Jyu-Oh-Sei

2006 animated television series

Jyu Oh Sei (獣王星) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsumi Itsuki. The manga was first serialized in Hakusensha's monthly shōjo manga magazine, LaLa in December 1993. Several chapters of the series were serialized in Hakusensha's other bi monthly shōjo manga magazine, Melody. The chapters released were then collected into five tankōbon volumes and later re released into three kanzenban volumes. It was licensed and released in English in North America by Tokyopop, with translations by Yuya Otake and English adaptation by Clint Bickham. An 11 episode anime adaptation was animated by Bones and premiered on April 13, 2006 in Japan as part of Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. On May 2, 2009, the series made its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel. The series deals with the adventures of twins Thor and Rai, who live on space colony Juno, a planet resembling earth, until they are abandoned and sent to Chimaera, a secret planet dominated by extreme weather patterns which is used as a penal colony.

Three hundred and fifty years have passed since humans first settled the Balkan star system, located approximately 150 light years from Earth, where a number of planets have been terraformed to resemble Earth. Two 11 year old twins, Thor and Rai, live on the space colony Juno until they come home to find their parents have been murdered. The unknown assassins drop Thor and Rai on Chimaera, a secret planet used as a penal colony. Thor learns about Chimaeran society's four "Rings" and how to leave Chimaera by becoming the Beast King from Zagi, who rescued Thor and Rai after they immediately run into trouble on the planet. Thor proceeds to the Ochre Ring where he gets swept up into that Ring's politics and winds up defeating its Top, bringing him closer to becoming the Beast King. After several years Thor faces off with Zagi who has violently taken over the Blanc ring and is determined to rule over and change Chimaeran society. Their encounter ends with an uneasy truce and a plan to force Juno to negotiate with Thor. When Thor finally meets Odin, the President of Juno, the mystery of Thor's and Chimaera's secret origins are revealed. Odin tells Thor he is a genetically engineered human created from the DNA of all the previous Beast Kings. His mother Eve was the lead researcher at the facility where he was created, and was a surrogate mother to him. Thor's genes adapt to survive under any circumstances, so they mimicked Eve's physical appearance. This is the reason Thor appeared to be Rai's twin. Odin also reveals no new children are being born in the colonies, and that Thor is humanity's last hope for survival. Finally, Odin reveals a long kept secret: that Earth was destroyed by an asteroid collision long ago, and humanity cannot return there, so they must adapt to survive in the Balkan Star System. However, Odin's plans involve dissecting Thor in order to mass produce more genetically engineered humans capable of surviving in Balkan, and terraforming Chimaera, which would kill the planet's current inhabitants. With the help of Third, Thor stops the terraforming process, though Third dies in the process. Thor returns to Chimaera to live with Chen, Zagi and the rest of the planet's inhabitants. In the end, it is revealed that Thor's genes have adapted once again, causing him to take on Third's physical appearance. He and Chen appear to be together. He adopts an orphan girl they both found, naming her "Tiz", saying it means hope.

A secret planet used as a penal colony where day and night last 181 days each and the planet is marked by extreme weather patterns. Plants dominate the planet's ecosystem. Their varied defensive adaptions, as well as carnivorous varieties, are a constant hazard to the people of Chimaera. The violent seasonal bloom of muses, where the plants erupt from deep below the surface to spread their canopies to the sun, are the main source of water for Chimerans; most of the water lies deep in the planet's crust. Sap from a calypto plant is highly useful, but harvesting it is dangerous. The calypto sap erupts from punctures and inhalation can cause death. Of all the plants a verasoma is the most ferocious and formidable, a mobile carnivorous plant. It usually attacks from underground keeping its small weak point well away from any threat. Even when mortally wounded its death throes are likely to kill anything around it.

The prisoners adopted a feudal society and divided into four groups of humans, called "Rings" that acts as governs on the planet. These Rings, the Ochre Ring, Sun Ring, Blanc Ring, and Noire Ring, are based on skin color. A group of outcast children called Yado are led by Zagi with no affiliation to any ring. Each ring is led by three people: the Top, Second, and Third, with the Top as the leader. Hierarchy is maintained by winning any challenges to the position in a duel. If an individual successfully defeats the Top of all four rings they become the "Beast King" who gets to be pardoned of their crimes and allowed to reside on Hecate. Women make up only 20% of the population, they are considered extremely special, live apart from men, and are the ones who get to choose their partners during the "Mating Month", a chosen mate is generally not allowed to refuse.

Jyu Oh Sei has been adapted into an anime which consists of 11 episodes, which began airing in Japan on April 13, 2006. The series has been licensed in North America by Funimation Entertainment.

The DVD release of "Jyu Oh Sei" began on July 28, 2006. The Japanese release was sold by Asmik Ace, consisting of a total of four volumes, with volumes including interviews with the original Japanese cast and cover artwork drawn by the character designer and director. The English release was managed by Funimation and consisted of a single complete edition.

Volume Episodes Release date Complete Edition S. A. V. E 1 11 April 24, 2012