Saikano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (February 2007) |
| Saikano | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 This is the logo for Saikano |
|||
| 最終 兵器 彼女 (She, the Ultimate Weapon) |
|||
| Genre | Drama, Romance, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Shin Takahashi | ||
| Publisher |  Shogakukan |
||
|
|||
| Demographic | Seinen | ||
| Serialized in | Big Comic Spirits |
||
| Original run | May 30, 2000 – December 25, 2001 | ||
| Volumes | 7 | ||
| TV anime | |||
| Director | Mitsuko Kase | ||
| Studio | GONZO | ||
| Network | Family Gekijou | ||
| Original run | July 2, 2002 – September 24, 2002 | ||
| Episodes | 13 | ||
| OVA: SaiKano: Another Love Song | |||
| Director | Mitsuko Kase | ||
| Studio | Studio Fantasia | ||
| Episodes | 2 | ||
| Released | August 5, 2005 (ep 1) September 21, 2005 (ep 2) |
||
| Live Action Film | |||
|
|||
Saikano, known in Japan as Saishū Heiki Kanojo (最終 兵器 彼女 Saishū Heiki Kanojo?, lit. "She, the Ultimate Weapon" or "My Girlfriend, the Ultimate Weapon") is a manga, anime, and OVA series by Shin Takahashi, creator of Iihito and Kimi no Kakera. Saikano was originally serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine.
A live-action movie adaptation was released in Japan on 28 January 2006 with Aki Maeda starring as Chise.[1]
The Saikano manga and anime series have been licensed and is being distributed by VIZ Media in English in North America and the anime series is distributed in the UK by Manga Entertainment (as "She, the Ultimate Weapon").
Many of the locations used in Saikano can be found in Otaru-shi, west of Sapporo. The train station, "Hell's Hill", the Asahi Observation Hill, and the school all exist within the city.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The story begins with Shuji (シュウジ Shūji?), a high school student in Hokkaidō, walking up to an observatory and reminiscing about his girlfriend, Chise (ちせ?). He finds her exchange diaries that she purposefully left behind. The whole story is narrated by him through flashbacks while reading Chise's diary. Chise, a fellow student in his class, declares her love for Shuji at the beginning of the series. However, Chise is very shy and Shuji is insensitive. Neither know how to express their feelings very well, but they do indeed have feelings for each other.
One day, while Shuji is shopping in Sapporo, unknown bombers attack the city in broad daylight. He and his friends run for cover, but notice a fast and small flying object shoot down enemy bombers. Separated from his friends, Shuji wanders through the wreckage only to stumble upon Chise. She has metal wings and weapons apparently grafted onto her body. She tells him she has become the ultimate weapon, without her knowledge or consent. However, she is seen by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) as the last hope for defending Japan from imminent invasion by unknown foreign forces. In the anime, it is not apparent why Chise was chosen to be the ultimate weapon or why the country is under attack. It is not until the OVA episodes were released that an explanation of Chise being chosen is offered: her body had the highest degree of compatibility with the weapon system. In fact, later in the OVA it is mentioned that Chise had been "over-developed" and was so much of a weapon that she would kill anyone regardless of what side they were on. (This fact is punctuated by Chise vaporizing the Special Forces building where she first became the ultimate weapon.)
This story, as suggested by the subtitle "The Last Love Song On This Little Planet", is primarily a love story. The story focuses primarily on Chise's reactions to her increasingly powerful destructive abilities, Shuji's reaction to the same, and the relationship between the two of them.
A number of minor characters who do not necessarily know of Chise's role in the war, have sub-plots that mostly concern everyday people in the context of war: a woman whose husband is constantly away from home, a school boy who joins the army to protect his girlfriend, a girl whose civilian boyfriend was killed in a bombing, and others.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Chise (ちせ?) Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Melissa Hutchinson (English)
- She is the main female character of the story. Chise is a shy, clumsy girl with very little self-esteem and has poor grades in everything except for World History. She was constantly hospitalized in Tokyo during her elementary years, and thus, has very few friends (except for Akemi). She starts dating Shuji, with Akemi’s help, and tries to make her relationship work with him despite his apparently aloof personality. However, Chise is very inexperienced and does not know much about relationships to the point she reads shōjo manga for advice. She was turned into the ultimate weapon against her will and the series revolves around her and her fading humanity. Chise tries to come to terms with her new weapon body by convincing herself that she’s protecting the one she loves, but comes to admit to herself that the only thing she can do is to destroy. She feels horribly guilty of all the pain and death she has caused and shies away from Shuji, believing she doesn’t deserve any happiness. As Chise’s weapon side starts to take over, her hearts stops beating, her body lacks warmth and her sense of taste and touch are dulled but other senses (especially sight) are accentuated and she’s basically immortal. However, a second darker persona starts to emerge halfway through the series, a cold, ruthless machine that delights in her growing, destructive powers and killing people without mercy. In the end, her love for Shuji is the last of her humanity she can cling onto.
Shuji (シュウジ Shūji?)Voiced by: Shiro Ishimoda (Japanese), Mark Atherlay (English)
- He is the main male character of the story and narrator of the series. He is a somewhat antisocial 17-year old high school student who gets higher than average grades and used to be on his school’s track team. Shuji is very unsure of his initial feelings for Chise and feels that their relationship is more trouble than its worth, though his feelings deepen as the story progresses. At first, he wanted to break things off with Chise but he then changes his mind and wants to give the relationship another try. However, things get complicated when his old love, Fuyumi, reappears in town. He’s the only person who knows Chise is the ultimate weapon and promises that he’ll never divulge her secret. Shuji is torn by this side of Chise, he loves her deeply, but he is terrified of her weapon capabilities. This causes a very noticeable strain on their relationship and he finally succumbs to Fuyumi’s advances because of this. Shuji is feeling constantly guilty and useless, because of his irresponsible actions that tend to hurt Chise and because all his loved ones keep dying around him. Later on in the series, he comes to accept his love for Chise and vows to protect her at all costs. He’s the only human being left alive in the end thanks to Chise’s sacrifice. In the original ending he is left alone in a spaceship flying away from a devastated Earth, with Chise in his heart. It is unclear whether or not the spaceship was an actual spaceship or if Shuji just went insane and imagined the whole thing. The anime changed this into them having another go at life in the memories of his past. Without food or water, Shuji's fate is unclear.
Akemi (アケミ?) Voiced by: Yū Sugimoto (Japanese), Amy Provenzano (English)
- She is a childhood friend and classmate of both Chise and Shuji. Akemi is also Chise's best friend, and usually gives her advice on love. A typical tomboy, she always comes to Chise’s defense whenever Shuji inadvertently hurts Chise verbally. She harbors a secret love for Shuji since she was young, which he is oblivious of, but still encourages Chise to confess to him. She later starts dating Atsushi, knowing that her love for Shuji is unrequited. Akemi gets fatally injured (due to massive internal bleeding) during an earthquake that hits their little town, and with her dying breath, she tells Shuji her real feelings.
Atsushi (アツシ?) Voiced by: Tetsu Shiratori (Japanese), Joe Wyka (English)
- Shuji’s best friend. Atsushi is a mature, open, down-to-earth guy who holds a fascination for the military. Atsushi always looks out for others, as can be seen during the Sapporo raid where he's desperately trying to keep his friends out of harm's way. He decides to join the JSDF to protect the girl he loves, Akemi, despite being aware that she will never love him back. When he’s finally in the army, he’s appalled at the bad state the country is in, and never knows what exactly the weapon “Chise” is since the other soldiers never gave him a clear answer. He dies when Chise destroys the city he’s in, holding Akemi’s photo in his hand.
Tetsu (テツ?) Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (Japanese), Abie Hadjitarkhani (English)
- Regiment leader, Fuyumi’s husband, and the sole survivor of Chise’s first platoon. He’s very much like Shuji in terms of looks and personality and that’s why Chise is initially attracted by him. He treats Chise like an ordinary girl, not a monstrosity, and even goes shopping with her; this makes Chise like him even more and finds understanding and compassion in Tetsu. Later on, he gets injured during a fight and staggers to his quarters to hide, but four enemy soldiers were waiting for him and open fire. He dies shortly from his wounds (due to a major hemorrhage), but manages to tell Chise that he loves her, mistaking her for Fuyumi. He's one of the characters to be featured in the OVA, where Mizuki, his former commander, was shown to have a crush on him.
Fuyumi (ふゆみ?) Voiced by: Miki Ito (Japanese), Elaine Clark (English)
- Shuji’s first lover and Tetsu’s wife. She used to train the track team when she was younger and her students called her “Fuyumi-senpai” because of the close age difference. She had an intimate relationship with Shuuji when they were younger, and keeps bringing this up when she seduces him. She hates feeling lonely since her husband, Tetsu, is never home since he’s always away in the army so she decides to take comfort in Shuji, who has a remarkable similarity with Tetsu. Shuji finally stops her advances after Tetsu dies, saying that the only person he wants to protect isn’t Fuyumi. She slaps him and rides her bike to her parents’ house, never to be seen again. In the manga version, she is seen in her parents' house, helping her sick father and reminiscing about Tetsu.
Mizuki (ミズキ?) Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese), Brooke Campanelli (English)
- Seen only in the OVA, Mizuki was the prototype for the weapon system which would later be used on Chise. She was an officer who was badly wounded in an attack, but returned to the battlefield because of the prototype weapon system. Initially disdainful of Chise's behaviour, and bitter because of her body's inability to use Chise's advanced system, Mizuki began to have second thoughts after seeing what the new system was doing to Chise. She then became an elder sister/motherly figure to the young girl. She also had a crush on Tetsu, her former deputy. Realising that she was about to die due to extensive damage to her body, Mizuki decided to do one last mission to prevent Chise from berserking. After her body gave out in the battle, she activated her self-destruction system. But, she managed to return Tetsu's lighter to him.
[edit] Minor characters
Take Voiced by: Kishô Taniyama (Japanese), Abie Hadjitarkhani (English)
- The most extroverted guy in Shuji’s circle of friends and Yukari's boyfriend. Take is the first one to get a girlfriend in Shuji's group (a fact Nori is very envious about). His girlfriend is named Yukari and they have been going out for two months by the start of the series. They constantly fight with each other (a fact only Chise seems to notice). He decides to buy a rose quartz at the Sapporo mall to try to get on her good side again. He dies during the bombing, holding Yukari’s pendant in his hand. His classmates put flowers and a framed picture on his old desk as a tribute to him after his death. In the manga version, he survives the attack.
Nori Voiced by: Hiroki Shimowada
- The most immature guy in Shuji’s circle of friends. Nori is a shy and naive highschooler, who believed that the war would never reach their hometown and they should stop worrying about it. He desperately wants to have a girlfriend, and is slightly jealous of Take for having one. He later gets a crush on a second-year girl named Miho but it is unknown if his feelings are reciprocated.
Yukari Voiced by: Sachiko Kojima
- Take’s girlfriend and part of Chise's group of friends. They fought constantly while he was alive, but she still had strong feelings for him. After her boyfriend’s death, she leaves the school. Soon after that, she gets a new boyfriend and decides never to love anyone seriously ever again. Later on in the series, she joins the neighborhood patrol to find the enemy soldier that crashed in the mountains. She finds the soldier accidentally while looking for the pendant she momentarily lost and kills him crying out Take’s name. She loses her life in the return fire, and clutches the pendant just like Take did.
Nakamura Voiced by: Kishô Taniyama
- Young soldier on Chise’s former company. He admires Chise very much, telling her that her combat skills saved his life. He is later mortally wounded by enemy fire when Chise fails to appear on a mission, instead opting to go on a date with Shuji. Tetsu takes pity on him and kills him to end his suffering. He also appears in the OVA, alongside Tetsu.
Kawahara Voiced by: Atsushi Ii
- Head scientist in charge of Chise. He is a nervous man that perpetually wipes his forehead repeatedly with a dark-blue handkerchief he always carries. His wife and daughter were killed during the Sapporo bombing. He gives Shuji some pills saying that Chise needs them so her weapon side won’t take over and later gives her some much-needed maintenance. Feeling his job is finally done, he shoots himself in the head. He also makes an appearance in the OVA.
[edit] Others
Sergeant Itou Voiced by: Manabu Muraji
- Chise’s chaperon. He is in charge of keeping Chise up to date with headquarter decisions and keeping her schedule in order. He later goes insane after witnessing the full extent of her powers. He also appears in the OVA.
Shingo Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino
- Atsushi’s army mate. He’s a playful, teasing person and gets along well with Atsushi. He dies when his military base is attacked.
Rie Voiced by: Hiromi Konno
- Girl who is part of Chise's circle of friends. She was spying behind a locker (along with Akemi, Seiko, and Yukari) when Chise confessed her feelings to Shuji.
Seiko Voiced by: Kiyomi Asai
- Girl who is part of Chise's circle of friends. She was spying behind a locker (along with Akemi, Rie, and Yukari) when Chise confessed her feelings to Shuji.
Hana
- The only female recruit that is seen in the series. She joins the military to avenge her boyfriend’s death. Hana loses her life while fighting since everyone mistook the gunshots as someone beating a drum.
Satomi Voiced by: Yumi Kakazu
- Akemi’s younger sister. She’s a very optimistic and cheerful girl who sometimes acts as a messenger between Akemi and Shuji. She's also part of the track team.
Shuji's mother
- She is a kind and gentle woman, who always worries over her family.
[edit] Anime
[edit] Episode guide
The television series ran for 13 episodes and faithfully adapted all of the chapters in the manga. However, the last TV episode strayed from the manga's continuity and gave an original conclusion to the anime.
Saikano first aired on the Family Gekijou channel from July 2, 2002 to September 24, 2002. Two 30 minute OVA episodes were also released.
[edit] Theme songs
- Opening Theme
- "Koisuru Kimochi" by Yuria Yato
- Ending Theme
- "Sayonara" by Yuria Yato
[edit] Manga
Originally serialized in Shogakukan magazine, the complete manga series runs for 7 volumes. The Saikano manga has been licensed by VIZ Media and translated into English. It has also been translated into Spanish by Grupo Editorial Vid, into Italian by Panini Comics, into German by "Carlsen Verlag" and into French by Éditions Delcourt.
The anime follows the manga very closely until the end, where it takes a dramatic turn. In the manga, Chise is portrayed as the one who, after having been almost completely replaced by machine, decides to "liberate" what is left of mankind from its suffering of having to exist on a devastated Earth. In the anime, Chise tries to save the last of the Japanese population from an impending natural disaster coupled with an arriving foreign attack force, but fails. In both, Shuji becomes the last surviving member of humanity. The anime ending is rather disjointed from the rest of the story, where Chise is actively attacking and eliminating population centers around the world.
[edit] Side Story
There is also a one shot side story called "Love Story, Killed". The story is of a 17 year old Japanese sniper, who hides in the remains of a block of flats and kills enemy soldiers so that he can collect their guns. At the start of the story, he kills a group of enemy soldiers who are about to rape a Japanese girl. While collecting their guns, the sniper is confronted by the girl who picked up one of the guns, but the sniper eventually befriends the girl and takes her back to his room because he wants to have sex with her. It is revealed that he only has 5 rounds left, with his final round being his good luck charm that he keeps in the pocket, and that he wants to die because it will reliev him from the war. However, after getting to know the girl better and having sex with her, he becomes afraid of death, and when firing on an enemy squadron that came looking for him, he misses and reveals his position. Eventually, he finds himself unable to fire his good luck charm round due to his fear of death. Suddenly the girl appears in the doorway, bringing the guns and ammo of the soldiers he has just killed, saying that he now has the ammo to kill more soldiers and keep fighting in the war. Right as the sniper smiles however, 3 enemy soldiers appear behind the girl, kills the sniper and then rapes and kills the girl. The enemy soldiers themself all die 2 days later.
[edit] Live action movie
The live action movie was approximately 2 hours long. Due to the length of the movie, many characters had to be cut and their roles significantly reduced. The general premise remained the same, the love between Shuuji and Chise in spite of her turning into a weapon, however the movie has a significantly different ending.
[edit] Differences between the live action movie and the anime
 |
To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup because it is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (November 2007) |
- Shuuji is still on the track team and never quit.
- Take, Yukari, Nori and Akemi's sister Satomi were completely cut from the movie.
- Fuyumi wasn't Shuuji's middle school teacher, but is the owner of a video rental store and wife to Tetsu who was Shuji's upper classman and also the track team's star. Fuyumi's relationship with Shuji in the movie doesn't go beyond that of constantly asking him for help and flirting with him playfully.
- Tetsu is initially hostile to Chise, seeing her as a monster, but changes his mind after she says that she has someone to live for, in contrast to the anime where Tetsu took care of her from the start. Tetsu's death in the movie was also a very brief affair compared to the anime.
- Atsushi does sign up with the army to protect Akemi, but his last appearance was telling Shuji of his plan to enlist. In the anime Atsushi dies grabbing for Akemi's photo while attempting to retreat as Chise destroys the city.
- Akemi does not die in Shuji's arms after confessing her love for him as a result of injuries suffered in an earthquake, rather she dies some time after she is hospitalised due to injuries suffered during an air raid. However, she still confessed her love for Shuji.
- When Chise and Shuji attempt to run away, they hide in an isolated farmhouse instead of running away to another harbour city.
- Chise is actually not shown as becoming inhuman as time progresses, just that she is turning more into a weapon. The anime however showed her losing her sense of taste, her ability to understand music, and her weapon side actively threatening to kill Shuji.
- The movie clearly stated that Japan was being invaded for creating Chise, and not as a last ditch attempt to defend Japan. The invading countries also threatened to launch nuclear weapons at Japan unless Chise was destroyed before a certain deadline as part of the truce negotiations.
- Overall, people did not seem to suffer much even though Japan was being invaded, while the anime stressed a food and medicine shortage, as well as showing Japan's forces fighting against hopeless odds.
- The world is not destroyed in the movie ending.
[edit] Production
[edit] Staff
| Director | Mitsuko Kase |
|---|---|
| Music | Takeo Miratsu |
| Original Manga | Shin Takahashi |
| Producers | Shigeru Kitayama Tatsuya Hamamoto |
| Chief Animation Director | Masayuki Sato |
| Music producer | Takeshi Ando |
| Original music | Yuki Kajiura |
| Theme songs composition | Yuria Yato |
| Art director | Junichi Higashi Toshihiro Kohama |
| Sound director | Keiichiro Miyoshi |
| Character design | Minako Shiba Satoko Miyachi Satoshi Ohsawa |
| Editing | Aya Hida Kengo Shigemura |
| Music Editor | Yutaka Gouda |
| Color coordination | Eri Suzuki |
| Sound Effects | Takuya Hasegawa |
| 3D Director | Hiroaki Matsuura |
[edit] References
- ^ Official Saikano Movie homepage (Japanese). Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
[edit] External links
 |
This article contains Japanese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of kanji or kana. |
- (Japanese) Official Japanese Saikano website
- Official US Saikano website
- SaiKano (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- (Japanese) Official Japanese Saikano movie website
- (Japanese) Game Info
