Deadly Sins Get Crossover 1-Shot Manga". Anime News Network. 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2013-12-06.
  6. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Gets School Comedy Manga Spinoff". Anime News Network. 2014-06-29. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  7. ↑ 迷え！七つの大罪学園！（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  8. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Gets One-Shot in Nakayoshi Magazine For Girls". Anime News Network. 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-09-03.
  9. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga Gets Comedy 1-Shot Story". Anime News Network. 2014-09-20. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  10. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins' 2nd New Spinoff Manga by Creator Posted". Anime News Network. 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  11. ↑ ""Seven Deadly Sins" Inspires Shoujo Parody Spin-Off". Crunchyroll. 2015-11-28. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  12. ↑ "Seven Deadly Sins' 4-Panel Spinoff Reimagines King as Aspiring Manga Creator". Anime News Network. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  13. ↑ "Kodansha Comics Adds UQ Holder, Seven Deadly Sins Manga". Anime News Network. 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  14. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Volume 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  15. ↑ "CRUNCHYROLL LAUNCHES "CRUNCHYROLL MANGA" DIGITAL COMIC PLATFORM". Crunchyroll. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  16. ↑ "Crunchyroll to Simultaneously Offer Kodansha Manga in 170 Countries". Anime News Network. 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  17. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Fantasy Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  18. ↑ "「七つの大罪」TVアニメ化決定！単行本は累計300万部突破" (in Japanese). Natalie. 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  19. ↑ アニメ「七つの大罪」10月より日5枠で放送 (in Japanese). Natalie. 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  20. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Anime Commercial Streamed". Anime News Network. 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  21. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Anime's Game, Cast, Staff Announced". Anime News Network. 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  22. 1 2 3 "The Seven Deadly Sins Anime's Theme Songs, Game Detailed". Anime News Network. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  23. ↑ "Man With A Mission, Alisa Takigawa Perform The Seven Deadly Sins' New Songs". Anime News Network. 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  24. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga Gets New TV Anime in 2016". Anime News Network. 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  25. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga to Bundle OVA Episode About Ban". Anime News Network. 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2015-03-16.
  26. ↑ "2nd Seven Deadly Sins OVA to Compile 9 Short Stories". Anime News Network. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  27. ↑ "Seven Deadly Sins Gets 4-Week TV Anime Special In August With Brand-New Story". Anime News Network. 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  28. ↑ Newman, Heather (2015-10-09). "Netflix To Announce Its Second Exclusive Anime Series Tomorrow: 'The Seven Deadly Sins'". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  29. ↑ 小説　七つの大罪　―外伝―　昔日の王都　七つの願い (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  30. ↑ 七つの大罪　セブンデイズ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  31. ↑ 七つの大罪　―外伝―　彼らが残した七つの傷跡 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  32. ↑ 七つの大罪　イラストコレクション　〈七色の罪〉 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  33. ↑ 七つの大罪　公式ファンブック　解体罪書 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  34. ↑ 七つの大罪　公式アニメガイド　アニ罪 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  35. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga's 1st of 3 Planned Arcs Ends". Anime News Network. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  36. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 11–17". Anime News Network. 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  37. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, April 15–21". Anime News Network. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  38. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, June 17–23". Anime News Network. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  39. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 16–22". Anime News Network. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  40. ↑ "Top-Selling Manga in Japan by Series: 2014". Anime News Network. 2014-11-30. Retrieved 2014-11-30.
  41. ↑ "Top-Selling Manga in Japan by Series: 2015 (First Half)". Anime News Network. 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  42. ↑ "Top-Selling Manga in Japan by Series: 2015". Anime News Network. 2015-11-29. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  43. ↑ "Top Manga Ranked by Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2014 Voters". Anime News Network. 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  44. ↑ "Yowamushi Pedal, The Seven Deadly Sins Win 39th Kodansha Manga Awards". Anime News Network. 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  45. ↑ "10 Titles Nominated for 7th Manga Taisho Awards". Anime News Network. 2014-01-20. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  46. ↑ "Akira's Katsuhiro Otomo Wins Angoulême's Top Prize". Anime News Network. 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  47. ↑ "New York Times Manga Best Seller List, May 11–17". Anime News Network. 2014-05-23. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  48. ↑ "New York Times Manga Best Seller List, September 14–20". Anime News Network. 2014-09-26. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  49. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins GN 1 - Review". Anime News Network. 2014-05-15. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  50. ↑ "The Seven Deadly Sins Manga #1". Otaku USA. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  51. ↑ "House of 1000 Manga - Crunchyroll Manga". Anime News Network. 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  52. ↑ "Japan's Animation DVD Ranking, January 26-February 1". Anime News Network. 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  53. ↑ "Top-Selling Animation in Japan by Title: 2015 (First Half)". Anime News Network. 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  54. ↑ "Top-Selling Light Novels in Japan by Volume: 2015 (First Half)". Anime News Network. 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2015-06-29.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 28, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.