Violinist of Hameln

is a fantasy adventure manga created by Michiaki Watanabe. Its premise is that a group of adventurers are traveling north to the Northern Capital (a.k.a Hameln) to prevent a catastrophe. In this world, music has magical qualities. The manga and the anime are very different. The manga tends toward a lighter, more comedic tone, whereas the anime is darker. The manga eventually takes a darker tone itself though. No official English translations exist to date for the manga or its adaptations.

The Manga

GanGan Comics ran the manga for approximately ten years and 37 volumes were published.

The manga combines a serious story with an irreverent tone; characters frequently shift between heroic and pathetic as the situation warrants. The manga also contains a myriad of unconventional running gags, such as Hamel's repeated attempts to force other members of the party into costume. Each chapter is referred to as a movement.

Setting

The setting resembles a medieval Europe judging by the architecture, the way people are dressed, and the local environment shown in the background. The world in which the story takes place is like an alternate universe in which, chronologically, many things do not makes sense. In fact, despite the medieval feeling with demons and magic, there are also technologically super advanced flying battleships and carriers, tanks and cities made completely of metal platings with siege machines much like the science fiction worlds of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, or...
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