Yami no Purple Eye

Manga
title	Yami no Purple Ai
Original title	闇 の パ ー プ ル ・ ア イ
transcription	Yami no Pāpuru Ai
country	Japan
author	Chie Shinohara
publishing company	Shogakukan
magazine	Shōjo comic
First publication	1984-1987
expenditure	12

Yami no Purple Ai ( Japanese 闇 の パ ー プ ル ・ ア イ , Yami no Pāpuru Ai , dt. "Purple eyes in the dark") is a completed manga series by the Japanese illustrator Chie Shinohara , which can be assigned to the Shōjo genre. The story tells of a girl who is able to transform into a leopard with purple eyes.

action

Rinko Ozaki ( 尾崎 倫 子 ), a 15-year-old middle school student , was born with a noticeable birthmark on her left forearm. She only recently moved to ... with her mother, father and younger sister Maiko. When she injures herself with a kitchen knife, she falls into a kind of intoxication and tastes her blood.

A few nights later, Rinko is attacked on the street by three young men who want to take revenge on Rinko's classmate Shin'ya Mizushima ( 水 島 慎 也 ). While fighting the men, she unconsciously transforms into a giant leopard and kills her attacker. After the attack, Shin'ya finds her naked and unconscious and takes her to his apartment.

Her biology teacher Kaoruko Sonehara ( 曽 根 原 薫 子 ) becomes aware of her mark in class. She and her father have been trying for years to prove that there are people who can transform themselves into animals. Sonehara explains to Rinko that the studies have shown that all people in the past who could be considered shapeshifters were born with a noticeable mark. Sonehara therefore believes that Rinko is also a shapeshifter. After the conversation, Rinko is locked up and Sonehara reveals that she had set the three men who were after Shin'ya on Rinko. Through a window in the door, Rinko has to watch as her biology teacher attacks the unconscious Shin'ya. This incites Rinko so much that she turns back into a leopard. During the escape, the now transformed Rinko injured Shin'ya in the back. Rinko passes out again after the transformation, but can only vaguely remember some events.

Sonehara takes Rinko prisoner at school, drug her, tortures her with electric shocks and throws her handcuffed into a swimming pool. Rinko can only save himself through the transformation. Rinko, who is hiding with Shin'ya, is called by Sonehara. This obediently blackmailed Rinko by saying that she would alternatively use Rinko's little sister Maiko as a test subject. In order to save her sister, who is already in the hands of Sonehara, Rinko breaks into her teacher. Although she is able to free her little sister from captivity, she is bitten to death by Sonehara's guard dogs when she escapes. Through the sadness and anger, Rinko succeeds in the transformation again. This is being filmed by Sonehara. The transformed Rinko takes Maiko's body and buries it in a forest. Rinko again flees to Shin'ya because she doesn't want to go home, where everything reminds her of Maiko.

In the further course of the story, Rinko is put under pressure with the video of Sonehara. Shin'ya learns from Sonehara that Rinko killed the three attackers and then helps Sonehara to stun Rinko and thus catch him. Captured again, Sonehara's crazy father slits Rinko's carotid artery to draw her blood. In the meantime, Sonehara says that a few years ago her father poured gasoline on himself and then set it on fire because other scientists did not believe him. Back in Sonehara's villa, the two help Rinko with their basically fatal injury. Rinko injures Sonehara's father after she transforms and escapes. Shin'ya is attacked by the still transformed Rinko and admits that he only helped Sonehara to destroy the copies of the recordings of Rinko's transformation and that he loves Rinko. Rinko lets go of him and they both flee. Sonehara shoots Shin'ya and injures his shoulder. Shin'ya falls down a slope through the gunshot wound. Rinko searches for Shin'ya, who cannot be found at the bottom of the slope. Since she suspects that Sonehara found Shin'ya, she searches Sonehara's villa, where Shin'ya cannot be found. There she observes a strange man who pretends to be a reporter and is investigating the disappearance of Rinko and Shin'ya. Officially, however, he is aware of Sonehara's father's research and pretends to help her publish the results.

During the further search, she meets Mitsugu Odagiri, the reporter from Sonehara's house, again. He tells Rinko that he found Shin'ya and treated him. Odagiri offers Rinko to take her to Shin'ya. When he reaches a hut, he overpowers Rinko and throws her into the hut, where three other men are waiting. The three try to abuse Rinko. Rinko, however, can defend herself by becoming a panther, killing the three and fleeing through the window. Odagiri, knowing that Rinko will not leave without Shin'ya, is waiting for her return. His suspicion was confirmed when Rinko reappeared near the hut a short time later. Odagiri explains to her that he wants Rinko, but not, as she fears, to use her for experiments, but because he physically desires her. Odagiri presses and kisses Rinko, whereupon she notices Odagiri's purple eyes. After Shin'ya wakes up, he and Rinko flee through the window. They meet a camping couple who want to accompany them to the next town. Yumi and Murata, the couple, are killed by Odagiri, who wants to show Shin'ya and Rinko that he is superior to both of them. Odagiri gets Shin'ya and Rinko to participate in an involuntary game of cat and mouse. He gives them a 30-minute lead and - then transformed into a black panther - wants to hunt them down. Shin'ya can overpower Odagiri, but Sonehara threatens Rinko with a weapon. Shin'ya is able to overpower Sonehara and take the weapon from her. During the ensuing argument between Rinko and Shin'ya, Sonehara escapes.

Odagiri pursues the two of them to Shin'ya's apartment and knocks Shin'ya out. Rinko transforms and fights with Odagiri in the city. Weakened by the fight and the transformation, Rinko transforms back and passes out. She wakes up in Odagiri's apartment and asks him to leave Shin'ya alone. He agrees, provided she surrenders to him. Rinko doesn't want to choose either option because she loves Shin'ya. Odagiri explains to Rinko that no one can be with a panther in the long term.

Publications

Yami no Purple Ai was published in Japan from 1984 to 1987 in a total of 12 anthologies by Chao Flower Comics, a company of the Shogakukan group .

Adaptations

The series was released as a six-part light novel on Shogakukan's Imprint Palette Bunko .

Toshiba EMI published two music albums for the work with a total of 19 pieces, sung by Shōko Yamagiwa, Derek Jackson and Mayumi Seki, written by Linda Hennrick and composed and produced by Ichirō Nitta. These appeared on record and CD between 1986 and 1988. In 1993 a new edition was carried out by EMI Music Japan. Based on this, a 30-minute music video was released as an original video animation in 1988 .

In 1996 the manga series was filmed in Japan as an 11-part television drama on TV Asahi. The main roles were with Akiko Hinagata and Haruhiko Katō .

reception

Chie Shinohara was awarded the Shōgakukan Manga Prize in the Shōjo category for Yami no Pāpuru Ai in 1987 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Catalog numbers LB28-5008 and LB28-5032
2. ↑ Catalog numbers LD32-5008 and LD32-5032
3. ↑ Catalog numbers TYCY-5242 and TYCY-5276

Web links

• Manga and OVA on Anime News Network (English)