Ultra Maniac

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Ultra Maniac

Cover of the first volume of the English language manga release of Ultra Maniac
ウルトラマニアック
(Urutora Maniakku)
Genre Magical girl, Romantic comedy
Manga
Author Wataru Yoshizumi
Publisher Flag of Japan Shueisha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Flag of Japan Ribon
Original run February 2002 – January 2004
Volumes 5
OVA
Director Nanako Shimazaki
Studio Ashi Productions
Episodes 1
Released August 6, 2002
TV anime
Director Shin'ichi Masaki
Studio Ashi Productions
Network Flag of Japan Flag of the Philippines Flag of India Animax
Original run May 20, 2003 – November 11, 2003
Episodes 26

Ultra Maniac (ウルトラマニアック Urutora Maniakku?) is a manga series written by Wataru Yoshizumi. The romantic comedy series features seventh-grader Ayu Tateishi, a tennis club member, and her transfer student friend, Nina Sakura, who is actually a trainee witch from the magical kingdom. It premiered in Shueisha's Ribon manga magazine in February 2002 and ran until January 2004. It was also published in five collected volumes by Shueisha. Viz Media licensed and released an English translation of the series in North America.

The series was adapted into a 20-minute anime OVA, released August 6, 2002. Later, it was also adapted into a 26-episode anime television series. Both were produced by Ashi Productions and Animax. The anime series premiered on May 20, 2003 in Japan on Animax, and was later licensed for Region 1 distribution by Geneon Entertainment

Contents

[edit] Plot

Ayu Tateishi is a well-adjusted 7th grade student, until the fateful day when she finds the crying Nina Sakura outside the school, looking very dejected. Nina explains that she lost something very dear to her earlier during the day so, Ayu, being a kind girl, offers to help Nina find her lost item. The girls hunt for Nina's lost mini-computer, which is eventually found by Ayu. To repay Ayu for her kindness, Nina struggles to decide whether to let Ayu in on her 'big secret'. Nina is actually from the Magic Kingdom and is a magic-using witch. However, Ayu doesn't realize this immediately, being sort of clueless with computers and merely thinking that Nina is somewhat geeky. Nina struggles with her secret overnight, and in the morning before school confides her secret in Ayu. Of course, Ayu doesn't believe her, since magic is the spice of fairy tales in the real world. The story continues as friendship between Ayu and Nina blossoms, romance between Ayu and Tetsushi grows, and Nina's magically-inclined friends visit from the Magic Kingdom, to the chagrin of all involved.

The anime adaptation starts after Ayu and Nina have met, and Nina has come to earth to find the five "Holy Stones". Whoever collects all five will qualify to marry the prince of the Magic Kingdom. Nina's childhood friend Maya is competing with her to find the stones, but Nina is able to collect them all. When she learns that the prince and Maya are truly in love with one another, Nina decides to give the stones to Maya so they can be together.

[edit] Characters

Ayu Tateishi (立石亜由 Tateishi Ayu)?, (Seiyū: Yui Horie (TV series)/Yukino Satsuki (OVA))
One of the female protagonists of the story, Ayu constantly tries to stay calm and keep her cool about everything. This is quite a facade for her to keep up, because the only reason she wants to be "cool" is because Tetsushi Kaji (her crush-later on her boyfriend-, and the star of the school baseball team) told her once that he liked how cool she was about everything. (He said this because when given a pop quiz she was the only one in the class who didn't freak out but she was actually just tired.) However, after she met Nina, she was everything but cool and calm. She is the president of the girl's tennis club and one of the most popular girls in the school, and she works hard on keeping up her "cool, calm and collected" reputation.
Her seiyū in the TV series was Yui Horie, while her seiyū in the one-episode OVA was Satsuki Yukino. In Geneon's English dub, she was voiced by Stephanie Sheh.
Nina Sakura (佐倉 仁菜 Sakura Nina)?, (Seiyū: Akemi Kanda (TV series)/Mayuko Omimura (OVA))
Nina Sakura is a second female protagonist in the story Ultra Maniac. Her first scene is when Ayu Tateishi finds her crying because she lost a small, pink "box". Later, when Ayu finds and returns to box to Nina Sakura, Nina realizes that she has found a perfect person to reveal her strange secret to. She also later reveal it to Hiroki Tsujiai who also become her boyfriend in the manga.
Nina is very peppy and perky, and she loves sweets.
Her seiyū in the TV series was Akemi Kanda, while her seiyū in the one-episode OVA was Mayuko Omimura. In Geneon's English dub, she was voiced by Carrie Savage.
Tetsushi Kaji (架地哲士 Kaji Tetsushi)?, (Seiyū: Hiroshi Kamiya)
Considered an idol by the girls in his school, Kaji appears to be cool and always has a nice smile, but that's just his outer shell. In reality Kaji is a normal person who doesn't even like being an idol. He only acts like Prince Charming because Ayu unwittingly stated once that she liked him that way. (Ayu acted "cool" for the same reason). He later explains to Nina that he's being "the nice guy" because of Ayu and that he worked hard for the title. In the 2nd volume, Kaji finally dates Ayu.
His seiyū in both the TV series and OVA was Hiroshi Kamiya. In Geneon's English dub, he was voiced by Tony Oliver.
Hiroki Tsujiai (辻合宏基 Tsujiai Hiroki)?, (Seiyū: Susumu Chiba)
Kaji's best friend, who is often seen together with him. He is the head of the boys' tennis club. He is a fan of many manga and has similar taste with Nina. He is very steadfast and has a good sense of self-worth. Hiroki is in love with Nina.
His seiyū in both the TV series and OVA was Susumu Chiba. In Geneon's English dub, he was voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.
Yuta Kirishima (桐島由多 Kirishima Yuta)?, (Seiyū: Isamu Hayashi)
Coming from the Magic Kingdom, Yuta and Nina are childhood friends. He is adept enough with magic that he doesn't need a computer to cast spells like Nina does, and teases her about that frequently. He has a kind heart. At first, Yuta seems to show affection towards Ayu but he actually prefers Nina.In the anime, Yuta likes Luna (only in the last episode, towards the very end), but in the manga, he dates Sayaka.
His seiyū in the TV series was Isamu Hayashi. In Geneon's English dub, he was voiced by an uncredited Joshua Seth.
Rio (リオ )?, (Seiyū: Reiko Takagi)
Nina's pet cat, Rio (Leo) can change into the form of a little boy, with a magic candy. In the anime, all he has to do is a flip and he becomes human.
His seiyū in the TV series was Reiko Takagi. In Geneon's English dub, he was voiced by an uncredited Mona Marshall.
Maya Orihara (折原マヤ Orihara Maya)?, (Seiyū: Saeko Chiba)
One of the candidates to be the princesses of the Magic Kingdom and Nina's childhood friend, Maya has a pet chameleon named Lulu. At the beginning of the story, Maya had a strong rivalry with Nina but in episode 26, the rivalry ends. Maya has a crush on the prince, who loved her since the time from their childhood when they danced together and she saved him, and later marries him to become princess of the Magic Kingdom. She does not appear in the manga, but in the epilogue chapter she is mentioned as the roommate of Nina in Eltoria.
Her seiyū in the TV series was Saeko Chiba. In Geneon's English dub, she was voiced by Vicky Green.
Sayaka Nakamura (仲村紗也香 Nakamura Sayaka?)
A beautiful girl at school, who is known as an "ice doll" because she is frosty towards all of her classmates. She is interested in dating Yuta, but has a secret agenda. Sayaka is revealed to be half-witch on her deceased mother's side. She taught herself magic, and as she grew up on Earth Yuta and Nina could not detect that Sayaka had magic powers. Due to bad experiences when she revealed her powers to friends in the past, she is envious of Nina who has so many magical and non-magical friends. She is a manga-exclusive character.
Jun Kawanakajima (Kawanakajima Jun)
Another character exclusive to the anime. The first time around, Jun accidentally sees Nina use magic. He instantly becomes determined to expose her as a witch and is constantly trying to take pictures of her. Which is shown when he tries to convince Maya to undo the spell that summoned the Dark Zone.

[edit] Media

[edit] Manga

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Ultra Maniac premiered in the February 2002 issue of Ribon, with new chapters appearing monthly until its conclusion in the January 2004 issue. It was also published in five collected volumes by Shueisha. Viz Media licensed and released an English translation of the series in North America.

[edit] Anime

The Ultra Maniac series was produced by the anime television network, Animax, who have broadcast the series exclusively across Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions, dubbing and broadcasting the series into English and other languages. It has been licensed for North American distribution by Geneon Entertainment, who have released the series across the region via a 7-volume DVD release, the first of which was released on April 4, 2005 and the last of which was released on April 18, 2006.

[edit] Episodes

All titles are sounded out in English during the previews in Katakana

  1. Ayu&Nina
  2. Boy meets girl
  3. Change over
  4. D.C(Da capo)
  5. Enigma
  6. Fight over
  7. Gigantic pets
  8. Hello, little girls
  9. Item
  10. Jack straw
  11. Knight spirit
  12. Lovesick night
  13. Magic vest
  14. Negative girl
  15. Orange stone
  16. Pinch hitter
  17. Quest
  18. R&B
  19. Stand by me
  20. Tangle
  21. Untangle
  22. Virgin love
  23. Wonderful night
  24. X-Day
  25. Yes, I like you
  26. Zoom in

[edit] References


[edit] External links