Pink (manga)

Not to be confused with the manga of the same name by Kyoko Okazaki.
Pink

Cover page from the manga Pink: The Rain Jack Story
ピンク
(Pinku)
Genre Adventure, comedy, supernatural
Manga
Written by Akira Toriyama
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Fresh Jump
Published December 1982
Anime film
Pink: Water Bandit, Rain Bandit
Directed by Toyoo Ashida
Produced by Tamio Kojima
Written by Aya Matsui
Studio Toei Animation
Released July 7, 1990
Runtime 31 minutes

Pink (Japanese: ピンク Hepburn: Pinku), subtitled The Rain Jack Story, is a one-shot Japanese manga written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. Originally published in Shueisha's Fresh Jump magazine in December 1982, it was later included in 1988's Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater Vol. 2. Pink was adapted into an anime film in 1990 titled Pink: Water Bandit, Rain Bandit (ピンク みずドロボウあめドロボウ Pinku Mizu Dorobō Ame Dorobō).

Story

A young girl named Pink makes a living as a mysterious bandit stealing water from the shady Silver Company, which she keeps for herself. Despite the drought, the Silver Company has somehow managed to make a profit by selling a steady supply of water at outrageous prices, thus making them perfect targets for the thief.

Due to her early-pubescent physique and her face being concealed behind black goggles, her opponents all assume Pink is a guy. After numerous thefts, the head of the company, Silver, calls the local sheriff Cobalt Blue to apprehend the bandit and bring them to justice. With little information to go by, Blue goes in search of the bandit. He comes across Pink's home, which he finds suspicious, as there is a lush palm tree thriving amidst the drought. So he asks her a few questions, but comes with nothing despite all the evidence around him. Pink is all too willing to answer his questions as she has become smitten by him.

Later that night, after having a dream about her and Blue walking together with her parents' umbrella in the rain, Pink comes up with the solution to the drought and heads out to the Silver Company for one last heist. Meanwhile, Cobalt Blue has finally put together that the bandit and Pink are the same person and goes after her. Pink performs a frontal assault on the company, but is quickly overpowered by Silver's forces.

Just as they are about to kill her, Cobalt Blue steps in and saves Pink. She quickly tells Blue she is on a mission to rescue Kaminari, and takes Blue to the basement where Kaminari was. It turns out the drought was the result of the Silver Company holding Kaminari prisoner and forcing him to make water for them to sell. With Kaminari free, he proceeds to make up for lost time and produces rain. Unfortunately, he goes overboard and the manga ends with the land being completely flooded. But Pink finally has Blue all to herself in her parents' umbrella, which they're now using as a boat.

Anime

The official theatrical poster. Some of the established characters were revamped.

Nearly eight years after Pink was first published, Toei Animation produced an anime film adaptation titled Pink: Water Bandit, Rain Bandit (ピンク みずドロボウあめドロボウ Pinku Mizu Dorobō Ame Dorobō). It was shown exclusively as part of Akira Toriyama: The World event at the July 7, 1990 Toei Anime Fair alongside two other Toriyama properties, Kennosuke-sama and Dragon Ball Z: The Decisive Battle for the Entire Earth. The film would also get distributed on home video along with Kennosuke-sama as a double feature on March 8, 1991. Music from the film was released as part of the Akira Toriyama: The World and Pink Songs & BGM albums.

Allusions to other works

Many have found similarities to other Toriyama stories such as 1981 story Pola & Roid and the 2000 series Sand Land. Pink can also be compared to the early depiction of the Dragon Ball character Yamcha, as both characters are thieves who live in the desert and have companionship with unusual talking creatures.

References

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