Asamiya Kia 麻宮騎亜

Asamiya Kia is the same person as the famous animator/character designer Kikuchi Michitaka. He debuted 1986 with Shinseiki Vagrants in Kadokawa's Comp. He is a big fan of American movies and comics (especially Batman). He uses the computer (Apple of course) a lot for manga and animation. He has a studio called Studio Tron which he founded. Asamiya is a fan-favorite and very successful.
Asamiya doesn't like to be photographed which is why one will always find those bizarre "no printing" signs on pictures of him, which has now become a sort of trademark of him.

He has two website addresses:
<http://www.studiotronjapan.com>
<http://www.tron.co.jp>

Shinseiki Vagrants
神星記ヴァグランツ
written by Vauxhall Production
serialized on Comp, 1988
2 volumes @ Y880
[ 01:____| 02:8805]

Some quotes from the net:

"The author is more lost than the readers."

"Just when you think the story is beginning to make sense, it ends."

"The art is primitive, pre-Tron, low-screentone Asamiya. While it is common knowledge that Asamiya Kia can't write, Vagrants has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he can't read, either." The story, while messed up big time, is not complex in terms of players and situations. It tried to tell 4 different stories in utterly unrelated settings. The main characters
teleport/dimension-warp/whatever universes and solve problems, not unlike some old network sci-fi shows. The formula may yet work had the dialogues not been as corny, pace not as dreadful, and situations not as uninvolving. The story writer meshed together a space colony, fantasy kingdom, desert village, and then a moon cult space opera into one blob; the teleporting is just a Monty Python excuse to move from one setting to another. It took me $25 original, $20 Chinese DX translation, 8 rereads, and hours of soul searchings to figure this out. Now that I have, don't bother. If the only reason you're considering this title is because it's from Asamiya, then that should be good enough reason for you not to. {MOU}

Silent Moebius
サイレントメビウス
serialized on Comp,
12 volumes @ Y950
[ 01:8906| 02:9007| 03:9104| 04:9108| 05:9206| 06:9403| 07:9508| 08:9607| 09:9708]
[ 10:9804| 11:9907| 12:9910]

To combat the re-emergence of demons in 21st century Japan, the all-female "Attacked Mystification Police" is formed. A stylish cyberpunk/occult manga, which was made into two high-budget anime films. However, the story has declined drastically in recent years.

"Asamiya can draw, except he doesn't know what to draw." "Kikuchi used to come up with only lame ideas but these days he can't come up with any."

There is also a Silent Moebius game book.

The new edition of Silent Moebius, published by Kadokawa, has an interesting feature: all the covers of the tankoubon form one continuous image.

TRA:(F)Delcourt(E)Viz Communications(G)Alpha Comic Verlag(I)Planet Manga
Click to buy English translated volume 1 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 2 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 3 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 4 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 5 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 6 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 7 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 8 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 9 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 10 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 11 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 12 at Amazon.
TRA:(X)v1-9

APG:(FILM)910817

APG:(FILM)920718

APG:(TV)(26)980407-980929(Radix)

Moebius Klein
メビウスクライン
serialized on Dengeki Comics GAO, 1994
1 volume @ Y980
[ 01:____]

It is the prequel of Silent Moebius, published after the demise of Comp magazine. Only one volume, called volume 0, of Moebius Klein has been released. Moebius Klein has been included in the Silent Moebius series when Silent Moebius was republished in the Dragon Comics Jr.
TRA:(X)v1

Dark Angel
聖獣伝説ダークエンジェル
serialized on Newtype, 1990-97
5 volumes @ Y850
[ 01:9202| 02:9311| 03:____| 04:9603| 05:9708]

Set in a fantasy world very loosely reminiscent of China in the Three Kingdoms era. The protagonist is an impetuous young boy named Dark, his tiny assistant angel, and the mad spoiled lord who's on the verge of stumbling into a major war in his attempts to kill Dark. Nice artwork, though the story has also deteriorated drastically.

TRA:(E)CPM Comics(F)Generation Comics(G)Planet Manga(I)Planet Manga
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.

Steam Detectives - Kaiketsu jouki tanteidan
快傑蒸気探偵団
serialized on Monthly Shounen Jump,
8 volumes Y410
[ 01:9510| 02:9604| 03:9610| 04:9708| 05:9808| 06:9903| 07:0004| 08:0012]

Something of a departure for Asamiya - a story with a retro feel, about a gumshoe in a fanciful 1920's setting. Uncharacteristically, there is no screentone at all, though this seems to only highlight his artistic flaws. Different, but nothing spectacular. The Batman series has been a big inspiration for Steam Detectives.

TRA:(E)Viz Communications(F)Manga Player(I)Planet Manga
Click to buy English translated volume 1 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 2 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 3 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 4 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 5 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 6 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 7 at Amazon.
APG:(TV)(26)981007-990331(Xebec)

Gunhead
ＧＵＮＨＥＡＤ
serialized on Newtype, 1989
1 volume @ Y800
[ 01:8907]

A manga version of the live-action movie.

Compiler
コンパイラ
serialized on Afternoon, 1991-92
3 volumes @ Y500
[ 01:9104| 02:9204| 03:9302]

Two girls, Assembler (who constructs) and Compiler (who destroys), come to earth to play a game. They soon give up, and "senators" from the cybernetic dimension send two assassins, Directory and Bios, to finish them off. There are funny moments, but the ending was disgracefully rushed.

"Enter game" - "Conquest." "Enter planet" - "Earth." "Enter date" - "1997." "Enter players" - "Compiler and Assembler." "Press Play"... When two beautiful girls, Compiler and Assembler, arrive on earth from the Elector-Dimension, chaos ensues. They are playing for the planet, and they are playing for keeps! Armed with futuristic weapons and superior logic they are invincible, and "Game Over" seems just a matter of time. But then the girls break the rules by injuring an "official human witness," Toshi Igarashi, and the game stops automatically. Assembler and Compiler prepare to pay the price for electronic failure as the "killer bytes" Bias and Directory are sent to earth with orders to "delete"... {020}

See also: Compiler homepage
<http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/edmonds/anime/compiler.html>

APG:(OAVs)(02)940305,941001

Assembler 0X
アセンブラ０Ｘ
serialized on Afternoon, 1992-95
4 volumes @ Y500
[ 01:9310| 02:9407| 03:9502| 04:9510]

Sequel to Compiler. Lots of Japanese pop culture in-jokes, and the subject of some of Afternoon's CG covers, but there's precious little substance, and the bright spots are few and far between. Almost doujinshi-like in its content. (Takeuchi Naoko is credited as doing some conceptual design for Assembler 0X.)

"Assembler, resident of the electronic dimension, died in an accident. In the sequel, she is revived as a human being and comically tries to do whatever she could not do before (taking driving lessons, trying to become an idol singer). Naturally, the story is full of jokes and humor, although our heroine is absolutely serious." {020}


TRA:(I)Star Comics

APG:(OVA)

Yuugeki Uchuu Senkan Nadeshiko [Meteor Schlachtschiff Nadeshico]
遊撃宇宙戦艦ナデシコ
serialized on Shounen Ace A,
4 volumes @ Y560
[ 01:9702| 02:9708| 03:9807| 04:9902]

The manga has appeared around the same time as the TV-anime. It is noteworthy that the anime has a slightly different name: "Kidou Senkan Nadeshiko" (Martian Successor Nadeshico). A highly popular series in Japan.

Nadeshico is a science fiction series and a parody of science fiction series. Being a parody, the theme is familiar: alien invaders destroy the space fleet of the earth. Only one battleship (very well armed, very powerful, but the crew is inexperienced) survives and prepares itself to confront the alien armada.

APG:(OAV)

APG:(FILM)

APG:(TV)(26)961001-970325(Xebec)"Kidou Senkan Nadeshico"
TRA:(E)CPM Comics(I)Planet Manga
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 0 at Amazon.

NHK Corrector Yui [Corrector Yui]
ＮＨＫコレクターユイ
5 volumes @ Y467
[ 01:____| 02:____| 03:9908| 04:____| 05:9912]

Another departure for Asamiya: this is actually his first shoujo series. A series set in a computer world, the opposite of the Assembler/compiler series in which the computer people are living in the real world. Real world people going into the net. May sound familiar, but Asamiya's series came out before The Matrix.

APG:(TV)(26)990402-991015
TRA:(E)
Click to buy English translated volume 1 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 2 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 3 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 4 at Amazon.
Click to buy English translated volume 5 at Amazon.

NHK Corrector Yui Ver. 2 [Corrector Yui Ver. 2]
ＮＨＫコレクター・ユイ Ｖｅｒ．２
1 volume @ Y486
[ 01:____]

No Synopsis.

BATMAN: Child of Dreams
serialized on Magazine Z,
2 volumes @ Y?
[ 01:____| 02:____]

"Gotham City is a dangerous place with a high crime rate. Here lives our hero who fights against all evil. His name is BATMAN. Yuko Yagi and her TV crew come all the way from Japan to cover BATMAN's good deeds, but get kidnapped by the villain Two-Face. BATMAN catches Two-Face and rescues Yuko and the others. But how can this be? Two-Face is in Arkham Asylum and the other Two-Face dies on the way to the police station. Postmortem DNA tests reveal he is a different person and not BATMAN's old adversary. In other words, a "FAKE!?" What in the world is happening? Gotham is terrorized by more fake villains: the Penguin, the Riddler, and the Joker. Each crime leads to a more complicated one. Who is behind this and what is he up to? BATMAN is trying to find out. This is the first BATMAN comic to be created in Japan." {020}

Venus
artbook
1 volume @ Y3990
[ 01:____]

Softcover, 96 pages, 92 color. This artwork collection by Kia Asamiya contains artwork from the popular series, Meteor Schlachtschiff Nadesico, Compiler, Moebius Klein, D-Divine and many other works.