Sand Chronicles

Sand Chronicles
The cover of the first Japanese manga volume, featuring Daigo (left) and Ann (right)
砂時計
(Sunadokei)
GenreDrama, romance[1]
Manga
Written byHinako Ashihara
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintFlower Comics
MagazineBetsucomi
English magazine
DemographicShōjo
Original runApril 2003 (2003-04) – June 2006 (2006-06)
Volumes10
Television drama
Written byYuki Takeda
Kiyomi Fujii
Masahiro Yamaura
Music byKoji Endō
Original networkTBS
Original run March 12 – June 1, 2007 (2007-06-01)
Episodes60
Live-action film
Directed byShinsuke Sato
Produced byKazuya Hamana
Written byShinsuke Sato
Released
  • April 26, 2008 (2008-04-26)

Sand Chronicles (Japanese: 砂時計, Hepburn: Sunadokei, lit. "Hourglass") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hinako Ashihara. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Betsucomi magazine from the May 2003 issue (released in April) to the July 2006 issue (released in June).[2][3][4] Shogakukan collected the individual chapters into 10 bound volumes from August 2003 to August 2006.[5][6] The series won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category in 2005.[7][8]

Viz Media licensed the manga for an English-language release in North America, first serialized in their Shojo Beat magazine in 2007 and later published in ten print volumes from January 2008 to January 2011.[9][10][11] The manga is also licensed by Kana in France and by Planet Manga in Germany.[12][13]

In 2007, Sand Chronicles inspired a live-action Japanese television drama series which aired during the half-hour Love Theatre time-slot on TBS.[14] In 2008, the manga was adapted into a live-action Japanese feature film directed by Shinsuke Sato, starring Kaho and Nao Matsushita as the main character Ann during different stages of her life.[15]

  1. ^ "The Official Website for Sand Chronicles". Viz Media. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. ^ 砂時計. Shimane Prefecture's Official Tourism Website (in Japanese). Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  3. ^ 砂時計. Toho (in Japanese). Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  4. ^ 映画「砂時計」 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. ^ 砂時計 (1) (Betsucomiフラワーコミックス) (in Japanese). ASIN 4091384013.
  6. ^ 砂時計 (10) (Betsucomiフラワーコミックス) (in Japanese). ASIN 4091305601.
  7. ^ 小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者. Shogakukan (in Japanese). Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  8. ^ 芦原妃名子画業25周年で「砂時計」をイッキ読み、「セクシー田中さん」は2巻発売. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). August 9, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  9. ^ Koulikov, Mikhail (March 13, 2007). "New Viz manga licenses". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  10. ^ "Sand Chronicles, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  11. ^ "Sand Chronicles, Vol. 10". Viz Media. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  12. ^ "Le Sablier". Kana (in French). Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "Sunadokei: Die Sanduhr 1". paninishop.de (in German). Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Miller, Evan (February 6, 2007). "Sunadokei becomes TV Drama". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  15. ^ Loo, Egan (October 23, 2007). "Sand Chronicles to be Adapted into Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 4, 2019.