Deadman Wonderland

Deadman Wonderland (デッドマンワンダーランド) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace from April 2007 to July 2013, with its chapters collected in 13 tankōbon volumes. Tokyopop acquired the licensing rights to distribute the manga in English and released the first five volumes before the company shut down its North American publishing division in 2011. The series was later licensed by Viz Media, who published the 13 volumes from February 2014 to February 2016.

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Manglobe aired between April and July 2011, pulling content from the first 21 chapters of the manga. The anime is licensed by Funimation and aired on Adult Swim's newly revived Toonami programming block between May and August 2012.

Plot
A massive anomaly caused a great earthquake that ravaged Japan's mainland and destroyed most of Tokyo, sinking three-quarters of the city into the Pacific Ocean.

Ten years later, Ganta Igarashi is a seemingly ordinary ninth grader attending Nagano Prefecture's middle school who survived the great earthquake, leaving him with a normal life and no memories of the tragedy. This all changes when a mysterious person covered in blood and crimson armor floats through his classroom windows and massacres his entire class, but spares Ganta and embeds a red crystal shard into his chest. Within days of the massacre, Ganta is placed on trial as a suspect. Due to evidence rigged against him, he is sentenced to death at Deadman Wonderland, a prison that doubles as a theme park run by warden Tsunenaga Tamaki (who posed as Ganta's lawyer and was secretly responsible for the manipulated evidence).

At the prison, Ganta is fitted with a special collar that monitors his location and vital signs. A lethal poison is constantly injected into his bloodstream through the collar, but it can be neutralized by consuming a peculiar candy-like medicine every three days, which can be acquired through various activities in the prison, such as performing for audiences, working backstage, and purchasing with Cast Points (a form of currency among inmates at Deadman Wonderland). To gather Cast Points, an inmate must participate in the facility's lethal games and survive. Fortunately for Ganta, he is aided by a mysterious albino girl named Shiro, who appears to know Ganta, and Yoh Takami, a fellow prisoner hoarding Cast Points to free his sister, who was imprisoned for murder after their mother neglected to protect her during the earthquake.

While trying to survive as an inmate on death row, Ganta intends to find the "Red Man" to clear his name. In a bizarre twist, Ganta develops the ability to manipulate his own blood, eventually becoming able to turn it into a weapon. Unbeknownst to Ganta, he has become one of the prison's "Deadmen," an isolated group of prisoners possessing the Branches of Sin, the capability to control their blood. After discovering his ability, Ganta is forced to participate in brutal gladiatorial death matches known as Carnival Corpse, whose anonymous spectators pay large amounts of money to watch. In his long struggle to survive, he manages to befriend some of those he fought in the arena and with their help, Ganta continues his quest to uncover the identity of the 'Red Man', why he turned into a Deadman, and the dark secrets the prison authorities are hiding.

Manga
Written and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou, Deadman Wonderland was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Ace from April 26, 2007, to July 26, 2013. Kadokawa Shoten collected its chapters in 13 tankōbon volumes, released from September 21, 2007, to August 21, 2013.

In North America, the manga was first licensed for English release by Tokyopop. The publisher released five volumes from February 9, 2010, to May 3, 2011, before ceasing its publication. The manga was later licensed by Viz Media, and the 13 volumes were released from February 11, 2014, to February 9, 2016.

Anime
On July 30, 2009, a retailers' solicitation sheet reported that an anime adaptation had been green-lit. It is animated by Manglobe and aired in Japan from April 17 to July 3, 2011. An original video animation episode was released on October 8, 2011, alongside the eleventh manga volume. The opening theme is "One Reason" by Fade and the ending theme is "Shiny Shiny" by Nirgilis. The series was licensed by Funimation in 2011. The anime was broadcast on the revived Toonami block from May 27 to August 12, 2012. The anime aired in North America on the Funimation Channel on December 1, 2012.

Music
Two pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is "One Reason" by Deadman Wonder Band (DWB) feat. Fade, while the ending is "Shiny Shiny" by DWB feat. NIRGILIS. The two themes are used in all 13 episodes. Certain characters also have their own image songs: Ganta, Shiro, Genkaku and Minatsuki all have songs; these songs are created by DWB and NIRGILIS, with each character's voice actor serving as vocalist.

Other media
Shiro's costume is featured in the video game Lollipop Chainsaw. It can be unlocked during gameplay by using the coins at the closet menu.

Reception
On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Deadman Wonderland among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.