MeruPuri
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| MeruPuri | |||
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 Cover of volume 1 |
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| めるぷり メルヘン☆プリンス (MeruPuri: Meruhen Purinsu) |
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| Genre | Romance, Fantasy, Comedy | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Matsuri Hino | ||
| Publisher |  Hakusensha |
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| Demographic | Shōjo | ||
| Magazine | LaLa  Shojo Beat |
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| Original run | August 2002 – September 2004 | ||
| Volumes | 4 | ||
MeruPuri, originally titled MeruPuri: Märchen Prince (めるぷり メルヘン☆プリンス MeruPuri: Maruhen Purinsu?, "Fairy-Tale Prince"), is a four-volume manga series by Matsuri Hino. It was serialized in Japan in LaLa magazine, and was published in English through Viz Media's Shojo Beat label.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
High school freshman Airi Hoshina has her life goals all planned out - meet a wonderful boy, get married by age 20, and enjoy an ordinary, loving family life. However, Airi's plan breaks down when she loses an heirloom hand mirror she carried on the way to school. She finds it in the hands of a lordly little boy named Aram, who just used it as a portal from a magical world. Aram has come to Airi's world in hopes of outrunning trouble at home, but it soon becomes clear that he can no more accomplish that than he can keep Airi from getting mixed up in it.
[edit] Characters
- Airi Hoshina (星名 愛理 Hoshina Airi?)
This 15-year old, happy-go-lucky heroine of the story, Airi, dreams of a warm and peaceful married life like what she sees on her favorite TV drama, Tales of Marriage on the Prairie. Her parents work abroad, and she lives with her grandparents she never sees, she would be alone if not for her two dogs, Pochirou and Koromi. Airi has a hand mirror in the shape of a seven-pointed star that has been passed down through her family since the days of her great-great-great grandmother, which can be used as a portal to the magical kingdom of Astale. In fact, Airi's great-great-great grandmother was a traitorous princess from Astale, Chrisnelle, making her a direct descendant of the royal family.
Airi's first impression of Aram is that he is a cute little boy, but he quickly comes to stand in the way of her plans of living a normal life. Her dreams of a normal marriage disappear when she unwittingly performs marriage vows with him. Because of the vows, she and Aram both now have matching insignias on their chests. If any man aside from Aram kisses the symbol, then her heart will stop beating. However, she slowly becomes fond of Aram and finally realizes her feelings during their high school summer trip to the beach, where Raz tries to kill her by kissing the symbol on her chest. After that, she was completely devoted to Aram.
On Aram 17th birthday, at the ceremony of coming of age, they officially get married. (ch 22)
- Aram (アラム?)
A 12-year old prince of the magical kingdom of Astale, his full name is Astale Ei Daemonia Eucharistia Aram. Aram came to Airi's world to avoid a spell his half-brother Jeile was trying to cast on him. Because Aram was slow to escape the spell and that he got hit by half of it, its effect wasn't as Jeile intended. It was supposed to age Aram to an old man overnight in the dark, but it ended up growing him into a 17 year-old whenever he is in darkness. The only way to return him to his proper form is with a kiss from his most beloved maiden, whom he quickly determines to be Airi. He is always quick to proclaim is everlasting love for her, much to Airi's chagrin at first.
In some ways Aram is a typical little boy, and he develops a fondness for things like sentaiyuti shows (especially The Sparkle Rangers) and rice omelettes, but he also has an exceedingly regal bearing and often seems twice his real age. Although formally engaged to Mariabel, Aram makes Airi perform Astale's tradisional marriage vows with him in order to save her from going to the Eternal Prison. At first, their marriage is not recognized by anyone in Astale until volume 4 where Aram officially places their marriage into the "Book of Oaths". However, their official wedding is not until Aram comes of age five years later (when he is 17). Which happens in chapter 22, and Jeile also did a reversal spell on him so he would turn into a little kid when it goes dark.
- Jeile (ジェイル?)
Aram's older half-brother and the crown prince of Astale, his full name is Astale Ei Daemonia Eucharistia Jeile. He is eccentric and a playboy. He casted the aging spell on Aram out of frustration because Aram receives all of their father's attention. In actuality, Jeile really does care about Aram, and it's likely he simply never considered the consequences of the spell. Though he seems like a bungler at first, Jeile is the commander of Astale's magical army.
Jeile has a bit of a masochistic streak, and becomes smitten with Airi after she slaps him, and tries to get her to become his first wife. He calls Airi his Mountain Lily Maiden and tries to be happy for her after she becomes Aram's fiance. When Aram turns 17 he reverses the spell so Aram turns into a child in the dark.
When he was about twelve years old, his first love was Lei (he did not know that Lei was a boy at the time due to the fact of Lei's long hair and rather feminine appearance). His fiancé is Lei's sister, Nei. When Jeile meets her, he can't bear to see her face because it is identical to Lei's. However, five years later when Jeile is King of Astelle (after the former king and queen retired) he accepts Nei and they even have two children, whose names are not revealed.
- Lei (レイ?)
Aram's caretaker, he is a conscientious civil servant and attentive to Aram. However, he has no respect for Airi, and is troubled for Aram's fondness for her. He's about nineteen years old. He is also in love with Queen Veedua, as revealed in volume 4. His sister Nei is identical to him. He had to impersonate Airi while she was learning magic in Astale. Everyone in school was fooled except for Nakaoji.
- Nakaoji (仲央路くん Nakaōji-kun?)
The president of Airi's class, and though he might not know it, Airi's current prime marriage candidate. He seems rather taken with Airi himself. Nakaoji is sporty, friendly, and good with kids, though he and Aram sparred because Nakaoji had lost patience with Aram who disliked him right from the start because he knew that Airi liked Nakaoji and was determind to get catch Airi's heart. His ancestor was the Grand Magician of Astale who first established the seven royal families of Astale.
- Razalude (ラザルード?)
A member of one of Astale's royal houses, the Zehrotuhia house, his full name is Zerothuhia Razalude, but he usually goes by Raz. His family would've been the rulers of Astale if not for the betrayal of Airi's ancestor,the princess Chrisnele. For this reason, Raz seems determined to inflict his family's misfortune on Airi but in volume 4, it is revealed that actually, he likes her and that the reason that he tried to kill her was because he had a deal with her majesty Queen Veedua that if he helped her in this task she must let him travel wherever he likes. In volume 4, he is summoned by Nakaoji's little sister, who hopes to get him to kill her brother for telling their Mom not to get her a cell phone. He is said to be about sixteen years old.
- Mariabel (マリアベル?)
Aram's fiancé. Mariabel is certain that she is the best match for Aram, and steals Aram's memories of Airi to win him back to her. She is dismayed that Aram continues to pursue Airi and that only Airi's kiss is able to turn him back to normal. She realizes her foolishness and becomes friends with Airi.
- Maruru (マルル?)
Jeile's fairy. She got into his bedroom searching a flower to live with, as fairies spend their lives sharing energy with flowers. She had chosen a ribbon instead, by accident since it had a rose pattern on it, and Jeile, to save her, created a magic ribbon over her head which matched the one around his hair. In this way, she could share his life force and in this way grow. Jeile is scolded for this, as it supposedly makes him appear "soft" and unworthy to command the Astale magical army, but he nonetheless does not regret his decision. In volume 4, Maruru fully matures and becomes larger, so that she is the size of a normal woman.
- Queen Veedua
Aram's mother and a very intimidating woman. She and the king have a 100-year age gap, revealed by Aram when Airi, during their wedding, is embarrassed about their age, he being seventeen, and she twenty. Veedua is very playful to the point of appearing cruel (Jeile and Aram's opinion of her). To test their love she makes them go through a trial where Airi is required to find the lost ring of Chrisnelle which is given to all children of royalty when they are born. She was the one to make the plan to steal Aram's memories of Airi. However, upon meeting Airi, Veedua becomes quite fond of her, due to hearing of how Airi made Aram clean her bathroom and never hesitates to tell Aram to shut up.
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- In the Brazilian translation, the name of the Aram's favorite sentai changed from Pika Rangers to Poke Rangers, because pica is a Brazilian slang for the male genitalia.
[edit] External links
- Summary at Shojo Beat
- MeruPuri (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Through the Mirror - MeruPuri Fanlisting
