Ōkami-san (novel series)

Ōkami-san
Cover of Ōkami-san light novel first volume as published by ASCII Media Works
オオカミさん
Genre	Romantic comedy
Light novel
Written by	Masashi Okita
Illustrated by	Unaji
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Male
Imprint	Dengeki Bunko
Original run	August 10, 2006 – ongoing
Volumes	12
Manga
Written by	Masashi Okita
Illustrated by	Kurumi Suzushiro
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dengeki Daioh
Original run	April 2010 – ongoing
TV anime
Okamisan and her Seven Companions
Directed by	Yoshiaki Iwasaki
Studio	J.C. Staff
Licensed by	Funimation Entertainment
Network	AT-X, Chiba TV
Original run	July 1, 2010 – September 16, 2010
Episodes	12
Anime and Manga Portal

The Ōkami-san (オオカミさん^?) series is a collection of Japanese light novels by Masashi Okita, with illustrations by Unaji. The series started with the release of the first volume in August 2006 titled Okamisan and her Seven Companions (オオカミさんと七人の仲間たち, Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi^?), and as of January 2011, 12 volumes have been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Kurumi Suzushiro started serialization in the April 2010 issue of ASCII Media Works' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh. A 12-episode TV anime adaptation aired in Japan between July 1 and September 16, 2010, and has been licensed by Funimation Entertainment.^[1]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 2.1 Main characters 2.2 Secondary characters 3 Media 3.1 Light novel 3.2 Anime 3.2.1 Episode list 4 References 5 External links

Plot

A romance comedy parodying fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Ant and the Grasshopper etc. Ryōko Ōkami (the eponymous Ōkami-san) is a tomboyish high school girl. She is a member of a "trading" club so called Otogi High School Bank. She and the other members of the club (such as her partner Akai Ringo aka Little Red Riding Hood) fixes student's (or "client") problems, at any lengths, in exchange for the student helping them out later. At some point of the anime storyline, some episodes also make parodies of other anime.

Characters

Main characters

Ryōko Ōkami (大神 涼子, Ōkami Ryōko^?)

Voiced by: Shizuka Itō^[2]

The protagonist who is fierce, like a wolf, and flat-chested, fights thugs using special Neko Neko Knuckles developed by Majolica. She tends to put up a strong and fierce front to disguise her inside nature, where she is a bit more kind and frightened of certain things. Although generally hostile about Ryōshi's wimpiness, she soon accepts him as someone who can watch her back in fights.Later in the series, she would sometimes blush when she sees Ryoshi. It should be noted that Ōkami-san's character fits into the tsundere category for anime idioms. She is a close friend of Ringo Akai and is based on the wolf from the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood and others, though on several occasions she is shown to be very different from her base character; she mostly tries to act and be like the wolf, "wearing a wolf's clothing". She'd originally been an honest and innocent girl, but in Junior High her former boyfriend Shirō attempted to rape her, and when she told her friends, they refused to believe her and accused Ryōko of fabricating the story in anger after being dumped. After this, she transferred schools and struggled to be "strong" enough that she would need no one and not risk being betrayed again. She develops feelings for Morino later on in the anime.

Ryōshi Morino (森野 亮士, Morino Ryōshi^?)

Voiced by: Miyu Irino^[2]

A shy boy who cowers when confronted by other people and so keeps his distance. He has a crush on Ryōko and following a failed confession to her, he is somehow enrolled into Otogi Bank, where the others hope to use his low noticeability to avoid being detected. However, Ryōshi is much braver when hidden in darkness, and fights from afar using a wrist-mounted slingshot armed with pachinko balls with extreme precision, as shown when he knocks a baseball flying in midair about to hit Otsū. He is also known to perform well in fist fights if Ryōko is in danger. He is based on the hunter in the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood who captures the wolf or Ōkami-san.

Ringo Akai (赤井 林檎, Akai Ringo^?)

Voiced by: Kanae Itō^[2]

A petite red-haired girl who has been longtime friends with Ryōko. She is the one who recruits Ryōshi into Otogi Bank. She is a close friend of Ryōko Ōkami, and is always trying to involve herself with her best friend's love life. Like Ryōko, she tends to smile to hide her true feelings, and admires Ryōko for trying to become stronger. She is based on the Little Red Riding Hood from the book of the same name, though some aspects of her scheming, manipulative personality closer resemble the poisoned apple ("Ringo" means apple) of Snow White, a fact which is occasionally referenced by the narrator and other characters. She is also the half sister of "Snow White" Shirayuki Himeno and feels responsible for her past. However,thanks to Ryōko she moves on from the past.

Liszt Kiriki (桐木 リスト, Kiriki Risuto^?)

Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima^[2]

The president of the Otogi Bank. His skill is cross-dressing, which he uses to gain information normal men can't obtain. He is almost never seen working.He is always seen with his eyes closed, but he would open them when he's dead serious, revealing gold eyes. He is most likely a parody of the Aesop's fable The Ant and the Grasshopper as during the opening and ending scenes he is shown playing a violin while his usual pairing, Alice, is working on her computer, and in the closing sequence he is further shown buried under snow while Alice is in an underground "nest".

Alice Kiriki (桐木 アリス, Kiriki Arisu^?)

Voiced by: Yui Horie^[2]

Liszt's cousin and secretary in the club. As said above she most likely fits the ant description in Aesop's fable The Ant and the Grasshopper as she is shown working and usually in a serious manner. Also, her hair's front resembles the antennae of an ant, and the first two syllables of her name, "Ari", is the Japanese word for "ant".

Otsū Tsurugaya (鶴ヶ谷 おつう, Tsurugaya Otsū^?)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi^[2]

The club's maid who has an obsession for returning favors. When she was young, she was saved from a car accident by a boy who died before she could thank him, resulting in her having a fear of not being able to return a favor. She is based on the crane from the Japanese tale Tsuru no Ongaeshi.

Tarō Urashima (浦島 太郎, Urashima Tarō^?)

Voiced by: Shintaro Asanuma^[2]

A first year transfer student who is a year older than everyone else. He shows no interest in men but goes completely amorous towards girls. Although he is very flirtatious, he seems to have special feelings of love for Otohime. He is based on Urashima Tarō from the Japanese tale Urashima Tarō. It is heavily implied that he is in an intimate relationship with Otohime, and he occasionally enters a "gentleman mode" after Otohime drags him off and "extracts various things" from him.

Otohime Ryūgū (竜宮 乙姫, Ryūgū Otohime^?)

Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki^[2]

A girl with an obsessive crush on Tarō, who cares for her greatly but on some occasions, is scared of her. It was thanks to Tarō's motivation that she changed from a chubby bullied elementary student to a thin beauty. She constantly grabs Urashima and drags him into the closet, and the narrator remarks "I'll let your imagination figure out what they're doing", giving hints that they have some kind of sexual relationship. Although Tarō often runs from her advances, he does have special feelings for her, and can even be considered her boyfriend. She is based on Princess Otohime from the Japanese tale Urashima Tarō. The reason she is called turtle is because Otohime from the legend was a turtle on land when she met Tarō. Her relationship with Mimi Usami is also resemblant to the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare.

Majolica le Fay (マジョーリカ・ル・フェイ, Majōrika Ru Fei^?)

Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama^[2]

Called Majo for short, she is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who builds various devices such as Ryōko's Neko Neko Knuckles. She is based on the sorceress Morgan le Fay. She also takes the role of a "fairy godmother" at times.

Secondary characters

Momoko Kibitsu (吉備津 桃子, Kibitsu Momoko^?)

Voiced by: Yūko Kaida

Nicknamed Momo-chan-senpai, she is disciplinary committee member of Otogi High School. She is bisexual and will sometimes make suggestive passes at Ryōko, while using her 'dumplings' to get assistance from naive boys. She is based on the titular character from the Japanese tale Momotarō, and is often accompanied by a trio of students whose names and appearances are based on the Monkey, Dog and Pheasant that accompany Momotaro on his journeys.

Yukime Murano (村野 雪女, Murano Yukime^?)

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame

She is Ryōshi's aunt. She is novelist, and landlady of apartment "Okashisou". She is based on Japanese tale Yuki-onna.

Mimi Usami (宇佐見 美々, Usami Mimi^?)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

She is based on the hare from the Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare. She is Tarō's and Otohime's childhood friend, and since very little she has held hostility towards Otohime, calling her with the mocking nickname of "turtle".

Ami Jizō (地蔵 亜美, Jizō Ami^?)

Voiced by: Mikako Takahashi

She is based on the Jizō from the Japanese tale Kasajizō.

Lamp Aragami (荒神 洋燈, Aragami Ranpu^?)

Voiced by: Atsushi Ono

The principal of Otogi High School, who often requests certain 'services' from the bank in exchange for a lot of the club's more expensive items. He is based on the Genie of the Lamp from Aladdin.

Shirō Hitsujikai (羊飼 士狼, Hitsujikai Shirō^?)

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe

He is the student council president of Onigashima High School, a school of delinquents intended to conflict with Otogi High School. During middle school, he tried to rape Ryōko but failed, but after that he spread bad rumors of Ryōko and no one believed in her, causing her to become fearful of him and transfer schools. He is based partially on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. However, like other characters, he's drawn from multiple sources; in this case, he is also based on the wolf in sheep's clothing figure. It may be noted that the kanji 狼(Rō) translates as wolf.

Himeno Shirayuki (白雪 姫乃, Shirayuki Himeno^?)

Voiced by: Yukari Fukui

She is the half-sister of Ringo. She is based on Snow White.

Saburō Nekomiya (猫宮 三郎, Nekomiya Saburō^?)

Voiced by: Yūki Kaji

A Third-year at Otogi described by the narrator as a "Pretty Boy." Knowledgeable about Ryōshi and the Otogi Bank, he takes it upon himself to "Train" Ryōshi, he even takes part joining Ryōshi and company to Onigashima High School to save Ōkami , though his motivation is unclear. His hair is shaped into cat ears, and his name, attitude and mannerisms are cat-like (i.e. meowing after every sentence). He is apparently a skilled fighter who easily overcomes Ryōshi. He is based on Puss in Boots. He is first shown in episode 6 where Ryōko saved him from the delinquents in a flashback. Neko means cat in japanese

Machiko Himura (火村 真知子, Himura Machiko^?)

Voiced by: Satomi Satō

She is Ryōko, Ringo, and Ryōshi's classmate. She is based on The Little Match Girl.

Narrator

Voiced by: Satomi Arai^[2]

The narrator tells the tale and often has sarcastic and offensive remarks, usually pertaining to flat chests, at which main characters often break the fourth wall to glare at her.

Media

Light novel

No.	Release date	ISBN
01	August 10, 2006[3]	ISBN 4-8402-3524-4
02	December 10, 2006[4]	ISBN 4-8402-3643-7
03	April 10, 2007[5]	ISBN 978-4-8402-3806-9
04	October 10, 2007[6]	ISBN 978-4-8402-4024-6
05	February 10, 2008[7]	ISBN 978-4-8402-4160-1
06	July 10, 2008[8]	ISBN 978-4-04-867134-7
07	January 10, 2009[9]	ISBN 978-4-04-867464-5
08	May 10, 2009[10]	ISBN 978-4-04-867822-3
09	September 10, 2009[11]	ISBN 978-4-04-868015-8
10	January 10, 2010[12]	ISBN 978-4-04-868279-4
11	July 10, 2010[13]	ISBN 978-4-04-868645-7
12	January 10, 2011[14]	ISBN 978-4-04-870130-3

Anime

The anime series by J.C. Staff, titled Okami-san and her Seven Companions (オオカミさんと七人の仲間たち, Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi^?), began airing on July 2, 2010. The opening theme is "Ready Go!" by May'n while the ending theme is "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin" (赤頭巾ちゃん御用心, Careful Akazukin-chan^?) by OToGi8. At Otakon 2010, North American distributor Funimation Entertainment announced that they have aqcuired the right to the anime and will stream the ongoing series on their video portal and will then release the series on home video in 2011. ^[15]

Episode list

#	Episode title	Original air date
01	"Ōkami-san and Companions at Otogi Bank" "Ōkami-san to Otogi Ginkō no Nakama-tachi" (おおかみさんと御伽銀行の仲間たち)	July 2, 2010
After beating someone wielding a knife with the aid of a mysterious savior, Ryōko Ōkami is confessed to by a shy Ryōshi Morino, and subsequently turns him down. When her friend Ringo Akai does a background check on him, she decides to recruit him into the Otogi Bank, a business that fulfills various requests for students in return for some favors. A client, Kakari Haibara arrives and requests for them to keep her tennis playing senpai, Akihiro Ōji, from quitting the tennis club due to an injury. The Bank tries using Ryōshi's ability to remain unnoticed to stop Akihiro's resignation form from being approved, but with unsuccessful results. With only a matter of time before the form is handed in, Ryōshi rides Kakari to Akihiro in a pumpkin bicycle, though due to its lack of brakes, it crashes and Kakari ends up knocking him out; leaving her shoe behind in the retreat. Later that day, Ryōko and Ringo are confronted by the thug from earlier along with his buddies, and Ryōshi gets injured protecting her from a surprise attack. After defeating the thugs, Ryōko accepts Ryōshi as one of her companions. The next day, Akihiro uses a Cinderella method of finding the one who kicked him, Kakari, and promises they will play tennis together.
02	"Ōkami-san the Liar and Ryōshi-kun" "Usotsuki Ōkami-san to Ryōshi-kun" (うそつきおおかみさんと亮士くん)	July 9, 2010
Ryōshi tells Ringo about why he fell for Ryōko, which Ringo tells her about later that night. The next day while the other members go shopping, Ryōshi hangs around the bank with Tarō Urashima, who quickly gets dragged away by Otohime Ryūgū when a female customer comes in, worried about having to see her violent ex-boyfriend. When Ryōko and Ryōshi investigate the meeting place, it turns out to be a trap laid out by thugs from Onigashima High School. Ryōko is overwhelmed and kidnapped while Ryōshi informs the other club members. Ryōko hides her true feelings of fear as she faces the gang's boss. Ryōshi and Ringo use his dogs to discover the base, and Ryōshi uses a wrist mounted slingshot to attack the thugs from the shadows, helping to set Ryōko free to join the fight. When the boss tries to take Ryōko hostage, Ryōshi fights him one-on-one and manages to beat him while fueled by his feelings for her before passing out.
03	"Ōkami-san Gets Tangled in the Ugly Fight between the Tortoise and the Hare" "Ōkami-san Usagi to Kame no Minikui Arasoi ni Makikomareru" (おおかみさんうさぎとかめの醜い争いに巻き込まれる)	July 16, 2010
Otohime is in a rivalry with Mimi Usami who used to call her names when she was a chubby elementary school student. They decide to enter a Miss Otogi Academy contest, and Otohime requests the assistance of the Otogi Bank to help her win. Both sides end up using slander campaigns on their opponents, while Ryōko and the other girls somehow get entered as well. In the end, neither of them end up ranking, but Otohime wins thanks to a solitary vote from Tarō.
04	"Ōkami-san and Otsū-senpai's Repayment of Favor" "Ōkami-san to Otsū-senpai no Ongaeshi" (おおかみさんとおつう先輩の恩返し)	July 23, 2010
When Ryōshi protects Otsū Tsurugaya from a stray baseball, Otsū, who is obsessed with repaying favors, becomes his maid and does all various things which makes him uncomfortable. While visiting Ryōshi's house to check on the situation, Ryōko and Ringo meet his aunt Yukime, an author who Ryōko is a big fan, who points out Ryōko's potential feelings for Ryōshi. Otsū soon gets a fever from overworking and collapses due to fatigue. The others learn about Otsū's childhood, where she was protected from a car by a boy who died before she could thank him, resulting in her having a fear of being unable to return favors. Ringo comes up with the idea of having everyone dress up as maids and serve Otsū, reminding her that there is no such thing as favors between friends.
05	"Ōkami-san Goes Demon-Exorcising with Momo-chan-senpai" "Ōkami-san Momo-chan-senpai to Oni-taiji ni Yuku" (おおかみさん桃ちゃん先輩と鬼退治に行く)	July 30, 2010
Ryōko has trouble dealing with Momoko Kibitsu, a disciplinary committee member who is also a bisexual with a crush on her. Momoko comes to the Otogi Bank to request assistance for an attack on Onigashima High School. After getting through the initial waves of delinquents, the members are soon separated and communications are blocked off. Ryōko soon comes against Onigashima's student council president, Shirō Hitsujikai, who Ryōko fears greatly until Ryōshi and the others arrive to back her up, asking him to keep the delinquents in check. As the group wonders just what Shirō may be up to, Ryōko thanks Ryōshi for helping her.
06	"Ōkami-san and Little Red Riding Hood, and While We're at It, Ryōshi-kun" "Ōkami-san to Akazukin-chan, Tsuide ni Ryōshi-kun" (おおかみさんと赤ずきんちゃん、ついでに亮士くん)	August 6, 2010
Concerned about Ryōko, Ryōshi meets up with Ringo to ask about her relationship with Shirō, though she says it would be best to ask her himself once he gains her trust. Ringo recalls when she first met Ryōko in middle school and saw her true side for the first time. Noticing Ryōko pushing herself and getting into needless fights to hide her true feelings, Ringo came to understand her and offered her friendship. Ryōshi recalls when he started observing Ryōko and inevitably falling in love with her and decides to become stronger so he can protect her.
07	"Ōkami-san Goes on a Double Date with Jizō-san" "Ōkami-san Jizō-san to Daburu Dēto Suru" (おおかみさん地蔵さんとダブルデートする)	August 13, 2010
A girl named Ami Jizō has been secretly preparing food for baseball player Jin Hanasaki, as she has a crush on him, but is too shy to talk to him. Although he doesn't have feelings for her, he offers a date to repay her, with Ringo making it a double date with Ryōko and Ryōshi to ease her nerves. They go to the cinema, the arcade, the pet store and the park. Halfway through the date, Ryōko spots a cat stuck up in a tree and, upon going to rescue it, falls into the pond and hits her head. She ends up contracting amnesia, believing she's 13 years old, and has a completely different personality to her usual self. While Ryōshi looks after her in this state, Ami and Jin are left alone on their date. When Ryōshi and Ringo try to figure out how best to deal with it, Ryōko feels she is being ignored and runs off into the rain where she runs into Shirō. As Ryōshi catches up with her, he learns that Shirō assaulted her when she was younger and no one believed her, and he swears to hunt him down. As he leaves, Shirō says that the story about him assaulting Ryōko was a lie. Ryōko later regains her memories, while Ami and Jin's date ended well enough.
08	"Ōkami-san and the Mouse's Bride-Hunt and Pigs Should be Treated Like This After All" "Ōkami-san to Nezumi no Yomesagashi to Yappari Buta wa Kō Iu Atsukai" (おおかみさんとねずみの嫁探しとやっぱり豚はこういう扱い)	August 20, 2010
The Otogi bank receives a request to find Chūtarō Nezumi, the heir to a large company, a bride before his twelfth birthday. Alice Kiriki, Ami and Otohime are listed as candidates, but are rejected by his butler, Hammel, for their personality flaws. After several other failed candidates (including characters from Toradora! and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun), Hammel, after inadvertently insulting Ryōko, Ringo and Momoko, points Chūtarō in the direction of his childhood friend, Uika. The two get together, but Ryōko and the other girls are not happy about the pointless request and have the club president Liszt Kirki buy them all expensive cakes in apology.
09	"Ōkami-san and the Snow White Who Isn't Affected by the Poisoned Apple" "Ōkami-san to Doku-Ringo ga Kikanai Shirayuki-Hime" (おおかみさんと毒りんごが効かない白雪姫)	August 27, 2010
Ringo is having trouble confronting her friend Himeno Shirayuki, who looks after seven siblings. When Ryōshi inquires the matter, Ringo explains that three years earlier, when she first became friends with Himeno, she discovered that she was actually her half-sister, and that Ringo's mother had taken over her house. Since then, Ringo had become unable to bring herself to talk to her. The next day, the Otogi Bank, along with Himeno and her siblings, go to a swimming pool, with Ringo continuing to hide from Himeno. When Himeno almost drowns trying to rescue one of her siblings, Ringo saves her using CPR, and the two finally have their long awaited reunion. The next day, Ringo convinces the school director, Ranpu Aragami, to give Himeno a special scholarship.
10	"Ōkami-san and the Otogi Bank's Longest Day" "Ōkami-san to Otogi Ginkō no Sugoku Nagai Ichinichi" (おおかみさんと御伽銀行のすごく長い一日)	September 3, 2010
The Otogi Bank learned that someone has leaked information about their secret underground base to the press, believing it may be the work of Shirō. They decide to hold a discount on requests which makes everyone very busy. Ryōko, who had a strange dream involving Ryōshi, starts avoiding him. Later, Ryōshi encounters a cat-like boy named Saburō Nekomiya, who offers to train Ryōshi to be a real man. Meanwhile, Ryōko and Ringo find a beaten up Onigashima student named Reiko Kokonoo injured outside their dorms. She explains that she was a girlfriend of Shirō who was cast aside and left at the hands of the delinquents. Ryōko allows Reiko to stay with her while arranging for her transfer to Otogi. While Ryōshi trains with Saburō, Ringo asks Lizst to look into Reiko's background while Otsū keeps watch of her. However, Reiko turns out to be working for Shirō and Ryōko, along with several members of the Otogi bank are kidnapped.
11	"Ōkami-san and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" "Ōkami-san to Hitsuji no Kegawa o Kita Ōkami" (おおかみさんと羊の毛皮を着た狼)	September 10, 2010
As Ryōshi continues his training with Saburō, he learns of Ryōko's kidnapping. Ryōko wakes up in Onigashima High School where she is faced by Shirō. Tarō and Otohime get out of their kidnap situation while Majolica le Fay helps save Otsū and Alice and Mimi are saved by Litsz. Ryōshi and Saburō break through Onigashima's defenses with the help of Momoko and her subordinates and the rescued Otogi members. Sabōru explains that he once abanadoned Ryōko when she was in danger and felt guilty, hence why he decided to train Ryōshi. Ryōshi soon faces Shirō and, while initially overwhelmed by his fighting ability, remembers his training and feelings and lands a hit before Litsz declares the fight over. After Ryōko gives her thanks to everyone, they all go back to their lives.
12	"Ōkami-san and the Girl who Doesn't Sell Matches but is Still Poor" "Ōkami-san to Matchi-Uri ja Nai kedo Fukō na Shōjo" (おおかみさんとマッチ売りじゃないけど不幸な少女)	September 17, 2010
A poor papergirl named Machiko Himura notices the supposedly expensive house Ryōshi lives in. Believing she can marry out of poverty, Machiko pops the question straight at Ryōshi, later requesting a date with him at the Otogi bank. Ringo drags Ryōko along to follow them on their date, hoping to get her to be more honest about herself. Machiko abruptly ends her date before she runs into some loan sharks, but Ryōshi saves her. Machiko reveals her motives, that her father ran off with her part-time job money and she is in debt. Ryōshi decides to call the Otogi bank before taking on the loan sharks, with Ryōko joining the fight. After the debt collectors are arrested, the Otogi bank pay off her debt and arranging her to stay at the Otohashi residence. Ryōshi later explains to Machiko that he can be manly because of Ryōko, who hears the conversation and is asked by Machiko to confirm her feelings for him.

References

External links

• Anime official website (Japanese)
• Ōkami-san - The Official Anime Website from FUNimation
• Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia