Ozanari Dungeon

Ozanari Dungeon (おざなりダンジョン) is a manga series by Motoo Koyama which was serialized in Monthly Comic Nora from November 1987 to November 1996. The manga series was adapted into a three-episode OVA series titled Ozanari Dungeon: The Tower of Wind (おざなりダンジョン 風の塔) from Toshiba EMI.

Premise, Setting, Plot
Ozanari Dungeon is an adventure manga set in a fantastical Sword and Sorcery world while occasionally showing a few pieces of anachronistic technologies such as the Guild's blimp.

This manga follows the adventures of a group of mercenaries: the barbarian Mocha (the main character), the rogue Blueman, and the mage Kiriman. Mocha and her gang belong to a mercenary guild. Their main concern is gold but they will help to save the day even if the troubles don't concern them.

In early phases of the first manga, the stories are self-contained and have little connection with each other. In that phase, the tone and atmosphere tend to the light-hearted and episodic. The author's drawing dramatically improves after volume 5. The plot becomes much more refined as well. After volume 10 or so, the plot becomes really profound, deep, and heavier on continuity. The scale becomes quite large, with whole nations going to war and dragon(s) which can destroy the world.

Protagonists

 * Mocha (モカ)
 * Mocha is an Elven (either part- or full-elf) Fighter and she acts as melee combatant in Dungeon and Dragon's "Fighter-Mage-Thief" party formation. As she has great physical strength yet little intelligence she is very close to Barbarian. Despite her very revealing suit, she is very innocent, pure and naive. The first manga shows snippets of her past with her mentor and father figure, a legendary Colosseum fighter and adventurer, Salvador. She is named after a coffee type, Mocha.


 * Blueman (ブルーマン)
 * Bluman is Nekomatango (a cat-like race) Rogue and acts as a thief in Dungeon and Dragon's "Fighter-Mage-Thief" party formation. His full name is Blue Manjaro, a mashup of the coffee types Blue Mountain and Kilimanjaro.


 * Kiriman (キリマン)
 * Kilimon is a Inumoarukeba (a dog-like race) magician and acts as a mage in Dungeon and Dragon's "Fighter-Mage-Thief" party formation. They always "talk" with a written sign. His full name is Kilie Mountain, which, like Bluman, is mashup of the coffee types Blue Mountain and Kilimanjaro.


 * Esprit (エスプレ)
 * Esprit is a member of Magic Academy and thus an Astral, a soul being who leaves behind a physical body. He passes off as a longsword so he can follow and observe Mocha and her gang incognito. He is named after a coffee type, Espresso.

Supporting characters

 * Kain
 * Kain is a bookish human prince who is smitten with Mocha. In a bid to win Mocha's heart, he trains under Falco and Keaton and starts adventuring.


 * Falco
 * Falco is a master swordsman and veteran adventurer. He is engaged to Azusa.


 * Azusa
 * Azusa is a heiress to a ninja clan. She is engaged to Falco.


 * Keaton
 * Buster Keaton is a veteran adventurer. Though he looks like an expressionless airhead, he is one of the most skilled fighters in the guild