Gleipnir (manga)

Gleipnir

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga publishing, Anime production
Founded	October 6, 2015 (2015-10-06)
Founder	Sun Takeda
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Manga, Anime

is a Japanese manga series both written and illustrated by . It was originally serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga publication Young Magazine the 3rd from October 2015 until April 2021. Subsequently, the series moved to Monthly Young Magazine, where it continued from May 2021 through April 2023. The complete work consists of fourteen volumes. For North American audiences, Kodansha USA holds the licensing rights. An anime adaptation produced by Pine Jam, comprising 13 episodes, aired between April and June 2020.

Plot

Shuichi Kagaya, a high school student, acquires the power to morph into a gigantic monstrous dog resembling a mascot costume. He encounters Claire Aoki, a fellow student whose sister Elena is responsible for their parents' deaths.

Characters

A high schooler suffering from amnesia who nervously transforms into a large dog-like mascot equipped with a functional firearm. When females wear the mascot suit, they share memories with Shuichi and gain increased strength and speed. Shuichi had a romantic relationship with Elena but lacks recollection of it.

A high school girl driven to discover the truth about monsters following an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Initially mistreating Shuichi, she cares for him deeply and vows to die if he dies first. Claire is physically weak on her own but attains superhuman capabilities when inside Shuichi’s transformed state. She later employs a coin to decelerate her perception of time, boosting her speed and reflexes. Claire and Elena are paternal half-siblings.

Claire’s emotionally unstable sister who can transform into a ghost and was responsible for killing their parents. She has a strong affection for Claire and exhibits volatile emotions, having committed multiple murders. Elena is Shuichi’s former girlfriend and transformed him into a monster. She resents others inhabiting Shuichi’s form and can endure his injuries due to the monster’s regenerative abilities.

A member of an advanced alien race who offers limited wish fulfillment in exchange for golden coins containing other aliens. Collecting all these coins grants nearly limitless power, including the ability to destroy planets.

A cheerful high school girl who shows concern for Shuichi’s depression and may harbor romantic feelings toward him.

Classmate of Shuichi.

A self-centered Gatherer student who uses a coin to enhance speed but dislikes the monstrous limbs that appear during transformation.

A university martial artist who becomes the first monster ally of Claire and Shuichi. After obtaining a coin, he surpasses all others in strength and aims to defeat monsters.

An associate of Koyanagi with fox ears who possesses the ability to communicate with animals.

A timid ally of Koyanagi capable of transforming his head into a surveillance camera used for spying and uploading footage.

A powerful Gatherer loyal to Elena who despises authority except hers. He commands two massive monsters called his Parents that fight on his behalf while safeguarding him.

Manga

Created by , Gleipnir was serialized in Kodansha’s seinen manga magazine Young Magazine the 3rd from October 6, 2015, until April 6, 2021. It then transitioned to Monthly Young Magazine, where it ran from May 20, 2021, through April 20, 2023. Kodansha compiled the chapters into fourteen volumes released between March 18, 2016, and July 20, 2023.

In North America, Kodansha USA acquired licensing rights for English publication in July 2018. The fourteen volumes were published from March 19, 2019, through March 19, 2024.

Anime

In March 2019, an adaptation of the series into an anime television show was revealed. The animation was produced by Pine Jam under the direction of Kazuhiro Yoneda, with Shinichi Inotsume handling series composition and Takahiro Kishida responsible for character design. The soundtrack was composed by Ryōhei Sataka. The anime aired from April 5 to June 28, 2020, on Tokyo MX alongside other broadcasters. The opening theme, titled "Altern-ate-", was performed by Hikaru, while the ending theme "Ame to Taieki to Nioi" was delivered by the international ensemble Mili.

Funimation, which later rebranded as Crunchyroll, secured worldwide streaming rights outside of Asia, making the series available via FunimationNow, AnimeLab, and Wakanim platforms. In Southeast and South Asian markets, Medialink obtained licensing rights and streamed the show on the Ani-One YouTube channel as well as Dimsum in selected regions. On December 12, 2020, Funimation revealed plans for an English dubbed version, premiering with two episodes the following day. The Gleipnir series was subsequently released on DVD and Blu-Ray in North America on July 6, 2021.