57-538: This is a list of characters and organizations in the Kerberos Saga ( ケルベロス・サーガ , Keruberosu saga ) , a Japanese alternate history science fiction political thriller media franchise created by Mamoru Oshii in 1987. Set in an alternate history 20th century where Nazi Germany won World War II , eventually denazified , and occupied Japan (part of the Allies in this timeline) to establish authoritarian rule,
114-663: A Stahlhelm and a gas mask with glowing red lenses. These advances allow Germany to defeat the Allies, most prominently the Soviet Union by using the Protect Gears during the Battle of Stalingrad , and Japan through the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . However, the 20 July plot , when Claus von Stauffenberg attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb during a meeting in 1944 (a failure in real life), succeeds, leading to
171-542: A Special Armed Garrison member sees combat, often for the last time (either in the work they appear in or in their life); notably, in Jin-Roh , Kazuki Fuse's first appearance is in a shootout in a sewer, and his final battle is in roughly the same area. The Tokyo Self-Police compound where Kerberos is depicted to fight their last stand in StrayDog also vaguely resembles a sewer on the inside. Junkyards are also recurring locations in
228-505: A collector boxset titled Kerberos Panzer Cop a Revision: 20th edition (犬狼伝説 20周年エディション), a digitally refined and corrected reissue of the entire manga re-illustrated by original manga illustrator Kamui Fujiwara , alongside a special pamphlet and a Revoltech Protect Gear model figure . The saga started in January 1987 with the Japanese broadcast of the radio drama series While Waiting for
285-533: A complete purge of Nazism from the German Reich and the restoration of the Weimar Republic , though authoritarianism remains dominant. A now denazified Germany occupies Japan and, by the postwar economic boom , shifts course in the occupation and sets up a new government called the "Weimar Establishment" ( ワイマール体制 , waimāru taisei ) to modernize and globalize Japan, allowing it to take advantage of
342-625: A standoff with Kerberos during a dispute over who will engage the hijackers. They are ultimately assigned to resolve the hijacking, but are beaten to the plane by Kerberos. The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( 自衛隊 , Jieitai ) are the military of Japan. Under Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution , Japan is not permitted to go to war, and instead maintains a "defense force" for the country's own self-defense ; though in real life this clause came about under American occupation, it can be assumed this also occurred under German occupation in
399-593: A type of Japanese fast-food restaurant or style of eating where patrons stand as opposed to sitting that, in the saga's universe, have been made illegal. The German military is the main protagonist faction in the Kerberos Panzer Jäger radio drama series. Though they are initially the Wehrmacht under Nazi Germany , they are eventually restored to the Reichswehr following the assassination of Adolf Hitler and
456-538: A whole, e.g. today's Hiroshima City ( -shi ) was then Hiroshima-ku ; the three major cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto were each subdivided into several such wards. In Tokyo Prefecture, this created 15 wards (listed below) and six counties/districts. In 1888, the central government created the legal framework for the current system of cities ( shi ) that granted some basic local autonomy rights – with some similarities to Prussia's system of local self-government as Meiji government advisor Albert Mosse heavily influenced
513-598: Is a communist terrorist group. A splinter group of the Sect, it was formed after the Sect's leaders made a compromise with the government to disassociate with its most extreme and violent members. Its background and modus operandi resemble those of the real-life Japanese Red Army . Tachiguishi ( たちぐいし , tachigui , "Fast Food Grifters" in English adaptations) are con artists known for committing dine and dash crimes at tachigui ( 立ち食い , "eating while standing up") ,
570-718: Is a left-wing terrorist group that emerged from mergers of other anti-government and leftist movements, especially after the Metropolitan Police and Kerberos began cracking down on such groups. The Sect relies on the Tokyo sewers to transport and store firearms and explosives. Notably, young girls wearing red clothing, nicknamed Little Red Riding Hoods ( 赤ずきん , Akazukin ) , are used by the Sect's Division Jacobson (ヤコブソン機関) to smuggle materiel , most commonly bombs , using their non-threatening appearances to smuggle without drawing suspicion. The Four Seasons League (四季協会, shiki kyokai )
627-479: Is a Japanese dystopian science fiction political thriller media franchise created and owned by writer and filmmaker Mamoru Oshii with several of his friends who had already worked for Mobile Police Patlabor , particularly mechanical and character designer and RahXephon director Yutaka Izubuchi as well as writer Kazunori Itō (who would later adapt Ghost in the Shell for Oshii in 1995 ). Created in 1987,
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#1732881421526684-638: Is also directly invoked in Jin-Roh , and Kerberos & Tachiguishi borrows parts of the tale for its own story. In 2006, to celebrate the Kerberos Saga 's 20th anniversary (the production of The Red Spectacles and While Waiting for the Red Spectacles began in 1986): In 2010, to celebrate approximately 20 years since the release of the Kerberos Panzer Cop Original Edition volume compilation in 1990, publisher Gakken released
741-577: Is issued advanced military equipment, including Protect Gears, and is authorized to use violent force against suspects. The Metropolitan Police and Kerberos succeed in countering and defeating Japan's anti-government terrorist groups, forcing them to merge under a single movement called "the Sect". However, the Metropolitan Police faces external friction from the Self-Police ("Local Police", "Metropolitan Police Force", or " NPA " in English)—officially
798-590: Is likewise also equipped with Protect Gears; however, they primarily use anti-tank rifles instead of machine guns. It is led by Tetsurō Kai. Various anti-government movements that were formed or otherwise grew as a result of, or in response to, increasing economic, social, and political tensions following the German occupation, the creation of the Weimar Establishment, and the resulting internationalization and urbanization of Japan. Economic reorganization under
855-636: Is set in an alternate history 20th century. In this timeline, the United States maintained their policy of non-interventionism through both World War I and World War II , and the Empire of Japan joined the Allies of World War II instead of the Axis powers . In the Kerberos Saga 's version of World War II, Nazi Germany manages to develop advanced technology during the war, most prominently "Protect Gears", heavily-armored powered exoskeletons that distinctively feature
912-815: Is the elite counterterrorist police tactical unit of the Tokyo Metropolitan Self-Police Department. They are largely based on the German Federal Police 's GSG 9 but are otherwise analogous to the Special Assault Teams of real Japanese police, and are essentially the Self-Police's version of the Metropolitan Police's Special Armed Garrison. In Kerberos Panzer Cop Act 4 , they respond to the Lufthansa Flight 666 hijacking at Tokyo International Airport and are briefly involved in
969-414: Is the main armed branch of the Metropolitan Police, tasked with maintaining public order. It maintains an armored combat unit, armored cars, a helicopter unit, and a sniper team. It is directed by Isao Aniya. The Special Armed Garrison ( 首都警・特機隊 ~ケルベロス~ , shutokei tokki-tai ~keruberosu~ , lit. "capital police special equipment unit"; "Special Unit" in English adaptations) is the core combat unit of
1026-544: The Wehrmacht which, after the restoration of the Weimar Republic, is reformed into the Reichswehr . By the time of the works in the series, most anti-government terrorist groups in Japan have combined under the Sect, a left-wing terrorist group. A major part of the Sect is the "Little Red Riding Hoods", a courier unit that consists of young girls wearing red clothing who smuggle and move materiel such as explosives for
1083-501: The Kerberos Saga spans several installments and works, including live action and anime feature films, manga , novels, radio dramas , soundtrack albums, and monographs , as well as diverse merchandise ranging from garage kit model figures to clothing to even Kerberos -branded bottles of wine. The Kerberos Saga is set in an alternate history postwar Japan where Nazi Germany won World War II , eventually denazified , and occupied Japan , establishing authoritarian rule in
1140-563: The Mauser C96 as a standard issue sidearm; additional ammunition is stored and dispensed from the Protect Gear's integrated backpack . It is headed by Shirou Tatsumi. Notable members include Koichi Todome, Soichiro Toribe, Midori Washio, Toru Inui, and Kazuki Fuse. Jin-Roh ( 人狼 , jinrō , lit. "man-wolf"; "Wolf Brigade" in English adaptations) is a secret counterintelligence unit formed inside Kerberos to protect it from threats within
1197-801: The Tokyo Metropolitan Self-Police Department , whose jurisdiction overlaps with the Metropolitan Police—as well as the JSDF, while Kerberos's division, the Defense Division ("Capital Area Security Police Agency" in English), experiences interservice tensions with the Metropolitan Police's intelligence agency -like espionage unit, the Public Security Division . Over time into the 1950s, as Japanese living standards improve,
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#17328814215261254-416: The prefectural police —or, for works in the saga set before the 1954 Police Law , the municipal police —of a given prefecture or municipality, respectively. The Tokyo Metropolitan Self-Police Department ( 警視庁 , Keishichō ) is the Self-Police of Tokyo Metropolis or, for works implied to be set before 1954, Tokyo City . Into the late 1940s and the 1950s, they were unable to maintain public order in
1311-466: The "Protect Gears", Wehrmacht -inspired powered exoskeletons worn by members of the Special Armed Garrison, which were designed by Izubuchi. The saga can be divided into two "story arcs": the "Kerberos arc", the main story that follows the Special Armed Garrison and the organizational politics and interservice rivalries that affect it, as well as the unit's downfall and the aftermath of
1368-669: The English subtitled version of the 1987 and 1991 live-action films was released on DVD. Hellhounds: Panzer Cops , the English adaptation of the first manga volume, was translated into German and serialized from 1996 to 1997. In 1998, the American Hellhounds: Panzer Cops all-in-one volume was licensed and distributed in the United Kingdom. The following year Jin-Roh was premiered in France and later released in Germany. It
1425-612: The JSDF repels it, leading to the deaths of all of the Kerberos members and the disbandment of the unit. The primary organizations of the Kerberos Saga are the Metropolitan Security Police Organization, a paramilitary counterterrorist police organization operating in Tokyo; the Self-Police, the local police forces of municipalities and prefectures, most prominently the Tokyo Metropolitan Self-Police Department; and
1482-755: The Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The Metropolitan Police is divided into two divisions: the Defense Division, the main armed branch of the Metropolitan Police, consisting of the Special Armed Garrison and the Aerial Squadron; and the Public Security Division, the espionage division. Within the Special Armed Garrison itself is "Jin-Roh" ("Wolf Brigade" in English), a secret counterintelligence unit that seeks to protect its existence. The 2006 radio drama Kerberos Panzer Jäger also follows
1539-477: The Metropolitan Police (MP), is a paramilitary law enforcement agency established to maintain order in Tokyo and effectively combat terrorism where regular police cannot, providing a politically- and constitutionally -acceptable alternative to the domestic deployment of military forces. The Metropolitan Police Defense Division ( 首都警・警備部 , shutokei keibibu , lit. "capital police security division"; "Capital Area Security Police Agency" in English adaptations)
1596-444: The Metropolitan Police. Its members wear black-colored Protect Gears, armored powered exoskeletons that distinctively feature a Stahlhelm and a gas mask with glowing red lenses. Kerberos members are primarily armed with MG 42 machine guns (often using the bipod as a makeshift foregrip ), although alternative weapons such as the StG 44 and FG 42 are also seen to be issued, with
1653-434: The Red Spectacles (紅い眼鏡を待ちつつ, Akai megane o machi tsutsu ), prior to the theatrical release of the live-action film The Red Spectacles (紅い眼鏡, Akai megane ). A manga series adaptation, Kerberos Panzer Cop ( Kenrou densetsu ) started the following year and was compiled as a single volume (Acts 1~4) in 1990. The following year was released StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (ケルベロス 地獄の番犬, Keruberosu jigoku no banken ),
1710-427: The Sect's public favor plummets, and Kerberos becomes increasingly brutal, the necessity of Kerberos in Japanese society comes into question. This ultimately culminates in the "Kerberos Uprising" or "Kerberos Riot", an incident analogous to the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion , when Kerberos, deducing that the government and police intend to get rid of them but refusing to disband, launches an attempted coup d'état that fails when
1767-712: The Sect, using their unassuming and non-threatening appearances to get past police without being searched or attracting attention. Other minor terrorist groups and non-violent movements are mentioned or shown, such as the Four Seasons League, a communist terrorist group based on the Japanese Red Army . Most works in the saga follow members of the Metropolitan Police and the Special Armed Garrison, major protagonists from these factions including Koichi Todome, Washio Midori, Soichiro Toribe, Toru Inui, and Kazuki Fuse. Members of other factions that make prominent appearances in
List of Kerberos Saga characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-584: The Special Armed Garrison. Wards and districts of Tokyo, such as Odaiba , Shibuya , and Akasaka , are common settings for scenes and events, as are landmarks and key locations such as Tokyo International Airport , the Tokyo Tower , the Prime Minister's Official Residence , the University of Tokyo 's Yasuda Auditorium , Mount Fuji , and the Tokyo Metropolitan Self-Police Department headquarters, which are for
1881-503: The Weimar Establishment led to increased poverty , class stratification , and the growth of slums , as well as spikes in organized crime and black market corruption, all of which in turn led to large protests in Tokyo. The government responded with police repression and authoritarian policies that ultimately worsened the situation, forcing public protest movements underground and radicalizing them to become underground guerilla militias and terrorist groups. The Sect ( セクト , sekuto )
1938-684: The city of Edo , seat of the Tokugawa government, was renamed Tokyo, and the offices of Tokyo Prefecture ( -fu ) were opened. The extent of Tokyo Prefecture was initially limited to the former Edo city, but rapidly augmented to be comparable with the present Tokyo Metropolis. In 1878, the Meiji government's reorganization of local governments subdivided prefectures into counties or districts ( gun , further subdivided into towns and villages , later reorganized similar to Prussian districts ) and districts or wards ( ku ) which were in ordinary prefectures cities as
1995-484: The country. It primarily follows the Special Armed Garrison , nicknamed " Kerberos ", a heavily- militarized counterterrorist police tactical unit operating in Tokyo, and their tense relations and interactions with their rivals, who range from anti-government terrorist groups to other law enforcement agencies and military units. A defining feature of the saga is its dystopian dieselpunk aesthetic and
2052-404: The face of spiking levels of terrorism and crime, sparking the creation of the Metropolitan Security Police Organization. The Self-Police and the Metropolitan Police share a jurisdiction over Tokyo and have many of the same duties, resulting in an uneasy relationship between them, though they are shown to cooperate with the Public Security Division more than Kerberos. The Spezial Sturm Gruppe (SSG)
2109-415: The few surviving members; and the "Tachiguishi arc", a spin-off largely set in the same universe that follow the tachiguishi ("fast food grifters"), con artists associated with tachigui ( 立ち食い , "eating while standing up") , a type of Japanese fast-food restaurant or style of eating where patrons stand as opposed to sitting that, in the saga's universe, have been made illegal. The Kerberos Saga
2166-625: The final scenes of works such as Kerberos Panzer Cop and Jin-Roh , commonly associated with death or the end of some sort of era. " Little Red Riding Hood ", a European fairy tale about a young girl in a distinctive red cloak who is deceived and killed by a wolf disguised as a loved one, is frequently referenced throughout the saga. The Sect's "Little Red Riding Hoods" in particular directly reference this, being composed of young female couriers who wear red clothing and deceive others into thinking they are innocent, and some members are shown to be part of complex deception operations. The fairy tale itself
2223-499: The first theatrical adaptation of the manga. In 1999, the manga series was completed (Acts 5~8) and re-released as two compilation volumes. A few months later was released Jin-Roh (人狼, Jinrou ) the anime adaptation of the first manga. It remains the franchise's most popular work outside Japan until today. Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters (立喰師外伝, Tachiguishi retsuden ), an animation feature spin-off,
2280-679: The following denazification process. The 808th Propagandakompanie ( 立ち食い , Dai 808 Senden Chutai ) is a unit of the Wehrmacht during World War II, deployed on the Eastern Front . Kerberos Saga The Kerberos Saga ( ケルベロス・サーガ , Keruberosu saga ) (originally the Kerberos series ( ケルベロス・シリーズ , keruberosu shirīzu ) or the Kenrō series ( 犬狼・シリーズ , kenrou shirīzu ) before at least 2004 ), also known as Hellhounds overseas,
2337-537: The government began to appoint a separate mayor of Tokyo City in 1898, but retained ward-level legislation, which continues to this day in the special ward system. From 1926, the mayor was elected by the elected city council/assembly from its own ranks. The city hall of Tokyo was located in the Yūrakuchō district, on a site now occupied by the Tokyo International Forum . Tokyo became the second-largest city in
List of Kerberos Saga characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-514: The growing economy. However, this also exacerbates class stratification and urbanization, leading to the growth of anti-government movements that often resort to terrorism. Terrorism and crime soon become a major issue by the late 1940s and the 1950s, with police unable to handle riots and terrorist attacks, but limitations on the new Constitution of Japan forbidding the deployment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to effectively quell
2451-469: The most part unmodified from their real appearances in the mid-20th century. These landmarks also help set the work's period; for example, although dates in the series are usually not explicitly stated ( Kerberos Panzer Cop , for instance, uses the year "19XX"), works implied to be set in the early 1950s such as Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade do not feature the Tokyo Tower, which began construction in 1957 and
2508-489: The organization of local government. But under a special imperial regulation, Tokyo City, like Kyoto City and Osaka City, initially did not maintain a separate mayor; instead, the (appointed) governor of Tokyo Prefecture served as mayor of Tokyo City. The Tokyo city council /assembly ( Tōkyō-shikai ) was first elected in May 1889. Each ward also retained its own assembly. City and prefectural government were separated in 1898., and
2565-468: The police and government. It is headed by Hajime Handa. The Metropolitan Police Public Security Division ( 首都警・公安部 , shutokei kōanbu , lit. 'capital police public order division') is the other branch of the Metropolitan Police, specializing in intelligence-gathering and espionage. It has an interservice rivalry with Kerberos. It is directed by Bunmei Muroto. The Self-Police ( 自治警察 , jichi keisatsu , "Local Police" in English adaptations) are
2622-464: The saga include Public Security Division agents, Sect members, Little Red Riding Hoods, tachiguishi , and assorted terrorists and civilians. Characters from Oshii's other works make occasional guest appearances and cameos , such as tachiguishi or Detective Takahiro Matsui from the Patlabor franchise. The main location of the Kerberos Saga is Tokyo, the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police and
2679-461: The saga itself, as well as the Special Armed Garrison's nickname, is taken from the Greek romanization of " Cerberus " (Κέρβερος, Kérberos ), a multi-headed dog in Greek mythology that serves as the guard dog of hell and appears on the Special Armed Garrison's insignia . References and metaphors relating to dogs are also common in works such as Kerberos Panzer Cop . Other references to canines include
2736-705: The saga primarily follows members of the Metropolitan Security Police Organization's Special Armed Garrison, commonly referred to as " Kerberos ", a heavily- militarized counterterrorist police tactical unit operating in Tokyo . Characters are sorted by organizations or groups according to the original works. The English adaptation equivalents are mentioned when available. The Metropolitan Security Police Organization ( 首都圈治安警察機構 , shutoken chian keisatsu kikō , lit. "capital region security police organization", abbreviated as Shutokei ( 首都警 ) ; "Capital Police" or "CAPO" in English adaptations) , commonly shortened to just
2793-495: The saga's timeline. The inability of the Japanese government to deploy the JSDF domestically to maintain public order led to the establishment of the Metropolitan Security Police Organization. The 1st Airborne Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . It is a "Panzer Jäger Unit" (ギア部隊) or "Armored Soldier" (機甲隊員), essentially the military equivalent of the Metropolitan Police's Special Armed Garrison, and
2850-404: The titles of StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (the title sequence of which includes several photos of stray dogs), Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (the titular organization also being a reference to canines), and Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs . Sewers and similar areas are recurring locations in the saga. Aside from their frequent use by terrorists such as the Sect, they are commonly the location where
2907-527: The violence. The Japanese government thus establishes the Metropolitan Security Police Organization (commonly "Metropolitan Police" (MP) or Shutokei (首都警); "Capital Police" or "CAPO" in English), a paramilitary police force tasked with maintaining order in Tokyo and countering terrorism; to ensure this can be conducted effectively, the Metropolitan Police's elite Special Armed Garrison ("Special Unit" in English), nicknamed "Kerberos",
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#17328814215262964-511: The world (population 4.9 million) upon absorbing several outlying districts in July 1932, giving the city a total of 35 wards. In 1943, the city was abolished along with Tokyo Prefecture to form Tokyo Metropolis and Tokyo Metropolitan Government , which was functionally a part of the central government of Japan: the governor of Tokyo became a Cabinet minister reporting directly to the Prime Minister . This system remained in place until 1947 when
3021-466: Was a municipality in Japan and capital of Tokyo Prefecture (or Tokyo-fu ) which existed from 1 May 1889 until the establishment of Tokyo Metropolis on 1 July 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by the special wards of Tokyo . The defunct city and its prefecture became what is now Tokyo, also known as the Tokyo Metropolis or, ambiguously, Tokyo Prefecture. In 1868,
3078-656: Was available in the Korean language in South Korea the same year. A traditional Chinese 2-volume licensed edition was published in Taiwan in 2002. A six-issues English adaptation of the first manga volume was published in 1994, in the United States and Canada as Hellhounds: Panzer Cops . A compilation volume edition was published in 1997. The English dubbed version of Jin-Roh was released in North America in 2001. Two years later,
3135-452: Was completed in 1958, in establishing shots . Some works in the saga are also partially or fully set outside Japan, such as the cities of Taipei and Tainan , Taiwan ( StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops ); Old Havana , Cuba ( Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs ); and Stalingrad , Soviet Union ( Kerberos Panzer Jäger ). Dogs are often used as allegories in the Kerberos Saga , most prominently stray dogs and mythological dogs . The name of
3192-839: Was one year before the Japanese release. Japanese toys and model kits manufacturers such as Kaiyodo, Medicom, and Takara produce Protect Gear scale models. In 2005, Images of the Last Battalion , an independent short anime directed by a student, Koichi Kishita, was released in Japanese film contests. The following year, the video was edited and projected as an official trailer at Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos Panzer Jäger launch party and Kishita joined Production I.G 's 3DCG team. Japanese and Chinese Protect Gear fans sculpt, modify, or repaint licensed toys. Some of these "custom" items are released as limited edition garage kits available in conventions and import action figure shops and websites. Tokyo City Tokyo City ( 東京市 , Tōkyō-shi )
3249-513: Was released in theaters and DVD in 2006. Kerclros Panzer Cop 犬狼伝説 , an unlicensed Chinese version of the 1990 manga volume was published in Taiwan in the early 1990s. 犬狼傳說 , a Chinese version complete volume (Acts 1~8) was available in Malaysia in 2000. A licensed, two volumes, Chinese version of the Japanese 2000 re-edition ("Frozen Version") was issued in Hong Kong the same year. A similar edition
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