Gun Frontier

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Gun Frontier
Cover of the first volume of the manga
ガン フロンティア (Gan Furontia)
Genre	Western, buddy comedy
Manga
Written by	Leiji Matsumoto
Published by	Akita Shoten
Magazine	Play Comic
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	1972 – 1975
Volumes	3
Novel
Gun Frontier II
Written by	Leiji Matsumoto
Published by	Daiwa Shobo
Published	April 1999
Anime television series
Directed by	Sōichirō Zen
Produced by	Kōki Okagawa Tomoyuki Imai Toshiharu Namiki
Written by	Doctor Serial Nishioka
Music by	Hiroshi Motokura
Studio	Vega Entertainment
Licensed by	US: Discotek Media
Original network	AT-X
English network	US: Anime Network
Original run	March 28, 2002 – June 24, 2002
Episodes	13

Gun Frontier (ガン フロンティア, Gan Furontia) is a 1972 manga by Leiji Matsumoto.^[1] It introduces Tochiro Oyama, best friend to Matsumoto's classic hero, Captain Harlock, who is in turn depicted as a gunslinger in the Old West. In sharp contrast to other Matsumoto's stories, Gun Frontier is a comedy adventure rather than a space opera. Also, unlike other Harlock stories, in Gun Frontier, Harlock is depicted as Tochiro's sidekick.

The manga follows Sea Pirate Captain Harlock and the samurai Tochiro, who arrive in the United States on the Western Frontier, known also as Gun Frontier. Along with a mysterious woman they meet along the way, the two friends challenge sex rings, bandits, and corrupt sheriff. They are searching for a lost clan of Japanese immigrants, and they will tear Gun Frontier from end to end until they find it.

Since the original manga, there has been a novel and a 2002 anime adaption of the series.

Tochiro Oyama

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Derek Stephen Prince (English)

The main character of the story, Tochiro is one of the survivors of Samurai Creek, a town of Japanese immigrants who were mysteriously all slaughtered, with only a few exceptions. Tochiro's purpose is to find the scattered remains of his people, no matter who or what he has to destroy to find them. Tochiro is highly skilled in using Shikomizue, but has awful aim with his gun, a fact which is often poked fun at throughout the series. Despite wearing glasses, he refers to himself as "not being able to see past the end of a shovel [he is] holding". He is also abnormally short, as well as bowlegged, and while he wears his cloak he can often avoid a fatal gunshot wound as his attacker would likely have no idea how small or awkwardly shaped he actually is. He is also a heavy drinker.

Franklin Harlock Jr.

Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto (Japanese); Steven Blum (English)

A sea captain turned gunslinger, Franklin owes his life to Tochiro, and therefore takes him to America on his ship. Harlock is a master gunman, a quick draw like no other, and sharp as a tack. He is able to detect that Sinunora is trying to pry him and Tochiro apart for her own unclear reasons. He is loyal to Tochiro. He is also quite enigmatic and silent, often grumbling and dismissing any mention of the past. Harlock has an x-shaped scar on his cheek, which is later revealed to be from a sword duel he and Tochiro had on Harlock's ship while they were still enemies.

Sinunora

Voiced by: Rica Matsumoto (Japanese); Karen Strassman (English)

Sinunora is a woman who joins Tochiro and Harlock at the end of the first episode. Beautiful and capable, she is not the damsel in distress as she is good at using manipulation to get out of traps and get what she wants (it is revealed later in the series that she is an expert on human behavior). It also comes to Harlocks attention that Sinunora gets close to the pair so that she can spy on them and report back to the mysterious "Organization that guides the world" but in truth, she eventually is warmed by Tochiro's struggle and uses her position as their tracker to protect them instead. Her real name is never mentioned, except by a man named Baron De Noir F. Tat Endale, always referred with his full name and title, who is believed to be her husband. He mentions the first part of her name being "Anrei", but it is cut off and her real name is never mentioned again.

Shizuku

Voiced by: Chisa Yokoyama (Japanese); Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)

Darkmeister is the leader of the "organization" that guides the world. He desires Tochiro and all the other Japanese immigrants so that he can force them into slavery. He wants to use their superior knowledge of metalcraft (known as Stardust Steel) to create unparalleled weapons to use in war to overthrow the American government. His face is never shown, but he is revealed to have incredibly long fingernails. It is also believed that he wears a mask of some kind.

In 1975, the original manga series was compiled into three volumes. In 1988, the manga was reprinted and which Leiji Matsumoto added more content into. In 1999, Leiji Matsumoto published his first novel, Gun Frontier II. The novel was published by Daiwa Shobo and was told in a non-erotic way compared to the original manga. The novel is now out of print.

In 2002, an anime adaptation of the original series aired on AT-X. The opening theme song is called "Style" by Grand Zero, while the ending theme song is called "Ame to Sanbika" by Umeno Yoshizawa.

It started being streamed in the US on Hulu in Fall 2009. In Latin America, it aired through Animax, beginning in July 2006. The title was translated to Frontera sin ley, except in Brazil where the original title was kept.

• Gun Frontier at Enoki Films
• Gun Frontier (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Gun Frontier at IMDb