Superior (manga)

Superior
File:Superior volume one cover.jpg The cover of Superior volume one.
シューピアリア (Shūpiaria)
Genre	Dark Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Manga
Written by	Ichtys
Published by	Square Enix
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Gangan Powered
Original run	2004 – 2009
Volumes	9
Manga
Superior Cross
Written by	Ichtys
Published by	Square Enix
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Monthly GFantasy
Original run	April 18, 2009 – 2011
Volumes	6

Superior (シューピアリア) is a manga created by Ichtys and published by Gangan Comics. Superior is a high fantasy Manga that includes dragons, demons, and most importantly, heroes. The story centers around the Hero Exa and the Demon Queen Sheila along with the corresponding war between the demon and human races.

In the May issue on April 18, 2009, the series migrated from GanGan Powered to Monthly GFantasy, under the new title Superior Cross (シューピアリア・クロス).

A Drama CD was released by Frontier Works in 2007.

Plot

The story is about a world in which humans and monsters co-exist; but since many years ago both races have been at war, aiming for the complete extermination of each other.

Among the monsters arose an extremely powerful one, the Demon Queen; the leader of the monster race, managing to slay half of humanity all by herself.

The surviving humans elected a Hero whom would have the duty to kill the Demon Queen and release humanity from her oppressive rule.

But the Hero, Exa, questions his mission, for he anguishes upon the fact that all monsters are living creatures, the same as humans, and does not wish to kill any of them. Sheila, the Demon Queen, becomes interested in the Hero's principles and decides to hide her identity and join his side. Eventually however, she realizes that she has fallen in love with Exa, whom despite his wish for humans & monsters co-exist peacefully, has vowed to kill the Demon Queen himself.

Characters

Sheila (シーラ, Shira)

Voiced by: Hōko Kuwashima

The Demon Queen who personally wiped out half of humanity and subjugated all the monsters. After experiencing the loss of her beloved dragon at a young age, she decided to kill as many humans as she could so as to create a world for monsters and monsters only. Upon meeting the Hero, Sheila decided she would approach him so as to get close to him, and kill him when the opportunity came; however, she finds herself to have accidentally developed romantic feelings for Exa. And so, putting up the façade of a meek monster, Sheila joins him in his journey. On the way to find the Demon Lord, she starts to change her sadistic behavior due to the Hero's influence on her. Later on, she finds herself in a dilemma; to tell the hero her true identity or keep pretending to be a weak demon in order to stay by his side.

Exa (エクサ, Ekusa)

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo

The Hero who dreams of monsters and humans co-existing in harmony. He values all monster and human life, and does not wish to kill anyone, firmly believing that the war can end without the complete extermination of one race. Despite his philosophy, he will make an exception for the Demon Lord, whom Exa can never forgive for the atrocious crimes the Demon Queen has committed, as well as for the murder of his family and friends at the hands of the latter. Exa believes that with the death of the Demon Lord, peace could be restored to the world. However, he does not know that Sheila is the Demon Lord (despite others telling him so) and later on falls in love with her. In Superior Cross Sheila tells him that she is the Demon Lord, after which he becomes very violent. In a frenzy to kill Sheila, he attacks Lakshri and Angelica (who were trying to protect Sheila), to get to her. In the middle of a fight, they all fall into a lava hole and in order to save them Sheila sacrifices herself. The Hero, unable to let her die after all, saves her and apologizes.

Lakshri (ラクシュリ, Rakushuri)

Voiced by: Masakazu Morita

Exa's right-hand man. In the past, he was consumed by violence, but was pulled out of it with the aid of Exa. After that Lakshri swore that he would follow him for the rest of his life.

Despite being good friends with Exa he clearly lacks the latter's modesty and humbleness, often bragging about his skills (especially with women, for Lakshri becomes infatuated with almost every women that he sees), as well as displaying a certain degree of immaturity or lack of manners (usually when he's around Angelica or Crowe).

His name could also be translated as "Luxury".

Angelica (アンジェリカ, Anjerika)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

A quarter monster, with extremely strong and inherited magical abilities. Abused as a child for her demonic abilities, she is devoted to Exa, as he was the first person to show her kindness. Oddly enough, her jeweled staff is used to control and limit her power, but not to enhance it. Angelica's right eye is red due to her monster blood, which she inherited from one of her grandparents. To avoid conflict and controversy with the other humans, Angelica hides her right eye behind her bangs.

While usually a kind and gentle person, whenever she loses her temper she will use her superhuman strength against the one who has upset her (usually Lakshri). In Superior Cross she finds her grandfather living in a human town, after she realizes he is her grandpa he tells her that he had to leave the town he and her grandma were living on, due to the humans threatening him because of him being a monster, but he never stopped loving his family.

Copy (コピー, Kopi)

Voiced by: Yūko Kaida

The current Demon Queen who was formed by Sheila in an attempt to hide her true identity. Reckless and violent, she sees every human and monster without exception as hers to kill as she pleases. However, she plans to break apart Hero and Sheila in an attempt to kill them both and prove herself to be the strongest of them all, and rule over the entire world.

After facing Sheila and Hero on separate occasions she has decided to "work together" with all other monsters to destroy humanity.

Juno Obsidias (ジュノー ・オブシディアス, Juno Obushidiasu)

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga

Son of the King, he idolized Exa as a harbinger of peace who would aid his father in exterminating the demons. However, when he met Exa and found out he was a pacifist because he refused to kill two humanoid monsters, the Prince was severely disappointed. After he is spared by one of the two monsters that Exa saved, however, he converts to Exa's philosophy and provides to be a valuable ally. However, it is he who sends his aide to warn Exa of his suspicions that Sheila is the real Demon Queen.

'Kagami (かがみ, Kagami)

A tentacled monster with an ability to control another being's mind. Kagami has served as Sheila's guardian ever since she was a child, it is also revealed that Kagami had admired Sheila's mother and has vowed to groom Sheila to be the perfect Demon Lord when he found out that Sheila's parents was killed by humans. He also hated Exa for being the reason on why Sheila had a change of heart.

External links

• GanGan Powered's page for the manga (Japanese)
• GFantasy's page for the manga (Japanese)