Wild Life (manga)


Wild Life is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masato Fujisaki. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from December 2002 to January 2008, with its chapters collected in 27 volumes. It follows a high school juvenile delinquent, Tesshō Iwashiro, working to become a veterinarian.
A live-action adaptation was scheduled for March 2008. However, NHK announced the cancellation of the drama in January 2008, when a giraffe and her calf suddenly died at the Akita Omoriyama Zoo where it was being filmed. NHK stated later that week that they would air two of the three completed episodes as stand-alone stories.
In 2006, Wild Life received the 51st Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.

Plot

Tesshō is a typical high school delinquent with a special skill. He has a perfect pitch. This skill enables him to hear things most people would not. After helping a local vet, Kashiyuu, save a small dog, whom he later names Inu, Tesshō realizes his calling in life is to become a veterinarian. After passing veterinary school Tesshō finds himself out of a job and out of luck. But due to some connections with an old high school friend, Tesshō is allowed to take the test to enter the famous R.E.D. Vet hospital.

Characters

;Tesshō Iwashiro
;Mika Senō
;Tsukasa Ryōtō
;Hisataka Kurachi
;Inu

Media

Manga

Wild Life, written and illustrated by Masato Fujisaki, was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from December 11, 2002, to January 23, 2008. Shogakukan collected its chapters in twenty-seven volumes, released from April 18, 2003, to June 18, 2008.

Drama

A Japanese television drama adaptation of the series had been scheduled for March 2008. However, NHK announced the cancellation of the drama on January 11, 2008, when a giraffe and her calf suddenly died at the Akita Omoriyama Zoo where it was being filmed. NHK stated later that week that they would air two of the three completed episodes as stand-alone stories.

Reception

Wild Life received the 51st Shogakukan Manga Award for the category in 2006.