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Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl

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Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
File:Kashimashi.jpg
Kashimashi logo
GenreComedy, Drama, Romance, Science fiction, Seinen, Yuri
Created bySatoru Akahori
Manga
Written bySatoru Akahori (story)
Yukimaru Katsura (art)
Illustrated byYukimaru Katsura
Published byJapan MediaWorks
United States Seven Seas Entertainment
Manga
Written byMako Komao
Published byJapan MediaWorks
Anime
Directed byNobuaki Nakanishi
StudioJapan Studio Hibari
Video game
Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ The First Summer Story
DeveloperVRIDGE
PublisherMarvelous Interactive
GenreDating sim, Visual novel
PlatformPlayStation 2
Anime
Directed byNobuaki Nakanishi
StudioJapan Studio Hibari

Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl (かしまし ～ガール・ミーツ・ガール～, Kashimashi ~Gāru Mītsu Gāru~), sometimes romanized as Kasimasi, is a fictional Japanese romance series written by Japanese author Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura centering around the lives of a group of friends and the relationships they share through life-altering changes. Hazumu Osaragi is a normal, albeit effeminate high school male who is accidentally killed by extraterrestrial beings and is revived only to have his physical sex change to that of a female. A common theme throughout the series is the lesbian relationships that Hazumu finds himself in with two of his best female friends. The original character design is by Sukune Inugami and the school uniform design was created by the company Cospa.[1]

Both the manga and anime versions have been licensed for English distribution. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga, and as of March 2007, only the first volume has been released, with the second being released in April 2007. The anime was licensed by Media Blasters, and the first DVD will go on sale on June 12 2007; there will be three DVDs containing the twelve main episodes and the bonus OVA in the final DVD.[2][3] The manga has been given positive reviews by the popular anime and manga magazine Newtype USA, and at other online resources as Anime News Network and IGN.[4] The anime has been likened to the similar series Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi, though this only goes as far as the transgender themes in both works.[5]

The title of the series loosly translates as "noisy" and is derived from the Japanese phrase, "When three women gather, it's noisy" (女三人寄れば姦しい, Onna san nin Yoreba kashimashii).[6] The subtitle, "Girl Meets Girl", comes from the traditional English phrase "boy meets girl" and is slightly altered to reflect the lesbian relationships that appear in the series. The main title was originally romanized as Kasimasi in accordance with Kunrei-shiki Rōmaji, but this was later changed in the English adaptations to Kashimashi in accordance with Hepburn romanization.

History

Over time, the Kashimashi series gradually became a media franchise encompassing a wide range of media types. The series began as a manga first serialized in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh published by MediaWorks on May 21 2004. The manga continued its run until April 21 2007 when the manga concluded at thirty-five chapters. The individual volumes have been collected into four separate bound volumes, with a fifth yet to come out to contain the final chapters. In January 2006, a 321-page light novel written by Mako Komao and illustrated by the same person as with the manga edition was published under the Dengeki Bunko label by MediaWorks.[7]

An anime series based on the manga aired between January 11 and March 29 2006 in Japan on TV Tokyo, ending with twelve main episodes.[8] An OVA episode was released on October 27 2006 in Japan included with the seventh and final DVD and offered an alternative ending to the television series. After the anime concluded its TV run, a PlayStation 2 visual novel was released by Marvelous Interactive in limited and regular editions.[9] This game was later re-released as a Best Collection edition on November 16 2006 at a decreased price.[10] The final adaptation for the series came in the form of a drama CD based on the anime version of the series released on May 18 2006. This CD contained twelve audio tracks by eight of the voice actors from the anime (Hazumu's parents did not make an appearance).[11]

Plot

Template:Spoilers Kashimashi revolves around the lives of a group of friends in high school and how they cope with the dramatic change of their friend, Hazumu Osaragi, the main character. The story is set in the fictional town of Kashima-shi (鹿縞市) in Tokyo Prefecture; this is not to be confused with two other real cities in Japan both named Kashima-shi. One is in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima, Ibaraki - written as 鹿嶋市) and the other is in Saga Prefecture (Kashima, Saga - written as 鹿島市). Hazumu is a timid young man who does not have much confidence in himself and does not have many close friends. One day after school, Hazumu declares his love to Yasuna Kamiizumi, one of his classmates and a close friend, but is summarily rejected, much to his dismay. In a heart broken state, he climbs Mt. Kashima (鹿縞山, Kashima-san), a tall mountain that overlooks the city in which the story takes place, to find peace among his beloved plants and think on what to do next. After climbing to the summit, Hazumu looks up to the stars and sees a shooting star. Not wanting to waste the chance, Hazumu begins to make a wish on the shooting star, and is surprised to see it still in the sky a few moments later. Little does he know that the star is in fact an alien spacecraft on a crash course heading straight for him. By the time he realizes that something is wrong, it is already too late, and the spacecraft crashes into him, killing him instantly. In order to rectify the accident, the alien in the UFO brings Hazumu back to life, but in the process inadvertently turns him into a female. Afterwards, the plot often revolves around whether Hazumu's new female body changes or doesn't change her relationships with her friends and loved ones.

Throughout the series, a love triangle emerges between the three female main characters of Hazumu, Yasuna, and Tomari, Hazumu's childhood friend. This mainly consists of the characters unsure whether to act on their feelings due to them being the same sex. Another conflict arises between Yasuna and Tomari who fight for Hazumu's affection while she is still unable to choose between them. The drama that ensues between the three is often quite melodramatic.

Principal characters

File:Kashimashi main characters.jpg
The girls of Kashimashi: Tomari (left), Hazumu (center), and Yasuna (right).
Main article: List of Kashimashi characters
Hazumu Osaragi (大佛 はずむ, Osaragi Hazumu)
Voiced by: Kana Ueda
The story begins with Hazumu, the main character, as a boy, who always had a crush on his friend and classmate Yasuna Kamiizumi ever since he first met her. He was not very masculine in either his appearance or his actions, and so as a child he would get teased for being so feminine. Once in high school, he confesses his love to Yasuna one day, but is rejected. Afterwards, he climbs the nearby Mt. Kashima to clear his feelings. He is fatally injured by an alien spacecraft crash-landing on the mountain. In an attempt to rectify the accident, the alien pilot revives Hazumu but inadvertently changes his physical sex in the process.
After the change and initial shock of those who know Hazumu, it is shown that she has a personality that is very effusive, expressive and quite sensitive, which makes her fit well as a Japanese girl. Hazumu ends up becoming more feminine as time goes on, which is shown through her actions, mannerisms and personality. One exception to this, however, is that she never got over referring to herself using the pronoun boku (僕), meaning "I", which is usually only used by males in Japan.
Yasuna Kamiizumi (神泉 やす菜, Kamiizumi Yasuna)
Voiced by: Yui Horie
Yasuna is a quiet and often lonely girl compared to the rest of her friends. Since her parents are rarely around due to being overworked, she depends on her close friends for love and support, especially when it comes to Hazumu, who unfortunately does not tend to show her the type of affection Yasuna desires from her. Yasuna and Hazumu first met as classmates, though they rarely ever talked with each other, which meant that Hazumu was simply admiring Yasuna from afar.
Her awkward personality and antisocial tendencies towards males in general is due to Yasuna displaying symptoms of androphobia. Astonishingly, she only sees men covered in a grey blur, except for Hazumu before the change. This is mainly why she finds it easier to love Hazumu after he becomes a girl, showing much more blatant interest in Hazumu after the change.
Tomari Kurusu (来栖 とまり, Kurusu Tomari)
Voiced by: Yukari Tamura
Tomari is Hazumu's childhood friend who has been with Hazumu for a long time, and most importantly protected him often from bullies. In direct contrast to Hazumu, her most obvious quality is that she is a tomboy which is shown through her actions and lack of interest in traditionally feminine things such as clothing or shopping. Indeed, Tomari's friends of both genders consider her very masculine which often causes Tomari to get angry at such comments. She is a member of the Track and Field Club and enjoys physical activities.
Before Hazumu's change, she showed some latent interest in Hazumu and is at first just as shocked as everyone else when he is transformed into a girl. Tomari has always put a lot of effort into supporting Hazumu and defending him whenever he is in despair.

Template:Endspoilers

Adaptations

File:050228kashimashi1.jpg
Kashimashi manga volume 1.

Manga

The Kashimashi manga is written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura. The original character design was concieved by Sukune Inugami and the school uniform design was created by the company Cospa.[1] It was initially serialized on May 21 2004 in the manga magazine Dengeki Daioh with a new chapter monthly. Four bound volumes have been released in Japan, and the fifth will conclude the series at thirty-five chapters. The anime follows close to the manga for the first nine episodes. In episode ten, it starts to deviate from the manga and after that, the storyline in the anime has no connection with the manga.

The manga has since been licensed by the Los Angeles-based company Seven Seas Entertainment with the first volume released December 25 2006 using the revised Hepburn romanization of the title, Kashimashi, unlike the traditional name of Kasimasi.[12] The second volume is set to go on sale on April 25 2007.

Internet radio shows

There have been two Internet radio shows based on the Kashimashi series. Between September 30 2005 and October 27 2006, Beat Net Radio hosted the first show called Kana, Yui, Yukari no Kashima Radio (佳奈・由衣・ゆかりのかしましらじお). As its name suggests, the show was hosted by Kana Ueda, who voiced Hazumu Osaragi, Yui Horie, who voiced Yasuna Kamiizumi, and Yukari Tamura, who voiced Tomari Kurusu. This show contained fifty-six episodes. Guests would appear on the show, such as Yūmao, who sung the ending theme "Michishirube" to the anime version, or other voice actors from the anime such as Ryoko Shintani, who voiced Jan-pū, and Daisuke Ono, who voiced Asuta Soro. The theme song to the first show was "Compass ~Egao no Yukue~" sung by Kana Ueda, Yui Horie, and Yukari Tamura. An audio CD containing the episodes between September 2005 and early 2006 went on sale on May 24 2006.

Between December 2005 and April 2006, the second show, which was available via podcasts, was entitled Masumi ♥ Ryoko no Kashima Radio PC (真澄♥良子のかしましらじおPC). The show was hosted by Masumi Asano, who voiced Ayuki Mari, and Ryoko Shintani, who voiced Jan-pū.

Light novel

A Kashimashi light novel, written by Mako Komao and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura, was published by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko label in January 2006. The 321-page book retailed for 590 yen (~US$4.95), prior to tax.[7] The novel is told from a first person perspective alternating between Hazumu, Yasuna, and Tomari between chapters.[13]

Anime

Kashimashi English DVD volume 1.
See also: List of Kashimashi episodes

The anime series of Kashimashi, which was aired on TV Tokyo in Japan from January 11 2006 to March 29 2006, ended with twelve regular episodes. The anime's tagline was tagline: Even though I became a girl, I still love her (女の子になっても、僕は彼女が好きです, Onna no ko ni natte mo, boku wa kanojo ga suki desu). An OVA was released with the final DVD on October 27 2006 which changed the ending from the original television broadcast. There is a fair amount of mild fan service in the series, but never to the point to be considered hentai. An example of this is when Hazumu is transported back to Earth after having been transformed into a girl; in the manga she was fully clothed, but in the anime she was completely naked.[14] Another time is during a cut in the bra shopping scene in episode two which was censored out of the TV run, but the DVD contains the uncut version.[15]

The anime series has since been licensed by Media Blasters as of October 2006.[16] The anime will not be dubbed into English, but will still include subtitles in English. This will bring the price of the DVDs down to a retail price of US$19.95.[17] The first DVD will go on sale on June 12 2007 and will contain the first five episodes. There will be three DVDs, with the last two DVDs containing four episodes each, including the OVA episode.

Audio CDs

Main article: List of Kashimashi albums

The opening theme for the anime "Koisuru Kokoro" by Eufonius was released the same day as the main ending theme "Michishirube" by Yūmao on January 25 2006 in Japan by Lantis. The anime had actually five different versions of the ending theme sung by the four of the voice actors. Masumi Asano as Ayuki Mari sung the song for the ending theme in episode eight, and the next episode Kana Ueda as Hazumu Osaragi sung the song. Episode ten's ending theme featured Yui Horie as Yasuna Kamiizumi singing the song and in episode eleven it was Yukari Tamura as Tomari Kurusu. Additionally, the opening theme "Koisuru Kokoro" was used as the ending for the first episode while the song "Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto" (キミのためにできること, lit. Something I Can Do For You) by Yūmao was used as the ending theme in the final twelfth episode. There were three insert songs in the anime as well. In episode seven, the song "Hanaemi to Kasumisō" sung by Kana Ueda was used while in episode nine, the song "Compass ~Egao no Yukue~" sung by Kana Ueda, Yui Horie and Yukari Tamura was used; these two songs were from the Compass ~Egao no Yukue~ image song album released on December 21 2005. The last insert song, "Hanbun" (半分, lit. The Half) sung by Yukari Tamura was used in the twelfth episode.

A second image song album entitled Norte Amour went on sale in Japan on April 5 2006 featuring songs by Kana Ueda, Yui Horie, Yukari Tamura, Masumi Asano, and Ryoko Shintani, who voiced Jan-pū. The Kashimashi original soundtrack for the anime version was released on April 26 2006 by Lantis. Finally, a drama CD based on the anime version was released on May 18 2006 featuring the voice actors from the anime.

File:Kasimasi video game cover.jpg
Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ The First Summer Story video game.

Visual novel

The visual novel video game named Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ The First Summer Story (かしまし ～ガール・ミーツ・ガール～ 初めての夏物語, Kasimasi ~Gāru Mītsu Gāru~ Hajimete no Natsu Monogatari)　was first released on the PlayStation 2 on March 30 2006 in Japan with the tagline: But I'm already a girl so... (だって僕もう女の子だから。。。, Datte boku mō onna no ko dakara...). The game was released in two editions: limited and regular which were released on the same day. The limited edition retailed for 9,240 yen (~US$76.53) while the regular edtion retailed for 7,140 yen (~US$59.14); both prices are after tax.[9] The limited edition came in a specially made box with an original drama CD called "Kashimashi Triangle Letter", and a music CD featuring songs from the game in piano arrange versions. The game was later re-released in a Best Collection edition on November 16 2006, retailing for 2,940 yen (~US$24.36) after tax.[10] Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ The First Summer Story received a total review score of 26/40 (out of the four individual review scores of 7, 6, 7, and 6) the notoriously tough Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu.[18]

The game's story begins with summer vacation about to begin. Hazumu's homeroom teacher Namiko Tsuki suggests that Hazumu and her friends take a one week trip to a small moutain village with a hot spring resort. It just so happens that Hazumu's grandparents reside in this town, and are two new characters to the story. Three other female characters are introduced into the game as possible love interests for Hazumu; two are the same age as Hazumu and the third is the older landlady of the hot spring resort.[19] The goal of the game is to pair Hazumu up with one of the female cast of characters, five choices in all. The gameplay's main system comes from Hazumu's personality of being indecisive. In this way, if the player shows more interest in a particular character, the other characters will get annoyed that Hazumu is ignoring them which is displayed in a tension meter on the screen. The more Hazumu ignores a particular character, the higher the tension between that character becomes. This ensures that Hazumu stays good friends with the possible love interests. In order to view the ending of a particular character, a certain amount of tension will have to be between the other characters, but this cannot be too great or the ending will not show.[20]

The gameplay follows the typical visual novel style that gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most of the duration of the game is spent on simply reading the text that will appear on the screen; this text represents dialogue between the various characters. Every so often, the player will come to a "decision point" where he or she is given the chance to choose from options that are displayed on the screen, typically two to three at a time. During these times, gameplay pauses until a choice is made that furthers the plot in a specific direction, depending on which choice the player makes. In order to view every available ending, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different choices during the decision points in order to further the plot in an alternate direction.

Reception

The manga version was the first media type from the Kashimashi series to be licensed for English language distribution; the Los Angeles-based company Seven Seas Entertainment obtained the license. The first volume of the manga has since been given positive reviews from such sources as Newtype USA, a popular anime and manga magazine. The first volume was named as Newtype USA's Book of the Month for December 2006, and the review noted Seven Seas Entertainment's "fan-focused" translation, which retained the honorifics and much of the Japanese wordplay without efforts to localize the humor for the mainstream American market.[4] The review goes on to state that, "For fans of more mainstream romantic productions, it’s a neat twist on the traditional love-triangle formula, and a charming alternative to boys meeting girls."[4] In a review at Anime News Network, Carlo Santos had this to say: "The fast-moving events of this first volume combine to form a story of many moods: a gender-bending comedy, but with sci-fi touches, and most of all, a romance more touching than one might expect. The time has come to rethink the love triangle."[5] In a review at IGN, A. E. Sparrow had this to say: "There's plenty to enjoy in the first book, however. Hazumu attempting to buy his first bra is pretty humorous, as are the occasional visits from the aliens who put him in this situation in the first place."[21]

The anime version was the second, and only other, media type from the Kashimashi series to be licensed for English language distribution; Media Blasters obtained the license. The series has been compared with a similar series that involved gender swapping — Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi.[22][5] In a review of the anime at themanime.org, the reviewer wrote, "[the anime is] rather aggravating to watch at times, but seems to have no problem raising smiles whenever it wants to, either. The characters, as they are, bring much of the believability of the show, despite the alien elements. It's very much down to earth and pleasant to look at, if nothing else. The rather soft and detailed art style does help, of course, as does the generally great animation quality."[22] The conclusion of the anime was positively reviewed by Erica Friedman, who is the president of Yuricon, an anime convention geared towards fans of yuri anime and manga, and ALC Publishing, a publishing house dedicated to yuri. Friedman described the anime's conclusion as, "so normal - so much like a thing that might have actually happened in real life...that it kind of just went under the radar. So - after all these years of watching crappy unresolved restart endings we FINALLY get a real ending and it's a yuri ending where the girl remains a girl and get the girl and...thud. Nothing." The anime was given an overall score of 7/10 by Friedman.[23]

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b "Anime News Network page on the manga". Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  2. ^ "Discoutanimedvd.com on the Kashimashi DVDs". Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  3. ^ Note: It is listed that DVD one will contain the first five episodes, with a run time of 125 minutes. For DVDs two and three, the run time is given as 100 minutes each, which corresponds to the time frame of four episodes each, meaning thirteen episodes total.
  4. ^ a b c David F. Smith (December, 2006). "Newtype USA / Reviews / Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ Volume 1". Newtype-USA.com. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Kashimashi manga volume 1 review at ANN". Retrieved 2007-04-07.
  6. ^ "Kashimashi: The Ultimate Guide". Seven Seas Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  7. ^ a b "Item.rakuten.co.jp on the light novel" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  8. ^ "TV Tokyo's official episode listing for Kashimashi" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  9. ^ a b "Amazon.co.jp with a listing of Kashimashi products for sale" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  10. ^ a b "Amazon.co.jp on the Best Collection edition of the video game" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  11. ^ "Amazon.co.jp on the drama CD" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  12. ^ "Anime News Network article on the license of the manga". Retrieved 2006-07-16.
  13. ^ "Japanese review of the light novel" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  14. ^ Hazumu Osaragi (January 11 2006). Kashimashi episode 1 (Anime) (in Japanese). Studio Hibari. {{cite AV media}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ Hazumu Osaragi and Tomari Kurusu (January 18 2006). Kashimashi episode 2 (Anime) (in Japanese). Studio Hibari. {{cite AV media}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Anime News Network article on the licensing of the anime". Retrieved 2007-02-01.
  17. ^ "Amazon.com on the first Kashimashi DVD". Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  18. ^ "Famitsu scores for the PS2 game at cubed3.com". Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  19. ^ "Official visual novel website on the game's characters" (in Japanese). Marvelous Interactive. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  20. ^ "Official visual novel website on the game's system of playing" (in Japanese). Marvelous Interactive. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  21. ^ "Kashimashi manga volume 1 review at IGN". Retrieved 2007-04-07.
  22. ^ a b "Kashimashi anime review at themanime.org". Retrieved 2007-04-07.
  23. ^ Friedman, Erica (April 6 2006). "Review of the Kashimashi anime on Friedman's okazu blog". Retrieved 2007-04-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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