NieA 7

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The correct title of this article is NieA_7. The substitution or omission of an _ is due to technical restrictions.
NieA_7
NieA_7 DVD cover vol4
ニアアンダーセブン
(NieA under 7)
Genre Comedy, Science Fiction, Slice of Life
TV anime
Directed by Tomokazu Tokoro
Studio GENCO
Network
Original run 26 April 200019 July 2000
No. of episodes 13

NieA_7 (ニアアンダーセブン?), also known as NieA under 7, is a 13 episode anime series about Mayuko, a poor, introverted student who lives above a Japanese bathhouse, and NieA, a freeloading, freewheeling alien who lives in her closet and eats her food. The series begins on a light comedic tone (most of the early episodes are about schemes to rejuvenate the bathhouse), and deepens somewhat as it explores the evolving relationship between Mayuko and NieA, but the overall ending is upbeat. The series touches lightly upon issues of discrimination, stereotypes, alienation and assimilation. Mayuko, who attends a cram school, is prone to melancholy and suffers from anomie. NieA, who is apparently placed in an inferior class by her fellow aliens, immediately accuses anyone who calls her a 'stupid no-antenna' or the like of discrimination. Another alien adopts stereotypical Indian dress and opens a convenience store. This theme of the comic alien is carried through in the brief live-action sequence which ends each episode, "Dalgit's Tidbit of Indian Information." which is in a foreign language and must be subtitled if you want to read it.

NieA_7 is based on a doujinshi by graphic designer Yoshitoshi ABe and published by Kadokawa Shoten. Much of NieA_7's staff was made up of people who had worked on Serial Experiments Lain (director Takuya Sato was the storyboard artist for Lain, Yoshitoshi ABe was the character designer for Lain, etc.); it is commonly supposed that they chose to do this light-hearted series to cool off after the dark and psychologically intense Serial Experiments Lain. This idea is further supported by the character Chiaki, a UFO fanatic who shares a name with Chiaki J. Konaka, the script writer for Lain.

NieA_7 may be an anagram for ALieN.

Contents

[edit] Episodes

The episodes are:

  1. Alien & Launching UFO Bath
  2. Alien & Violence Cosmic Bath
  3. Alien & Radio Noise Bath
  4. Alien & Beginner Waitress Bath
  5. Alien & Dried Up Amusements Bath
  6. Alien & Rival Hot Spring Bath
  7. Mothership, Go-Con & Cloudy Skies Bath
  8. Melancholy & Cast-Off Summer Bath
  9. Close Encounter & After The Rain Bath
  10. Glow Of The Firefly & Nocturne Bath
  11. NieA_7 Bath (Former Part)
  12. NieA_7 Bath (LatterPart)
  13. Time Flows By In Enohana Bath

[edit] Releases

  • 2001-08-14 (USA Vol. 1 Poor Girl Blues)
  • 2001-09-04 (USA Vol. 2 Funky Water Blues)
  • 2001-12-11 (USA Vol. 3 Sayonora Blues)
  • 2002-02-12 (USA Vol. 4 Under Seven Blues)

[edit] Theme Songs

  • Opening Theme:
"Koko Made Oide (Come On Over Here)" by SION (except first episode, which had no opening)
  • Ending Theme:
"Venus to Chiisana Kamisama (Venus and a Small God)" by Maria Yamamoto and Seikou Kikuchi (except last episode, which had a different closing)

[edit] Characters

Mayuko Chigasaki
Japanese voice by Ayako Kawasumi and Natsumi Kawase (young)
English voice by Tricia Dickson
Niea
Japanese voice by Yuko Miyamura
English voice by J-Ray
Genzo Someya
Japanese voice by Akira Okamori
English voice by Josh Phillips
Chada
Japanese voice by Allan Schintu
English voice by Wil Castillo
Momo Enoshima
Japanese voice by Chieko Ichikawa
English voice by Linda Bendik
Chiaki Komatsu
Japanese voice by Fumiko Orikasa
English voice by Zarah Little
Shuhei Karita
Japanese voice by Hozumi Gôda
English voice by Patrick Seitz
Chie Karita
Japanese voice by Mari Ogasawara
English voice by Lauren Bendik
Kotomi Hiyma
Japanese voice by Rumi Ochiai
English voice by Robyn Nolting
Geronimo Hongo
Japanese voice by Susumu Chiba
English voice by Justin Gross
Nenji Yoshioka
Japanese voice by Takayuki Sugo
English voice by Eric Dare

[edit] References

Info on episodes, theme songs, releases, and voice actors from the ANN article

[edit] External links

In other languages