This article is about the Japanese manga series. For other uses, see Sandland (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with the Norwegian village Sandland.
Sand Land
manga
AuthorAkira Toriyama
PublisherShueisha
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
FirstMay 9, 2000
LastAugust 8, 2000
Volumes1
Sand Land
film
DirectorToshihisa Yokoshima[a]
WriterHayashi Mori
MusicYugo Kanno
Studio
ReleasedAugust 18, 2023
Runtime106 minutes
Sand Land: The Series
ona
DirectorToshihisa Yokoshima[a]
WriterHayashi Mori
MusicYugo Kanno
Studio
  • Sunrise
  • Kamikaze Douga
  • Anima
LicenseeDisney Platform Distribution
FirstMarch 20, 2024
LastMay 1, 2024
Episodes13

Sand Land (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from May to August 2000, and was collected into a single tankōbon volume in November of that same year. Sand Land was first serialized in North America by Viz Media in their English Shonen Jump magazine in 2003, then later released in one graphic novel in December of that same year.

A CGI anime film adaptation co-produced by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga, and Anima was released in August 2023, while an original net animation (ONA) series was released worldwide on Disney+ and Hulu from March to May 2024. An action role-playing video game adaptation, also titled Sand Land, was released in April 2024.

Plot

After enduring years of natural disaster and war, the world is left without its main supply of water; the river that provided water to the country dried up long ago. With the greedy king of the land's personal water supply becoming increasingly more expensive for the citizens of Sand Land to buy, the people begin robbing one another for water and money. Sheriff Rao, tired of the king's greed, approaches the demons of Sand Land for help in searching for a new water supply. Demon prince Beelzebub and his friend Thief agree to join Rao.

Soon after their quest begins, their car breaks down and they are forced to steal a tank from the king's army. This attracts the anger of the king and he mobilizes his forces to stop them. Sheriff Rao, a former legendary general of the king's army, is able to quickly deal with all of the current army's attempts to hinder their progress. Once they reach the supposed water supply at the end of the now dried up river bed, they find a lake that now acts as the king's private reserves. With the water sealed away behind a dam to give the king a monopoly over water, Rao, the demons, and those sympathetic to their cause tear it down. With the water returned to the world as a result, the king's oppressive rule is brought to an end.

Characters

Beelzebub (ベルゼブブ, Beruzebubu)
Beelzebub, named after the biblical demon of the same name, is the son of Lucifer and the prince of demons. Generally referred to only as "Prince" by his fellow demons and nicknamed "Beelz" by Rao, Beelzebub tries to live in relative harmony with the humans. Although he regularly steals water from them, he only takes as much as he and the demons need to survive. Simply joining Sheriff Rao out of boredom, Beelzebub lends his enhanced sight and demonic strength to fight against the tyrannous king. By basking in moonlight, Beelzebub can absorb the "power of darkness," which he can unleash to temporarily boost his strength and demonic powers.
Rao (ラオ)
An elderly man and sheriff of a small village, Rao seeks to free the people of Sand Land from the king's pocket. Formerly known as General Shiba (シバ将軍, Shiba Shōgun), he is in truth a legendary tank commander believed to have died 30 years ago along with his forces while destroying a mysterious weapon produced by the Picchi on the King's orders. Rao learns from Beelzebub and Thief that it was not a weapon, but a machine to produce water. This information prompts Rao to right his wrong by bringing down the king and help those whose families died due to his actions. He is a skilled tonfa fighter.
Thief (シーフ, Shīfu)
Thief is reluctantly recruited by Beelzebub for his expertise at stealing and his great wisdom. He often fights with Beelzebub for turns to drive the tank and frequently complains about the constant danger the group faces. He dresses in a Santa Claus costume when thieving. Despite looking and acting like an old man, Thief claims he is not that much older than Beelzebub.
General Are (アレ将軍, Are Shōgun)
Rao's replacement in the king's army, Are's father died during the raid against the mysterious weapon. Initially, he actively pursues Rao in order to avenge his father. However, once he learns the truth about the mysterious weapon, he joins Rao in bringing down the king. His tank is unique compared to others in the tank brigade, as it is equipped with a more powerful artillery cannon.
General Zeu (ゼウ大将軍, Zeu Daishōgun)
The true antagonist of Sand Land, Zeu is the aging commander of the king's forces. Due to his failing body, Zeu is confined to a floating robotic lift. He ordered the attack on the Picchi people, the creators of the water-producing machine, to both rid himself of Shiba's disobedient tank brigade and the threat to the king's monopoly. He uses the king as a figurehead to rule Sand Land. Ultimately, Are shoots and kills him with a tank cannon blast.
King (国王, Kokuō)
As the current ruler of Sand Land, the king makes enormous profit by selling bottled water at high prices. He tries to eliminate Rao to make sure nobody finds out about his personal water supply or the water-creating machine he had destroyed. After water is returned to Sand Land, he is forced by Rao to give his wealth to the people. A cowardly hedonist, the king cares only about maintaining his power and profits and is quick to abandon his people when Sand Land is threatened by the flying fortress Garam.
Lucifer (サタン, Satan, lit. "Satan")
King of the demons and Beelzebub's father. Cold and strict, he does not concern himself with the affairs of humans and possesses immense power. Despite his attitude, he cares for his people and agrees to let Beelzebub journey with Rao because of the potential benefit to demonkind.
Papa (パパ)
The muscular leader of the Swimmers (スイマーズ, Suimāzu), the self-proclaimed "greatest criminals in Sand Land", and father of the other members.
Pike (パイク, Paiku)
A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a necktie with no shirt and a cooking pot as a helmet. He has superhuman eyesight and can draw incredibly detailed and accurate sketches from memory.
Shark (シャーク, Shāku)
A skinny member of the Swimmers who wears a blazer with no shirt and a wide-brimmed hat. He can run at superhuman speed.
Guppy (グッピー, Guppī)
An extremely large and fat member of the Swimmers. He carries a large hand cannon.
Ann (アン, An)
A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. She is a mechanically-savvy girl from Forest Land who recruits Beelzebub and company to help save Forest Land from Muniel and Bred.[3] She is later revealed to be Forest Land's princess and a half-demon as her mother, Queen Lilith, is Beelzebub's older sister, making Beelzebub her uncle.
Muniel (ムニエル, Munieru)
A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is the main antagonist of the game and the second half of the series. He is an angel who proclaims to be the hero of Forest Land. Originally a low-ranked archive clerk, Muniel steals a staff that creates lightning clouds and a demon-sealing urn and descends to the mortal realm without permission, intending to purge the world of demons. His hatred of demons is intensified when he confronts Lucifer, who effortlessly tears off his wings and flicks him into Forest Land.[3]
Bred (ブレッド, Bureddo)
A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. He is a general for Forest Land who serves Muniel despite skepticism of his actions.
Lilith (リリス, Ririsu)
A character from Sand Land: The Series and the Sand Land video game. The Queen of Forest Land and Ann's mother. Lilith is Lucifer's eldest daughter and Beelzebub's older sister. She has the same demonic powers as her father and brother and usually disguises herself as a human.

Production

Following the conclusion of Dragon Ball in 1995, Akira Toriyama created short stories and one-offs. However, he decided to write one more work that would be his last, and in which he would put everything he had.[4] He intended for Sand Land to be a short story about an old man and a tank that he wrote for his own enjoyment. However, he had difficulty drawing the tank and, as he insisted on drawing everything himself, soon regretted it. Although he became frustrated, Toriyama had already devised the plot to involve the tank and thus grudgingly went through with it.[5]

While he personally preferred lighthearted content, he was aware most readers did not, and therefore tried his best to tone down the light parts and make it a serious story. However, Toriyama said he ultimately ended up prioritizing his personal preferences and should have thought about the readers more.[4] He inked the manuscripts on paper before scanning them into a computer and using software to paint in solid colors and apply tones.[4]

After drawing the pages for Sand Land, he lost the pen holder that he had used since before his debut. Toriyama later quipped that this was the reason he hardly drew any more manga.[4] Looking back on the series 23 years later, he found that his drawing ability and energy were incredible at the time it was made.[4]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, Sand Land was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from May 9 to August 8, 2000.[b][c] Its 14 chapters were collected into a single tankōbon volume that was released on November 2, 2000.[6] A kanzenban edition was published on August 4, 2023.[7] That same day, a "full color" version of the manga began serialization in Shueisha's monthly Saikyō Jump magazine.[8] It ended in the October 2024 issue on September 4, 2024.[9]

In 2003, Viz Media licensed Sand Land for English release in North America. It was first serialized in their manga anthology magazine Shonen Jump for eleven issues, from the January to the November 2003 issues. The collected graphic novel was released later in paperback on December 24, 2003,[10] and digitally as an ebook on June 4, 2013.[11][12]

Anime

On December 8, 2022, Bandai Namco opened a website for "Sand Land Project" and uploaded a teaser video featuring Toriyama's art from the manga. The website featured a countdown that ended on December 17.[13] On that date, it was announced that the series would receive a CGI anime film adaptation co-produced by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga, and Anima.[14] The film was directed by Toshihisa Yokoshima, with Hiroshi Kōjina serving as directing advisor, Hayashi Mori writing the screenplay, Yoshikazu Iwanami directing the sound, and Yugo Kanno composing the music.[15] Imase performed the film's theme song "Utopia" (ユートピア).[16] The film had its world premiere screening at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2023.[17] It was then officially released in Japanese theaters on August 18 of the same year by Toho, with a North American release following in 2024.[17][18]

An original net animation (ONA) series was announced on November 14, 2023.[19] The cast and staff members from the film reprised their roles.[20] The opening theme is "Water Carrier" by Kroi, while the ending theme is "Drive My Idea" (ドライブ・マイ・イデア) by Tempalay.[21] The first seven episodes of the series began streaming worldwide on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu on March 20, 2024.[20] The remaining episodes were released once a week.[20] The first six episodes comprise "The Story of the Fiend Prince" (悪魔の王子, Akuma no Ōji) arc and retell the story of the film with some new scenes, while the final seven episodes comprise "The Story of the Angel Hero" (天使の勇者, Tenshi no Yūsha) arc, which Toriyama newly wrote for the ONA.[20][3] Toriyama also named the two arcs and designed the new characters such as Ann and Muniel.[3] However, he died before the ONA premiered on March 1, 2024.[22]

A televised broadcast of the series ran in Japan on NHK General TV from June 28 to September 27, 2025.[23][24]

Video game

Main article: Sand Land (video game)

An action role-playing video game based on the series was announced during Summer Game Fest on June 8, 2023.[25] It was developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and uses Unreal Engine 5. The game was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on April 25, 2024, and the following day worldwide.[26][27][28]

Reception

Manga

Greg McElhatton called Sand Land "the ultimate disposable comic, executed perfectly".[29] His review for Read About Comics summarized, refers to it as a fun light story that, while not necessarily deep or memorable, does well to explore the fictional world and the unique characters that inhabit it. Despite Toriyama's complaints about designing the tank, McElhatton praised the art, declaring it more consistent than his previous work Dragon Ball.[29] John Jakala of Anime News Network also called the artwork, and story, superior to Dragon Ball.[30] Jakala said the characters are a big part of the series' charm, claiming Toriyama did a "masterful job" establishing the look and personality of each character in the first chapter.[30]

Anime

At the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival, the film adaptation of Sand Land won a Special Jury Mention in the Excellence in Animation category.[17] The film opened at number six at the Japanese box office, and grossed US$2.98 million by its third week.[31][32] Evan Mullicane of Screen Rant strongly praised the film, writing that it "proves that the original Sand Land manga is Toriyama's true opus." He found the "seamless" blend of 3D and 2D animation creates a distinctive look that captures Toriyama's artwork "beautifully", and noted that the film's best moments are all based on developing the three central characters.[33]

Writing for Anime News Network, Kalai Chik called the film a "feel good popcorn movie" and gave it a B+ rating. They cited the script as its strongest feature; "For a story that touches on the impacts of war, global warming, and corporate greed, it never overcomplicates the message, nor does it talk down to the audience." Although they praised the music, Chik noted it also exposes the "underutilized animation".[34]

Giving the film three out of five stars, Matt Schley of The Japan Times called it a straightforward romp that is "fun first and foremost", but leaves the audience with deeper themes to contemplate. He praised the banter between the three main characters as entertaining, with Mutsumi Tamura's Beelzebub being "especially endearing", and the supporting characters for highlighting Toriyama's skill for visual gags. Although Schley wrote that the story and CG animation in Sand Land are not likely to disappoint audiences, he noted that there is "nothing particularly revolutionary" about it and suggested it could have been slightly shorter in length.[35]

Notes

  1. ^ With Hiroshi Kōjina acting as the Direction Advisor (ディレクションアドバイザー).
  2. ^ It started in the magazine's 23nd issue of 2000 (cover date May 22),[36] released on May 9 of that same year.[37]
  3. ^ It finished in the magazine's combined 36th–37th issue (cover date August 21),[38] released on August 8 of that same year.[39]

References

  1. ^ "Sand Land". Shonen Jump. Archived February 16, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Official Website for Sand Land". Viz Media. Archived July 3, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "ja:「SAND LAND」鳥山明が20年の時を経て"その先"を考案、アニメは3月20日から" (in Japanese). Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. March 4, 2024. Archived March 8, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "ja:日本を代表する漫画家・鳥山明の伝説の名作「SAND LAND」サンライズ×神風動画×ANIMAのアニメーション制作陣がおくる鳥山明ワールド最高峰クオリティ、8月18日（金）劇場公開決定！。" (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Entertainment. March 22, 2023. Archived January 2, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 3, 2025. – via PR Times
  5. ^ Toriyama, Akira (2003). Sand Land. Viz Media. pp. 1. ISBN 1-59116-181-9.
  6. ^ "SAND LAND" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived February 7, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
  7. ^ "ja:SAND LAND 完全版" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived February 7, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 6, 2023). "Sand Land Full Color Manga Launches on August 4". Anime News Network. Archived July 6, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (September 9, 2024). "Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Avatars!! Manga, Sand Land Full-Color Manga End". Anime News Network. Archived September 9, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "Sand Land (paperback)". Viz Media. Archived February 7, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  11. ^ "Sand Land by Akira Toriyama". Barnes & Noble. Archived October 12, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  12. ^ "Sand Land (digital)". Viz Media. Archived February 7, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  13. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (December 8, 2022). "Bandai Namco, Dragon Ball's Akira Toriyama Tease SAND LAND Project". Anime News Network. Archived December 8, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  14. ^ Loo, Egan (December 8, 2022). "Akira Toriyama's SAND LAND Manga Gets Screen Adaptation in 2023". Anime News Network. Archived December 17, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  15. ^ Loo, Egan (April 3, 2023). "SAND LAND Anime Film Unveils New Trailer, Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. Archived April 3, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  16. ^ Loo, Egan (June 22, 2023). "Sand Land Anime Film's Trailer Previews imase's Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived June 22, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (July 31, 2023). "The First Slam Dunk, Sand Land Anime Films Win at Fantasia Int'l Film Festival". Anime News Network. Archived July 31, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  18. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 22, 2023). "Sand Land Anime Film Comes to N. America in 2024". Anime News Network. Archived July 5, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  19. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (November 13, 2023). "Sand Land Manga Gets Anime Series on Disney+, Hulu in Spring 2024 (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived January 12, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 4, 2024). "Sand Land: The Series Anime Reveals March 20 Premiere, Cast for New Arc". Anime News Network. Archived March 8, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  21. ^ Luster, Joseph (March 18, 2024). "SAND LAND Anime Series Previews Theme Songs and More in New Trailer". Otaku USA. Archived March 24, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  22. ^ Speed, Jessica (March 8, 2024). "Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68". The Japan Times. Archived March 8, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  23. ^ Harding, Daryl (May 1, 2025). "SAND LAND Anime Gets New Visual for 1st TV Broadcast". Crunchyroll News. Archived May 3, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  24. ^ "ja:アニメ　ＳＡＮＤ　ＬＡＮＤ：　ＴＨＥ　ＳＥＲＩＥＳ （１３）「戦いの果てに」" (in Japanese). NHK. Archived April 24, 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  25. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 8, 2023). "Akira Toriyama's Sand Land Manga Gets Action RPG". Anime News Network. Archived June 9, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  26. ^ Romano, Sal (June 8, 2023). "SAND LAND game announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, and PC". Gematsu. Archived June 8, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  27. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (June 8, 2023). "Dragon Ball Z Creator's Other Classic Manga Finally Gets A Game". Kotaku. Archived June 8, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  28. ^ Pineda, Rafael (January 12, 2024). "Sand Land Game's Trailer Reveals April 26 Release Date". Anime News Network. Archived January 12, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  29. ^ McElhatton, Greg (April 5, 2004). "Sand Land". Read About Comics. Archived March 27, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  30. ^ Jakala, John (January 2, 2003). "Shonen Jump Volume 1". Anime News Network. Archived February 11, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  31. ^ Hazra, Adriana (August 21, 2023). "3rd Live-Action Kingdom Film Stays at #1, Sand Land Debuts at #6". Anime News Network. Archived March 12, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  32. ^ Hazra, Adriana (September 5, 2023). "3rd Live-Action Kingdom Film Drops to #4, The Boy and the Heron to #5". Anime News Network. Archived March 12, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  33. ^ Mullicane, Evan (July 22, 2023). "Sand Land Review - Move Over Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama's New Movie is His Opus". Screen Rant. Archived August 1, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  34. ^ Chik, Kalai (July 30, 2023). "Sand Land - Review". Anime News Network. Archived July 31, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  35. ^ Schley, Matt (August 17, 2023). "'Sand Land': Summer fun with a bad-boy prince". The Japan Times. Archived August 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  36. ^ "ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2000/05/22 表示号数23" (in Japanese). Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived May 2, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  37. ^ "ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2000年23号" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived May 10, 2000 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  38. ^ "ja:週刊少年ジャンプ 2000/08/21・8/28合併 表示号数36・37" (in Japanese). Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived May 2, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  39. ^ "Contents" (in Japanese). Weekly Shōnen Jump. No. 35. Shueisha. 2000. p. Table of contents. Archived June 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2023. 次号、36-37合併号味8月8日発売!!