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Sekirei

Summary

Sekirei (セキレイ, lit. Wagtail) is a Japanese manga series by Sakurako Gokurakuin. The manga was serialized in Square Enix's seinen magazine Young Gangan between December 2004 and August 2015. A special epilogue volume to the manga began serialization in the same magazine in May 2017. An anime adaptation produced by Seven Arcs and directed by Keizō Kusakawa aired in Japan between July and September 2008, and a second season aired between July and September 2010. Both seasons were licensed in North America by Funimation, until their license expired in 2017. The central character of the series is Minato Sahashi, a ronin who has failed his college entrance examinations two years in a row. His life changes, however, when he meets several women with special powers called "Sekirei" and is dragged into a battle to possibly decide the fate of the world.

Sekirei
The first volume of the Sekirei manga featuring Musubi.
セキレイ
Genre
Manga
Written bySakurako Gokurakuin
Published bySquare Enix
English publisher
MagazineYoung Gangan
DemographicSeinen
Original runDecember 3, 2004 – August 21, 2015
Volumes19 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byKeizō Kusakawa
Produced by
  • Hiroyuki Shimizu
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music byHiroaki Sano
StudioSeven Arcs
Licensed by
Original networkChiba TV, KBS Kyoto, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Sun TV, Tokyo MX, TV Hokkaido, TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, AT-X, TVQ
English network
Original run July 2, 2008 – September 17, 2008
Episodes12 + OVA (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Sekirei: Pure Engagement
Directed byKeizō Kusakawa
Produced by
  • Kozue Kaneniwa
  • Shunsuke Saitō
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music byHiroaki Sano
StudioSeven Arcs
Licensed by
  • NA: Aniplex of America
  • UK: Crunchyroll UK and Ireland
Original networkAT-X, KBS Kyoto, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Sun TV, Tokyo MX, TV Hokkaido, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
English network
Original run July 4, 2010 – September 26, 2010
Episodes13 + OVA (List of episodes)

Plot edit

In Tokyo, known as Shinto Teito (新東帝都, Shintō Teito, "New Eastern Imperial Capital"), in 2020, 19-year-old Minato Sahashi is extremely intelligent, yet due to his major lack of self-confidence has failed the college entrance exam twice.

The same day of his second failure, Minato meets a girl named Musubi, who literally falls out of the sky on top of him. Minato soon learns that she is a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the "Sekirei", and she chooses him as her "Ashikabi", one of the mysterious set of humans that have the genetic trait and can make a contract by kissing the Sekirei; this binds the Sekirei to the Ashikabi and allows them to use their full power in elimination battles with other Sekirei. Made up of 108 cute girls, attractive buxom women and bishōnen, the Sekirei battle in a competition known as the "Sekirei Plan" organized by Hiroto Minaka, the chairman and founder of the mysterious and powerful MBI Corporation.

Minato quickly learns that being the partner of a Sekirei is not all fun and games, especially when five other Sekirei choose him as their Ashikabi, each also forming a contract/bond with him. Now Minato must find a way to survive both the life-threatening battles of the Sekirei Plan and his partners' fierce competition for him.

Terminology edit

Sekirei edit

Sekirei (鶺鴒, lit. Wagtail) are superpowered beings with a different genetic code that may react to a human's, and who have been "modified" to be able to exist on Earth. The Sekirei spaceship crashed on Earth in 1999 on Kamikura Island (神座島, Kamikura-jima), and was found by two students, Hiroto Minaka (future MBI chairman) and Takami Sahashi (future MBI head researcher and Minato's mother). On board, the pair had found 108 life-forms, described as "One pillar and 107 baby birds".[5][6]

  • The first of them (a pillar, shown as #00,[7] later renumbered and known as #01 Miya) was an adult.
  • Eight (later known as #02–09) were embryos, also known as the "Single Numbers".
  • 99 others (later known as #10–108) were fertilized eggs.

The adult and the eight embryos are also known as the "Single Numbers". It is hinted that unwinged Single Numbers are equal or even more powerful than their winged counterparts.[8] All of the Sekirei had been given adjustments for the Sekirei Plan, especially the Single Numbers. The adjustments had been used not only for enabling them to exist on Earth but also for making them stronger and for controlling and strengthening their power. Each Sekirei has a Norito (祝詞, lit. "Incantations"), a unique ability that allows them to perform powerful attacks. In order to use the Norito, a Sekirei must engage in mucosal contact with (i.e., be kissed by) their Ashikabi[9] prior to reciting it. Sekirei that are under the same Ashikabi can also merge their powers/techniques in order to create more powerful techniques; this puts most Ashikabi at a disadvantage, as only a few Ashikabi possess more than one Sekirei.

Ashikabi edit

Ashikabi (葦牙) are humans with unique DNA that enable them to empower the Sekirei destined to serve them. Through mucosal contact (kissing) between a Sekirei and its Ashikabi, a Sekirei without wings can become a "winged" or "emerged" Sekirei. Unlike Sekirei, who are mostly buxom women or handsome young men, Ashikabi can be quite innocuous as they can appear in any gender, age and even status. In the series, the power of an Ashikabi can be determined not only by the number of Sekirei he or she has in his or her disposal, but by the bond between them. As the Sekirei battle escalates, five Ashikabi in particular, emerged as the favorites to win the Sekirei Fight, each having winged at least three Sekirei. One of them is Natsuo Ichinomi, an employee of MBI who is also the leader of the Disciplinary Squad, while each one of the other four controls a different area in the city; Minato Sahashi in the North, Hayato Mikogami in the South, Izumi Higa in the East and Nishi Sanada in the West. If an Ashikabi dies or is killed, all Sekirei winged by him or her will also perish.

Jinki edit

Jinki (神器, lit. "God instrument"),[10] are eight mysterious artifacts numbered from #1 to #8,[11] also found on the Sekirei spaceship. If all eight of them are gathered, it is possible that they can be used to terminate all Sekirei if the wielder desires.[12] Upon all Sekirei being winged, Minaka puts all Jinki in MBI's possession as prizes for the matches of the Third Stage, and only the Ashikabi with a Jinki are allowed to keep participating in the Sekirei Battle by the end of the stage.

Sekirei Plan edit

The Sekirei Plan (鶺鴒計画, Sekirei Keikaku), known to Minaka and others as the "Game", is a competition in which the Sekirei and their Ashikabi must fight for survival until the last one of each remains. The true purpose of the plan is unknown, but it is implied to be sinister to some extent. The second anime season ended with the Second Stage completed, but before the Third Stage matches begin.

  • First Stage: The Sekirei are adjusted and released in Tokyo. Thereafter, they must find Ashikabi in order to be winged. This stage ends when 90% of the Sekirei have been winged.
  • Second Stage: Teito becomes a closed city and no Sekirei or Ashikabi can leave. The Ashikabi must then wing the remaining unwinged Sekirei, and every Ashikabi and their Sekirei must defeat at least one Sekirei.
  • Third Stage: A series of battle royales between Ashikabi for possession of the Jinki. Only the Ashikabi who secure at least one of the Jinki until the end of this stage are eligible to advance.
  • Final stage: The remaining Ashikabi are brought with their Sekirei to Kamikura Island and must fight among each other for the right to ascend to the Heavenly Palace Kouten and fight the pillar for the prize awaiting the ultimate winner of the Sekirei Battle.

Media edit

Manga edit

Sekirei is a manga series written and illustrated by Sakurako Gokurakuin. It was serialized in Square Enix's seinen manga magazine Young Gangan between December 3, 2004 and August 21, 2015.[13][14] Square Enix published 18 tankōbon volumes between June 25, 2005 and October 24, 2015.[15][16] A sequel to the manga titled Sekirei: Kanojo no Inai 365-nichi no Koto (セキレイ 彼女のいない365日のこと, Sekirei: 365 Days Without Her) began serialization in Young Gangan on May 2, 2017.[3] Yen Press licensed the original series in North America and began releasing the series with the first volume digitally in November 2015.[17] They later began releasing the series in print in omnibus volumes combining two volumes into one in July 2017.[18]

Drama CD edit

A drama CD entitled Sekirei Original Drama CD was released on July 25, 2007 by Frontier Works.[19]

Anime edit

The first 12-episode anime series adaptation produced by the animation studio Seven Arcs and directed by Keizō Kusakawa aired in Japan between July 2 and September 17, 2008. The anime is licensed by Aniplex in Japan. The first season is mostly faithful to the overall story structure of the manga series, covering roughly the first fifty-one chapters of the series. The opening theme is "Sekirei" (セキレイ) and the main ending theme is "Dear sweet heart"; both songs are performed by Saori Hayami (#88 Musubi), Marina Inoue (#9 Tsukiumi), Kana Hanazawa (#108 Kusano) and Aya Endo (#2 Matsu). The ending theme used in episode eleven is "Kimi o Omou Toki" (きみを想うとき, "When I Think of You") by Hayami. Six DVDs of the first season were released between October 22, 2008[20] and March 25, 2009.[21] The sixth DVD volume was supplemented with an original video animation (OVA) episode, "Kusano's First Shopping Trip" (初メテノオツカイ, Hajimete no Otsukai, "The First Errand"), featuring Kusano participating in the shopping race with Musubi and Tsukiumi. A Blu-ray box set of the first season was released on June 30, 2010 with three Blu-ray discs and one additional CD.[22] At Anime USA 2009, Funimation announced that the anime's first season was licensed and a DVD box set was released on November 23, 2010.[23][24]

A second season entitled Sekirei: Pure Engagement (セキレイ～Pure Engagement～) began airing on July 4, 2010[25] on Tokyo MX and on July 6, 2010 on some other Japanese networks.[26] The first episode of Sekirei: Pure Engagement was pre-aired on June 13, 2010. The opening theme is "Hakuyoku no Seiyaku (Pure Engagement)" (白翼ノ誓約〜Pure Engagement〜) and the ending theme is "Onnaji Kimochi" (おんなじきもち, "Same Feeling"); both songs are performed by Hayami, Inoue, Hanazawa and Endo, as in the first season. The ending theme for episode 10 is "Oboeteiru kara" (おぼえているから, "Remembering You") by Hayami. A single containing both songs was released on July 21, 2010. The limited edition of the single came bundled with a special three-minute OVA, classified as episode 0, titled "Two-Topic Gossip" (閑話弐題, Kanwa Ni Dai). The full 28-minute version of the OVA was released with the first BD/DVD volume of the second season on August 25, 2010. As with the first season, Pure Engagement is licensed in North America by Funimation,[27] and released the series on January 3, 2012. Funimation's licenses for both seasons expired on February 9, 2017.[28] Manga Entertainment released Pure Engagement in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2012.

Video game edit

 
Video game cover of Sekirei: Gifts from the Future, released on October 29, 2009.

A video game for PlayStation 2 entitled Sekirei: Gifts from the Future (セキレイ ～未来からのおくりもの～, Sekirei ~Mirai kara no Okurimono~) was released on October 29, 2009 by Alchemist in limited and regular editions.[29][30] Two music pieces implemented for the game's music consist of "Yakusoku I'm with You" (約束 I'm with You, "Promise I'm with You") and "Survive Baby Survive!", both of them performed by Saori Hayami, Marina Inoue, Kana Hanazawa and Aya Endo.[31] The limited edition version was bundled with figures of Musubi and Tsukiumi with Kusano in a panda suit, a 40-minute drama CD, and an illustration of Matsu.[32] While Musubi, Tsukiumi, Matsu, Kusano, Miya, Homura, Uzume and Minato reprise their roles from the anime and manga,[33] four new characters were created by Alchemist consisting of two Sekirei, one Ashikabi and a baby as video game-only characters.

The game takes place in the Sekirei timeline, being played as a visual novel. Minato and the Sekirei of Izumo Inn encounter new characters consisting of Sekirei No. 54, Kuruse (来瀬) (Haruka Tomatsu), Sekirei No. 57, Yahan (夜半) (Ayahi Takagaki), Ashikabi Reiji Koya (甲屋　玲治, Koya Reiji) (Yuichi Nakamura) and a baby referred to as Aka-chan (赤ちゃん) (Haruka Tomatsu).[34] The plot centers around the discovery of said baby, who is being pursued by unknown persons after Minato and the Sekirei find her abandoned in the city.[35]

Reception edit

Volume eight of the Sekirei manga made the top 30 manga sold in Japan, holding third place with 103,811 copies sold from February 24 to March 2, 2009.[36] Volume nine placed 17th out of 30 with 65,732 copies sold from December 21–27, 2009.[37] From June 28 to July 4, 2010, volume ten sold 47,019 copies for a total amount of 120,991 in 20th out of 30.[38]

References edit

  1. ^ Serdar Yegulalp. "Sekirei: Pure Engagement". About.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  2. ^ Thompson, Richard J. (December 17, 2010). "Sekirei DVD - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Sekirei Romantic Comedy Manga to Return on May 2". Anime News Network. March 26, 2017. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Loo, Egan (June 20, 2008). "Two Sekirei Anime TV Commercials Streamed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 69, page 5
  6. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 71, page 7 and 11
  7. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 69, page 4
  8. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 72, page 7
  9. ^ "Umashiashikabihikoji". Kokugakuin University. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  10. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 75, page 7
  11. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapters 78-80
  12. ^ Sekirei manga; Chapter 79, page 16
  13. ^ 2004年12月3日創刊号発売 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on December 7, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  14. ^ "Sakurako Gokurakuin Ends Sekirei Manga, Launches New Series". Anime News Network. August 20, 2015. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  15. ^ セキレイ 1 (in Japanese). ASIN 4757514573.
  16. ^ セキレイ18 (in Japanese). ASIN 4757547722.
  17. ^ "Sekirei, Vol. 1". Yen Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  18. ^ "Sekirei, Vol. 1". Hachette Book Group. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  19. ^ "セキレイドラマCD" (in Japanese). Frontier Works. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  20. ^ "DVD セキレイ 壱(完全生産限定版)" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
  21. ^ "DVD セキレイ 六(完全生産限定版)" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  22. ^ "セキレイ Blu-ray BOX：セキレイ～Pure Engagement～" (in Japanese). Sekirei Anime Official Site. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  23. ^ Stehmer, Eric (November 21, 2009). "Funimation Announces Three New Titles". Toon Zone. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  24. ^ "Funimation Adds Sekirei, Testuwan Birdy Decode & Decode:02". Anime News Network. November 22, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  25. ^ "YGC『セキレイ』第10巻発売＆アニメ化記念フェア開催 !!" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  26. ^ "セキレイ～Pure Engagement～ 下記の放送局にて７月より放送開始予定です。" (in Japanese). Aniplex. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  27. ^ "Funi Adds Trigun Film, Moyashimon, Shiki, Black Butler 2, Sekirei 2, More". Anime News Network. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  28. ^ "Funimation Announces "Sekirei" Anime Rights Expiration". Crunchyroll. January 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  29. ^ "2009 年" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  30. ^ "PS2『セキレイ』声優サイン色紙プレゼントキャンペーン実施中！" (in Japanese). Animate.TV. Archived from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  31. ^ 「セキレイ～未来からのおくりもの～」主題歌 11/4発売決定！. Alchemist (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  32. ^ "Limited Edition Contents Page, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  33. ^ "Characters Page: 1-2, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  34. ^ "Characters Page: 2-2, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  35. ^ "Story Page, Official Sekirei: Gifts from the Future Alchemist Website" (in Japanese). Alchemist. Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  36. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 24-March 2". Anime News Network. 2009-03-04. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  37. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, December 21–27". Anime News Network. 2009-12-30. Archived from the original on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  38. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 24-March 2". Anime News Network. 2010-07-07. Archived from the original on 2017-06-16. Retrieved 2010-08-26.

External links edit

  • Manga official website Archived 2010-11-21 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
  • Anime official website (in Japanese)
  • Video game official website (in Japanese)
  • Sekirei (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

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