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Boogiepop Phantom
ブギーポップは笑わない Boogiepop Phantom (Bugiipoppu wa Warawanai Boogiepop Phantom)
Genre	Horror, Mystery
TV anime
Directed by	Takashi Watanabe
Studio	Madhouse
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	6 January 2000 – 21 March 2000
No. of episodes	12

Boogiepop Phantom is an anime television series based on the Boogiepop book series by Kouhei Kadono, which have also been adapted into the live action film Boogiepop and Others. The original character designs are by the books' illustrator, Kouji Ogata.

Boogiepop Phantom is a dark brooding horror/mystery anime series which is often compared with Serial Experiments Lain.^[1] The series is 12 episodes long, but the story is not told in a linear fashion. Each episode centers on different characters who sometimes have just a short involvement in the major events of the series. For this reason, many scenes are seen twice, from different perspectives, and some episodes are out of sequence, although there is a slow general time progression. All of the character stories tie to a single event, a single brief point in time where all of the characters saw and were affected by a brief, intense, unexplained light in the night sky.

An unusual visual style is employed wherein, for all but the last episode, a much reduced colour palette is used in conjunction with a vignette effect.

The story centers on several important characters, most of whom are students from one of two high schools in the city in which the series takes place. The city (which is never named) was held in fear by a serial killer five years ago, who was never caught. When the series begins, high school students have just started to disappear again, and the blame is placed by many on Boogiepop, a mysterious entity who is said to be a Shinigami. Through the daunting non-linear style of the series, the characters are used to develop a central theme of the series: The City, and Evolution of Human Consciousness.

Contents 1 Plot Summary 2 Main Characters 3 List of Boogiepop Phantom Media 3.1 Opening and Ending Theme Songs 3.2 Episode Titles 3.3 Voice Actors 4 Allusions To Other Works 5 Trivia 6 References 7 External links

Boogiepop Phantom is a direct continuation of the film/novel Boogiepop and Others. For more information on the back-story, see Boogiepop and Others (novel) or Boogiepop and Others (film).

Manaka Kisaragi was born an extremely evolved human being and five months premature. Her mother, Mayumi, lost all memories of her pregnancy and giving birth, as well as the ability to gain new memories. As a result she was taken away to a hospital where she would be taken care of. Manaka's grandmother, Meyu, didn’t want to have her daughter live with the shame of being a single mother, and so used the fact that Manaka was a home birth to hide her existence. After five years, as Meyu neared death, she strangled Manaka to death, not wanting the “devils child” to be let free. But as the Pillar of Light pierced the sky, Manaka was resurrected from the dead, and shortly after Meyu’s death, she left her home to explore the world.

Boogiepop Phantom went across the city taking away those who had become too evolved as a result of the Pillar of Light, while the Manticore Phantom continued to devour emotionally troubled and vulnerable people in the city. Meanwhile Manaka wandered around and absorbed the memories of all the people she encountered. The resulting cumulative knowledge and experience allowed her to fully understand the universe, but that knowledge was sealed away to prevent damage to human society. The result was that she could only mimic the words spoken to her by others. With her newfound knowledge, she tried to show human society the truth, but with the past rather than words. She created Kishida Phantom, who went to meet Kirima Nagi to discuss an interview about her father. Not interested, Kirima brushed him off, but he continued to follow.

Kirima and Kishida bumped into Boogiepop Phantom, who after being attacked by Kirima, explains that it is not the Manticore, and that it was formed when Echoes Pillar of Light pierced the sky, and that it is trying to save all those who have become evolved as a result.

Kirima built electromagnetic pulse bombs and placed them underground in an attempt to normalize the electromagnetic field. Manticore Phantom appeared and confirmed that it was the real Manticore before promptly attacking Kirima. She tried to set off her bombs which would destroy the Manticore Phantom, but Boogiepop Phantom intervened. It had destroyed all of the electromagnetic pulse bombs because it also existed in the same plane of the electromagnetic field. It confirmed that in a few days things would be back to normal, so it and Manticore Phantom would be gone. It promptly cut Manticore Phantom apart with its wires. However, one part of the Manticore Phantom entered Kishida, who left for Tokyo.

Due to her loneliness Manaka created Poom Poom, another phantom who would be her friend and bring her more friends. However, Poom Poom's method involved drawing out the inner child from within those who were already unstable, leaving behind little more than an empty shell.

The actions of Manaka and Poom Poom did not go unnoticed by Boogiepop, who confronted them both. Poom Poom left Manaka and disappeared after a fierce debate with Boogiepop, while Manaka attempted to run away. She instead ran into Boogiepop Phantom, who proceeded to try and kill her. Boogiepop intervened, stating that Manaka posed no real threat anymore and would die soon. Running away and dying from old age, Echoes/Echoes phantom came before Manaka and offered to allow her to join him. She accepted, and after a brief visit to the hospital to see her mother, Manaka leaves the Earth in a pillar of light. The electromagnetic field now stabilized, Boogiepop Phantom disappeared, leaving Boogiepop to take care of the evolutions that were stored underground.

One year later, a string of killings had occurred. Boogiepop used Miyashita Toka’s visit to Tokyo to take her entrance exams as an opportunity to track down Kishida, who had unknowingly been consuming people for the Manticore Phantom. Confronting Kishida, Boogiepop made him realize that he was not really alive, but rather just a phantom of Kuroda Shinpei. After a brief appearance by the Manticore Phantom from Kishida’s body, Boogiepop destroyed Manticore Phantom with the aid of Kishida and an electromagnetic pulse bomb.

On the way back to the city Miyashita Toka bought a Theremin, and Boogiepop took it underground to where the evolved children where being kept. Later that day, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg could be heard being played on the Theremin underground by Suema Kazuko, Kirima Nagi, and Miyashita Toka. Miyashita explains that it must be the memories of the city forming a melody, because it can be sad when you have no way to express yourself, suggesting that Boogiepop Phantom does still exist in the electromagnetic field in some form

Boogiepop (ブギーポップ, Bugīpoppu^?)

Seiyū: Kaori Shimizu, voice actor: Debora Rabbai

The shinigami whispered of among the female students of Shinyo Academy, few people know that Boogiepop actually exists. Boogiepop is an alternate personality of Touka Miyashita that is normally dormant, but rises to the surface when enemies of the world appear. Boogiepop's appearance and voice are ambiguous: they seem both masculine and feminine at the same time. However, hidden beneath her signature black cloak and black, pipe-shaped hat, little is ever seen of her. Straight-faced and to the point, Boogiepop acts as mechanical as she claims to be. Boogiepop speaks in an archaic manner, and seems fond of whistling Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Boogiepop Phantom (ブギーポップ・ファントム, Bugīpoppu Fantomu^?)

Seiyū: Mayumi Asano, voice actor: Simone Grant

When the Manticore was killed, remnants of its concousness survived in the electromagnetic field surrounding the city. The pain and regret that Manticore felt as it was being killed by Boogiepop formed a separate entity in the electromagnetic field. Taking the face of Yurihara Minako, the final form of Manticore, but also imitating the cloak and hat of Boogiepop, it became Boogiepop Phantom. Boogiepop Phantom appoints itself the mission of protecting those who had evolved due to Echoes' pillar of light, preserving them beneath the city, until such time as the world is ready for them. She is able to move about the city in the form of an electromagnetic beam, and attempts to save as many of the evolved children as possible before the electromagnetic field dissipates taking her along with it.

Kirima Nagi (霧間凪, Kirima Nagi^?)

Seiyū: Yuu Asakawa, voice actor: Rachael Lillis, actor: Maya Kurosu

Main article: Kirima Nagi

Known as the Fire Witch to many, Kirima has made few friends due the way she distances herself from others: she knows that she is too dangerous for 'normal' people to associate with. She has a messianic complex, and seeks to save the world from whatever may threaten it. Due to events from her past, she has dedicated herself to being a defender of justice and saviour of the world. She is very strong both physically and mentally, and uses her abilities and the vast wealth left by her father in her self appointed mission.

Kisaragi Manaka (如月真名花, Kisaragi Manaka^?)

Seiyū: Sanae Kobayashi, voice actor: Rachael Lillis

A highly-evolved human, Manaka grew at an unnatural rate, and had the ability to draw memories from her surroundings in the form of butterflies of light. As her grandmother grows old and weak, she kills Manaka before she herself died – not wishing for "the devil's child" to be left free. When the pillar of light pierced the sky that same night, Echoes inadvertently revived Manaka. Soon after, her grandmother died, and Manaka was free to go out into the world. By drawing memories from everywhere, she learns everything there is to know in the world; she even learns about Echoes, and begins repeating back the words she hears others speak, similar to how he had. Her self appointed mission seems to be to enlighten others with memories of the past.

Manticore Phantom (マンティコア・ファントム, Manteikoa Fantomu^?)

Seiyū: Jun Fukuyama, voice actor: Crispin Freeman

When the Manticore was killed, remnants of its concousness survived in the electromagnetic field surrounding the city. When Boogiepop Phantom was created, what was left of the Manticore's conciousness formed the Manticore Phantom, which assumed the form of Saotome Masami, and continued to devour people in the city. It preys on those in an emotional state of distress, so that when its victims seem to have dissapeared it will be assumed they did so of their own will. Like the other phantoms, it is electromagnetic radiation given form, and so is also subject to the waning strength of the electromagnetic field. It seeks a way to sustain itself permanently before it dissapears along with the electromagnetic field.

Miyashita Touka (宮下藤花, Miyashita Tōka^?)

Seiyū: Kaori Shimizu, voice actor: Debora Rabbai, actor: Sayaka Yoshino)

An ordinary, happy school girl at Shinyo Academy, Miyashita is in love with her boyfriend, Takeda Keiji, and is a close friend of Suema Kazuko. Not particularly good at school, she does not stand out in any way. At the age of 12, she witnessed the death of Shinpei Kuroda, and the resulting mental trauma gave birth to her alternate personality Boogiepop. Whenever enemies of the world appear, Boogiepop takes over Miyashita's body and does battle with them. All of Boogiepop's affects (including Kuroda's cape, hate, and weapon) are carried unkowingly by her in a Spalding sports bag. Miyashita has her memories erased by Boogiepop, so even she herself does not seem to know the truth of what happens and who she is, and was simply told that five years ago she had been possessed by a kitsune.

Opening Theme Song

• "Yuudachi", by Shikao Suga

Ending Theme Song

• "Mirai Seiki Maruhi Club", by Kyoko

For a list of Boogiepop Phantom episode titles, see List of Boogiepop media

Character	Japanese	English
Arito Misuzu	Megumi Nasu	Megan Hollingshead
Boogiepop/Miyashita Toka	Kaori Shimizu	Debora Rabbai
Boogiepop Phantom	Mayumi Asano	Simone Grant
Echoes	Taiki Matsuno	William Hirsh
Hisashi Jonouchi	Shizuma Teijima	Corey Marshall
Kirima Nagi	Yuu Asakawa	Rachel Lillis
Kisaragi Manaka	Sanae Kobayashi	Rachel Lillis
Kojima Akane	Miwa Yasuda	Megan Hollingshead
Kuroda Shinpei/Kishida Ichiro	Wasei Chikada	Christopher Nicholas
Manticore	Mayumi Asano	Simone Grant
Manticore Phantom	Jun Fukuyama	Crispin Freeman
Oikawa Mamoru	Hiroyuki Yoshino	Steve Bednarz
Oikawa Sayoko	Kei Kobayashi	Debora Rabbai
Poom Poom	Rakuto Tochihara	Jessica Calvello
Saotome Masami	Jun Fukuyama	Crispin Freeman
Snake Eye	Hisao Egama	J. David Brimmer
Suema Kazuko	Kyo Nagasawa	Anne Benkovitz
Suganuma Yoji	Hirofumi Nojima	Liam Christopher O'Brien
Tabata Yoshiki	Takahiro Itou	Buddy Woodward
Tonomura Moto	Mamiko Noto	Jessica Calvello
Wakasa Shizue	Nobuko Kotani	Lea Lane
Yoshizawa Saki	Fumiko Orikasa	Lisa Ortiz

• The live action Boogiepop and Others film is referenced as the events shown in the Pillar of Light in Episode 8 correlate with how they are portrayed in the film.
• The Boogiepop and Others novel is referenced many times as the characters from the novel appear mutliple times, especially the Manticore, Echoes, and Saotome Masami.
• The novel Boogiepop at Dawn is referenced as the characters Dr Kisugi, Kuroda Shinpei, and More Murder make appearances during exploration of some of the backstory.
• The Boogiepop Vs Imaginator novels are referenced once in Episode 6 when Spooky E visits Snake Eye to check on his progress. Also in Episode 3 the character Camille can be seen walking towards a love hotel, which hints at her mission as a Towa agent.

The Boogiepop series includes many references to western music. Boogiepop Phantom is no exception to this with several episode titles, and a few other references, being made.

A Requiem

A Requiem is a mass to pray for the departed.

Interlude

An Interlude is a break between acts in a play or sections in a piece of music.

Life can be So Nice

A single by Prince from the Parade album, in 1986.

My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady is a popular musical from 1956.

Paisley Park

Paisley Park was a single released by Prince, on his record label of the same name, in 1985.

Poom Poom

A single by Prince from the Crystal Ball album, released in 1998.

She's So Unusual

She's So Unusual was the debut album by Cyndi Lauper, released in 1983.

Snake Eye

A single released by AC/DC in 1998.

Spooky Electric

Prince claims to have a personality named Spooky Electric.

Under The Gravitys Rainbow

An allusion to the novel, Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon.

Until Ure in My Arms Again

A single released by Prince.

God is Dead

A famous quotation by nihilist Friedrich Nietzsche.

Official Sites

• (English) Official The Right Stuf International Boogiepop webpage

Reviews

• (English) Boogiepop Phantom Animetric's Review of Boogiepop Phantom
• (English) Boogiepop Phantom at THEM Anime Reviews.
• (English) A Thematic Analysis of Boogiepop Phantom at Anime on DVD.

Fansites

• (English) A Boogiepop fanpage