Astarotte's Toy! - A moving world woven with charming characters and a unique story

Astarotte's Toy! - The Enchanted Story of Yugvalland and the Tsundere Princess

■Overview of the work

"Astarotte's Toy!" is a TV anime series that aired from April 10 to June 26, 2011, and is based on the manga "Lotte's Toy!" by Haga Yui. It has 12 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and was available on many stations, including Chiba TV, tvk, Sun TV, Teletama, TOKYO MX, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, Niconico Channel, Bandai Channel, AT-X, and Tochigi TV. Animation was produced by Diomedea, and the production committee included Pony Canyon, ASCII Media Works, Kadokawa Shoten, Klockworks, Diomedea, and Dax Production.

■ Story

While job hunting, Naoya is abducted by a mysterious woman and arrives in the land of demons, Yugvalland. There, he is ordered to join Princess Lotte's harem. Lotte has a selfish and tsundere personality, but she is actually lonely, and as Naoya learns her true nature, he decides to stay in this world. Furthermore, Naoya's daughter Asuha also comes to Yugvalland from the human world, and a strange cohabitation life begins in which mother, daughter, and their lover live under the same roof. However, Naoya and his friends' intrusion causes one mishap after another, and the story unfolds in an unpredictable way.

■Explanation

"Astarotte's Toy!" is an original comic by Yui Haga that began serialization in Dengeki Maoh in 2007. Five volumes of the original comic are currently on sale, and it tells a slightly erotic and heartwarming story centering on Lotte, a succubus princess with a tsundere personality, Naoya, who has been chosen as a candidate for her harem as her "toy," and Naoya's daughter, Asuha. Yui Haga is also known for her illustrations of the hit light novel "Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu," and her unique style and character design are attractively depicted in this work.

■Cast

The cast of this work is a star-studded cast of voice actors. Kugimiya Rie plays Astarotte, Sato Rina plays Naoya, and Tamura Yukari plays Asuha. Other talented voice actors such as Nabatame Hitomi, Fujimura Ayumi, Horie Yui, Suzuki Misaki, Cho, Minaguchi Yuko, Matsuki Miyu, Hirohashi Ryo, Hadano Yui, Goto Yuko, Yoshino Hiroyuki, Asumi Kana, Shiraishi Ryoko, Kaida Yuko, and Saito Chiwa round out the supporting cast. The performances of these voice actors bring out the charm of the characters to the fullest.

■ Main staff

The director is Fumitoshi Ozaki, the character designer is Mai Otsuka, and the series composition is by Deko Akao. In addition, Akiyuki Shinbo is involved as a compositional collaborator, and professionals from various fields have come together, including okama as world visual designer, Kenichi Tajiri as art director, Yuki Hama as cinematographer, Mayu Saito as color designer, Miwa Iwanami as sound director, Dax Productions as sound production, and Diomedea as animation production. The combined efforts of these staff members have resulted in beautiful visuals and intricate storytelling.

■ Main Characters

Lotte is the princess of Yugvalland, and has become extremely man-hating due to a childhood trauma, but gradually opens up after meeting Naoya. Naoya is a 23-year-old young man with a somewhat childish face, and is also the father of one child. He is selected as a candidate for Lotte's harem and moves to Yugvalland. Asuha is Naoya's 10-year-old daughter, and has an innocent, cheerful, and kind personality, but she also has a troublesome side to her: she doesn't like to wear pants. Judith is the head lady-in-waiting at Lotte's mansion, and behind her calm and collected attitude, she hides a sadistic personality. Zelda is the captain of the guards who guard Lotte, and is a strong woman with invincible swordsmanship. Effie is the head maid at Lotte's mansion, and is a rare race called the Keelbringa, a dairy cow demon. Ku is a serious and hardworking maid who works under Effie, and is half dark demon and half demon. Ofra was Lotte's caretaker and chief chamberlain, but is now retired. Melcherida is Lotte's mother and the king of Yugvalland, and is a member of the Succubus race, so she loves men. The human drama woven by these characters is what makes this series so fascinating.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: "Exclamation of Encounter"
• Episode 2: "My First Semicolon"
• Episode 3: "Parlen's Misunderstanding"
• Episode 4: "Party Ampersand"
• Episode 5: "Cross Quotation"
• Episode 6: "Confused Carette"
• Episode 7: "Secret Apostrophe"
• Episode 8: "The Bullish Comma"
• Episode 9: "Mild Fever Backslash"
• Episode 10: "Fist Fighting Side-by-Side"
• Episode 11: "Full stop, just the two of us"
• Episode 12: "Asterisk Across the Sky"

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Tenshi no Clover" with lyrics by Otsuka Rie, music and arrangement by Murakami Masayoshi, and singing by Manami. The ending theme is "Manatsu no Photograph" with lyrics, music and arrangement by azusa, t.sato & r.wat, and singing by azusa. These songs add to the atmosphere of the work.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Astarotte's Toy!" depicts the strange life of the tsundere princess Lotte and Naoya living together in Yugvalland, starting with their strange encounter. While making the most of the charm of the original work, the story is enriched with visuals and music unique to anime. In particular, the characters' personalities stand out, drawing viewers in. The story unfolds unpredictably, and is full of elements that build anticipation for the next episode.

The appeal of this work lies above all in the relationships and growth of the characters. It is heartwarming to watch how Lotte's tsundere personality and Naoya's kindness intertwine and gradually they open up to each other. In addition, the individuality of each character, such as Asuha's innocence, Judith's sadistic personality, and Zelda's strength, enriches the story. Furthermore, the fantasy world setting of Yugvalland is also appealing, drawing the viewer into a world beyond the ordinary.

In terms of music, the opening theme "Tenshi no Clover" and the ending theme "Manatsu no Photograph" add to the atmosphere of the story, allowing viewers to enjoy the afterglow after watching. In particular, Aimi's and azusa's singing voices match each song well, and will surely resonate with viewers.

This work is an exquisite blend of fantasy, comedy, and a little bit of naughty elements. I would highly recommend this work to those who want to enjoy the story of a tsundere princess and her "toys" and those who are interested in human drama in a fantasy world. After watching it, you will definitely be drawn into the growth of the characters and the charm of Yugvalland.

Related information

The original comic for "Astarotte's Toy!" is currently being serialized in Dengeki Maoh, with five volumes currently available. By reading the original, you can learn about episodes and character backgrounds that are not depicted in the anime, allowing you to enjoy the work even more deeply. Also, if you check out Yui Haga's other works, you will be able to enjoy her unique style and storytelling even more.

Also, be sure to check out the related merchandise and event information. There are many must-see items for fans, such as character goods, soundtracks, and figures, on sale. There are also opportunities to interact with other fans at fan events and Comic Markets. Be sure to check out the related information to enjoy the world of "Astarotte's Toy!" even more.

Above, we have introduced the appeal and recommended points of "Astarotte's Toy!". Please watch this work, which is an exquisite blend of fantasy, comedy, and a little bit of erotic elements. You will definitely be touched by the strange cohabitation life in Yugvalland and the growth of the characters.