How did you discover the Silver Fang – The Shooting Star Gin – (Ginga Nagareboshi Gin)?
Back in 1994, a boy from my school brought in a video to class. It was a cartoon with dogs and he said it was really awesome. We ended up watching it. It was of course, Silver Fang. I fell in love with it instantly and when I came back home, I nagged my mom to buy me the cartoon. She agreed to buy the first two volumes of the VHS. Eventually, I nagged enough to get the last two volumes aswell. That's how I first saw Silver Fang and eventually got my own copy of the anime
What do you love about the Ginga Series?
I think the main reason why I love the series so much is probably because it was so different from all the other cartoons I saw at the time. I was only 8 years old and the majority of cartoons available was Disney and cutesy stuff. And here was a cartoon that was extremely exciting, gritty and had elements of bravery, violence, friendships and betrayal. It ticked a lot of boxes that no other cartoon had at the time.
It stuck with me for that many years because it had such a strong impact on me back then. It really touched me to the core in some way.
A more recent reason for loving the series is the collectables. I always collected something throughout my life, but my Silver Fang collection has become my largest collection by far. The fact that you can hunt down old rare merch that is 30 years old and also buy new merch that was released just this month, is great for a collector and fan. The thrill of finding a rare gem to add to your collection is amazing. And so is the thrill of seeing what kind of merch will be released next, be it a plushie or a sticker!
What was your first reaction to the news of Silver Fang – The Shooting Star Gin- being licensed in English?
My first thought was literally: "Probably another petition to get GNG translated to english". I checked around on twitter, gingaboard and mangaplanet to read up all the news about it and it made me so happy! It was NOT a petition. It was an announcement! Finally after 20+ years, I can actually read the manga I've loved for almost my entire life! Had butterflies in my stomach and was smiling from ear to ear!
What are you looking forward to the most in the English version?
I'm looking most forward to reading the infamous Wolf arc that was never included in the anime. I haven't read any of the fan translated GNG. I've only ever browsed through the manga, unable to read it. The arc looks so cool and it's very different and seems much more "unnatural" compared to the rest of the manga.
Also, a future translation of the sequals and sidestories would be a dream come true. Perhaps even some of Yoshi's other stories. One can only hope!
Why do you think people should read Silver Fang – The Shooting Star Gin-?
Read it because it's a really good story! Many people will probably skip it because "Urgh, it's dogs", but the actual story is amazing. It has likeable characters, interesting storylines, incredible plot twists and lots of action. It's never boring. There's always action going on. And it also has some tearjerking moments! Short said: The story is worth reading!
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Am I the only one who used the blog questions? Did I do it wrong? xD