Sumomomo Momomo

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Sumomomo Momomo
すもももももも～地上最強のヨメ～ (Sumomomo Momomo ~Chijō Saikyō no Yome~)
Genre	Comedy, Martial arts, Romance, Seinen
Manga
Authored by	Shinobu Ohtaka
Publisher	Square Enix
Serialized in	Young Gangan
Original run	2004 –
No. of volumes	7
TV anime
Directed by	Nobuaki Nakanishi
Studio	Studio Hibari
Network	TV Asahi
Original run	October 5, 2006 – March 15, 2007
No. of episodes	22

Sumomomo Momomo ~The Strongest Bride on Earth~ (すもももももも～地上最強のヨメ～, Sumomomo Momomo ~Chijō Saikyō 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 that 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 aired in Japan between October 5, 2006 and March 15, 2007, containing 22 episodes.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 3 Adaptations 3.1 Manga 3.2 Anime 3.2.1 Episodes 3.2.2 Theme songs 4 External links

[edit] Plot

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. 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 six 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.

[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 initially causes 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 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 and manages to overcome his tendency to freeze up in the face of violence.

It is to be noted that, on the Chinese Zodiac, the dog (Kōshi Inuzuka) gets along very well with the horse (which could be Sanae Nakajima), and doesn't get along well at all with the dragon (which is Momoko Kuzuryu)

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.

Iroha Miyamoto (巳屋本いろは, Miyamoto Iroha)^?, (Seiyū - Ui Miyazaki)

Iroha is a young girl 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 who she travels with, 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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 Nakajima women 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; 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.

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 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.

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. 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 ...

Sendayu Kuzuryū (九頭竜千太夫, Kuzuryū Sendayu)^?, (Seiyū - Katsuhisa Houki)

Sendayu 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 Kameda (亀田稲穂, Kameda Inaho)^?, (Seiyū - Kikuko Inoue)

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 ascendance over the twelve families, Inaho studies law and gains a teacher's license in a bid to get close to Koushi 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 armour plating, like a turtle's shell. She goes so far as to try and drive off Momoko and kidnap Koushi after drugging him, but in the end relinquishes her efforts in the face of Sanae's dedication. She admits to having developed genuine feelings for Koushi. 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 Koushi, 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 Uzuki (卯月 アリス, Uzuki Arisu)^?, (Seiyū - Mi~ko)

Alice is another anime-only character, and is a member of the Uzuki clan, which is associated with the rabbit of the Chinese Zodiac; 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 off away 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 interpeter 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 to study music.

Katsuyuki Saigō (西郷勝行, Saigō Katsuyuki)^?, (Seiyū - Taketoshi Kawano)

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, simply wishing her "good luck", rather than demanding she stay for his sake.

[edit] Adaptations

[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 seven 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. It ended on March 15, 2007 with a total of 22 episodes.

[edit] Episodes

Screenshot	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. Eventually, Hanzō has to step in to try to complete the mission.
	"The Tiger Assassin, Appears!" "Tora no Shikaku, Arawaru!" (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 Arawaru" (早苗の許嫁現る)	December 7, 2006	10
	Sanae's fiancé tries to prove to her through various strength tests to show her that he is worthy of becoming her husband. Meanwhile, Sanae is having enough trouble just keeping her martial arts background a secret from Kōshi.
	"Heaven's Punishment Warrior Horse Mask, Arrives" "Tenchuu Senshi Uma Kamen, Sanjō" (天誅戦士ウマ仮面、参上)	December 14, 2006	11
	When Hikaru, Sanae's supposed fiancé, comes looking for a duel with Kōshi at school, Sanae must endure intense embarrassment in order to save him.
	"The Day of a Cold, Hanzō's Situation" "Kaze no Hi, Hanzō no Baai" (風邪の日、半蔵の場合)	December 21, 2006	12
	Both Kōshi and Hanzō come down with a cold, though Hanzō is almost completely ignored by Iroha in favor of Kōshi. Hanzō gets very jealous of Kōshi and starts tormenting him by impersonating him and others in order to harm Kōshi.
	"Confrontation of Rivals! The Horse and the Tortoise" "Raibaru Taiketsu! Uma to Kame" (ライバル対決！ウマとカメ)	January 11, 2007	13
	A new female teacher has been hired at Kōshi's school who is very well-endowed and knowledgeable about the law. Before long, Sanae begins to suspect her of being an assassin and attempts to confirm her suspicions.
	"The Chaos of Love in the Haunted House" "Obakeyashiki no Koi Sōdō" (お化け屋敷の恋騒動)	January 18, 2007	14
	A girl, thought to be dead due to an accident at the school's cultural festival decades previous, has resurfaced. It is rumored that she died before she got a chance to confess her love to Kōshi's father. Kōshi hence agrees to date the girl so that she can peacefully rest in heaven.
	"The Love of Saigō" "Saigō no Koi" (西郷の恋)	January 25, 2007	15
	Saigō meets the girl of his dreams after he thought he protected her from thugs. The girl is actually a martial artist coming from a tribe known for training assassins. The girl is given a choice: Kill Kōshi, or Saigō will be killed.
	"Kentaiki no Kowashikata" (倦怠期の壊し方)	February 1, 2007	16
	Momoko gets some advice from a television program about how to make Kōshi notice her more, but her initial attempts fail. Iroha and Hanzō try to help out as well, but with no much success. At the end of the episode, Momoka and Kōshi find a disheveled Tenka.
	"Fierce Fight! The Tiger Brothers" "Gekitou! Tora no Kyoudai" (激闘！虎の兄弟)	February 8, 2007	17
	Tenka is taken back to Kōshi's house where he is given nourishment. He informs Kōshi and Momoko that his siblings are coming to kill Kōshi. Tenka's younger brother arrives to try to assassinate Kōshi, and Tenka attempts to stop him.
	(ヤミ鍋で歓迎会!?)	February 15, 2007	18
	(家政婦が来た！)	February 22, 2007	19
	(運命を共に…)	March 1, 2007	20
	(それぞれの思い……)	March 8, 2007	21
	(いつもの日々へ)	March 15, 2007	22
	Koushi and Momoko are poisoned. Koushi knowing he doesn't stand a chance gives the medicine to Momoko who unleashes her fury on Tenga. Koushi is later revived and everyone goes back home happily.

[edit] Theme songs

Opening themes

"Saikyou○×Keikaku" by Mosaic.wav (Episodes 1 - 12)
"Setsujou - Hyakka Ryouran" by Mosaic.wav (Episodes 13 - 22)

Ending themes

"NO ROCK NO LIFE" by Honey Bee (Episodes 1 - 12)
"Mousou Break" by Yozora Orihime & AiAi (Episodes 13 - 14 , 16 - 22)
"GOOD LUCK" by Mi~ko (Episode 15)

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) Sumomomo Momomo Manga Official Website
• (Japanese) Sumomomo Momomo Anime Official Website
• Sumomomo Momomo at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia