The World of Narue
| The World of Narue | |
 Cover for the ADV Films complete collection release | |
| 成恵の世界 (Narue no Sekai) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy, Science fiction |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Tomohiro Marukawa |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Shōnen Ace |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | April 26, 1999 – December 26, 2012 |
| Volumes | 13 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Toyoo Ashida Hiromitsu Morita |
| Written by | Yuu Sugitani |
| Music by | Takayuki Negishi |
| Studio | Studio Live |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | MBS, CBC, Chiba TV, Kids Station |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 4, 2003 – June 28, 2003 |
| Episodes | 12 |
The World of Narue (Japanese: 成恵の世界, Hepburn: Narue no Sekai) is an anime and manga series about Kazuto Izuka, a fourteen-year-old boy who meets a somewhat weird but cute and charming girl named Narue Nanase, who claims she is an alien. The show is about the trials and tribulations of the young couple as they get to know each other. The title is taken from A. E. van Vogt's The World of Null-A (Japanese title: 非Aの世界 Naru ē no Sekai).
The manga, spanning 12 volumes as of August 2011, is authored by Tomohiro Marukawa and published by Kadokawa Shoten since 2000. The manga was licensed in North America by the now-defunct CPM Manga.[1] In 2014, the manga received the Seiun Award for Best Comic.[2]
The anime series ran on MBS between April 4, 2003 and June 28, 2003 and is 12 episodes long. Central Park Media licensed and released it in a four-disc DVD collection in 2004 under their US Manga Corps label.[3] Following the 2009 bankruptcy and liquidation of Central Park Media, ADV Films picked up the anime series for release on July 21, 2009.[4] Following the closure of A.D. Vision, the series is now distributed by successors Section23 Films and Æsir Holdings.[5]
Plot
Kazuto Izuka is your average fourteen-year-old boy. That is, until he has a run-in with another student at his school, Narue Nanase, when she saves him from an attacking alien creature. During the ordeal, Kazuto discovers that Narue is actually half alien herself and that her father is part of a galactic exploration team. With the encouragement of his friend, Masaki Maruo, Izuka asks Narue out on a date. Narue is reluctant at first, but after Kazuto assures her that he is not bothered by her alien heritage, Kazuto and Narue start their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. However, like any couple, they have to deal with their fair share of problems; such as Narue's alien sister, Kanaka, and Hajime Yagi, Narue's classmate and ufologist, who does not believe Narue is really an alien and thinks that she is lying to get attention.
Characters
- Kazuto Izuka (飯塚 和人, Izuka Kazuto)
- Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese); Jamie McGonnigal (English)
- Kazuto is the male protagonist, an average fourteen-year-old middle schooler who falls in love with an alien girl. He has a kind personality and is also an otaku who likes the magical girl anime series, Magical Girl #4. He cannot swim but ends up going to the pool, the beach, and the ocean with Narue.
- Narue Nanase (七瀬 成恵, Nanase Narue)
- Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Veronica Taylor (English)
- Narue is the female protagonist, who is half-alien and half-earthling and also a fourteen-year-old middle schooler. She is given the offer to go into space many times but thinks of Earth as her home and does not want to leave. She has an innocent personality and is delighted when Kazuto accepts her as part-alien. She calls him "Kazu".
- Masaki Maruo (丸尾 正樹, Maruo Masaki)
- Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese); Jimmy Zoppi (English)
- Maruo is a friend of Kazuto's and tries to give hints to Narue. He is also a childhood friend of Yagi.
- Hajime Yagi (八木 はじめ, Yagi Hajime)
- Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (Japanese); Michele Knotz (English)
- Yagi is a classmate of Kazuto's and a sci-fi enthusiast. She does not want to believe Narue is an alien, so she acts hostilely towards her early on. When she befriends Kanaka, who had trouble adjusting to school, Yagi is shown to be somewhat of a loner. Yagi and Narue eventually get over their misunderstandings, partly due to Kanaka, and are able to become friends.
- Kanaka Nanase (七瀬 香奈花, Nanase Kanaka)
- Voiced by: Junko Minagawa (Japanese); Rachael Lillis (English)
- Kanaka is the older half-sister of Narue and a full-blooded alien, but she is actually twelve-years-old mentioned in the anime. She actually appears younger than Narue when she shows up due to complications of time dilation. Kanaka is surprised and confused at what has happened while she was away and acts rashly at first, causing trouble. She soon adjusts to her family on Earth, though Kanaka still has a bratty, mischievous personality.
- Bathyscaphe (バチスカーフ, 罰襟巻, Bachisukāfu)
- Voiced by: Mami Kosuge (Japanese); Carol Jacobanis (English)
- Bathyscaphe is Kanaka's caretaker. Although she appears to be human, her true form is a retired Escort Destroyer class starship.
- Haruna (ハルナ)
- Voiced by: Yumi Tōma (Japanese); Debora Rabbai (English)
- Haruna is a Fast Escort Destroyer class starship that has gone AWOL and is hiding out in human shape as a waitress at a beach restaurant. She was frightened to meet Bathyscaphe, but Bathyscaphe assured her that as a retired ship she is not obligated and will not report Haruna to the alien authorities. Later Haruna marries the proprietor of the beach restaurant.
- Tadashi Nanase (七瀬 正, Nanase Tadashi)
- Voiced by: Jun'ichi Sugawara (Japanese); Dan Green (English)
- Narue's father, who is an alien, sent to Earth to study its culture and people, and fell in love with Narumi Mutsuki, who is a human woman.
- Narumi Mutsuki (鳴海むつき, Mutsuki Narumi)
- Voiced by: Maria Kawamura (Japanese); Jessica Calvello (English)
- Narue's mother, who is a human woman, who fell in love with Tadashi Nanase, who is an alien. She took him into her home to help him with his investigation.
- Tail Messa (テイルメッサー, Teiru Messā)
- Voiced by: Tomomichi Nishumura (Japanese); Tristan Goddard (English)
- Head Inspector. He tries many times to persuade Narue to leave Earth and go to space, but seems to have a soft spot for Narue's family and friends. Tail Messa helped Narue's father emigrate from Planet Nihon when it became obvious convincing him otherwise was impossible, and as Head Inspector he helped arrange for the Turugistani refugee ship Ninurta to settle on Planet Nihon, thus solving a sticky diplomatic - and romantic - situation that threatened to break up Narue and Kazuto.
- Rin Asakura (朝倉 鈴, Asakura Rin)
- Voiced by: Oma Ichimura (Japanese); Jessica Calvello (English)
- Official title: Intelligence Mecha for the Office of the Head Inspector. Android space fighter used by Tail Messa to help defend Earth. When she first appeared, she tried to seduce Kazuto away from Narue (under orders from Tail Messa), but finds out that their bond is very strong and unbreakable. After that she warms up to them and they become good friends. Rin appears to draw mainly Earth-based duties.
- Ran Tendo (天堂 蘭, Tendō Ran)
- Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (Japanese); Shannon Conley (English)
- Official title: Tactical Mecha for the Office of the Head Inspector. Android space fighter used by Tail Messa to help defend Earth. More pragmatic than Rin. Ran and Rei operate from the escort carrier Binten to defend Earth from, e.g., terrorists and berserker androids. Ran can fly by transforming her ponytails into twin propulsion units.
- Rei Otonashi (音無 麗, Otonashi Rei)
- Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani (Japanese); Mena Roberts (English)
- Official title: Strategic Mecha for the Office of the Head Inspector. Android space fighter used by Tail Mesa to help defend Earth. Rei is more composed than either Rin or Ran but when surprised she can fire missiles in an instant. Rei can transform her long hair and cap into a delta wing and radome for airborne surveillance duty.
- Akira Nitta (新田 昭, Nitta Akira)
- One of Narue's male classmates, very short, and very withdrawn. Nitta idolizes Narue because she is one of the few people at school who treats him kindly. His adventures include finding and wearing Narue's teleportation headband - with humorous results - and exorcising a ghost with the help of Yagi and Kudo. Nitta is constantly on library duty because he hasn't the guts to demand his classmates take their turns. (Manga only)
- Kyoko Kudo (工藤 杏子, Kudō Kyōko)
- Voiced by: Kanako Tateno (Japanese); Lisa Ortiz (English)
- One of Narue's female classmates and a snobby bully with a helpful side. On at least one occasion she warmed to Nitta considerably; perhaps he tickled her mothering instinct.
- Yuki Kashiwazaki (柏崎 ゆき, Kashiwazaki Yuki)
- Voiced by: Yūko Gotō (Japanese); Mandy Bonhomme (English)
- Aya Kanazawa (金沢 あや, Kanazawa Aya)
- Voiced by: Nami Kurokawa (Japanese); Catherine Kim (English)
- Manaka Daito / Magical Girl #4 (大当 真名花 / 魔砲少女四号ちゃん, Daitō Manaka / Mahō Shōjō Yongōchan)
- Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (Japanese); Lisa Ortiz (English)
- Heroine of the eponymous, fictional anime television series show with the world of Narue. By the power of the Magical Cannon #4, Manaka transforms from a serious young archery club member to Magical Girl #4, the Magical Girl of Love and Peace. The name and costume design both derive from the Panzer IV tank, known as Yongo Sensha (IV号戦車) in Japanese.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|
Manga volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | June 28, 2000 | 4-04-713346-9 | May 2004 | 1-58664-961-2 |
| 02 | September 25, 2000 | 4-04-713365-5 | September 2004 | 1-58664-962-0 |
| 03 | April 25, 2001 | 4-04-713416-3 | November 2004 | 1-58664-963-9 |
| 04 | February 26, 2002 | 4-04-713477-5 | January 11, 2006 | 1-58664-964-7 |
| 05 | December 12, 2002 | 4-04-713516-X | TBA | 1-57800-725-9 |
| 06 | March 1, 2004 | 4-04-713601-8 | — | — |
| 07 | December 25, 2004 | 4-04-713679-4 | — | — |
| 08 | July 26, 2005 | 4-04-713736-7 | — | — |
| 09 | October 26, 2006 | 4-04-713882-7 | — | — |
| 10 | March 26, 2008 | 978-4-04-715039-3 | — | — |
| 11 | May 26, 2010 | 978-4-04-715455-1 | — | — |
| 12 | August 8, 2011 | 978-4-04-715762-0 | — | — |
| 13 | February 26, 2013 | 978-4-04-120589-1 | — | — |
Note: Only the first 3 volumes were released in US bookstores and are currently out of print. The 4th and 5th volume only saw limited releases through online orders. Since the closure of CPM, the manga has not been picked up by another US publisher.
References
- ^ "CPM May Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ 2014年 第45回星雲賞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ "CPM April Release". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "ADV Adds Grave of the Fireflies, Now and Then, Here and There". Anime News Network. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "ADV Films Shuts Down, Parent Transfers Assets to Other Companies". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
External links
- The Official World of Narue Website Template:Ja icon
- The World of Narue (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- The World of Narue at IMDb