The appeal and evaluation of Saint Tail: New possibilities for girl heroes

Saint Tail: The Story of the Magnificent Thief and its Appeal

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

October 12, 1995 - September 12, 1996

■Broadcasting station

Asahi Broadcasting

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 43

■Original Story

Kei Tachikawa "Phantom Thief Saint Tail" (serialized in Kodansha's "Nakayoshi")

■ Production

Production: ABC, Tokyo Movie Shinsha

■Works

©Megumi Tachikawa/Kodansha, TMS

■ Story

Megumi Utsugaoka is an ordinary girl in her second year at St. Paulia Academy. But what happens at night...? In order to save lost lambs, Megumi transforms into the phantom thief Saint Tail and uses her brilliant phantom thieving techniques to recover stolen jewels and paintings, returning them to their rightful owners and punishing villains. Pursuing Saint Tail is Megumi's classmate, Asuka Jr., the son of a detective. Before long, a special feeling begins to grow between the two, who were the pursuer and the pursued!

■Cast

Saint Tail, Megumi Ueoka: Tomo Sakurai / Asuka Jr.: Kosuke Okano / Seira Fukamori: Kikuko Inoue / Ruby: Satomi Korogi / Rina Takamiya: Yuko Nagashima / Masato Sado: Toshiyuki Morikawa / Detective Asuka: Akio Otsuka

■ Main staff

Producers: Masakazu Yoda, Itsuko Ohno (ABC), Shigeki Nakamura, Tetsuya Watanabe (Dentsu), Yasumichi Ozaki (TMS) / Music Producer: Yuki Horio (Polygram) / Music: Hayato Matsuo / Program Promotion: Taku Odabe, Yoko Umemura, Kimiko Noyori (ABC) / Character Design, Animation Director: Junko Abe / Art Director: Shichiro Kobayashi / Director of Photography: Hitoshi Shirao / Sound Director: Etsuji Yamada, Katsuyoshi Kobayashi / Music Director: Seiji Suzuki / Editor: Masatoshi Tsurubuchi / Story Editor: Junichi Ioka / Production Manager: Tatsuyo Kobayashi, Tomoki Toyoda / Chief Director: Osamu Nabeshima / Screenplay: Hiroshi Kashiwabara, Shinzo Fujita, and others / Animation Director: Junko Abe, Tenshi Yamamoto, and others / Production Cooperation: Dentsu

■ Theme songs and music

[OP1] Song: Beyond Time (#1-24) / Singer: Yasuko Matsuyuki / Lyrics: Yasuko Matsuyuki / Composer: Toshiaki Matsumoto / Arranger: Koji Kuroba [OP2] Song: Let's Run to Tomorrow (#25-43) / Singer: Seiko Matsuda / Lyrics: Seiko Matsuda / Composer: Seiko Matsuda, Ryo Ogura / Arranger: Yuji Toriyama [ED1] Song: Pure Heart (#1-24) / Singer: Masami Inoue / Lyrics: Katsuya Koga / Composer: Masami Inoue / Arranger: Seiichi Kyoda [ED2] Song: Up Side Down -Eternal Ring- (#25-38) / Singer: Masami Inoue / Lyrics: Katsuya Koga / Composer: Masami Inoue / Arranger: Katsutoshi Morizono [ED3] Song Title: Dreaming Melody (#39-43) / Singer: Miyuki Kajitani / Lyrics: Kenzo Saeki / Composer: Tomofumi Suzuki / Arranger: Tomofumi Suzuki

The appeal and evaluation of the phantom thief Saint Tail

"Saint Tail", which aired from 1995 to 1996, is a TV anime series based on the manga of the same name by Kei Tachikawa. This work captivated many viewers with its unique setting in which a girl transforms into a phantom thief every night to retrieve treasure stolen from villains. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Saint Tail" is about the protagonist, Megumi Hagaka, a second-year junior high school student at St. Paulia Academy who transforms into the phantom thief Saint Tail at night to retrieve treasures stolen from villains. This setting provides thrills and excitement to the viewers, building anticipation about what treasures will be retrieved and what tricks will be used in each episode.

In addition, while Megumi works as a phantom thief, her classmate Asuka Jr., the son of a detective, pursues Saint Tail, depicting the special feelings that develop between the pursuer and the pursued, capturing the hearts of viewers. The relationship between these two deepens as the story progresses, eventually developing into a romance, which is another appealing aspect of the series.

Character Appeal

The main character, Megumi Ueoka, is an ordinary girl during the day, but at night she transforms into the magnificent phantom thief Saint Tail. This contrast gives viewers a fresh impression, and her growth and transformation scenes are always looked forward to. Megumi's friends, Seira Mimori and Ruby, are also unique, and their friendship and cooperation enriches the story.

Asuka Jr. is a classmate of Memi, but also the son of a detective who is pursuing Saint Tail. His character grows through his relationship with Memi, deeply moving the viewers. Detective Asuka, Asuka Jr.'s father, also appears as an important character, and his presence adds tension to the story.

The appeal of the artwork and direction

The artwork for "Saint Tail" was created by Junko Abe, who was in charge of character design and animation direction, and combines the cute touch of a shojo manga with the elegance of a phantom thief. In particular, Saint Tail's transformation scenes and scenes using tricks were visually very attractive and drew viewers in.

Additionally, the background art by art director Shichiro Kobayashi is beautiful, with realistic depictions of St. Paulia Academy, where the story takes place, and the settings of each episode. Cinematographer Hitoshi Shirao's camerawork is also skillful, skillfully guiding the viewer's gaze and heightening the tension and thrills of the story.

The appeal of music

The music for Saint Tail was composed by Hayato Matsuo and was an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the series. The theme songs in particular captured the hearts of viewers, reflecting the emotions of each episode. The opening themes "Toki wo Koete" and "Ashita e Hashideshita Yukou" were sung by Yasuko Matsuyuki and Seiko Matsuda, respectively, and left a strong impression on viewers. The ending themes "Junshin", "Up Side Down - Eien no Wa -" and "Yume Miru Melody" were also sung by Masami Inoue and Miyuki Kajitani, respectively, and played a role in deepening the emotional impact of the story.

Evaluation and impact

"Saint Tail" has been highly praised since it was first broadcast, and has been especially popular among young girls. The themes of the show - justice, friendship, and romance - have deeply touched viewers and spawned many fans. The setting of a phantom thief was also fresh, providing thrills and excitement to viewers, who looked forward to each episode.

This work influenced many subsequent anime works, especially those about heroes and phantom thieves aimed at young girls. The original manga by Kei Tachikawa was also highly acclaimed and continues to be loved by many fans.

Recommended points of Kaitou Saint Tail

"Saint Tail" is recommended for the following reasons:

1. A pioneer of superhero stories for girls

"Saint Tail" was a pioneering work with a girl as the hero, and it impressed viewers with a fresh perspective. In particular, the setting of a girl who is an ordinary girl during the day, but transforms into a phantom thief at night made a strong impression on viewers and created many fans.

2. Attractive characters and story

The characters, including the main character Megumi Hagaka, are all unique and deeply moving to the viewers. In addition, the relationship between Megumi and Asuka Jr., and the storyline depicting friendship and romance, captured the hearts of viewers and deeply moved them as the story progressed.

3. Beautiful drawings and direction

The drawings by Junko Abe, who was in charge of character design and animation direction, combine the cute touch of a shojo manga with the elegance of a phantom thief. In addition, the background art by art director Shichiro Kobayashi and the camerawork by cinematographer Hitoshi Shirao were also skillful, skillfully guiding the viewer's gaze and increasing the tension and thrill of the story.

4. Inspirational Music

The music by Hayato Matsuo is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the theme songs reflect the emotions of each episode and leave a strong impression on viewers. The ending theme also played a role in deepening the emotion of the story.

More information on Phantom Thief Saint Tail

Broadcast information

"Saint Tail" was broadcast on Asahi Broadcasting Corporation every Thursday from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. from October 12, 1995 to September 12, 1996. It consisted of 43 episodes, each 30 minutes long.

Original information

The original work is the manga "Kaitou Saint Tail" by Kei Tachikawa, which was serialized in Kodansha's shojo manga magazine "Nakayoshi". The original manga was serialized from 1994 to 1996 and is completed in 7 volumes. The original manga was also highly acclaimed and continues to be loved by many fans.

Production information

Saint Tail was produced by ABC and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Producers included Masakazu Yoda, Itsuo Ohno (ABC), Shigeki Nakamura, Tetsuya Watanabe (Dentsu), and Yasumichi Ozaki (TMS), with music producer Yuki Horio (Polygram). Many other staff members contributed to the completion of the film, including character designer and animation director Junko Abe, art director Shichiro Kobayashi, cinematographer Hitoshi Shirao, sound directors Etsuji Yamada and Katsuyoshi Kobayashi, music director Seiji Suzuki, editor Masatoshi Tsurubuchi, story editor Junichi Iioka, production managers Tatsuyo Kobayashi and Tomoki Toyoda, chief director Osamu Nabeshima, screenwriters Kanji Kashiwabara and Shinzo Fujita, animation directors Junko Abe and Tenshi Yamamoto, and production cooperation with Dentsu.

Theme song and music information

The opening theme was "Toki wo Koete" by Yasuko Matsuyuki from episodes 1 to 24, and "Ashita e kashiretta yukkou" by Seiko Matsuda from episodes 25 to 43. The ending theme was "Junshin" by Masami Inoue from episodes 1 to 24, "Up Side Down - Eien no Wa -" by Masami Inoue from episodes 25 to 38, and "Yume Miru Melody" by Miyuki Kajitani from episodes 39 to 43. These theme songs reflect the emotions of each episode and are songs that leave a strong impression on the viewers.

Recommended works by Kaitou Saint Tail

If you enjoyed "Saint Tail," we also recommend the following works:

1. Cardcaptor Sakura

This anime series is based on the original manga by CLAMP, and tells the story of the main character, Sakura Kinomoto, who collects magical cards. It is highly regarded as a fantasy work for girls, and its story of friendship and romance is also appealing.

2. "Sailor Moon"

This anime series is based on the original manga by Naoko Takeuchi, and tells the story of the main character Usagi Tsukino, who transforms into a Sailor Guardian and fights evil. It is a pioneering work as a hero for girls, and its story of friendship and romance is also appealing.

3. Digimon Adventure

The story is about the adventures of children and characters known as digital monsters. The story, which depicts friendship and growth, has captured the hearts of viewers and spawned many fans.

Conclusion

"Saint Tail" is a work that has captivated many viewers with its unique setting, in which a young girl transforms into a phantom thief every night to retrieve treasure stolen from villains. Many elements of the work, such as the appeal of the story, the appeal of the characters, the appeal of the drawings and direction, and the appeal of the music, have captured the hearts of viewers and received high praise. This work has also had a great influence on later anime works, especially hero and phantom thief works for girls. For those who enjoyed "Saint Tail", we also recommend works such as "Cardcaptor Sakura", "Sailor Moon", and "Digimon Adventure". These works also have attractive stories about friendship and romance that will capture the hearts of viewers.