Togari (manga)

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Togari


caption = Togari volume 1
ja_name = トガリ
ja_name_trans =
genre = SupernaturalInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Yoshinori Natsume
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shogakukan
publisher_other = flagicon|United Kingdom Viz Media flagicon|France Delcourt flagicon|Italy Play Press
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Shōnen Sunday
first = 2000
last = 2002
volumes = 8
OEM = no

"Togari - The Sword of Justice" is a Japanese manga by Yoshinori Natsume. [Ann manga|title=Togari|id=5308] The series ceased production at volume 8 with no solid ending. The manga is licensed for release in English by Viz Media.

Plot

The story is about a boy named Tobei who went to hell for horrible crimes. Finally, the people beheaded him for his unspeakable crimes. He was immediately sent to hell and it was there that he suffered torture for 300 years. After that time had passed, he was given the opportunity to escape from hell. To do this, he must use the Togari (a magical wooden sword that feeds off of the malice and evil of the user to become more powerful) to collect 108 Togas (sins), under the watchful eye of Ose, his private tormentor in Hell. If he collects 108 Togas in 108 days, he'll be free. However, there are rules he must follow...

Rule #1: He must not commit any sins or crimes. If he disobeys this rule, then he will be decapitated and sent back to hell.

Rule #2: He cannot harm any of the people. If he does, then twice as much damage is done to himself. For example, if he punches someone in the face, Tobei will be done the damage, but twice as powerful.

Also, not specifically a rule, but a property of the sword, is that if Tobei loses control of the Togari, he will be absorbed into the sword, along with all of the people who failed to master it before him.

Tobei see the "sins" as monsters following the sinners, invisible to common persons and helping them to commit crimes. When Tobei destroys the "sin", the sinner loses their motivation towards evil.

There is also a mysterious guy with multiple "sins". He appears to be a sort of "double" of Tobei and of final opponent, but the plot is suspended about it.

Characters

Tobei:*Gender: Male:*Age: 16 when he died::Tobei lived as a young child in the Edo period of Japan. He didn't have any parents and lived on the streets and barely survived as a child. Everyone who came to meet him told him over and over again that he should "just die" and "go to hell". He was often abused and tortured by the townsfolk. As he grew up he learned he had to be a "taker" or he wouldn't survived and ended up going into rages and killed everyone who was in his way (like for food and torture). He was soon caught after killing so many people and he was be-headed as execution.::Tobei since his death had been living in hell for 300 years being tortured by Ose so he can "repent for his sins." Tobei has numerous times have tried to escape hell and always be caught out by Ose. One day he was offered by Lady Ema (the regent of hell) that if he could collect 108 sins in 108 days then he could be free to return to the earth. He quickly grabs it up so he could escape hell but doesn't realize the risk involved.

Itsuki:*Gender: Female:*Age: 16::Itsuki is a young high school girl who's father was murdered when she was still a child. She hates that her fathers' killer is still at large and probably living in peace. Itsuki has a strong sense of justice and is the first to get a reaction from Tobei, other than blood lust, just by thanking him for saving her(though not really intentional)after she was nearly raped and murdered by a thug.Ose:*Gender: Male:*Age: ?::Ose has been Tobei's handler for 100 years. He was originally an angel.

References