The appeal and evaluation of "Manga-ru!": A must-read review for anime fans

"Manga-ru!": A heartwarming anime about the struggles and laughs of a manga editorial department

"Mangaaru!" is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired in 2013, based on the manga "Mangaaru" by Tamaoka Kagari. This is a comedy anime that depicts the struggles of a group of girls with no experience in manga editing as they launch a manga magazine from scratch. It aired from January 3rd to March 28th, 2013, on channels such as TOKYO MX, Sun TV, and AT-X. It was also streamed on Nico Nico Douga. Each episode is only 5 minutes long, but the content is dense and viewers will not get bored.

story

The main character, Hana, is a manga-loving woman who works at a publishing company. After submitting proposals for a long time, she finally succeeds in launching a manga magazine called "Comic Earth Star." Hana becomes editor-in-chief, and is joined by her school friend Aki, the fairy tale princess Ringo, and the gluttonous Tsugumi, forming an editorial department made up of girls with no experience in manga editing.

The first episode, "This is the Earth Star Comic Editorial Department," depicts Hana and her team starting up the editorial department. The second episode, "Everyday Editors," depicts the daily life of the editorial department as they work hard to launch a manga magazine, and includes a meeting scene with female manga artist Fujimori Shinobu. The third episode, "A Perfect Day for a Photoshoot," depicts the editorial staff enthusiastically taking on the challenge of shooting popular voice actress Sakuradai Kiiro, who will be featured in the lead photo spread.

In episode 4, "Joe with the Assistant," Shinobu-sensei's assistant falls ill with a cold, and Hana ends up helping out with the manuscript instead. Episode 5, "Typesetting Midnight," depicts a scene in which the editorial department is making typesetting instructions for manga manuscripts late at night, and Sayuri and Hikari from the animation department make an appearance. Episode 6, "Infinite Proofreading," depicts the proofreading process after the manuscript for the first issue is submitted, and shows the struggles of the printing company.

Episode 7, "The Very Famous Ryoma Road," depicts a trip together with Shinobu-sensei on a research trip, taking on a tough schedule that takes them to Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima over a three-day, two-night trip. Episode 8, "The Stars of Comisuke," depicts a scene where Aki exhibits at the Comisuke manga festival held in Odaiba, where she shows off her unexpected talent. Episode 9, "Azukarimon," depicts the fate of the editorial department, which becomes a mountain of pets after a serialized manga artist asks the editorial department to look after his pet.

In episode 10, "More Cutecourt," Hana and Aki go round to Akihabara bookstores to say hello, and meet Tsugumi, Ringo, and Shinobu-sensei at a maid cafe. In episode 11, "We just haven't tried our best yet," they check the manuscript brought in by An, a middle school girl who aspires to be a manga artist, and show how to guide her to make a good manuscript. In episode 12, "The First Volume," Shinobu-sensei's popular serial "Cyber-Modified Human Ryoma Sakamoto" is published in book form, and the proofreading, cover design, and obi comment arrangements are shown. In episode 13, "Anime Da V!", "Comic Earth Star" celebrates its first anniversary, and Sayuri and Hikari from the animation division announce the offer to make "Cyber-Modified Human Ryoma Sakamoto" into an anime.

Commentary

"Mangaaru!" is a comedy anime that depicts the struggles of four girls with no editing experience who launch a manga magazine from scratch. The original is a popular comic that has been serialized in "Monthly Comic Earth Star" since its launch, and has been made into a TV anime. It is a work filled with the laid-back daily lives of the cheerful editor-in-chief Hana and the female editorial staff, as well as the real circumstances of the manga industry. Watching this may give you an idea of ​​what goes on behind the scenes at a comic book editorial department.

cast

・Hana Sasayama: Kanako Miyamoto ・Aki Torii: Yuri Komagata ・Tsugumi Ogi: Moemi Odaka ・Ringo Nishijima: Ayaka Ohashi ・Shinobu Fujimori: Ai Kayano ・Sayuri Misono: Ayana Taketatsu ・Hikari Ayano: Eri Kitamura ・Kiiro Sakuradai: Aoi Yuki

Main Staff

・Original work: Earth Star Entertainment ・Manga: Kagari Tamaoka ・Character design: Yasu ・Scenario: Yusuke Saito, Kai
・Serialized in: Monthly Comic Earth Star ・Animation production: Doga Kobo ・Director: Nobuaki Nakanishi ・Series composition: Reiko Yoshida ・Scriptwriters: Reiko Yoshida, Masahiro Yokotani ・Chief animation director: Shinya Ojiri

Main Characters

・Sasayama Hana: The female editor-in-chief of the new magazine "Comic Earth Star". She has a childlike personality and can quickly become friends with anyone, but she often skips work and plays around, which always gets her scolded by Aki.
・Torii Aki: A cool beauty and deputy editor-in-chief. She is good at her job and caring, but she also has a secret (?) side to her: she's an otaku. She's Hana's childhood friend and keeps her in check.
・Ogi Tsugumi: A lively girl who often plays the straight man in the editorial department, which is full of unique personalities. She is actually quite a glutton and has a bottomless stomach.
・Nishijima Ringo: A fairytale-like young lady who is out of touch with the world. She is loved as the mascot of the editorial department, but in fact she is the most skilled and productive member of the department.
・Shinobu Fujimori: A female manga artist who is starting a new series in "Comic Earth Star." She is beautiful and has a gentle personality, but she is not very good at cleaning.
・Misono Sayuri: A tsundere anime planning division manager who works at Earth Star, the same company as Hana and her friends. She is Hana's childhood friend and is nicknamed "Omischan."
・Hikari Ayano: Deputy Director of the Animation Planning Division at Earth Star. A boyish butler who serves Sayuri. Sometimes, he seems to tease his master Sayuri.
・Sakuradai Kiiro: A young female voice actress who is rapidly gaining popularity. She will be featured on the cover and in the opening photo spread of the inaugural issue of "Comic Earth Star," which Hana and her friends edit.

subtitle

・Episode 1: This is the Earth Star Comic editorial department ・Episode 2: Daily Editor ・Episode 3: A Perfect Day for Gravure Photography ・Episode 4: Assistant and Joe
Episode 5: Typesetting MidnightEpisode 6: Infinite ProofreadingEpisode 7: The Kimiji Ryoma RoadEpisode 8: Comisuke's StarEpisode 9: AzukarimonEpisode 10: More CutkureEpisode 11: We Just Haven't Been Serious YetEpisode 12: The First VolumeEpisode 13: It's Anime V!

Theme songs and music

・ED1: girl meets DEADLINE
1 to 12
Lyrics: Aki Hata Music: Masaya Koike Singer: M@N☆GIRL! (Kanako Miyamoto, Yuri Komagata, Moemi Odaka, Ayaka Ohashi)

・ED2: Mainichi☆Mangaaru!
13
・Lyrics: Tsukimiya Usagi ・Composition: IKUTO
・Arrangement: Masaya Koike ・Singer: M@N☆GIRL! (Kanako Miyamoto, Yuri Komagata, Moemi Odaka, Ayaka Ohashi)

Ratings and Recommendations

"Manga-ru!" is a unique comedy anime that depicts the behind-the-scenes of a manga editorial department. The short 5-minute episodes are packed with the daily life of an editorial department and the real circumstances of the manga industry, so viewers will not get bored. In particular, the innocent personality of Editor-in-Chief Hana and the unique characters of the editorial staff are charming, making this a work that will make you smile while watching.

In addition, the original is a popular comic that has been serialized since the launch of "Monthly Comic Earth Star," so even fans of the original work cannot miss it. The anime adaptation has faithfully retained the charm of the original while adding expressions and production unique to anime, allowing fans of the original work to enjoy it from a new perspective.

The cast is also impressive, featuring talented voice actors such as Miyamoto Kanako, Komagata Yuri, Odaka Moemi, and Ohashi Ayaka. In particular, Miyamoto Kanako's performance as Hana brings out the character's charm to the fullest, and has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the ending songs "girl meets DEADLINE" and "Mainichi☆Manga-ru!" are sung by M@N☆GIRL!, adding to the atmosphere of the anime.

This work is recommended not only for those who like manga and anime, but also for those who are interested in editorial departments and the publishing industry. Works that depict the behind-the-scenes of an editorial department are rare, and it is a valuable opportunity to learn about the real circumstances of the industry. In addition, the laughter and emotions packed into the short episodes are perfect for busy modern people. Please give it a watch.

Additional Information

Mangaru! is animated by Doga Kobo, directed by Nakanishi Nobuaki, with series composition by Yoshida Reiko and scripts by Yoshida Reiko and Yokotani Masahiro. Ojiri Shinya is the animation director and Yasu is in charge of character design. The manga is based on the manga by Tamaoka Kagari and is serialized in Monthly Comic Earth Star.

The broadcasting stations are TOKYO MX, Sun TV, and AT-X, and the broadcast times are different. On TOKYO MX, it was broadcast from 1:35 am to 1:40 am on Wednesdays from January 2, 2013, on Sun TV, it was broadcast from 1:10 am to 1:15 am on Wednesdays from January 2, 2013, and on AT-X, it was broadcast from 11:10 pm to 11:15 pm on Thursdays from January 3, 2013. It was also distributed on Nico Nico Douga, and was updated every Thursday at 10:00 am from January 3, 2013.

"Manga-ru!" is a heartwarming anime that depicts the struggles and laughter of a manga editorial department. You can enjoy the laughs, emotions, and real-life circumstances of the industry packed into short episodes. Please give it a watch.