Bodacious Space Pirates

Miniskirt Space Pirates
Cover for the first light novel volume, featuring the protagonist, Marika Kato
ミニスカ宇宙海賊 (Minisuka Pairētsu)
Genre	Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Space opera
Light novel
Written by	Yūichi Sasamoto
Illustrated by	Noriyuki Matsumoto
Published by	Asahi Shimbun Shuppan
Demographic	Male
Original run	October 2008 – present
Volumes	8
Anime television series
Bodacious Space Pirates
Directed by	Tatsuo Sato
Music by	Elements Garden
Studio	Satelight
Original network	Tokyo MX MBS TVK
Original run	January 8, 2012 – present
Episodes	26
Manga
Written by	Yuichi Sasamoto
Illustrated by	Hiro Tōge
Published by	Asahi Shimbun
Magazine	Nico Nico Asahi Comic Fantasy
Original run	June 2, 2012 – scheduled

Miniskirt Space Pirates (ミニスカ宇宙海賊(パイレーツ), Minisuka Pairētsu) is a Japanese light novel series written by Yūichi Sasamoto and published by Asahi Shimbun Shuppan since October 2008. An anime television series adaptation produced by Satelight, under the title Bodacious Space Pirates (モーレツ宇宙海賊(パイレーツ), Mōretsu Pairētsu, lit. Fierce Space Pirates), began airing in Japan on January 8, 2012. A web manga adaptation will launch on June 2, 2012.

Plot

In the far future where space travel has become the norm, Marika Kato is a high school girl living a rather ordinary life as a member of the space yacht club and a part-time job at a high-class retro café. One day, Marika learns of her recently deceased father, Gonzaemon, who is revealed to be a Space Pirate who performed legal acts of piracy under the letter of marque. In order for her father's ship, the Bentenmaru, to continue legal operation, Marika, Gonzaemon's direct descendant, is chosen to become the ship's new captain, thus beginning her life as a Space Pirate.

Characters

Main Characters

Marika Kato (加藤 茉莉香, Katō Marika)

Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu

A girl who is a member of her school's space yacht club and has a part time job as a waitress in a maid café. She learns one day about her recently deceased father, Gonzaemon Kato, who was a Space Pirate. As Gonzaemon's only descendant, she is chosen to become the new captain of the Bentenmaru. After joining her parents' former crew, she starts dividing her time between her studies, her part-time job and her duties ahead of the Bentenmaru. It does not take long for her crewmates to confirm that Marika has what it takes to live up to her father's legacy.

Chiaki Kurihara (チアキ・クリハラ)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa

A mysterious girl who transfers into Marika's school after she learns of her heritage, observing her while she decides about becoming a space pirate or not. Just like Marika, Chiaki is heir to another pirate ship, the Barbarossa. Despite claiming she does not like when Marika gets too friendly with her, she truly cares for her and always lending a hand when needed.

The Bentenmaru

Ririka Kato (加藤 梨理香, Katō Ririka)

Voiced by: Yuko Kaida

Marika's mother and Gonzaemon's former wife, who was once a space pirate herself known as "Blaster Ririka". Marika rarely calls her "Mother", instead calling her by her given name. However, Marika does call her "Mother" when she's serious. While no longer a space pirate, she now works as an Air Traffic Controller.

Misa Grandwood (ミーサ・グランドウッド, Mīsa Gurandouddo)

Voiced by: Shizuka Itō

The Bentenmaru's medic. At Hakuho Academy, she is the school's doctor.

Kane McDougal (ケイン・マクドゥガル, Kein Makudugaru)

Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze

The Bentenmaru's Helmsman. At Hakuho Academy, he serves as adviser of the Space Yacht Club and Homeroom teacher in Marika's class.

Hyakume (百眼)

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara

The Bentenmaru's Radar and Sensor specialist.

Coorie (クーリエ, Kūrie)

Voiced by: Yui Horie

The Bentenmaru's electronic warfare specialist. She is constantly seen on her pajamas eating snacks.

Schnitzer (シュニッツァー, Shunittsā)

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake

The Bentenmaru's tactical officer. He is a cyborg and was a friend of Ririka during her space pirate years.

San-Daime (三代目)

Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

The Bentenmaru's engineer, he was shown to have a soft side when Marika ask him to get back to work when he is busy trading dolls with one of the yacht club members.

Luca (ルカ, Ruka)

Voiced by: Kaoru Mizuhara

The Bentenmaru's navigator and psychic whose cryptic warnings usually anger some of her crewmates.

Hakuoh Academy

Mami Endo (遠藤 マミ, Endō Mami)

Voiced by: Chiaki Omigawa

Marika's closest school friend and a co-worker at the retro-maid cafe.

Jenny Dolittle (ジェニー・ドリトル, Jenī Doritoru)

Voiced by: Rina Satō

The President of the Space Yacht club. She is the heir of a major space shipping conglomerate. She graduated and passed her position to Lynn. Later on, she runs away from an arranged marriage with the help of Marika's crew and Lynn, who is revealed to be her lover.

Lynn Lambretta (リン・ランブレッタ, Rin Ranburetta)

Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa

The vice-president of the Space Yacht club. A troublemaker and skilled hacker, Lynn is a lesbian and Jenny's lover. After Jenny graduated, she took over her position as president. It was also revealed that she hack the Nebula Cup Tournament 6 years ago and thus make Hakuoh Academy suspended from participating the race for 5 years.

Talvikki Launo

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Flora Chapie

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Mylene Certon

Voiced by: Saori Hayami

A member of the Space Yacht club who wears sunglasses.

Izumi Yunomoto

Voiced by: Maaya Uchida

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Asta Alhanko

Voiced by: Kiyono Yasuno

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Syoko Kobayashimaru

Voiced by: Kanako Nomura

A member of the Space Yacht club.

April Lambert

Voiced by: Yuiko Tatsumi

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Berind Percy

Voiced by: Suzuko Mimori

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Maki Harada

Voiced by: Chinatsu Akasaki

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Sasha Staple

Voiced by: Natsumi Takamori

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Lilly Bell

Voiced by: Satomi Satō

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Ursula Abramov

Voiced by: Asuka Nishi

A member of the Space Yacht club.

Ai Hoshimiya

Voiced by: Ai Kayano

A member of the Space Yacht club who joins after Marika's second year at high school. She has a natural talent as pilot and helmsman. She is fond of Bentenmaru's helmsman, Kane. When the Bentenmaru's crew were hospitalized, she took Kane's place temporarily as a helmsman. She is also able to predict the wind currents in atmospheric flying and read the constellations for navigation.

Natalia Grennorth

Voiced by: Mariya Ise

A member of the Space Yacht club who joins after Marika's second year at high school.

Yayoi Yoshitomi

Voiced by: Yoshino Nanjō

A member of the Space Yacht club who joins after Marika's second year at highschool. Her expertise on old fashion engines was a great help when Marika and the Yacht Club used Bentomaru for a pirate job.

Serenity Kingdom Star System

Gruier Serenity (グリューエル・セレニティ, Guryūeru Sereniti)

Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu

The Seventh Princess of the Serenity Royal Family of the Serenity Star System who knew Marika's father, Gonzaemon. She later attends school and joined the Yacht Club before Marika's second year started. Despite being a princess, she always seen hanging out with Marika much to Grunhilde concern, and help Marika whenever she is in trouble.

Grunhilde Serenity (グリュンヒルデ・セレニティ, Guryunhirude Sereniti)

Voiced by: Hisako Kanemoto

The Eighth Princess of the Serenity Royal Family. She and her sister Gruier were in a conflict to find the legendary golden ghost ship. She later joined the Yacht Club during Marika's second year. At first she does not like the fact that her sister being too close to Marika as she is a pirate, but later she understand why her sister like Marika and reply to her sister to not have all the fun by herself.

Yotof Sif Sideux (ヨートフ・シフ・シドー)

Voiced by: Atsushi Ono

Grand Chamberlain of the Privy Council of the Serenity Star System.

Catherine

Head of the Serenity Royal Family bodyguards.

The Barbarossa

Kenjo Kurihara

Captain of the pirate ship, Barbarossa and father of Chiaki. He is on friendly terms with the Bentenmaru's crew and its captain.

Terminology

Sea of the Morning Star

Marika's home planet located at the Tau Ceti system. Over a century ago, the planet fought for independence against their colonial rulers, the Stellar Alliance. During the war, its government provided letters of marque to space pirates who joined them against the alliance.

Letter of marque

During the War of Independence, the Morning Star government began issuing letters of marque to Space Pirates in order to help their space fleets against the Stellar Alliance fleets. With these letters, the space pirates were officially sanctioned privateers instead of criminals. After the war, no new letters were issued and the space pirates who still had these letters during the war were allowed to keep their privateer licenses and only their direct descendants can inherit them.

Colony Federation

A rebel coalition of colonial worlds who rebelled against their colonial rulers, the Stellar Alliance, for independence and the right of self-rule.

Stellar Alliance

An alliance of suzerain planets that ruled over colonial worlds before the colonies rebelled, leading to the War of Independence.

War of Independence

One hundred and twenty years ago, the Colony Federation rebelled and went to war with their colonial masters, the Stellar Alliance, for independence and the right of self-rule. But the war ended in an unexpected way when the Galactic Empire got involved and overwhelm both sides with their superior numbers, forcing both the Federation and Alliance to surrender to the Empire. After the war, the Federation and Alliance became part of the Empire where both sides were allowed self-autonomy to rule their planets but in turn their military forces became a part of the Empire's forces as well.

Galactic Empire

A space expansionist empire conquering star systems. As the most powerful faction in the galaxy, the Empire was the deciding factor that ended the War of Independence when they overwhelm both the Colony Federation and Stellar Alliance with their superior numbers, forcing both sides to surrender and become part of the Empire. Even though this is an expansionist imperial state, the Galactic Empire allows substantial self-government for member worlds of the Empire, which is more decentralized then expected from such a name

Serenity

A kingdom of planets in a star system, this system is well-known for the long reign of its' royal family and the wealth and power of the Serenity interplanetary state. Their ancestors were the earliest human colonists travelers before FTL was invented.

Media

Anime

See also: List of Bodacious Space Pirates episodes

The anime adaptation, under the title Bodacious Space Pirates (モーレツ宇宙海賊, Mōretsu Pairētsu) is produced Satelight and directed by Tatsuo Satō. The anime began airing on January 8, 2012 on Tokyo MX, MBS and TVK and is also being simulcast by Crunchyroll. The anime has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks and will be released on digital outlets in February, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases. MVM Films have licensed the series for release in the United Kingdom in 2013. The opening theme song is "Bodacious Space Symphony's Movement VII 「Infinite Love」" (猛烈宇宙交響曲・第七楽章「無限の愛」, Mōretsu Uchū Kōkyōkyoku Dai-Nana Gakushō 「Mugen no Ai」) by idol group Momoiro Clover Z and ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman. The ending theme song is "Lost Child" by Momoiro Clover Z.

Manga

A manga adaptation by Yuichi Sasamoto and Hiro Tōge will launch in Asahi Shimbun's upcoming Nico Nico Asahi Comic Fantasy web manga publication on Nico Nico Seiga on June 2, 2012.

External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon
• Official English website
• Bodacious Space Pirates (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia