The government uses mercenary fighter pilots, stationed at the desert airbase Area 88, to fight its war and pays them for each enemy aircraft shot down. See also: List of Area 88 characters Synopsis Īrea 88 takes place in the fictional Middle Eastern kingdom of Aslan ( alternatively transcribed as "Asran"). In 1984, the manga received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen. While it appeals to aviation fans for its realistic depictions of aircraft and aerial combat, it has also been critically acclaimed for its strong character development and Shintani's poignant storytelling, combining action, tragedy, romance, and comedy. It is also a brand of model aircraft in Japan.
Squadron), and a 12-episode anime television series in 2004. It had been adapted into an OVA in 1985, a video game in 1989 (released in North America as U.N. Overwrought with shame and self-loathing for what he has become, Shin begins to question whether he is still fighting for survival, or, like his fellow mercenaries, for the sheer excitement and camaraderie of battle.Īrea 88 was among the first three manga to be translated into English and published in North America.
He is determined to earn $1.5 million to buy his way out of the obligation and return home, and killing becomes second nature to him as he quickly rises to the top rank at Area 88.
Shin goes from head of his class at a world-renowned aviation school, dating the beautiful daughter of an airline president, to a mercenary fighter pilot bound to Area 88 by a three-year contract that he was duped into signing by a jealous and competitive childhood friend. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war-torn country.
Area 88 ( エリア88, Eria Hachijū-Hachi ) is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 19.