+Anima Complete Collection (2001-2005)

The plot revolves around four +Anima children: Cooro, Husky, Senri, and Nana. Brought together by their +Anima powers, they search for others like themselves and a place to belong. Along the way, they encounter villains and friends alike, as well as other +Anima. Like many episodic adventure manga, there is not a big overarching story, rather the group travels from town to town, and at each stop over, they get wrapped up in local events.

Examples of these adventures include Cooro helping a man fix and use a hang glider (man-lifting kite) to acquire medicine for his village, the group learning the secret of a monstrous +Anima that has been terrorizing another village, and Husky rescuing a man who has fallen in love with the legend of a mermaid. As the series progresses, more is learned about the characters' backstory, and about the setting of +Anima.

The world takes place on a fictional island continent, split between two nations: Astaria and Sailand. Both are mostly desert countries, but Astaria has more varied environments, with some steppes and forest. Between them is the great Moss Mountain range that keeps the two nations separate. On this range live the independent Kim-un-kur tribes. The majority of the series takes place in Astaria, with some later adventures taking place in the Moss Mountains and Sailand.

In the +Anima fantasy world, some humans have an unusual gift that grants them the ability to morph one or more of their body parts, such as their limbs, into an animal's body part. Some are capable of even more radical changes, such as growing wings or full-body transformation. The transformation processes are very fast, and occur at the user's will. When inactive, the morphed areas revert to normal, leaving the person's clothing and body completely untouched. The only visual mark of this ability appears on the body of the person, in the form of a black, tattoo-like marking that determines their +Anima. Occasionally, the user bears some behavioral characteristics of their animal.

+Anima are not treated kindly by "normal" humans. When some are treated poorly enough,they can be taken over by their +Anima. Usually, a full-body transformation results in a berserker or otherwise dangerous creature.

+Anima are not born naturally, and the children of +Anima are human. A human gains their +Anima during times of extreme stress or danger. For example, Husky gained his fish +Anima when he nearly died by drowning. It is unknown if the children of +Anima are more likely to become +Anima themselves, or if they will naturally gain the same powers. Senri's brother and father both had bear-related powers, but this is the only example of a "family" of +Anima, and their similar abilities could be entirely circumstantial.

On the other hand, it has been shown that a +Anima who lives a content and happy life eventually lose their +Anima powers, provided those abilities aren't still necessary for their survival. For example, an injured +Anima was rescued by, and eventually married, to a blacksmith, and the two lived happily for decades, resulting in the eventual loss of her powers.

Enjoy My Blog | Subscribe My RSS Channel