Happy Lesson
Encyclopedia
Happy Lesson is a comedy
manga
, written by Mutsumi Sasaki
and illustrated by Shinnosuke Mori, serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine
from April 1999 to September 2002, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five of his teachers. It was adapted into a five-part OVA
series in 2001; a thirteen-episode animated TV series
in 2002; a sequel TV series, called Happy Lesson Advance, in 2003; and a second OVA series, Happy Lesson: The Final, in 2004. The series has also been adapted into a series of drama CDs and a Dreamcast game.
The first volume of the manga was licensed and released by A.D. Vision
's ADV Manga label in the United States; the first three episodes of the OVA and the first TV series were licensed by the ADV Films label for Region 1 distribution.
and their unusual plan to become mother figures in an effort to make him a productive student. To achieve their plan, they employ various methods, such as science experiments, spiritual cleansing, physical training, and hijinks.
Resembles a harem anime
.
A high school orphan who has moved into his deceased parent's house by himself, but not for long as each of his teachers recognizes his slipping grades and decide to secretly move in with him, becoming his "Mothers".
In the beginning of the series, it is shown that Hitotose is very good at fighting, as seen when he beats up two guys who were making fun of him because he has no parents; later on, in Happy Lesson Advance, we see his ability to fight numerous times during his conflicts with Nagatsuki Kuron. Hitotose's true feelings about the family are also revealed in Happy Lesson Advance.
The male protagonist in the manga version of the story. He replaces Chitose in the story but his circumstances are the exactly the same. He differs in personality from Chitose, being more studious, less irritable and generally nicer to those around him.
Chitose's homeroom teacher and a teacher of Japanese Classics, she is the first to move in with him. She is gentle until Chitose slacks off on studying. She is seen cooking or cleaning the house, if she is not trying to lecture Chitose.
The introverted science teacher who acts like a cult
ist. She has a personality similar to that of Chikage from Sister Princess
except that she is far more interested in science and things that can be explained through science. Though she usually comes across as 'emotionless', Kisaragi is an incredibly warm, loving, sweet and kind-hearted person who is fond of cute things (such as baby animals, pink pajamas and her son), and cares deeply for the people around her. She is actually an alien, which explains her high technological skills.
The school nurse and miko
(meaning priestess), Yayoi can be calm and spiritual unless she feels Chitose is in danger, when she may put her sword fighting skills to work. She is seen wearing a Japanese priest dress and puts her sword against Chitose's neck in order to attain a positive response. She is also very popular at school, with many of the male students faking injury or sickness so she could "treat" them.
The creative arts teacher, Uzuki acts like a small girl and is very happy-go-lucky. She gets into many arguments with Satsuki and is often seen wearing angel-like wings due to her obsession with cosplay
.
The athletics coach, Satsuki prefers brawn over brains and has a loud personality. A tomboy
, she is seen as very aggressive and violent, acting or speaking without thinking things through, but with a very sweet personality underneath. She is often referred to as "The Bear-Woman" for she is prone to wear pajamas with bears on them and acts like an animal.
Chitose's adopted younger sister. Mina currently attends the middle school section of the same campus as Chitose. She lives with her sister Hazuki (whenever she is not touring) in an apartment building not far from Chitose's house. Mina loves Chitose like a real brother, but also harbors a bit of a deep crush for him and helps Chitose whenever she can. She plans to marry Chitose when she is old enough.
Chitose's class president. Fumitsuki has a deep crush for Chitose, though he is oblivious to it. She has excellent marks and continuously tries to win Chitose's heart. At times she is very aggressive, seen punching people with great force in a comical manner in order to silence students B and C or to get back at Chitose.
Chitose's adopted elder sister. Hazuki is a pop idol in Japan; because of this, she is usually touring different cities across Japan. Her singing is very popular and has won the hearts of people across the country. A major characteristic is her ability to eat, being able to eat extremely large amounts of food in very little time. This is known as 'Okadu' a fictional technique that begins at level ten and gets harder each level down from nine to one. Hazuki is a sub instructor of this style who has achieved the top level and the title of Obakyu. (Ep. 4) Based on the costume that seems to come with this title, (seen in Chitose's flashback.) this may be a cameo reference to Obake no Q-taro
.
A mysterious kid from China who claims to be the rightful child of Mutsuki. She first appears in Happy Lesson Advance. She is versed in Kung Fu, and contends with Chitose at every chance possible. Although she is first introduced wearing a red China dress, she prefers to dress like a boy. In the end of Happy Lesson Advance she admits that she likes Chitose.
Kisaragi's childhood friend. She is first introduced as a highly skilled technician bent on taking over the world, with her technical skills being only second to Kisaragi. After meeting Chitose, she immediately develops a crush towards him and has been seeking to 'capture' him using both casual talking and technological force.
Student B and C
Student B Voiced by: Syuya Hashiba (Japanese), Resif Trebor(English)
Student C voiced by: Takuro Nakagumi (Japanese), Jeffery Sands(English)
Two male students at Chitose's school who pop up every now and then. As their name suggest they each have a letter on their forehead. They seem to exist only to make Fumitsuki miserable as they constantly follow her around with a video camera and make sarcastic comments, often breaking the fourth wall
. They were the only members of her poetry club until she kicked them out. They regard Fumitsuki as the A member.
, featuring how the main character meets with the teachers, as well as how he is reunited with his childhood friends, Hazuki Yazakura and Minazuki Rokumatsuri, from the orphanage. It was published from June 2001 to May 2003 by Studio KSS
; English adaptations of the first three episodes were licensed and distributed in the United States
by ADV Films.
Happy Lesson
Happy Lesson Advance
Happy Lesson: The Final
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, written by Mutsumi Sasaki
Mutsumi Sasaki
is a male Japanese freelance anime/manga artist from Hokkaidō, Japan. He mainly provides character designs for bishōjo characters.-Works:Character design*Happy Lesson*Futakoi*Memories Off*Memories Off 2nd*Myself ; Yourself*Chaos;Head...
and illustrated by Shinnosuke Mori, serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...
from April 1999 to September 2002, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five of his teachers. It was adapted into a five-part OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
series in 2001; a thirteen-episode animated TV series
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
in 2002; a sequel TV series, called Happy Lesson Advance, in 2003; and a second OVA series, Happy Lesson: The Final, in 2004. The series has also been adapted into a series of drama CDs and a Dreamcast game.
The first volume of the manga was licensed and released by A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
's ADV Manga label in the United States; the first three episodes of the OVA and the first TV series were licensed by the ADV Films label for Region 1 distribution.
Plot
The plot of Happy Lesson is based on five teachers who end up living with a troubled and indifferent orphanOrphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
and their unusual plan to become mother figures in an effort to make him a productive student. To achieve their plan, they employ various methods, such as science experiments, spiritual cleansing, physical training, and hijinks.
Resembles a harem anime
Harem anime
Harem, , broadly speaking, is a loose subgenre of anime and manga characterized by a protagonist surrounded, usually amorously, by three or more members of the opposite sex. The most common and practically tantamount scenario is a male surrounded by a group of females; when this is reversed it is...
.
Characters
Aside from the male lead, the main female characters follow a distinct scheme in their names. Their surnames are listed off in numbers, from 1 to 10. Furthermore, those characters have the archaic names of the months as their given names; for example, Mutsuki means "January", Kisaragi means "February", and so on.- Voiced by: Daisuke KishioDaisuke Kishiois a male Japanese voice actor. He is a member of Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society . Kishio changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same....
(Japanese), Josh Meyer (English) Jon Goiri (Spanish)
A high school orphan who has moved into his deceased parent's house by himself, but not for long as each of his teachers recognizes his slipping grades and decide to secretly move in with him, becoming his "Mothers".
In the beginning of the series, it is shown that Hitotose is very good at fighting, as seen when he beats up two guys who were making fun of him because he has no parents; later on, in Happy Lesson Advance, we see his ability to fight numerous times during his conflicts with Nagatsuki Kuron. Hitotose's true feelings about the family are also revealed in Happy Lesson Advance.
The male protagonist in the manga version of the story. He replaces Chitose in the story but his circumstances are the exactly the same. He differs in personality from Chitose, being more studious, less irritable and generally nicer to those around him.
- Voiced by: Ruri AsanoRuri Asanois a Japanese seiyū. She is affiliated with Mausu Promotion.-Anime:*Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution *Case Closed *Chrono Crusade *Cowboy Bebop *Di Gi Charat Nyo...
(Japanese), Shaneye Ferrell (English)
Chitose's homeroom teacher and a teacher of Japanese Classics, she is the first to move in with him. She is gentle until Chitose slacks off on studying. She is seen cooking or cleaning the house, if she is not trying to lecture Chitose.
- Voiced by: Akiko KimuraAkiko Kimurais a Japanese voice actress.-Anime:*Basara *Ceres, The Celestial Legend*Corrector Yui *Get Backers *Happy Lesson *Hunter × Hunter ...
(Japanese), Peyton HayslipPeyton HayslipPeyton Hayslip is an American actress.Realizing as a child that she wanted to be an actress, she ultimately received her training as an actress at the Juilliard School in NYC, the Dallas Theater Center, the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, and privately, from the late Martin Jurow...
(English)
The introverted science teacher who acts like a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
ist. She has a personality similar to that of Chikage from Sister Princess
Sister Princess
is a popular Japanese seinen series written by Sakurako Kimino and illustrated by Naoto Tenhiro. It began as a serialized light novel series in 1999. In 2001, a manga series and a bishōjo game for the Sony PlayStation were released. Sequels to the game were released for the PlayStation and Game Boy...
except that she is far more interested in science and things that can be explained through science. Though she usually comes across as 'emotionless', Kisaragi is an incredibly warm, loving, sweet and kind-hearted person who is fond of cute things (such as baby animals, pink pajamas and her son), and cares deeply for the people around her. She is actually an alien, which explains her high technological skills.
- Voiced by: Kikuko InoueKikuko Inoueis a popular Japanese voice actress and singer. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club, among others, and is the manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the "perfect girlfriend" or "motherly" role in many series, but she has also played...
(Japanese), Lana Lesley (English)
The school nurse and miko
Miko
is a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...
(meaning priestess), Yayoi can be calm and spiritual unless she feels Chitose is in danger, when she may put her sword fighting skills to work. She is seen wearing a Japanese priest dress and puts her sword against Chitose's neck in order to attain a positive response. She is also very popular at school, with many of the male students faking injury or sickness so she could "treat" them.
- Voiced by: Kimiko KoyamaKimiko Koyamais a female seiyū. She was born in Tokushima, Japan.-Notable voice roles:*Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ - Natsuki Komiya*Asura Cryin' - Reiko Saeki*Asura Cryin' 2 - Reiko Saeki*Doujin Work - Sōra Kitano*Gokujou Seitokai - Maachi Hisakawa...
(Japanese), Larissa WolcottLarissa WolcottLarissa Wolcott is a voice actress who primarily does voice work in anime dubbing for ADV Films and Funimation Entertainment. She is most known for her role as Excel from Excel Saga in episodes 14-26, when she replaced Jessica Calvello after Calvello injured her vocal cords performing Excel.-Voice...
(English)
The creative arts teacher, Uzuki acts like a small girl and is very happy-go-lucky. She gets into many arguments with Satsuki and is often seen wearing angel-like wings due to her obsession with cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
.
- Voiced by: Kahoru Sasajima (Japanese), Lee EddyLee EddyLee Eddy is an American stage actress, comedian and writer. She was born in Shreveport, Louisiana where as a child she was a member of The Peter Pan Players. Eddy has appeared in the one-woman show LadeeLeroy. Eddy regularly performs in Austin, Texas with the Salvage Vanguard Theater. She was...
(English)
The athletics coach, Satsuki prefers brawn over brains and has a loud personality. A tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
, she is seen as very aggressive and violent, acting or speaking without thinking things through, but with a very sweet personality underneath. She is often referred to as "The Bear-Woman" for she is prone to wear pajamas with bears on them and acts like an animal.
- Voiced by: Nana MizukiNana Mizukiis a popular Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress. She was born and raised in Niihama, Ehime, Japan, Mizuki was trained as an enka singer. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1998; however, she released her debut single "Omoi", under the King Records label on December 6, 2000...
(Japanese), Leigh Anderson Fisher (English)
Chitose's adopted younger sister. Mina currently attends the middle school section of the same campus as Chitose. She lives with her sister Hazuki (whenever she is not touring) in an apartment building not far from Chitose's house. Mina loves Chitose like a real brother, but also harbors a bit of a deep crush for him and helps Chitose whenever she can. She plans to marry Chitose when she is old enough.
- Voiced by: Ryōka ShimaRyoka Shimais a Japanese voice actor.-Notable voice roles:*Akihabara Dennou Gumi - Hibari Hinakoganei*Gate Keepers - Yasue Okamori*Happy Lesson - Fumitsuki Nanakorobi*Kaleido Star - Macquarie*Magical Play - Pipin*Super GALS - Rie-External links:...
(Japanese), Shawn SidesShawn SidesShawn Sides is an American voice actress notable for the work she did for ADV Films now-defunct Monster Island Studio in Austin, Texas from 1998 through 2005...
(English)
Chitose's class president. Fumitsuki has a deep crush for Chitose, though he is oblivious to it. She has excellent marks and continuously tries to win Chitose's heart. At times she is very aggressive, seen punching people with great force in a comical manner in order to silence students B and C or to get back at Chitose.
- Voiced by: Mie SonozakiMie Sonozakiis a Japanese voice actress and singer represented by Remax.-Television animation:* Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto * Beyblade 2002 * Bleach * Burst Angel * Comic Party...
(Japanese), Allison KeithAllison KeithAllison Keith is an American actor and voice actor who is best known for her English-dubbing work with ADV Films on such anime movies and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Misato Katsuragi...
(English)
Chitose's adopted elder sister. Hazuki is a pop idol in Japan; because of this, she is usually touring different cities across Japan. Her singing is very popular and has won the hearts of people across the country. A major characteristic is her ability to eat, being able to eat extremely large amounts of food in very little time. This is known as 'Okadu' a fictional technique that begins at level ten and gets harder each level down from nine to one. Hazuki is a sub instructor of this style who has achieved the top level and the title of Obakyu. (Ep. 4) Based on the costume that seems to come with this title, (seen in Chitose's flashback.) this may be a cameo reference to Obake no Q-taro
Obake no Q-taro
, by Fujiko Fujio, is a Japanese manga about an obake, Qtarō who lives with the Ōhara family. Qtarō, also known as Q-chan or Oba-Q, is a mischief-maker who likes to fly around scaring people and stealing food, though he is deathly afraid of dogs.The story is formulaic, usually focussed on the...
.
- Voiced by: Tamaki NakanishiTamaki Nakanishiis a Japanese voice actor affiliated with 81 Produce.-Anime and game voice roles:*.hack//Legend Of The Twilight *Fafner *Gad Guard *Glass Mask...
A mysterious kid from China who claims to be the rightful child of Mutsuki. She first appears in Happy Lesson Advance. She is versed in Kung Fu, and contends with Chitose at every chance possible. Although she is first introduced wearing a red China dress, she prefers to dress like a boy. In the end of Happy Lesson Advance she admits that she likes Chitose.
- Voiced by: Akiko NakagawaAkiko Nakagawais a Japanese voice actress who was born on in Sapporo. She is married to InuYasha music composer Kaoru Wada.-Notable voice roles:*Sota Higurashi in InuYasha*Anne in Little Snow Fairy Sugar*Miss Goldenweek in One Piece*Miyuki Nanase in Kindaichi Case Files...
(Japanese), Carla Witt (English)
Kisaragi's childhood friend. She is first introduced as a highly skilled technician bent on taking over the world, with her technical skills being only second to Kisaragi. After meeting Chitose, she immediately develops a crush towards him and has been seeking to 'capture' him using both casual talking and technological force.
Student B and C
Student B Voiced by: Syuya Hashiba (Japanese), Resif Trebor(English)
Student C voiced by: Takuro Nakagumi (Japanese), Jeffery Sands(English)
Two male students at Chitose's school who pop up every now and then. As their name suggest they each have a letter on their forehead. They seem to exist only to make Fumitsuki miserable as they constantly follow her around with a video camera and make sarcastic comments, often breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. They were the only members of her poetry club until she kicked them out. They regard Fumitsuki as the A member.
Reception
Happy Lesson received positive reviews from English speaking audiences. Stig Hogset from Them Anime Reviews said that "the show itself actually manages to balance its comedy with the drama, neither one really overlapping or distracting the audience from the main content". Don Houston from DVD Talk review stated that it "was a fun, cute, and even interesting way to spend several hours as Chitose and his gang of lovely teachers handled the various situations they got into with a sly grin and a knowing wink". Chris Beveridge from AnimeonDVD commented that "I found myself laughing more at this than I expected (in a good way) and enjoyed it a lot over the couple of days it took us to get through all of it."Happy Lesson OVA
The manga was first adapted into an animated format in 2001, replacing the original male lead, Susumu Arisaka, with Chitose Hitotose. This first adaptation took the form of a five-part OVAOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
, featuring how the main character meets with the teachers, as well as how he is reunited with his childhood friends, Hazuki Yazakura and Minazuki Rokumatsuri, from the orphanage. It was published from June 2001 to May 2003 by Studio KSS
KSS (company)
KSS Inc. is a Japanese company that provides anime studio services including production, music, subtitles and translation. At one time, they had also published video games.-Anime that KSS has been associated with:*Barbapapa*Battle Angel *Calimero...
; English adaptations of the first three episodes were licensed and distributed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by ADV Films.
List of episodes
| # | Title | | Release date |
|---|---|---|
List of episodes
| # | Title | |
|---|---|---|
List of episodes
| # | Title | |
|---|---|---|
List of episodes
| # | Title | Release date |
|---|---|---|
Theme songs
Happy Lesson OVA- Opening theme: "C'" ("C Dash"), by Hikari Okamoto
- Ending theme: "Place", by Five Moms
Happy Lesson
- Opening theme: , by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
- Ending theme: , by Akiko NakagawaAkiko Nakagawais a Japanese voice actress who was born on in Sapporo. She is married to InuYasha music composer Kaoru Wada.-Notable voice roles:*Sota Higurashi in InuYasha*Anne in Little Snow Fairy Sugar*Miss Goldenweek in One Piece*Miyuki Nanase in Kindaichi Case Files...
Happy Lesson Advance
- Opening theme: , by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
- Ending themes:
- , by Millio (episodes 1–12)
- "Love Goes On", by Mie SonozakiMie Sonozakiis a Japanese voice actress and singer represented by Remax.-Television animation:* Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto * Beyblade 2002 * Bleach * Burst Angel * Comic Party...
(episode 13)
Happy Lesson: The Final
- Opening theme: , by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
- Ending theme: "Paradise", by Grace