UFO Baby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| UFO Baby | |
|---|---|
 |
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| だぁ！だぁ！だぁ！ (Daa! Daa! Daa!) |
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| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Mika Kawamura |
| Publisher |  Kodansha |
| Serialized in | Nakayoshi |
| Original run | 1998 – 2002 |
| No. of volumes | 9 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Hiroaki Sakurai |
| Studio | J.C.STAFF |
| Network | NHK, Animax    Animax Animax, ABS-CBN NTV7 |
| Original run | 28 March 2000 – 26 February 2002 |
| No. of episodes | 78 |
UFO Baby (だぁ！だぁ！だぁ! Daa! Daa! Daa!?) is a manga created by Mika Kawamura, which was adapted into a 78-episode anime television series, produced by J.C.STAFF and translated and dubbed into English and other languages by the anime television network, Animax, who have broadcast it across its respective networks around the world, including Southeast Asia and South Asia.
The original manga, spanning 8-tankōbon volumes, ran between 1998 and 2002 and was originally serialized in Kodansha's Nakayoshi manga magazine. The anime spanned 78-episodes and was originally aired between 28 March 2000 and 26 February 2002 on the NHK network.
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
The series begins with the introduction of Miyu Kouzuki (光月 未夢), an 8th-grade student whose parents leave for the United States to work for NASA and arrange for her to stay with their long-time family friend, Hosho Saiyonji (西院寺 宝晶), a monk who lives at an old shrine atop a hill. However, the monk himself leaves soon after for India on a year-long voyage, leaving Miyu in having to stay together in the same house with his son, Kanata(西院寺 彷徨), a fellow 8th-grade student. Miyu starts attending classes together with Kanata at his school, where she meets many friends, including Christine Hakanomachi, a half-French girl who is infatuated with Kanata, and Santa, Kanata's funny best friend. Though both Kanata and Miyu are initially at unease due to having to live together, they start to grow closer and begin liking each other more and more as the series progresses.
Their situation turns more unique with the landing on an UFO which transports an alien baby, Luu(ル）, along with his cat-like babysitter pet, Wanya, who have arrived in Earth and were separated from their own planet, Otto, due to having fallen into an interplanetary worm hole, a time warp which can transport individuals across several regions, planets and timeplanes. They cannot return to their home planet due to it now being too difficult to reach, and Wannya therefore requests of Kanata and Miyu that they allow them to stay in their house, to which Kanata agrees. Miyu and Kanata learn from Wanya that people from Planet Otto look identical to human beings, and that he himself can transform into human beings, animals and objects, which sometimes lead to comedic situations.
Miyu and Kanata feel a very deep affection and love for Baby Luu, who also cares from them deeply and likens them to his parents due to their similar looks, and often go to great lengths to help and protect him and Wannya, both of whom also regularly assist the two, and as the story progresses, the group are often involved in comedic and funny situations but grow to greatly love each other.
[edit] Characters
- Miyu Kouzuki (光月未夢 Kōzuki Miyu)?, (Seiyū - Kaori Nazuka)
- Birthday: March 15th
- Blood Type: O
- The main female protagonist in the story, Miyu is a blonde and good-natured girl, whose parents leave for the United States to work for NASA at the beginning of the series, arranging for her to stay with their long-time family friend, Hosho Saionji, a monk who lives at an old shrine atop a hill. However, the monk himself leaves soon after for India on a year-long voyage, leaving Miyu in having to stay in the same house with his son, Kanata. Initially disliking the idea of living in the same house with a boy, Miyu often fought with Kanata at the beginning of the series, but finds out from her mother that she was friends with him when they were both toddlers, and starts to like him more and more as the story progresses. She feels a deep affection for Luu, who likens her to his mother due to their similar looks.
- Kanata Saiyonji (西遠寺彷徨 Saionji Kanata)?, (Seiyū - Yuko Sanpei)
- Birthday: December 25th
- Blood Type: AB
- The main male protagonist in the story, Kanata is amongst the most popular boys in his school, especially among the girls, due to his good looks. Shortly after Miyu arrives at his home, Kanata's father declares that he wishes to leave on a year long trip to India for enlightenment, thus binding him and Miyu to living together in the same house. Miyu starts attending Kanata's school and they have difficulty keeping their secret about living together. He finds out from Miyu's mother that they were both childhood friends and starts to like her more and more as the story progresses (but still teases her to mask it). His mother, a good friend of Miyu's mother, died while he was young. Kanata's favorite food is pumpkin, and likes all its variants, from squash to the chips varieties. Luu also calls Kanata "papa" because he looks very similar to Luu's real father.
- Luu (ルゥ Ruu)?, (Seiyū - Mika Kanai)
- Luu is an alien baby from the Planet Otto, who can levitate and perform telekinesis on objects, and who develops a deep affection and love for Miyu and Kanata, likening them to his parents and often assisting and helping them. He uses his abilities at the most inappropriate times causing Miyu and Kanata great trouble. Although he is still only a baby, he can understand everyone perfectly. In order to keep the others from knowing the truth about Luu's identity, he is referred to as Miyu's little brother (although Luu will deny that and insist on calling Miyu "mama").
- Wanya (ワンニャー Wanya)?, (Seiyū - Chiemi Chiba)
- Wanya, also known as Bowmeow, is a babysitter pet from Planet Otto, who is entrusted to take care of Luu, and is a cat-like alien who can transform into all sorts of human beings, often a blond-haired man (dubbed Mitarashi Dango) who was actually once the subject of Mikan's affection, and all forms of animals and objects. He develops a passionate liking for dumplings, and often writes about the events of the progressing day in his computerized nanny diary. Due to the fact that Wanya is staying at Miyu and Kanata's place for free, he does all the cooking and cleaning in the house.
- Christine Hakanomachi (花小町クリスティーヌ Hakanomachi Kurisutīnu)?, (Seiyū - Haruna Ikezawa)
- Christine, often nicknamed just Chris, is Miyu and Kanata's classmate, who is half-French (her mother being French), and who is deeply infatuated with Kanata, to the extent of becoming especially jealous whenever she sees, or perceives, him to be alone together with Miyu, often evidencing her strength by picking up large objects, such as trees and desks, to throw in the process. Anything she breaks, she will apologize sweetly and fix it with items kept in hammerspace (i.e. construction equipment). Her incredible jealous powers are usually meant to be comical, but are sometimes used in some serious situations. However, mostly at all other times, appears to be timid and friendly. She owns a winter lodge around a snowy mountain, and has a butler named Deerfeld, who has dressed up as a deer since childhood in order to make her happy, due to her deep love of deers. Her favourite pastimes include skiing and horse riding.
- Momoka Hanakomachi (花小町ももか Hanakomachi Momoka)?, (Seiyū - Chinami Nishimura)
- A toddler who studies in kindergarten, Momoka often drives along in her tiny toy car, and who befriends Luu, declaring that he is her boyfriend and that they are in a close relationship. Christine's cousin, Momoka has a grudge against Miyu, often calling her "obaa-chan", a title used for an elderly woman. She discovers Wannya's special transforming powers, which he had demonstrated by accident, during a cultural festival.
- Aya Konishi (小西綾 Konishi Aya)?, (Seiyu - Atsuko Enomoto)
- Aya is Miyu and Kanata's classmate, who is a very good friend of Miyu and often goes shopping with her and Nanami. She has a deep love for school plays, which she often directs.
- Nanami Tenchi (天地ななみ Tenchi Nanami)?, (Seiyu - Asako Shirakiura)
- Nanami is Miyu and Kanata's classmate, who is a very good friend of Miyu, and also often goes shopping with her and Aya.
- Santa Kuros (黒須三太 Kurosu Santa)?, (Seiyu - Hikari Tokida)
- Santa is Kanata's best friend, who often comes up with strange ideas. He has a deep love and appreciation for old records. Miyu once thought that Santa had fallen in love with a girl, but later finds out that it was instead the girl's camera he had fallen in love with.
- Mikan Yamamura (山村みかん Yamamura Mikan)?, (Seiyu - Mika Kanai)
- A budding manga artist, Mikan often adorns a tangerine atop her head and is a very good friend of Kanata and Miyu, both of whom she often helps out and who have also helped her once with her manga. She has a handsome young brother, Mizuki Yamamura, who was the inspiration of one of the characters in her manga, and often helps her. Mikan is never a serious character except on a few occasions, and she is often always panicking because of her deadline.
- Miki Kouzuki (光月未来 Kōzuki Miki)?, (Seiyu - Yuko Minaguchi)
- Miki is Miyu's astronaut mother who is obsessed with anything connected to outer space and is hired by NASA, along with her husband, Yu, at the beginning of the story, thus having to leave for the United States, arranging her daughter, Miyu, to live with the Saionjis. Her two childhood dreams were to have a beautiful daughter and to become an astronaut, both of which she has said have come true.
- Yu Kouzuki (光月優 Kouzuki Yu)?, (Seiyu - Takuma Suzuki)
- Yu is Miyu's astrophysicist father who is helping his wife with her work, and is hired by NASA, along with his wife, Miki, thus having to leave for the United States, arranging his daughter, Miyu, to live with the Saionjis. He became interested in astrophysics in order to further his wife's dream in becoming an astronaut and travelling in space.
- Housho Sayonji (西遠寺宝晶 Saionji Hōsho?)
- Kanata's father, who is a monk and the patron of the Saionji household. He goes on a pilgrimage to India soon after Miyu arrives at the Saionji household.
- Hitome Sayonji (西遠寺瞳 Saionji Hitome?)
- Kanata's late mother, who was a very good friend of Miyu's mother, Miki, and passed away when Kanata was still a child.
- Miss Mizuno (水野先生 Mizuno-sensei?)
- Miyu and Kanata's teacher, who has so many mysterious talents because she wanted to be the "best" teacher. She has skills ranging in cooking to ninja training (in which case, helped Luu (Ruu) whom was stuck in a tree).
- Seiya Yaboshi (夜星星矢 Yaboshi Seiya?)
- Seiya is a blonde-haired alien who visits Earth and takes a liking to Miyu, often disguising as Kanata to get close to her. He has a sister, Rui, who saved him once from being sucked into a worm hole, and has had a sheltered childhood.
- Rui Yaboshi (夜星流 Yaboshi Rui?)
- Rui is Seiya's older sister, who greatly cares for Seiya, saving him once from being sucked into a worm hole.
- The Prinicipal
- The eccentric principal of Miyu and Kanata's school, who is extremely fond of monkeys, bananas and video games, especially monkey-based ones, his fascination with the creatures stemming from his deep friendship with his monkey, Monkicihi, from whom he was disunited with in his childhood due to the monkey having been sucked into an interplanetary worm hole, but with whom he is later reunited, thanks to the help of Miyu, Kanata, Luu and Wannya. All forms of monkey dolls and replicas adorn his office, where he is often found playing video games, and has sometimes even set the themes of school meets to monkey-based ones.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official websites
- Official site (Japanese)
- Animax East Asia's page for UFO Baby (English)
- Animax South Asia's page for UFO Baby (English)
[edit] References
- UFO Baby (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
