The Five Star Stories – the manga and anime of Mamoru Nagano

The Five Star Stories: An epic fusion of fantasy and space opera

The Five Star Stories (ファイブスター物語 Faibu Sutā Monogatari?), often abbreviated to FSS, is a manga by Mamoru Nagano that made its debut in the pages of Kadokawa Shoten's Japanese monthly Newtype in 1986. Since then, sixteen tankōbon have been published in Japan. In Italy, the rights for the manga edition were acquired by the publisher Flashbook, which started publishing in October 2010.

The work stands out for its extraordinary fusion between typical fantasy elements, such as chivalry and dragons, and space opera. Within the FSS universe, knights fight aboard gigantic anthropomorphic robots initially called "mortar headd" and later known as "gothicmade". Mamoru Nagano brought these high-tech war machines to life based on realistic and plausible technologies. In addition to the mecha, the riders are joined by artificial anthropomorphic creatures called "fatima", humanoid beings who act as servants, companions or lovers.

It is precisely the robots and the fatimas that contribute significantly to the commercial success of the comic, giving it a wide notoriety within the otaku public.

Mamoru Nagano conceived The Five Star Stories from a detailed chronology of events spanning thousands of years. This timeline spans a wide range of characters who interact with each other. Thanks to this thorough planning, both the context of the stories and their future developments are known from the start.

History

In the vast universe of cinema and comics, there are works that take us to incredible places and introduce us to extraordinary characters. One such fascinating world is the Joker's Suns Star Cluster, also known as the Joker's Star Cluster or, simply, the Star Cluster. In this article, we'll explore the unique setting of this universe and the mysterious characters that populate it.

The Joker's Suns Star Cluster: Despite the name "Star Cluster," the Joker's Star Cluster is actually made up of only five star systems. The main four are dominated by the stars Easterr, Westerr, Southernd and Nourth. Added to these is a fifth planetary system, known as Stantt's Wandering Stars, which passes through the heart of the Star Cluster on a 1.500-year cycle. This extraordinary stellar configuration provides the perfect setting for epic adventures and captivating stories.

Star Cluster Historical Timeline: The Joker's Star Cluster is steeped in history and political intrigue. The now vanished empire of Fallus Dei Kanaan has given way to several political entities vying for power. But one entity stands out in particular: the AKD, which directly rules the planet called Delta Belun and also influences the nearby Addler. The leader of the AKD is Amaterasu, an albino with youthful features but a secular age. Next to him is Lachesis, his partner. Both have names with mythological roots: Amaterasu Omikami is the legendary Goddess of the Sun, to whom the current Japanese imperial dynasty acknowledges its ancestry, while Lachesis is one of the three Fates of Greek mythology, who weave the destiny of existence.

The Float Temple and the Mirage Knights: One of the most iconic locations in the Joker Star Cluster is the Imperial Palace of Amaterasu, known as the “Float Temple”. This majestic building is a floating island suspended in the sky, adding an element of wonder and mystery to this unique setting. The security of the Float Temple is entrusted to the Mirage Knights, a body of guards personally chosen by Amaterasu. But they are not just ordinary soldiers: they are skilled pilots of Mortar Headd, complex and powerful means of combat.

The manga

Author Mamoru Nagano
Editor Kadokawa Shoten
Magazine new type
Target seinen
Date 1st edition April 10, 1986 - ongoing
Periodicity monthly
Tankōbon 16 (in progress)
Italian publisher Flashbooks
Date 1st Italian edition 30 October 2010 - ongoing
Italian periodicity aperiodic
Italian volumes 16 (in progress)

Anime movies

Author Mamoru Nagano
Regia Kazuo Yamazaki
Film script Akinori Endo
character design Nobuteru Yuuki
Mechanical design Mamoru Nagano
Music Tomoyuki Asakawa
Studio Toho, Sunrise
Date 1st edition March 11
Duration 65 min