| Twin Spica | |
 Cover art of the firstTwin Spica manga volume featuring lead character Asumi Kamogawa | |
| ふたつのスピカ (Futatsu no Supika) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Coming-of-age,science fiction[1][2] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kou Yaginuma |
| Published by | Media Factory |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Comic Flapper |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | September 5, 2001 –August 5, 2009 |
| Volumes | 16(List of volumes) |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tomomi Mochizuki |
| Written by | Rika Nakase |
| Music by | Kazunori Miyake |
| Studio | Group TAC |
| Original network | NHK BS2 |
| English network | |
| Original run | November 1, 2003 – March 27, 2004 |
| Episodes | 20(List of episodes) |
| Television drama | |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Atsushi Umehori |
| Original network | NHK General TV,NHK BS Hi-Vision |
| Original run | June 18, 2009 – July 30, 2009 |
| Episodes | 7(List of episodes) |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Twin Spica (Japanese:ふたつのスピカ,Hepburn:Futatsu no Supika) is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated byKou Yaginuma. The "realistic,slice-of-lifescience fiction series" tells the story of a group of Japanese high school students training to become astronauts in the early 21st century after the country's firsthuman spaceflight launch ends in a disaster that causes many civilian casualties. It was serialized in the seinen manga magazineComic Flapper from September 2001 to August 2009 and was later published in 16tankōbon volumes byMedia Factory from January 2002 to October 2009.
The series is named afterSpica, abinary star system and the brightest star in the constellationVirgo. In the manga, Yaginuma includes many references to historical events related to the development of human spaceflight as well as literary works such asKenji Miyazawa's novelNight on the Galactic Railroad. American publishing companyVertical announced acquisition of the manga's license for English-language translation at theNew York Anime Festival in September 2009, and the translated first volume was published in May 2010. The series was described by Vertical marketing director Ed Chavez as "technically sound" and "heartfelt" during its initial assessment.
The manga was adapted into ananime television series by animation studioGroup TAC. It premiered on November 1, 2003, on Japan'sNHK BS2 satellite channel. Twenty episodes of the anime aired until March 27, 2004, when the series concluded prematurely before the manga was completed. Satellite television networkAnimax has broadcast the anime in multiple regional language releases, including English. Alive-action adaptation was produced by NHK in cooperation with theJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency and aired between June 18 and July 30, 2009.
Author and creatorKou Yaginuma began writing theback-story ofTwin Spica in 2000 with his debut work "2015:Fireworks" (2015年の打ち上げ花火,"2015 Nen no Uchiage Hanabi").[3] In it and in subsequent writings, Yaginuma constructed afuture history of the development of Japan's spaceflight program. He introduces readers to a future following the launch of Japan's first crewed spaceflight mission, theLion (獅子号,Shishigō), in 2010.[4] The mission ends in disaster when theliquid rocket booster fuel catches fire 72 seconds after liftoff. Mission controllers are unable to activate the craft's abort sequence, and the rocket crashes into the city ofYuigahama, causing many casualties among residents.[5]
TheLion's explosion becomes one of themajor accidents in spaceflight history and sets Japan's spaceflight program back by over a decade. In the years following the accident, the public accuses those involved with theLion program ofnegligence. Rumors also begin to circulate about theoffshore outsourcing of the rocket's production despite the government's claims that it was developed domestically.[6] To promote recovery from the tragedy, theMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology establishes the Tokyo National Space School in 2014 as avocational high school dedicated to training a new generation of students in thespace sciences. Japan's spaceflight program is finally reactivated ten years later with the admission of students into the academy's astronaut training program.[7] In the same year, the last operating module of theInternational Space Station is retired and destroyed byatmospheric reentry following completion of the station's long-term mission. Subsequent development projects are to be completed by individual countries with active spaceflight programs.[8] Of the students in the inaugural class of the astronaut training program, one is selected to join Japan's second crewed mission in 2027.[9] It is the final mission toward completing aspace-based solar power satellite.[10]
Yaginuma's work prior to serialization introduces readers toAsumi Kamogawa and her mentor, the ghost of a Lion astronaut whom she callsMr. Lion.[11] Their friendship develops in several short stories in which, throughout her childhood, he nurtures Asumi's interest in space. As her interest and dreams grow, Asumi is often ridiculed by classmates, especially because she immerses herself in books about space and rarely engages in classroom activities.[12] When she decides to apply for admission to the Tokyo Space Academy, her teachers urge her to reconsider because she is below average height.[13] Her friendship with Mr. Lion continues to grow after Asumi successfully enters the academy, and she often consults him during periods of self-doubt.[14]
Asumi's elementary and middle school classmateShinnosuke Fuchuya also enters the academy much to her surprise. He defended Asumi from ridicule by other classmates throughout their childhood despite occasionally teasing her as well,[12] and it has been suggested that he sees her as aromantic interest.[3] The two eventually befriend three other students in the astronaut training program.Shu Suzuki, who is named student representative for the astronaut program, has an easygoing personality.[15] He wears a distinctive face by shaving his eyebrows as a symbol of defiance against his father.[16]Kei Oumi befriends Asumi during the academy's entrance examination and is portrayed with an outgoing personality and a deep sense of loyalty toward her friends.[17]Marika Ukita initially responds coldly toward gestures of friendship, but she moves into Asumi'sdormitory following an argument with her father.[18] The five students later make a promise to complete the astronaut program together as their friendship grows stronger.[19] After three years in the astronaut program, Asumi is chosen out of eleven remaining students to take part in Japan's second human spaceflight mission,[20] making her, at the age of eighteen, theyoungest person to go into space.[21]
Throughout their time at the academy, astronaut candidates must overcome numerous physical and mental trials. Readers discover from a pre-serialization story that Asumi's mother dies following the Lion disaster,[22] but this is not known to Asumi's friends until Kei discovers the obituary listing in a newspaper article.[23] Marika is revealed to be the genetic copy of a deceased Marika Ukita despite a standing ban onhuman cloning.[24] Fuchuya suffers fromred-green color blindness after his eyes are exposed to an exploding firework at close range in a childhood accident.[25] Unknown to the group, Shu suffers fromhereditaryhemoptysis (coughing up of blood) and dies from the condition soon after his selection as an exchange student to the American space program.[26] This tragedy reveals Kei's feelings for him, which she keeps hidden for much of the series.[27]
The series is named afterSpica,[28] abinary star system in the constellationVirgo and one of thebrightest stars in the nighttime sky. It appears as one star because of the relatively low center-to-center distance between the two component stars, estimated at an average of 11 million miles (17.7 million km). Astronomical observations also suggest that there may be additional stars in the Spica system.[29] In the story, Asumi mentions Spica's distance to Earth as 350light-years.[30] This figure is also cited by theJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency;[31] however, other sources indicate a distance of approximately 260 light-years.[32][33]
Kou Yaginuma's initial inspiration for the story came from a statement he once read describing theHohner Little Ladyharmonica as one of the first musical instruments taken into space. However, as an aspiringmanga artist, Yaginuma had neither resources to conduct research on nor knowledge pertaining to spaceflight. He also hesitated to write the series because his own life experiences did not reflect the dreams of his characters. Despite these challenges, Yaginuma found comfort in the determination of his characters, especially that of Asumi Kamogawa.[34]
AlthoughTwin Spica began serialization in the October 2001 issue ofMedia Factory'sComic Flapper magazine, its lead character Asumi had appeared in Yaginuma's debut work "2015:Fireworks". This short story published in the July 2000 issue ofComic Flapper also introduced readers to Asumi's father, her elementary school teacher Yuko Suzunari, and the astronaut ghost Mr. Lion.[3] Four additional short stories that predate the series also feature Asumi as the central character: "Asumi" (アスミ),[35] "Campanella's Forest" (カムパネルラの森,"Kamupanerura no Mori"), "Our Stars, Leaf Stars" (ふたりの星 はっぱ星,"Futari no Hoshi, Happa Hoshi"),[36] and "Asumi's Cherry Tree" (アスミの桜,"Asumi no Sakura").[37] Theseslice-of-life stories eventually served asprequels toTwin Spica.[3]
Twin Spica and its prequel stories make various references to historical figures and events in space exploration. Throughout the manga and the anime, Mr. Lion carries with him a harmonica, one of the first musical instruments to be played in space.[38] A harmonica and bell set was carried aboard theGemini 6A spaceflight in December 1965 by American astronautsWally Schirra andThomas Patten Stafford. During the mission, the two men used these instruments to play "Jingle Bells".[39] Asumi is nicknamed "Seagull" by Shu Suzuki in the anime.[40] The same name was used as thecall sign of Soviet cosmonautValentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, during her 1963 mission aboardVostok 6.[41] Prior to Shu's death in the live-action adaptation, he reveals to his friends that theNew Horizons spacecraft destined forPluto carries the cremated ashes of the dwarf planet's discoverer,Clyde Tombaugh.[42][43] Asumi later brings Shu's ashes during her first journey into space.[44]
There are also various references to real-world literary and musical works. The titles of two short stories in the manga, "Campanella's Forest" and "Giovanni's Ticket" (ジヨバンニの切符,"Jiyobanni no Kippu"), refer to the two main characters ofKenji Miyazawa's novelNight on the Galactic Railroad. It appears in the penultimate episode of the anime and is also a favorite book of the original Marika Ukita.[45][46] In both the manga and the live-action adaptation, Kei makes a request for Shu to play the piano piece "Der Flohwalzer", known in Japan as "Neko Funjatta" (猫踏んじゃった,lit. 'I Stepped on the Cat'), if he becomes the first in their group to go into space.[47][48]
Twin Spica began serialization in the October 2001 issue of theseinen (aimed at younger adult men)manga magazineComic Flapper.[3] It continued until the publication of the 89th chapter on August 5, 2009.[49] The series was also published intankōbon format in 16 volumes, with the final volume being published on October 23, 2009.[50] Yaginuma's prequel short stories published prior to serialization are interspersed throughout these compilations. Two were included in the first volume;[35] two were included in the second volume;[36] and one was included in the third volume.[37] Three additional prequel stories were also written by Yaginuma during serialization and published in the fourth, sixth, and ninth volumes, respectively.[51][52][53] On March 23, 2006, Media Factory published the 80-pageTwin Spica Illustration Book (ふたつのスピカイラストブック,Futatsu no Supika Irasutobukku,ISBN 978-4-8401-1380-9) featuring color art from the manga. It also included a 24-month calendar and an interview with Kou Yaginuma.[54]
The series is licensed byTong Li Publishing for Chinese-language release in Taiwan under the titleDream of Spica (Chinese:麥穗星之夢;pinyin:Màisuìxīng zhī mèng).[55] It was translated by Li Lin-hui (Chinese:李臨麾; pinyin:Lǐ Línhuī), and the first volume was released in May 2005.[56] Following a three-week contract negotiation,[57] the American publishing companyVertical announced at the 2009New York Anime Festival that it had acquired the license to publish the series in English.[58] Marketing director Ed Chavez explained that the motivation to acquireTwin Spica came from the company's desire to license works from Japanese publishers that have yet to form committed partnerships with major American publishers. He proposed continuing a previous partnership withMedia Factory, from which Vertical licensedThe Guin Saga's manga adaptation.[59] Vertical's distributorRandom House announced a release date of May 4, 2010, for the first translated volume,[60] contrary to the initial announcement that it will be released in August 2010.[61] Chavez later confirmed viaTwitter that Vertical would condense its North American releases into 12 volumes.[62]
Japanese animation studioGroup TAC producedTwin Spica's anime adaptation, which was broadcast byNHK. The 20-episode series premiered on November 1, 2003, and aired until its conclusion on March 27, 2004.[63][64]Tomomi Mochizuki directed the anime series, andRika Nakase wrote its screenplay. Masako Goto designed the characters for animation.[65] When the series reached its conclusion, only 30 chapters of the manga had been published.[66] Chapter 25, which concludes the story of Asumi and her classmates undergoing a test of theirsurvival skills, was the final chapter to be adapted for the anime.[67] Consequently, the series concludes prematurely with Asumi's ghost companion Lion-san leaving when he no longer has anything to teach her and her friends. The manga, however, continues with Lion-san appearing in subsequent chapters until his eventual departure in chapter 88.[68] The anime series also aired in other parts of Asia onAnimax.[69] It was released inVHS andDVD formats byKing Records in five compilation volumes each.[70] A special DVD collection containing the five flashback episodes—episodes 1, 5, 9, 12, and 16—was released on May 26, 2004,[71] and a five-disc DVD box set was released on July 22, 2004.[72] A two-partnovelization of the anime and an official guide book to the adaptation were published in April 2004.[73][74][75] The English-languagedubbing of theTwin Spica anime premiered onAnimax Asia on January 24, 2005.[76]
NHK announced a seven-episode live-actiontelevision drama adaptation on March 30, 2009, produced in cooperation with theJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the country's national aerospace agency. Sixteen-year-old actressNanami Sakuraba was cast for the role of Asumi Kamogawa, and filming for the series began on April 2.[77] The drama was scheduled to air on June 11 but was eventually postponed by one week until June 18.[78] Its airing coincided with the celebration of theInternational Year of Astronomy.[79] Screenplay for the series was written by Shūko Arai andDaigo Matsui.[80] While writing the script, Arai found himself encouraged by the characters who must overcome various struggles in order to achieve their dreams. He also specified hopes and dreams as central themes in the story.[81] Among the changes made in this adaptation is the removal of Lion-san as a central character.[82] Yaginuma did not make any restrictions for Arai and Matsui as he believed they knew the television audience best. "Nevertheless," he said, "I think the little Asumi I know and the Asumi portrayed by Ms. Nanami are both looking at the same sky."[34] A three-disc DVD compilation box set of the adaptation was released byGeneon Universal Entertainment on December 23, 2009.[83]
The song "Venus Say" by female pop musical groupBuzy (band) was used as the anime's opening theme,[65] and it was released as amaxi single with two other songs on March 3, 2004. The single remained on theOricon music charts for seven weeks with a peak position at 29th place.[84] Male pop groupBegin adaptedKyu Sakamoto's 1963 single "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o" (見上げてごらん夜の星を, lit. "Look Up at the Stars at Night") as the ending theme song.[65] A fullsoundtrack containing the two theme songs and 33 additional instrumental tracks by composer Kazunori Miyake was released on May 26, 2004.[85]Alternative rock bandOrange Range's song "Hitomi no Saki ni" (瞳の先に,lit. 'Ahead of Eyes') was used as the ending theme for the live-action series. It was released as a maxi single with two other songs on July 8, 2009, and remained on the Oricon music charts for six weeks with a peak position at 5th place.[86] A full soundtrack for the series containing 21 instrumental tracks was released by Harbor Records on August 5, 2009.[87]
In an interview with theYomiuri Shimbun, Japanese astronautKoichi Wakata namedTwin Spica, because of its nostalgic story, as one of five manga series which highlight the dream of reaching space.[88] While assessing the series for licensing in English,Vertical marketing director Ed Chavez, a fan of science fiction, found its story "technically sound" and noted it as "possibly one of the most heartfelt series I've read in ages".[59] He hoped that the series would rank in top 10 ofThe New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller List for manga and believed that it would make Vertical a "known name, not only amongst better comic shops and independent book stores, but also with anime fans and casualgraphic novel readers".[89] While the series was originally published in aseinen magazine, Chavez expected that it would also appeal to fans ofshōjo manga. He believed that the wordseinen "means adult and does not make reference to gender". He hopedTwin Spica will prove to be a financial success and enable Vertical to fund future licenses of classic works byOsamu Tezuka and theForty-Niners.[57] The first volume in English was listed byPublishers Weekly as one of the most anticipated graphic novels of 2010.[90]
Jennifer Berman ofTHEM Anime Reviews rated the anime adaptation ofTwin Spica five out of five stars but told readers, "Subtract a star if you don't like anime that have a somewhat slow pace." Berman praised its artistic design and noted that the character designs reminded her of works byStudio Ghibli. She found the characters "likeable" and saw Marika Ukita as the most intriguing character. Despite her praises, Berman noted one weakness in the anime adaptation. She observed the ending as "a rather open-ended one, and while it wasn't a bad ending, they probably should have thought of something better".[91] Similar to the manga, the anime series was seen as gender neutral.Sony Pictures Entertainment vice president Todd Miller stated thatTwin Spica was one of the titles aired onAnimax which appealed to both genders.[69] The first episode of the drama series aired with a 3.4 percent domestic viewership rating.[79] Reviewers from theYomiuri Shimbun rated the live-action adaptation an average two out of three stars and ranked it third overall among 11 series airing in Q3 2009.[92]
What's really fascinating is that the two big, bright, massive components of Spica are so close together. Their center-to-center separation averages just 0.12AU—that's about 11 million miles, with the larger star having an average diameter of nearly 3½ million miles. [...] Could there be more stars in the Spica system? Apparently there is evidence from lunar occultations that there are three other, fainter components.
