Kamichu
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese anime
television series, strongly influenced by the Shinto
religion, that follows the adventures of teenage goddess
Yurie Hitotsubashi and her friends. The title is short for . The series was created by , which is the joint pen name of Tomonori Ochikoshi, Koji Masunari, and Hideyuki Kurata. It was broadcast by the anime television network Animax
on its respective networks worldwide, including Japan
, East Asia
, South Asia
, Southeast Asia
, where it received its first English-language broadcast.
The series was adapted as a manga
serialized in Dengeki Daioh
, a shōnen
manga magazine, and collected in two tankōbon
volumes.
At the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival
, Kamichu! received an Excellence Prize for animation.
On July 3, 2008, Geneon Entertainment and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon Entertainment will still retain the license, Funimation Entertainment will assume exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. Kamichu! was one of several titles involved in the deal. However, as of August 2011, the rights to the series had expired.
sense. She has no idea what kind of god she is or what her powers are. Her friends give her the nickname Kamichu, a portmanteau of kami (god) and chūgakusei (middle school student). In her journey she meets many gods and learns the ways of the gods in order to become a great god herself. During the course of the series, Yurie grows more in being a better god, but she also grows as a person.
Kamichu! is set in the city of Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture
, on the shores of Japan's Inland Sea. Many of the temples and landmarks shown in the anime are real places in and around the city, faithfully depicted. It is set in the Spring of 1983 to Spring of 1984.
Ino, Shika, Chou
.
in 720p
, omitting episodes 8, 11, 13, and 16. The DVD release included all sixteen episodes. The opening theme was performed by Maho Tomita, and the closing theme was performed by MAKO
.
The titles of several episodes are from Japanese pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s.
serialized by MediaWorks
in Dengeki Daioh
, a shōnen
manga magazine, and collected in two tankōbon
volumes.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anime
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....
television series, strongly influenced by the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion, that follows the adventures of teenage goddess
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
Yurie Hitotsubashi and her friends. The title is short for . The series was created by , which is the joint pen name of Tomonori Ochikoshi, Koji Masunari, and Hideyuki Kurata. It was broadcast by the anime television network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
on its respective networks worldwide, including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, where it received its first English-language broadcast.
The series was adapted as a 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...
serialized in Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
, a shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine, and collected in two tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes.
At the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
, Kamichu! received an Excellence Prize for animation.
On July 3, 2008, Geneon Entertainment and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon Entertainment will still retain the license, Funimation Entertainment will assume exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. Kamichu! was one of several titles involved in the deal. However, as of August 2011, the rights to the series had expired.
Story
Yurie is a petite, shy, and otherwise ordinary middle-school girl who suddenly discovers that, overnight, she has become a , a god in the ShintoShinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
sense. She has no idea what kind of god she is or what her powers are. Her friends give her the nickname Kamichu, a portmanteau of kami (god) and chūgakusei (middle school student). In her journey she meets many gods and learns the ways of the gods in order to become a great god herself. During the course of the series, Yurie grows more in being a better god, but she also grows as a person.
Kamichu! is set in the city of Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, on the shores of Japan's Inland Sea. Many of the temples and landmarks shown in the anime are real places in and around the city, faithfully depicted. It is set in the Spring of 1983 to Spring of 1984.
Main characters
-
- Yurie is the protagonist of the series. In the first episode, she tells her best friend Mitsue that overnight she has become a goddess; this is never further explained. She is remarkably naive and simple-minded but always has the best intentions. She has had a crush on Kenji Ninomiya for a long time, and gets very nervous and red-faced around him. Whenever she performs magic, her hair grows very long and she often falls asleep afterward, due to the effort involved. At the end of the anime she becomes Kenji's girlfriend.
-
- Matsuri is the person in charge of the Raifuku ShrineShrineA shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
in Onomichi. She runs the shrine with her sister, Miko, and is always thinking of schemes to earn money for or bring more visitors to the shrine- usually by exploiting Yurie. Unlike Miko, she cannot see spirits without the charms that Yurie usually writes (though it is stated in the manga and anime by Miko that she too could see spirits when she was little). Her name means "worship".
- Matsuri is the person in charge of the Raifuku Shrine
-
- Mitsue is Yurie's best friend. She's very down-to-earth, and serves as the "straight man" for her friends, but wishes that her life were more exciting. Yurie often goes to her for advice and although her advice is simple, and usually is just common sense, she is always right. She is usually possessed by Yashima when he needs to communicate with people or when he wants to play the guitar.
-
- Miko is Matsuri's shy younger sister. She does the cooking in the house, and is very polite and respectful to everyone. She helps out in the shrine and has the ability to see spirits. She has a crush on Yashima. Her name, MikoMikois 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:...
, is also the term for a Shinto shrine attendant.
- Miko is Matsuri's shy younger sister. She does the cooking in the house, and is very polite and respectful to everyone. She helps out in the shrine and has the ability to see spirits. She has a crush on Yashima. Her name, Miko
-
- Kenji is the president and only member of his school's calligraphy club. He is quite aloof and a bit slow on the uptake. He loves his brushes, and he often does calligraphyCalligraphyCalligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
for the Raifuku shrine. He only does calligraphy when he is 'inspired', yet it takes him a while to realize that most of his sources of inspiration revolve around Yurie. At the end of the anime he becomes Yurie's boyfriend.
- Kenji is the president and only member of his school's calligraphy club. He is quite aloof and a bit slow on the uptake. He loves his brushes, and he often does calligraphy
-
- Yashima is the local god of the Raifuku shrine. He wishes to be a rock star, resulting in him often possessing Mitsue in order to rock out (who is totally against this). He is also often seen with an Akita Inu that talks. He seems to be close friends with Miko Saegusa, but it is implied that he is more interested in Matsuri.
-
- Shoukichi is Yurie's younger brother, who like Miko attends the same school as his older sister, one grade below. Often he acts more mature than his sister, and he often teases her, but he does love her. He has a crush on Miko, and acts differently and blushes whenever he's around her.
- A poverty god Yurie takes in after he saves Tama's life. He shares Tama's body.
-
- Yurie's pet cat. After she began to share her body with Bin-chan, she exhibits a number of human traits which make Shoukichi suspicious.
Ino, Shika, Chou
- Ino
- Shika
- Chou
- The three tiny spirits that the God Association sends as Yurie's assistants. Their names are puns, as they were given by Yurie for unrelated reasons but correspond to the animals that they resemble. Chou is a butterfly, Ino is a boar and Shika is a deer. "Ino-Shika-Chou" is a winning hand in HanafudaHanafudaare playing cards of Japanese origin that are used to play a number of games. The name literally translates as "flower cards". The name also refers to games played with those cards.-History:...
.
- The three tiny spirits that the God Association sends as Yurie's assistants. Their names are puns, as they were given by Yurie for unrelated reasons but correspond to the animals that they resemble. Chou is a butterfly, Ino is a boar and Shika is a deer. "Ino-Shika-Chou" is a winning hand in Hanafuda
Reception and awards
The anime received an Excellence Prize at the 2005 Japan Media Arts FestivalJapan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
.
Anime episodes
There are sixteen episodes in the anime series. Twelve episodes were broadcasted on TV AsahiTV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
in 720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
, omitting episodes 8, 11, 13, and 16. The DVD release included all sixteen episodes. The opening theme was performed by Maho Tomita, and the closing theme was performed by MAKO
MAKO
MAKO or is a Japanese female member of a band called Bon-Bon Blanco. Her main role is to play the maracas. She has also performed in a drama called Meido in Akihabara. She is affiliated with I'm Enterprise...
.
The titles of several episodes are from Japanese pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s.
| # | Title |
|---|
Music
Three Kamichu! CDs were released:- アイスキャンディー Maxi - 2005-08-24
- 晴れのちハレ! Maxi - 2005-08-24
- Kamichu OST - 2005-10-26
Manga
Kamichu! was adapted as a mangaManga
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...
serialized by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
in Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
, a shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine, and collected in two tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes.
Manga episodes
There are fourteen episodes plus one short episode in the manga series. Four long episodes consist of two parts (02+03, 04+05, 09+10, 12+13).| # | Title |
|---|
External links
- Official Kamichu! website by Sony Music
- Official Kamichu! website
- Interview with Hideyuki Kurata and Koji Masunari - about the anime Kamichu!