Reviews and thoughts on the unaired version of "Moetan": What makes the quality exceed expectations?

Detailed review and recommendation of Moetan Unreleased Version - Moetan Mihoueiban

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

character

■ Release date

December 21, 2007 *Included in "Moetan Lesson 4" and "Moetan Lesson 7" released on December 21, 2007 and March 25, 2008. Episode 6, included in Lesson 4, was not broadcast on TV, so this is the first time it has been broadcast.

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

Moetan (Sansai Books)

■ Director

Keiichiro Kawaguchi

■ Production

・Animation Production: Actus ・Production: Pastel Ink Cheering Squad (Bandai Visual, Planet Entertainment, Actus, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners)

■Works

©Pastel Ink Support Group

■ Story

Let's Study English together

This work is based on "Moe English Vocabulary - Moetan -", which was a huge hit due to the combination of "moe" and "English vocabulary book". Nijihara Ink is given a magical item by A-kun, a duck she meets by chance, and is given the mission of helping people. Ink becomes the magical girl Pastel Ink, and while helping people, she also works hard as a tutor for her beloved Nao-kun, but...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

The catchphrase is "A cute and fun English vocabulary book to learn!"

In the fall of 2003, Moetan - Cute English Vocabulary - suddenly appeared on the scene, ready to make a foray into the English textbook industry.
The forbidden combination of "moe" and "English vocabulary book"; the explanations of words are solid, including derivatives,
Those who know the vocabulary will be pleased with the eccentric example sentences, and the illustrations of the cute high school girl, Ink Nijihara, tucked between the vocabulary lists...
An unexpected (!?) big hit. The first volume was a huge hit, selling about 200,000 copies, including the new edition. Furthermore, sequels were published one after another,
The series has become a huge bestseller with over 400,000 copies in circulation!

Now, surprisingly, or rather, finally, Moetan has been made into a TV anime series!
The main character is, of course, Ink Nijihara. Based on the first volume of the English vocabulary book, the characters include Ink, Nao-kun, and Ah-kun.
Of course, Ink transforms into the magical girl Pastel Ink! Plus, new characters will continue to appear.
With a bunch of beautiful classmates and a rival magical girl, it's a story with action and romantic comedy.
And it's packed with 120% moe scenes...
All in all, it's a magical fantasy about beautiful girls that's sure to grab your attention.

■Cast

・Nijihara Ink, Pastel Ink / Yukari Tamura・Nao Tezuka / Yuji Ueda・A-kun / Masaya Onosaka・Kuroi Sumi, Tempera Sumi / Haruka Tomatsu・Shiratori Alice, Alice / Kaori Nazuka・Ka-kun / Nobuyuki Hiyama・Na-kun / Tomoko Kaneda・Dandy / Joji Nakata・Police officer / Hiroshi Ienaka・Ruriko / Rika Morinaga・Father / Mitsuo Iwata・Rina / Yuka Iguchi・Reimi / Yoko Honda・Mio Tezuka / Eri Nakao・Ink Mama / Sawa Ishige・Teacher Rihoko Furuta / Misato Sakamoto

■ Main staff

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

■ Main Characters

・Nijihara Ink
Although he is 17 years old and a high school senior preparing for entrance exams, he looks just like an elementary school student. He is less than 140cm tall and has the body of a child. Wherever he goes, he is mistaken for an elementary school student and is teased by his classmates. He is very concerned about this, but... He is extremely shy and timid. He loves his childhood friend Nao and dreams of going to school with him, but he doesn't have the courage and spends his days immersed in a world of fantasy... In fact, he has excellent grades at school.
・Pastel Ink Ink transforms into a magical girl. Using the magical item, the mobile phone "Magic Melo" given to her by Ah-kun, she performs "Magical★Change!". She transforms into Pastel Ink with 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 Ink is a childhood friend and classmate in high school. 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 dangerous to go to university at this rate," he remains optimistic, saying "it'll work out somehow." Ink wants to go to university with Nao, so he is worried about how to improve Nao's grades...
・Ah-kun A "duck" from the magic kingdom of Alphabet!? He was actually one of the top wizards in the magic kingdom, but he was caught for some reason and found guilty in court. In the end, he ended up in this "duck" form... 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 reaches critical point of excitement!! When Ink goes to school, he turns into a stuffed animal about 2cm tall and stays 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, 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" because of A-kun and sent to the human world...
Ruriko is the head maid who works in 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.
Rina Tanaka Ink's classmate. A boyish girl with short hair, she's the epitome of an athletic girl. She rarely wears makeup, and is tomboyish and boyish. She hates being interfered with when it comes to her love life. Everything she wears is against the school rules.
・Reimi Suzuki Ink'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 Ink, who is as cute as an elementary school student. She seems to have a lot of fun being with her.
Tezuka Mio is Nao's younger sister and a third-year junior high school student. She is taller than Inku, a third-year high school student, and has a slightly larger chest. She is an expert in computer-based simulations and always carries a laptop in her bag. Sometimes, her military geek side is also visible.
Ink's Mama is 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 a faraway world.
・Shiratori Alice A girl shrouded in almost complete mystery. She seems to be deeply connected to the core of this story...
・Alice This is the appearance of Shiratori Alice when she becomes a magical girl. Or rather, this is her original appearance. 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 seems to have no recollection of this, but is that really the case?
・Na-kun is 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 an excellent 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 some 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 suspect is, 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 and lively 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 blows him away... 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

Episode 6: First Date (2007/12/21)
・Episode 13: End of the Century Champion! Magical Girl General Attack (2008/03/25)

■ Related works

・Moetan

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period/6
・Magical Girl Magical Tan!
Lyrics by Aki Hata, Music by Tomokazu Tashiro, Arrangement by Takahiro Ando, ​​Vocals by Ink Nijihara, Sumi Kuroi, and Arisu Shiratori (Yukari Tamura, Haruka Tomatsu, Kaori Nazuka)

・OP2
・Period/13
・TOUGH GIRL
Lyrics by Aki Hata Music by ISAO
Arrangement: ISAO
・Song: Magical Mio & Magical Shizuku (Eri Nakao, Marina Inoue)

・ED1
Period: June 6, 13
·skip!
・Lyrics by Hiro
・Composer: Hiro
Arrangement: quad
・Song by Nomiko

Detailed review of Moetan Unreleased Version - Moetan Mihoueiban

"Moetan Unaired Version" is an OVA released on December 21, 2007, based on the "Moetan" series published by Sansai Books. This work contains special content including episodes that have not aired on TV, making it a must-have for fans. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this work, as well as its recommended points.

Story and Characters

The story of "Moetan Unreleased Version" is based on the original "Moetan" series. The main character, Nijihara Ink, receives a magical item from Ah-kun, a duck from the magical kingdom of Alphabet, and transforms into the magical girl Pastel Ink. Her mission is to help people in need in the human world, but Ah-kun has a hidden purpose behind it. Ink works hard as a tutor to help her childhood friend Nao-kun, but various difficulties and battles with rivals await her.

Each character is unique, and Ink's childlike figure and timid personality are particularly appealing. Her transformation scenes and magic scenes are full of elements that will entertain the viewer. In addition, characters such as Nao-kun, Ah-kun, and Kuroi Sumi are also attractive, and their relationships and growth add excitement to the story. In particular, Ah-kun's pedophilic and perverted personality strongly emphasizes the comedic elements.

Animation and performance

Actas, the animation production company, has a particular attention to detail in the character designs and drawings. In particular, Ink's transformation scenes and magic scenes are colorful and smooth, making for a visually enjoyable production. The designs of the magical items and background art are also beautiful, enhancing the atmosphere of the entire work.

Director Keiichiro Kawaguchi has faithfully recreated the worldview of the original work while incorporating special production techniques that are unique to OVAs. For example, episode 6, "First Date," depicts a scene in which the relationship between Ink and Nao deepens, warming the hearts of viewers. Meanwhile, episode 13, "End of the Century Champion! Magical Girls All-Out Attack," features a spectacular battle scene between magical girls that leaves a strong visual impact.

Music and voice acting

The music is by Tsuyoshi Watanabe, and the opening and ending songs add to the atmosphere of the work. The opening song "Magical Girl Magical Tan!" is particularly impressive, with the theme song being sung by Ink Nijihara, Sumi Kuroi, and Arisu Shiratori. The ending song "Skip!" has a pleasant voice by Nomiko, and you can enjoy the afterglow of the show after watching it.

The voice actors are also impressive, especially Yukari Tamura's voice for Inku, who expresses her cuteness and timid personality well. Masaya Onosaka's voice for Ah-kun also expresses his perverted personality in a comical way. Other cast members such as Haruka Tomatsu and Kaori Nazuka also give charming performances to their respective characters.

Recommended points

"Moetan Unreleased Version" can be recommended for the following reasons.

1. **Unaired Episodes That Fans Must See**: This DVD contains episodes that have never aired on TV, making it a must-see for fans of the original manga and anime series. Episode 6, "First Date," in particular, is an important episode that deepens the relationship between Ink and Nao.

2. **Beautiful animation and direction**: ACTUS' animation is visually enjoyable, with beautiful character designs and background art. The magical girl transformation and battle scenes are particularly spectacular.

3. **Charming characters and story**: The characters, including Ink Nijihara, are unique and have a charm that draws the viewer in. You can also enjoy the story that depicts the balance between the mission of a magical girl and life in the human world.

4. **Luxurious voice actors and music**: A luxurious voice actor cast, including Yukari Tamura and Masaya Onosaka, plays the characters. Tsuyoshi Watanabe's music also enhances the atmosphere of the work and enriches the viewing experience.

5. **Balance of comedy and action**: The work has a good balance of comedy and action, allowing you to enjoy both laughter and emotion. In particular, you can't miss Ah-kun's perverted personality and the battle scenes between the magical girls.

summary

"Moetan Unreleased Version" is a must-see for fans of the original work, with beautiful animation, charming characters, a stellar cast of voice actors and music. With a good balance of comedy and action, it's full of entertainment for viewers. Be sure to pick up this work and enjoy Ink Nijihara's adventures as a magical girl.