''Human Crossing'', originally titled , is a Japanese

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

written by Masao Yajima and illustrated by Kenshi Hirokane. The manga is about a series of unrelated stories of people's life and their lessons in life. ''Human Crossing'' received the 1985

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier J ...

for the General category.

Manga

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of Japanese dictionaries, dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are to ...

published ''Human Crossing'' in 27 ''

tankōbon is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or m ...

'' between October 1, 1981 and March 1, 1991. The series was republished into 19 '' bunkoban'' between November 17, 1994 and June 15, 1996.

Anime

The series was adapted into a 13-episode

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

in 2003 by A.C.G.T and produced by OB Planning. Directed by Issei Kume, it was broadcast on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certif ...

between April 5, 2003 and June 28, 2003. It was licensed by

Geneon (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distribution of anime within Japan. Th ...

in 2004. Each episode is a separate story of little relevance to each other. The anime is released in France by Kaze, and in Taiwan by

Muse Communication Muse Communication Co., Ltd. (also known simply as Muse) is a Taiwanese distributor and licensor that specializes in the distribution of anime. Based in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, the company also distributes Asian and European films ...

. The anime uses two pieces of

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at s ...

. "REVENGE ~Asu e no Chigai~" by

Nana Katase Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana ...

is the opening theme, while "Believing" by

Aki Asahina Aki or AKI may refer to: Places in Japan *Aki District, Hiroshima, a district in Hiroshima Prefecture *Aki, Kōchi 270px, Aki City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Aki city center is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an es ...

is the ending theme.

released a set of four DVDs for ''Human Crossing''. They released the first DVD, ''Human Crossing - The 25th Hour'' on February 8, 2005, the second DVD, ''Human Crossing, Vol. 2: The Cicadas of Winter'' on April 26, 2005, the third DVD, ''Human Crossing, Vol. 3: Message in White'' on June 28, 2005, and the fourth and final DVD, ''Human Crossing, Vol. 4: Instructor's Rain'' on August 30, 2005. On March 13, 2007,

released ''Human Crossing: Complete Brick Pack'', which contains all four DVDs of the anime.

Maiden Japan ''Maiden Japan'', released as ''Heavy Metal Army'' in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The title is a pun of Deep Purple's live album ''Made in Japan''. Release There are at least two different versions of ...

has now licensed the anime series.

Episode listing

Albums

Avex trax released a soundtrack CD on ''Human Crossing'' anime's ending theme called, ''Human Scramble - Believing'', on June 4, 2003. The CD uses

Bobby Caldwell Robert Hunter Caldwell (born August 15, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz and adult contemporary. He is known for his soulful and versatile vocals. Caldwell released the ...

, Marsga Randcliffe and Debra Shane lyrics. It was sung by

. On July 16, 2003, Hiboom released a soundtrack CD for ''Human Scramble'', containing the opening and ending themes of the anime. On January 7, 2005,

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

released a CD for ''Human Scramble'', which was sung by Shinji Tanimura. On March 11, 2009,

created a SHM-CD version of Shinji Tanimura's 10-part album, which includes "Ningen Kosaten - Human Scramble".

Reception

Anime News Network's Theron Martin criticizes “The 25th Hour” episode, "which comes off as preachy, improbable, and forced" but he also commends the “Direction" episode for its "poignancy and emotional appeal" at the end. Anime News Network's Carlo Santos criticizes the second DVD of ''Human Crossing'' because of its animation, labeling it "stiff" and "choppy". Mania.com's Jennifer Rocks comments on the "stand-alone" nature of each episode more saying that it might be more rewarding if the anime is "viewed as a cultural study, rather than as pure entertainment".

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

's Don Houston commends the anime on its "background detail" and writes that many of the episodes have a "universal appeal".

References

External links

Official Kaze ''Human Scramble'' website
* {{A.C.G.T 2003 anime television series debuts Geneon USA Maiden Japan Seinen manga Shogakukan manga TV Tokyo original programming Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga