Super Dog Rilienthal: Research Notes

Tucker

Title: 

• Kashikoi-ken Rilienthal
  『賢い犬リリエンタール』（かしこいけんリリエンタール、SUPER DOG RILIENTHAL）

  • This is another instance of the English title not being a translation of the Japanese title, but an alternate title chosen by the author

  • The Japanese title is a play on the dual meanings of “kashikoi.” When referring to a person, it means smart/clever. When referring to a pet, it means that they are well-behaved/trained. 

  • What’s up with “Rilienthal”? Current theory: The last part of it is obviously a reference to the Neanderthals (suggesting that this dog is a new, human-like species), while the first part is probably taken from the Japanese pronunciation of “Realize Device” リアライズデバイス, which is what the codename RD-1 stands for. I think there’s probably an influence from the mascot character Rilakkuma, as well (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rilakkuma) 

  • Suggested pronunciation: Rill-ee-en-thal OR Rill-ee-en-tall

    • In case you were wondering, using the “th” sound in the word “neanderthal” is pretty much exclusively an English thing. The “h” is silent in the original German and every other language just pronounces it as a “t” sound. The word means “Neander Valley,” which is where the original fossil was discovered in Germany. In modern German spelling, “Thal” is now “Tal.” The word comes from the same source as the English word “dale.”

Author

• Ashihara Daisuke 葦原 大介（あしはら だいすけ)

  • Ah-shee-hah-rah, Dye-s’kay

MaxyBee

• Daisuke Ashihara

  • Notable people they were an assistant for

    • None known

  • Notable people they had as assistants

    • Katsutoshi Murase (Karada Sagashi, Arata Primal)

      • on Super Dog Rilienthal

    • Ippei Goto (Hi-Fi Cluster)

      • on World Trigger

    • Shin’ichiro Ooe (Hero! Caesar-san)

      • on World Trigger

    • Kenta Tsuchida (Toge Toge)

      • on World Trigger

    • Hiroki Tomisawa (Super Smartphone)

      • on World Trigger

  • Other works

    • World Trigger (2013-present, 27 vols, Weekly Shonen Jump/Jump Square)

      • Based on the one-shots Trigger Keeper and Talented Elite Jin, and reusing some designs and concepts from other work by the author (including Super Dog Rilienthal), World Trigger is a sci-fi epic where an elite organisation uses talented youths to fight off alien incursions from neighbouring dimensions. That said, it’s spent most of its run being e-sports and exams, so who even knows anymore. Big hit with three seasons of animé, two video games, and one databook. Started in WSJ before moving to Jump Square after Ashihara had a lengthy hiatus due to his cervical spondylosis.

        • Read the World Trigger manga over on either Shonen Jump or Manga Plus

        • Watch the World Trigger anime over on Crunchyroll

• Publishing

  • Run Dates: 

    • September 14, 2009 to May 10, 2010

  • Series it replaced

• To Love Ru by Kentaro Yabuki (Yamato Gensouki) (18 volumes, MEGA HIT)

• Series that replaced it

  •  Shonen Shikku by Yuto Tsukuda (Tenmaku Cinema) (2 vols, flop)

• Series that started at the same time as it

  • Hokenshitsu no Shinigami by Sho Aimoto (Muddy) (10 vols, did okay)

• Chapters/Volumes: 

  • 32 chapters + epilogue/4 vols

• 
  

Manga Itself / Misc thoughts

• The names are often very on the nose. Ani’s name is literally ‘bro’. Tetsuko is a tough girl so she’s iron with the feminine -ko on the end. Most names are in katakana too (except Ani), which suggests that the series was focusing on a very young audience.

  • Before serialisation, Ani was set to be renamed Akira, but Ashihara changed his mind, using that name for… well, for Akira, instead.

  • You don’t get a more straightforward name than Lowrise Lonely Longhair, with his long hair, lowrise trousers, and quiet demeanour.

• In volume 2 we get a bit of bad English on the character profile page, where Marie is referred to as a ‘GOST GIRL’. Volumes 3 & 4 fix this error, so presumably an English-savvy editor gave someone a talking to.

• SUPER SPACE CAT’S FAVOURITE FOOD IS NOT CURRY, IT’S “KYURI”, AS IN CUCUMBER. THAT’S WHY IT LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING CUCMUMBER. 0/100, TRANSLATORS, SEE ME AFTER CLASS.

• Volume extras include:

  • Character profiles (with occasional author commentary)

  • The layout of the Hino family home

  • Bonus strips of the Hino family’s typical day

  • A guide to the series’ unique zodiac

  • A visual Q&A for the blacksuits’ organisation

  • Various rankings (strength, cooking skill, ease or difficulty to draw, et cetera)

  • The original one-shot for Super Dog Rilienthal

  • A volume-only epilogue

  • Assistant credits

• WORLD TRIGGER CONNECTIONS:

  • The zodiac system from Rilienthal is used again for World Trigger’s birthdays

  • Yosuke Yoneya wears badges with Rilienthal, Super Space Cat, and Gomuzo on them

  • A bully reads Super Dog Rilienthal in chapter 1

  • A plush of Rilienthal is in chapters 82 and 83

  • The general proportions of Gomuzo (inflated) is similar to the generic Neighbor monsters

  • Whilst Yotaro Rindo and Raijinmaru are their own characters, the way Yotaro rides his trusty capybara is just like Rilienthal on Gomuzo.

  • Yotaro also has the same mouth and similar eyes to Rilienthal

  • The way the organisation boss’ body breaks down at the end is similar to how trion bodies break