Sekirei

Japanese manga series

Manga
Written bySakurako Gokurakuin
Published bySquare Enix
English publisher
  • NA: Yen Press
MagazineYoung Gangan
DemographicSeinen
Original runDecember 3, 2004 – August 21, 2015
Volumes19 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byKeizō Kusakawa
Produced by
  • Hiroyuki Shimizu
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music byHiroaki Sano
StudioSeven Arcs
Licensed by
Original networkChiba TV, KBS Kyoto, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Sun TV, Tokyo MX, TV Hokkaido, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, AT-X, TVQ
English network
Original run July 2, 2008 – September 17, 2008
Episodes12 + OVA (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Sekirei: Pure Engagement
Directed byKeizō Kusakawa
Produced by
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Shunsuke Saitō
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music byHiroaki Sano
StudioSeven Arcs
Licensed by
  • NA: Aniplex of America
  • UK: Crunchyroll UK and Ireland
Original networkAT-X, KBS Kyoto, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Sun TV, Tokyo MX, TV Hokkaido, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
English network
Original run July 4, 2010 – September 26, 2010
Episodes13 + OVA (List of episodes)

Sekirei (セキレイ, lit. 'Wagtail') is a Japanese manga series by Sakurako Gokurakuin. The manga was serialized in Square Enix's seinen manga magazine Young Gangan between December 2004 and August 2015. A special epilogue volume to the manga began serialization in the same magazine in May 2017. An anime adaptation produced by Seven Arcs and directed by Keizō Kusakawa aired in Japan between July and September 2008, and a second season aired between July and September 2010. Both seasons were licensed in North America by Funimation, until their license expired in 2017. The central character of the series is Minato Sahashi, a ronin who has failed his college entrance examinations two years in a row. His life changes, however, when he meets several women with special powers called "Sekirei" and is dragged into a battle to possibly decide the fate of the world.

Plot

In Tokyo, known as Shinto Teito (新東帝都, Shintō Teito, "New Eastern Imperial Capital"), in 2020, 19-year-old Minato Sahashi is extremely intelligent, yet due to his major lack of self-confidence has failed the college entrance exam twice.

The same day of his second failure, Minato meets a girl named Musubi, who literally falls out of the sky on top of him. Minato soon learns that she is a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the "Sekirei", and she chooses him as her "Ashikabi", one of the mysterious set of humans that have the genetic trait and can make a contract by kissing the Sekirei; this binds the Sekirei to the Ashikabi and allows them to use their full power in elimination battles with other Sekirei. Made up of 108 cute girls, attractive buxom women and bishōnen, the Sekirei battle in a competition known as the "Sekirei Plan" organized by Hiroto Minaka, the chairman and founder of the mysterious and powerful MBI Corporation.

Minato quickly learns that being the partner of a Sekirei is not all fun and games, especially when five other Sekirei choose him as their Ashikabi, each also forming a contract/bond with him. Now Minato must find a way to survive both the life-threatening battles of the Sekirei Plan and his partners' fierce competition for him.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Sakurako Gokurakuin, Sekirei was serialized in Square Enix's seinen manga manga magazine Young Gangan between December 3, 2004,[5] and August 21, 2015.[6] Square Enix published 18 tankōbon volumes between June 25, 2005, and October 24, 2015.[7][8] A sequel to the manga titled Sekirei: Kanojo no Inai 365-nichi no Koto (セキレイ 彼女のいない365日のこと, Sekirei: 365 Days Without Her) began serialization in Young Gangan on May 2, 2017,[3] and finished on March 16, 2018.[9] Its chapters were collected in a single volume (numbered 19th) on April 25, 2018.[10]

Yen Press licensed the series in North America and released the first volume digitally in November 2015.[11] The publisher later released the volumes in ten 2-in-1 omnibus volumes from July 18, 2017, to November 12, 2019.[12][13][14]

Drama CD

A drama CD entitled Sekirei Original Drama CD was released on July 25, 2007 by Frontier Works.[15]

Anime

The first 12-episode anime series adaptation produced by the animation studio Seven Arcs and directed by Keizō Kusakawa aired in Japan between July 2 and September 17, 2008. The anime is licensed by Aniplex in Japan. The first season is mostly faithful to the overall story structure of the manga series, covering roughly the first fifty-one chapters of the series. The opening theme is "Sekirei" (セキレイ) and the main ending theme is "Dear sweet heart"; both songs are performed by Saori Hayami (#88 Musubi), Marina Inoue (#9 Tsukiumi), Kana Hanazawa (#108 Kusano) and Aya Endo (#2 Matsu). The ending theme used in episode eleven is "Kimi o Omou Toki" (きみを想うとき, "When I Think of You") by Hayami. Six DVDs of the first season were released between October 22, 2008[16] and March 25, 2009.[17] The sixth DVD volume was supplemented with an original video animation (OVA) episode, "Kusano's First Shopping Trip" (初メテノオツカイ, Hajimete no Otsukai, "The First Errand"), featuring Kusano participating in the shopping race with Musubi and Tsukiumi. A Blu-ray box set of the first season was released on June 30, 2010 with three Blu-ray discs and one additional CD.[18] At Anime USA 2009, Funimation announced that the anime's first season was licensed and a DVD box set was released on November 23, 2010.[19][20]

A second season entitled Sekirei: Pure Engagement (セキレイ～Pure Engagement～) began airing on July 4, 2010[21] on Tokyo MX and on July 6, 2010 on some other Japanese networks.[22] The first episode of Sekirei: Pure Engagement was pre-aired on June 13, 2010. The opening theme is "Hakuyoku no Seiyaku (Pure Engagement)" (白翼ノ誓約〜Pure Engagement〜) and the ending theme is "Onnaji Kimochi" (おんなじきもち, "Same Feeling"); both songs are performed by Hayami, Inoue, Hanazawa and Endo, as in the first season. The ending theme for episode 10 is "Oboeteiru kara" (おぼえているから, "Remembering You") by Hayami. A single containing both songs was released on July 21, 2010. The limited edition of the single came bundled with a special three-minute OVA, classified as episode 0, titled "Two-Topic Gossip" (閑話弐題, Kanwa Ni Dai). The full 28-minute version of the OVA was released with the first BD/DVD volume of the second season on August 25, 2010. As with the first season, Pure Engagement is licensed in North America by Funimation,[23] and released the series on January 3, 2012. Funimation's licenses for both seasons expired on February 9, 2017.[24] Manga Entertainment released Pure Engagement in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2012.

Video game

Video game cover of Sekirei: Gifts from the Future, released on October 29, 2009.

A video game for PlayStation 2 entitled Sekirei: Gifts from the Future (セキレイ ～未来からのおくりもの～, Sekirei ~Mirai kara no Okurimono~) was released on October 29, 2009 by Alchemist in limited and regular editions.[25][26] Two music pieces implemented for the game's music consist of "Yakusoku I'm with You" (約束 I'm with You, "Promise I'm with You") and "Survive Baby Survive!", both of them performed by Saori Hayami, Marina Inoue, Kana Hanazawa and Aya Endo.[27] The limited edition version was bundled with figures of Musubi and Tsukiumi with Kusano in a panda suit, a 40-minute drama CD, and an illustration of Matsu.[28] While Musubi, Tsukiumi, Matsu, Kusano, Miya, Homura, Uzume and Minato reprise their roles from the anime and manga,[29] four new characters were created by Alchemist consisting of two Sekirei, one Ashikabi and a baby as video game-only characters.

The game takes place in the Sekirei timeline, being played as a visual novel. Minato and the Sekirei of Izumo Inn encounter new characters consisting of Sekirei No. 54, Kuruse (来瀬) (Haruka Tomatsu), Sekirei No. 57, Yahan (夜半) (Ayahi Takagaki), Ashikabi Reiji Koya (甲屋　玲治, Koya Reiji) (Yuichi Nakamura) and a baby referred to as Aka-chan (赤ちゃん) (Haruka Tomatsu).[30] The plot centers around the discovery of said baby, who is being pursued by unknown persons after Minato and the Sekirei find her abandoned in the city.[31]

Reception

Volume eight of the Sekirei manga made the top 30 manga sold in Japan, holding third place with 103,811 copies sold from February 24 to March 2, 2009.[32] Volume nine placed 17th out of 30 with 65,732 copies sold from December 21–27, 2009.[33] From June 28 to July 4, 2010, volume ten sold 47,019 copies for a total amount of 120,991 in 20th out of 30.[34]

References

  1. ^ Serdar Yegulalp. "Sekirei: Pure Engagement". About.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  2. ^ Thompson, Richard J. (December 17, 2010). "Sekirei DVD - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Loo, Egan (March 26, 2017). "Sekirei Romantic Comedy Manga to Return on May 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Loo, Egan (June 20, 2008). "Two Sekirei Anime TV Commercials Streamed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  5. ^ 2004年12月3日創刊号発売 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on December 7, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  6. ^ Pineda, Rafael (August 20, 2015). "Sakurako Gokurakuin Ends Sekirei Manga, Launches New Series". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  7. ^ セキレイ 1 (in Japanese). ASIN 4757514573.
  8. ^ セキレイ18 (in Japanese). ASIN 4757547722.
  9. ^ Pineda, Rafael (February 16, 2018). "Sakurako Gokurakuin's Sekirei 365 Manga Ends on March 16". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  10. ^ 完結から約3年「セキレイ」のその後を描く新刊「彼女のいない365日のこと」発売. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 5, 2015). "Yen Press Licenses My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected, How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, Baccano!, More". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Ressler, Karen (March 7, 2017). "Yen Press to Publish The Royal Tutor, Kakegurui, Sekirei Manga in Print". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  13. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 18, 2017). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, July 16–22". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  14. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (November 12, 2019). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, November 10–16". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "セキレイドラマCD" (in Japanese). Frontier Works. 2007. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  16. ^ "DVD セキレイ 壱(完全生産限定版)" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
  17. ^ "DVD セキレイ 六(完全生産限定版)" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  18. ^ "セキレイ Blu-ray BOX：セキレイ～Pure Engagement～" (in Japanese). Sekirei Anime Official Site. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  19. ^ Stehmer, Eric (November 21, 2009). "Funimation Announces Three New Titles". Toon Zone. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  20. ^ "Funimation Adds Sekirei, Testuwan Birdy Decode & Decode:02". Anime News Network. November 22, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  21. ^ "YGC『セキレイ』第10巻発売＆アニメ化記念フェア開催 !!" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "セキレイ～Pure Engagement～ 下記の放送局にて７月より放送開始予定です。" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  23. ^ "Funi Adds Trigun Film, Moyashimon, Shiki, Black Butler 2, Sekirei 2, More". Anime News Network. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  24. ^ "Funimation Announces "Sekirei" Anime Rights Expiration". Crunchyroll. January 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  25. ^ "2009 年" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  26. ^ "PS2『セキレイ』声優サイン色紙プレゼントキャンペーン実施中！" (in Japanese). Animate.TV. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  27. ^ 「セキレイ～未来からのおくりもの～」主題歌 11/4発売決定！. Alchemist (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 22, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  28. ^ "Limited Edition Contents Page, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Characters Page: 1-2, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "Characters Page: 2-2, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  31. ^ "Story Page, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  32. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 24-March 2". Anime News Network. March 4, 2009. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  33. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, December 21–27". Anime News Network. December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  34. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 24-March 2". Anime News Network. July 7, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2010.

External links

  • Manga official website Archived 2010-11-21 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
  • Anime official website (in Japanese)
  • Video game official website (in Japanese)
  • Sekirei (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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