Neko Majin (manga series)
From Dragon Ball Encyclopedia
| Neko Majin | |
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Neko MajinネコマジンNeko Majin | |
| Genre | Comedy |
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Manga series: Neko Majin | |
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| Original run |
1999 – 2005 |
| Num of volumes |
1 |
Neko Majin (ネコマジン, Neko Majin; Literally meaning "Cat Genie") was a series of one-shot manga by Akira Toriyama that spanned eight total installments and was released from 1999-2005. It is most notable for its later portion, Neko Majin Z, a self-parody of the author's most famous work, Dragon Ball Z.
Contents
Introduction[edit]
Originally a one-shot manga bearing little relation to Akira Toriyama's other series, the first chapter of Neko Majin appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump in April of 1999 (#22-23). Though there were some similarities, it did not become a self-parody of Dragon Ball until Neko Majin Z, which had cameos of characters from the author's magnum opus. As of 2005, the series was completed with eight total chapters (five of which are Dragon Ball parodies). These chapters were compiled into a "kanzenban"-style package for release in Japan on April 4, 2005.
Releases[edit]
Original serialization[edit]
All chapters of Neko Majin were originally published in Weekly Shōnen Jump/Monthly Shōnen Jump in Japan.
- Neko Majin ga Iru (ネコ マジン が いる; Literally meaning "Neko Majin is Here"): April 1999 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1999 #22-23)
- Neko Majin ga Iru 2: August 1999 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1999 #37-38)
- Neko Majin Mike (ネコ マジン みけ): August 2003 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 2003 #37-38)
- Neko Majin Z (ネコ マジン Z, Neko Majin Zetto): June 2001 (Monthly Shōnen Jump, 2001 #6)
- Neko Majin Z 2: August 2003 (Monthly Shōnen Jump, 2003 #9)
- Neko Majin Z 3: February 2004 (Monthly Shōnen Jump, 2004 #3)
- Neko Majin Z 4: January 2005 (Monthly Shōnen Jump, 2005 #1)
- Neko Majin Z 5: February 2005 (Monthly Shōnen Jump, 2005 #2)
Collected release[edit]
All eight chapters are collected in one volume, published by Shueisha's Jump Comics imprint.
- Neko Majin Kanzenban ("Complete Edition"): April 4, 2005 (ISBN 4-08-873825-X)
General information[edit]
The series revolves around the adventures of various characters from the Neko Majin race, a group of cats that can use a little bit of magic, but seem to enjoy practical jokes and martial arts even more. It eventually spins off into Neko Majin Z, centralizing around Neko Majin Z, a Cat-like version of Son Goku complete with Nyoi-bo and typical Dragon Ball Z-style attacks such as the Nekohameha – an attack that the Neko Majins were also able to use. Other familiar motifs show up during the course of the series including: Freeza's son, Kuriza, a fat Super Saiyan named Onio (following the Saiyans' vegetable pun trend, this one is an obvious pun on the word "onion"), and even cameos by actual Dragon Ball characters Vegeta, Majin Boo, and Son Goku. Despite the references to Dragon Ball, the series itself is not a continuation of the manga series and the various references are not intended to be canonical. Although the connection is tenuous, several references to Neko Majin Z were added as Easter eggs to the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (notably in the form of Kuriza as an alternate outfit for Freeza, complete with a chestnut-shaped Death Ball attack) and Neko Majin Z himself makes an appearance as a secret support character in the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2.
English-language release[edit]
Viz translated the English version of Neko Majin Z 5, entitled "Neko Majin Z", in the October 2007 issue of Shonen Jump.
Trivia[edit]
- Neko Majin Z appears as an unlockable character in the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2.
