Kodocha
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series by Miho Obana
, helped periodically by her sister, Kaori Obana. The series is commonly known under the name Kodocha. The manga won the 1998 Kodansha Manga Award
for shōjo. In the year 2007, At the American Anime Awards the anime was nominated for best comedy anime. The series was adapted
as an OVA and later as an anime
television series.
In 2002, the manga was published in North America
in English
by Tokyopop
as Kodocha: Sana's Stage. In 2006, Tokyopop lost the license to the manga, leaving it out of print
. The first half of the anime
series was licensed for North American distribution by FUNimation and has been released on DVD; the second half remains in limbo.
for best shōjo manga in 1998 and received a 3.5/4-star rating in Jason Thompson
's Manga: The Complete Guide
.
in the magazine Ribon
from August 1994 to November 1998. It was collected in ten tankōbon
volumes. The series was published in North America
in English
by Tokyopop
under the title Kodocha: Sana's Stage. As of 2008, this English edition is out of print and Tokyopop no longer has the license.
(episodes 1-44) and "Ultra Relax" by Tomoe Shinohara
(episodes 45-102); the ending theme songs are "Panic" by Still Small Voice (episodes 1-39), "DAIJO-BU" by Tomoko Hikita (episodes 40-74), and "Pinch (Love Me Deeper)" by Rina Chinen
(episodes 75-102). The first 51 episodes deal with the elementary school story arc and the remaining 51 episodes deal with the middle school story arc.
A single-episode OVA was also released earlier to the series, with significantly different character designs.
The series was partially broadcast on American TV in a syndicated FUNimation Channel
programming block airing on CoLours TV
and Los Angeles KSCI
-DT channel 18.3. The first DVD was released in the U.S. on 2005-08-02, containing the first four episodes of the series. While no actual footage was removed from the series, the first two episodes of the dub
has removed references to Rei being Sana's "pimp
". (The Japanese word used, himo, can mean either "pimp" or the less problematic term "gigolo
".) The first opening song, "7 O'Clock News", could not be used for contractual reasons concerning the Japanese boy band Tokio
and "Ultra Relax" (the theme to the second story arc) was used instead. All references to Tokio in the Japanese version of episode 001 have been removed from the subtitles and are replaced with (XXXXX) where Tokio would be mentioned and the audio is silent as well. The name Tokio still appears in the end credits.
Funimation has released season 1 in two boxsets.
There is a petition at Petitiononline.com to bring Kodocha back in Dub.
epilogues, including various alternate-universe scenarios. These include:
The story takes place ten years after the end of Kodocha. Shuri, the heroine of Honey Bitter, is hired by Rei to spy on Akito because he had separated from Sana earlier. At this point, Sana and Akito are married and expecting a child. As she follows Akito, Shuri becomes good friends with Sana. She eventually discovers that the reason Akito separated from Sana is because he is afraid that she will die giving birth. When Sana gives birth, Shuri convinces Akito to face his fears by going to the hospital and seeing Sana and the baby. Sana gives birth to a daughter whom she names Sari. After their daughter's birth, Sana and Akito reconcile and begin raising their daughter together.
Other sources
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Miho Obana
Miho Obana
is a shōjo manga artist born in Tokyo, Japan.She began her manga career as an assistant to Momoko Sakura, creator of Chibi Maruko-chan. She debuted in 1990 with the Mado no Mukō, which was published in the autumn 1990 issue of Ribon Bikkuri...
, helped periodically by her sister, Kaori Obana. The series is commonly known under the name Kodocha. The manga won the 1998 Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for shōjo. In the year 2007, At the American Anime Awards the anime was nominated for best comedy anime. The series was adapted
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
as an OVA and later as an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series.
In 2002, the manga was published in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
as Kodocha: Sana's Stage. In 2006, Tokyopop lost the license to the manga, leaving it out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
. The first half of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series was licensed for North American distribution by FUNimation and has been released on DVD; the second half remains in limbo.
Characters
The main characters of Kodocha are Sana, Akito and all of their other friends at school, in Sana's work, and their families.- At the start of the series, Sana is an 11-year-old child star who is exuberant, cheerful and generally outgoing. Because a boy named Akito Hayama is causing chaos in her classroom, and she sets out to stop him. However, as she learns more about him she becomes compassionate for Akito. Sana began her acting career at the Kowamari Theater Troupe, and now stars in a popular variety program called Child's Toy, as well as television commercials. During the course of the series, her career flourishes, and she stars in TV dramas and a feature film among other projects. However, when Fuka comes in the series, her relationship with both Fuka (her new friend) and Akito crumbles and all three are left hurting. Fuka, who asks Akito out, becomes his "girlfriend". Sana in the meantime is in the mountains starring in a movie and doesn't know about this, and cannot call Hayama or Fuka. Naozumi tells her he loves her, but Sana remains faithful to her love for Akito which is revealed during a night with Asako. She matures quickly during the series but, in her heart, remains a true child. In 2009, Miho Obana published a 100 page crossover manga between Kodocha and Honey Bitter called, Deep Clear in which Sana is shown as an adult, 26 years old, married to Akito and is shown pregnant with his child. She gives birth to a girl whom she names Sari.
- Akito is a sullen boy of few words and physically strong, with a powerful karateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
chop. At the beginning of the series, it is shown that Akito has acrophobiaAcrophobiaAcrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear of heights. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort that share both similar etiology and options for treatment.Most people experience a degree of natural fear when exposed to heights, especially if there is little...
. Akito's mother died when giving birth to him, which leads to his older sister Natsumi resenting him, frequently becoming angry with Akito and calling him a "Monster" or "Demon". In addition, Akito has a distant relationship with his father, who works long hours. Despite his troublemaking ways, Akito is smart and gets good grades. His friendship with Sana softens his behaviour, and she helps him have a better relationship with his family. Although capable of cruelty, Akito has his own code of honor: even the teacher who he terrorizes will admit that Akito will never lie, and Akito refuses to pretend to be nice to anyone he doesn't like or respect. Inspired in part by Sana's devotion to her acting career, Akito takes karate classes. He always gets jealous when he sees Sana with another boy. As he puts it, "he doesn't hate her." Later in the series, he becomes angry with the so-called oblivious Sana, who is unaware of his love for her even though he had kissed her three times (and touched her chest throughout the entire series), he starts dating Fuuka who has confessed to him, Sana later becomes jealous, He then tells her that "he has always loved her, even though he didn't say anything." In 2009, Miho Obana published a 100 page crossover manga between Kodocha and Honey Bitter called, Deep Clear in which Akito is shown as an adult, 26 years old, married to Sana and in the end is shown with his and Sana's daughter who is named Sari.
Reception
Kodocha was generally well received by critics and readers. It won the Kodansha Manga AwardKodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for best shōjo manga in 1998 and received a 3.5/4-star rating in Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
's Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
.
Manga
Kodomo no Omocha was originally serialized by ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
in the magazine Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
from August 1994 to November 1998. It was collected in ten tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. The series was published in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
under the title Kodocha: Sana's Stage. As of 2008, this English edition is out of print and Tokyopop no longer has the license.
Anime
The anime version consists of 102 TV episodes, which aired in Japan weekly from April 5, 1996 to March 27, 1998. The opening theme songs are "19 O'Clock News" by TokioTokio (band)
Tokio is a Japanese rock/pop band formed by Johnny & Associates that debuted in 1994. It is made up of five men who were signed with Sony Music Entertainment from 1994 to 2001, with Universal Music Japan from 2001 to 2008, and are now signed under J Storm, a label owned by Johnny & Associates...
(episodes 1-44) and "Ultra Relax" by Tomoe Shinohara
Tomoe Shinohara
is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion designer, producer and artist. She is notable for her flamboyant fashion sense and bubbly personality, as well her distinctive squealing speaking voice. She is also a close friend of singer Eiko Matsumoto.- Career :In October 1996, Shinohara began as a...
(episodes 45-102); the ending theme songs are "Panic" by Still Small Voice (episodes 1-39), "DAIJO-BU" by Tomoko Hikita (episodes 40-74), and "Pinch (Love Me Deeper)" by Rina Chinen
Rina Chinen
Rina Chinen is a female Japanese entertainer, former singer, model and TV actress. Rina was born in Naha, Okinawa. Although Okinawa is now part of Japan, it has evolved its unique culture and music blended from Chinese, Japanese, and Pacific influences...
(episodes 75-102). The first 51 episodes deal with the elementary school story arc and the remaining 51 episodes deal with the middle school story arc.
A single-episode OVA was also released earlier to the series, with significantly different character designs.
The series was partially broadcast on American TV in a syndicated FUNimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
programming block airing on CoLours TV
CoLours TV
Colours TV was a multicultural American TV network produced by the non-profit organization Black Star Communications. Programs focused on the cultural and educational issues of the Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American communities. Some examples of programming included video...
and Los Angeles KSCI
KSCI
KSCI is an independent television station operating in Los Angeles and on KUAN-LP channel 48 in Poway, California, serving the San Diego area. It targets Asian Americans, and most of its programming is in Asian languages....
-DT channel 18.3. The first DVD was released in the U.S. on 2005-08-02, containing the first four episodes of the series. While no actual footage was removed from the series, the first two episodes of the dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
has removed references to Rei being Sana's "pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
". (The Japanese word used, himo, can mean either "pimp" or the less problematic term "gigolo
Gigolo
Gigolo may refer to:* A male prostitute, escort, or dancer, who offers services to women* Gigolo , a 2006 single by Helena Paparizou* Gigolo , a 2003 single by Nick Cannon...
".) The first opening song, "7 O'Clock News", could not be used for contractual reasons concerning the Japanese boy band Tokio
Tokio (band)
Tokio is a Japanese rock/pop band formed by Johnny & Associates that debuted in 1994. It is made up of five men who were signed with Sony Music Entertainment from 1994 to 2001, with Universal Music Japan from 2001 to 2008, and are now signed under J Storm, a label owned by Johnny & Associates...
and "Ultra Relax" (the theme to the second story arc) was used instead. All references to Tokio in the Japanese version of episode 001 have been removed from the subtitles and are replaced with (XXXXX) where Tokio would be mentioned and the audio is silent as well. The name Tokio still appears in the end credits.
Funimation has released season 1 in two boxsets.
There is a petition at Petitiononline.com to bring Kodocha back in Dub.
Omake endings
The anime included omakeOmake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
epilogues, including various alternate-universe scenarios. These include:
- Akito fails his black belt test twice.
- Asako marries Rei (Sana's manager).
- Akito gets attacked by a pickpocket
- A very angry Shizu gets her vengeance on Fuka for stealing Takaishi.
- The son of a YakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
boss demands Sana that she marries him, and when she refused, the gang beat up her and Akito. Misako and Shizuka Kurata brought together the entire Kurata clan and teams up with another clan to get back at the yakuza. - Naozumi discovers that his family, the Hamiltons, have gone broke.
- Akito wins his black belt, confesses to Sana, and they kiss.
Deep Clear one-shot
Released in 2009 as a 100-page manga. It combines Kodocha and Honey Bitter.The story takes place ten years after the end of Kodocha. Shuri, the heroine of Honey Bitter, is hired by Rei to spy on Akito because he had separated from Sana earlier. At this point, Sana and Akito are married and expecting a child. As she follows Akito, Shuri becomes good friends with Sana. She eventually discovers that the reason Akito separated from Sana is because he is afraid that she will die giving birth. When Sana gives birth, Shuri convinces Akito to face his fears by going to the hospital and seeing Sana and the baby. Sana gives birth to a daughter whom she names Sari. After their daughter's birth, Sana and Akito reconcile and begin raising their daughter together.
External links
Official sites- http://funimation.com/kodocha/, FUNimation's official English anime website
Other sources