Akazukin Chacha
Encyclopedia
is a shōjo manga series by Min Ayahana
. It was serialized by Shueisha
in the manga magazine Ribon
from 1991 and 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes
. The series follows the adventures of a fumbling student magician named Chacha, who habitually wears a red hooded cloak, as she seeks the truth about her family and defend the kingdom against its enemies.
Akazukin Chacha was adapted into an anime
television series by Nihon Ad Systems
and Studio Gallop, first broadcast on TV Tokyo
in 74 episodes from 7 January 1994 to 30 June 1995. This was followed by a sequel OVA
series of three episodes released between 6 December 1995 and 6 March 1996. In 1998, Cartoon Network
aired an English dub
of the Akazukin Chacha anime in Southeast Asia
and Mandarin-speaking countries. This version has been criticized for mispronunciations.
In 2011, a new episode titled Akazukin Chacha N was published in May 2011 issue of Cookie.
named Chacha. She lives in a cottage on Mochi
-mochi Mountain with Seravy, her guardian and teacher, who is the fictional world's greatest magician
. Chacha is clumsy in casting her spells, frequently mistaking homonyms, she summons spiders ( in Japanese) instead of a cloud (also ). When she and her friends are in trouble, however, her spells do work. Living on the same mountain is a boy named Riiya, gifted with enormous strength, who comes from a family of werewolves
. Far away from Mochi-mochi Mountain is Urizuri Mountain where Dorothy, a well known magician, lives in a castle with her student Shiine. Shiine is a young wizard, who is adept at casting spells and barriers, as well as transformations.
The storylines of the manga and the anime adaptation are markedly different: while the anime uses most of the same characters, the story of the first two seasons were invented for the television show. Most of the stories in the third season are based on the manga.
In season one, Chacha, Shiine, and Riiya attend Urara School, named after their principal Urara. The three are in Banana Class with their teacher named Rascal-sensei who wields a whip and looks strict, but is actually very kind. On the same class is Kurozukin ("black-hooded") Yakko and Orin. Yakko admires Seravy deeply and even calls him Seravy-sama. Orin is a ninja
of the Momonga Clan, and good at concealing herself. Orin is probably the most truthful character in the story, she develops a crush on Shiine when they first met. Later a selfish mermaid
called Marine tags along because she is interested in Riiya.
In the second season, after Chacha's weapon, the Beauty Serene Arrow, is unable to beat one of Daimaō's minions, Access, the trio began to search for another, more powerful weapon called the Phoenix Sword or Wing Kris. As they do so, Chacha discovers that her parents are the King and Queen of their land. After encountering many obstacles, they find Phoenix Sword. They then begin their quest for the Bird Shield, the third weapon that the Magical Princess must acquire to defeat Daimaō's minions. At the end of this story arc, Chacha, Shiine, Riiya, Orin, Yakko, Marine, Dorothy, and Seravy together, as the eight Holy Warriors of Love, Courage, and Hope, get inside Daimaō's castle. They defeat Daimaō, after which the castle and the kingdom changes back to its original shape and color.
In season three, the King's Crest, which is a magical artifact called the Holy Bird, is stolen by one of Daimaō's minions, Soprano. Whoever possesses the King's Crest can make the world good or evil. When Chacha as the Magical Princess fights Soprano, by accident they break the seal, allowing demons to enter their world and start devastating their land. Seravy tells them that to close the seal again, they must use things that are from gods or goddess. Because the Pendant, Bracelet, and Ring were given to them by Queen Joan, now a goddess, they sacrifice the three items to save the world. As a result, Chacha can no longer change into the Magical Princess, but her family gives her three more magical items, a magical brooch, compact, and Crescent Aurora Bracelet, which she can use to call up a boomerang which in turn brings her the items that can solve her problems. At the end of the series, Seravy settles down, engaged to be married to his former classmate, Dorothy.
- A young blonde girl with the red riding hood practicing magic under the care of her teacher, Seravy. She is often referred to as cute when she fumbles up her magic tricks which is basically always. She is best friends with Riiya and Shiine. In the manga version, she ends up with Riiya.
- A young boy with great strength and an equally great appetite who has the ability to transform into a young white wolf at will, but is often mistaken as a dog. He is constantly fighting with Shiine over Chacha's affections and he dislikes Seravy on occasion. He ends up with Chacha in the manga.
- Left to Dorothy as a baby by Access (revealed to be his father), he was raised as a wizard and he also enjoys housework. With Chacha and Riiya's help, he is reunited with his parents. His magic powers are better than Chacha's and is the most sensible and reasonable among the group. He is very loyal to his Master Dorothy.
- Chacha's magic teacher, guardian, and the greatest wizard in the world. He was formerly captain of the royal guards and escaped with Chacha when Daimaō attacked the castle. His first and only love was Dorothy, before she changed her curly blonde hair to straight red-pink hair which Seravy detests.
- Shiine's magic teacher who dreamed of becoming the greatest magician in the world. She defeated Piikapon, thus earning the title of greatest magician for only a few minutes because Seravy accidentally hit Dorothy over the head with a huge bouquet of flowers he conjured (to congratulate her), thus earning him the title of greatest magician of the world. Dorothy angrily turned her curly blond hair red-pink and straight as retaliation because Seravy wouldn't fight with his "beloved Dorothy". , later Miina Tominaga
- Seravy's favorite doll. She is the image of Dorothy when she was younger. Seravy often talks to Elizabeth and Elizabeth often is the one who pokes fun at Dorothy, often in reference to her hair, temper and habit of making Shiine do housework for her. , later Miina Tominaga
- A black-hooded girl in Chacha's class who is in love with Seravy. She specializes in potions and dislikes Chacha as well because she wishes to be Seravy's only student, in the hopes of him falling in love with her. Yakko is closest with Orin but is often seen with Marin.
- A selfish mermaid who can change into a human when her tail dries out. She is in love with Riiya, but she is totally oblivious to the fact that he's a werewolf. She dislikes Chacha and on occasion hangs out with Yakko and Orin. She constantly appears with the Banana students with Riiya, despite being in the Orange class under Teacher Barabaraman.
- Known in the English dub as "Suzu". She is a small but nimble ninja and excellent swords-girl. She is often the voice of reason of Yakko and on occasion hangs out with Marin, too. She has a crush on Shiine, and turns pink whenever he speaks to her. She is the most truthful with regards to character and shows no hatred towards anyone.
- Principal of Urara School. She wears a pink dress and her eyes are very big.
- Teacher of Banana class. He has long hair which he ties with a yellow bow on some episodes. He loves to whip his students into shape but has a soft side.
- A werewolf giant who raised Riiya and his brothers. He served for the King and help Seravy escape the castle with Chacha during the takeover of the Dark Lord.
- A substitute teacher who can make snow appear due to being a yuki-onna
.
- Teacher of the Apple class. He can grow roses on his hair when he is excited and has thorns growing all over his body. Chacha and Teacher Barabaraman won a three legged race using a combination of Seravy's potion and Chacha's Assistance Boomarang.
- Teacher of Orange class. She was classmates and rivals with Rascal when they were younger. She actually likes Mr. Rascal very much and hates it that he's nice to everyone but her.
- Shiine's father. An anime, he works for the Dark Lord at the beginning (due to the fact that the Dark Lord imprisoned his wife) but is defeated by the Phoenix Sword. He is charged with finding the King's Crest. Later in the series, he is reunited with Shiine and Shiine's mother and lives in the castle with them.
- Dorothy's younger brother, but he usually dressed as a woman and is in love with Seravy. He is jealous of Dorothy for being the love of Seravy.
- Mad scientist, creator of Nyandaber. Resembles a cat, so his inventions resemble that of a cat, as well, namely Nyandaber.
- A bald wizard constantly mocked and wants to beat Seravy in a magical duel ever since Seravy beat him. Chacha, Riiya, and Shiine-chan call him "Tono" because of the hairstyle Seravy gave him.
. - Riiya's elder brother. - Yakko's younger brother. - Orin's younger brother. - Marin's younger sister. - Chacha's younger sister. - Popy's younger brother. - Daimaō is an agreeable magician with the appearance of a rock-and-roll singer and is a great manga
fan. He is the father of Heihachi and is later revealed to be the birth father of Seravy. In the concluding chapters of the manga, he takes in a despondent Riiya and teaches Riiya seduction techniques he can use to win Chacha back. - Seravi and Dorothy's twins.
alter-ego of Chacha. - Daimaō in the anime is not the same character as Daimaō in the manga. As the story's antagonist, Daimaō is a demon who wishes to conquer the land and devastate it. A long time ago, Daimaō turned the King and Queen to stone statues. The father of the King, Grand King Genius, sacrificed himself to trap Daimaō inside the castle using a barrier of crystals that formed a spirit shield. Daimaō has to send his minions to do his nasty works for him. - Daimaō's head henchman, later becomes friends with chacha and the gang - One of Sorges' henchmen - One of Sorges' henchmen - Dr. Mikeneko's sister. She once tried to switch Chacha's Princess Medallion with a fake, but end up falling in love with Seravy on the process. Torn between her duty and her love, she eventually found peace when she and her brothers learn that they did not have to fight anymore. - The phoenix chick Chacha protected from Yordas. Piisuke becomes the Phoenix Sword, but reverts back to being a chick when the three magic items are sacrificed. - Chacha's grandfather and Seravy's teacher.
See the list of Akazukin Chacha episodes for details on individual episodes.
The English dub of the anime aired on Cartoon Network Asia in 1998 has been criticized for its transliterations. For example, the Magical Princess's "Beauty Serene Arrow" was rendered as "Magical Sylene Arrow" and her "Bird Shield" as "Band Shield".
. It was serialized in 94 chapters by Shueisha
in the manga magazine Ribon
from 1991 and 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes
. The series was reissued in 2006 in a nine-volume "library edition" with new covers.
television series by Nihon Ad Systems
and Studio Gallop. The series was direct by Shoki Tsuji with music by Osamu Tezuka and Toshihiko Sahashi
and character designs by Hajime Watanabe. The opening theme was , performed by SMAP
during the original broadcast and Shoko Sawada
on the DVD release. There were three ending themes: by Shoko Sawada for episodes 1–31, by Masami Suzuki
, Tomo Sakurai
, and Mayumi Akado for episodes 32–56, and by Masami Suzuki
and Magical Study for episodes 57–74.
The series was first broadcast on TV Tokyo
in 74 episodes from 7 January 1994 to 30 June 1995. In 1998, Cartoon Network
aired an English dub
of the Akazukin Chacha anime in Southeast Asia
and Mandarin-speaking countries.
series, also produced by Nihon Ad Systems
and Studio Gallop. These were released between 6 December 1995 and 6 March 1996. The opening theme for all three episodes was "Make Me Smile" by Yuki Matsuura and the ending theme was also by Yuki Matsuura.
The OVA series depicts the efforts of the elite Momiji School as they try to find out why the greatest witches and wizards in the world come from Urara School. A psionic named Popy-kun is sent to infiltrate the school, but things will not prove too easy when Chacha and friends try to befriend Popy-kun instead.
version of Akazukin Chacha was performed in Hakuhinkan Theater in Tokyo from December 1994 to August 1995, during the broadcast of the anime.
2009-10-24)
Min Ayahana
is a Japanese manga artist, born in Nanao in Ishikawa, Japan. She debuted with the manga Warera High School Hero, published in the 1991 Autumn issue of Ribon Bikkuri Daizoukan...
. It was serialized by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
in the manga magazine Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
from 1991 and 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes
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...
. The series follows the adventures of a fumbling student magician named Chacha, who habitually wears a red hooded cloak, as she seeks the truth about her family and defend the kingdom against its enemies.
Akazukin Chacha was adapted into an 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 by Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
and Studio Gallop, first broadcast on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
in 74 episodes from 7 January 1994 to 30 June 1995. This was followed by a sequel 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 of three episodes released between 6 December 1995 and 6 March 1996. In 1998, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
aired an English dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
of the Akazukin Chacha anime in 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...
and Mandarin-speaking countries. This version has been criticized for mispronunciations.
In 2011, a new episode titled Akazukin Chacha N was published in May 2011 issue of Cookie.
Story
Akazukin Chacha is the story of a young magical girlMagical 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...
named Chacha. She lives in a cottage on Mochi
Mochi
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time...
-mochi Mountain with Seravy, her guardian and teacher, who is the fictional world's greatest magician
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
. Chacha is clumsy in casting her spells, frequently mistaking homonyms, she summons spiders ( in Japanese) instead of a cloud (also ). When she and her friends are in trouble, however, her spells do work. Living on the same mountain is a boy named Riiya, gifted with enormous strength, who comes from a family of werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. Far away from Mochi-mochi Mountain is Urizuri Mountain where Dorothy, a well known magician, lives in a castle with her student Shiine. Shiine is a young wizard, who is adept at casting spells and barriers, as well as transformations.
The storylines of the manga and the anime adaptation are markedly different: while the anime uses most of the same characters, the story of the first two seasons were invented for the television show. Most of the stories in the third season are based on the manga.
Story of the anime
At the beginning of the anime, when Chacha is about to begin school, Seravy gave her a pendant called the Princess Medallion, and a magical bracelet and ring to Riiya and Shiine respectively. The Princess Medallion enables Chacha to transform into the Magical Princess, who can defeat Daimaō's minions, when she shouts the phrase "Let Love, Courage and Hope -- Magical Princess Holy Up!". However, the transformation works only if the three of them get together.In season one, Chacha, Shiine, and Riiya attend Urara School, named after their principal Urara. The three are in Banana Class with their teacher named Rascal-sensei who wields a whip and looks strict, but is actually very kind. On the same class is Kurozukin ("black-hooded") Yakko and Orin. Yakko admires Seravy deeply and even calls him Seravy-sama. Orin is a ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
of the Momonga Clan, and good at concealing herself. Orin is probably the most truthful character in the story, she develops a crush on Shiine when they first met. Later a selfish mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
called Marine tags along because she is interested in Riiya.
In the second season, after Chacha's weapon, the Beauty Serene Arrow, is unable to beat one of Daimaō's minions, Access, the trio began to search for another, more powerful weapon called the Phoenix Sword or Wing Kris. As they do so, Chacha discovers that her parents are the King and Queen of their land. After encountering many obstacles, they find Phoenix Sword. They then begin their quest for the Bird Shield, the third weapon that the Magical Princess must acquire to defeat Daimaō's minions. At the end of this story arc, Chacha, Shiine, Riiya, Orin, Yakko, Marine, Dorothy, and Seravy together, as the eight Holy Warriors of Love, Courage, and Hope, get inside Daimaō's castle. They defeat Daimaō, after which the castle and the kingdom changes back to its original shape and color.
In season three, the King's Crest, which is a magical artifact called the Holy Bird, is stolen by one of Daimaō's minions, Soprano. Whoever possesses the King's Crest can make the world good or evil. When Chacha as the Magical Princess fights Soprano, by accident they break the seal, allowing demons to enter their world and start devastating their land. Seravy tells them that to close the seal again, they must use things that are from gods or goddess. Because the Pendant, Bracelet, and Ring were given to them by Queen Joan, now a goddess, they sacrifice the three items to save the world. As a result, Chacha can no longer change into the Magical Princess, but her family gives her three more magical items, a magical brooch, compact, and Crescent Aurora Bracelet, which she can use to call up a boomerang which in turn brings her the items that can solve her problems. At the end of the series, Seravy settles down, engaged to be married to his former classmate, Dorothy.
Main characters
All main characters appear in both the manga and anime versions.- A young blonde girl with the red riding hood practicing magic under the care of her teacher, Seravy. She is often referred to as cute when she fumbles up her magic tricks which is basically always. She is best friends with Riiya and Shiine. In the manga version, she ends up with Riiya.
- A young boy with great strength and an equally great appetite who has the ability to transform into a young white wolf at will, but is often mistaken as a dog. He is constantly fighting with Shiine over Chacha's affections and he dislikes Seravy on occasion. He ends up with Chacha in the manga.
- Left to Dorothy as a baby by Access (revealed to be his father), he was raised as a wizard and he also enjoys housework. With Chacha and Riiya's help, he is reunited with his parents. His magic powers are better than Chacha's and is the most sensible and reasonable among the group. He is very loyal to his Master Dorothy.
- Chacha's magic teacher, guardian, and the greatest wizard in the world. He was formerly captain of the royal guards and escaped with Chacha when Daimaō attacked the castle. His first and only love was Dorothy, before she changed her curly blonde hair to straight red-pink hair which Seravy detests.
- Shiine's magic teacher who dreamed of becoming the greatest magician in the world. She defeated Piikapon, thus earning the title of greatest magician for only a few minutes because Seravy accidentally hit Dorothy over the head with a huge bouquet of flowers he conjured (to congratulate her), thus earning him the title of greatest magician of the world. Dorothy angrily turned her curly blond hair red-pink and straight as retaliation because Seravy wouldn't fight with his "beloved Dorothy". , later Miina Tominaga
Miina Tominaga
, better known by her stage name of is a Japanese seiyū and tarento from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Mint Avenue....
- Seravy's favorite doll. She is the image of Dorothy when she was younger. Seravy often talks to Elizabeth and Elizabeth often is the one who pokes fun at Dorothy, often in reference to her hair, temper and habit of making Shiine do housework for her. , later Miina Tominaga
- A black-hooded girl in Chacha's class who is in love with Seravy. She specializes in potions and dislikes Chacha as well because she wishes to be Seravy's only student, in the hopes of him falling in love with her. Yakko is closest with Orin but is often seen with Marin.
- A selfish mermaid who can change into a human when her tail dries out. She is in love with Riiya, but she is totally oblivious to the fact that he's a werewolf. She dislikes Chacha and on occasion hangs out with Yakko and Orin. She constantly appears with the Banana students with Riiya, despite being in the Orange class under Teacher Barabaraman.
- Known in the English dub as "Suzu". She is a small but nimble ninja and excellent swords-girl. She is often the voice of reason of Yakko and on occasion hangs out with Marin, too. She has a crush on Shiine, and turns pink whenever he speaks to her. She is the most truthful with regards to character and shows no hatred towards anyone.
- Principal of Urara School. She wears a pink dress and her eyes are very big.
- Teacher of Banana class. He has long hair which he ties with a yellow bow on some episodes. He loves to whip his students into shape but has a soft side.
- A werewolf giant who raised Riiya and his brothers. He served for the King and help Seravy escape the castle with Chacha during the takeover of the Dark Lord.
- A substitute teacher who can make snow appear due to being a yuki-onna
Yuki-onna
is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
.
- Teacher of the Apple class. He can grow roses on his hair when he is excited and has thorns growing all over his body. Chacha and Teacher Barabaraman won a three legged race using a combination of Seravy's potion and Chacha's Assistance Boomarang.
- Teacher of Orange class. She was classmates and rivals with Rascal when they were younger. She actually likes Mr. Rascal very much and hates it that he's nice to everyone but her.
- Shiine's father. An anime, he works for the Dark Lord at the beginning (due to the fact that the Dark Lord imprisoned his wife) but is defeated by the Phoenix Sword. He is charged with finding the King's Crest. Later in the series, he is reunited with Shiine and Shiine's mother and lives in the castle with them.
- Dorothy's younger brother, but he usually dressed as a woman and is in love with Seravy. He is jealous of Dorothy for being the love of Seravy.
- Mad scientist, creator of Nyandaber. Resembles a cat, so his inventions resemble that of a cat, as well, namely Nyandaber.
- A bald wizard constantly mocked and wants to beat Seravy in a magical duel ever since Seravy beat him. Chacha, Riiya, and Shiine-chan call him "Tono" because of the hairstyle Seravy gave him.
Manga-only characters
- Yakko's grandfather. - King of KarutaKaruta
is a Japanese card game.The basic idea of any karuta game is to be able to quickly determine which card out of an array of cards is required and then to grab the card before it is grabbed by an opponent. There are various types of cards which can be used to play karuta...
. - Riiya's elder brother. - Yakko's younger brother. - Orin's younger brother. - Marin's younger sister. - Chacha's younger sister. - Popy's younger brother. - Daimaō is an agreeable magician with the appearance of a rock-and-roll singer and is a great 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...
fan. He is the father of Heihachi and is later revealed to be the birth father of Seravy. In the concluding chapters of the manga, he takes in a despondent Riiya and teaches Riiya seduction techniques he can use to win Chacha back. - Seravi and Dorothy's twins.
Anime-only characters
- The magical girlMagical 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...
alter-ego of Chacha. - Daimaō in the anime is not the same character as Daimaō in the manga. As the story's antagonist, Daimaō is a demon who wishes to conquer the land and devastate it. A long time ago, Daimaō turned the King and Queen to stone statues. The father of the King, Grand King Genius, sacrificed himself to trap Daimaō inside the castle using a barrier of crystals that formed a spirit shield. Daimaō has to send his minions to do his nasty works for him. - Daimaō's head henchman, later becomes friends with chacha and the gang - One of Sorges' henchmen - One of Sorges' henchmen - Dr. Mikeneko's sister. She once tried to switch Chacha's Princess Medallion with a fake, but end up falling in love with Seravy on the process. Torn between her duty and her love, she eventually found peace when she and her brothers learn that they did not have to fight anymore. - The phoenix chick Chacha protected from Yordas. Piisuke becomes the Phoenix Sword, but reverts back to being a chick when the three magic items are sacrificed. - Chacha's grandfather and Seravy's teacher.
Anime adaption
The original manga is light-hearted, comedic story. The anime adaptation is darker, and while it uses most of the same characters, it introduced a number of changes. The Magical Princess and her story of the first two seasons are only in the anime, and Daimaō was recast as the main villain. Access was also changed, from a bumbling antagonist to a more omninous villain. How Seravy came to be Chacha's guardian changed from, in the manga, a chance finding her wrapped in a cocoon on a tree to his actively saving her from the castle just before it falls.See the list of Akazukin Chacha episodes for details on individual episodes.
Reception and influence
In the novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, Akazukin Chacha is mentioned several times. Rue Ryuzaki mentions that he loves Akazukin Chacha (Shiine in particular) and notices that volumes four and nine are missing from a collection, which is a vital clue to the case.The English dub of the anime aired on Cartoon Network Asia in 1998 has been criticized for its transliterations. For example, the Magical Princess's "Beauty Serene Arrow" was rendered as "Magical Sylene Arrow" and her "Bird Shield" as "Band Shield".
Manga
Akazukin Chacha was written and illustrated by Min AyahanaMin Ayahana
is a Japanese manga artist, born in Nanao in Ishikawa, Japan. She debuted with the manga Warera High School Hero, published in the 1991 Autumn issue of Ribon Bikkuri Daizoukan...
. It was serialized in 94 chapters by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
in the manga magazine Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
from 1991 and 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes
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...
. The series was reissued in 2006 in a nine-volume "library edition" with new covers.
Anime
The series was adapted as an animeAnime
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 by Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
and Studio Gallop. The series was direct by Shoki Tsuji with music by Osamu Tezuka and Toshihiko Sahashi
Toshihiko Sahashi
is an accomplished Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series , video games, movies, dramas, and musicals...
and character designs by Hajime Watanabe. The opening theme was , performed by SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
during the original broadcast and Shoko Sawada
Shoko Sawada
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, reporter, and radio personality. Since the start of her professional singing career in 1980, Sawada has recorded over 27 studio albums.-Life and career:...
on the DVD release. There were three ending themes: by Shoko Sawada for episodes 1–31, by Masami Suzuki
Masami Suzuki
is a Japanese voice actress from Chigasaki. She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Lal Mirch in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!*Tachiki Noriko in Kanata kara from far away*Mike "Mac" McField in Legendz...
, Tomo Sakurai
Tomo Sakurai
is a Japanese voice actress and a former idol singer. Sakurai is a member of I'm Enterprise.- Debut :At the age of 14, Sakurai debuted as a sub-member for "KISS Fairlies," a group that worked as campaign girls for KIJIMA Motorcycle Racing Team...
, and Mayumi Akado for episodes 32–56, and by Masami Suzuki
Masami Suzuki
is a Japanese voice actress from Chigasaki. She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Lal Mirch in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!*Tachiki Noriko in Kanata kara from far away*Mike "Mac" McField in Legendz...
and Magical Study for episodes 57–74.
The series was first broadcast on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
in 74 episodes from 7 January 1994 to 30 June 1995. In 1998, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
aired an English dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
of the Akazukin Chacha anime in 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...
and Mandarin-speaking countries.
OVA
The television series was followed by a three-episode sequel 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...
series, also produced by Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
and Studio Gallop. These were released between 6 December 1995 and 6 March 1996. The opening theme for all three episodes was "Make Me Smile" by Yuki Matsuura and the ending theme was also by Yuki Matsuura.
The OVA series depicts the efforts of the elite Momiji School as they try to find out why the greatest witches and wizards in the world come from Urara School. A psionic named Popy-kun is sent to infiltrate the school, but things will not prove too easy when Chacha and friends try to befriend Popy-kun instead.
Stage musical
A musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
version of Akazukin Chacha was performed in Hakuhinkan Theater in Tokyo from December 1994 to August 1995, during the broadcast of the anime.
Games
Akazukin Chacha was adapted as a series of video games:- Akazukin Chacha (Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
, 1995) - Akazukin Chacha (Super FamicomSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
, 1996) - Akazukin Chacha: Osawagase! Panic Race! (PC-FXPC-FXThe is a video game console released in Japan on December 23, 1994 by NEC Corporation. It is the 32-bit successor to NEC's PC Engine ....
, NEC Home Electronics, 1996)
External links
- Akazukin Chacha Online Encyclopedia
- The Akazukin Chacha Archive - A very good fansite, formerly known as Kayin's ACC Archive/Kayin's Anime Area - Akazukin Chacha.
2009-10-24)