Legendz

Legendz (レジェンズ, Rejenzu) is a role-playing game, an anime, a toy, card game, and manga series.

The manga is illustrated by Makoto Haruno (春野 まこと Haruno Makoto) and the story is by Rin Hirai (平井 隣 Hirai Rin). The manga was published in Shueisha's Monthly Shōnen Jump in Japan, and the manga is published in English by Viz Media. The manga had to be cut short due to the complete shutdown of Monthly Shōnen Jump. The anime, Legendz: Tale of the Dragon Kings (レジェンズ 甦る竜王伝説 Rejenzu Yomigaeru Ryūō Densetsu) is animated by Studio Gallop, directed by Akitaro Daichi, and aired on Fuji TV from April 4, 2004 to March 27, 2005. A pilot for an English dub of the series was produced for Hasbro, but hasn't yet been picked up.

In 2004 Viz Media announced that it was publishing the Legendz manga in English. It was scheduled for a 2005 release and was given an "A" rating.

Plot and setting

The Legendz anime moves away from the Pokémon-esque "gotta catch em all" theme and monster training aspects and deals more with the overall background of the monster characters and their story. The Legendz anime opens with the discovery of the "Soul Dolls" which contain legendary creatures of incredible power within them. The Dark Wiz company (DWC) wants access to all of them for unknown reasons, but four of the Soul Dolls go missing. The majority of the anime takes place in Brooklyn, New York City, with the Brooklyn Bridge as a much-featured landmark.