Manga
Written and illustrated by Kenichi Sonoda, Gunsmith Cats was serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine from December 25, 1990, to April 25, 1997. Kodansha collected its 75 chapters in eight volumes, released from December 13, 1991,[13] to July 19, 1997.[14]
The series was adapted for publication in English by Studio Proteus and published by Dark Horse. Chapters were initially released as individual issues on a monthly basis from May 1, 1995, until August 15, 2001.[15][16] Their release completely removed a scene where Minnie May performs oral sex on a man and another had blood stains on a bed removed, this censorship was done with the approval of Kenichi Sonoda.[17] The individual chapters were then collected into nine trade paperback volumes between October 1, 1996, and February 13, 2002.[18][19] The series began serialization in the British magazine Manga Mania from September 1996.[20]
A four-volume omnibus edition of the series, Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition was published in Japan between July 22, 2005,[21] and October 21, 2005.[22] The fourth volume includes the manga and "making of" materials of Riding Bean and Sonoda's early sketches and notes. This edition was then published in English by Dark Horse between March 14, 2007, and December 19, 2007.[23][24] The English edition used the original Japanese format of reading from right to left for the first time in its English publication. It was sold shrink-wrapped and with an 18+ Mature warning on the cover.[25] A sequel series, titled Gunsmith Cats Burst, was serialized in Monthly Afternoon from July 24, 2004, to September 25, 2008. Kodansha collected its chapters in five volumes, released in Japan between June 23, 2005,[28] and November 21, 2008.
Gunsmith Cats Burst volumes
Gunsmith Cats Burst volumes
Anime
A three-part original video animation anime adaptation was created. This adaptation is an original story for the characters but includes several references to the manga storyline.[51]
The anime adaptation was directed by Takeshi Mori. Although Mori was interested in cars, he had no knowledge of guns and had made an effort to research them for the production. He made sure the story was interesting to prevent the anime from focusing only on the guns and cars.[56] The music for the anime was composed by former Weather Report drummer, Peter Erskine. During production of the anime adaptation, members of the staff made several trips to Chicago to scout locations, including visits to a Gun Shop and a Police Academy. During these trips the staff were able to handle and fire real guns for research, something not possible in Japan with its gun laws. A Shelby Cobra GT-500 was recorded in Hollywood for sound effects purposes, and almost all of the other sound effects were recorded using Foley.[57]
The series was also referenced in the Nintendo 3DS game Project X Zone 2.
Release
The OVA was licensed by ADV Films who released the first episode in North America on February 20, 1996. There was a choice of either subtitled or dubbed VHS, as well as a bilingual Laserdisc. A special edition was also released of the subtitled version, along with a 40-minute making of documentary.[59] ADV then chose the series for their first release in the United Kingdom. The first volume was released on June 3, 1996, as subtitled or dubbed VHS and also included the documentary.[60]
The anime adaptation was broadcast on the Encore Action Channel in September 2000.[61]
A DVD release of all 3 episodes and the making of special was released in North America on March 27, 2001, before being rereleased as part of ADV's "Essential" range with a lower price on April 13, 2004.[62]
