+Anima (プラスアニマ) (stylized as +ANIMA) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsumi Mukai. It was serialized in MediaWorks's Shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from December 1999 to January 2005, with its chapters collected in ten volumes. The story focuses on four +Anima—humans who have metamorphic abilities, which has caused them to be shunned by society. The series was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Tokyopop and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment.

Plot

The story follows four +Anima children: Cooro, Husky, Senri, and Nana, who are brought together by their +Anima powers and search for others like themselves and a place to belong. Along the way, they encounter villains and friends as well as other +Anima as they travel from town to town and become involved in local events. Over the course of the story, more is revealed about the characters' pasts and their world.

Setting

The series takes place on an island continent divided between the nations of Astaria and Sailand, which are mostly desert, though Astaria has more varied environments, such as steppes and forests. They are separated by the Moss Mountain range, which is home to the independent Kim-un-kur tribes. Some humans, known as +Anima, have the ability to transform one or more of their body parts into those of an animal and may possess some of that animal's behavioral characteristics. Some are capable of more drastic changes, such as transforming their entire body. These powers are activated at will, and when inactive, these body parts return to normal. If they lose control of their powers, they risk being consumed by their +Anima, causing them to rampage. +Anima have a black, tattoo-like marking on their body that determines their +Anima. +Anima are not treated kindly by others because their powers make them different from "normal" humans. +Anima are not born naturally, and the children of +Anima are human. They instead gain their +Anima in times of stress or danger, such as Husky gaining his fish +Anima after nearly drowning. It is unknown if the children of +Anima are more likely to become +Anima themselves or if they will naturally gain the same powers. Senri's brother and father were both bear +Anima, but this is the only instance of a "family" of +Anima in the series.

Characters

Publication

Written and illustrated by Natsumi Mukai, +Anima was serialized in MediaWorks's Shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!. Its first installment was published in the magazine's February 2000 issue on December 27, 1999. The series finished its final installment in the March 2005 issue of Dengeki Comic Gao!, published on January 27, 2005. MediaWorks collected its chapters in ten volumes, published from December 16, 2000, to March 26, 2005. In North America, Tokyopop announced the English language release of the manga series in November 2005. The ten volumes were published between May 9, 2006, and December 12, 2008. The manga is licensed in Australasia by Madman Entertainment, published all ten volumes from October 3, 2006, to October 10, 2009. The manga is also licensed in France by Taifu Comics in 2005, and in 2023 by Ototo Editions, in Germany by Tokyopop Germany, and in Taiwan by Ever Glory Publishing.

Volumes