| Area 88 | |
 Cover for the first manga volume, featuring Shin Kazama | |
| エリア88 (Eria Hachijū-Hachi) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action, military, slice of life |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kaoru Shintani |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Shōnen Big Comic |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | 1979 – 1986 |
| Volumes | 23 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Hisayuki Toriumi |
| Produced by | Yuji Nunokawa |
| Written by | Akiyoshi Sakai |
| Music by | Ichiro Nitta |
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | February 5, 1985 – August 15, 1986 |
| Runtime | 200 minutes (total)
|
| Episodes | 3 (Japanese ver.) 2 (International ver.)[a] |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Produced by | Ryōsuke Takahashi |
| Written by | Hiroshi Ōnogi |
| Music by | Kazunori Miyake |
| Studio | Group TAC |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | TV Asahi, Animax |
| English network | |
| Original run | January 8, 2004 – March 25, 2004 |
| Episodes | 12 |
Area 88 (エリア88, Eria Hachijū-Hachi) is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert in the fictional nation of Aslan. Shin goes from head of his class at a world-renowned aviation school, dating the beautiful daughter of an airline president, to a mercenary fighter pilot bound to Area 88 by a three-year contract that he was duped into signing by a jealous and competitive childhood friend. He is determined to earn $1.5 million to buy his way out of the obligation and return home, and killing becomes second nature to him as he quickly rises to the top rank at Area 88. Overwrought with shame and self-loathing for what he has become, Shin begins to question whether he is still fighting for survival, or, like his fellow mercenaries, for the sheer excitement and camaraderie of battle.
Area 88 was among the first three manga to be translated into English and published in North America.[1] It had been adapted into an OVA in 1985,[2][3] a video game in 1989 (released in North America as U.N. Squadron), and a 12-episode anime television series in 2004. It is also a brand of model aircraft in Japan. While it appeals to aviation fans for its realistic depictions of aircraft and aerial combat, it has also been critically acclaimed for its strong character development and Shintani's poignant storytelling, combining action, tragedy, romance, and comedy. In 1984, the manga received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen.[4]
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- ^ Ward, Cynthia (June 2, 2004). "Manga: Another SF/F Trend Missed by SF/F?". Archived from the original on June 24, 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2006.
- ^ 映画 アニメ エリア88 [Theatrical Anime: Area 88] (in Japanese). AllCinema Movie & DVD Database. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ エリア88 [Area 88] (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ 小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2007.