is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese 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...

 series created by Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 author

Mangaka

is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...

 Shinobu Ohtaka

Shinobu Ohtaka

. is a Japanese manga artist, and the author of Sumomomo Momomo manga series and recently, Magi-Labyrinth of Magic.-References:...

. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Young Gangan in 2004, which is published by Square Enix

Square Enix

is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...

. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press

Yen Press

Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...

 for distribution in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. The manga was later adapted into an anime which aired in Japan between October 5, 2006 and March 15, 2007, containing twenty-two aired episodes, and two original video animation

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...

 episodes. The series centers around a young girl, a strong martial artist

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

, who wants to marry and bear a child with a boy that she believes to be a strong fighter. The title is based on the Japanese tongue twister Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi, which means Plums are peaches, and peaches are peaches, and plums and peaches are both types of peaches.

Plot

Sumomomo Momomo revolves around the life of Kōshi Inuzuka, a normal high school student who is aspiring to become a prosecutor

Prosecutor

The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...

 after graduating. One day, a strange girl named Momoko Kuzuryū approaches him and informs him that they are betrothed and expected to produce a strong child together, though Kōshi does not accept it. The betrothal came about after Kōshi's father and Momoko's father both arranged the marriage between their respective kids. After Kōshi and Momoko's initial meeting, Kōshi realizes that Momoko is not just a normal, though however strange, girl, as she has been trained by her father in a special form of martial arts that only twelve such families in all of Japan are able to possess. These twelve families coincide with the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac

Chinese astrology

Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty ....

, where Momoko is from the family associated with dragons, while Kōshi is from the family associated with dogs. The dragon family is the head of the six families of the west, whereas the dog family is the head of the six families of the east.

Before long, it is revealed to Kōshi and Momoko that five of the six western families are out on a plot to assassinate Kōshi to prevent him from marrying Momoko, which would cement the twelve families together by bonds of blood. This assassination would be the start of a martial artist war, which would be the seventh such war of the twelve Zodiac Masters of Japan. Kōshi must now fight for his life as Momoko protects him, hoping he will return her affection.

Characters

Kōshi is a handsome, intelligent, yet physically weak seventeen-year-old high school student who is the son of Unken Inuzuka, a martial arts master and member of one of the twelve Zodiac Master families of Japan. His family is associated with the dog of the Chinese zodiac. However, against his father's wishes, he wants nothing to do with martial arts. He has avoided training ever since being terrorized by bullies at a young age, which initially caused him to freeze every time that he sees violence. Due to this, he wants to someday become a prosecutor so that he will be able to punish crimes effectively. As such, he is constantly seen reading books on laws and codes that govern Japan. Whenever he finds himself about to get into a fight, he recites several laws that his attacker is about to break as well as the consequences, in an attempt to dissuade the attacker, which is not always effective. He seems to believe that martial arts do not have any realistically applicable power and the rule of law can be used as a weapon against enemies.

It is revealed at the end of the anime that Kōshi's powers as a martial artist were sealed by his mother, who wanted to protect her only child from the hardship she and her husband had to face as martial artists. She also believed Koushi had a gentle nature which would cause him to regret getting into fights. However, sealing his power was a big mistake for her to do. It only makes Kōshi becomes a useless man with weak heart who is unable to use his martial arts. Because of that, he quits learning martial art and often gets bullied. He can not fight or defend himself properly against the assassins who are after his life; thus he has to depend on Momoko. There are clear indications that the seal has been breached during the last episode, but Kōshi never uses his powers; Momoko manages to defeat their ultimate enemy before Koushi can act. Nevertheless, that final enemy was momentarily distracted by the awakening of Kōshi's powers, which may be an indication of their capacity.

Kōshi initially wants nothing to do with Momoko or the martial arts war that he has been thrown right in the middle of. He instead focuses even more on his studies so as to keep his mind off of being targeted for assassination. Gradually, he seems to develop a greater appreciation and caring for Momoko and manages to overcome his tendency to freeze up in the face of violence. Also, at the end of the anime, when Momoko was gone for some days it is shown that Kōshi could not live properly without her; so much that he had delusions of her cheering him on when confronted by an assassin, his house was a mess and he could not tell the time properly. Best explained by Kōshi himself: 'I see. I cannot deny it anymore. My "daily life" cannot be away from her.'

On the Chinese Zodiac, the dog (Kōshi Inuzuka) gets along very well with the horse (which could be Sanae Nakajima), and does not get along well at all with the dragon (which is Momoko Kuzuryu)

Momoko is a strange and hyperactive, barefoot

Barefoot

Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions...

 (but she starts to wear shoes to school after Kōshi buys her a pair) young girl who is also a martial artist in a special form of martial arts that only members of the twelve Zodiac Masters of Japan can learn. She is associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. She wants to become Kōshi's bride in order to produce a strong son with him, as her father told her that since she is a female, she is currently unable to master her family's martial arts techniques effectively. Momoko shares a strange relationship with Kōshi—its early stages have been compared to that of a dog and it's master in the series itself. Momoko is very adamant about getting married to Kōshi, and often tries to do the best she can to please him in any way. She always refers to Kōshi ending his name with the term "Dono" because she has huge respect for him. Her martial arts skill is very incredible for a girl at her age which is very useful to protect Kōshi from the assassins. She also has much stronger heart and sense of determination than Kōshi. Although he does not see or admit to it, Kōshi always appears to be pathetic for he always has to depend on Momoko to defend him against his enemies. For Kōshi's sake, Momoko will do anything even sacrifice herself for him because she loves him too much and always believes in Kōshi. A running gag throughout the series is if she is experiencing extreme emotions, she will change into a super deformed

Super deformed

Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...

 form.

Whenever she executes her special attacks, Momoko has a habit of mimicking Kamen Rider

Kamen Rider

, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...

henshin poses.

Iroha is a young girl of fifteen and a member of the family of Zodiac Masters associated with the snake. The Miyamoto group was once a feared yakuza gang, but its power, repute and membership dwindled under Iroha's father; his kind nature did not inspire hardened criminals to remain loyal. Iroha, along with her subordinate Hanzō with whom she travels, are the first to attempt the assassination of Kōshi. Iroha wants to restore the reputation her family used to have as the most fearful of the twelve Zodiac Masters by killing Kōshi, but is hindered by Momoko. Eventually, Iroha develops a crush on Kōshi and resolves to find a new path for the Miyamoto family, after Momoko praises her for her fortitude in battle and laments that Iroha should follow the path of an assassin. Iroha eventually develops a close friendship with Momoko and supports her to get closer to Kōshi. She even honestly wishes for their success. Iroha has attempted to save money for the resurrection of the clan, but is often troubled by Hanzō, who spends the money selfishly and by the landlady, an old woman who manages to terrify them whenever she demands their rent.

Sanae is a female high school student who is also one of Kōshi's friends. She is also his class' representative. Unknown to everyone, however, she changes into a heroine known as Tenchū Senshi Uma Kamen, literally meaning "Divine Punishment Warrior Horse Mask", the identity she uses to fight as a superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

. She is apparently also the granddaughter of Iroha's and Hanzō's landlady. Both she and her grandmother are masters associated with the horse of the zodiac. As the chosen protector of the Inuzuka heir, Sanae has been given her tribe's special outfit to wear, which increases its wearer's power. Alas, the outfit closely resembles a bondage

Bondage (BDSM)

Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...

 costume and is most effective when less of it is worn; when the wearer only has certain pieces of the costume equipped, their power is highly focused in the parts covered. In the Nakajima family, kicks are the central part of their combat style, so the costume is most effective for Sanae when she wears nothing but the boots. Needless to say, Sanae finds the costume embarrassing enough when wearing all of it.

Sanae harbors a tragic love for Kōshi; it is tragic since he considers her his very best friend first and because as a member of the Nakajima clan (which is subordinate to the Inuzuka clan), she is supposed to be guarding him from the shadows, not pursuing a relationship with him. Kōshi's marriage with Momoko is also something she is meant to support. However, due to her kind and caring personality she cares for Momoko when she is hurt. Just like Iroha, Sanae supports Momoko and Kōshi, because she thinks Momoko is more suitable for Kōshi; as she said herself, "For me being a flower in the shadow is suitable enough." Sanae's situation is even more tragic because Sanae's grandmother intends for her granddaughter to marry the kind of man most Nakajima women have fancied throughout history; a big muscleman. However, Sanae has been afraid of that kind of man since her early childhood and manages to end the engagement by defeating her fiancé in single combat.

Hanzō is seventeen and Iroha's subordinate in the plot to kill Kōshi. Since Iroha saved his life one day, he has followed her orders closely. The two of them share a relationship like Kōshi and Momoko in that it could be likened to a dog and its master, although Iroha appreciates Hanzō from the start; he is the only member of her family's once feared yakuza legion that has remained at her side. This is because he admires her greatly and considers her example an inspiration to improve himself. It is also quite likely that he has become romantically infatuated with Iroha. Unfortunately for him, Iroha states publicly that she considers him to be like a brother to her and considers the idea of a romantic relationship between them impossible.

Tenka is from the tiger family of the twelve Zodiac Masters and initially comes to assassinate Kōshi. As he is from the tiger family, he carries a lot of traits with his personality that are akin to that of a feline such as being aquaphobic

Aquaphobia

Aquaphobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of water. Aquaphobia is a specific phobia that involves a level of fear that is beyond the patient's control or that may interfere with daily life. People suffer aquaphobia in many ways and may experience it even though they realize the water in an...

, and liking to play with round objects. He always carries around with him a soccer ball which he nicknamed which seems to talk to him. (Although bystanders have commented that he is using ventriloquism.) It is interesting to note that Bekki has spoken to Tenka since early childhood, 'her' voice maturing just as he matured. Tenka has a crush on Momoko based on a time when they met as children, when he defeated her during a training match and they agreed to meet again. Unfortunately for Tenka, while he assumed they would meet and marry once Momoko had grown stronger, she intended to meet and have a death match. Tenka later returns to warn Momoko of the fact that his relatives are coming to attack her and Kōshi and takes their side during the battle. At the end of the anime, relations between Tenka and the main cast are much more friendly than initially.

Unken is a martial arts master and the father of Kōshi. He wants his son to follow in his footsteps, but is unable to persuade him to train in the martial arts. He heads the dog family of the Zodiac Masters of Japan. He and Sendayū are both friends and rivals. An old school photo shows that, although he now has a rather odd face, he was once the spitting image of his son. This has caused Kōshi some concern for the future.

Sendayū is a martial arts master and the father of Momoko. He told Momoko to find the strongest warrior and marry him, eventually bearing the strongest child, since Momoko cannot master her family's techniques as she is female.

Inaho is an anime-only character, a representative of the Kameda family, which once contested the Nakajima family for the right to be the protector of the Inuzuka family. The Kameda family is associated with turtles, which do not appear in the Chinese zodiac. In order to gain ascendancy over the twelve families, Inaho studies law and gains a teacher's license in a bid to get close to Kōshi as his school teacher and marry him—despite having a dislike for law and considering becoming a teacher a lot of hard work. Like Sanae Nakajima, she has an alter ego, hers named Kame Kamen (Turtle Mask), with an equally exposing outfit which features several large pieces of armor plating, like a turtle's shell. She goes so far as to try and drive off Momoko and kidnap Kōshi after drugging him because she could not seduce him, but in the end relinquishes her efforts in the face of Sanae's dedication. She admits to having developed genuine feelings for Kōshi. Unfortunately for her, he did not reciprocate, considering a relationship between a student and teacher to be unethical.

Inaho seems to be the first of a new initiative versus Kōshi, since she is the first of several women who have sought him out to marry him and gain power over the twelve families, rather than assassinate him.

Alice is another anime-only character, and is a member of the Uzuki clan, which is associated with the rabbit of the Chinese Zodiac

Chinese zodiac

The Shēngxiào , better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year mathematical cycle...

; she has a unique 'bunny ear' hairstyle when she dons her combat gear. While the Uzuki clan is heavily involved with assassinations and Alice is considered one of their best, she breaks away from her family and goes on the run, aspiring to becoming a successful musician. Eventually, Alice meets and befriends Saigō, leaving her open to blackmail from her own clan. She receives the order to either kill Kōshi or be responsible for Saigō's death. After nearly succeeding in the deed, Alice is stopped by Saigō, who tells her - through interpreter Momoko - that her hands were made to create music, not shed blood. Thanks to the other young martial artists' intervention, Alice finally manages to leave her clan behind and goes to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 to study music.

Saigō is a large, muscular young man who attends the same school as Kōshi and the rest of the main cast. He has a very threatening demeanor, communicating mostly in grunts and gestures and continuously wears sunglasses. He is the admired leader of a trio of hoodlums from Kōshi's class and apparently frequently gets into fights. Appearances are deceiving, however; Saigō is quite fond of kittens, of which he has several, and apparently reads romantic stories for enjoyment. When he first meets Alice Uzuki, he defends her against a large group of assassins without any concern for his own safety. Later, he takes a hit from Alice's guitar string weapon to protect Kōshi from harm. He falls deeply in love with Alice and seeks help from Momoko and the other main cast to find a way to deepen their relationship. In the end, he allows Alice to go so she can pursue her dreams and be safe, speaking out loud for the first time to simply wish Alice "good luck", rather than demanding she stay for his sake. Saigō seems to be very friendly to the main casts, especially Kōshi, as shown at the ending credits of the last episode, the three hoodlums came with Saigō to threaten Kōshi but the three hoodlums flinched when Kōshi greeted and waved his hand at Saigō and Saigō waved back.

Manga

The Sumomomo Momomo manga series was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Young Gangan in 2004, published by Square Enix

Square Enix

is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...

. Later, the individual chapters were collected into 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...

, and twelve such volumes have been released in Japan. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press

Yen Press

Yen Press is the manga and graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group. In addition to their regular book releases, Yen Press produces a monthly anthology called Yen Plus. The company's varied list demonstrates an interest in publishing a wide variety of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and other...

 for distribution in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus

Yen Plus

Yen Plus is an American monthly anthology magazine of Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Original English-language manga published by Yen Press. The first issue went on sale on July 29, 2008 with five manga titles originally published by Gangan Comics, four manhwa titles, and two OEL manga titles...

anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga went on sale in early 2009.

Anime

The Sumomomo Momomo anime first aired in Japan on October 5, 2006 on TV Asahi

TV Asahi

, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....

. The anime is directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi

Nobuaki Nakanishi

is a Japanese anime director.-Filmography:*Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari 2: Director*Bomberman Bidaman Bakugaiden: Series director*Cardcaptor Sakura: Storyboard and episode director*Duel Masters : Unit director*Kaikan Phrase: Storyboard and episode director...

. It ended on March 15, 2007 with a total of twenty-two aired episodes. Two more OVA episodes were released as the final anime DVD on August 24, 2007.

Episodes

>

#	Title	Original airdate

Theme songs

Opening themes:
"Saikyō○×Keikaku" by Mosaic.wav

Mosaic.wav

is a Japanese moe-pop band from Akihabara, widely known for doing theme songs to eroge, they eventually began to produce their own original work in 2004. Their name is a reference to the use of mosaics to censor the genitals in pornography, and WAV is a sound format...

 (Episodes 1 - 12)

"Setsujō - Hyakka Ryōran" by Mosaic.wav (Episodes 13 - 22)
Ending themes:
"No Rock No Life" by Honey Bee (Episodes 1 - 12)

"Mōsō Break" by Yozora Orihime & AiAi

AIAI

AIAI may refer to:* Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute* al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, a Somali Islamist group...

 (Episodes 13 - 14 , 16 - 22)

"Good Luck" by Mi~ko (Episode 15)

External links

• Sumomomo Momomo Manga official website
• Sumomomo Momomo Anime official website