The story is set in a neo-futuristic age, in which Tokyo has turned into the world’s largest “jungle-polis” that absorbs carbon dioxide. A tower city called Atlas houses the rich and privileged, and is the object of yearning of all who are not allowed to enter. But Atlas also has ancient secrets which cause a sudden whirl of events. Festooned by colorful characters such as a riotous teenage girl, a child genius, a juvenile princess, a drag queen, a female doctor, an army major, and an elderly gentleman and lady, SHANGRI-LA’s hard-core world view plays out as an anime action saga.
A striking vision of Earth’s future from some of Japan’s foremost creative talents, SHANGRI-LA is a tale of greed and division vs. bravery and the human spirit. Set against the backdrop of a Tokyo cityscape turned into a teeming jungle by runaway global warming, with the elite living in the comfort of the tower city, Atlas, and the less-privileged masses struggling in the squalor in the jungle – only one girl, Kuniko Hojo, and her band of guerrillas can find a way to preserve the future for everyone..
This is one of the characters following:
A young girl who wields a boomerang in the defence of her town from the military or anyone who seeks to intervene. She is known to the residents of Duomo as Kuni-Chan. She is seen wearing a school girl outfit and seems a bit rambunctious. In the beginning she is held by Atlas in the women’s detention centre, but is released to Momoko, Mi-ko, and Takehiko. She is the future head of Metal Age, although she doesn’t want to be, they are an anti-government organisation. Lady Ryoko refers to her as the sun. She is also known as Digma 2.
A mysterious 8-year-old girl of aristocratic class residing in Atlas. She is a very pale little girl, stricken with a disease which prevents her from being exposed to sunlight. She is referred to as “The Moon” and is also called Digma 1. She has the uncanny ability to see through lies, and subsequently puts liars to death with a psychic power that brutally manipulates and crushes their body. She carries a sacred dagger identical to the ones Kuniko and Kunihito have, as well as an earring matching the one Momoko wears.
Kunihito Kusanagi (草薙 国仁)
Affiliation: Atlas Corporation
A military officer who does not want to hurt others as much as the Atlas military wants to. Works for Atlas Corporation under Leon’s lead. Carries a sacred dagger identical to Kuniko’s and Mikuni’s, except that the tip of his dagger is broken. He is referred to as “The Land” and is Digma 3.[Wikipedia]
Major of the 10th Antiaircraft Artillery Corps who insistently hunts down the Metal-age. Brought up by an ordinary family, Kunihito is a clever fellow with an honest heart.
http://www.anime-shangri-la.jp/english/character03.html
Takehiko (武彦)
A driver and a rough and tumble guy. He regulates the electricity production in the town of Duomo.
One of the lead members of Metal-age. Though a man of action and strong leadership, he fights for justice and devotes his life to overthrowing the government. He is often a target of Kuniko and Momoko’s teasing.
Sayoko (小夜子)
A Mikuni’s lady-in-waiting who devotes to Mikuni with almost obsessive devotion. She is a former autopsist who is having difficulties in self-affirmation and is also a sadist with masochistic nature. How she came to Atlas Corporation is a mystery.
Momoko (モモコ)
Bust/Waist/Hips: 90/60/88
A sexy transsexual who claims to be the “eternal 28-year-old”. Highly athletic, Momoko was born with incredible beauty and knack for battle. She can tell from people’s body shapes what kind of lives they have been living. A foster mother of Kuniko who has taught her how to love, fight and think.
Her weapon of choice is a whip that is coiled around her arm until she activates and uses it. She is one of the owners of Tropical Fish.
MEDUSA (メデューサ)
Affliation: Ishida Finance
A snake like animal, MEDUSA is a computer program built for Ishida Finance and used to find debts around the world in countries who’s CO2 Emissions and Carbon Credits are not equal. Using these “debts,” MEDUSA generates vast amounts of money for Ishida Finance through various manipulations of the Carbon Market (similar to the Stock Market). MEDUSA is originally believed to be the only program in the world that can perform these manipulations of Carbon Credits, but it seems that there are other programs similar to it operating across the globe. MEDUSA is hidden in the Marshall Island and is protected by a typhoon created by a weather satellite. [Wikipedia]
Hiruko (水蛭子)
Affiliation: Unknown
A young boy whom Ryoko refers to as the Lord of Atlas, the highest authority in the city. He is partially covered in scrolls, with a strange glow in his left eye. Hiruko resides in his throne room deep below Atlas, with eerie-looking eyes decorating the walls. He appears to be immortal, however his method of attaining it comes at a price: the body he uses often breaks down after a short while, requiring the use of new vessels to maintain his spirit before it dissipates permanently. The unwilling vessel is pushed into a pool, and floating talismans partially cover the body. After a while, the memories and personality of the original body will be destroyed, and Hiruko’s spirit will take the place of the vessel, changing the body’s appearance to his original self. According to Ryoko, Hiruko made a prediction twelve generations ago, that the Sun and Moon (Kuniko and Mikuni) will meet, and as the children of God, the pair will bring harmony to the world. While predicting the prophecy, he often goes into hysterical fits. Sayoko reveals that Hiruko was used by Talsian to control the oscillation of the spiritual forces around Atlas, and once removed from his abode, the area around Atlas will start to destabilize. After Miiko is made his next vessel, Miiko is able to suppress his personality temporarily. Sayoko takes Hiruko/Miiko away with Mikuni in tow and escape Atlas. [Wikipedia]
Karin Ishida (石田 香凛)
One of the developers of MEDUSA, a commercial CO2 forecast system She is a genius who uses MEDUSA at age of 10 to control market and engrossed in money game, believing that money is everything.
Reon Imaki (今木 烈音)
Affiliation: Atlas Corporation
Working for Lady Ryoko, Leon is the older brother of Sion and leads the military for Atlas Corporation. [Wikipedia]
Nagiko Houjou (北条 凪子)
Kuniko’s grandmother, the head of Metal Age. She places a firm emphasis on learning and is much sterner and reserved than Kuniko is. She wants Kuniko to become the next leader of Metal Age, but Kuniko does not want to be. She also disagrees with using the internet for information, and gets her knowledge from the many books she has.
Ryouko Naruse (鳴瀬 涼子)
A domineering woman who wants to control everything around her. She seems to possess a bad temperment and lashes out at others. She also seems to only care about the development and advancement of Atlas.
Zhang (張)
Internet buddy of Karin. He is known only from instant message conversations with Karin.
Sergei Tarsian (セルゲイ·タルシャン)
Affiliation: Ishida Finance
A friend of Karin’s, Talsian seems to have a connection to Karin’s parents, and doesn’t talk during instant message conversations. Talsian makes a physical appearance from halfway through the series. He is chairman of Atlas Corporation, and apparently knows Ryoko well. It is revealed that Talsian and Nagiko, the first CEO of Atlas, both helped create Atlas for a better future for their descendants. He is placed under arrest by Ryoko under allegations of having assisted an unknowing Karin to shut down Atlas’ critical systems. [Wikipedia]
Also, here are the opening of Shangri-la:
-opening: by May’n, Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare
