is an anime series directed by Tatsuo Sato and mainly animated by
Madhouseis a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
.
Shingu aired from May 8, 2001 through December 4, 2001 on
NHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
. It ran for 26 episodes and was released on
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on five volumes by
The Right Stuf InternationalThe Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
in the United States.
On March 3, 2008, the series made its North American television debut on the
FUNimation ChannelThe FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
.
Story
In the year 2070, an alien invasion of Tokyo is repelled by a mysterious giant being which is almost a monster in itself. This battle is witnessed by Subaru Muryou and his grandfather who comment about it and watch it as if this is nothing to be surprised or shocked about, even though everyone else seems panicked. Later, a middle schooler named Murata Hajime witnesses Muryou and a student council member, Kyouichi Moriguchi, fighting each other with some sort of super psychic power. This causes a series of events which brings Hajime to the stunning discovery that almost everyone in his school seems to know about the giant the news reported defeating the alien invasion over Tokyo. Further to his shock is that it seems everyone in the older part of the small town he moved to a few years ago holds this strange secret and in fact a deeper one, and has been holding it for many years.
The secret is that many of the leading families of the older part of the town have been using their powers and the power of the giant, called "Shingu", to protect Earth for centuries. As Hajime learns this, it comes as somewhat of a shock to him that all of the current members of the middle school student council are actually the guardians of this secret and of Shingu itself for this current generation. This includes Student Vice President Naiyuta Moriyama, who, as it turns out, guards one of the biggest parts of the secret of Shingu. While all of these discoveries are a huge enough shock to him, Hajime also discovers that many of the town's other residents are in fact intergalactic diplomats. The more he learns and the closer his friendship with Muryou, Naiyuta and the other members of the student council becomes, the deeper he is drawn into this open secret. Especially as his friendship with Naiyuta and Muryou grows deeper, Hajime slowly begins to realize he has a very large role to play in the future of both Shingu and Earth's protection.
Muryou Subaru
This mysterious transfer student came to Misumaru Middle School wearing a 20th century school uniform, something rarely seen in the year 2070. He's always calm and laid-back, but at the same time, he has secret powers that he rarely reveals. Little is known about Muryou; in fact, the more that's revealed about him, the more enigmatic he becomes. He seems to know something about the recent alien incidents, though, which makes Vice President Kyouichi instantly suspicious.
Hajime Murata
The narrator of our story. He's a middle-schooler, and the class rep for 2nd year homeroom C. After discovering that Muryou and Kyouichi have astonishing powers, he decides to keep track of all the strange events that start to unfold - but he soon finds himself more deeply involved than he bargained for. Hajime is very social, mature for his age, and adjusts well to even the most bizarre situations.
Kyouichi Moriguchi
Misumaru Middle School's passionate Student Vice President. He has a black belt in martial arts and a lightning-quick temper to match, but he's also very loyal and will stand by his friends no matter what. There appears to be some kind of connection between Kyoichi and Harumi; but at the moment, neither of them seems willing - or able - to acknowledge it. Despite all his harsh words, Kyoichi actually does have a soft side, and is hard not to like.
Naiyuta Moriyama
The other Vice President at Misumaru Middle School; she's an honor student who always goes by the rules. Daughter of the Shrine Priest at the local Tenmo Shrine, Naiyuta is very serious, almost to a fault. She has trouble expressing her emotions, and doesn't like the idea of depending on anyone else.
Hachiyou Tsunamori
Hachiyou is the Student Government President. His personality is very calm and quiet, but with a certain commanding presence - whenever trouble appears, Hachiyou is quick to take charge. He's a bit like a father figure for the group; with only a word from Hachiyou, even the hot-headed Naiyuta and Kyouichi will calm down and follow his lead.
Shun Morihata
Shun is the Student Government Secretary. He's always cheerful, no matter what the situation; he's also very sharp, and eloquent with his words. Perhaps that's why he's so incredibly popular amongst the students (especially the ladies!) Shun has a lot of responsibilities around the school; he's often called on to be an announcer at events, and he's a member of the Theatre Club - a natural match for his acting skills.
Harumi Mineo
The Treasurer of the Student Government. She's quiet and demure, but also extremely resilient; she seems to deliberately avoid being in the spotlight, and usually hides her emotions. Harumi's role in the mystery that surrounds the Shingu is unclear, but one thing is certain - despite appearances, Harumi is a skilled fighter, and she takes her duties very seriously.
Setsuna Subaru
Muryou's older sister. She's a college student who lives in Tokyo, but she often comes to Lady Momoe's home to visit Muryou. In fact, it's become a trademark of hers to stop by with all sorts of sweets from various parts of Japan. She's got a cheerful disposition, and sometimes seems a bit scatterbrained. But like a lot of people in Hajime's life, there's more to her meets the eye… Setsuna has a lot of hidden qualities, but one thing's for certain - she's very good at looking after people.
Kyoko Murata
Hajime's mother. She has two children, Futaba (an elementary-schooler) and, of course, Hajime (a middle schooler). She's a young mother, and currently takes care of the kids and the house while her husband is away. Casual and easygoing, Kyoko's pretty laid back when it comes to the kids doing their schoolwork, but she's very strict about their manners. Kyoko is a woman of many skills; not only is she good at running the Murata household, but she plays a mean game of Bam Bam Sumo Tournament, too.
Futaba Murata
Hajime's younger sister. She's a bubbly sixth grader who tends to fall in love with her brother's friends, a prime example being Muryou. Always optimistic, energetic and curious, Futaba is never afraid to speak her mind. She and her brother fight like cats and dogs…but in truth, she loves her brother a lot.
Momoe Sanamori
The Head Mistress of the Sanemori family. She holds an important position among the people of Tenmo, but the nature of her position has yet to be revealed. Momoe seems to know the truth about many things - Tenmo, Naiyuta, even Muryou - so it's no surprise that when important events take place, Momoe is there to guide the way with her wisdom.
Jiltosh
He’s a Velunnian who goes by many names: Aloha, Ve-yan, Jil…but the one he uses most is Jiltosh. While most aliens do their best to blend in, Jiltosh’s happy-go-lucky persona has bubbled over into his appearance – you’ll always be able to spot his wavy curls and bright red Hawaiian shirt. Jiltosh is a first class diplomat, and every once in a while, you can tell that there’s something hidden behind his cheerful smile…
Mr. Yamamoto
Hajime’s homeroom teacher. He has a very mellow personality and at first glance, he seems like an average, ordinary man. But Mr. Yamamoto has an important role in policing the area and he can pull off some surprising fighting techniques! Mr. Yamamoto is an easy-going, approachable guy, and he’s very popular amongst his students. Though it’s rarely mentioned, his first name is Tadakazu.
Hiromi Isozaki
Hiromi Isozaki (if that is, in fact, her real name), is the phys-ed instructor and teacher at Misumaru Middle School…or is this just a front? She may seem unemotional at times, but she is very much attached to her students. No matter what happens, she always does her best to be calm and in control.
Weinul
Weinul is a Lieutenant in the Zaiglian Space Force. Weinul is a man in search of the truth; and to that end, he’s decided to blend in with the people of Earth. Just like other Zaiglians, he’s very pokerfaced… But at the same time, he’s also calm and collected, as any good Lieutenant should be. Though he’s not much of a talker, Weinul is always ready and willing to adapt to new situations.
Kazuo Murata
Hajime’s father. He’s kept quite busy with his work so he doesn’t get to spend much time at home. Kazuo is cheerful and easygoing, but he does have a certain mystique.
Kanata Myouken
This mysterious figure first appears during the big judo match between Mischu and Miyanomori. He’s there under the guise of a simple team helper, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Kanata is quiet, but extremely confident – and he has every reason to be.
External links
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