Peach Girl | |
ピーチガール (Pīchi Gāru) |
|
---|---|
Genre | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
Manga | |
Written by | Miwa Ueda |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher | Tokyopop |
Demographic | Shōjo |
Magazine | Bessatsu Friend |
English magazine | Smile[1] |
Original run | 1997 – 2004 |
Volumes | 18 |
TV anime | |
Directed by | Hiroshi Ishiodori |
Written by | Hiroko Tokita |
Music by | Masanori Takumi |
Studio | Studio Comet |
Licensed by | Funimation Entertainment |
Network | TV Tokyo |
Original run | January 8, 2005 – June 25, 2005 |
Episodes | 25 |
Spin off | |
Peach Girl (ピーチガール Pīchi Gāru ) is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Miwa Ueda. It was published in Japan by Kodansha in Bessatsu Friend from 1998 to 2003 and collected in 18 volumes. The series was adapted as a Taiwanese drama in 2002 and a Japanese animated television series in 2005.
The North American version of the manga is published in two parts by Tokyopop: Peach Girl, covering the first eight volumes of the Japanese release; and Peach Girl: Change of Heart, comprising the final ten books. The animated TV series is distributed by Funimation Entertainment in North America.
Contents |
Peach Girl is a high school drama centered on Momo Adachi. A former member of the swim team, Momo tans easily and her hair is bleached out; unfortunately, she is stereotyped by her ignorant classmates, and is forced to endure rumors about being an "easy girl" that has had many sexual relationships. Her only friend is Sae, who is actually responsible for spreading the nasty gossip due to her jealousy of Momo. Momo is in love with Toji, a taciturn baseball player, but the scheming Sae also has her sights set on the boy. Momo's life is further complicated with the introduction of Kairi Okayasu, a wise-cracking playboy who is determined to make her his. He reveals to Momo that she had saved him from drowning the summer before high school started.
Things become even more complicated when Sae, in an attempt to make Momo miserable, spreads rumors about Momo and Kairi making out. The rumor about the kiss between the two is true, but it was Kairi who initiated it while Momo remained stunned by the interaction. When Toji is hospitalized, Sae convinces Toji to break up with Momo. They soon get back together, but Sae later tries to make their relationship complicated again by threatening to discredit Momo with her newly acquired access to the mass media. Though Toji is defiant to begin with, he reluctantly breaks up with Momo in order to protect her. Momo is heartbroken at first, particularly due to not knowing it is part of Sae's schemes. However, she eventually begins dating Kairi, whom she had previously considered annoying, and soon begins to fall in love with him.
When it is revealed to Momo why Toji broke up with her, Momo is left to choose between Toji and Kairi. More problems arise and the love triangle intensifies.
In "Sae's Story", Sae is left back a year, for she always was skipping classes. She is too stubborn so she goes to Momo's and Kairi's university every day. Toji goes to a good university by himself. Sae then meets one of her childhood sweethearts, Kanji (or Monkey Boy), who left for Malaysia when they were young, and promised to marry Sae when he was back. In love with Sae, Kanji follows her around, trying to win Sae back over. He also takes care of Sae's dog, Sora, when her parents would no longer let her keep it. The dog walks with a little limp, as one day when the dog tried to follow Sae, she threw a rock at its paw and injured it. Sae starts modeling and pretends she goes to college with Momo, when she is really still in high school. She meets Honda and works for CC as a model. She meets a guy named Takuma, but he later turns her down. Sae later meets another guy named Shinji, but realizes he never really liked her. All these ups and downs make Sae realize that Momo, Kairi, and Kanji are the only people that actually care for her.
A boy who has been Momo's crush since junior high school although she never then confessed to him due to a friend saying he "doesn't like girls with tan skin". He overhears Momo confess her love for him to Kairi and then eventually dates Momo but Sae wants him for herself. He has a good heart, but tends to be hard headed and oblivious to what is in front of him, believing what Sae says over what Momo says, much to the frustration of Momo. Sae later blackmails Toji into dating her using pictures of Momo and Jigoro in a hotel bed together. He then breaks up with Momo. After this Momo starts dating Kairi.
# | Episode Title | Airdate (Japan) |
---|---|---|
1 | Love Hurricane! Love Hurricane! ラブ・ハリケーン! |
8 January 2005 |
2 | The Trap Kiss! Trap Kiss! トラップ・キス! |
15 January 2005 |
3 | How Far Will You Go, Super Sae? Koko Made Yaru!? Super Sae ここまでやる!? スーパーさえ |
22 January 2005 |
4 | The Catastrophe Kiyoku Tadashii Hakyou Sengen 清く正しい破局宣言 |
29 January 2005 |
5 | The Swim Meet From Hell Shakunetsu Dotou no Suiei Taikai 灼熱怒涛の水泳大会 |
5 February 2005 |
6 | Sudden Death At Love Gekitotsu! Koi no Sudden Death 激突!恋のサドンデス |
12 February 2005 |
7 | A Brief Love Sign Tsukanoma no Love Sign つかのまのLOVEサイン |
19 February 2005 |
8 | Fame Isn't Enough Black Girl ブラックガール |
26 February 2005 |
9 | The Destruction of Pure Love Junai Hakai Kousaku 純愛破壊工作 |
5 March 2005 |
10 | Peach Crisis Peach Crisis ピーチクライシス |
12 March 2005 |
11 | An Unbearable Breakup Setsuna Sugiru Wakare 切なすぎる別れ |
19 March 2005 |
12 | The Peach Flower, Blossomed? Momo no Hana, Saita? ももの花、咲いた? |
26 March 2005 |
13 | Shock! An Ex-Girlfriend Barges In! Shougeki! Moto Kano Rannyuu!? 衝撃!元カノ乱入!? |
2 April 2005 |
14 | The Man Who Creates A Storm Arashi wo Yobu Otoko 嵐を呼ぶ男 |
9 April 2005 |
15 | Who Will It Be? Honmei wa Dare? 本命は誰? |
16 April 2005 |
16 | When Love Hits Rock Bottom Don Soko no Koi no Yukue どん底の恋の行方 |
23 April 2005 |
17 | Direct Line to Pure Love! Junai Icchokusen! 純愛一直線! |
30 April 2005 |
18 | A Summer Seduction Manatsu no Yuuwaku 真夏の誘惑 |
7 May 2005 |
19 | The Emotional Puzzle Kimochi no Puzzle キモチのパズル |
14 May 2005 |
20 | One Stormy Night Arashi no Ichiya 嵐の一夜 |
21 May 2005 |
21 | Continuous Love Storm Warnings! Koi no Sainen Chuuihou 恋の再燃注意報 |
28 May 2005 |
22 | Imaginary Love Affair Nounai Renai 脳内恋愛 |
4 June 2005 |
23 | Forced to Choose Tsukitsukerareta Sentaku 突きつけられた選択 |
11 June 2005 |
24 | The Truth About Goodbye Sayonara no Shinjitsu サヨナラの真実 |
18 June 2005 |
25 | Last Typhoon! Last Hurricane! ラスト・ハリケーン! |
25 June 2005 |
Ueda wrote Peach Girl: Sae's Story, a spin off focused on the character of Sae Kashiwagi. The story explains why Sae acts in such a cruel and vicious way. It also focuses on her days of repeating her last year of high school.
In November 2002, a 13 episode Taiwanese drama of Peach Girl was adapted titled (Chinese: 蜜桃女孩), starring Annie Wu, Vanness Wu of F4 and Kenji Wu. The setting was changed from high school to college. It was produced by Comic Ritz International Production (可米瑞智國際藝能有限公司) and Chai Zhi Ping (柴智屏) as producer and boardcasted in Taiwan on free-to-air Chinese Television System (CTS) (華視).
In 1999, Peach Girl won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo.[3]