Pumpkin Scissors is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ryotaro Iwanaga. The series follows Second Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin, the leader of the Pumpkin Scissors, as she and her platoon go on missions to provide war relief to the public after the Royal Empire signed an armistice against the Republic of Frost.
The series started in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Magazine Great in 2002 and moved to Monthly Shōnen Magazine in 2006. Its chapters have been collected in 24 tankōbon volumes. In North America, the manga was published for English release by Del Rey, publishing five volumes before ceasing operations in 2010. It was later licensed by Kodansha USA for a digital release.
A 24-episode television series adaptation, produced by Gonzo and AIC, was broadcast from October 2006 to March 2007. It was first licensed in North America by ADV Films, and later transferred to Funimation.
Contents
Plot
Set in a region that strongly resembles Western Europe, the setting is mid-1930s technology at best. Tanks exist, but semi-automatic rifles have just been developed, and the main means of transportation is still by train or car. Planes are seldom used, and wireless communication does not exist, resulting in a dieselpunk setting. After a catastrophic war similar to the Great War, which lasted 11 years in this universe and occurred in the early 20th century, the Royal Empire (culturally similar to the German Empire but with traditions dating back to the Middle Ages) and the Republic of Frost declared a ceasefire. The Empire is plagued by starvation, and pestilence, with former soldiers turning to thievery, banditry and other forms of crime, forming into gangs to survive the post-war period. Three years later, to aid the people of the Empire in the war relief effort, the Imperial Army State Section III, also known as the Pumpkin Scissors unit, is established.
The name for the group was an idea from one of its officers, the Second Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin. According to her, in their war relief effort, they must "face the threat of corrupt people who protect themselves behind lies, power, and money like the rind of a pumpkin", and Section III must act like a pair of scissors cutting through those layers and delivering justice for the people. This is a constant message which ripples throughout the series. The unit is, however, berated constantly, considered a propaganda tool used by the government, and is seen as an insult to the war relief effort by many within the army, as well as the Empire's citizens. Randel Oland, a veteran soldier with a mysterious past, joins their ranks and steadily the Pumpkin Scissors unit begins to be taken more seriously as the plot begins to unravel.
Characters
Second Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin (アリス・L・マルヴィン, Arisu Rei Maruvin)
Voiced by: Shizuka Itou (Japanese); Kaytha Coker (English)
Second-in-command and platoon leader of State Section III, aka Pumpkin Scissors. An inexperienced soldier of noble origin who graduated in the academy just before the ceasefire (the ceasefire was announced literally in the middle of the graduation ceremony for the class of officers she was in at military academy); Alice's hot-tempered and reckless demeanor tends to sometimes put her and her subordinates in danger. She has a strong sense of duty and justice and tries to live up to her family's military traditions, contrary to her father and sisters' belief that she must assume a more feminine behavior. While she is the current heir to her family, she will likely lose this position once her younger brother comes of age.
Contrary to her subordinates who always engage in combat with firearms, Alice's weapon of choice is a short-sword with her family crest engraved on it, but in some occasions she shows her true skills in battle when brandishing her special weapon, a long double-bladed cavalry sword called Mahne. Another curious trait of hers is that sometimes she feels chills on her neck when something very good or very bad is about to happen. Alice is engaged to another noble, Lionel Taylor, who apparently supports her ideals.
Corporal Randel Oland (ランデル・オーランド, Randeru Ōrando)
Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese); Adam Dudley (English)
A retired soldier who joined Pumpkin Scissors to aid in their war relief effort. He was a former member of the 901st Anti-Tank Troopers (901-ATT), which basically consisted of foot soldiers trained to take down enemy tanks by themselves. This unit, known also as the "Gespenster Jäger" (German for "Ghost Hunter") was part of the Invisible 9, a secret and illegal unit created by the Empire for the war. They are specially trained to ignore pain and fear in order to engage tanks and armored vehicles at point blank range. While the division was secret, all tank crews were warned to be wary of soldiers carrying a blue lantern.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Ryotaro Iwanaga, Pumpkin Scissors started in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Magazine Great in the July 2002 issue. Its last chapter in the magazine was published in the September 2006 issue, and the series later moved to Monthly Shōnen Magazine, starting in the November 2006 issue. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on June 16, 2004. As of August 16, 2024, 24 volumes have been released. The series entered on hiatus on March 6, 2020, and resumed on April 6, 2024.
In North America, the manga was licensed by Del Rey. The publisher released five volumes from November 27, 2007, to July 25, 2009, before ceasing operations in 2010. Kodansha USA started publishing the manga digitally on August 2, 2016; the 24th volume was published on March 18, 2025.
Anime
A 24-episode anime television series adaptation, animated by Gonzo and AIC, was broadcast on Teletama and other networks from October 3, 2006, to March 18, 2007.
In North America, the series was first licensed by ADV Films. The company released five DVD volumes (first 20 episodes) from October 23, 2007, to July 22, 2008. The title was then acquired by Funimation, who released the sixth and last volume (episodes 21–24) on February 10, 2009, and released a complete DVD set on August 25 of the same year. In Southeast Asia, the series was broadcast on Animax Asia.
Reception
The English edition of the first volume of Pumpkin Scissors was named by the Young Adult Library Services Association as among the best graphic novels for teens for 2007.
The anime adaptation has received a mixed response from Anime News Network and The Escapist. Most of the criticism is directed at the lack of focus the series has for its story arcs and an ending that leaves the series incomplete. Theron Martin from Anime News Network did give some praise when going over the remaining four episodes of the anime, pointing out individual character moments, particularly Alice's duel, but criticized the series overall for dragging out the plot. The Escapist concluded their review by stating that "Had Pumpkin Scissors focused on fully developing at least one aspect of the story, it might have been a good series. As it stands, it feels unfinished with only a few interesting bits to spare from being totally forgettable."