Shadow Star, known in Japan in full as Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko (骸なる星･珠たる子, Mukuro Naru Hoshi·Tama Taru Ko?, The Star that Died and the Jewel of a Girl) and abbreviated as Narutaru (なるたる), is the name of a Japanese manga and of the anime series which was based on the manga. The series was created by Mohiro Kitoh and the Japanese version was released in the magazine Afternoon. In the United States, it was licensed by Dark Horse and serialized in Super Manga Blast!.

The anime adaptation was broadcast in 2003 on the Japanese television station Kids Station. It consists of 13 episodes, each of which runs for about 24 minutes. The anime has been licensed by Central Park Media and as of 2007 runs on the Illusion on Demand television network.

The protagonist of the series is a twelve-year-old girl named Shiina Tamai. She bonds with a starfish-shaped "dragonchild" (baby "shadow dragon") whom she calls Hoshimaru. The series is mainly about the interaction between Shiina and other young people who have also bonded with dragons.

The manga, especially the original Japanese version, is known for the gruesome material that appears as the plot progesses. Despite the young main characters, cute aliens, and initial look of a shōjo or magical girl series, the story quickly transforms into one filled with very disturbing themes, including graphic depictions of gore and sexual violence. The English- and German-language versions of the manga have some edited scenes; entire pages of content were removed from the English-language version of the manga.

Source: Wikipedia