Sand Land

Sand Land (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from May to August 2000, and was collected into a single  volume in November 2000. Sand Land was first serialized in North America by Viz Media in their English Shonen Jump magazine in 2003, then later released in one graphic novel in December 2003. A CGI anime film adaptation co-produced by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga, and Anima was released in August 2023, while an original net animation (ONA) series was released worldwide on Disney+ and Hulu from March to May 2024. An action role-playing video game adaptation, also titled Sand Land, was released in April 2024.

Plot
After enduring years of natural disaster and war, the world is left without its main supply of water; the river that provided water to the country dried up long ago. With the greedy king of the land's personal water supply becoming increasingly more expensive for the citizens of Sand Land to buy, the people begin robbing one another for water and money. Sheriff Rao, tired of the king's greed, approaches the demons of Sand Land for help in searching for a new water supply. Demon prince Beelzebub and his friend Thief agree to join Rao.

Soon after their quest begins, their car breaks down and they are forced to steal a tank from the king's army. This attracts the anger of the king and he mobilizes his forces to stop them. Sheriff Rao, a former legendary general of the king's army, is able to quickly deal with all of the current army's attempts to hinder their progress. Once they reach the supposed water supply at the end of the now dried up river bed, they find a lake that now acts as the king's private reserves. With the water sealed away behind a dam to give the king a monopoly over water, Rao, the demons, and those sympathetic to their cause tear it down. With the water returned to the world as a result, the king's oppressive rule is brought to an end.

Characters

 * Beelzebub (ベルゼブブ)
 * Beelzebub, named after the biblical demon of the same name, is the son of Lucifer and the prince of demons. Generally referred to only as "Prince" by his fellow demons, Beelzebub tries to live in relative harmony with the humans. Although he regularly steals water from them, he only takes as much as he and the demons need to survive. Simply joining Sheriff Rao out of boredom, Beelzebub lends his enhanced sight and demonic strength to fight against the tyrannous king.
 * Beelzebub, named after the biblical demon of the same name, is the son of Lucifer and the prince of demons. Generally referred to only as "Prince" by his fellow demons, Beelzebub tries to live in relative harmony with the humans. Although he regularly steals water from them, he only takes as much as he and the demons need to survive. Simply joining Sheriff Rao out of boredom, Beelzebub lends his enhanced sight and demonic strength to fight against the tyrannous king.


 * Rao (ラオ)
 * An elderly man, Rao seeks to free the people of Sand Land from the king's pocket. Formerly known as General Shiba (シバ将軍), he is believed to have died 30 years ago along with his forces while destroying a mysterious weapon produced by the Picchi on the King's orders. Rao learns from Beelzebub and Thief that it was not a weapon, but a machine to produce water. This information prompts Rao to right his wrong by bringing down the king and help those whose families died due to his actions.
 * An elderly man, Rao seeks to free the people of Sand Land from the king's pocket. Formerly known as General Shiba (シバ将軍), he is believed to have died 30 years ago along with his forces while destroying a mysterious weapon produced by the Picchi on the King's orders. Rao learns from Beelzebub and Thief that it was not a weapon, but a machine to produce water. This information prompts Rao to right his wrong by bringing down the king and help those whose families died due to his actions.


 * Thief (シーフ)
 * Thief is recruited by Beelzebub for his expertise at stealing and his great wisdom. He often fights with Beelzebub for turns to drive the tank.
 * Thief is recruited by Beelzebub for his expertise at stealing and his great wisdom. He often fights with Beelzebub for turns to drive the tank.


 * General Are (アレ将軍)
 * Rao's replacement in the king's army, Are's father died during the raid against the mysterious weapon. Initially, he actively pursues Rao in order to avenge his father. However, once he learns the truth about the mysterious weapon he joins Rao in bringing down the king.
 * Rao's replacement in the king's army, Are's father died during the raid against the mysterious weapon. Initially, he actively pursues Rao in order to avenge his father. However, once he learns the truth about the mysterious weapon he joins Rao in bringing down the king.


 * General Zeu (ゼウ大将軍)
 * The true antagonist of Sand Land, Zeu is the aging commander of the king's forces. Due to his failing body, Zeu is confined to a floating robotic lift. He ordered the attack on the Picchi people, the creators of the water-producing machine, to both rid himself of Shiba's disobedient tank brigade and the threat to the king's monopoly. He uses the king as a figurehead to rule Sand Land. Ultimately, Are shoots and kills him with a tank cannon blast.
 * The true antagonist of Sand Land, Zeu is the aging commander of the king's forces. Due to his failing body, Zeu is confined to a floating robotic lift. He ordered the attack on the Picchi people, the creators of the water-producing machine, to both rid himself of Shiba's disobedient tank brigade and the threat to the king's monopoly. He uses the king as a figurehead to rule Sand Land. Ultimately, Are shoots and kills him with a tank cannon blast.


 * King (国王)
 * As the current ruler of Sand Land the king makes enormous profit by selling bottled water at high prices. He tries to eliminate Rao to make sure nobody finds out about his personal water supply or the water-creating machine he had destroyed. After water is returned to Sand Land, he is forced by Rao to give his wealth to the people.
 * As the current ruler of Sand Land the king makes enormous profit by selling bottled water at high prices. He tries to eliminate Rao to make sure nobody finds out about his personal water supply or the water-creating machine he had destroyed. After water is returned to Sand Land, he is forced by Rao to give his wealth to the people.


 * Lucifer (サタン)
 * King of the demons and Beelzebub's father.
 * King of the demons and Beelzebub's father.


 * Papa (パパ)
 * The muscular leader of the Swimmers (スイマーズ), the self-proclaimed "greatest criminals in Sand Land", and father of the other members.
 * The muscular leader of the Swimmers (スイマーズ), the self-proclaimed "greatest criminals in Sand Land", and father of the other members.


 * Pike (パイク)
 * A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a necktie with no shirt. He has superhuman eyesight.
 * A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a necktie with no shirt. He has superhuman eyesight.


 * Shark (シャーク)
 * A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a blazer with no shirt. He can run at superhuman speed.
 * A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a blazer with no shirt. He can run at superhuman speed.


 * Guppy (グッピー)
 * An extremely large and fat member of the Swimmers. He carries a large hand cannon.
 * An extremely large and fat member of the Swimmers. He carries a large hand cannon.


 * Ann (アン)
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. She is a girl from Forest Land who accompanies Beelzebub and company.
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. She is a girl from Forest Land who accompanies Beelzebub and company.


 * Muniel (ムニエル)
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is the main antagonist of the game and the second half of the series. He is an angel who proclaims to be the hero of Forest Land and is on a mission to purge the world of fiends.
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is the main antagonist of the game and the second half of the series. He is an angel who proclaims to be the hero of Forest Land and is on a mission to purge the world of fiends.


 * Bred (ブレッド)
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is a general for Forest Land who serves Muniel despite skepticism of his actions.
 * A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is a general for Forest Land who serves Muniel despite skepticism of his actions.

Production
Akira Toriyama intended for Sand Land to be a short story about a man and a tank that he wrote for his own enjoyment. However, he had difficulty drawing the tank and, as he insisted on drawing everything himself, soon regretted it. Although he became frustrated, Toriyama had already devised the plot to involve the tank and thus grudgingly went through with it.

Manga
Written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, Sand Land was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from May 9 to August 8, 2000. Its 14 chapters were collected into a single volume that was released on November 2, 2000. A edition was published on August 4, 2023. That same day, a "full color" version of the manga began serialization in Shueisha's monthly Saikyō Jump magazine.

In 2003, Viz Media licensed Sand Land for English release in North America. It was first serialized in their manga anthology magazine Shonen Jump for eleven issues, from the January to the November 2003 issues. The collected graphic novel was released later in paperback on December 24, 2003, and digitally as an ebook on June 4, 2013.

Anime
On December 8, 2022, Bandai Namco opened a website for "Sand Land Project" and uploaded a teaser video featuring Toriyama's art from the manga. The website featured a countdown that ended on December 17. On that date, it was announced that it would receive a CGI anime adaptation co-produced by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga, and Anima. The film is directed by Toshihisa Yokoshima, with Hiroshi Kōjina serving as directing advisor, Hayashi Mori writing the screenplay, Yoshikazu Iwanami directing the sound, and Yugo Kanno composing the music. Imase performs the film's theme song "Utopia" (ユートピア). The Sand Land film had its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2023, in San Diego, California. It was released in Japanese theaters on August 18, 2023, by Toho, with a North American release following in 2024.

An original net animation (ONA) series was announced on November 14, 2023. The cast and staff members from the film reprised their roles. The opening theme is "Water Carrier" by Kroi, while the ending theme is "Drive My Idea" (ドライブ・マイ・イデア) by Tempalay. The first seven episodes of the series began streaming worldwide on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu on March 20, 2024. The remaining episodes were released once a week. The first six episodes comprise "The Story of the Fiend Prince" (悪魔の王子) arc and retell the story of the film with some new scenes, while the final seven episodes comprise "The Story of the Angel Hero" (天使の勇者) arc, which Toriyama newly wrote for the ONA. Toriyama also named the two arcs and designed the new characters Ann and Muniel. However, he died before the ONA premiered on March 1, 2024.

Video game
An action role-playing video game based on the series was announced during Summer Game Fest on June 8, 2023. It was developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and uses Unreal Engine 5. The game was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on April 25, 2024, and the following day worldwide.

Reception
Greg McElhatton called Sand Land "the ultimate disposable comic, executed perfectly". His review for Read About Comics summarized, refers to it as a fun light story that, while not necessarily deep or memorable, does well to explore the fictional world and the unique characters that inhabit it. Despite Toriyama's complaints about designing the tank, McElhatton praised the art, declaring it more consistent than his previous work Dragon Ball. John Jakala of Anime News Network also called the artwork, and story, superior to Dragon Ball. Jakala said the characters are a big part of the series' charm, claiming Toriyama did a "masterful job" establishing the look and personality of each character in the first chapter.

At the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival, the film adaptation of Sand Land won a Special Jury Mention in the Excellence in Animation category. The film opened at number six at the Japanese box office, and grossed US$2.98 million by its third week. Evan Mullicane of Screen Rant strongly praised the film, writing that it "proves that the original Sand Land manga is Toriyama's true opus." He found the "seamless" blend of 3D and 2D animation creates a distinctive look that captures Toriyama's artwork "beautifully", and noted that the film's best moments are all based on developing the three central characters. Writing for Anime News Network, Kalai Chik called the film a "feel good popcorn movie" and gave it a B+ rating. They cited the script as its strongest feature; "For a story that touches on the impacts of war, global warming, and corporate greed, it never overcomplicates the message, nor does it talk down to the audience." Although they praised the music, Chik noted it also exposes the "underutilized animation". Giving the film three out of five stars, Matt Schley of The Japan Times called it a straightforward romp that is "fun first and foremost", but leaves the audience with deeper themes to contemplate. He praised the banter between the three main characters as entertaining, with Tamura's Beelzebub being "especially endearing", and the supporting characters for highlighting Toriyama's skill for visual gags. Although Schley wrote that the story and CG animation in Sand Land are not likely to disappoint audiences, he noted that there is "nothing particularly revolutionary" about it and suggested it could have been slightly shorter in length.