Mahoromatic

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Mahoromatic
まほろまてぃっく (Mahoromatic)
Genre	Science fiction, comedy, tragedy
Manga
Authored by	Bow Ditama, Bunjuro Nakayama
Publisher	TOKYOPOP Carlsen Wani Books Editorial Ivréa Freebooks
Serialized in	Comic GUM (COMICガム)
Original run	1998 – 2004
No. of volumes	8
TV anime : まほろまてぃっく (Mahoromatic)
Directed by	Yamaga Hiroyuki
Studio	GAINAX
Network	BS-i, AT-X
Original run	10 September 2001 – 28 January 2002
No. of episodes	12
TV anime : まほろまてぃっく ~もっと美しいもの~ (Mahoromatic ~something more beautiful~)
Directed by	Yamaga Hiroyuki
Studio	GAINAX
Network	BS-i
Original run	26 September 2002 – 16 January 2003
No. of episodes	14

Mahoromatic (まほろまてぃっく) is a sci-fi romantic comedy manga and anime series which contains the elements of the literary genre of tragic dramas. It is about a former female android soldier, Mahoro. Driven by guilt from her actions during her combat days, she decides to dedicate the rest of her life to serving the son of her late commander as a maid.

Contents 1 Characters 1.1 Misato Residence 1.2 Classmates 2 Manga 2.1 Original Manga 2.2 English Version 3 Anime 3.1 Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 3.1.1 Episode Summaries 3.1.2 Theme Songs 3.1.3 Production Details 3.2 Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful 3.2.1 Episode Summaries 3.2.2 Theme Songs 3.2.3 Production Details 3.3 Mahoromatic: Summer Special 4 DVDs 5 Music CDs 6 Merchandise 7 Trivia 8 Endings 9 External links

[edit] Characters

Note: names are given in Japanese style, last name followed by given name.

[edit] Misato Residence

• 安藤まほろ (あんどう　まほろ)（V1046-R MAHORO）Ando Mahoro

Voice actress: Ayako Kawasumi 「川澄綾子」

Mahoro is an android created by VESPER to fight an alien invasion in the 1980s. She is immensely powerful and fast, and is considered to be a formidable opponent by her enemies.

Being an android, she has a limited life span. At the beginning of the story, she has just over 370 days to live, and is given the choice to do anything she wants by VESPER. She chooses to become a maid for Misato Suguru: his father was her superior commander, and she was forced to kill both him and an alien when the alien took him hostage.

Mahoro has a very sunny disposition and is friendly to just about everyone - she becomes a welcome regular at the market and becomes famous at Suguru's school for working for him. She also quickly becomes an excellent cook, able to emulate and recreate dishes from the best restaurants.

She is, however, extremely hostile towards anything ecchi, or perverted. A good portion of the story's humour comes from Mahoro chasing after Suguru's secret stash of pornographic magazines which, given her training, she is easily able to find. She is well known for this attitude from her catch phrase: "Ecchi na no wa ikenai to omoimasu" - "I think that dirty thoughts are bad." Mahoro and Shikijo-sensei dislike of one another stems from this - Shikijo is constantly trying to have an illicit relationship with Suguru.

Mahoro is very concerned about her appearance, often not allowing herself to wear normal clothes as she is concerned that it would look bad to the neighbours given her position as a maid. She is also obsessed with her small breasts, and some stories actually deal with her rilvary with Shikijo (who has very large breasts), as well as her techniques and requests to VESPER for larger breasts.

She still has access to many of her weapons and gadgets from her VESPER days, and is able to pull out her gun at any time. She also has access to the "silpheed", which when worn on her back allows her to fly, as well as her support mech, Slash. She is able to call both the Silpheed and Slash at a moment's notice from the badge she wears on her maid uniform. In addition, she still can use her fully equipped and armed BMW sports convertible and motorcycle.

Mahoro has no surname: the name Ando was quickly created by Suguru to hide the fact that Mahoro claimed to be an android.

Observation

What "Mary Poppins" was to 6 year olds, Mahoro was to the 14 year old Misato Suguru and his friends. She made everything wonderful.

Quotes

“I am always true of heart, always pure of heart and always gentle of heart. I am the owner of a perfect heart. I know every correct answer without worry or pain. Are we only machines! Is that all we are?”

“So, the more dearly he (Suguru) treats me, the more he will be hurt and saddened by none other than myself when my days come to an end. He will suffer a loss yet again in his life."

• 美里優 (みさと　すぐる) Misato Suguru

Voice actress: Fujiko Takimoto 「瀧本富士子」

Misato Suguru is a Junior High School student living in Tokyo. He lost both his parents earlier - his mother, and years later, his father. While he believed his father was killed in an accident during a business trip, he was actually a commander (and Mahoro's commanding officer) in VESPER and was killed-in-action during the alien war. Although relatives offered to take him in, he refused and lived alone prior to Mahoro's arrival.

He is very smart with an IQ of 130 and makes a favourable impression on members of the opposite sex.

Suguru had a whole stash of dirty magazines which were all thrown away when Mahoro first arrived. Although he continues to try to smuggle them in and hide them, Mahoro will often find them - leading to comical confrontations between the two. Suguru uses a whole range of creative tactics to conceal his magazines, and is capable of running away very fast when being chased.

Suguru hired a maid because of the filthy state of his house. He was expecting an older woman, and Mahoro's arrival completely surprised him.

Quotes

“Didn't you say you'd (Mahoro) be the one person who'd never leave me?”

"But there are some pains you never get used to no mater how often you experience them. In the end my meeting with Mahoro just made me more, miserable."

• 安藤みなわ (あんどう　みなわ)（CODE:370）Ando Minawa

Voice actress: Ai Shimizu 「清水愛」

Minawa is first introduced in Mahoromatic ~Something More Beautiful~. Clumsy and anemic, she ends up living with Mahoro and Suguru and going to school under the pretext of being Mahoro's younger sister. She claims to be a runaway member of The Management, but is later revealed to have been sent to gather information on VESPER's battle android Mahoro after being promised a heart in return. Mahoro, however, convinces her that the fact that she can cry means she already has a heart. Suguru's friend Hamaguchi develops a crush on her, and, despite her shortcomings, it is later insinuated that they form a relationship.

• スラッシュ（V1046 R9-SLASH ZERO）Slash

Voice actor: Keiichi Noda 「野田圭一」

Slash is known as a "support mech" and assists Mahoro during combat. He has the form of a panther and can be summoned at any time by Mahoro. Although he can speak, his mouth never moves except during times when he expresses emotions. Although used for combat in the past, he often now acts as a guard dog around the Misato residence and a friend to the Mistato's dog - a role he was not thrilled to take in the beginning.

He is friendly but tough and will lend a helping hand when asked. Although Mahoro is Slash's master, he will now take commands from Suguru: since Suguru is Mahoro's employer, he is also her master and thus Slash's master as well.

Quotes

"groovy..."

"perverted thoughts are improper!"

[edit] Classmates

• 式条沙織（しきじょう　さおり） Shikijou Saori

Voice actress: Yumi Takada 　「高田由美」

Shikijou Saori is Suguru's teacher in Junior High School and is extremely attracted to him. She has a shota complex, or an attraction to young boys. Many of the jokes stem from her attempts to openly seduce Suguru and the ways in which her attempts are foiled by Mahoro.

She is a heavy drinker and as a result is often broke. A while after Mahoro arrives at the Misato household, she becomes a regular as she invites herself for dinner on a daily basis despite Mahoro's protests.

Shikijou-sensei and Mahoro are openly competitive and often will compete with each other: usually with Mahoro gaining the upperhand. She has much larger breasts than Mahoro, which she flaunts when comparing herself to Mahoro or in taunting her. Her breasts are also often used in her attempts to seduce Suguru.

• 等々力凛（とどろき　りん） Todoroki Rin

Voice actor: Manabi Mizuno 「水野愛日」

• 大江千鶴子（おおえ　ちづこ） Oe Chizuko

Voice actress：Asami Sanada 「真田アサミ」

Chizuko is a cheerful and bright, short blond-haired girl, and is the most innocent of the "triomatic". Chizuko enjoys devouring food and has an extremely adept sense of taste, being able to identify the exact restaurant that a dish has come from and the exact origins of ingredients.

Chizuko will often scream with absolute delight when she tastes Mahoro's cooking and immediately provide the restaurant the dish originated from. While initially mistaken as a scream of horror, her friends know that it is a sign of culinary approval from her.

• 浜口俊也（はまぐち　としや） Hamaguchi Toshiya

Voice actress：Hideki Ogihara 「荻原秀樹」

• 川原清巳（かわはら　きよみ） Kawahara Kiyomi

Voice actor：Atsushi Kisaichi 「私市淳」

• 田中佳美（たなか　よしみ） Tanaka Yoshimi

Voice actress：金田朋子

[edit] Manga

Mahoromatic 『まほろまてぃっく』 is a manga series by Bow Ditama and Bunjuro Nakayama. Originally serialised in Gum Comics, it has been compiled into eight tankōbon volumes published by Gum Comics.

[edit] Original Manga

• まほろまてぃっく 第1巻 「美里家のメイドさん」

Translation: Misato Residence's Maid

Published: 10 Oct 1999

ISBN 4-8470-3326-4

• まほろまてぃっく 第2巻 「陽射しくらくらメイドさん」

Translation:

Published: 10 Jul 2000

ISBN 4-8470-3354-X

• まほろまてぃっく 第3巻 「過去に追われるメイドさん」

Translation:　The maid chased by her past

Published: 3 Mar 2001

ISBN 4-8470-3383-3

• まほろまてぃっく 第4巻 「いろいろ夢見るメイドさん」

Translation: The maid with all kinds of dreams

Published: 10 Oct 2001

ISBN 4-8470-3413-9

• まほろまてぃっく 第5巻 「今日も元気なメイドさん」

Translation: The maid whom today is again full of energy

Published: 10 Jun 2002

ISBN 4-8470-3370-1

• まほろまてぃっく 第6巻 「笑顔の素敵なメイドさん」

Translation: Lovely smiling maid

Published: 3 Mar 2003

ISBN 4-8470-3440-6

A special version was also produced, where a plastic figure model of Mahoro was packaged with the manga, along with a special cover.

• まほろまてぃっく 第7巻 「涙で動くメイドさん」

Translation:

Published: 10 Oct 2003

ISBN 4-8470-3454-6

• まほろまてぃっく 第8巻 「美里家のまほろさん」

Translation: Misato Residence's Mahoro-san

Published: 5 Dec 2004

ISBN 4-8470-3479-1

The special version contained a crystal Mahoro, as well as a special cover.

[edit] English Version

The English version was published by Tokyopop.

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 1 "The Misato Residence's Maid"

Published: May 1 2004

ISBN 1-59182-729-9

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 2 "Fun in the Sun"

Published: July 1 2004

ISBN 1-59182-730-2

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 3 "The Running Maid"

Published: Sep 1 2004

ISBN 1-59182-731-0

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 4 "The Maid of Many Dreams"

Published: Dec 15 2004

ISBN 1-59182-732-9

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 5 "The Ever-Energetic Maid"

Published: Mar 8 2005

ISBN 1-59182-915-1

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 6 "The Maid With The Wonderful Smile"

Published: Jun 7 2005

ISBN 1-59182-916-X

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 7 "The Maid Moved By Tears"

Published: Oct 11 2005

ISBN 1-59532-625-1

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden 8 "The Misato home's Mahoro-san"

Published: Jan 11 2006

ISBN 1-59532-808-4

[edit] Anime

The manga proved popular, and was adapted into two anime series by Gainax: "Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden" and "Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful" (まほろまてぃっく~もっと美しいもの~, Mahoromatic: Motto Utsukushii Mono)

The first series consisted of twelve episodes and ran from September 10, 2001 to January 28, 2002 on BS-i in Japan, and more or less followed the manga to the third volume.

The second series also followed the manga, culminating in the story's end. This series ran from September 26, 2002 till January 16, 2003.

A television special, "Mahoromatic: Summer TV Special" (まほろまてぃっく夏のTVスペシャル), set in the days when Minawa had become a regular part of the household, was produced and aired around Summer 2003.

[edit] Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden

[edit] Episode Summaries

[edit] Theme Songs

• Opening Theme: Kaerimichi

Translation: Our Way Home

Singer: Ayako Kawasumi

• Ending Theme: Mahoro de MAMBO

Singers: Triomatic (Asami Sanada, Manabi Mizuno, Yumi Kikuchi)

[edit] Production Details

• Original Story: Nakayama Bunjuurou & Ditama (Bou)
• Director: Yamaga Hiroyuki
• Character Design: Takamura Kazuhiro
• Art Plan: Satou Masahiro
• Art Director: Kosakabe Naoko
• Colour Coordinator: Mitsuhashi Youko
• Sound Director: Iwanami Yoshikazu
• Director of Photography: Ozawa Tsuguo
• Music: Masuda Toshio
• Animation Production: GAINAX & Shaft

[edit] Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful

[edit] Episode Summaries

[edit] Theme Songs

• Opening theme: Soleil

Translation: Sun

Singer: Ayako Kawasumi

• Ending theme: Triomatic Ran! Ran! Ran!

Singers: Triomatic (Asami Sanada, Manabi Mizuno, Yumi Kikuchi)

[edit] Production Details

[edit] Mahoromatic: Summer Special

Released after the second season, this episode takes place during the second season and revolves around the issue of Suguru's ecchi no hon (dirty books).

[edit] DVDs

A series of six DVDs were released in Japan for both seasons.

[edit] Music CDs

Music CDs, including dramas were released in Japan. Several of these CDs were later released in the United States with cover book translations.

[edit] Merchandise

Gashapon sets were produced in 2005 featuring Mahoro and Minawa in their maid costumes.

A PlayStation 2 game by Konami of the same name was also produced for the series. It followed the style of a visual novel with full voiceovers and text accompanying pictures and minigames.

[edit] Trivia

Mahoro's favourite saying is "Ecchi na no wa ikenai to omoimasu," which translates roughly to "I think that dirty thoughts are bad." Mahoro's aversion to erotic or perverted material naturally fueled much humor considering the fanservice many GAINAX works are famous for. Another frequently-used phrase in the series is "That isn't the problem here," said each time by a different person.

Mahoro is mimicked in another non-GAINAX series, Hanaukyo Maid Tai ~Le Verite~, where the main male character, Taro is forced to dress like Mahoro, at a manga convention. He even says "Ecchi na no wa ikenai to omoimasu!", greatly attracting people.

[edit] Endings

The Anime's Ending
The last episode, "Na-Geanna", is much darker in tone and style than the rest of the series. It takes place on a different planet twenty years after Mahoro's death. With the exception of Shikijo-sensei, the rest of the characters' stories are left unfinished - Suguru had "decided to never return to Japan, to that town where Mahoro no longer was." Suguru is now a renegade hunter of the last "Management holdouts" with a price on his head, only memories of Earth, and a sole companion whose greed makes him try to kill Suguru. As Suguru is either dying or badly injured, Mahoro reappears alive to take him back to Hiryu. The only explanation for this is oblique - Matthew comments that as Saint sets off to resume wandering the galaxy, she will leave behind on Earth a memory that has been disturbing her.

The Manga's Ending
The manga ends similarly to the anime, except that the tone is far lighter and more consistent with the characters as we remember them. Suguru has been working as a commander within Vesper, and still keeps in touch with his old friends - which allows a proper close to the other characters' stories. Instead of simply reappearing twenty years later, Mahoro was reborn as a human baby shortly after her death. She remembers Suguru, and at twenty (when the story closes) she comes to find him just as he returns from the final battle with the last vestiges of Management.

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) Main Official Site
• (Japanese) Gainax Mahoro Anime Site
• (English) Pioneer Animation Site