Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin

Rainbow - Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin (ＲＡＩＮＢＯＷ　二舎六房の七人), is a Japanese manga series written by George Abe and illustrated by Masasumi Kakizaki. It began serialization in 2003 in Shogakukan Publishing's Weekly Young Sunday manga magazine but was moved to Big Comic Spirits when the magazine stopped publication. It was later published in twenty two bound volumes by Shogakukan from April 2003 to February 2010. The story is set in the 1950s and focuses on six junior delinquents aged sixteen to seventeen that are sent to the Shōnan Special Reform School. They learn to cope with the atrocities and unfairness they encounter there. In 2005 it won in the general category of the Shogakukan Manga Award along with A Spirit of the Sun.

An anime television series produced by Madhouse Studios and directed by Hiroshi Koujina began airing in Japan on April 6, 2010.

Plot
Set in the 1950s, the story centers around six junior delinquents and their mentor at the Shōnan Special Reform School near Tokyo. The manga follows the boys' lives during their time in the school and the years after they leave.

Characters

 * Rokurouta Sakuragi (桜木 六郎太)
 * Sakuragi Rokurouta, aged eighteen, and referred as 'An-chan' (bro) by his cell-mates, is the oldest of the seven protagonists in Rainbow. A strong and benevolent young man, Sakuragi has great boxing technique which he demonstrated by knocking out all six newcomers when Mario started a fight. He constantly looks out for the well-being of his cell-mates, just like they treasure him. This often means sacrificing himself for them, making him the routine victim of Ishihara's schemes. He is the only boy at the school who does not fear Ishihara. When he was younger, his father and five brothers went off to war. Only his father survived and returned home a broken man and a drunk. Sakuragi's father later committed suicide after arguing with Sakuragi one night, leaving him racked with guilt. As a result of this, Sakuragi resolves to never lose anyone else important to him.
 * Sakuragi Rokurouta, aged eighteen, and referred as 'An-chan' (bro) by his cell-mates, is the oldest of the seven protagonists in Rainbow. A strong and benevolent young man, Sakuragi has great boxing technique which he demonstrated by knocking out all six newcomers when Mario started a fight. He constantly looks out for the well-being of his cell-mates, just like they treasure him. This often means sacrificing himself for them, making him the routine victim of Ishihara's schemes. He is the only boy at the school who does not fear Ishihara. When he was younger, his father and five brothers went off to war. Only his father survived and returned home a broken man and a drunk. Sakuragi's father later committed suicide after arguing with Sakuragi one night, leaving him racked with guilt. As a result of this, Sakuragi resolves to never lose anyone else important to him.


 * Mario Minakami (水上 真理雄)
 * Minakami Mario, aged seventeen, is the unofficial leader of the six new boys. He was sentenced after inflicting life-threatening injuries to one of his teachers when he discovered the man attempting to rape a female student. He tried to pick a fight with Sakuragi the first day they met but was knocked out easily. Mario came to admire Sakuragi and began to train to box under him and was shown to be quite skilled.
 * Minakami Mario, aged seventeen, is the unofficial leader of the six new boys. He was sentenced after inflicting life-threatening injuries to one of his teachers when he discovered the man attempting to rape a female student. He tried to pick a fight with Sakuragi the first day they met but was knocked out easily. Mario came to admire Sakuragi and began to train to box under him and was shown to be quite skilled.


 * Noboru Maeda (前田 昇)
 * Maeda Noboru, age sixteen, nicknamed 'Suppon' (Turtle) is the smallest of seven boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for theft, con, dine-and-dash, and several other crimes which could not be fully investigated during his detention. He lost his entire family in an atom bomb explosion. Despite having no real fighting skills or strength, he has very powerful jaws which he is quite proud of.
 * Maeda Noboru, age sixteen, nicknamed 'Suppon' (Turtle) is the smallest of seven boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for theft, con, dine-and-dash, and several other crimes which could not be fully investigated during his detention. He lost his entire family in an atom bomb explosion. Despite having no real fighting skills or strength, he has very powerful jaws which he is quite proud of.


 * Ryuuji Nomoto (野本 龍次)
 * Nomoto Ryuuji, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Baremoto' (Uncovered) is the smartest of the seven boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for con, fraud, and theft, particulary in shopping centers. When he was young he and his mother were very poor. After learning that his mother sold her body to acquire food, he grew to distrust everyone. It was only after meeting Sakuragi and the others that he leaved to value friendship again.
 * Nomoto Ryuuji, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Baremoto' (Uncovered) is the smartest of the seven boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for con, fraud, and theft, particulary in shopping centers. When he was young he and his mother were very poor. After learning that his mother sold her body to acquire food, he grew to distrust everyone. It was only after meeting Sakuragi and the others that he leaved to value friendship again.


 * Mansaku Matsuura (松浦 万作)
 * Matsuura Mansaku, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Cabitz' (Cabbage) is one of largest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for drunken violent and assault related to underage drinking. Despite his crimes and intimidating physical size, he is normally very kind-hearted and quiet. He enjoys eating and tends to be the most cheerful of the boys.
 * Matsuura Mansaku, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Cabitz' (Cabbage) is one of largest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for drunken violent and assault related to underage drinking. Despite his crimes and intimidating physical size, he is normally very kind-hearted and quiet. He enjoys eating and tends to be the most cheerful of the boys.


 * Tadayoshi Tooyama (遠山 忠義)
 * Tooyama Tadayoshi, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Heitai' (Soldier) is one of the largest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for acts of violence and false imprisonments. He ruthlessly beat and injured his mother's boyfriend, who was abusing her. He was one of the boys who showed the most animosity towards Sakuragi when they first met, but later came to have the most respect for him. Under Sakuragi's advice, he began exercising with the goal of eventually joining the army. He is friends with Cabbage and the two work out together.
 * Tooyama Tadayoshi, aged seventeen, nicknamed 'Heitai' (Soldier) is one of the largest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school for acts of violence and false imprisonments. He ruthlessly beat and injured his mother's boyfriend, who was abusing her. He was one of the boys who showed the most animosity towards Sakuragi when they first met, but later came to have the most respect for him. Under Sakuragi's advice, he began exercising with the goal of eventually joining the army. He is friends with Cabbage and the two work out together.


 * Jou Yokosuka (横須賀 丈)
 * Yokosuka Jou, aged sixteen, nicknamed 'Joe' is the quietest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school after inflicting life-threatening injuries upon a man who attempted to rape him. He is an orphan and has a younger sister named Meg and are half-European, half-Japanese. His unusual pale skin and blue eyes gives him a somewhat innocent, vulnerable look. However, he is shown to be very strong when he tied up Dr. Sasaki.
 * Yokosuka Jou, aged sixteen, nicknamed 'Joe' is the quietest of the boys. He was sent to the disciplinary school after inflicting life-threatening injuries upon a man who attempted to rape him. He is an orphan and has a younger sister named Meg and are half-European, half-Japanese. His unusual pale skin and blue eyes gives him a somewhat innocent, vulnerable look. However, he is shown to be very strong when he tied up Dr. Sasaki.


 * Ishihara (石原)
 * One of the Shonan Special Disciplinary School's senior guards. Ishihara is brutal and sadistic man who enjoys beating and punishing students for the slightest reason. Of all the students, he has the greatest grudge against Sakuragi, who shows no fear of Ishihara nor falls for his schemes. This has made Ishihara secretly afraid of Sakuragi, especially when Sakuragi stares at him, which drives him to want to kill Sakuragi. He neither cares for or respect any student or guard at the school except for Dr. Sasaki.
 * One of the Shonan Special Disciplinary School's senior guards. Ishihara is brutal and sadistic man who enjoys beating and punishing students for the slightest reason. Of all the students, he has the greatest grudge against Sakuragi, who shows no fear of Ishihara nor falls for his schemes. This has made Ishihara secretly afraid of Sakuragi, especially when Sakuragi stares at him, which drives him to want to kill Sakuragi. He neither cares for or respect any student or guard at the school except for Dr. Sasaki.


 * Gisuke Sasaki (佐々木 義助)
 * The doctor at Shonan Special Disciplinary School. He will often publically say, "We must treat the children well". Secretly however, Sasaki is a pedophile and regularly sexually molests boys at the school. Sasaki will usually pay Ishihara to send prisoners to him so he can violate them; something that Ishihara himself finds pleasure with, due to his sadistical nature. In the past, Sasaki violated one of Sakuragi's former cell-mates, Ei'ichi Hagino, resulting in the boy committing suicide. Sasaki, like Ishihara, wants to kill Sakuragi before he leaves the school because Sakuragi has knowledge of Sasaki's crimes.
 * The doctor at Shonan Special Disciplinary School. He will often publically say, "We must treat the children well". Secretly however, Sasaki is a pedophile and regularly sexually molests boys at the school. Sasaki will usually pay Ishihara to send prisoners to him so he can violate them; something that Ishihara himself finds pleasure with, due to his sadistical nature. In the past, Sasaki violated one of Sakuragi's former cell-mates, Ei'ichi Hagino, resulting in the boy committing suicide. Sasaki, like Ishihara, wants to kill Sakuragi before he leaves the school because Sakuragi has knowledge of Sasaki's crimes.

Manga
Rainbow began as a manga series written by George Abe and illustrated by Masasumi Kakizaki, which began serialization in Shogakukan Publishing's Weekly Young Sunday manga magazine but was moved to Big Comic Spirits when the magazine stopped publication. The chapters of the manga have been collated into 22 bound volumes by Shogakukan between April 2003 and February 2010. In 2005 it won in the general category of the Shogakukan Manga Award along with A Spirit of the Sun.

Anime
An anime television series was produced by the animation studio Madhouse and directed by Hiroshi Koujina. The anime began airing in Japan on April 6, 2010. On May 28, 2010 it was announced that FUNimation has picked up the series for simulcast distribution starting on June 1.

Episode list
Episodes are called "Crimes". The opening theme is "We're not alone" by Coldrain, and the ending theme is "A Far off Distance" by Galneryus, both signed by VAP.

Reception
Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin won the 51st Shogakukan Manga Awards in the General category, sharing the award with A Spirit of The Sun.