X-Day (manga)

X-Day (Japanese: 彼女達のエクス・デイ, Hepburn: Kanojo-tachi no Ekusu-Dei, lit. "Their X-Day" or "The Girls' X-Day") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Setona Mizushiro. It was serialized in Princess magazine from March to November 2002 and published in two tankōbon volumes by Akita Shoten. Written in response to the Columbine High School massacre, the story follows three high school students and a teacher who meet online and plot to blow up their school.

X-Day
Cover of the first volume of X-Day as published by Akita Shoten
彼女達のエクス・デイ
(Kanojo-tachi no Ekusu-Dei)
GenreDrama, romance[1]
Manga
Written bySetona Mizushiro
Published byAkita Shoten
English publisher (expired)
ImprintPrincess Comics
MagazinePrincess
DemographicShōjo
Original runMarch 6, 2002 (2002-03-06) – November 6, 2002 (2002-11-06)
Volumes2

Plot

Rika Saginuma, Nanaka Shimada, Yumihiko Tsukumura, and biology teacher Reiichi Katano meet in a chatroom, where they go by the screennames 11, Polaris, Mr. Money, and Jangalian, respectively. While online, they discuss their frustrations and form a plan to blow up their school, which they see as the source of all their problems. As the characters get to know each other, they begin to realize that their problems are situated in other aspects of life, as well, not just from the school.

The characters find solace in each other; a major topic of the manga is loneliness. All of the characters implode inside as their problems condense. Jangalian is stalked by his boss's daughter, 11 can't deal with a younger girl's presumed superiority, Mr. Money has an abusive mother, and Polaris is crippled by shyness when she is not dressed as a gothic lolita. They deal with their problems through helping each other.

Release

X-Day was written and illustrated by Setona Mizushiro in response to the Columbine High School massacre.[2] It was serialized in the monthly shōjo manga magazine Princess, beginning in the April 2002 issue, released on March 6, 2002,[3] and concluding in the December 2002 issue, released on November 6, 2002.[4] Its nine chapters were collected into two tankōbon volumes published by Akita Shoten under the Princess Comics imprint;[5] an unrelated short story, "The Last Supper", was also included in the second volume.[6]

Tokyopop licensed the series for an English-language release in North America, publishing both volumes in 2003;[2] the company closed its North American publishing division in 2011.[7] The series was also licensed in Germany by Tokyopop Germany[8] and in France by Asuka.[9]

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 October 10, 2002[10]4-253-19265-3August 12, 2003[11]1-59182-379-X
  • Chapters 1–5
2 January 23, 2003[12]4-253-19266-1October 14, 2003[13]1-59182-380-3
  • Chapters 6–9
  • Short story: "The Last Supper" (最後の晩餐, Saigo no Bansan)

Reception

In Manga: The Complete Guide, writer Shaenon K. Garrity praised X-Day for its accurate depiction of "the power and fragility of online connections", noting that the series' "moments of beauty and keen observation ... have earned it a devoted fan base in Japan." However, Garrity felt that the first volume is stronger than the second volume, "in which more predictably shōjo-manga relationship clichés rear their pretty heads."[14]

References
  1. "Tag X (Manga)". AnimePRO (in German). Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  2. Macdonald, Christopher (May 28, 2003). "New Tokyopop Manga Release Details". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  3. プリンセス 2002年4月号 [Princess April 2002 issue]. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  4. プリンセス 2002年12月号 [Princess December 2002 issue]. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  5. 彼女達のエクス・デイ [Kanojo-tachi no X-Day]. Akita Shoten (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  6. McNeil, Sheena (January 1, 2004). "X-Day vol. 2". Sequential Tart. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  7. Manry, Gia (May 24, 2011). "Tokyopop: Japanese Manga Licenses to Revert to Owners". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  8. "Bücher Manga: Tag X". Tokyopop Germany (in German). Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  9. "X-Day par Setona Mizushiro". Asuka (in French). Archived from the original on January 27, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  10. 彼女達のエクス・デイ 1 (プリンセスコミックス) [Kanojo-tachi no X-Day 1 (Princess Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  11. "X-Day Volume 1". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  12. 彼女達のエクス・デイ 2 (プリンセスコミックス) [Kanojo-tachi no X-Day 2 (Princess Comics)]. Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  13. "X-Day Volume 2". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  14. Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide (Kindle ed.). New York: Del Rey Books. pp. 400–401. ISBN 978-0-345-53944-1.

Further reading
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