Mahoromatic

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Mahoromatic
まほろまてぃっく
Genre Science fiction, Comedy, Harem
Manga
Author Bow Ditama
Illustrator Bunjūrō Nakayama
Publisher Flag of Japan Wani Books
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Comic Gum
Original run 1998 – 2004
Volumes 8
TV anime
Director Hiroyuki Yamaga
Studio Flag of Japan Gainax
Flag of Japan Shaft
Licensor Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Geneon
Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany ADV Films
Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Network BS-i, AT-X
Original run 10 September 2001 – 28 January 2002
Episodes 12
TV anime: Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful
Director Hiroyuki Yamaga
Studio Flag of Japan Gainax
Flag of Japan Shaft
Licensor Flag of the United States Geneon
Network BS-i
Original run 26 September 2002 – 16 January 2003
Episodes 14

Mahoromatic (まほろまてぃっく Mahoromatikku?) 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

[edit] Characters

Note: names are given in Western style, given name followed by family name, except for the parenthesised Japanese language versions where Japanese style is used, family name followed by given name.

[edit] Misato Residence

Mahoro Andou (安藤 まほろ Andō Mahoro?) (CODE: V1046-R MAHORO)

Mahoro is an android created by VESPER to fight an alien invasion by Saint 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 398 days to live, and is given the choice to do anything she wants by VESPER. She chooses to become a maid for Suguru Misato : 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 also quite devoted to Suguru, with feelings for him reminiscent of both doting mother and shy girlfriend.
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's 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 rivalry with Shikijo (who has very large breasts), as well as her techniques and requests to VESPER for larger breasts.
In some episode when Mahoro is asleep, baby chicks come out from her and fly around her head. But no explanation was given why this event happens and on what reason is it for.
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 MV Agusta motorcycle.
Mahoro was created using Saint alien technology, giving her a true soul and a pure heart. Later in the series it is revealed that Mahoro is directly connected to the memories of Matthew, who on some occasions supplies Mahoro advice.
She had no family name until the name Andou (short for android) was created by Suguru.

Suguru Misato (美里 優 Misato Suguru?)

Suguru Misato 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 smart and has an IQ of 130. He makes a favorable 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.

Minawa Andou (安藤 みなわ Andō Minawa?) （CODE: 370）

  • Voiced by: Ai Shimizu (Japanese), Willow Armstrong (English)
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.
She had no name until one was created by Suguru, so she could pretend to be Mahoro's little sister.

Slash (スラッシュ Surasshu?) （CODE: V1046 R9-SLASH ZERO）

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 Misato's dog — a role he was not thrilled to take in the beginning.
He is friendly but tough and will lend a helping paw 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.

[edit] Classmates

Saori Shikijo (式条 沙織 Shikijō Saori?)

Saori Shikijo 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.
Shikijo-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 large breasts are also the focus of her many attempts to seduce Suguru.

Rin Todoriki (等々力 凛 Todoriki Rin?)

Rin is the brown-haired and tallest member of the "Triomatic". She has designs on Suguru but does not let it affect her strong friendships with Miyuki (who has an equal "crush" on Suguru) and Chizuko (who at times has expressed interest in Suguru).
Rin has also the most physically developed breasts of the Triomatic, which at times causes consternation with Miyuki and Chizuko. For the most part, Rin seems almost embarrassed when the other two complain about her breasts, but as the series goes on she becomes more and more comfortable with her "advantage".
Rin's family is wealthy (coming from a long military line), and lives in a palatial estate filled with numerous pieces of art and wealth.

Chizuko Oe (大江 千鶴子 Ōe Chizuko?)

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.

Toshiya Hamaguchi (浜口 俊也 Hamaguchi Toshiya?)

One of Suguru's male friends who also enjoys looking at porn. He has a crush on Minawa but has much trouble expressing it because Minawa doesn't realize it.

Kiyomi Kawahara (川原 清巳 Kawahara Kiyomi?)

One of Suguru's male friends who also enjoys looking at porn. He is a kendo student (hinted very obviously in one episode) and is usually with Suguru's other friend Toshiya.

Yoshimi Tanaka (田中 佳美 Tanaka Yoshimi?)

[edit] Manga

Mahoromatic (まほろまてぃっく Mahoromatikku?) is a manga series by Bow Ditama and Bunjūrō Nakayama. Originally serialized 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: The maid of the Misato Residence
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: The maid, dizzy in the sunlight
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, dreaming all sorts of things
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, full of energy today too
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: The maid with the lovely smile
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: The maid who runs on tears
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: Mahoro-san of the Misato Residence
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~ Mahoromatikku: 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 Mahoromatikku Natsu no Terebi Supesharu?), 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

  • Ep00 Special
  • Ep01 In an Hydrangea Garden
  • Ep02 Lady Teacher Saori, Age: Twenty-Five
  • Ep03 How Shallow the Grave
  • Ep04 I Will Shoot Him Through the Heart
  • Ep05 634-of-8 is Doing Fine
  • Ep06 Moon, Flowers, Feeling of Autumn
  • Ep07 The Maid, Chased by the Past
  • Ep08 The Owner of the Perfect Heart
  • Ep09 Limelight
  • Ep10 The Fate as a Warrior
  • Year End Special
  • Ep11 My Important Person
  • Ep12 At the Scenery I Dreamed One Day

[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: Bunjuro Nakayama & Bow Ditama
  • Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga
  • Character design/Chief animation director: Takamura Kazuhiro
  • Art design: Masahiro Satō
  • Art Director: Naoko Kosakabe
  • Colour Coordinator: Yōko Mitsuhashi
  • Editor: Takeshi Seyama
  • Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami
  • Director of Photography: Tsuguo Ozawa
  • Music: Toshio Masuda
  • Animation Production: GAINAX & Shaft

[edit] Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful

[edit] Episode Summaries

  • Ep01 Return of the Maid
  • Ep02 From Today on, You Are Minawa
  • Ep03 Dreams Should Be Grand
  • Ep04 Looking For A Lost Object
  • Ep05 Will I Catch A Cold Tomorrow?
  • Ep06 Doing Delightful New Year Things
  • Ep07 Don't Ever Come Back Again!
  • Ep08 Grandfather and Grandson
  • Ep09 Sweeter Than Love, But a Bit Bitter
  • Ep10 Things I Like
  • Ep11 A Wish, The Color of Cherry Blossoms
  • Ep12 Annunciation
  • Ep13 End of a Dream
  • Ep14 Na-Geanna

[edit] Theme Songs

  • Opening theme: So-re-i-yu
Translation: Sun
Singer: Ayako Kawasumi
  • Ending theme: Triomatic Ran! Ran! Ran!
Singers: Triomatic (Asami Sanada, Manabi Mizuno, Yumi Kikuchi)

[edit] Production Details

[edit] Mahoromatic: End of Year Special

Shown after Episode 9 (Making it 9.5) These feature a refresher of all the events so far along with NEW conversations and discussions between characters. Both Season one & two have this special, but it has never been translated into English

[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.

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

A series of three DVDs was released in Europe for season one.

[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] Endings

[edit] 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 Saint-Earth colony world, twenty years after Mahoro's death and the mutual defeat of Vesper and Management. Suguru "decided to never return to Japan, to that town where Mahoro no longer was," and is now a renegade half-cyborg hunter of the last "Management holdouts." He has only memories of Earth, and a sole companion who tries to kill Suguru for the bounty on his head.

As Suguru is either dying or badly injured, Mahoro reappears alive (which he greets with wry skepticism), asking to take him back to Hiryu "where everyone is waiting." The only explanation for Mahoro's reappearance is oblique: Matthew comments that she will leave behind on Earth a "memory of springtime" that has been disturbing her and will not be needed as Saint sets off to resume wandering the galaxy.

The story ends there, with no clear resolution even for the two main characters. With the exception of a cameo for Shikijo-sensei, the rest of the original characters' stories are left mostly or entirely unfinished.

[edit] Manga's ending

The manga ends similarly in theme to the anime, but the tone and style of the ending are far lighter and more consistent with the rest of the story. It takes place on Earth, twenty years after Mahoro's death and a decisive defeat of Management. Suguru has been working as a commander within Vesper, and has just returned to Earth from the final defeat of Management's last vestiges. As seen from his friends' perspectives (particularly Miyuki's), losing Mahoro has been tragic rather than degrading for Suguru.

Unbeknownst to Suguru, Mahoro was reborn as a baby shortly after her death as an android. She has grown up, and remembers Suguru. When he returns from Vesper headquarters expecting to find an empty house, she is there waiting for him.

[edit] External links