World Embryo

Infobox animanga/Header
name = World Embryo


caption = The cover of the first volume of the original Japanese manga release
ja_name = ワールドエンブリオ
ja_name_trans = Waarudoenburio
genre = Infobox animanga/Manga
author = Daisuke Moriyama
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shonen Gahosha
publisher_en = flagicon|Australia flagicon|New Zealand Madman Entertainment
flagicon|Canada flagicon|USA Dark Horse Comics
flagicon|Singapore Chuang Yi
publisher_other = flagicon|France Asuka Comics
flagicon|Italy JPOP Edizioni
demographic = Seinen
magazine = Young King OURs
first = 2005
last =
volumes = 4
OEM =

nihongo|"World Embryo"|ワールドエンブリオ|Waarudoenburio is a Japanese manga series by Daisuke Moriyama. It has been serialized by Shonen Gahosha in "Young King OURs" since 2005 and collected in four bound volumes as of August 2008. It is about a group of humans who combat spirits who travel using cell-phone signals. The series is licensed for an English language release in North America by Dark Horse Comics, in Australia by Madman Entertainment, and in Singapore by Chuang Yi.

Plot

At the start of the series, high-schooler Riku Amami receives a cellphone picture from his dead aunt Amane with a hospital in the background. When he visits the hospital, he is attacked by electromagnetic monsters called "Kanshus", which travel and reproduce using cellphone signals: if a human hears the cellphone giving off an eerie static sound, it hypnotizes them and they bcome a Kanshu themselves. Riku is saved by two warriors, Rena and Youhei, who wield Jinki weapons designed to destroy Kanshu, but remains infected. During the battle, however, Riku finds a coccoon, out of which hatches toddler who looks exactly like the dead Amane, who halts his infection. Soon Riku receives a Jinki himself and is drawn into the shadowy organization that fights the Kanshu.

Main characters

; nihongo|Riku Amami|天海 陸|Anami Riku: The protagonist of the story, Riku is a high-school student whose lives with his father and stepmother, Shizuru. He was in love with Shizuru's younger sister, Amane, but she is presumed dead two years ago in a fire. After sustaining, at the start of the series, a fatal wound from a Kanshu, Neene turns Riku into a special Kanshu that can retain his own consciousness as long as he has a Jinki. His Jinki is given by Youhei and takes the form of a chainsaw-like sword with trigger grip.

; nihongo|Neene|ネーネ|Neene: A mysterious entity who appears to be a toddler about two years old, who has an uncanny resemblence to Riku's dead aunt Amane. Neene was hatched from a coccoon at the start of the story, and grows at a rapid rate, experiencing a growth spurt occurring each time she uses her powers in a Kanshu fight. Neene calls Riku "papa" and Rena "mama". As the series progresses, she demonstrates various powers, such as turning Riku into a Kanshu after he is wounded in a fight and creating a giant ball of light that disintegrates anything inside it. She is eventually revealed to be a Kyuki, a queen Kanshu who receives the memories stolen by other "drone" Kanshu, and she grows as she absorbs more memories.

; nihongo|Rena Arisugawa|有栖川 レナ|Arisugawa Rena: A young woman who is a Jinki user. She is depicted as a quiet and serious person who is focused on her job, who frequently takes the the lead when fighting Kanshus. Her Jinki is Shingetsu, a pair of chakrams with a trigger-like grip that allows the four blades of each Shingetsu to spin. After Youhei's death, she becomes Riku's partner, and after they meet the Source of Infection she appears to become attracted to him. Later it is revealed she is a lost re-bound victim.huh

; nihongo|Youhei Takebe|武部 洋平|Takebe Yōhei: A young man who is a Jinki user and Rena's initial partner. He is depicted as an optimistic and cheerful person. Before the series began, he and Riku met while hospitalized and became fast friends. At the start of the series, Youhei and Rena rescue Riku when he is first attacked by Kanshus. His Jinki resembles a short blade and was given to him by his teacher, to save him from his wounds when he was attacked by Kanshus. Youhei gives the Jinki to Riku in volume 2 to save him from his own wounds in turn, after which Riku kills him at his own request, before he becomes a complete Kanshu.

; Takao: A Jinki Hunter who seeks Neene's power in order to defeat Source of Infection. He is a mass murderer, having taken dozens, perhaps hundreds of lives since becoming a Hunter two years ago. To aid him in fights against Jinki Users, he uses the captured Jinki cores of past slain users to boost his power tremendously, enough to shatter Cages in a single hit. To top it off, he is highly skilled with his katana. He is in contact with a mysterious person by the name of Julie.

; Source of Infection: A mysterious figure who is depicted as the source of Kanshus, who appears as man in a suit wearing a kitsune mask. He first appears as a figure who visits Riku as his Kanshu image to confuse and recruit Riku. He can teleport, transport, control Kanshus, and project an image of himself through them, and is powerful enough Takao cannot yet defeat him.

Manga

Written and illustrated by Daisuke Moriyama, "World Embryo" premiered in "Young King OURs" in 2005 and is currently on-going.cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-27/dark-horse-adds-daisuke-moriyama-world-embryo-manga |title=Dark Horse Adds Daisuke Moriyama's World Embryo Manga |publisher=Anime News Network |date= 2008-07-27 |accessdate=2008-08-23 ] Shonen Gahosha is publishing the individual chapters in "tankōbon" volumes, with four released in Japan as of August 2008.

The series is licensed for an English language release in Singapore by Chuang Yi,cite web |url=http://www.chuangyi.com.sg/new/ecatalogtitle.php?title=World+Embryo |title=World Manga |publisher=Chuang Yi |accessdate=2008-08-23 ] in Australia by Madman Entertainment,cite web |url=http://www.madman.com.au/actions/periodicals.do?method=home&periodicalId=307 |title=World Embryo (Manga) |publisher=Madman Entertainment |accessdate=2008-08-23 ] and in North America by Dark Horse Comics. The series is also licensed for regional language releases in Italy by JPOP Edizioni and in France by Asuka Comics.

References

External links

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