Magical Girl Cat Taruto - A review of the fascinating new anime

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Magical Girl Cat Taruto - Magical Nyan Nyan Tart

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

July 5, 2001 - September 27, 2001

■Broadcasting station

WOWOW

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Execution

■ Director

Tsukasa Sunaga

■ Production

TNK, Madhouse

■Works

©2001 Kaishaku/Bandai Visual, Dentsu

■ Story

Taruto is a cat-eared girl who lives happily with her kind master, Monaka An. She always tries her best to be of some use to her beloved An. Taruto and her friends move to Okashina Town. On the same day, Taruto meets Charlotte, a headstrong cat-eared girl, and Chitose, a laid-back cat-eared girl who looks good in kimono. She also meets Kaki-Pi, a flying squirrel boy. Then, when she first hears about the "Kinka princess cat rumor," she becomes convinced that she must be the princess. There are several reasons for this. Taruto was abandoned as a baby, and above all, she can use magic, albeit a little. From that day on, Taruto makes up her mind! She works hard at her magic training to become a "great magician" who will not shame the princess when the castle comes to pick her up. At the same time, it means that she will one day be separated from her beloved An. Taruto is torn between love and a great cause, and her small heart aches. At the same time that Taruto moves in, Willow, a mysterious old woman living on the outskirts of town, senses that someone with great magical powers has come to town. Willow orders her minions, Potato Chip and Natyos, to track him down. Also, Domyouji Kyoko, a cat ear maniac, is on the hunt to add Taruto to her collection. Iori falls in love with Kyoko at first sight. Iori's niece Kinako and her friend Tsukihira. His partner, the hard-boiled cat eared guy Garrett, the self-proclaimed wizard cat ear old man Rakugan, the cat ear big sister Chiffon, who is knowledgeable and boasts a fragrant sexiness, and more. Strange characters cause a lot of trouble in Okashina Town... Will Taruto's magic improve?! Or is Taruto really the "Kinka Princess"?

■Explanation

Cat ears, maid outfits, magical girls...it's packed with everything that fans of beautiful girl characters love!

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Taruto/Hisayo Mochizuki・Charlotte/Masayo Kurata・Chitose/Marian Yamamoto・Monakaan/Hiroki Takahashi・Monaka Kinako/Kyoko Tsuruno・Kyoko Domyouji/Akemi Okamura・Kakipi/Yoshiko Kamei・Potato chips/Aya Hisakawa・Nachos/Kaori Mizuhashi・Tsukihira/Daisuke Sakaguchi・Chiffon/Aya Hisakawa・Galette/Akira Ishida・Rakugan/Kazuki Yao

■ Main staff

・Original work: Kaishaku (Serialized in Monthly Ultra Jump, Shueisha)
・Director: Tsukasa Sunaga ・Planning cooperation: Nagateru Kato (TNK), Masao Maruyama (Madhouse)
・Series composition: Koji Ueki, Akihiko Takadera ・Character design, chief animation director: Hiroko Kazui ・Art director: Yukihiro Shibuya ・Color design: Chie Tanimoto ・Director of photography: Ryoma Sakamoto ・Editor: Takeshi Seyama ・Sound director: Toshiki Kameyama ・Music: Hikaru Nanase ・Music producer: Yoshiyuki Ito (Lantis)
・Animation Producer: Katsuya Shirai ・Cooperative Producer: Michiko Suzuki (WOWOW)
Producers: Atsushi Sugita (Bandai Visual), Shinjiro Yokoyama (Dentsu)
Animation Production: TNK, Madhouse Production: Bandai Visual, Dentsu

■ Main Characters

・Taruto ・Charlotte ・Chitose ・Monakaan
・Monaka Kinako・Domyoji Apricot・Kakipi・Potato Chips・Nachos・Tsukihira・Chiffon・Galette・Rakugan

■Subtitle

・Meow1/The beginning, the beginning・Meow2/I saw it, I saw it・Meow3/Once upon a time・Meow4/The remains, the remains・Meow5/Flat-flap・Meow6/Flick-flick, sparkle・Meow7/Tinkle-tinkle・Meow8/A secret, a secret・Meow9/Walking・Meow10/Harsh・Meow11/Excited・Meow12/Happily ever after

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
Today's Flower Lyrics: Masaaki Taniguchi Music: Masumi Ito Arrangement: Masumi Ito Singer: Masumi Ito

・ED1
・Hanautano Hallelujah!
Lyrics: Masaaki Taniguchi; Composition: Masumi Ito; Arrangement: Masumi Ito; Singer: Magical Nyan Nyan (Hisayo Mochizuki, Masayo Kurata, Maria Yamamoto)

■Detailed evaluation

"Magical Girl Cat Taruto - Magical Nyan Nyan Tart -" is a TV anime series that aired in 2001, originally a manga by Kaisaku. This work is a story about magical girls wearing cat ears and maid outfits, and is full of elements that fans of beautiful girl characters cannot miss. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this work, as well as the recommended points.

The appeal of the story

The main character, Taruto, is a cat-eared girl who lives happily with her kind master, Monaka Iori. She always tries her best to be of some use to Iori. After moving to Okashina Town, Taruto meets Charlotte, a headstrong cat-eared girl, Chitose, a laid-back cat-eared girl who looks good in kimonos, and Kakipi, a flying squirrel boy. She then hears a rumor that Taruto is a princess cat of the Kinka tribe, and begins to believe that she must be that princess. The rumor is based on the fact that Taruto was abandoned as a baby and that she has a little bit of magic.

This story depicts Taruto's dedication to magical training in order to become a "Great Wizard." However, this also means that he will one day be separated from his beloved Iori, and Taruto is torn between love and his cause. In addition, the mysterious old woman Willow, who lives on the outskirts of town, commands her minions Potato Chip and Nachos to find someone with great magical powers, while the cat-eared Kyoko Domyouji chases Taruto to add him to her collection. The story unfolds with various characters intersecting.

Character Appeal

The greatest appeal of this work is its diverse characters. The main character, Taruto, has a pure and hardworking personality that is appealing and draws viewers in. Her magical training and love life resonate with many viewers. Charlotte's headstrong nature and Chitose's laid-back atmosphere also add color to the story. In addition, a diverse range of characters appear, including Iori's niece Kinako and her friend Tsukihira, the hard-boiled cat Mimi Nise Gai Galette, the self-proclaimed wizard cat Mimi Grandpa Rakugan, and the knowledgeable and seductive cat Mimi Onee-sama Chiffon, who add excitement to the story.

Visuals and Music

Visually, the characters with cat ears and maid outfits are very attractive. Character designer Hiroko Kazui's touch is both cute and stylish, making it a visual treat. Art director Yukihiro Shibuya's beautiful backgrounds also enrich the worldview of the story.

In terms of music, the opening theme "Today's Flower" and the ending theme "Hanauta no Hallelujah!" by Masumi Ito are particularly memorable. The ending theme is sung by the unit "Magical Nyan Nyan" consisting of Hisayo Mochizuki (voice of Taruto), Masayo Kurata (voice of Charlotte), and Maria Yamamoto (voice of Chitose), adding to the atmosphere of the work.

Production background and staff

This work was jointly produced by two animation production companies, TNK and Madhouse. The director is Tsukasa Sunaga, and the series is composed by Koji Ueki and Akihiko Takadera. The original is a manga by Kaisaku, serialized in the monthly Ultra Jump magazine. In order to bring out the charm of the original work to the fullest, many staff members worked together on the anime adaptation.

■ Recommendation points

"Magical Cat Taruto - Magical Nyannyan Tart" is a story about magical girls wearing cat ears and maid outfits, and is a must-see for fans of beautiful girl characters. Below are some points that make this work recommended.

A must-see for fans of beautiful girl characters

This work features many beautiful girls wearing cat ears and maid outfits. In particular, characters such as the main character Taruto, Charlotte, and Chitose are both cute and stylish, making it a visual treat. For fans of beautiful girls, this is a work not to be missed.

Unique characters

The charm of this work lies in its characters, which are full of individuality. The main character, Taruto, has a charming pure and hardworking personality that draws viewers in. Charlotte's headstrong nature and Chitose's laid-back atmosphere also add color to the story. In addition, a diverse cast of characters appear, including Iori's niece Kinako and her friend Tsukihira, the hard-boiled cat Mimi Nise Guy Garette, the self-proclaimed wizard cat Mimi Grandpa Rakugan, and the knowledgeable and seductive cat Mimi Onee-sama Chiffon, who add excitement to the story.

A magical girl's growth story

This work depicts the protagonist Taruto as she devotes herself to magical training in order to become a "Great Wizard." Her story of growth resonates with many viewers. Also, Taruto's feelings as she wavers between love and her cause deeply move viewers.

Beautiful visuals and music

Visually, the characters with cat ears and maid outfits are very attractive. The character design by Hiroko Kazui is both cute and stylish, making it a visual treat. Art director Yukihiro Shibuya's beautiful backgrounds also enrich the worldview of the story. Musically, the opening theme "Today's Flower" and the ending theme "Hanauta no Hallelujah!" by Masumi Ito are particularly memorable. The ending theme is sung by the unit "Magical Nyannyan," consisting of Hisayo Mochizuki (voice of Taruto), Masayo Kurata (voice of Charlotte), and Maria Yamamoto (voice of Chitose), adding to the atmosphere of the work.

■ Summary

"Magical Girl Cat Taruto - Magical Nyannyan Tart -" is a story about magical girls wearing cat ears and maid outfits, and is a work that fans of beautiful girls cannot miss. It is full of many charms, such as unique characters, the story of the protagonist Taruto's growth, beautiful visuals and music. If you have not seen this work yet, please give it a watch. I'm sure you will be drawn in by its charm.