"Moetan" Review: A thorough explanation of a unique anime packed with moe elements

The appeal and reputation of Moetan

"Moetan" is a TV anime series that aired in 2007, based on the character "Moetan" published by Sansai Books. The series is based on the hit "Moe English Vocabulary - Moetan -" which combined moe with a collection of English vocabulary words. It aired from July 9 to September 24, 2007 on Chiba TV, tvk, TV Osaka, Teletama, TV Aichi, and AT-X. The series has 12 episodes, each 30 minutes long. It was directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi, animated by Actas, and produced by Pastel Ink Cheering Squad (Bandai Visual, Planet Entertainment, Actas, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners). The copyright belongs to Pastel Ink Cheering Squad.

story

The story of "Moetan" is about the main character, Nijihara Ink, who meets a duck named Ah-kun by chance and is given a magical item, giving her the mission of helping people. Ink transforms into the magical girl Pastel Ink, and while helping people, she also works hard as a tutor for her beloved Nao-kun. As her activities as a magical girl and her feelings for Nao-kun intersect, the story depicts Ink's growth, friendship, and romance. As the worlds of magic and reality intersect, the story depicts Ink's growth, friendship, and romance.

Commentary

"Moetan" was a book that brought a breath of fresh air to the English reference book industry in the fall of 2003, with the catchphrase "A collection of English vocabulary that you can learn with a touch of cuteness." The novel combination of "moe" and an English vocabulary book delighted readers with its thorough explanations of words, including derivatives, and its many eccentric example sentences. The vocabulary book also featured cute illustrations of the moe high school girl Nijihara Inku, which really brought out her charm. These elements combined to create an unexpected big hit, with the first volume selling approximately 200,000 copies, including the new edition. Sequels were published one after the other, and the series became a huge bestseller, with a total of over 400,000 copies in circulation.

Fans were delighted when "Moetan" was released as a TV anime series. The main character is, of course, Nijihara Ink, and based on the first volume of the English vocabulary book, the characters include Ink, Nao-kun, and Ah-kun. Ink transforms into the magical girl Pastel Ink, and new characters appear one after another. The series is full of beautiful classmates, battles with rival magical girls, action, romantic comedy, and 120% moe scenes. All in all, it's a fascinating beautiful girl magical fantasy that you can enjoy.

cast

The cast of "Moetan" is as follows:

• Nijihara Ink, Pastel Ink: Yukari Tamura
• Nao Tezuka: Yuji Ueda
• Ah-kun: Masaya Onosaka
• Black Sumi, Tempera Sumi: Haruka Tomatsu
• Alice Shiratori, Alice: Kaori Nazuka
• Car-kun: Nobuyuki Hiyama
• Na-kun: Tomoko Kaneda
• Dandy: Jouji Nakata
• Police Officer: Hiroshi Ienaka
• Ruriko: Rika Morinaga
• Father: Mitsuo Iwata
• Rina: Yuka Iguchi
• Reimi: Yoko Honda
• Tezuka Mio: Eri Nakao
• Ink Mama: Sawa Ishige
• Teacher: Misato Sakamoto

Main Staff

The main staff of "Moetan" are as follows.

• Original work: Moetan (Sansai Books)
• Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
• Series Composition: Saki Hasemi
• Story concept, concept setting: Susumu Kazemori
• Character design: POP
• Character design and chief animation director: Nishio Kimihaku
• Magic item design: Umetsu Yukinori
• Key animators: Hidetoshi Sano, Shinichiro Kajiura, Mamoru Abiko
• Art director: Nobuhito Sakamoto
• Color design: Sachiko Harada
• Director of photography: Yasuhiko Abe
• Edited by Jun Taguma
• Sound Director: Yuki Matsuoka
• Music: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
• English text: Intac Inc.
• English instructor: Ayaka Kyo
• Animation producer: Shumpei Maruyama
• Producers: Takayuki Nagatani, Kazuto Kamakura, Osamu Hosokawa
• Animation production: Actas
• Produced by: Pastel Ink Cheering Squad (Bandai Visual, Planet Entertainment, Actus, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners)

Main Characters

The main characters of "Moetan" are as follows.

• Nijihara Ink : A 17-year-old high school senior preparing for entrance exams, but looks just like an elementary school student. She's less than 140cm tall and has the build of a child. Wherever she goes, she's mistaken for an elementary school student and gets teased by her classmates. She's very self-conscious about this, but... She's extremely shy and timid. She loves her childhood friend Nao and dreams of going to school with him, but she doesn't have the courage and spends her days immersed in a world of fantasy... In fact, she has excellent grades at school.
• Pastel Ink : Ink's transformation into a magical girl. Using the magical item, the mobile phone "Magic Melo," given to her by Ah-kun, she "Magical★Change!" and transforms into Pastel Ink in a "super cute" transformation scene! Ah-kun gives her a mission to "use magical powers to help people in need in the human world!", but it seems that Ah-kun is just using her for a certain purpose. Even so, she struggles to become a magical teacher and help her beloved Nao-kun!
• Tezuka Nao : Inku's childhood friend and classmate, a third-year high school student. For better or worse, he is a typical high school student. His grades at school are not so good, especially in English. His test scores are so bad that he is often called in by his teacher... Even when he is told at a career counseling session that "it's in danger of not going to college if he continues like this," he remains optimistic, saying "it'll work out somehow." Inku wants to go to college with Nao, so he is worried about how to improve Nao's grades...
• Ah-kun : A "duck" from the magic kingdom of Alphabet! In fact, he was one of the top wizards in the magic kingdom, but he was caught and found guilty in court. In the end, he turned into this "duck"... He has a great name, but it's too long to remember, so Ink calls him "Ah-kun." He's a lolicon and a super pervert, and during Ink's transformation scene, he drools and gets really excited! When Ink goes to school, he turns into a stuffed animal about 2cm tall and lives in his bag.
• Kuroi Sumi : Ink's classmate. They have been good friends since they were little, but now she has a crush on Nao-kun, who Ink loves, and she feels a sense of rivalry with him. Just like Ink, she is short and has a childlike figure, and the fights between the two of them are just like those between elementary school students. She lives in a luxurious mansion, has many maids to look after her, and drives to school in a black luxury car; she is a true rich girl.
• Tempera Sumi : Sumi transforms into a magical girl. The name "tempera" is a painting technique, and it's a name that only Sumi, who is good at painting, could come up with. However, the head maid, Ruriko, can see through her true identity and dismisses it as a "weird cosplay."
• Ka-kun : A magician who belonged to the Royal Guard together with Arks (A-kun) in the Magic Kingdom, and is A-kun's rival!? (In fact, he is no match for A-kun in terms of magical power or anything else...). His real name is Kirks. He was transformed into a "cat" and sent to the human world because of A-kun...
• Ruriko : Head maid of Sumi's mansion. Ever since she started wearing a sailor uniform, she has been helping Sumi with her studies and taking care of her personal needs. She usually greets her with a very gentle smile, but when she sees Sumi in a sloppy state, such as when she wakes up or falls asleep, her personality suddenly changes and she becomes violent. She also has a sadistic side, as if she enjoys bullying Sumi, who has no English skills.
• Tanaka Rina : Inku's classmate. She has short hair, is boyish, and is the ultimate sports girl! She usually wears almost no makeup, and is tomboyish and has a big sister-like personality. She hates being interfered with when it comes to her love life. Everything she wears is against the school rules.
• Suzuki Reimi : Inku's classmate. She has a calm personality, is tall and has an excellent figure. What's more, she has huge breasts! She actually loves "cute" girls, and is especially fond of Inku, who is as cute as an elementary school student. She always seems to have a lot of fun being with her.
• Tezuka Mio : Nao's younger sister, a third-year junior high school student. She is taller than Inku, a third-year high school student, and has a slightly larger bust. She is an expert in computer-based simulations, and always carries a laptop in her bag. Sometimes, she also shows signs of being a military geek.
• Ink's Mama : A kind mother who cares for Ink and is always looking out for him. Like Ink, she is small and cute. When they walk together, they look more like elementary school mother and son than high school students. When she was young, Mama, like Ink, had a tendency to be delusional, and often traveled to faraway worlds.
• Alice Shiratori : A girl shrouded in almost complete mystery. She seems to be deeply connected to the core of this story...
• Alice : This is the form that Shiratori Alice takes after becoming a magical girl. Or rather, this is her original form. She is a magical girl who came from the Magic Kingdom, and it seems that there was some trouble between the two of them when Ah-kun was in the Magic Kingdom. She approaches Ah-kun and attacks him in an attempt to make him pay for his sins. Ah-kun doesn't seem to remember this, but is that really the case?
• Na-kun : A rabbit who follows Alice around like a servant. He always looks anxious and is always concerned about Alice, who is tired and not used to the human world. Like Ah-kun, he was originally a human, but his true identity is unknown. He doesn't use magic, and he doesn't do anything particularly well...
• Teacher Rihoko Furuta : Ink's English teacher. She wears glasses and is a beautiful teacher with a great figure. She is strict with students who don't study hard, but she is kind to Ink, who always gets good grades. She is no longer young and doesn't have a boyfriend. She is worried about whether she will be able to get married the way she is now.
• Dandy : A mysterious man in a long coat who appears in front of Ink every week, tells him a proverbial thing like, "A great man from long ago said..." and then leaves. He is always being chased by the police, but it is unclear why.
• Police Officer : Although it is unclear what the charges are, this police officer continues to pursue the fleeing Dandy. He is wearing a police uniform, but his face looks just like Inspector Ogata! He thinks Ink is an elementary school student and treats him kindly.
• Dad : A bold dad who, for some reason, frequently appears in front of Ink and the others. Because he always appears in situations that invite misunderstandings, Ink Yasumi treats him as a "pervert dad" and always knocks him out... Perhaps because of their shared perversion, he gets along well with Ah-kun, and before they know it, they have become a master and disciple.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Moetan" are as follows.

• Episode 1: Magical Teacher (2007/07/08)
• Episode 2: I don't need a rival (2007/07/15)
• Episode 3: Terror Mission (2007/07/22)
• Episode 4: Idols in Time (2007/07/29)
• Episode 5: Small Memories (2007/08/05)
• Episode 5.5: Sumi and Ruriko's Moetan Diary (2007/08/12)
• Episode 7: The Targeted School Festival (2007/08/19)
• Episode 8: Trouble (2007/08/26)
• Episode 9: The Wind...Flows (2007/09/02)
• Episode 10: Forbidden Time (2007/09/09)
• Episode 11: Don't give up, examinees! (2007/09/16)
• Episode 12: Skip! (2007/09/23)

Related Titles

As a related work of "Moetan", there are stories that have not aired on TV. These include episodes that were not broadcast and special editions. For fans, they are valuable resources to learn more about the story.

Theme songs and music

The theme song and songs for "Moetan" are as follows.

• OP1
  • Magical Girl Magical-tan!
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Tomokazu Tashiro
  • Arrangement: Takahiro Ando
  • Sung by: Ink Nijihara, Sumi Kuroi, and Alice Shiratori (Yukari Tamura, Haruka Tomatsu, Kaori Nazuka)
• ED1
  • skip!
  • Lyricist: Hiro
  • Composer: Hiro
  • Arrangement: quad
  • Sung by: Nomiko

Ratings and Recommendations

"Moetan" is a work that has gained many fans with its unique concept of moe and English vocabulary books. Its appeal has become even more widely known since it was made into an anime. In particular, the cuteness of the main character, Inku Nijihara, and her activities as a magical girl are major factors that attract viewers. In addition, there are many elements of a youth drama, such as her unrequited love for Nao-kun and her confrontation with a rival, and the story development is enjoyable.

The animation quality is also high, with beautiful character designs and background art. The magical girl transformation and battle scenes are particularly visually stunning. The music also plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, with the theme songs and insert songs being particularly memorable.

This work is especially recommended for those who like moe anime and magical girl anime. It is also a good learning material for those who are interested in learning English, as they can learn English vocabulary while having fun. It is also recommended for those who like teen dramas and romantic comedies. Overall, "Moetan" is a highly entertaining work filled with various elements, and I think many people will enjoy it.