A Little Snow Fairy Sugar

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A Little Snow Fairy Sugar
ちっちゃな雪使いシュガー (Chitchana Yukitsukai Shugā)
TV anime
Director	Shinichiro Kimura
Studio	J.C.Staff
Licensor	Geneon
Network	TBS
Other networks: TVB Jade GMA 7, Hero TV Tooniverse
Original run	2 October 2001 – 26 March 2002
Episodes	24 + 2[1]

A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (ちっちゃな雪使いシュガー, Chitchana Yukitsukai Shugā^?) is a manga and an anime series with character designs by Koge-Donbo. The manga is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten. The anime is produced by J.C.Staff and licensed by Geneon Entertainment, released on DVD subtitled in several countries worldwide.

Contents 1 Story 2 Characters 3 Locations 4 Episode list 5 Music 6 Notes and References 7 External links

[edit] Story

The story is based around 13-year-old Saga Bergmann, a young girl in a small German town who lives with her grandmother Regina and works in a coffee shop when not in school. Saga is extremely structured and plans her life down to the minute. One day, she notices a tiny creature in a fluffy outfit that appears to be starving. She offers it a waffle, which helps revive the tiny creature. Saga learns that this tiny creature is Sugar, an apprentice season fairy. Sugar explains that season fairies alter the weather by playing a magical musical instrument, and her specialty is snow, which she creates by playing the piccolo. Sugar is joined by two more apprentice season fairies, Salt, an outgoing male fairy who plays the trumpet to make the sun shine more brightly, and Pepper, a quiet and caring female fairy who plays the harp to make the wind blow.

All three apprentices are shocked at the realization that Saga can see them, since humans are not supposed to be able to see season fairies. Pepper speculates that exceptional humans might be able to see them, which is the best possible explanation. Sugar tells Saga that the three have been sent to Earth to train as full-fledged season fairies, and to do that, they must find the 'Twinkle' (In the Japanese version, the season fairies search for kirameki, which refers to something that sparkles or shines).

Sugar moves into Saga's bedroom and sets up residence, much to the consternation of the super-structured Saga. Saga is a well-meaning, intelligent and highly-organised girl who feels compelled to look after the childish, loud and irresponsible Sugar, who is incapable of looking after herself. The story is complicated further with the arrival of three adult season fairies—Turmeric, a cloud fairy; Ginger, a rain fairy; and the Elder, the leader of the season fairies—and two more apprentices—Basil, a thunder fairy, and Cinnamon, an ice fairy.

With the highly disruptive presence of Sugar, Saga's life goes haywire. Her friends Norma and Anne think that she is losing her mind, and her teacher, Miss Hanna, is worried that her best student is acting strangely. Not at all concerned with her strange behavior is Greta, an egotistical rich girl who considers Saga to be her rival, and Phil, a goofy inventor who keeps trying to persuade Saga to help him with his experiments, if he is not already busy building and trying out his latest device.

[edit] Characters

• Saga Bergman is the first main character of the story. Her mother has died, but her father's fate is never clarified. She lives with her grandmother in a fictitious small German town called Mühlenburg in the anime; they live in Guttenburg in the manga. She works in a coffee shop and keeps to a strict schedule. In an attempt to get everything finished, she still tends to run late - her encyclopedic knowledge of shortcuts means that she still appears organised. She finds Sugar by accident and offers her a home, which Sugar accepts gratefully.

Saga plays her mother's piano in the local music shop, because they had to sell it, and respects great pianists. She often has trouble trying to appear sane to her friends when talking to what seems like nothing (as fairies are invisible to other humans). When Sugar leaves Saga to return home, Saga loses the ability to see fairies; it is implied that people go through the fairy phase when younger so that fairies can gain 'twinkles'. Voiced by: Masumi Asano (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

• Sugar, the second main character, is a female little snow fairy, who tries to use her piccolo to summon snow from the sky. She has wanted to be a snow fairy since a child in an attempt to follow in her mother's footsteps; a famous snow fairy who could summon snow that is both soft and warm.

Sugar acts like a small child; she is clumsy, stubborn and has a short attention span, and has the habit to kiss whoever she is fond of when she is happy. She tries her best to be friends with Saga, but often gets things wrong. Sugar, like every fairy in the series, has an unequaled love of waffles. In the anime, it is led to believe that she mispronounces waffles as 'waffos'. Whenever Sugar gets excited, she squeals 'waffo!' (in the manga, she said 'waffos' before ever eating a waffle). Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (Japanese), Rebecca Forstadt (English)

• Pepper is a female little wind fairy, who uses her harp to summon wind. She lives in the house of a veterinary who has a newborn baby, and she often cares for the baby and sings it lullabyes.

Pepper is the calmest, most gentle and most polite of the featured fairies. She is very humble in her ability, which is quite developed. In addition, she can talk with animals. Voiced by: Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese), Lara Cody (English)

• Salt is a male little sun fairy, who uses his trumpet to make the sun shine more warmly. It is never mentioned where he lives.

Salt wishes to become a sun fairy as his father was one. After encountering Tumeric the cloud fairy, however, he has a change of heart and decides to become a cloud fairy. He gets his twinkle immediately before Pepper, leaving Sugar alone on the Earth (except for two other apprentices, Basil and Cinnamon, with whom they do not closely associate). Voiced by: Tomo Saeki (Japanese), Brianne Siddall (English)

• Greta is Saga's self-proclaimed rival. The spoiled daughter of a rich family, she is not as popular as Saga and resents that, often setting up impromptu contests between them in an attempt to prove herself better than Saga, often making a fool of herself. Actually, Greta has a good core (which she won't admit even to herself) and redeems herself at the end of the series. Voiced by: Chinami Nishimura (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

• Anne and Norma are Saga's best friends. Anne is taller, quiet and more intelligent, while Norma is shorter, bubble-headed and obsessed with (very odd) fashions. They are often concerned about Saga, but support her in whatever she wants to do. Norma - Voiced by: Sawa Ishige (Japanese), Stevie Bloch (English); Anne - Voiced by: Akiko Nakagawa (Japanese), Mari Devon (English)

• Phil and his two friends (lanky Jan and stout Alan) are (often unsuccessful) inventors who often try to enlist Saga, Anne and Norma's help with their latest project. It is speculated that there is a love interest between Phil and Saga. Voiced by: Asami Sanada (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)

• Miss Hanna is the fourth-grade teacher of Saga, Anne, Norma, Greta and Phil's class. She cares for Saga's family situation and therefore is quite concerned at Saga's strange behavior and odd outbursts. She has a pet turtle named Lancelot. Voiced by: Akiko Hiramatsu (Japanese), Jessica Gee (English)

• Vincent, a young actor in the Hammond Theater Troupe, is a talented piano player who admires Ingrid Bergmann (Saga's late mother). He often says things without really thinking about them and forgets them after a while, and he is quick to improvise - two traits which greatly unsettle Saga at first, but later she comes to be close friends with him. (Fans have speculated that Vincent is actually Saga's father because of his interest in her, his familiarity with her mother, and his ability to see season fairies. That is entirely conjecture).

Vincent can see Season Fairies - in a way - but how clearly is revealed only in the series' Special.

• Ginger is a beautiful adult rain fairy who plays the violin. She is dedicated to her job and honest to the point of hurting, but she means well, and has a crush on a cloud fairy, Turmeric. Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese), Hope Grandflower (English)

• Turmeric is an adult cloud fairy who plays the cello. Turmeric is a kind, thoughtful and subdued fairy whom Ginger loves and who becomes Salt's role model. He seems oblivious to the affections of the female Season Fairies towards him, including Ginger; he puts his art first and strives to perfect himself constantly. Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (Japanese), Ezra Weisz (English)

• The Elder, the old lead fairy, uses a conductor's baton to control the weather. The Elder is extremely wise, but appears foolish and is often distracted by his somewhat unnerving infatuation with the younger Ginger. Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), Steve Kramer (actor) (English)

• Basil, a thunder fairy, and Cinnamon, an ice fairy, are the juvenile delinquents of the series. The two in-training fairies are less successful than Salt, Pepper and Sugar at gaining the twinkle, but they state that they are getting close to getting it when Sugar gets hers - it is presumed that they do finally find it, whatever it may be in their case. They live in an abandoned warehouse and value mischief and fun above all. Cinnamon wildly plays the cymbals to summon ice (setting up a very wild face as he does so), and Basil plays the drums to summon thunder and lightning.

• Grandmother Regina is Saga's grandmother, who she lives with. Regina is a gentle old woman who's good cooking satisfies both Saga and Sugar. Saga often uses the excuse that she is buying waffles for Regina in order to buy extra ones to give to the season fairies. Regina (arguably) seems to know that Saga sees fairies, or at least helps her with coming to terms with them, which implies that Regina herself may have seen Season Fairies as a child.

• Kanon is the young daughter of one of grandmother Regina's friends, who is often absent. At age three when she first appears, she is quite a handful, restless and always wanting to play. She, Saga and Sugar (who Kanon can't see) become quite fond of each other, and with Saga's help she develops her own musical talent.

• Mr. Luchino owns the coffee shop at which Saga works. He is caring, understanding and often amused at Saga's fastidiousness. He often encourages Saga to enjoy life more and stop sticking to such a strict schedule, and he puts her occasional unusual behavior (the fault of the Season Fairies) down to stress. He is always seen munching a cookie.

• Henry, who works from the clock tower in the village, gets regular coffee deliveries from Luchino (in which he is 'ab-'used as a guinea pig to test out new blends). He controls the drawbridge at the bottom of the tower and the tower top panorama view.

• Paul is a worker at the local music shop. He lets Saga play her mother's piano in the shop even though he knows that she will never be able to buy it, much to the apparent irritation of the Manager, a stern-looking man. Thus Saga plays only when the latter is absent (for a very particular reason).

• Joe is a raven who sporadically appears as an antagonist. He is both bad-tempered and eager to steal shiny objects he can find. He and the fairies (especially Sugar) often get to fight about one slight or another.

[edit] Locations

The scenario for the story is set in the fictional city of Mühlenburg, a small medieval-style town. Its design is patterned after Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Places of note within or near Mühlenburg include:

• Saga's house.
• Saga's school, which lies just outside the city walls.
• the City Wall Tower which is supervised by Mr. Henry. A popular spot for tourists - and Saga - to look over the city.
• the Market Square. One of the most popular booths is a waffle-maker, of whom Saga and the Fairies are regular customers. The fountain in its center is a popular meeting spot.
• the top of the city church bell tower, where the Fairies sometimes congregate.
• the Junkyard. Phil, Alan and Jan have a makeshift workshop in the place, where they try to convert Phil's ideas into reality.
• the city's Theater.
• the Music Store Crescendo, where the piano of Saga's mother is stored.
• the Coffee Shop where Saga works and which is run by Mr. Luchino.
• the Animal Hospital of Dr. Barbara, where Pepper resides. (Note: The anime uses the English term for this facility, whereas the German word would be 'Tierklinik'.)
• the city's Park and Playground.
• Greta's small but luxurious house.

The third DVD in the series, released by Geneon, features a lengthy tour of Rothenburg with voice over provided by director Shinichiro Kimura and Masumi Asano, the voice of Saga. Kimura discusses at great length how he and other artists on the production toured the town to get ideas for the series and took hundreds of pictures. Judging by the comments, Asano did not visit Rothenburg with Kimura. This DVD extra shows numerous pictures of the city and morphs them into the anime versions, showing that the artists paid very strict attention to detail.

[edit] Episode list

#	Title	Original air date
1	"Saga Meets Sugar" "Saga, Sugar to Deau" (サガ、シュガーと出会う)	2001-10-02
It is another normal (and orderly) day in Saga's life, until she meets a tiny figure and feeds it a waffle. Complicating the budding relationship is that this little thing introduces itself as Sugar, a snow fairy - and Saga does not believe in fairies.
2	"An Itsy-Bitsy Roommate" "Chitchana Roommate" (ちっちゃなルームメイト)	2001-10-09
Sugar, determined to learn more about the human world, accompanies Saga to her school. But her naivety about human life and Saga's open scolding bring Saga a lot of trouble. To add to the confusion, two more fairies appear: Salt and Pepper.
3	"Twinkle-Twinkle, Comfy-Warm, Puffy-Fluffy" "Kirakira, Pokapoka, Fuwafuwa" (きらきら、ぽかぽか、ふわふわ)	2001-10-16
During market day, Sugar, Salt and Pepper set off to find themselves a "twinkle" - but neither of them have any concrete idea about what a "twinkle" really is! A raven eager for shiny trinkets becomes an additional hazard in their quest.
4	"Where Are the Twinkles?" ""Kirameki" wa Doko?" (「きらめき」はどこ?)	2001-10-23
Following a hint from Pepper's pidgeon friends, the three little fairies turn Saga's school upside-down in their search for the "twinkle".
5	"The Elder Arrives!!" "Chōrō-sama Arawaru!!" (長老さま現る!!)	2001-10-30
The Elder arrives in the human world, ostensibly to watch the apprentice fairies' progress - but in reality he has a much more "serious" goal in mind: winning beautiful rain fairy Ginger's heart! However, his own shyness and the pestering of the little fairies about telling him what a "twinkle" really is don't make the job easier for him and Ginger.
6	"I Couldn't Say Sorry" "Gomen ne ga Ienakute" (ゴメンねがいえなくて)	2001-11-06
Sugar bungles again, and in a tensed-up effort to do better, she only succeeds in annoying Saga, and the two have a serious row. An attempt by Sugar to amend the situation, however, results in her unintentionally defacing one of Saga's most cherished mementos of her late mother...
7	"Heart Joining Melody" "Kokoro o Tsunagu Melody" (心をつなぐメロディー)	2001-11-13
Sugar and Saga have broken up. While they do miss each other, stubborness on both sides prevents them from approaching each other and make up. Sugar takes up with two irresponsible fairy apprentices, Basil and Cinnamon - but is the wild, carefee life really something for her?
8	"The Shape of the Dreams" "Yume no Katachi" (夢のカタチ)	2001-11-20
Phil, the never-tired inventor, tries his hands at an ambitious project: artificially create an aurora. This project of course meets disbelief and criticism from both his fellow students and fairies alike. Salt, his most vocal criticizer at first, funnily ends up assisting Phil in his efforts.
9	"The Bear Pianist" "Kuma no Pianist" (クマのピアニスト)	2001-11-27
The Hammond Theater group comes to Mühlenburg with the story of the Bear Pianist, a heart-touching play. At the same time, a young actor of the troupe, Vincent, greatly troubles Saga with a careless remark.
10	"A Backstage Happening" "Backstage Happening" (バックステージハプニング)	2001-12-04
Sugar, Salt and Pepper go on an adventure backstage to find out what a play really is, but almost end up making it a disaster.
11	"My Favorite Piano" "Atashi no Suki na Piano" (あたしの好きなピアノ)	2001-12-11
Unnerved by Vincent's behaviour, Saga and Sugar don't know what to make of him: While Saga finds his way of playing the piano a disgrace to all 'decent' musicians, Sugar and her friends try to find out whether he can really see them ... or can he?
12	"Goodbye, Mr. Bear" "Sayonara, Kuma-san" (さよなら、クマさん)	2001-12-18
Just before their last performance, Vincent sprains his hand and is unable to play the piano, which is a vital part of the Bear Pianist's story. Much to everyone's surprise, Vincent recommends Saga to fill in for him at the piano seat. As Saga fights with her stage fright, it is Sugar who provides her with much-needed moral support; and as they return home, a tremendrous surprise awaits them...
13	"A Twinkle Found?!" ""Kirameki" Mitsuketa!?" (「きらめき」みつけた!?)	2002-01-08
Sugar's magical flower has sprouted a bud; but that is strange, since they have not found a "twinkle" - or have they? A small trip to the countryside is meant to help in the finding of the "twinkle", but instead a few other experiences are gained.
14	"Pepper and the Dream of Mr. Turtle" "Pepper to Kame-san no Yume" (ペッパーとカメさんの夢)	2002-01-15
In the veterinary where she lives, Pepper meets the turtle Lancelot, whose greatest dream is to learn how to fly. By nature's decree turtles are not meant to fly, but still Pepper tries her best to make the impossible come true.
15	"The Tiny Guest" "Chitchana Okyaku-sama" (ちっちゃなお客さま)	2002-01-22
Grandmother Regina houses a very young girl named Canon in her house for a few days. Soon, the lively child taxes Saga and Sugar to no end.
16	"The Faraway Town's First Snow" "Tōi Machi no Hatsuyuki" (遠いまちの初雪)	2002-01-29
The season fairies are departing for a field trip in order to gain more practical experience. In a town where the first snow is late, Sugar gains the chance to live up to her mother's image.
17	"While Waiting For Sugar" "Sugar o Machinagara" (シュガーを待ちながら)	2002-02-05
Saga is waiting for Sugar's return, but when she learns that the season fairies have to cross an area hit by a typhoon, she becomes sick of worry about her little friend.
18	"Festival! Waffo!" "Omatsuri, Waffo!" (おまつり、ワッホー!)	2002-02-12
The Mühlenburgers celebrate a traditional festival, and Saga and Sugar live through a marvelous day.
19	"One Memory For Two" "Futari Dake Omoide" (ふたりだけの思い出)	2002-02-19
Sugar's Magic Flower is about to bloom, after the Mühlenburg festival, Saga and Sugar help clean up the town, but the task soon becomes that of a memory tour.
20	"The Vanished Promise" "Kiechatta Yakusoku" (消えちゃった約束)	2002-02-26
Saga and Sugar are just about to go Saga's mom's song when she discovers that her piano was sold. Who knew it would end up in such an unexpected place...
21	"The Lonely Two" "Hitoribotchi no Futari" (ひとりぼっちのふたり)	2002-03-05
After the discovery of the whereabouts of her mother's piano, Saga decides to work overtime to buy back her Mother's piano. Meanwhile everyone is worrying about her.
22	"I'm Sorry, Sugar" "Gomen ne, Sugar" (ゴメンね、シュガー)	2002-03-12
While Sugar struggles with Saga and the piano, Salt and Pepper finally find their "Twinkles." Sugar congratulates them with a big smile, but…
23	"Tiny Miracle at Muhlenburg" "Muhlenburg no Chiisana Kiseki" (ミューレンブルクの小さな奇跡)	2002-03-19
Greta and the other's decide to deliver back Saga's piano, but their plan goes haywire when Luchino accedently pushed it down a hill
24	"I'm Right Over Here" "Atashi wa Koko ni Iru yo" (あたしはここにいるよ)	2002-03-26
The last episode of the series leads to a heart-wrenching farewell: Sugar and Saga must part with each other as Sugar finally understands what a "twinkle" is about and succeeds in making her magic flower bloom.
25[2]	"What's in the Heart - Part I" "Sono Mune ni Aru Mono - Zenpen" (その胸にあるもの 前編)
Four years after the conclusion of the TV series, Saga remembers a school play in which she'd played the princess and inspired Sugar and her fellow fairies to make a play of their own. Chronologically set after episode 13, "A Twinkle Found?!"
26	"What's in the Heart - Part II" "Sono Mune ni Aru Mono - Kōhen" (その胸にあるもの 後編)
Part II of "What's in the Heart".

[edit] Music

Opening themes
#	Transcription/Translation	Performed by	Episodes
	Sugar Baby Love	Yoko Ishida	2-23
Ending themes
#	Transcription/Translation	Performed by	Episodes
1	Snow Flower	Maria Yamamoto	1-23
2	Sugar Baby Love	Yoko Ishida	24
3	Kokoro no Piano	Masumi Asano	Special

[edit] Notes and References

[edit] External links

• TBS' official homepage
• Geneon's (formerly known as Pioneer) official homepage