Uta Kata
Encyclopedia
is a 2004 TV anime
series. Written differently (泡沫), the title can also refer to bubbles, which is used as such in the ending theme.
The series can be loosely considered a magical girl
story. However, this series deviates from more conventional magical girl
themes in that it addresses topics that are for a more mature audience, such as child abuse
, eating disorder
s, and possibly misanthropy
. Nevertheless, it illustrates the main character's coming of age
with each progressive episode, becoming more and more emotionally intense as the story goes on.
The story follows Ichika Tachibana's life over a summer holiday when she meets Manatsu Kuroki. The series then details their summer activities and the use of special creatures called Djinn
(ジン jin), elemental creatures that lend their powers to Ichika to help her and her friends when they invariably find themselves in danger, and eventually for their own motives.
After returning to the old classroom, Manatsu asks that Ichika use all the colored stones in the charm and record her experiences and thoughts. Starting with the facade of Manatsu as her text-message pal, Ichika begins to entangle herself in a web of small lies and deceptions.
When Ichika faces various dangers during the summer holiday, she at first uses the Djinn's power within the stones to resolve them supernaturally. But as the summer draws on, she begins to use the power even though there is no imminent danger. Through each experience with the Djinn she learns about the willfulness of herself and others. Slowly, the power of the Djinn erodes her emotional, physical, and mental strength, and she abuses the power to the point of attempting murder.
Meanwhile, Ichika's tutors, Sei and Kai, are tormented by Ichika's ordeal—Sei had gone through the very same thing six years ago. They very much want to prevent Ichika from experiencing the same trials, but are bound to the rules of the ritual; when Sei tried to interfere, he was turned into stone as a penalty. Although Ichika tries to abandon using the Djinn's power altogether, she finds herself losing control over her actions. Faced with fear, sadness, or anger, she finds that the Djinn grant her power against her will. Not only this, she finds that she cannot discard the charm, as it will fly back to her.
Ichika, in fact, had been subjected to a ritual judgment determined from the time she was conceived. Saya, the final Djinn, would take a young person of fourteen years—the age between the innocence of childhood and the hardness of adulthood—and show him or her the world through the eyes of the Djinn. The individual would experience seven trials that contrasted seven virtues and sins: affection and resentment, temperance and hubris, devotion and rebellion, honesty and treachery, reason and envy, passion and lust, wisdom and machination. When Ichika is thus led to despair in humanity and disgust of herself, Saya binds her to the mirror asks her to decide whether to destroy humanity or herself.
In response, however, Ichika refuses to choose either. Saya declares that as a violation of the rules, and drives her scythe towards Ichika's body. Sei shatters his stone skin and tries to stop the scythe, but Ichika decides that it is better that she die rather than see him hurt. Manatsu, in defiance, drives herself into the scythe, saving Ichika's life. Kai returns the life energy that kept him in human form to Sei, and both he and Manatsu revert to their original forms: shards of the old mirror.
When school resumed in the fall, Ichika decided to remain at Kamakura rather than join her parents in Italy. Elsewhere, Saya determined to move on and judge the next teenager.
(where a different guest artist drew the eyecatch
es for each episode), each episode's main costume was designed by a guest artist who also created artwork for the ending sequence of that episode.
Each episode preview in the anime was narrated by Ichika in the style of a diary entry, and on the website, a corresponding entry narrated by Manatsu is available.
In a possible variation of the four-character yojijukugo
, every title is composed of a pair of two-kanji
words separated by a no particle. A literal, if rough, translation of most titles can be derived by assembling the phrase "[second word] of (the) [first word]".
The TV series and OVA been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks, anime distributor Section23 Films
will release the complete collection set on November 2, 2010.
, noting that the story is "an allegory of the end of childhood and one last vacation before the responsibilities of the grown-up world start to impinge". It criticises the OVA episode, calling it "a rather pointless rehash that to some minds betrays the elegiac
quality of the original series—if everything can be reset and reprised à la Tenchi Muyo!
, where's the drama?"
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....
series. Written differently (泡沫), the title can also refer to bubbles, which is used as such in the ending theme.
The series can be loosely considered a magical girl
Magical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
story. However, this series deviates from more conventional magical girl
Magical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
themes in that it addresses topics that are for a more mature audience, such as child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
s, and possibly misanthropy
Misanthropy
Misanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
. Nevertheless, it illustrates the main character's coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
with each progressive episode, becoming more and more emotionally intense as the story goes on.
The story follows Ichika Tachibana's life over a summer holiday when she meets Manatsu Kuroki. The series then details their summer activities and the use of special creatures called Djinn
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
(ジン jin), elemental creatures that lend their powers to Ichika to help her and her friends when they invariably find themselves in danger, and eventually for their own motives.
Plot
On the day before the summer holiday, Ichika Tachibana discovers that the charm attached to her cell phone has somehow wound up inside a mirror in the old school building. A girl named Manatsu Kuroki, inside the mirror, offers to return the charm and phone in exchange for a favor. When Ichika accepts, Manatsu emerges from the mirror, but Ichika finds to her chagrin that the charm's stones' have all taken on different colors. Her indignation soon turns to delight as she is transformed by the charm and given an incredibly moving experience in the skies above Kamakura.After returning to the old classroom, Manatsu asks that Ichika use all the colored stones in the charm and record her experiences and thoughts. Starting with the facade of Manatsu as her text-message pal, Ichika begins to entangle herself in a web of small lies and deceptions.
When Ichika faces various dangers during the summer holiday, she at first uses the Djinn's power within the stones to resolve them supernaturally. But as the summer draws on, she begins to use the power even though there is no imminent danger. Through each experience with the Djinn she learns about the willfulness of herself and others. Slowly, the power of the Djinn erodes her emotional, physical, and mental strength, and she abuses the power to the point of attempting murder.
Meanwhile, Ichika's tutors, Sei and Kai, are tormented by Ichika's ordeal—Sei had gone through the very same thing six years ago. They very much want to prevent Ichika from experiencing the same trials, but are bound to the rules of the ritual; when Sei tried to interfere, he was turned into stone as a penalty. Although Ichika tries to abandon using the Djinn's power altogether, she finds herself losing control over her actions. Faced with fear, sadness, or anger, she finds that the Djinn grant her power against her will. Not only this, she finds that she cannot discard the charm, as it will fly back to her.
Ichika, in fact, had been subjected to a ritual judgment determined from the time she was conceived. Saya, the final Djinn, would take a young person of fourteen years—the age between the innocence of childhood and the hardness of adulthood—and show him or her the world through the eyes of the Djinn. The individual would experience seven trials that contrasted seven virtues and sins: affection and resentment, temperance and hubris, devotion and rebellion, honesty and treachery, reason and envy, passion and lust, wisdom and machination. When Ichika is thus led to despair in humanity and disgust of herself, Saya binds her to the mirror asks her to decide whether to destroy humanity or herself.
In response, however, Ichika refuses to choose either. Saya declares that as a violation of the rules, and drives her scythe towards Ichika's body. Sei shatters his stone skin and tries to stop the scythe, but Ichika decides that it is better that she die rather than see him hurt. Manatsu, in defiance, drives herself into the scythe, saving Ichika's life. Kai returns the life energy that kept him in human form to Sei, and both he and Manatsu revert to their original forms: shards of the old mirror.
When school resumed in the fall, Ichika decided to remain at Kamakura rather than join her parents in Italy. Elsewhere, Saya determined to move on and judge the next teenager.
OVA
In the OVA , Ichika hears that Manatsu has been seen again, one week before her birthday. Not long after the fall term had begun, Sei had transferred to a German university in an exchange program. On Christmas Eve, both discover that Manatsu and Kai's shards had vanished, and they both reunite with Ichika and Sei, respectively. They had returned for one last night and to say goodbye. After an evening with Ichika and Sei, the shards return to Saya's old mirror during the night. The next spring, Ichika enters a new school year with her friends, while Saya's experiments continue with a new test subject.Characters
Character names are presented in the Western order (given name, family name). Because all of the names here are Japanese, the Rōmaji for each name is simply the name in reverse order: for example, "Ichika Tachibana" would be read as "Tachibana Ichika" by the Japanese.- Ichika is a 14-year-old Japanese middle school student living in KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, who discovers on the day before summer holiday that a gift from her tutor is much more than a good-luck charm.
- She is honest and polite to everyone, including her own parents, and always tries to do the right thing. She detests lying, especially if she finds herself doing it. As a result, her friends often playfully tease her for being straightlaced. Ichika is easily scared, and the thought of ghosts terrifies her, especially when she first sees Manatsu in a mirror they find in the school's oldest building.
- Voiced by: Yōko HondaYoko Hondais a female Japanese voice actress from Gunma, Japan.She is sometimes mistaken for fellow voice actress Yōko Honna, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji.-Anime cast in:*Bakuman 2 as Natsumi Katou...
- Manatsu is a young girl that Ichika met in dreams and a mirror.
- Manatsu seems to be the polar opposite of Ichika in terms of personality. When Ichika is hesitant, Manatsu is carefree and assertive; where the former is reserved, the latter is cheerfully outgoing. She also has striking similarities to Ichika, namely, she knows and loves many of the same things Ichika does, and she shares the same fear of ghostsFear of ghostsThe fear of ghosts in many human cultures is based on beliefs that some ghosts may be malignant towards people and dangerous ....
.
- Voiced by: Masumi AsanoMasumi Asanois a Japanese voice actress from Noshiro, Akita who works for Aoni Production. She is also known by her nickname, Masumin.- Notable voice roles :Anime* Saga in A Little Snow Fairy Sugar...
- Ichika introduces her friend Satsuki as "a very responsible and strong person. You can always count on her." She is a brash young girl who often takes the lead of Ichika and the other friends. A painful memory causes her to avoid most boys, despite her seemingly strong personality. Satsuki has an older brother, with whom she apparently gets along well, despite the fact that they bicker a fair bit.
- Voiced by: Tomoko KawakamiTomoko Kawakamiwas a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, Kawakami was affiliated with Production Baobab at the time of her death.-Career:...
- Ichika describes her friend Keiko as "a proper young lady from a good family, gentle and kind." She is the type who is easily amused by simple things, such as shaking a duster in a sunbeam. Her parents appear to be rather controlling, however, which causes Keiko some distress with regards to a boy she liked.
- Voiced by: Yurika OchiaiYurika Ochiaiis a Japanese voice actress, known by her nickname in Japan. She was working for Arts Vision, however, she quit in October 2006. She is now working for Genki Project.-TV Animation:*Utakata as Keiko Takamura*To Heart 2 as Konomi Yuzuhara...
- Ichika says of her friend Michiru, "She's really into literature, and her instincts are amazingly sharp." She can allegedly see ghosts and spirits, and is a quiet, if not shy, person. Michiru has a younger sister named Rui, of whose feelings she appears to be rather protective. Michiru is prone to making slightly odd comments and is not prepared to go into the sea, possibly due to some physical intolerance, although this is unconfirmed.
- Voiced by: Yukari TamuraYukari Tamura, is a popular Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress, affiliated with the talent agency I'm Enterprise. Affectionately called Yukarin by her fans, she is also known for her high-pitched voice and interest in Lolita fashion...
- Sei is one of Ichika's tutors, and a high school student. He instructs her in grammar, literature, and social sciences. He is introduced as the twin brother of Kai. Of the two, Sei usually seems to be the calmer, gentler one. Ichika has developed romantic feelings for him.
- Voiced by: Nobuo TobitaNobuo Tobitais a Japanese seiyū from Mito. He is represented by Arts Vision.He is most known for the roles of Kamille Bidan , Albert Heinrich/004 , and Sueo Maruo...
- Kai is Ichika's other tutor. He teaches her math and science. He is introduced as the twin brother of Sei. Of the two, Kai seems the more extroverted one and more physical in nature. He is also in love with his twin brother Sei.
- Voiced by: Nobutoshi Kanna
- Saya is an enigmatic woman who is, at times, hidden from view of most people. She is the Tachibanas' next door neighbor, and is in the fashion industry.
- But this is only an illusion—she covertly pushes circumstances in Ichika's life to bring her to use the power of the Djinns. She can move anywhere at will, turn her scarf into a deadly scythe and other objects and keeps an eye on Ichika throughout the series. She strictly enforces rules concerning the activation of the stones: the current bearer must remain completely in the dark as to their true nature and purpose and no one may interfere with the bearer's decision whether to use the power.
- Voiced by: Maria KawamuraMaria Kawamura, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress. Kawamura is a freelancer and was a former affiliate of Arts Vision.On November 8, 1991, she married Japanese manga artist Mamoru Nagano, of Five Star Stories fame...
Episode list
Similar to gímik's earlier work, Kiddy GradeKiddy Grade
is a 24 episode science fiction anime series produced in 2002 and created by gímik and Gonzo Digimation and directed by Keiji Gotoh. The series is licensed and distributed in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. The series currently airs on the FUNimation Channel in both its "syndicated...
(where a different guest artist drew the eyecatch
Eyecatch
An or internal eyecatch is a scene or illustration used to begin and end a commercial break in a Japanese TV program, especially in anime and tokusatsu shows, similar to how "bumpers" into/out of commercial breaks are used in the United States...
es for each episode), each episode's main costume was designed by a guest artist who also created artwork for the ending sequence of that episode.
Each episode preview in the anime was narrated by Ichika in the style of a diary entry, and on the website, a corresponding entry narrated by Manatsu is available.
In a possible variation of the four-character yojijukugo
Yojijukugo
is a Japanese lexeme consisting of four kanji, or "Chinese characters". English translations of yojijukugo include "four-character compound", "four-character idiom", "four-character idiomatic phrase", and "four-character idiomatic compound"....
, every title is composed of a pair of two-kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
words separated by a no particle. A literal, if rough, translation of most titles can be derived by assembling the phrase "[second word] of (the) [first word]".
The TV series and OVA been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks, anime distributor Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
will release the complete collection set on November 2, 2010.
| # | Title | Costume artist | Djinn | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Staff Credits
- Planning: gímikGímikgímik is a Japanese animation production group, formed by Keiji Gotoh, Megumi Kadonosono and Hidefumi Kimura.In the past, animators have often formed production groups to produce animations, but increasingly animation groups are assuming a dominant role in the process, and developing works with...
, HAL FILM MAKERHal Film Makeris a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced: is a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced: is a Japanese animation studio founded in August 1993.-Anime produced:(Please note that this list only includes original productions or co-productions... - Original Story: gímik
- Director: Keiji GotohKeiji Gotohis a Japanese anime director, character designer, manga artist, and member of three man production team gímik whose works include Kiddy Grade and Uta Kata.- Television :* Thundercats , In-between animation...
- Screenplay: Hidefumi KimuraHidefumi Kimurais a Japanese artist, writer and animator. He is a member of gímik, along with Keiji Gotoh and Megumi Kadonosono, and is responsible for composing the scenarios and writing most of the episodic screenplays for their anime, and for writing some of the related manga and light novels.- Television...
- Character Design & Art Director: Megumi KadonosonoMegumi Kadonosonois a Japanese animator, animation director and character designer from Osaka, Japan.-Anime credits:*Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution: Animation *Clannad movie: Character Design*D.N.Angel: Animation director...
- Background Art: Tokumitsu Kobayashi
- Art Director: Hisaharu Iijima
- Color Design: Yoshimi Kawakami
- CGI Director: Atsushi Takeyama
- Photography Director: Tomoyuki Sakurada
- Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama
- Sound Director: Hitoshi Aketagawa
- Sound Effects Production: Magic Capsule
- Music: Megumi Ōhashi
- Music Production: Victor EntertainmentVictor Entertainmentis a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
- Production: Bandai VisualBandai Visual, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
Theme songs
- Opening Theme: Omoi wo Kanadete (想いを奏でて)
- Ending Theme: Itsuka Tokeru Namida (いつか溶ける涙)
- Artist: savage geniusSavage geniussavage genius is a Japanese band signed to Victor Entertainment. Since 2008, has stayed as the only member of the band.-History:The duo Aa and Takumi started as a songwriting group in the live music scene in Kobe...
Reaction
The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 compares the series' underlying themes to those of MahoromaticMahoromatic
is a sci-fi romantic comedy manga and animeseries which contains elements of the literary genre of tragic dramas. It is about a female android former soldier, Mahoro...
, noting that the story is "an allegory of the end of childhood and one last vacation before the responsibilities of the grown-up world start to impinge". It criticises the OVA episode, calling it "a rather pointless rehash that to some minds betrays the elegiac
Elegiac
Elegiac refers either to those compositions that are like elegies or to a specific poetic meter used in Classical elegies. The Classical elegiac meter has two lines, making it a couplet: a line of dactylic hexameter, followed by a line of dactylic pentameter...
quality of the original series—if everything can be reset and reprised à la Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
, where's the drama?"