WAs the Gods Will is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Akeji Fujimura. The series is composed of two parts.
WB: The Beginning is an original net animation (ONA) anime series created by Production I.G and Kazuto Nakazawa. The series premiered on March 2, 2018, worldwide on Netflix.
WBlood on the Tracks is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shūzō Oshimi. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Superior since February 2017, with its chapters collected into twelve tankōbon volumes as of November 2021. The story follows a middle school student, Seiichi Osabe, and his relationship with his overprotective mother, who after a certain event, begins to show a darker and horrifying side towards her son. The series is licensed for an English release in North America by Vertical, who started releasing the volumes in print in February 2020, and it is also digitally published by Kodansha USA since August of the same year. As of June 2021, Blood on the Tracks had over 1.5 million copies in circulation.
WBoogiepop Phantom is an anime television series animated by Madhouse, based on the Boogiepop light novel series by Kouhei Kadono. The series is directed by Takashi Watanabe, from a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, with original character designs by the light novel's illustrator Kouji Ogata, and sound direction by Yota Tsuruoka. Chronologically, the story follows immediately after the events of the series's first volume, Boogiepop and Others, while also making references to the prequel sixth volume, Boogiepop at Dawn.
WDeath Note is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The story follows Light Yagami, a teen genius who discovers a mysterious notebook: the "Death Note", which belonged to the Shinigami Ryuk, and grants the user the supernatural ability to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. The series centers around Light's subsequent attempts to use the Death Note to carry out a worldwide massacre of individuals whom he deems immoral and to create a crime-free society, using the alias of a god-like vigilante named "Kira", and the subsequent efforts of an elite Japanese police task force, led by enigmatic detective L, to apprehend him. Death Note ran in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006. Its 108 chapters were collected in 12 tankōbon volumes.
WDeath Parade is a Japanese anime television series created, written, and directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa and produced by Madhouse. The series spawned from a short film, Death Billiards, which was originally produced by Madhouse for the Young Animator Training Project's Anime Mirai 2013 and released in March 2013. The television series aired in Japan between January and March 2015. It is licensed in North America by Funimation and in the United Kingdom by Anime Limited, the latter of which was eventually cancelled. The series was obtained by Madman Entertainment for digital distribution in Australia and New Zealand.
WDorei-ku: Boku to 23-nin no Dorei or simply Doreiku, is a Japanese novel series written by Shinichi Okada. A manga adaptation illustrated by Hiroto Ōishi ran for 10 volumes starting in 2012. A live action film was released under the title Tokyo Slaves in 2014, and an anime television series adaptation of the manga animated by Zero-G and TNK aired from April 13 to June 29, 2018.
WErgo Proxy is a Japanese cyberpunk anime television series, produced by Manglobe, directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. The series ran for 23 episodes from February to August 2006 on the Wowow satellite network. It is set in a post-apocalyptic utopian future where humans and AutoReiv androids coexist peacefully until a virus gives the androids self-awareness, causing them to commit a series of murders. Inspector Re-L Mayer is assigned to investigate, discovering a more complicated plot behind it that involves a humanoid species known as "Proxy" who are the subject of secret government experiments.
WFreesia is a psychological action thriller manga by Jiro Matsumoto. It was originally published by Shogakukan in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki between September 2001 and August 2009. It was adapted into a live-action film in February 2007.
WFuture Diary is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sakae Esuno. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace between January 2006 and December 2010, and has been collected into 12 tankōbon volumes. The plot depicts the Diary Game, a deadly battle royal between 12 different individuals who are given "Future Diaries", special diaries that can predict the future, by Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space, with the last survivor becoming his heir.
WGantz is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from June 2000 to June 2013, with its chapters collected in thirty-seven tankōbon volumes. It tells the story of Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, both of whom died in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed with a handful of futuristic items, equipment, and weaponry.
WHappy Sugar Life is a Japanese psychological thriller manga series written and illustrated by Tomiyaki Kagisora (鍵空とみやき). It was serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine Gangan Joker from May 2015 to June 2019. The series is licensed by Yen Press. An anime television series adaptation by Ezo'la aired during the Animeism programming block between July and September 2018.
WHell's Paradise: Jigokuraku is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku. Set in the Edo period of Japan, it follows the ninja Gabimaru and the executioner Yamada Asaemon Sagiri as they search for the elixir of immortality. It was serialized weekly for free on the Shōnen Jump+ application and website from January 22, 2018, to January 25, 2021. The chapters were collected and published into 13 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America. An anime television series adaptation by MAPPA has been announced.
WHomunculus is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideo Yamamoto. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits from March 2003 to February 2011, with its chapters collected in fifteen tankōbon volumes. A live-action film adaptation, directed by Takashi Shimzu and starring Gō Ayano premiered in April 2021.
WI Am a Hero is a Japanese zombie manga series written and illustrated by Kengo Hanazawa. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from April 2009 to February 2017, with its chapters compiled in twenty-two tankōbon volumes. In North America the manga has been licensed for English language release by Dark Horse Comics.
WIchi the Killer is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideo Yamamoto. A first series, titled Ichi, was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Sunday in 1993; Ichi the Killer was serialized in the same magazine from 1998 to 2001, with its chapters collected in ten tankōbon volumes. The series revolves around Ichi, a psychologically troubled killing machine, and his confrontation with the yakuza of Kabukichō, Shinjuku.
WIkigami: The Ultimate Limit is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Motoro Mase. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Young Sunday (2005–2008) and Weekly Big Comic Spirits (2008–2012). A national prosperity law has been passed in a dystopian nation resulting in citizens between the ages of 18–24 being randomly selected to die for the good of the nation. These citizens are given 24-hour notification of their impending death. These notifications are known as "ikigami"—the ostensible reason for this system being to help demonstrate the value of life. The manga was adapted into a live-action film titled Ikigami in 2008 with Tomoyuki Takimoto as its director.
WKakegurui – Compulsive Gambler is a Japanese manga series written by Homura Kawamoto and illustrated by Tōru Naomura. It began serialization in Square Enix's Gangan Joker in March 2014, with its chapters additionally collected into fourteen tankōbon volumes as of February 2021. In North America, the manga has been licensed for English-language release by Yen Press. The series has also inspired numerous spin-off manga, including a prequel titled Kakegurui Twin.
WKing of Thorn is a Japanese fantastique manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Iwahara. It was published in by Enterbrain in the seinen magazine Monthly Comic Beam between October 2002 and October 2005 and collected in six bound volumes. It is licensed in North America by Tokyopop, with the final volume published in November 2008. The series is about a group of people who are put in suspended animation to escape a mysterious plague that turns people to stone, and upon waking there appears to be only seven survivors in a world run wild—including a Japanese teenage girl named Kasumi Ishiki and a British man named Marco Owen. The survivors soon discover that the entire ruin is filled with strange, dinosaur-like creatures and other monstrous aberrations of nature. Thinking that a great amount of time passed since their arrival on the island, soon the survivors discover not only that their sleep was indeed too short to label such dramatic changes as natural occurrence, but also that the situation in and of itself is far greater than they could imagine.
WThe Laughing Salesman is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko A. Fujio. The manga began as a one-shot series serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine on 1968, later becoming a full-fledged series published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha's Manga Sunday magazine from 1969 to 1971. The manga tells the story of a salesman named Moguro Fukuzou, whose job is to help people fill gaps in their soul. In reality, he often ruins the lives of his clients if they do not follow his strict instructions or if they betray his trust.
WLiar Game is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from February 2005 to January 2015. It was adapted into a Japanese television series in 2007, with a second season which ran from 2009 to 2010. It was also adapted into two live action films; Liar Game: The Final Stage in 2010 and Liar Game: Reborn in 2012. A South Korean television series adaptation aired in 2014.
WLost+Brain is a Japanese manga series written by Tsuzuku Yabuno and illustrated by Akira Ōtani. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from December 2007 to July 2008, with its chapters collected in three tankōbon volumes.
WLupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a Japanese anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment. It is the fourth television anime series adaptation of the Lupin III manga created by Monkey Punch. Directed by Sayo Yamamoto, it aired on Nippon TV from April 4, 2012 to June 27, 2012. It focuses on the franchise's heroine, Fujiko Mine, as she undergoes various missions and encounters the rest of the Lupin III cast for the first time. Unlike the franchise's previous three televised anime, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is more sexually oriented in order to capture the "sensuality" present in the original manga, as well as darker and more serious. It is also the only installment in the franchise to be directed by a woman and the first in which Lupin is not the protagonist.
WMagia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story is a Japanese role-playing video game developed by f4samurai for Android and iOS, which was released by Aniplex in Japan on August 22, 2017 and in North America on June 25, 2019. The game is a spin-off of the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and features a new protagonist named Iroha Tamaki, who arrives in Kamihama City to search for her missing sister.
WMonster is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. It was published by Shogakukan in their Big Comic Original magazine between 1994 and 2001, with the chapters collected and reprinted into 18 tankōbon volumes. The story revolves around Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese surgeon living in Düsseldorf, Germany whose life enters turmoil after getting himself involved with Johan Liebert, one of his former patients, who is revealed to be a dangerous serial killer.
WMoriarty the Patriot is a Japanese mystery manga series written by Ryōsuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi, based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series. It focuses on the youth of Holmes' nemesis, William James Moriarty. An anime television series adaptation by Production I.G aired from October 2020 to June 2021.
WNatsume Arata no Kekkon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tarō Nogizaka. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Superior since June 2019.
WOld Boy is a Japanese manga series written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. The narrative follows the protagonist Shinichi Gotō, a man who, after a decade of incarceration in a private prison, is suddenly freed. After his release, Gotō must find his captors and discover the reason for his confinement.
WPaprika is a 2006 Japanese science-fiction psychological thriller anime film directed by Satoshi Kon. The film is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui. It is Kon's fourth and final feature film before his death in 2010. The script was co-written by Kon and Seishi Minakami, who also wrote for Kon's TV series Paranoia Agent, the character design and animation director was Masashi Ando, the music was composed by Kon's frequent collaborator Susumu Hirasawa, and the art director was Nobutaka Ike, who has worked on all of Kon's works. Japanese animation studio Madhouse animated and produced the film. The Japanese voice cast featured Megumi Hayashibara, Tōru Emori, Katsunosuke Hori, Tōru Furuya, Akio Ōtsuka, Kōichi Yamadera, and Hideyuki Tanaka.
WParanoia Agent is a Japanese anime television series created by director Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse about a social phenomenon in Musashino, Tokyo caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Lil' Slugger. The plot relays between a large cast of people affected in some way by the phenomenon; usually Lil' Slugger's victims or the detectives assigned to apprehend him. As each character becomes the focus of the story, details are revealed about their secret lives and the truth about Lil' Slugger.
WPerfect Blue is a 1997 Japanese animated psychological horror film directed by Satoshi Kon. It is based on the novel Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, with a screenplay written by Sadayuki Murai. The film features the voices of Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shiho Niiyama, Masaaki Okura, Shinpachi Tsuji, and Emiko Furukawa. The film follows Mima Kirigoe, a member of a Japanese idol group, who retires from music to pursue an acting career. As she becomes a victim of stalking, gruesome murders begin to occur, and Mima starts to lose her grip on reality.
WPet is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ranjō Miyake. It ran in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 2002 to 2003. An anime television series adaptation by Geno Studio was broadcast from January to March 2020. The series is streamed worldwide by Amazon Prime.
WPsycho-Pass is a Japanese cyberpunk psychological thriller anime television series produced by Production I.G. It was co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and written by Gen Urobuchi, with character designs by Akira Amano and featuring music by Yugo Kanno. The series aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block between October 2012 and March 2013. Set in a dystopia of Sibyl System's governance of Japan, the plot follows the young woman Akane Tsunemori. She is introduced as a novice Inspector assigned to Division One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division, in charge of solving crimes with latent criminals, Reinforcers.
WPuella Magi Madoka Magica , also known simply as Madoka Magica, is a 2011 Japanese anime television series created by Magica Quartet and animated by Shaft. The story follows a group of middle school girls, led by protagonist Madoka Kaname, who make supernatural contracts to become magical girls. In battling surreal enemies known as "witches", they learn of the anguish and peril associated with their new roles.
WSchool-Live! is a Japanese manga series written by Nitroplus' Norimitsu Kaihō and illustrated by Sadoru Chiba. The series was serialized from May 24, 2012 to November 22, 2019 in the Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Forward magazine and is licensed in English by Yen Press. An anime adaptation by Lerche aired between July and September 2015. A live-action film adaptation was released on January 25, 2019.
WShiki is a Japanese horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono. It was originally published in two parts by Shinchosha in 1998, it was then reprinted into five parts in 2002. A manga series adapting the story, drawn by Ryu Fujisaki was serialized in the Japanese monthly magazine Jump SQ. from December 2007 to June 2011. An anime adaptation of the manga by Daume aired on Fuji TV from July to December 2010. North American anime distributor Funimation simulcasted the series on their online video portal and released the series on DVD & Blu-ray in May 2012.
WTalentless Nana is a Japanese manga series written by Looseboy and illustrated by Iori Furuya. It has been serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan since May 2016 and has been collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The manga is published digitally in North America by Crunchyroll. An anime television series adaptation by Bridge aired from October to December 2020.
WTelepathic Wanderers, known in Japan as Nanase, is a Japanese manga written by Yasutaka Tsutsui and illustrated by Sayaka Yamazaki. The manga was licensed in English by Tokyopop. The manga is based on Tsutsui's novel, Nanase Futatabi.
WTerror in Resonance , also known as Terror in Tokyo, is a Japanese anime television series produced by MAPPA. The anime was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, with character designs by Kazuto Nakazawa and music by Yoko Kanno. The anime began airing on Fuji TV's Noitamina block on July 10, 2014, and its final episode aired on September 25, 2014. In total, it was made up of 11 episodes. Funimation acquired North American streaming rights and released an English dub on DVD on January 19, 2016. Anime Limited and Madman Entertainment acquired streaming rights for the UK and Australia, respectively. Funimation premiered the series at Anime Expo on July 5, 2014.
WTexhnolyze is a Japanese experimental anime television series animated by Madhouse and directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, with screenplay by Chiaki J. Konaka, with original character design by Yoshitoshi ABe and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda. It was broadcast on Fuji Television from April to September 2003.
WTomodachi Game is a Japanese manga series conceptualized by Mikoto Yamaguchi and written and illustrated by Yuki Sato. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since December 2013. A television drama adaptation and two live-action films premiered in 2017. An anime television series adaptation by Okuruto Noboru will premiere in April 2022.
WWIXOSS is a Japanese multimedia franchise produced as a collaboration between Takara Tomy, J.C.Staff, and Warner Entertainment Japan. The franchise revolves around the eponymous trading card game and follows girls known as Selectors who battle against each other in order to have their wishes granted. The trading card game by Takara Tomy launched in Japan in April 2014 and will begin release in English by Tomy International in November 2021. An anime television series by J.C.Staff, titled selector infected WIXOSS, aired in Japan between April and June 2014, with a second season, selector spread WIXOSS, airing between October and December 2014. A compilation film, titled selector destructed WIXOSS, was released on February 13, 2016. A sequel anime television series, titled Lostorage incited WIXOSS, aired from October to December 2016, with its second season, Lostorage conflated WIXOSS, airing from April to June 2018. Another anime television series, titled WIXOSS Diva(A)Live, aired from January to March 2021. Several manga spin-offs, a novelisation, and a smartphone app have also been produced.