Tegami Bachi (テガミバチ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Asada. It was first serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Jump from September 2006 to June 2007; after the magazine ceased publication, it was transferred to Jump Square, where it ran from November 2007 to November 2015. Its chapters were collected in 20 volumes. The series is set in AmberGround, a land illuminated by an artificial sun, and follows Lag Seeing, a Letter Bee with the ability to see the memories of people and objects, and his personal Dingo Niche on their journeys across AmberGround. Tegami Bachi was adapted into an anime television series by Pierrot+, which aired for two seasons from October 2009 to March 2011. The manga was licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media; it was published in their Shonen Jump magazine, and they have released its 20 volumes. Both seasons of the anime series have been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

Plot

The story takes place in AmberGround, a land of perpetual night partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing, who used to work for the Bee Hive delivery service, is appointed as a Letter Bee, traveling with his Dingo, Niche, and her pet, Steak, to deliver letters and packages while avoiding the Gaichuu—giant armored insects who feed on the "heart" within letters and packages. When he was a child, his mother was kidnapped by men from AmberGround's capital, Akatsuki, and he was sent as a "delivery" to his aunt thanks to Gauche Suede, whom he began to idolize and who was his inspiration for becoming a Letter Bee. After Lag becomes a Letter Bee, he learns that Gauche has disappeared as the resistance movement Reverse begins stealing letters from traveling Bees. Lag later encounters Gauche, who is devoted to Reverse's cause and seems to have no memory of his past, despite Lag's attempts to make him remember.

Characters

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Asada, Tegami Bachi debuted in Shueisha's Monthly Shōnen Jump on September 6, 2006. The magazine ceased its publication on June 6, 2007. Following a special un-numbered one-shot chapter published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on October 15, 2007, the series was transferred to the then brand new magazine Jump Square on November 2 of the same year, where it ran until its conclusion on November 4, 2015. Shueisha collected its 99 individual chapters in twenty volumes, released from January 4, 2007, to January 4, 2016. Viz Media announced that it had licensed Tegami Bachi for an English-language adaption in North America at San Diego Comic-Con on February 28, 2010. It was announced that Tegami Bachi, otherwise known as Letter Bee in English translations, will be serialized in the monthly manga anthology Shonen Jump, where it replaced the manga series Slam Dunk. It debuted in the March 2009 issue of the magazine.

Drama CD

A drama CD, which adapted the Jiggy Pepper arc, was released on February 16, 2009.

Anime

A special anime adaptation, running for about 30 minutes, was shown during the Jump Super Anime Tour events in Japan in the fall of 2008. It was titled Letter Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy (テガミバチ 〜光と青の幻想夜話〜), and was animated by Pierrot+. An original video animation was translated for free by Anthony Carl Kimm on the Jumpland website with English subtitles. It was later released on DVD in the beginning of 2009. In April 2009, it was announced that Tegami Bachi would receive an anime television series adaptation. The series was directed by Akira Iwanaga. The series aired on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi and other affiliated television networks from October 3, 2009, to March 27, 2010. The first opening theme song is Hajimari no Hi (はじまりの日), performed by Suga Shikao featuring Mummy-D. The second opening theme song is Love Letter no Kawari ni Kono Uta O (ラブレターのかわりにこの詩を.), performed by Seira. In Southeast Asia, the series aired on Animax Asia under the title Letter Bee. A second season, Tegami Bachi Reverse, was announced in February 2010. The second season aired from October 3, 2010, to March 26, 2011. The first opening theme song is Chiisana Mahō (小さな魔法), performed by Stereopony, while the first ending theme song is Wasurenagusa (勿忘草), performed by Piko. The second opening theme song is Yakusoku (約束), performed by Suga Shikao, while the second ending theme Perseus (ペルセウス), performed by Yamazaru. In North America, both seasons have been licensed by Sentai Filmworks.

Reception

Manga

Deb Aoki of About.com reviewed Tegami Bachi Volume 1. Aoki said that the series "has the right stuff to appeal to both male and female readers: thrilling action, a magical world full of mysteries, likeable characters that are worth caring about, and lovely artwork, all done with a touch of light-hearted humor." In Japan, volume 2 of the manga debuted sixth during the first week of its release.

Anime

Carlo Santos of Anime News Network reviewed the first 6 episodes of Tegami Bachi. He commented that the series "may be one of the last few adventure series that is genuinely about adventure" and "an adventure with a unique vibe". Santos went on to say how the series as a whole isn't like typical adventure series, which deal with "the triumphs and tragedies of having the best sword", as it is built on "the triumphs and tragedies of the human heart". A negative point he said was about the animation—describing the Gaichuu as "plastic-looking CGI beasts looking woefully out of place among the scenery". However, Santos complimented the series' art direction by saying that "the artistry is far more commendable: the blend of feudal and industrial eras results in a unique visual aesthetic". Overall, Santos gave a positive review of the first 6 episodes of Tegami Bachi with an overall grade of B−.