Sweet Valerian
Encyclopedia
is a series of manga
and five minute anime
episodes. The anime is produced by Madhouse Production
, but the character design is under the responsibility of Clamp
.
The series features three girls, Kanoko, Kate, and Pop, who live in the city of Asialand. Asialand looks like a normal city, but it is always under attack from evil monsters.
The girls are on their way to take the test to get their moped
licenses, but accidentally catch the attention of the living enigma, Ear Hermit. Instead of receiving moped licenses, they acquire a "Valerian License" which, to their shock and horror, transforms them into bunny-like creatures, the Relaxation Combat Team Valerian (similar to Super Pig
). In these forms, they are known as Serotonin
, Dopamine
, and Valerian
. The heroines are aided by a unique panda-esque companion, Panda-bu and nifty card-swiping/magic-transformation gadgets. Together as Sweet Valerian, they defend justice when the evil Stress Team takes advantage of people's stress and turns them into monsters. The series is targeted at a very young audience.
root is often used as a mellowing sleep aid.
Pop : The Chief Executive Officer of a video game company called "Leek Cartridge", Pop transforms into the grey bunny Seratonin using the "digital clock wind" wristband. When she transforms, she says "Come out, Seratonin!" and can call wild birds with a whistle. She is the dark-skinned girl who always wears hats. She is usually the one who comes up with the plan to defeat the monsters. Seratonin is the chemical in the brain which causes happiness.
Kate : A model and up-and-coming movie star, she transforms into the yellow bunny Dopamine using an earing and a compact. She is often "busy" with other jobs and tends to speak in a monotonous tone. When she transforms, she says "Appear, Dopamine!" She is the black-haired girl and is a strange character who is into the occult. She owns a crystal ball and makes tea using a chemistry set. Dopamine
is a chemical in the brain which affects adrenalin and the functions of memory, attention, and problem-solving.
Panda-bu : Informs the heroines when a stress monster is attacking the city. He has three children and says "bu" at the end of each sentence.
Stress Team: A group of evildoers who turn people's stress into monsters. The monsters can take on any form, from ramen to frogs.
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...
and five minute 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....
episodes. The anime is produced by Madhouse Production
Madhouse (company)
is 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...
, but the character design is under the responsibility of Clamp
Clamp (manga artists)
, is an all-female Japanese manga artist group that formed in the mid 1980s. Many of the group's manga series are often adapted into anime after release. It consists of their leader , who provides much of the storyline and screenplay for all their works and adaptations of those works respectively ,...
.
The series features three girls, Kanoko, Kate, and Pop, who live in the city of Asialand. Asialand looks like a normal city, but it is always under attack from evil monsters.
The girls are on their way to take the test to get their moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
licenses, but accidentally catch the attention of the living enigma, Ear Hermit. Instead of receiving moped licenses, they acquire a "Valerian License" which, to their shock and horror, transforms them into bunny-like creatures, the Relaxation Combat Team Valerian (similar to Super Pig
Super Pig
, also known as Super Boink, is a magical girl parody manga series by Taeko Ikeda which originally ran in the manga magazine Ciao. An anime series based on the manga was created by Nippon Animation and broadcast on TBS stations in Japan from September 9, 1994 through August 26, 1995...
). In these forms, they are known as Serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
, Dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
, and Valerian
Valerian (herb)
Valerian is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers which bloom in the summer months. Valerian flower extracts were used as a perfume in the sixteenth century....
. The heroines are aided by a unique panda-esque companion, Panda-bu and nifty card-swiping/magic-transformation gadgets. Together as Sweet Valerian, they defend justice when the evil Stress Team takes advantage of people's stress and turns them into monsters. The series is targeted at a very young audience.
Characters
Kanoko : Her father used to be the manager of the large company, but now works as an inventor. She herself is poor and is always taking on a new job, because she gets fired for having to leave and fight monsters all the time. She transforms into the white bunny Valerian by using the "bracelet of the flower" which is attached to her left arm. She is the blond character, and is the leader of the team. She tries to get the monsters to talk instead of fight, but then she ends up attacking first anyway. Powdered ValerianValerian (herb)
Valerian is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers which bloom in the summer months. Valerian flower extracts were used as a perfume in the sixteenth century....
root is often used as a mellowing sleep aid.
Pop : The Chief Executive Officer of a video game company called "Leek Cartridge", Pop transforms into the grey bunny Seratonin using the "digital clock wind" wristband. When she transforms, she says "Come out, Seratonin!" and can call wild birds with a whistle. She is the dark-skinned girl who always wears hats. She is usually the one who comes up with the plan to defeat the monsters. Seratonin is the chemical in the brain which causes happiness.
Kate : A model and up-and-coming movie star, she transforms into the yellow bunny Dopamine using an earing and a compact. She is often "busy" with other jobs and tends to speak in a monotonous tone. When she transforms, she says "Appear, Dopamine!" She is the black-haired girl and is a strange character who is into the occult. She owns a crystal ball and makes tea using a chemistry set. Dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
is a chemical in the brain which affects adrenalin and the functions of memory, attention, and problem-solving.
Panda-bu : Informs the heroines when a stress monster is attacking the city. He has three children and says "bu" at the end of each sentence.
Stress Team: A group of evildoers who turn people's stress into monsters. The monsters can take on any form, from ramen to frogs.