California Story
California Story | |
![]() Cover of the final volume of the series | |
カリフォルニア物語 (California Monogatari) | |
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Genre | Drama, romance[1] |
Manga | |
Written by | Akimi Yoshida |
Published by | Shogakukan |
Imprint | Flower Comics |
Magazine | Bessatsu Shōjo Comic |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | February 1978 – December 1981 |
Volumes | 8 |
Stage show | |
|
California Story (Japanese: カリフォルニア物語, Hepburn: California Monogatari) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimi Yoshida, serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic from 1978 to 1981.
Synopsis[]
In 1975, wealthy delinquent Heath Swanson drops out of high school and runs away from his home in San Diego, California to live in New York City. While traveling across the United States, he stays in rural Texas, where he meets a group of individuals who decide to join Heath on his journey to New York.
Characters[]
- Heath Swanson (ヒース・スワンソン)
- The protagonist of the series. The youngest child of a wealthy and broken California family, his absentee father and estranged mother led him to become a delinquent and drug addict. His decision to become a runaway and relocate to New York City acts as a catalyst for the events of the series.
- Eve Luciano (イーヴ・ルチアーノ)
- A Puerto Rican teenager who Heath meets in Texas. He has lived a hard life in contrast to Heath's wealthy upbringing – he is impoverished, illiterate, and previously worked as a prostitute – but possesses a kind and cheerful disposition.
- Indian (インディアン)
- A painter and interior designer who meets Heath during his travels. A former drug addict, he assists Heath in his rehabilitation.
- Butch (ブッチ)
- A teenage con artist who Heath meets and befriends in Texas while staying at a hotel owned by Butch's mother.
- Sweena Lambert (スウェナ・ランバート)
- Butch's sister, who falls in love with Heath after meeting him in Texas.
Media[]
Manga[]
Yoshida, who was twenty years old when California Story was initially published,[2] has said that she drew inspiration for the series from American New Wave cinema (particularly Midnight Cowboy) and the Japanese television drama (Kizu Darake no Tenshi).[3] The series was serialized in the manga magazine Bessatsu Shōjo Comic from February 1978 until December 1981,[1] and was collected by Shogakukan as eight tankōbon volumes published from November 1979 to April 1982 (listed below). The series has been reprinted as four hardcover bunkobon volumes published from December 1988 to March 1989, and as a four-volume softcover bunkobon set published in November 1994.[4]
No. | Release date | ISBN |
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1 | November 20, 1979[5] | 978-4091305114 |
2 | January 20, 1980[6] | 978-4091305121 |
3 | March 20, 1980[7] | 978-4091305138 |
4 | May 20, 1980[8] | 978-4091305145 |
5 | January 20, 1981[9] | 978-4091305152 |
6 | October 20, 1981[10] | 978-4091305169 |
7 | January 20, 1982[11] | 978-4091305176 |
8 | April 20, 1982[12] | 978-4091305183 |
Stage play[]
In 2008, the theater company Tsuyoshi Hayashi and as Heath, and Shingo Nakagawa and as Eve.[13] A revival of the play was staged at The Pocket in Tokyo from July 20 to August 5, 2018, with Kurata returning as director.[14][15][16]
produced a theatrical adaptation of California Story written and directed by , which was staged at the Galaxy Theater in Tokyo from February 27 to March 9 of that year. The play, which featured a rotating all-male cast, starredOther media[]
California Tuning (カリフォルニア・チューニング), a California Story art book, was published by Sanrio in 1982.[17][18]
Reception and legacy[]
The series has been praised by critics for its unvarnished portrayal of the United States in the 1970s, and has been noted for its frank depiction of racism, poverty, and drug use.[2] The series is regarded as a precursor to Yoshida's later manga series Banana Fish, with both works sharing a New York City setting and a thematic focus on youth romance, urban drama, and homoeroticism.[2][3]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "カリフォルニア物語". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Wakui, Kanako (31 March 2018). "人生や人付き合いに悩む平成生まれにこそ読んで欲しい、80年代の超名作『カリフォルニア物語』". Manga News. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "もっと吉田秋生作品を楽しめる! 画業40周年の歴史を辿る「漫画家本Special 吉田秋生本」". Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "California Story (manga)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 1巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 2巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 3巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 4巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 5巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 6巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 7巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "カリフォルニア物語 8巻". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "「カリフォルニア物語」". Cube. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ Manako, Yoko (21 July 2018). "スタジオライフ演出家・倉田淳×藤原啓児/上". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "スタジオライフが吉田秋生「カリフォルニア物語」を上演". Comic Natalie. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Studio Life Next GENERATION『カリフォルニア物語』公演中!". The Theatertainment News Japan (in Japanese). 26 July 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ 吉田秋生―カリフォルニア・チューニング (1982年). Amazon Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ 吉田秋生~カリフォルニア・チューニング. Media Art Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
External links[]
- California Story (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- California Story at Shogakukan
- California Story 2008 theatrical adaptation official website
- California Story 2018 theatrical adaptation official website
- Manga series
- 1978 manga
- 2008 plays
- Akimi Yoshida
- Crime in anime and manga
- Drama anime and manga
- LGBT in anime and manga
- Shogakukan manga
- Shōjo manga
- United States in fiction