Sumomomo Momomo

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Sumomomo Momomo

すもももももも～地上最強のヨメ～ (Sumomomo Momomo ~Chijou Saikyou no Yome~)
Genre	Comedy, Martial arts, Romance
Manga
Authored by	Shinobu Ohtaka
Publisher	Square Enix
Serialized in	Young Gangan
Original run	2004 –
No. of volumes	5
TV anime
Directed by	Nobuaki Nakanishi
Studio	Studio Hibari
Network	TV Asahi
Original run	October 5, 2006 –
No. of episodes	26

Sumomomo Momomo ~The Strongest Bride on Earth~ (すもももももも～地上最強のヨメ～, Sumomomo Momomo ~Chijou Saikyou no Yome~^?) is a Japanese manga and anime series created by Japanese author Shinobu Ohtaka. The series centers around a young girl, a strong martial artist, who wants to marry and bear a child with a boy she believes to be a strong fighter.

The series first began as a manga serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Young Gangan in 2004, which is published by Square Enix. The series was later adapted into an anime which began airing in Japan on October 5, 2006.

1 Plot
2 Characters
3 Media
- 3.1 Manga
- 3.2 Anime
  - 3.2.1 Episodes
  - 3.2.2 Theme songs
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Sumomomo Momomo revolves around the life of Kōshi Inuzuka, a normal high school student who is aspiring to become a prosecutor 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 twelves animals of the Chinese zodiac, where Momoko is from the family associated with dragons, while Kōshi is from the family associated with dogs.

Before long, it is revealed to Kōshi and Momoko that the other ten families are out on a plot to assassinate Kōshi and then start a 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.

[edit] Characters

Kōshi Inuzuka (犬塚孝士, Inuzuka Kōshi)^?, (Seiyū - Hiroki Takahashi): Kōshi is a handsome, intelligent 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. He 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 causes him to freeze everytime 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 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 for Momoko.

Momoko Kuzuryū (九頭竜もも子, Kuzuryū Momoko)^?, (Seiyū - Yui Kano): Momoko is a strange and hyperactive 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 which has been compared to that of a dog and its master in the series itself. Momoko is very adamant about getting married with Kōshi, and often tries to do the best she can to please him in any way.

Main characters from left to right: Sanae, Kōshi, Momoko, Hanzō and Iroha

Iroha Minamoto (巳屋本いろは, Minamoto Iroha)^?, (Seiyū - Ui Miyazaki): Iroha is a young girl and a member of the family of Zodiac Masters associated with the snake. She, along with her subordinate Hanzō who she travels with, are the first 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 Minamoto family, after Momoko praises her for her fortitude in battle and laments that Iroha should not follow the path of an assassin.

Sanae Nakajima (中慈馬早苗, Nakajima Sanae)^?, (Seiyū - Aya Hirano): 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 has an alter ego known as Tenchū Senshi Uma Kamen, literally meaning "Divine Punishment Warrior Horse Mask", the alter ego she uses to fight as a superhero. She is apparently also the granddaughter of Iroha's and Hanzō's landlady, an old woman who manages to terrify them whenever she demands their rent.

Sanae harbors a tragic love for Koushi; 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. Koushi's marriage with Momoko is also something she is meant to support. Sanae's situation is even more tragic because Sanae's grandmother intends for her granddaughter to marry the kind of man most Najakima woman have fancied throughout history; a big muscleman. However, Sanae has been afraid of that kind of man since her early childhood.

Hanzō (半蔵, )^?, (Seiyū - Chihiro Suzuki): Hanzō is 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.

Tenka Koganei (虎金井天下, Koganei Tenka)^?, (Seiyū - Takeshi Kusao): 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, and liking to play with round objects. He always carries around with him a soccerball which he nicknamed "Becky" (ベッキー, Bekkī^?) which also talks to him. He also has a crush on Momoko based on an old memory they once had.

Unken Inuzuka (犬塚雲軒, Inuzuka Unken)^?, (Seiyū - Tesshō Genda): 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 Sendayu are both friends and rivals.

Sendayu Kuzuryū (九頭竜千太夫, Kuzuryū Sendayu)^?, (Seiyū - Katsuhisa Houki): Sendayu is a martial arts master and the father of Momokko. 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.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Media

Sumomomo Momomo was first created as a manga, and later adapted into an anime.

[edit] Manga

The Sumomomo Momomo manga series was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Young Gangan in 2004, published by Square Enix. Later, the individual chapters were collected into tankōbon, and five such volumes have been released in Japan.

[edit] Anime

The Sumomomo Momomo anime first aired in Japan on October 5, 2006 on TV Asahi. The anime is directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi.

[edit] Episodes

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Title	Original airdate	#

"The Strongest Fiancee On Earth" "Chijou Saikyou no Iinazuke" (地上最強の許婚)	October 5, 2006	01
Momoko, a strange girl skilled in the martial arts, locates Kōshi Inuzuka and wants to marry him in order to produce a strong child.

"Natural Exploding Girl" "Tennen Bakuretsu Shoujo" (天然爆熱少女)	October 12, 2006	02
Momoko joins Kōshi's class, much to his surprise. The gym leader, jealous of Kōshi's popularity with a lot of the female students, challenges Momoko to athletic contests with Kōshi's credit in the class on the line.

"Caught in the Zoo" "Doubutsuen de Tsukamaete" (動物園でつかまえて)	October 19, 2006	03
Kōshi and Momoko go to the zoo together, though before long, animals escape their cages and a massive polar bear attacks them. All of this is a plot by Iroha to kill Kōshi.

"The Immoral Assassination Plot" "Jinginaki Ansatsu keikaku" (仁義なき暗殺計画)	October 26, 2006	04
Iroha tries repeatedly to assassinate Kōshi, but upon developing a crush on him, she is unable to go through with it.

"Clash! Momoko VS Iroha" "Gekitotsu! Momoko VS Iroha" (激突！もも子VSいろは)	November 2, 2006	05
Iroha tries once again to kill Kōshi but gets caught up in the moment when Kōshi and Momoko are showing her around the park. Evevntually, Hanzō has to step in to try to complete the mission.

"The Tiger Assassin, Appears!" "Tora no Shikaku, Utsutsuru!" (虎の刺客、現る！)	November 9, 2006	06
Tenka Koganei of the Tiger family comes to assassinate Kōshi, but ends up in a fight to the death for Momoko's affection.

"The Invisible Link" "Mienai Kizuna" (見えない絆)	November 16, 2006	07
After learning about the meaning between their marriage from his father, Kōshi starts to act nicer towards Momoko though soon worries about being manipulated and distances himself from her. Eventually, Kōshi realizes how much he has hurt her and tries to rectify for his actions.

"The Underclassman who Calls upon Storms" "Arashi o Yobu Kouhai" (嵐を呼ぶ後輩)	November 23, 2006	08
Iroha and Hanzō join Kōshi's school and instantly Iroha notices how friendly he and Sanae are to each other. Iroha proceeds to help Momoko convey her feelings more strongly to Kōshi.

"The Heroine of Tragic Love" "Hiren no Hiiroo Onna" (悲恋のヒーロー女)	November 30, 2006	09
Sanae, as a member of the horse family of the Zodiac Masters, is bound to protect Kōshi from danger without revealing herself to anyone. She is constantly battling the feelings she has for him.

"Sanae's Fiance Appears" "Sanae no Iinazuke Utsutsuru" (早苗の許嫁現る)	December 7, 2006	10


"Heaven's Punishment Warrior Horse Mask, Arrives" "Tenchuu Senshi Uma Kamen, Sanjou" (天誅戦士ウマ仮面、参上)	December 14, 2006	11


"Iroha and Hanzo, the Troubled Two" "Iroha to Hanzō, Nayameru Futari" (いろはと半蔵、悩める二人)	December 21, 2006	12