Twin Spica (ふたつのスピカ, Futatsu no Supika^?) is a manga series by Kou Yaginuma (柳沼 行, Yaginuma Kō^?). It began serialization in the magazine Comic Flapper in January, 2001. Twin Spica tells the story of a group of Japanese high school students who are training to become astronauts. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Seinen ) (not to be confused with adult )) is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at an 18–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be much older with some comics aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ... Media Factory, Inc. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tankōbon ) is the Japanese term for a compilation volume of a particular series (such as a manga or a novel series, magazine articles, essays, craft patterns, etc. ... For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Tomomi Mochizuki ) (sometimes incorrectly romanized as Tomomichi Mochizuki) is an anime director and producer born on December 31, 1958 in Hokkaido, Japan. ... Group TAC (株式会社グループ・タック Kabushiki Kaisha GurÅ«pu · Takku) is an animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan and founded in 1968. ... Animax ) is a Japanese anime satellite television network, established and owned by Sony Corporation, and dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. ... NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo NHK (, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Manga )   is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The manga has been adapted into a 20 episode anime series by Group TAC. The anime first aired on NHK's BS-2 satellite service between November 1, 2003 and 27 March 2004. Twin Spica has been translated into English and other languages by the anime television network Animax, which has broadcast the series on its networks in several regions, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Latin America. There have also been fansubs created in several languages. The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Group TAC (株式会社グループ・タック Kabushiki Kaisha Gurūpu · Takku) is an animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan and founded in 1968. ... NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo NHK (, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Animax ) is a Japanese anime satellite television network, established and owned by Sony Corporation, and dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... School Rumble with karaoke fansub subtitles - typical for fansubs but not a common feature in American commercial releases. ...

The title comes from the binary star system Spica. It is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo and one of the brightest stars in the sky. The story refers to the fact that Spica are two stars that support each other and is very relative to the running theme of friendship throughout the series. This article is about the astronomical phenomenon. ... Spica (α Vir / α Virginis / Alpha Virginis) is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... See VIRGO (physics) for a French-Italian project in physics. ... Bright stars can be bright because they produce more light, because they are closer to us, or both. ... Spica (α Vir / α Virginis / Alpha Virginis) is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ...

Plot Summary

The primary setting of Twin Spica in the near future at the Tokyo Space School, where high school students train to become astronauts. Asumi Kamogawa (鴨川アスミ, Asumi Kamogawa^?) has dreamed of going to space since she was a child. Her experiences in school and her relationships with her friends, family and teachers are the central themes of the story. The manga and anime series both have a relaxed, slice of life pace. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Several chapters of the manga and episodes of the anime are flashbacks and explore the childhood of Asumi and some of the other characters. When she was a baby, Japan's first manned rocket (called Shishigou) crashed into Asumi's hometown of Yuigahama, killing many people and critically injuring her mother, who finally dies after many years in a coma. While trying to accept her mother's death, six year old Asumi meets Lion-san (ライオンさん, Lion-san^?), the ghost of a young astronaut who had been on board the rocket. Inspired by Lion-san's stories of space, Asumi makes it her goal to become an astronaut herself. In literature and film, a flashback (also called analepsis) takes the narrative back in time from the point the story has reached, to recount events that happened before and give the back-story. ...

The storylines of the manga and the anime adaptation are very close together initially, but in the anime's diverges to have an ending that is not related to anything published. The anime covers most of the manga's story in volume 1-3 but later takes bits and pieces of the latter volumes.

Characters

• Asumi Kamogawa (鴨川アスミ, Asumi Kamogawa^?)

Seiyū - Akiko Yajima

The story's main character. After her mother died when she was young, she grew up with her father. She is the only one who can see Lion-san, whom she met soon after her mother's death. After meeting Lion-san, she becomes determined to become an astronaut.

• Lion-san (ライオンさん, Lion-san^?)

Seiyū - Takehito Koyasu

Lion-san meets Asumi when she is young and introduces himself as a ghost. He wears a large lion mask that covers his entire head. He comforts Asumi during the difficult time after her mother's death, and fosters her interest in space.

• Marika Ukita (宇喜多万里香, Marika Ukita^?)

Seiyū - Akiko Kimura

A classmate of Asumi's, she is a loner and generally treats her peers coldly. She justifies her attitude by reflecting on the difficult childhood she endured, which comprised mostly of studying in isolation.

• Shinnosuke Fuchūya (府中野新之介, Shinnosuke Fuchūya^?), nicknamed Fucchi (ふっち, Fucchi^?) by Kei

Seiyū - Toshiyuki Toyonaga

Asumi's childhood friend, whose ends up following her to take the astronaut course. He likes Asumi and always looks after Asumi but hasn't really revealed her feelings to her.

• Kei Ōmi (近江圭, Kei Ōmi^?)

Seiyū - Fuyuka Oura

The first girl Asumi meets during the Space School entrance exam. Sociable, gregarious and frank, she is Asumi's first female friend in the Astronaut course

• Shū Suzuki (鈴木秋, Shū Suzuki^?)

Seiyū - Yuki Kaida

The top student of their course, Shuu is often depicted as a laid-back, easy going guy. Despite the facade, he tries his best to reach for his dream - which is to become an astronaut.

• Tomorou Kamogawa
• Kyouko Kamogawa (鴨川今子, Kyouko Kamogawa^?)
• Yuuko Suzanari
• Ringo Sakashita
• Takashi Shimazu

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Voice actor. ... Akiko Yajima ), née Akiko Ogasawara (小笠原 æ™¶å­ Ogasawara Akiko, born May 4, 1967), is a seiyÅ« who was born in Niigata and raised in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. ... For other uses, see Astronaut (disambiguation). ... Takehito Koyasu (子安 武人 Koyasu Takehito, born May 5, 1967) in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan is a seiyÅ« (voice actor). ... Akiko Kimura (木村 亜希子 Kimura Akiko) is a seiyu whose birthday is June 28, 1970 in Fukui. ... Toshiyuki Toyonaga , (born, April 28, 1984) is a Japanese seiyÅ« and actor. ... Yuki Kaida (甲斐田ゆき Kaida Yuki) is a seiyÅ« (voice actor). ...

Music

• Original soundtrack - Kazunori Miyake
• Opening theme

"Venus Say" by BUZY

• Ending theme

"Miagetegoran Yoru no Hoshiwo" by BEGIN

Buzy is a Japanese female pop musical group. ... BEGIN (ビギン) is a popular three-man pop group from Ishigaki Island (石垣島), Okinawa, Japan. ...

Manga Book Information

Japanese

• Volume 1
  • ISBN: 9784840104289
  • Release Date: 01/2002

• Volume 2
  • ISBN: 9784840104401
  • Release Date: 04/2002

• Volume 3
  • ISBN: 9784840104685
  • Release Date: 11/2002

• Volume 4
  • ISBN: 9784840104906
  • Release Date: 05/2003

• Volume 5
  • ISBN: 9784840109062
  • Release Date: 10/2003

• Volume 6
  • ISBN: 9784840109444
  • Release Date: 04/2004

• Volume 7
  • ISBN: 9784840109840
  • Release Date: 12/2004

• Volume 8
  • ISBN: 9784840113076
  • Release Date: 05/2005

• Volume 9
  • ISBN: 9784840113496
  • Release Date: 12/2005

• Volume 10
  • ISBN: 9784840113779
  • Release Date: 03/2006

• Volume 11
  • ISBN: 9784840116350
  • Release Date: 11/2006

• Volume 12
  • ISBN: 9784840116879
  • Release Date: 03/2007

External links

• Comic Flapper the official website where the manga is serialized (Japanese)
• Twin Spica on animation studio Group Tac's website (Japanese)
• Twin Spica on broadcaster NHK's website (Japanese)
• Twin Spica on music distributor Starchild's website (Japanese)
• Twin Spica on Animax East Asia's website (English)
• Twin Spica (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia (English)
• Twin Spica at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia (English)