BLAME!
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BLAME! (ブラム！ buramu!) is a ten-volume manga by Tsutomu Nihei (弐瓶 勉 nihei tsutomu). It was also expanded into a small OVA, one DVD of six different 'episodes' of anime, which represent parts of the what happened in the story, but overall doesn't maintain the originality of the original manga.
Gravitational_Beam_Emitter_-_Killy_Poses.jpg
The title may be a pun on the word 'blam', the noise a gun makes. Seeing as Killy possesses an especially powerful one, it would make sense. The 'e' might've been added to make it sound different, and give it a different, arty appeal due to the odd name.
The tagline for this manga is "Adventure-seeker Killy in the Cyber Dungeon quest!".
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Basic plot
Someone known as Killy is looking for Net Terminal Genes, to connect to the Netsphere. The 'world' he is in is known as the Megastructure or BLAME!, a vast area where walls are everywhere, there is no sky, no sea, nothing except metallic walls, concrete, stone and other such materials. There are mechanical beings known as Builders which go around reforming and creating new landscapes, and are probably responsible for the state of the Megastructure. Of course, the Megastructure isn't without danger, there are beings known as Silicon Creatures (also known as Silicon Life) out to kill all humans, and later, the Safeguard, who are linked to the Megastructure and the Netsphere. Fortunately, he gains an ally or two through his journey, Cibo (sometimes translated as Shibo) comes to his aid at the right time, and they both try to find the genes together. Killy is also equipped with a very special and unique weapon known as the Gravitational Beam Emitter, which is unstoppable, and leaves unbelievably long holes in the Megastructure in its wake.
As the manga continues, Volume 2 is when the plot begins to grow deeper, with more need to find the NTG as a group known as the Governing Agency (or, simply, Governors). They are programmed by the humans from an older era to protect the Netsphere from illegal access by those who do not possess the NTG. By this, they 'control' the Safeguard to kill all those who do not possess the gene after sensing an illegal attempt to access the Netsphere. However, with no official access to the Netsphere for millennia, the Safeguard has rampaged through the Megastructure eliminating everyone they meet, and the Governing Agency cannot change their instructions without input from humans. A Catch 22 if you will, as not most humans in this current age have it, as it was back in the past. The Governing Agency can send agents to Base Reality (how they call the real world in the Megastructure) for communications. Spurred on by this Killy and Cibo continue to search.
The lure of the manga
Nihei is very detailed in his art, as is shown by his minute details into the construction of the Megastructure, the Silicon Creatures, Killy's outfit, and of course the huge explosions left by the GBE. Even these explosions are detailed. Scenes of huge destruction are followed by the quiet and relative calm of walking through the Megastructure.
The manga had one constant theme throughout, the search for the NTG and then the amount of time spent walking through the Megastructure passing by more dark and fantastic scenery, there are long periods where there is little talking involved. Fights often end in bloodshed, on both sides, and is quite gory as the Silicon Creatures and Safeguards are brutal in their methods of eliminating the humans.
The early plot may seem trivial, but it soon passes that to find the NTG is a very difficult task. You are soon drawn into Killy's quest, and are kept till the very end, though it might take two reads of the manga to understand many of the subtleties in the plot.
Main Characters
For more details with spoilers, click on the person's name.
The three main characters:
Killy
Killy is person who is on the unenviable task to find a human with the Net Terminal Gene within the Megastructure to access the Netsphere. He is equipped with the Gravitational Beam Emitter, a petite but awesome weapon capable of creating holes miles long in the Megastructure. He is soon joined by Cibo in his quest.
Looking to be in his early to mid 20s, he is a glum looking person, never smiling (except rarely when shooting) and has a slight slouch in his normal standing position, he isn't afraid to fight, and happily shoots the GBE with glee. He is also very strong and durable despite his regular frame. The GBE is so powerful that he's flung backwards by its sheer power, often into walls and the ground, but he always gets up. Even in its lowest power, his arm jerks up and back from the force of it. He heals rather quickly too. In the times when it's quiet, he injects drugs into himself in the forehead, and when he's low on power, he may inject it straight into his hand.
It seems he was equipped with cybernetic enhancements, as he has an electronic connector to create signals to stop Builders and to transmit information from one person to himself, and vice versa. He also has no memory of his past, or how he obtained the GBE. He also mistrusts Silicon Creatures on sight, and disposes of them whenever he can.
Cibo
Head scientist of the corporation in the Capitol. Was imprisoned in the deep basement of the Corporation after access to the Netsphere was denied by the invoked Safeguard. When we first see her, we're not even sure of her gender, as she is just the torso of a skeleton, just little bits of skin hanging onto her chest and face with long blonde/white hair. Insects were even crawling out of her empty eye sockets. She helps Killy get inside by disabling the Guardians (robots that defend the Corporation from intruders) and tries to find the Net Terminal Gene. She is thought to be dead when a Guardian stabs her in the head after diving into the system (doing that stops the protection against the Guardians). She tells Killy to go to the centre where the President, a huge hulk of flesh, resides. She later appears in a new rejuvenated body and rescues Killy from certain death (after his arm is chopped off by the main protector of the President) and they escape from there.
We find out that the Corporation tried to access the Netsphere using a fake signature, but this invoked the Safeguard, and thus the entire facility was destroyed. Then, Cibo was a short girl with black hair and a quiet demeanour, but after her body replacement, she became a very tall lady with long white/blonde hair. She is an expert in computer systems, and can read Japanese (something which is apparently long forgotten).
Sanakan
A short, young girl with black hair who finds Killy and Cibo in a tunnel after they pierce the impenetrable Megastructure layer with the GBE.
Minor characters
Silicon Creatures
Other recurring characters
- Safeguard
- Governing Agency
- Humans
See also: BLAME! characters
Publication
The original Japanese manga was collected into 10 volumes (tankōbon) by Kodansha's Afternoon KC division.
- BLAME 1 (1998/06) ISBN 4063141829
- BLAME 2 (1998/12) ISBN 4063141942
- BLAME 3 (1999/08) ISBN 4063142183
- BLAME 4 (2000/03) ISBN 4063142353
- BLAME 5 (2000/09) ISBN 4063142515
- BLAME 6 (2001/03) ISBN 4063142639
- BLAME 7 (2001/10) ISBN 4063142779
- BLAME 8 (2002/04) ISBN 4063142892
- BLAME 9 (2002/12) ISBN 4063143104
- BLAME 10 (2003/09) ISBN 4063143287
In February 2005 TokyoPop announced that it has licensed BLAME! for U.S. distribution, with publication beginning in August 2005.
External Links
- heeen's blame forum (http://www.heeen.de/blame/)
- NetLabyrinth.net (http://netlabyrinth.net/)
- BLAME! and so on (http://www.randomisgod.com/blame/) - Translation of parts from BLAME! artbook.
- cybercafe fansite (http://www.cyberiacafe.ch/Tsutomu/Blame/index_e.html)de:Blame ja:BLAME! fr:BLAME!sv:BLAME!