No. 6

For other meanings, see Number Six.

No. 6
Cover of the first bunkobon novel
Genre	Science fiction, Dystopia
Novel series
Written by	Atsuko Asano
Published by	Kodansha
Original run	October 10, 2003 – June 14, 2011
Volumes	9
Manga
Written by	Atsuko Asano
Illustrated by	Hinoki Kino
Published by	Kodansha
English publisher	NA: Kodansha Comics USA
Magazine	Aria
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	March 2011 – December 2013
Volumes	9
Anime television series
Directed by	Kenji Nagasaki
Written by	Seishi Minakami
Music by	Keiichi Suzuki
Studio	Bones
Licensed by	AUS: Siren Visual NA: Sentai Filmworks
Original network	Fuji TV (noitamina) Kansai TV
Original run	July 7, 2011 – September 15, 2011
Episodes	11

No. 6 is a nine-volume novel series written by Atsuko Asano and published by Kodansha between October 2003 and June 2011. A manga adaptation drawn by Hinoki Kino began serialization in the March 2011 issue of Kodansha's Aria magazine. An anime TV series adaptation by Bones began airing in Japan in July 2011.

Plot

The story takes place in the "ideal" and perfect city known as "No.6". Shion, a boy raised in the elite and privileged environment of his home, gives shelter to another boy, who only gives his name as "Rat" or "Nezumi" on the former's 12th birthday. What Shion soon discovers is how drastically life will change after meeting with the mysterious Rat, whom he had saved one unforgettable, stormy night.

Characters

Shion (紫苑 (シオン))

Voiced by: Yūki Kaji (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)

Shion is an intelligent, idealistic boy who was on his way to going into the Special Curriculum for gifted students, specializing in Ecology, until his fateful encounter with Nezumi on his twelfth birthday. Although he knew Nezumi was a wanted fugitive, he cared for the bullet wound in his arm (or shoulder in the manga adaptation), fed him, and sheltered him for the night in his room. Following a police investigation, he was punished for taking in a known fugitive and was stripped of his elite status in their caste-based society. He and his mother were forced to move from their elite home in Kronos to Lost Town and he was no longer allowed to enter the Special Curriculum. Four years later, Shion, now 16, works for the Park Maintenance of No.6 where he controls waste management robots. One day, Shion and his coworker discover the body of an apparently old man in the park. When the man's death is not reported in the news, and Shion finds out that the body belonged to a man only 31 years old, he becomes suspicious of a government cover-up. Shion later witnesses his coworker age rapidly and die as a wasp emerge from his neck. Shion is then arrested under the pretense of being suspected for murdering his coworker. Nezumi saves him from the authorities and takes him to West Block, the slums outside the city. Shion nearly dies himself when he is infected with a parasitic wasp, but Nezumi saves him a second time, though Shion is left with white hair and a scar that looks like a red snake curling from his ankle to his neck. Later in the story, he works part-time for Dogkeeper. He is childhood friends with Safu, and his development generally centers on trying to come to terms with the underlying brutality of the world he lives in while still retaining his humanity.

Nezumi (ネズミ, Nezumi)

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese); Kalob Martinez (English)

Nezumi is an intelligent, cynical boy around 16 years of age with a dark past. Four years ago, on his desperate run from No.6's police, he by chance found a house with an open window and went inside. Wounded and dripping wet, he met the room's occupant, Shion, a boy roughly his own age. Nezumi was shocked when Shion, despite understanding the danger of helping him and the lack of potential reward, treated his wound and sheltered him for the night. The next day he escaped to safety, and now lives outside of No.6 in the West Block. When he learns that Shion is being forcibly transported to the Correctional Facility, he risks his life to save him. Together they escape to the West Block, where Nezumi lives by himself and allows Shion to stay with him. Nezumi usually hangs out alone and leaves Shion at home, he used to be a loner and Dogkeeper hints to him that he changed because of Shion. Nezumi is a well-known actor/actress under the stage name Eve and is talented in singing, acting and dancing. His home is filled to the brim with books, most of which are classics. He often quotes these books on the spot (specifically Macbeth and Faust). He is a skilled fighter and has very honed 'street smarts'. He despises the City of No.6, calling it a "parasitic city" and has spent years trying to find a way to destroy it. Later in the story, it's revealed that the government of No.6 perpetrated in the genocide of his people and he is sole survivor of his village.

Dogkeeper (イヌカシ, Inukashi)

Voiced by: Kei Shindō (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)

One of the residents of the West Block outside of No. 6. Dogkeeper is a brash kid who runs a run-down hotel and rents out many dogs as heaters during the winter. Dogkeeper has a number of shady businesses, including collecting items to sell from a contact within No.6's Correctional Facility. Dogkeeper was raised by a dog who they call "Mother", and cares deeply for dogs as a whole. Dogkeeper has a volatile relationship with Nezumi, who often goes to Dogkeeper to buy information. Dogkeeper sometimes asks Nezumi to sing for the dogs when they die to ease their suffering. Dogkeeper's gender is kept ambiguous. In the English translation, the other characters use masculine pronouns while referring to Dogkeeper, but there are hints in the novels that they might be biologically a female.

Safu (沙布 (サフ))

Voiced by: Kiyono Yasuno (Japanese); Hilary Haag (English)

Shion's childhood friend and a fellow resident of No.6. Like Shion, she's a child genius - her specialization is neurobiology. Early in the series, she goes to study abroad in the city No.5. Before leaving No.6, she asks Shion to have sex with her, but Shion refuses, saying he always thought of her as a friend, and to wait two years for him. Following the death of her grandmother, she returns to No.6. The time she spent in No.5 has changed her, and she begins to doubt that No. 6 is really the utopia she was brought up to believe. Later in the story she is kidnapped by the authorities and brought to the Correctional Facility to be used as a sample for the city's human experiments.

Karan (火藍 （カラン）)

Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese); Lesley Pedersen (English)

Shion's mother. Four years ago, she and Shion were sent to live in Lost Town, where she opened up a bakery. When Shion was declared by the authorities to be imprisoned for the crime of murder, she falls into despair. However, she learns of Shion's escape to West Block through correspondence with Nezumi, who is able to send short messages past the City's surveillance using his mice. Despite her worry for her son, she is determined to continue with her life, holding on to the belief that she and her son will one day be reunited.

Rikiga (力河 (リキガ))

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); Chris Hutchison (English)

One of the residents of West Block. An ex-journalist, he now runs a porn magazine. Behind closed doors, he also runs a prostitution service, pimping out girls for the officials of No.6, allowing him to live a life of luxury. He is a fan of Eve, Nezumi's stage persona, yet is less charitable towards Nezumi himself, who treats him with open disdain. In the past, he was in love with Karan, and has a soft spot for her son Shion.

Media

Novels

No.6 began as a novel series written by Atsuko Asano. Nine tankōbon volumes were published by Kodansha between October 10, 2003 and June 14, 2011. A special volume called No.6 beyond, which features stories from the lives of the characters before or after the main story, was published on November 22, 2012. Kodansha began publishing bunkobon versions of the novels on October 13, 2006; as of July 15, 2014, all nine of the main bunkobon volumes have been released. The series has not been translated into English.

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	October 10, 2003	978-4-06-212065-4
2	February 10, 2004	978-4-06-212229-0
3	October 8, 2004	978-4-06-212585-7
4	August 22, 2005	978-4-06-269358-5
5	September 11, 2006	978-4-06-269371-4
6	September 21, 2007	978-4-06-269384-4
7	October 10, 2008	978-4-06-269397-4
8	July 21, 2009	978-4-06-269421-6
9	June 14, 2011	978-4-06-269443-8
Beyond	November 22, 2012	978-4-06-269463-6

Manga

A manga adaptation drawn by Hinoki Kino began serialization in the March 2011 issue of Kodansha's shōjo manga magazine Aria and finished in the December 2013 issue. Kodansha Comics is currently publishing the series in North America, and released the first volume in June 2013.

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	June 7, 2011	978-4-06-380518-5
2	September 7, 2011	978-4-06-380533-8
3	January 6, 2012	978-4-06-380556-7
4	June 7, 2012	978-4-06-380575-8
5	October 5, 2012	978-4-06-380593-2
6	March 7, 2013	978-4-06-380617-5
7	August 7, 2013	978-4-06-380642-7
8	December 6, 2013	978-4-06-380660-1
9	March 7, 2014	978-4-06-380680-9

Anime

An anime TV series adaptation produced by Bones and directed by Kenji Nagasaki began airing in Japan on Fuji TV's noitamina programming block on July 7, 2011. The anime's opening theme is "Spell" by Lama and the ending theme is "Rokutōsei no Yoru" (六等星の夜) by Aimer. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the anime for American audiences and it was released on both DVD and Blu-ray on August 21, 2012.

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External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon
• No. 6 at Aniplex Template:Ja icon
• No. 6 (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia