Crows (manga)

Crows
Cover of the first Crows volume
クローズ
(Kurōzu)
GenreYankī[1]
Manga
Written byHiroshi Takahashi
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original run1990 – 1998
Volumes26
Original video animation
Directed byMasamune Ochiai
Produced by
  • Hiroshi Iwakawa
  • Noriko Nishino
Music byKeiichi Gotō
StudioKnack Productions
Released January 28, 1994 – June 24, 1994
Runtime45 minutes per episode
Episodes2 (List of episodes)
Manga
Crows Gaiden: Katagiri Ken Monogatari
Written byHiroshi Takahashi
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 2, 2014[2] – October 6, 2014[3]
Volumes1[4]
Manga
Crows: Explode
Written by
  • Hiroshi Takahashi (original story)
  • Kōsuke Mukai
  • Rikiya Mizushima
  • Takashi Hasegawa
Illustrated byTatsuya Kanda
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runOctober 6, 2017 – October 6, 2020
Volumes9
Manga
Crows Gaiden: Housenka – The Beginning of Housen
Written byHiroshi Takahashi
Illustrated byShūhei Saitō
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runNovember 6, 2017 – present
Volumes7[5]
Related

Crows (Japanese: クローズ, Hepburn: Kurōzu) is a Japanese high school delinquent manga series by Hiroshi Takahashi. It has the same setting and also shares some characters with Takahashi's later manga QP and Worst.

The series was adapted into a two episode OVA by Knack Productions in 1994 which covered the first three volumes of the manga. It inspired three live-action films: Crows Zero in 2007, Crows Zero 2 in 2009 (both directed by Takashi Miike),[6] [7][8] and Crows Explode (directed by Toshiaki Toyoda) in 2014.[9] The films are not direct adaptations but take place before the events of the manga. Several characters from the manga appear in the movies but not the main character Bōya.

Takahashi wrote a one volume side story called Crows Gaiden: Katagiri Ken Monogatari which was published in 2014.[10] A tribute manga called Crows Respect written by various authors was published by Akita Shoten in 2018.[11] Two manga spin-offs were released in 2017 in Monthly Shonen Champion. The first titled Crows: Explode, written by Kōsuke Mukai, Rikiya Mizushima and Takashi Hasegawa and illustrated by Tatsuya Kanda, began on October 6; it finished on October 6, 2020.[12] The second, Crows Gaiden: Housenka – The Beginning of Housen by Shūhei Saitō, about the beginning of Hōsen Academy, started on November 6.[13]

A beat-em-up game for the Sega Saturn titled Crows: The Battle Action was released in 1997, which was developed and published by Athena.

An action-adventure video game by Bandai Namco Games for PlayStation 4 titled Crows: Burning Edge was released on October 27, 2016. It sold 9,574 units in its first week of release.[14]

  1. ^ Chavez, Ed (February 7, 2008). "Yanki Doodle Dandy!". Otaku USA Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2020. For that reason, Takahashi Hiroshi is my king of yanki manga. His debut title CROWS is known as the yanki bible.
  2. ^ 高橋ヒロシ新連載、やべきょうすけを原案に迎え月チャンで. Natalie (in Japanese). May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. ^ 高橋ヒロシ描くクローズ外伝読切、月チャンに. Natalie (in Japanese). October 6, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  4. ^ クローズ外伝 片桐拳物語 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  5. ^ クローズ外伝 鳳仙花 the beginning of HOUSEN 第7巻 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "Takashi Miike Helming Live-Action Crows Prequel". Anime News Network. April 19, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  7. ^ Elley, Derek (October 8, 2007). "Crows: Episode 0". Variety. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008.
  8. ^ Jensen, Erik (July 21, 2009). "Crows x Worst: An Introduction". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  9. ^ "Hiroshi Takahashi's Crows Manga Inspires 3rd Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  10. ^ "Crows Gaiden Manga Mini-Series Will Debut in May". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  11. ^ "Crows Manga's 'Crows Respect' Tribute Project Reveals Manga Creators". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  12. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 4, 2020). "Crows Explode Manga Ends on October 6". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "2 New Crows Manga Titles Launch This Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "Media Create Sales: 10/24/16 – 10/30/16". gematsu. November 2, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2018.