Aposimz

Aposimz
Cover of the first volume
人形の国
(Ningyō no Kuni)
Genre
Manga
Written byTsutomu Nihei
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintSirius KC
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Sirius
DemographicShōnen
Original runFebruary 25, 2017 – August 26, 2021
Volumes9

Aposimz (stylized in all caps), known in Japan as Ningyō no Kuni (人形の国, lit. 'Country of Dolls'), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius from February 2017 to August 2021, with its chapters collected in nine tankōbon volumes.

Setting

The series takes place on an artificial celestial body known as Aposimz (アポシムズ, Aposhimuzu), which is 200,000 kilometers in diameter. Most of the planet's volume is occupied by its core, which is covered by a superstructural shell. Five thousand years ago, people who lost a war against the inhabitants of the core were exiled to the surface, a cold and harsh environment. Surface dwellers face both the rapidly-spreading Frame Disease (人形病, Ningyō-byō), which slowly converts normal humans into biomechanical, zombie-like beings, and aggressive native biomechanical creatures known as automatons. Certain people have been transformed by special "codes" into Regular Frames (正規人形, Seiki Ningyō), beings composed of a substance called placenta (胞衣, ena) and fueled by Heigus Particles (ヘイグス粒子, Heigusu Ryūshi), which renders them biologically immortal and makes them stronger and more resilient than normal humans. Regular Frames are also able to assume an armored form and each one has a unique special ability or weapon. These Regular Frames are highly revered by normal humans and are often leaders and protectors in their communities.

Characters

Etherow (エスロー, Esurō)
The sole survivor of the White Diamond Beam (白菱の梁, Hakubishi no Hari) settlement after the Rebedoa Empire (リベドア帝国, Ribedoa Teikoku) destroys it. After being transformed into a Regular Frame, he seeks revenge upon the Empire. His armored form is deep red in color and features a miniature railgun embedded in the left forearm known as an EBTG, which allows him to fire a variety of ammunition from his body's own solidified placenta to the incredibly powerful Anti-Megastructure Bullets.
Titania (タイターニア, Taitānia)
An intelligent automaton who provides Etherow with the code that transforms him into a Regular Frame as well as seven Anti-Megastructure Bullets (AMBs). She journeys with Etherow as his guide and confidant. Her normal form is that of a small four-legged creature, but she is able to temporarily assume a humanoid form. However, this transformation consumes a large amount of energy and she is only able to change once daily.
Keisha (ケーシャ, Kēsha)
The princess of the underground settlement of Irf Nikk (イルフ・ニク, Irufu Niku) and a Regular Frame who eventually joins Etherow and Titania. Her armored form possesses a staff weapon that can extend to great lengths and is able to channel electricity.
Wasabu (ワサブ)
A Regular Frame and former member of the Rebedoa Empire's Reincarnated (転生者, Tensei-sha) who joins Etherow's group. As a Regular Frame, Wasabu is capable of reinforcing himself in armor. He is able to fly and is able to kill anyone whose skin is exposed in the air.

Publication

Aposimz is written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei. Nihei published a one-shot in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine on May 9, 2016.[2] In November 2016, it was announced that the manga would be serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sirius, being the first time that Nihei would publish a manga in a shōnen manga magazine.[3] The series ran in the magazine from February 25, 2017,[3][4] to August 26, 2021.[5] Kodansha collected its chapters in nine tankōbon volumes, released from May 9, 2017,[6] to December 9, 2021.[7] Kodansha also started publishing a full-color edition of the series on November 8, 2019,[8][9] and five volumes have been released as of August 8, 2022.[10]

The manga was simultaneously published in English by ComiXology and Crunchyroll Manga.[11][12] In November 2017, Vertical announced that they would release the series in print.[13] The volumes were released from October 9, 2018,[14] to June 28, 2022.[15]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 May 9, 2017[6]978-4-06-390706-3October 9, 2018[14]978-1-94719-430-4
2 February 9, 2018[16][17]978-4-06-510937-3
978-4-06-510975-5 (LE)		January 15, 2019[18]978-1-94719-444-1
3 September 7, 2018[19][20]978-4-06-395307-7
978-4-06-513528-0 (LE)		June 18, 2019[21]978-1-94719-481-6
4 April 9, 2019[22]978-4-06-515256-0January 28, 2020[23]978-1-94719-496-0
5 November 8, 2019[24]978-4-06-517554-5September 8, 2020[25]978-1-94998-036-3
6 May 8, 2020[26]978-4-06-519616-8January 19, 2021[27]978-1-94998-066-0
7 November 9, 2020[28][29]978-4-06-521161-8
978-4-06-521180-9 (LE)		July 6, 2021[30]978-1-64729-055-9
8 April 30, 2021[7][31]978-4-06-523002-2
978-4-06-523951-3 (LE)		January 18, 2022[32]978-1-64729-061-0
9 December 9, 2021[33][34]978-4-06-526219-1
978-4-06-526220-7 (LE)		June 28, 2022[15]978-1-64729-100-6

Reception

By February 2018, the manga had 250,000 copies in circulation.[35][36]

References

  1. ^ a b c 弐瓶勉「人形の国」1巻発売、極寒の世界をめぐるダークファンタジー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 9, 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  2. ^ 弐瓶勉、新作の伏線となる読切をヤンマガで発表！凍てつく世界描く「人形の国」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 9, 2016. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Yuan, Kevin (November 25, 2016). "Knights of Sidonia's Tsutomu Nihei Launches Ningyō no Kuni Manga on February 25 (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  4. ^ 弐瓶勉が初の少年誌連載！シリウスで「人形の国」開幕、凍てついた世界描く. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  5. ^ 弐瓶勉「人形の国」、香月日輪×深山和香「妖怪アパートの幽雅な日常」シリウスで完結. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 26, 2021. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  6. ^ a b 人形の国（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  7. ^ a b 人形の国（８） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  8. ^ 弐瓶勉「人形の国」フルカラー版発売、雑誌・単行本未収録のラフスケッチも掲載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 8, 2019. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  9. ^ フルカラー版 人形の国（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. ^ フルカラー版 人形の国（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  11. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 22, 2017). "ComiXology Lists Tsutomu Nihei's Aposimz Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Mateo, Alex (March 1, 2018). "Crunchyroll Manga Adds Grand Blue Dreaming, APOSIMZ, To Your Eternity Simulpubs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  13. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 19, 2017). "Tsutomu Nihei's APOSIMZ Manga Gets U.S. Print Release Next Fall". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "APOSIMZ, volume 1". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "APOSIMZ, volume 9". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  16. ^ 人形の国（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  17. ^ １／１スケール「コード」レプリカ付き 人形の国（２）限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  18. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 2". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  19. ^ 人形の国（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  20. ^ １／１スケール タイターニア自動機械形態 組み立てキット付き 人形の国（３）限定版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  21. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 3". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  22. ^ 人形の国（４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 4". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  24. ^ 人形の国（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  25. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 5". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  26. ^ 人形の国（６） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  27. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 6". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  28. ^ 人形の国（７） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  29. ^ 人形の国（７）ミニ画集付特装版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  30. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 7". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  31. ^ 人形の国（８）ミニ画集付特装版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  32. ^ "APOSIMZ, volume 8". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  33. ^ 人形の国（９） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  34. ^ 人形の国（９）ミニ画集付特装版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  35. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 23, 2018). "Tsutomu Nihei's APOSIMZ Manga Has 250,000 Copies in Print". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  36. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (April 8, 2018). "Roundup of Newly Revealed Print Counts for Manga, Light Novel Series". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2021.

Further reading