A Whimsical Trip - What's Available, and Where To Get It

100 steps... or is it 99? Is it just a red straw hat, or is it a red string of destiny?

A Whimsical Trip on Kimagure Orange Road

The Red Straw Hat / Kimagure Orange Road (kana)

What's Available, and Where To Get It

Kimagure Orange Road Manga

The KOR manga was originally published by Shuueisha, and serialized by Jump Comics from 1984 to 1988.

Currently the KOR manga is available in two forms -

Paperback - 18 volumes
Hardcover - 10 volumes

They are available from several companies specializing in Japanese anime imports, such as Nikaku Animart and the UCI Bookstore. Check the Anime Sources List for other stores.

Both are black and white, with Japanese dialogue - however, English transcripts of the manga, provided by Craig Nishida and the KOR-translation crew, are available on the Berkeley and Venice websites. See the "KOR-Related Links" page for details.

Just for the wideban manga volume folks - I've renamed each of the 156 files (the ones with both English and romanji) with book and chapter numbers corresponding to the wideban manga. I have found that this makes access to each chapter in the widebans much easier. Here is a .zipped archive which contains each chapter in a text file.
Please note that this file is 1.8 MB.


Kimagure Orange Road Anime

48 TV Episodes

The original KOR series, based on the manga, aired in Japan from April 1987 to March 1988. The series is available on 12 import laserdiscs, with Japanese dialogue only. These laserdiscs are available from companies specializing in Japanese anime imports such as Nikaku Animart and the UCI Bookstore.

AnimEigo is in the translation and preliminary subtitling stages of their production of an English-subtitled set of the KOR TV series on laserdisc and VHS, scheduled to begin release in the late summer of 1998.
More information can be found on the KOR Links page.

8 OAV (Original Animation Video) Series

Also, eight OAV episodes of KOR were released directly to the Japanese video market. These contain episodes also based on the manga. They are available as import Japanese-only laserdiscs, but they also have been subtitled commercially and are available in VHS and laserdisc formats in North America from AnimEigo.

The First KOR Movie - Ano Hi ni Kaeritai

A theatrical movie, "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai" (I Want To Return To That Day), was released in Japanese theaters in October 1988. The movie deals in a serious manner with the resolution of the relationships between Kyousuke, Madoka, and Hikaru.

(Note: It is highly recommended that you do not watch this movie until you have read the manga or seen the bulk of the TV series, including the last two episodes.)

The KOR movie, like the OAVs, is available either on import Japanese-only laserdisc or commercially subtitled VHS and laserdisc formats in North America from AnimEigo.

The Second KOR Movie - Soshite, Ano Natsu No Hajimari

The second theatrical KOR movie, "Shin Kimagure Orange Road - Soshite, Ano Natsu No Hajimari" (And Then, The Beginning Of That Summer), was released in November 1996. The import LD box set is now available (Product # VPLV-70628, Y12,800).

This new film is based on the first ShinKOR novel (see below), but its most radical change is the character designs. Instead of TV character designer Takada Akemi, this movie uses the designs of Takayuki Goto (designer for Blue Seed, Please Save My Earth, and Video Girl Ai).

ADV has released the second KOR movie, as "New Kimagure Orange Road - Summer's Beginning", in English subtitled and dubbed formats on VHS. No laserdisc release is planned. Details are available at the ADV website.


Kimagure Orange Road Novels

Shin Kimagure Orange Road I - ISBN4-08-703023-7

The first KOR novel was outlined by Matsumoto Izumi and written by Terada Kenji. It takes place soon after the end of the manga, and involves a time-slipping Kyousuke interacting with other KOR cast members three years in the future.
(Any other details would be spoilers! :)

Shin Kimagure Orange Road II - ISBN4-08-703035-0

Also known as "The Pyramid Murder Mystery," ShinKOR II features the KOR cast in another story outlined by Matsumoto and written by Terada.

A third KOR novel, "Madoka's Secret Memory", has now been released - details can be found on Robert Kwong's KOR Media Page.

Kinokuniya carries these novels (and they are novels - while they have illustrations, they are not manga and require either knowledge of Japanese or a translation.)


Kimagure Orange Road Soundtracks

Several CD sountracks from the KOR TV series, OAVs, and the KOR Movie have been released. Here is a partial list of CDs currently available:

Sound Color - Volumes 1, 2, and 3
These CDs contain mostly background music (BGM) from the KOR TV series. KOR has some of the best anime BGM ever produced.

Singing Heart
This CD has only the first and second season opening and ending themes, but does contain the music from the OAVs and several important songs found within the series, including "Jeniina" and "Like a Salvia Flower."

Loving Heart
This CD contains all of the opening and ending music for the TV series, as well as some of the music from the KOR Movie. The collection is a bit more serious than Singing Heart.

Ano Hi ni Kaeritai (I Want to Return to That Day)
This CD has the music from the KOR Movie.

These CDs are available from Japanese import stores as well as AnimEigo. Check the Anime Sources List for more details.


Selected North American Sources for KOR-Related Mail Order

AnimEigo

English-subtitled KOR OAVs and the first KOR Movie
VHS and LD (NTSC format)

PO Box 989
Wilmington, NC 28402-0989
(910) 251-1850
(910) 763-2376 (fax)
questions@animeigo.com
The UCI Bookstore

Videotapes, LDs, CDs, manga, magazines, etc.

200 UCI Student Center
University of California
Irvine, CA 92697-1550
(800) 829-BOOK
714 824-2665
(714) 824-8545 Fax
anime@uci.edu
Kinokuniya Bookstores of America, Ltd.

Japanese books and other items, including manga, magazines, posters, calenders, etc.

Japan Center
1581 Webster St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 567-7625

San Jose Yaohan
675 Saratoga Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 252-1300

Los Angeles, CA - (213) 687-4480
Costa Mesa, CA - (714) 434-9986
Seattle, WA - (206) 587-2477
New York City, NY - (212) 765-7766

Nikaku Animart

Videotapes, LDs, CDs, manga, comics, magazines, garage kits, etc.

615 North 6th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 971-2822
nikaku@netcom.com
Paradigm Japanese Animation

Anime Tapes and LDs

2425 B Channing Way, Suite 357
Berkeley, CA 94704
1-800-790-7273
(510) 649-5954
hugg@ocf.berkeley.edu


Go To

"A Whimsical Trip" Homepage / The Boy, The Girl, and The Other Girl / The Twins / The Perverts and The Misfit

The Rest of the Family / Other Characters

Manga Summaries / What's Available, And Where To Get It / KOR-related Links


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