Mouse (manga)

Mouse
Manga volume 1 cover
Genre	Action
Manga
Written by	Satoru Akahori
Illustrated by	Hiroshi Itaba
Published by	Hakusensha
Imprint	Jets Comics
Magazine	Young Animal
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	1999 – 2004
Volumes	14
Anime television series
Directed by	Yorifusa Yamaguchi
Produced by	Tetsurou Satomi Katsuhara Nagata Ryou Tomoda
Written by	Hiroyuki Kawasaki
Music by	Naoki Sato
Studio	Studio Deen
Licensed by	NA: AnimeWorks
Original network	Chiba TV, Kids Station, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama
Original run	January 5, 2003 – March 23, 2003
Episodes	12
Light novel
Written by	Gyō Zappa
Illustrated by	Hiroshi Itaba
Published by	Fujimi Shobo
Demographic	Seinen
Published	January 31, 2003
Volumes	1
Manga
Mouse Bakumatsu-den
Written by	Satoru Akahori
Illustrated by	Hiroshi Itaba
Published by	Hakusensha
Demographic	Seinen
Published	December 20, 2005
Volumes	1

Mouse (stylized as "MØUSE") is a Japanese manga series written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Hiroshi Itaba. It was serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal between 1999 and 2004. Mouse was adapted into a twelve-episode anime television series written by Hiroyuki Kawasaki, directed by Yorifusa Yamaguchi, and produced by Media Factory and Studio Deen. In 2005, Hakusensha published a one-volume manga prequel titled Mouse Bakumatsu-den (マウス ～幕末伝～).

Plot

For 400 years, there was a family of thieves stealing money and priceless property, particularly those items that were originally illegally stolen. The main motivation is that anything and everything can be stolen, no matter how much they protect that item. And in those years, that thief was only known by one name, Mouse.

In the latest version, a young college art teacher named Muon Sorata is the latest to take up the name of Mouse. He is surrounded by three highly devoted and attractive assistants who help him pull off heists of art museums and landmark towers. The thieves have the power and resources to steal entire buildings and take structures out to sea but never get caught. Mouse is also known for not abandoning those who serve him, even if it means his capture.

Characters

Mouse Team

Sorata Muon (無音 宙太, Muon Sorata)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Grant George (English)

A college art teacher who is actually a thief under the name "Mouse". He follows a 400-year tradition as Mouse and will not abandon those who serve him. As Mouse, Sorata has access to a vast arsenal of vehicles and machines to help him, all of which are hidden underneath the college where he works. At school he is usually seen messing up with his teacher duties, gaining a stern lecture from Mei, Yayoi and Hazuki (with everyone unaware of their relationship with him). He is a popular teacher, gaining attraction from many of his female students. Though he usually tries to avoid having sex, after becoming drunk he obtains a limitless libido, sleeping with countless women, as well as wearing out the usually sex driven Mei, Yayoi and Kakio with no sights of slowing down; however after he sobers up, he does not remember anything he did. He is friends with Inspector Minami and his daughter Rika, who he sees like a family, though they are unaware he is Mouse.

Mei Momozono (桃園 メイ, Momozono Mei)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Jessica Gee (English)

A computer and physics expert, who works at the college's physics department as a math teacher. She had been trained since childhood to be the servant to Sorata, but decided that she would not follow Mouse blindly until she saw him herself, even planning to kill herself if she was made to follow a man she did not respect. When she was injured during a mission, she made the choice to follow Sorata with her heart when he would not abandon her, in spite of her insistence that he do. Her grandfather is the chairman of the school, though the school itself is owned by the Muon family. As the first servant to meet Sorata, she is incredibly loyal to him. As the series progressed she came to realize that she is in love with him, showing jealousy when he goes on dates and being the most worried during his more dangerous heists.

Yayoi Kuribayashi (栗林 弥生, Kuribayashi Yayoi)

Voiced by: Yukari Fukui (Japanese); Cindy Robinson (English)

A biology expert, so skilled that when she was hired on to the research team, they made sure to staff the team with only females just for her, and is also the college's nurse. When she was a college student, Yayoi was cursed with a fear of men so great that she goes into panic attacks whenever she even sees a man. So she was curious that her classmate, Mei Momozona, engaged in an intimate relationship with a student she was tutoring, Sorata Muon. But later, when a valuable sample was targeted by Mouse to be stolen, Yayoi found herself trapped when one of her panic attacks triggered a major fire in the lab she was in. It was Sorata, who was really Mouse, who had rescued her and allowed her to come out of her shell. She is one of his most devoted servants, and is always trying to make him some concoction to give him more sexual energy. Of Mouse's three servants, Yayoi is the most sexually driven, regularly showing a strong masochistic-side from various fantasies of bondage and the likes with Mouse.

Hazuki Kakio (柿生 葉月, Kakio Hadzuki)

Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese); Stephanie Sheh (English)

An expert martial arts fighter, who is also the college's physical education instructor. There are several personalities within her, from a mischievous child to a brave fighter. When Hazuki foolishly tested a memory-erasing machine and her many personalities were programmed into its computer, Sorata went in to save her by going in himself. While Sorata went in search of the Kakio family treasure, he discovered Hazuki in what seemed to be a debilitated, emotionally fractured, and dissociated state where she was forced to be completely cut off from the rest of the world. By gaining her trust and promising never to leave her as her family had, Sorata was about to uncover the secret and truth behind the Kakio family treasure. She has a habit of appearing in the strangest places (bathroom, washing machine, etc) while wearing only a kinbaku as well as having a penchant for cosplay.

School

Mr. Fuyuharu

Principal of the school and grandfather to Mei. He is very proud to be serving the Muon family as well as taking care of the school, which the Muon family owns. He often asks Sorata if there is anything he could possibly do to be of service to him, and becomes really worried if he believes he has done something to upset him.

Machiko Tsukioka

She seems to be the leader of three girls that attend Sorata's art class and are fans of the notorious Mouse. She has obvious feelings for Sorata, getting jealous at the thought of him having a girlfriend.

Police

Captain Onizuka Heitaro

He is completely driven to capture Mouse at all cost. He gets extremely angry at how the media always poses Mouse as something of a hero figure and how Mouse always manages to escape.

Masatoshi Minami

The Captain's assistant and does his best to try to calm the Captain's outbursts when trying to capture Mouse. He has a daughter named Rika and is friends with Sorata, but he is unaware of his true identity.

Other

Rika Minami

Nine-year-old daughter of Inspector Minami and friends with Sorata. She is unaware that Sorata is Mouse though she has a crush on him, stating that she will become his bride once she grows up. She owns a golden-hair cat that Mouse stole and gave to her for her birthday after dying its hair black (though he told her in secret what it really was).

Natsuko Muon

She is Sorata's step mother that seems to have a lustful attraction to her step son not unlike his slaves. She is only four years older than he is and she revealed that before she became Sorata's stepmother, she was one of his father's slaves, sparking hope in Mei, Yayoi and Kakio at the idea to being more than a slave to him.

4S

An organization originally created to protect valuable artwork out of the hands of thieves. However, the organization has lost its way and has become the largest black market dealers of stolen artwork as well as assassins. They are the primary antagonists in the series.

Episodes

#	Title	Original airdate
1	"Steal: 01 The Name is "Mouse"" / "" "Steal: 01 Sono na wa 'Mouse'" (Steal:01 その名は“鼠[マウス]”)	January 5, 2003 (2003-01-05)
The pilot episode, in which Mouse steals not only a Golden Skull but the entire Museum. After this, Mei, Yayoi and Hazuki are introduced as servants to Sorata (aka Mouse). After a scene in which all three girls attempt to get Sorata to "punish them", the detective pursuing Mouse is seen on television, challenging the thief to steal the newly built Odaiba Tower.
2	"Steal: 02 There is Nothing that Mouse Cannot Steal" / ""  (Steal:02 鼠[マウス]に盗めぬ物はなし)	January 12, 2003 (2003-01-12)
Mouse has to steal the newly built Odaiba Tower.
3	"Steal: 03 She Will Not Accept Destiny" / ""  (Steal:03 彼女は運命[さだめ]を受け入れない)	January 19, 2003 (2003-01-19)
Mouse has to steal and go on a date on the same night.
4	"Steal: 04 Mouse Will Not Abandon a Comrade" / ""  (Steal:04 鼠[マウス]は仲間を見捨てない)	January 26, 2003 (2003-01-26)
Mei Momozono's history is revealed.
5	"Steal: 05 Target is Hazuki" / "" "Steal: 05 Target wa Hadzuki" (Steal:05 ターゲットは葉月)	February 3, 2003 (2003-02-03)
Hazuki acts as a test subject for a new machine for Mouse.
6	"Steal: 06 Country of Electronics' Mouse" / "Mouse in the Electric Kingdom"  (Steal:06 電子の国の鼠[マウス])	February 10, 2003 (2003-02-10)
Mouse goes into VR to save Hazuki from being trapped in the new machine.
7	"Steal: 07 A Female University Student that Hates Men" / "Man Hating Co-ed"  (Steal:07 男嫌いの女子大生)	February 17, 2003 (2003-02-17)
Yayoi's history is revealed.
8	"Steal: 08 Sweet Awakening" / ""  (Steal:08 甘美なる覚醒)	February 24, 2003 (2003-02-24)
Yayoi is recruited into Mouse's team on a heist to steal the Rainbow Grass.
9	"Steal: 09 The Name is 'Wang'" / "His name is One" "Steal: 09 Sono na wa 'Wang'" (Steal:09 その名は“ワン”)	March 2, 2003 (2003-03-02)
Woof of the Force Organisation has his two servants capture and impersonate Hazuki and Yayoi.
10	"Steal: 10 Undying Man" / "The man who won't die" "Steal: 10 Shinanai Otoko" (Steal:10 死なない男)	March 9, 2003 (2003-03-09)
After Mouse succeeds in stealing the Heaven's Clock, Woof (revealed to be immortal) ambushes him.
11	"Steal: 11 'Mouse' Never Gives Up" / "Mouse never gives up"  (Steal:11 “鼠[マウス]”は決してあきらめない)	March 16, 2003 (2003-03-16)
Woof is on the verge of killing Mouse and his servants, but Machiko and Captain Onizuka intervene, allowing Mouse to finish Woof off.
12	"Steal: 12 'Mouse's' Dreams Will Never End" / "Mouse's Dreams Live" "Steal: 12 'Mouse' no Yume wa Owaranai" (Steal:12 “鼠[マウス]”の夢は終わらない)	March 23, 2003 (2003-03-23)
Mouse finds himself being hounded by his servants and Machiko for his affection. After some quality time with Woof, Mouse has the time of his life.

Theme music

Opening

• "Mouse Chu Mouse" by Under17

Ending

• "Intellimouse" by Under17

External links

• Mouse at Media Factory (in Japanese)
• Mouse at Studio Deen (in Japanese)
• Mouse at Young Animal (in Japanese)
• Mouse (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia