Anime Addiction: UltraManiac

Since I am AnimeGirl and all, I decided to finally talk a bit about Anime. So here is to the launch of ANIME ADDICTION!!!

First off, one of my favorite series: Ultra Maniac.

I reviewed the manga last year, and now it's time for the anime.

Ayu Tateshi isn't interested in magic or fantasy or anything of the like. A very pragmatic and mature 14 year old, she worries mostly about school, tennis and her long time crush Tetushi Kaji, and she never really believed in magic and fantasy. But its hard to deny magic when your new best friend is a bumbling witch.

While I can't tell you how Ayu and Nina met (because that chapter is shown mid-way through the series), lets just say that Ayu was left with no option but to help Nina in her quest to gather the Holy Stones, which will help her improve her magic level and bring honor to Nina's family - particularly to her grandfather - back in the Magic Kingdom. In return, Nina wants nothing more than to help Ayu to finally confess her feelings to Tetushi, but Nina's magic frequently lands them both in trouble and they often have to act silly in front of Tetushi and his best friend Hiroki.

There is a more defined narrative arc in the anime than in the manga, we know from the start that when Nina gets all the stones, she'll have to go home - and possibly marry a prince - but just as with the manga there are tons of charm in this story, cute outfits and the portrayal of a strong friendship between two young girls who are very different but love each other very much. And there is romance, of course!

Ultra Maniac is one of my favorite anime series, I go back to it again and again because it just gives me such warm fuzzies and it's so, so funny (there is a truly hilarious episode when Nina turns Ayu and Hiroki's pets into people! Not to be missed, trust me!).

Alex's Personal Favorite

Ps - if You look closely, you'll realize that Ayu is actually the anime girl from my avatar *grins*

Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi

Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi - famous for her manga Marmalade Boy - tells the story of Ayu Tateshi and Nina Sakura two seventh graders. Ayu is a girl who doesn't really believe in magic and fantasy (one of her first lines is that she won't even read Harry Potter) until her life becomes entangled with Nina's, who happens to be a bumbling witch.

See, Nina was doing so bad at the Magic Kingdom school, that she decided to study aboard, in modern day Japan. Soon after Nina arrives at Ayu's school, she loses something very important: her magical mini computer, which Ayu finds by chance and returns it. Because of Ayu's kindness, Nina decides to tell her about being a witch, and from then on decides to use her magic to help Ayu - which usually lands them in trouble, especially in front of Kaji and Hiroki, two of the boys in their grade. Ayu is in love with Kaji but is too shy to tell him, so she acts all cool and composed around him - and attitude that has made her one of the most popular girls of her grade. As for Hiroki, now he does love fantasy... and he might even fall for Nina as well.

There is lots of fun and in this story - with a few dramatic moments too - which is filled with magic, friendship and romance. One note-worthy thing about the story is that Ms Yoshizumi does make both girls the protagonists of the story in equal measure, is their friendship what holds the story together and they both share the spotlight.

Also, no one draws cuter outfits!

Ultra Maniac is one of my favorite mangas ever - anime too, even though is a different storyline, the essence of the characters remains true, so that's worth watching too - and I love it for the ode to friendship that it is.

Grade

Ultra Manic is told in 5 Volumes, btw.