Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Barajou no Kiss (Kiss of Rose Princess)

Kiss of Rose Princess (薔薇嬢のキス Bara jō no Kisu?) is a manga series created by Aya Shouoto. The manga was published by Kadokawa Shoten and serialized in Monthly Asuka magazine on June 24, 2008.

Story

Most girls are crazy about jewelry, but not Anise Yamamoto. Not since her father gave her a rose choker as a child, claiming it was a protective amulet which would safeguard her from harm; however, if she ever took it off (a feat easier said than done!), she would be afflicted by a “punishment” of some sort. Not like it matters to her though, since the attention it attracts around school from faculty and students alike isn’t something she’s particularly fond of.
But after a certain incident causes the choker to disappear, she realizes that this punishment her father spoke of might have been a bit more than she bargained for!

Characters

Anis Yamamoto (八麻本アニス?)
Voiced by Aya Hirano (Drama CD)
A cheerful character who always wore a rose choker which her father gave her. He told her that if she ever took it off, she would be punished. Anis was unable to take it off until it disappeared after Ninufa, a bat-like-creature, bowled her over. After Ninufa scurried away, Anis found that she was holding a Red card. She ignores the fact and runs after Ninufa to get her choker back when a monster attacks. Itsushi-sensei, the librarian, tells her that she must kiss the card she was holding. When she does so, Kaede appears out of the card calling her "master". Anis becomes the Dominion, able to summon any of the four rose knights. However, whenever the knights use their power, they drain the life force from her blood. This causes Anise to believe that becoming the Dominion is her punishment for losing her choker. Although the choker she was wearing only brought Anis in the center of attention, for fear of her father's punishment she begins searching for it with the help of her Rose Knights. Apparently one of her special powers as a Dominion as that she is able to call forth a black whip-like rope filled with thorns to used to beat them into submission, or to collar them (much to the delight of the black and white roses).
Kaede Higa (緋賀楓?)
Voiced by Yuichi Nakamura (Drama CD)
Kaede is the Knight of the Red Rose. At first, he didn't seem to like Anise as he had a grudge against her beating him in the sports festival. He lives in a temple where he has been training since he was a child. Soon he shows that, in reality, he cares deeply for Anise, telling her "whether or not you were the Dominion, I would still..." (implying that he would still protect her). Kaede was also a childhood friend of Seiran and was the most angered as he learned the Blue Rose's destiny as a sacrifice to the seal. He is also called as "mutt" or "dog" by the White and Black Rose. As the series progresses, Kaede shows that he is easily jealous and angered when one of the other knights gets too close to Anise - even Seiran. He is also the only one being called against his will by Anise and also the only one who says foolish words as comfort to her. Kaede also has a bad relationship with the Yellow Rose because of what happened two hundred years ago when the Red Rose became the "True Rose" of the Dominion, which earned the Yellow Rose's jealousy.
Mutsuki Kurama (蔵間無月?)
Voiced by Kenjirou Tsuda (Drama CD)
Mutsuki is the Black Rose and has a very dark aura around him. He hardly talks to anyone and is reluctant to accept Anise as his master, referring to her as a wench, and a Missy. He likes the darkness and says that he is not a human, but a "dark stalker", which has the power to commune with nature and live longer than humans. Other abilities besides flying are unknown. He has "search and seizure" specialties; strings that are controlled by him appear from his fingers and he has an acute sense of smell and perception. He says that he spent many years in solitary slumber, waiting for his master to arrive/resurrect. According to rumors, he puts curses on people and is the head of delinquents. It is implied that he is a masochist when he seems satisfied when Anise smacks him around, and seems jealous of the White Rose when he gets collared by the rose whip. Mutsuki also shows to possibly have feelings for Anise. In chapter 11, he uses his string to keep the Red Rose away from Anise. Despite his brooding demeanor, he also reveals to have forgotten his past and is thereby the last of his race. It is also said that he is "owned" by the White Rose's family. He specializes in investigation and has a mass knowledge of dark magic, due to his unknown past. He has an older brother, Yocteau, who is the Grey Rose - one the "Fake Knights". Mutsuki killed him when his brother lost his sanity when the Devil's seal broke. Mutsuki fights his enemies through his dark strings which are invisible to the naked eye.
Mitsuru Tenjou (天上光琉?)
Voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya (Drama CD)
Tenjou is very handsome and embarrassingly devoted to his duties as a Rhode knight as the white rose, and to Anise - which embarrasses her - which makes her the envy of all the other girls in school. He seems deeply popular among men as well - much to Anise' mortification. His special skill lies in healing. It is heavily implied that he's very much a masochist, even going as far as to provoke Anise into slapping him and turning her thorn whip into a collar to drag him to do her bidding. ("I couldn't ask for a better Master, really... Beating me on top of tying a collar around my neck... OH Lady Anise, truly is amazing.") Mitsuru also likes Anise a lot. He even said to Kaede "One day Anise will be mine". Even though he said he was only joking, the serious look in his eyes makes Kaede feel worried.
Seiran Asagi (浅木晴嵐?)
Voiced by Jun Fukuyama (Drama CD)
Seiran is the Knight of the Blue Rose and is not often at school because he is mostly sick. When he is sick, Seiran stays by himself inside the greenhouse filled with roses. Ironically, his illness may be an allergic reaction to roses, as he appears fine when he isn't around them. He specializes in "Alchemy" or "science". He is also very cute, cute enough to be a girl. He is the sacrificial rose that was made in the past to help seal the Devil's Seal. His memories and Kaede's memories about him are not real, so he plans to use his body to restore the seal. In chapter 11, he is saved from the seal. His rose is not found in nature, because they replace the Yellow Rose with the Blue Rose. But even so he cares a lot about Anise. Once he asks her if she would accept his love and when she does not get what he says, he changes the subject about the love potion thinking it might be too soon.
Narumi Itsushi
Voiced by Takahiro Mizushima (Drama CD)
Itsushi Narumi is the Classics teacher in Anise's school, located at a basement library. He was the one who explained to Anise everything about being the Rose Princess. His pet is Ninufa. Often seen talking or scolding Ninufa only, Itsushi does not look like a mage, more of a school librarian. He seems to be scared easily, not daring to go against his former teacher. His outfit is made up of a cloak, shirt, tie and office pants and a pair of spectacles. It has been noted that Itsushi keeps his bed hair. He is also Schwartz's ex-apprentice.
Ninufa
Voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto (Drama CD)
Ninufa is the pet of Itsushi and the guardians of the Rose Cards. He was responsible for knocking off Anise's choker, resulting in him finding out that she was the missing Rose Princess. Ninufa has an appearance of a bat and tends to talk in a slang style with the words "da" used regularly. Among the four current Rose Knights, he is personally closer to Seiran.
~He can turn into a dragon. ~He is usually seen eating at least once in a chapter.
Schwartz Yamamoto
Voiced by Ken Narita (Drama CD)
Schwartz Yamamoto is Anise Yamamoto's foster father and a famed sorcerer. Later revealed to be the Silver rose. His main goal in the storyline is to break the Devil's Seal. He is the main antagonist of Barajou No Kiss. Schwartz has golden hair. He wears spectacles and often seen wearing Western-looking clothes such as a vest, coat. As he took up a job as a school nurse, once or twice Schwartz has been seen wearing a doctor outfit.
When Schwartz was younger, his hair was shorter. Schwartz is very cunning man. He will manipulate people around him just to achieve his goal. At the same time, he is also very overprotective about Anise, even though they are enemies. Schwartz was introduced as a father who gave Anise a rose collar and a stern warning to never ever remove it. But he is not Anise's biological father.
- Schwartz now works as a school nurse in Anise's school.
  - He seems to be afraid of his sister, Cecilia.
  - Itsushi Narumi used to be Schwartz's apprentice.
  - He is the Silver Rose. 
Haruto Kisugi
Voiced by Mamoru Miyano (Drama CD) Haruto Kisugi is the Yellow Rose Rhode Knight. Although he is a real knight, he has been cast out from the Rose Rhode Knights because of his disappearance during the "Yellow Rose Incident". He was Anise's elementary schoolmate and they were very close before they went to separate high schools. He transferred to Shoubi Academy as part of Schwartz's plan to double confirm Anise's missing choker and at the same time, take revenge on the White, Black, Blue (who took over his place) and especially the Red (who was the previous generation True Rose) Rose Rhode Knight. Haruto has yellow hair, matching his respective rose color, and green eyes. He usually wears a dress shirt and sweater vest. He is also seen with a earring on his left ear. Haruto is a bit of a sadist due to his past self. He only opens up to Anise as she is the Rose Princess. To the other knights, he is cold (especially to the current Red Rose Rhode Knight, Kaede) due to a spat they had in the past. Haruto was first introduced as a transferred classmate. Recognizing his name, Anise immediately clarified with him whether he remembered her. It turns out that truly, Haruto was her middle schoolmate who transferred out. Delighted, Haruto asks Anise out jokingly, claiming that they were 'intimate' with each other last time. Anise, of course, pushes him away and hit his head.
Afterwards, Haruto asks Anise out to a F-1 race event during the weekend. However, Anise had plans with her Knights so she declined. Haruto became stubborn and insisted in she going with him instead of them. So, they decided to have a race, with Kaede competing with him for a race around the school.
Haruto, filled with guilt, decides to go into the devil's seal instead, hoping it would redeem himself. He confesses to Anise that he still loves her dearly and hopes to see her 'soon'.
He was mentioned briefly by Schwartz that he is save in Hong Kong. Haruto even wrote a postcard to Anise from Hong Kong to prove to her that he is alive. Haruto came back from Hong Kong, surprising Anise. He bluntly tells Anise that he was sent to capture and kill Anise. He smirks and just as he was about to capture Anise, Seiran managed to use his potions to stop Haruto's action He seemed to be pleased to be how well the Blue Rose is doing his job in his place. ~He is currently in Hong Kong due to Schwartz saving him from the Devil's Seal at the eleventh hour and teleporting him there.
Suzumura Idel 
Idel Suzumura is a pop idol of the group Rhodecia, together with Yakoh Hasuzaki. Their group is popular among high school girls, with their songs topping popularity contests. He was enrolled to Anise's school to help Schwartz check for her choker. He becomes temporary a Rose Rhode Knight in order to save Yakoh Hasuzaki. He also uses ten times more blood of Anise than the other Rose Rhode Knights. Idel has messy Vermillion-colored hair and golden eyes. Idel is the opposite of Yakoh. He is extremely chatty and isn't afraid on voicing out his opinions. Idel appears shadowed as the person who attacked Kaede at the 100m sprint race. He almost got caught by Kaede but managed to fend himself off and escaping before Mutsuki could locate him too.
Idel becomes a full-fledged but temporary Rose Rhode Knight when Anise gets moved by his story. He gets a shock, so does everyone, but Anise compliments him, saying that he is worth of this title. As such, an Orange Rose Card was created for Anise to call him out and when she did, he appeared in his current clothes with an Orange Rose pinned on his clothes. ~His hobby is games. ~He dislikes shitake mushrooms.
Hasuzaki Yakoh 
Yakoh Hasuzaki is a pop idol of the group Rhodecia, together with Idel Suzumura. Their group is popular among high school girls, with their songs topping popularity contests. He was enrolled to Anise's school with Idel. Matching to his Lime Rose, Yakoh has lime green hair. He generally wears a tired or gentle expression. He is usually seen wearing his Rhodecia outfit. Yakoh is Idel's antithesis. Despite being a pop idol, he is very calm and reserved in any situation. In the story, Yakoh thanks Idel suddenly for everything and collapses. He was rushed to the hospital. Schwartz heals him and Yakoh takes a temporary residence at Schwartz's apartment to heal.
~His hobby is (giving) massages. ~He dislikes green juice (Idel's specialty).
Yocteau 
Mutsuki's older brother despite physically looking like a young child. The reason for this is because he was resurrected from just an eyeball. He possess the power to summon strong demons, but they turn to dust because strain on Yocteau's body is too much. Since his resurrection Yocteau is emotionally unstable and obsessed with his younger brother. In chapter 29 Yocteau crashes a ball for student councils (that Mutsuki, Anise, Kaede, and Seiran were also attending) and causes a blackout which allows Mutsuki a chance to be alone with Anise. After Mutsuki is rejected by Anise Yocteau offers Mutsuki a collar that will free him from "the thorns of her (Anise's) commands."
The reason why Mutsuki killed Yocteau is later revealed in the ff. chapters, where Mutsuki grew attached to Anise.
Mikage Hiiragi 
better known as Cinderella, Ella and Domina Galacta, is the Artificial equivalent of Anise, complete with four Rose Cards, contracting her to four artificial Rose Rhode Knights. In class, Mikage is known to be a quiet and lonely girl, who seems to have an obsession of Kaede. As Domina, she still has her obsession of Kaede, but she is charismatic. Mikage has blue eyes and purple hair. Her hair is tied into to ponytails or braided when she comes to school. Mikage likes to mutter the phrase, " I want him, I want him." which is referring to Kaede, whom she has an obsession with him to the point on thinking of kidnapping him from Anise. She seems to lack leadership skill as she is often bullied by her knights. As Anise was late for class, she was left with no one to partner with except for Kaede.
However, her classmates suggested to partner Mikage and Kaede as she was was always alone. So, Anise sabotaged Kaede to become the art muse while Mikage and she drew out Kaede asleep. While Anise ran off in finding Mutsuki. Mikage talks to the sleeping Kaede, saying her words "I want him I want him so badly." and seemingly leans down to kiss Kaede. When Anise returns to where they were situated, Mikage asks Anise to do a favor for her: get Kaede to go on a date with her.
At her date with Kaede, she acts as a normal girl, being thrilled on having the chance to go out with the boy of her dreams. Finally, at the ferry wheel ride does she start to give away her true motive.
When the Arcana Cards starts to activate, Mikage pretends to be one of the helpless bystanders and cling onto Kaede's arm to ensure that he does not try to escape from her reach and protect Anise. She screams, claiming that she was afraid on what was happening. Bought in by Mikage's act and being a gentleman, Kaede decides to stay put.
Anise's Mother 
Anise's Mother only appears in the flashbacks of Schwartz. It is not known if she is still alive or not. Her name has not been revealed. She looks exactly like Anise, only looking more mature and grown up with a slightly longer and less bouncy hair. She is shown wearing dresses only. It was not said how she meant Schwartz but the two were very in love. She would often run away from the castle she stays at to be with Schwartz. Once, she made her entrance by jumping off a tree and landing on Schwartz. She tells Schwartz that she hates her family because many tried her like a prize because her child, whoever the father is, would become the Rose Dominion Princess, be it a male or female. One day, while the two of them were together, she was forcefully taken away by her family from Schwartz and not seen for a long time. While she was being taken away, she screamed out for Schwartz.
Years later, she reappears at the doorsteps of Schwartz's house, carrying a baby. It turns out that the baby is her daughter and she begged him to take care of her daughter. She also begged Schwartz not to let her daughter know of her true status. After giving her daughter to Schwartz, Anise's Mother was never seen again.

Kiss of Rose Princess
socialgroupicon-1282-1250958989
薔薇嬢のキス
(Bara jō no Kisu)
Genre Romantic comedy, Fantasy
Manga
Written by Aya Shouoto
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Monthly Asuka
Original run June 24, 2008 – ongoing
Volumes 8
Anime and Manga Portal

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Shadow Star (Narutaru)


Shadow Star, known in Japan as Narutaru (なるたる Narutaru?), which comes from the abbreviation of "Mukuro Naru Hoshi, Tama Taru Ko" (骸なる星・珠たる子?), 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 was originally serialized in the magazine Afternoon. When asked about the manga, Mohiro Kitoh stated that he had about 80% of the entire story planned out from the beginning. When he was asked about the anime series, he stated he was grateful it was made. In the United States, it was licensed by Dark Horse and serialized in Super Manga Blast!
The 13-episode anime adaptation was broadcast in 2003 on the Japanese television station Kids Station. The anime was licensed by Central Park Media and released as Shadow Star Narutaru, and has played on Comcast's Anime Selects multiple times. In 2007 it ran on the Illusion on Demand television network. Central Park Media released the title under their "U.S. Manga Corps" line, on 4 DVDs, and later re-released the DVDs in a box set. Central Park Media filed for bankruptcy in 2009, and the DVDs have since been out of print.
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 monster designs, and initial appearances of a shōjo or Pokémon-esque series, the story quickly takes on a much darker and more disturbing tone, with later volumes involving some 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 seventh volume of the English-language release.

Manga

Characters

Volumes

Shadow Star Narutaru volume 1 English cover
Note: The titles of the individual volumes refer to the English translation, which gave names to the individual volumes.
  • 1: Starflight // Chapters 1-4 (Japanese 1-5)
  • 2: Darkness Visible // Chapters 5-10 (Japanese 6-13)
  • 3: Shadows Of The Past // Chapters 11-15 (Japanese 14-20)
  • 4: Nothing But The Truth // Chapters 16-20 (Japanese 21-23)
  • 5: A Flower's Fragrance // Chapters 21-23 (Japanese 24-28)
  • 6: What Can I Do For You Now? // Chapters 24-28 (Japanese 29)
  • 7: Victim's Eyes, Assailant's Hands // Chapter 29 (Japanese 30-38)
  • 8: Japanese 39-44
  • 9: Japanese 45-48
  • 10: Japanese 49 & 50
  • 11: Japanese 51-61
  • 12: Japanese 62-67
There are twelve volumes total in the Japanese releases, of which the seven listed have been translated to English. The English volumes end at different spots than the Japanese volumes. This was a result of Dark Horse's arrangement of the manga's chapters, which were spaced differently in the Japanese and English releases.
There have been no new announcements for future English releases. English volumes 8 and 9 (Japanese volumes 7 and 8) and part of English volume 10 (Japanese volume 9) have been translated in Super Manga Blast!, and starting with the magazine's 54th issue, the manga was translated in its original right-to-left reading format; this lasted until SMB was cancelled five issues later. These chapters have not been printed as stand-alone graphic novels as of yet, nor has Dark Horse announced any plans to further translate Shadow Star.

Anime

The anime adaptation consisted of 13 episodes, each running for 24 minutes, and adapted the storyline of the first 6 volumes (7 volumes of the American release) of the manga.

Episodes

Reception of the anime

Tasha Robinson of the Sci Fi Channel described the series as "transformed" from "fascinatingly quirky" to "slow but expressive."

Shadow Star
なるたる
(Narutaru)
Genre Supernatural, Horror, Drama
Manga
Written by Mohiro Kitoh
Published by Kodansha
English publisher Canada United States Dark Horse Comics
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Afternoon
English magazine United States Super Manga Blast
Original run July 21, 1998December 22, 2003
Volumes 12
TV anime
Directed by Toshiaki Iino
Licensed by Central Park Media
Network Kids Station
Original run July 7, 2003September 29, 2003
Episodes 13
Anime and Manga Portal

Uta no Prince-sama

Uta no Prince-sama (うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪?) is a 2010 Otome game series targeted towards female gamers published by Broccoli. The game has been adapted into manga and anime series. The anime has been green-lit for production on a second season coming later in the year.

Plot

With dreams of becoming a composer and someday writing a song for her favorite idol, Haruka enters the Saotome Academy, a prestigious performing arts school. If successful there, she'll be able to join the Shining Agency after graduation. However, it won't be so easy when Haruka is already surrounded by potential idols and composers. On top of that, her homeroom teacher is a current idol, the headmaster was a record-breaking singer, and the academy itself is a chaotic place where anything can happen. In the end at graduation, two students are to be paired up by the students' choice, one taking the idol role and the other the composer role. After being paired up, the "pair" will sing a song that was both composed, written and sung by the pair. If successful, the pair will join and take the spot as the new Shining Agency debut artists. To make things more difficult, romance is prohibited in the school! Which prince of song will be paired up with Haruka? Uta no Prince Sama is an exciting, coming-of-age romantic comedy that will be like sweet music to your eyes and ears!

Characters

Main characters

Wishing to compose a song for her idol, Hayato, to sing someday, Haruka enrolls into Saotome Academy. Prior to her enrollment, Haruka has no experience in reading sheet music despite being able to play the piano (it was taught to her by her grandmother). As the story progresses, she shows that she has talent in composing songs. Because of her caring personality, she has the ability to move people's hearts. Haruka was a sickly child and moved in with her grandmother in the country while she was young because the city made her "dizzy".
A student in S Class, he bears a strong resemblance to Haruka's idol, Hayato. He's said to be Hayato's identical twin brother and seems to bear a complex from being in his brother's shadow. He appears to be cold and aloof, as well as being a perfectionist. His character is reflected in his song, both his pitch and rhythm are perfect, but he gets criticised for having no "heart" in his music. However, everything is the fruit of his hard work. Tokiya is Otoya's (Class A) roommate. It is soon revealed that he is actually Hayato. Later in the story, he gradually warms up to Haruka and falls in love with her.[1]
Haruka's classmate in A Class, he's a friendly and positive person who enjoys singing. He shares a room with Tokiya from Class S. In the anime, he stands up for Haruka when she was barred from taking the entrance exam due to being late. He is always straightforward and honest. Despite his age, he is seen acting like a child. He cares for Haruka and is the first out of the 6 guys to realize that his feelings for her, and believes that he will reach his goal with her at his side. In the game, he is afraid of heights
Student of A Class, The oldest son and heir to the Hijirikawa Group. He was raised in a strict environment, making him very serious. His way of thinking is a little old-fashioned, and he’s unable to show his real self due to his serious nature. He seems to have some form of rivalry going on with Ren, whom he shares a room with. He plays the piano. Masato shows his soft side when Haruka is involved.
Student in S Class, he is the third son of the Jinguji family, making him rivals with Masato, who is also his roommate. He is very flirtatious, and plays the saxophone. However, his character runs deeper than the superficial. In the anime, he, along with Otoya, helps defend Haruka when the officials refused to let her take the entrance exam. Ren affectionally calls Haruka, "Little Lamb."
Another student of S Class, he is nicknamed "ochibi-chan" due to his short stature, much to his chagrin. He's very cheerful and energetic, and plays the violin. He has a twin brother, Kaoru. Syo is Natsuki's roommate and childhood friend as well. When he was five years old, he almost fell from a very high tower while being chased by Natsuki and developed a fear of heights, but is later cured of his acrophobia with help from everyone. In the game, he has a weak heart, making Kaoru woried about him.
Another of Haruka's classmate, he plays the viola, though he used to play the violin. He has an extreme fondness for cute things, leading him to take a liking to Haruka. He believes that she is the only person who understand his music. In the anime, upon his first encounter with Haruka he calls her Elizabeth, saying that she reminds him of his dog. He shares a room with Sho, whom he claims to be as cute as Haruka and is very affectionate towards him. He likes cooking, yet his food are usually disastrous. He has a split personality and suffers from "gemini syndrome", his other and darker side goes by the name of Satsuki and is a very violent person, having put over 50,000 people in the hospital. However, he has a talent for composing and is considered a "genius" in this field.

[edit] Supporting characters

  • Tomochika Shibuya (渋谷 友千香?) Voiced by Yuka Imai
Haruka's best friend, classmate, and roommate.
The teacher assigned Haruka's class, Class A. He's a male idol who likes to crossdress as a female.
The prince of Agnapolis who was cursed and turned into a black cat.
The teacher assigned to Class S. He's also an actor as well as Syo's idol.
He is said to be Syo's younger twin brother. In the game, he cares a lot about Syo
The principal of the Saotome Academy, a prestigious idol school. He was an idol, and it was possible to build Saotome Academy because of his hit single, "Owing to Love". He has a habit of spying on students and popping up at random times.
Character in Uta no Prince-sama DEBUT!. In the Game he is the Senior of Masato Hijirikawa and Ren Jinguuji. He is or he could be in a STARISH Rival Band with Cecil Aijima, Reiji Kotobuki, Ai Mikaze and Camus.
Character in Uta no Prince-sama DEBUT!. The Senior of Syo Kurusu and Natsuki Shinomiya. In the Anime he could be in a Band with Camus, Cecil Aijima, Ranmaru Kurosaki and Reiji Kotobuki.
Character in Uta no Prince-sama DEBUT!. Senior of Ittoki Otoya and Tokiya Ichinose. Could be in a Band with Cecil Aijima, Ranmaru Kurosaki, Camus and Ai Mikaze in the Anime.
Another Character in Uta no Prince-sama DEBUT!. Friend of Cecil Aijima and Ranmaru, Ai & Reiji, or at least he knows them. In the Game (it is mumbled) that he will be Cecil's Senior. In the Anime he could possibly be in a STARISH Rival Band with Cecil, Ranmaru, Ai & Reiji.

Media

Games

Manga

Anime

The March 2011 issue of Newtype magazine announced that an anime television series based on the romance game franchise would air during the summer. Titled Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000% (うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪マジLOVE1000%?) the series was produced by A-1 Pictures under the direction of Yuu Kou with Tomoko Konparu supervising the scripts and Mitsue Mori adapting the game's original character designs.[2] The anime series began its broadcast run on Tokyo MX and Gunma TV on July 3, 2011 at 12:00am. The video streaming service Niconico.com is simulcasting the series to audiences in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

No. Title Original airdate
01 "Seven-colored Compass"
"Nanairo no Konpasu" (七色のコンパス) 
July 3, 2011[4]
Haruka Nanami is a girl who attends a music school, passionate of becoming a song writer for her idol. While aiming to achieve her dream she meets many other people who also have dreams and talents like her. 
02 "Brand New Melody"   July 10, 2011[4]
Class A are assigned a project, to compose a new song with a partner, however, there is a twist; the idol group have to write the lyrics and the songwriter group have to write the music! Haruka is partnered with Ittoki Otoya. Her teacher Ringo Tsukimiya asks her to play the piano for the class, revealing that she can't read sheet music. With encouragement from Ittoki, she learns to read it, and their song ends up being a success. 
03 "Knocking on the Mind"   July 17, 2011[5]
Both Haruka and Otoya Ittoki passed the project, but now Haruka has to deal with the bullying from her classmates because she didn't know how to read music, she is asked to play the piano again for them, but the comments finally get to her and she freezes up, making the situation worse. Masato Hijirikawa understands her troubles and helps her work through them. 
04 "Believe Heart to the End of the World"
"Sekai no Hate made Believe Heart" (世界の果てまでBelieve Heart) 
July 24, 2011[5]
Ren Jinguuji is going to get expelled if he doesn't give his lyrics to Hyuuga-sensei. But with help from Haruka and everyone else, he finishes his song. 
05 "Full Throttle Chivalrous Spirit Go! Fight!!"
"Otokogi Zenkai Go! Fight!!" (男気全開 Go!Fight!!) 
July 31, 2011[5]
Shou Kurusu really wants to audition for a part in Hyuuga's new movie the "Prince of Precipices" unfortunately, he is so scared of heights that there is no way he can get the part! However, all his friends band together to cure him of his fear... maybe they overdid it a little. 
06 "Shout Out from Orion"
"Orion de SHOUT OUT" (オリオンでSHOUT OUT) 
August 7, 2011[5]
Haruka is going to Hayato's concert by herself, all of her friends were worried about her getting lost! And she did but ended up meeting Natsuki Shinomiya with a different personality...... Haruka, Natsuki Shinomiya, and Shou Kurusu all went to Hayato's concert. Besides finding out about Natsuki's different personality, she also found out something about Hayato. 
07 "Feeling Heart"
"Fīringuhāto" (フィーリングハート) 
August 14, 2011[6]
The episode begins where Haruka is being praised by Tsukimiya Ringo, saying that her piano performance is what should be expected from the girl who got the highest score in the current month's songwriting contest. After class, Haruka saw Tokiya Ichinose and confronted him that she knew the truth. She wonders why Tokiya is doing that kind of pretention when as Hayato, he is already popular and doesn't need to attend school. Meanwhile, as Tokiya, he is having troubles with his singing, and they described it as "perfect", but without "heart". And as Hayato, his manager tells him he is better acting in dramas instead of singing. 
08 "Eternity Love"   August 21, 2011[6]
The Shining Academy students are in camp on the headmaster's private island. As other students are picking their partners for the final assessment, Haruka is afraid of asking Tokiya to be her partner after their previous tense conversation. On the beach, Otoya confesses to her that he loves her music and that he has chosen her as his desired partner. Around the island, Natsuki, Ren, Shou and Masato have each chosen a partner (whose name remains undisclosed but is indicated to be a female). In the middle of the night, a black cat (whom Haruka named Kuppuru) leads her to some ruins where she meets Cecile. Cecile says that he knows her, that they have met before and that he is from a land farther west. He explains to her that his clan once lived here and that he is her protector. As he is speaking, she falls asleep and wakes up in her cottage, believing it all to be a dream until she sees the flower he gave her lying in her palm. She walks along the beach, meeting Tokiya there and he tells her a story of after he first debuted and had an accident and what gave him hope. At the end, Ren is waiting for her on the walkway with a flower and tells her that he wants her to be his partner. 
09 "Weaving Dreams"
"Tsumuida Yumetachi" (紡いだ夢たち) 
August 28, 2011[6]
Haruka is confronted by Ittoki who speaks out his desire to have her as his graduation audition partner. Later, she is also told by Ren the same thing that Ittoki had said. Not so long after, Kurusu, Hijirikawa, and Natsuki does the same. Hesitant on who to choose, Haruka asks for her teacher's advise. However, she is rejected only to be told that another person wants her as his partner who is none other than Tokiya Ichinose. In this episode, Haruka is seen singing for the first time in the series. 
10 "Come On, Let's Sing!"   September 4, 2011[6]
Haruka became the topic of the school because of having six person who listed her for the pairing. Later on she mets her teacher, Tsukimiya-sensei, and asks him if she can drop out, while Haruka is still saying it he rejected it and said that if she drops out, the six boys who designated her as their partner would also be disqualified. Haruka can't sleep and decides to make a song that can be performed by six persons. The next day, Ittoki, Ichinose, Jinguuji, Syo, Natsuki, and Hijirikawa were all called out by Haruka to the 3rd Music Room and Haruka told them that she just can't choose one because all of them helped her to get into the place where she is at. At the end, they performed it in front of the Headmaster, the Headmaster named the song "Maji Love 1000%" (Serious Love 1000%). 
11 "Map Of The Future"
"Mirai Chizu" (未来地図) 
September 11, 2011[7]
Himura, Tokiya's manager learns that he's a student in Saotome Academy. He then increases Tokiya's workload to make him too busy to attend school. Meanwhile, Haruka and the other members begin working on a new song she wrote called "Map of the Future." Everyone noticed that Tokiya is always late for rehearsals because of his "part-time job" but they don't have any idea what it is except for Haruka. Working and attending school has started to take its toll on Tokiya and he ends up collapsing. He is confronted by the President of his company about his apparent "betrayal" when he woke up. The thought of "Hayato" leaving his company was too much for the President that he had collapsed in Tokiya's apartment. He was brought to the hospital and the two make amends. Tokiya told the President that from that moment on, he would live as Tokiya Ichinose. The President asked if it was because "Hayato" was tired but Tokiya replied that he had just found hope. Tokiya rushes back to Saotome Academy and called Otoya but their call was cut short when his phone ran out of battery. His return will be delayed due to a landslide and will take him until morning. 
12 "The Heart of a Lost Child"
"Maigo no Kokoro" (迷子のココロ) 
September 17, 2011[7]
Paparazzi have infiltrated Saotome Academy and found out that Tokiya is really Hayato. Everyone is shocked by this revelation and struggle to make sense of it while eagerly awaiting Tokiya's return. Upon his arrival, Tokiya explained his reason for disguising himself as his own younger twin brother to everyone and humbly asked to be part of their group because just like all of them, he really wants to sing Haruka's songs. The Principal witnessed their new resolve as a group and announced their debut as the idol group "St☆rish" to the media. Everyone was happy to finally get the chance to debut but the Principal told them that Haruka cannot write their debut song. The "God of Composers" will be the one to write their debut song but everyone protested. In the end, the Principal discouraged Haruka by asking her if she can write a better song than the "God of Composers." 
13 "Serious Love 1000%"
"Maji Love 1000%" (マジLOVE1000%) 
September 24, 2011[7]
The Principal asked Haruka if she possesses the heart of a pro or if she was just a fan of St☆rish because she had stated earlier that she was just happy to hear them sing together. Haruka couldn't answer and everyone protested but the Principal would not hear any of it. Ren and the others threatened not to debut if Haruka won't be the one to write their debut song but she encouraged them not to waste the chance. Despite having said that, Haruka cannot accept the fact that she was cut off and suddenly went home to her grandmother in the country. There, her grandmother reminded her of her love for music and Haruka rediscovered her resolve. Before she was able to come back, St☆rish came to pick her up and they performed "Map of The Future" for her and her grandmother. Haruka came in terms with her own feelings by declaring that she wants them to sing her songs and no one else can write for them but her. Delighted at Haruka's firm resolve, the Principal appeared and explained that he never really wanted to cut off Haruka from the debut but had to test her and teach her the importance of having the will to succeed as a pro. St☆rish makes their debut with Maji Love 1000%" (Serious Love 1000%), the first song that Haruka composed for them and the song that brought them all together.
Uta no Prince-sama
Uta no Prince-sama PSP cover.jpg
Box cover of the PSP game
うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪
Genre Romance, Comedy
Game
Publisher Broccoli
Genre Visual novel
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released June 24, 2010
Game
Uta no Prince-Sama: Amazing Aria
Publisher Broccoli
Genre Visual novel
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released December 23, 2010
Game
Uta no Prince-Sama: Sweet Serenade
Publisher Broccoli
Genre Visual novel
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released February 10, 2011
Game
Uta no Prince-Sama: Repeat
Publisher Broccoli
Genre Visual novel
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released August 11, 2011
Manga
Written by Utako Yukihiro
Published by ASCII Media Works
Published December 22, 2010
TV anime
Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000%
Directed by Yuu Kou
Written by Tomoko Konparu
Music by Elements Garden
Studio A-1 Pictures
Network Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, TV Aichi, Mainichi Broadcasting System
Original run July 3, 2011September 24, 2011
Episodes 13
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Friday, March 23, 2012

Mirai Nikki (Future Diary)

Future Diary (未来日記 Mirai Nikki?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Japanese manga author Sakae Esuno. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Shōnen Ace on January 26, 2006, and is published by Kadokawa Shoten. As of April 26, 2011, eleven tankōbon volumes have been released in Japan. The manga has been licensed by Tokyopop, and ten of the English volumes have been released, with a release for the last two now uncertain due to Tokyopop ceasing publishing in North America. A "pilot anime" DVD was released with the 11th manga volume in December 2010. A TV anime series animated by Asread began airing in Japan on October 10, 2011. Funimation has licensed the anime for distribution in North America. A live action television drama will premiere in April 2012.
Esuno has also authored two side-story manga, each one spanning five chapters: first Future Diary: Mosaic which focuses on another Diary Holder, Minene Uryu, and tells unrevealed plot points of the main story; and in 2009-2010, Future Diary: Paradox (published in Young Ace), which tells the exploits of Aru Akise and Muru Muru set in an alternate timeline.

Plot

Yukiteru "Yuki" Amano is a loner who spends most of his time writing a diary on his cell phone or talking with his imaginary friends Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space, and Muru Muru, Deus's servant. One day, Deus gives Yuki a special diary, mentioning something about a game. Strangely, Yuki's new diary has entries in it spanning the next 90 days--entries about the future that come unnervingly true. Deus, the not-so-imaginary God of Time and Space, then forces Yuki to participate in a battle royal with eleven other people, each of whom also has a diary that can predict the future in some unique way. The rules of this "Diary Game" are simple: the contestants must try to find and kill all the other contestants before the world ends on Day 90, and only the last one standing can prevent the Apocalypse and become the new God of Time and Space.
Yuki initially has no desire to win the game, but after Deus informs the other contestants that Yuki, as the "1st" Diary owner, is his favorite to win the game, he is forced to team up with the 2nd Diary owner--his obsessive stalker, Yuno Gasai--in order to survive the constant attempts on his life by the other diary users, who see him as the biggest threat. Although Yuki only feigns affection for Yuno to manipulate her into protecting him, he soon becomes too afraid to spurn her after witnessing her psychopathic obsession with their "Happy End" (a prediction in Yuno's diary that she and Yuki will "become one" on July 28, the 90th day of the game) and the terrifying methods she employs to remove anything and anyone she perceives as a threat to it. Yet despite Yuno's apparent insanity and the mounting evidence that she is hiding something from Yuki, his declarations of love become increasingly sincere over the course of the game. Even as he learns that he cannot trust any of the other contestants, Yuki continues to trust Yuno because her feelings for him are genuine and because he is unwilling to personally stoop to the dirty tactics the competition resorts to in order to survive.
Late in the game, everything changes when Yuki's parents are murdered. Upon learning from Yuno that he can bring his parents back to life by becoming the new God of Time and Space, Yuki becomes a ruthless, backstabbing, and manipulative terrorist who doesn't hesitate killing innocent people for the sake of killing the other contestants. Yuki's actions shock his friends, in particular Aru Akise, an aspiring detective who suspects that Yuno is not the person she claims to be. After Yuno and Yuki become the last contestants, Aru and the rest of Yuki's friends chastise him on how he has become just as bad as the other contestants. Aru tries to warn Yuki that Yuno is manipulating him and that she has an ulterior motive. Refusing to accept the truth and obeying Yuno's urging, Yuki unwillingly kills his friends under the pretense that he can bring them back to life later. In one last desperate attempt to convince Yuki of the danger he is in, Aru sacrifices his life, refusing to dodge a fatal blow from Yuno in order to give Yuki a clue about Yuno's true identity.
As the "Happy End" draws near, Yuki begins to wonder about Aru's final clue. When he unwittingly brings it up with Yuno along with his desire to commit double suicide rather than win by killing her, she attempts to kill him and he is forced to flee for his life. In a major plot twist, Yuki is intercepted by Muru Muru, who reveals that Yuno is the God of Time and Space, Muru Muru is Yuno's servant whom she inherited from Deus, and the universe they currently reside in is actually a time paradox created when Yuno, the winner of the Diary game, used her newfound powers to travel back in time and start the game over. In the original Diary game, Yuki and Yuno also defeated all the other contestants and decided to commit double suicide. However, Yuno only faked her death because she believed that she could bring Yuki back to life with the powers of the God of Time and Space. In a cruel trick of fate, Yuno was able to resurrect Yuki's body but not revive his soul. Mad with grief, Yuno decided to travel back in time with Muru Muru, kill and replace her past self, have Muru Muru trap and replace her past self, and together manipulate the game to ensure that, this time, Yuki wins the game.
After Muru Muru finishes her explanation, Yuno appears and declares that Yuki is expendable to her: she only needs to play the Diary game a third time if she wants Yuki to win. As Yuno closes in for the kill, Yuki is saved by the sudden appearance of Minene Uryu, the supposedly deceased 9th Diary owner. Undaunted, Yuno and Muru Muru proceed to travel back in time to start the Diary game a third time, abandoning Yuki and Minene to the destruction of the world. To their surprise, Minene and Yuki are able to follow them, the former revealing that although she is no longer a contestant in the Diary game, she possesses part of Deus's powers and is there on his behalf to confirm his suspicions that Yuno and Muru Muru are from a parallel universe and prevent them from disrupting the Diary game. Upon arriving in the new universe, Minene interferes with and ultimately prevents many of the terrible events that originally happened to the other diary owners. As a result of this, Yuno finds that her parents in the new universe were never abusive and loses her resolve to kill and replace that universe's Yuno. Yuki convinces Yuno to come to her senses and surrender as he loves her, requesting that she kill him and return to his universe to create a better world for herself. Regretting her mistakes, Yuno instead kills herself, ending the game and making Yuki the new God of his universe.
Despite his new title and powers, Yuki is so devastated by Yuno's death that he is unable to do anything but stare at his diary's final entry--"Yuno died."--and mourn her loss. After 10,000 years of mourning in the void of his post-apocalyptic universe, Yuki is shocked when the spacetime of his universe shatters and reveals a passageway to the third universe, created through the joint efforts of the Muru Muru of the third universe, the Muru Muru of the first universe, and the Yuno of the third universe. The Yuno of the third universe recognizes Yuki, reveals that she has the same memories as the Yuno from the first universe (courtesy of the Muru Muru of the first universe), and invites Yuki into the third universe so that they can finally be together. The Deus of the third universe calls off the Diary game and makes Yuki and Yuno his heirs, and Yuki is reunited with Yuno, his friends, his parents, and the Diary users in the new, happier universe.

Media

Manga

The series was serialized Shōnen Ace magazine from January 26, 2006 to December 27, 2010 and was compiled into fourteen volumes published by Kadokawa Shoten including two side-story mangas, Future Diary: Mosaic and Future Diary: Paradox. The manga was originally licensed in English by Tokyopop for North America but only ten volumes were released before Tokyopop cease publishing operations on May 31, 2011.

Volumes list

No. Japanese English
Release date ISBN Release date ISBN
1 July 26, 2006 ISBN 978-4-04-713839-1 May 12, 2009 ISBN 978-1-4278-1557-6
2 October 26, 2006 ISBN 978-4-04-713872-8 June 9, 2009 ISBN 978-1-4278-1558-3
3 March 26, 2007 ISBN 978-4-04-713912-1 September 9, 2009 ISBN 978-1-4278-1559-0
4 October 26, 2007 ISBN 978-4-04-713954-1 December 1, 2009 ISBN 978-1-4278-1560-6
5 February 26, 2008 ISBN 978-4-04-715026-3 March 2, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4278-1561-3
6 June 26, 2008 ISBN 978-4-04-715072-0 June 1, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4278-1630-6
7 November 26, 2008 ISBN 978-4-04-715130-7 August 31, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4278-1751-8
Mosaic November 26, 2008 ISBN 978-4-04-715129-1
8 May 26, 2009 ISBN 978-4-04-715248-9 November 2, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4278-1761-7
9 November 26, 2009 ISBN 978-4-04-715323-3 December 28, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4278-0520-1
10 March 26, 2010 ISBN 978-4-04-715400-1 April 12, 2011 ISBN 978-1-4278-0521-8
Paradox March 26, 2010 ISBN 978-4-04-715412-4
11 September 9, 2010 (limited edition)
December 25, 2010 (regular edition)
ISBN 978-4-04-900801-2 (limited edition)
ISBN 978-4-04-715580-0 (regular edition)
12 April 26, 2011 ISBN 978-4-04-715679-1

Anime

A special anime DVD containing a "pilot anime" was bundled with the limited edition of the eleventh volume of the manga. Originally it was going to be released on September 9, 2010, but was postponed and released on December 9, 2010.[1] An anime television adaptation by Asread and directed by Naoto Hosoda began airing from October 10, 2011.[2] Character designs are done by Eiji Hirayama and Ruriko Watanabe. Funimation licensed the series for North American distribution as part of the Funico brand, a joint venture between Funimation, and Niconico.

Visual novel

Kadokawa Shoten produced a visual novel based on the manga titled Future Diary Re:write The 13th Diary Owner (未来日記 Re:write -13人目の日記所有者- Mirai Nikki Re:write 13-nin-me no Nikki Shoyūsha?) for the PlayStation Portable, was released on January 28, 2010 in Japan. A re-release with new graphics, artwork and featuring the voice actors from the anime will be released on April 26, 2012.

Drama

A live action drama will premiere in April 2012 on Fuji TV.

Future Diary
Mirainikkicover.jpg
Cover of Future Diary volume 1.
未来日記
(Mirai Nikki)
Genre Action, Survival Horror, Psychological, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense
Manga
Written by Sakae Esuno
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher United States Tokyopop
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Shōnen Ace
Original run January 26, 2006December 27, 2010
Volumes 12
TV anime
Directed by Naoto Hosoda
Written by Katsuhiko Takayama
Studio Asread
Licensed by United States Funimation
United Kingdom Anime on Demand
Original run October 10, 2011 – ongoing
Episodes 26 (List of episodes)
TV drama
Mirai Nikki -Another:World-
Written by Yūsuke Watanabe
Original run April 2012 – ongoing
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