Peach Girl
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
shōjo manga series by Miwa Ueda
. It was published in Japan
by Kodansha
in Bessatsu Friend
from 1998 to 2003 and collected in 18 volumes
. The series was adapted as a Taiwanese drama
in 2002 and a Japan
ese animated
television series in 2005.
The North America
n version of the manga is published in two parts by Tokyopop
: Peach Girl, covering the first eight volumes of the Japanese release; and Peach Girl: Change of Heart, comprising the final ten books. The animated TV series is distributed by Funimation Entertainment
in North America.
Things become even more complicated when Sae, in an attempt to make Momo miserable, spreads rumors about Momo and Kairi making out. The rumor about the kiss between the two is true, but it was Kairi who initiated it while Momo remained stunned by the interaction. When Toji is hospitalized, Sae convinces Toji to break up with Momo. They soon get back together, but Sae later tries to make their relationship complicated again by threatening to discredit Momo with her newly acquired access to the mass media. Though Toji is defiant to begin with, he reluctantly breaks up with Momo in order to protect her. Momo is heartbroken at first, particularly due to not knowing it is part of Sae's schemes. However, she eventually begins dating Kairi, whom she had previously considered annoying, and soon begins to fall in love with him.
When it is revealed to Momo why Toji broke up with her, Momo is left to choose between Toji and Kairi. More problems arise and the love triangle
intensifies.
In "Sae's Story", Sae is left back a year, for she always was skipping classes. She is too stubborn so she goes to Momo's and Kairi's university every day. Toji goes to a good university by himself. Sae then meets one of her childhood sweethearts, Kanji (or Monkey Boy), who left for Malaysia when they were young, and promised to marry Sae when he was back. In love with Sae, Kanji follows her around, trying to win Sae back over. He also takes care of Sae's dog, Sora, when her parents would no longer let her keep it. The dog walks with a little limp, as one day when the dog tried to follow Sae, she threw a rock at its paw and injured it. Sae starts modeling and pretends she goes to college with Momo, when she is really still in high school. She meets Honda and works for CC as a model. She meets a guy named Takuma, but he later turns her down. Sae later meets another guy named Shinji, but realizes he never really liked her. All these ups and downs make Sae realize that Momo, Kairi, and Kanji are the only people that actually care for her.
A boy who has been Momo's crush since junior high school although she never then confessed to him due to a friend saying he "doesn't like girls with tan skin". He overhears Momo confess her love for him to Kairi and then eventually dates Momo but Sae wants him for herself. He has a good heart, but tends to be hard headed and oblivious to what is in front of him, believing what Sae says over what Momo says, much to the frustration of Momo. Sae later blackmails Toji into dating her using pictures of Momo and Jigoro in a hotel bed together. He then breaks up with Momo. After this Momo starts dating Kairi.
Morika
, a spin off focused on the character of Sae Kashiwagi. The story explains why Sae acts in such a cruel and vicious way. It also focuses on her days of repeating her last year of high school.
of Peach Girl was adapted titled , starring Annie Wu
, Vanness Wu
of F4
and Kenji Wu. The setting was changed from high school to college. It was produced by Comic Ritz International Production (可米瑞智國際藝能有限公司) and Chai Zhi Ping (柴智屏) as producer and boardcasted in Taiwan on free-to-air Chinese Television System (CTS)
(華視).
Cast
Music
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
shōjo manga series by Miwa Ueda
Miwa Ueda
is a Japanese manga artist known for her works like Peach Girl and Angel Wars. In 1999, she received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo for Peach Girl....
. It was published in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
in Bessatsu Friend
Bessatsu Friend
is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage girls. It was originally conceived as a bessatsu, or companion magazine, to Shōjo Friend, which is no longer published...
from 1998 to 2003 and collected in 18 volumes
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...
. The series was adapted as a Taiwanese drama
Taiwanese drama
Taiwanese Drama refers to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and have gained increasing popularity in the Mandarin-speaking community...
in 2002 and a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese animated
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 2005.
The 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...
n version of the manga is published in two parts 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...
: Peach Girl, covering the first eight volumes of the Japanese release; and Peach Girl: Change of Heart, comprising the final ten books. The animated TV series is distributed by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
in North America.
Plot
Peach Girl is a high school drama centered on Momo Adachi. A former member of the swim team, Momo tans easily and her hair is bleached out; unfortunately, she is stereotyped by her ignorant classmates, and is forced to endure rumors about being a "easy girl" that has had many sexual relationships. Her only friend is Sae, who is actually responsible for spreading the nasty gossip due to her jealousy of Momo. Momo is in love with Toji, a taciturn baseball player, but the scheming Sae also has her sights set on the boy. Momo's life is further complicated with the introduction of Kairi Okayasu, a wise-cracking playboy who is determined to make her his. He reveals to Momo that she had saved him from drowning the summer before high school started.Things become even more complicated when Sae, in an attempt to make Momo miserable, spreads rumors about Momo and Kairi making out. The rumor about the kiss between the two is true, but it was Kairi who initiated it while Momo remained stunned by the interaction. When Toji is hospitalized, Sae convinces Toji to break up with Momo. They soon get back together, but Sae later tries to make their relationship complicated again by threatening to discredit Momo with her newly acquired access to the mass media. Though Toji is defiant to begin with, he reluctantly breaks up with Momo in order to protect her. Momo is heartbroken at first, particularly due to not knowing it is part of Sae's schemes. However, she eventually begins dating Kairi, whom she had previously considered annoying, and soon begins to fall in love with him.
When it is revealed to Momo why Toji broke up with her, Momo is left to choose between Toji and Kairi. More problems arise and the love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
intensifies.
In "Sae's Story", Sae is left back a year, for she always was skipping classes. She is too stubborn so she goes to Momo's and Kairi's university every day. Toji goes to a good university by himself. Sae then meets one of her childhood sweethearts, Kanji (or Monkey Boy), who left for Malaysia when they were young, and promised to marry Sae when he was back. In love with Sae, Kanji follows her around, trying to win Sae back over. He also takes care of Sae's dog, Sora, when her parents would no longer let her keep it. The dog walks with a little limp, as one day when the dog tried to follow Sae, she threw a rock at its paw and injured it. Sae starts modeling and pretends she goes to college with Momo, when she is really still in high school. She meets Honda and works for CC as a model. She meets a guy named Takuma, but he later turns her down. Sae later meets another guy named Shinji, but realizes he never really liked her. All these ups and downs make Sae realize that Momo, Kairi, and Kanji are the only people that actually care for her.
Characters
- The main character. She has tanned skin and light hair (derived from her constant swimming in chlorinated pools while on the swim team), mistakenly giving others the impression that she is a "beach bunny", lover of the GanguroGanguroGanguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion...
style, or sexually promiscuous. On the contrary, Momo is a shy, sweet and insecure girl, though she has a fierce temper. She has loved Toji for many years, although later on she finds herself falling in love with Kairi. When she found out Toji disliked girls with tan skin, she started to avoid swimming pools and wore a lot of sunblock to get her skin to its original color (presumed to be fair). Later on, Momo finds out that Toji never said he disliked girls with tan skin. Her friend from junior high had made that up because she had liked him too. She is often confused later on when she likes both Toji and Kairi at the same time, causing much dispute between both boys. Though in the end, she picks Kairi and they get back together. Her given nameGiven nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
means 'peachPeachThe peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
' in JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
- The antagonist who does everything to ruin Momo's life. Her fair features (pale skin, dark hair) serve as a contrast for Momo; her "innocent" appearance belies her scheming, manipulative nature. She is the one who spreads malicious gossip about Momo; something Momo knows, but has trouble dealing with, as people are more apt to believe in Sae than the 'airheaded ganguro girl' to the point that Toji believed Sae over Momo (who was currently his girlfriend). She often uses the gossip to make people dislike Momo, as a result of her own jealousy and insecurity. She spreads rumors that she is dating Toji, and that Momo is trying to steal him from her when it is actually the other way around. She really is mean and doesn't care for Momo and isn't her "real" friend. All she wants is popularity in school, to humiliate Momo, and to get Toji all for herself. She will stop at nothing to complete this task. Later, she dates a male model named Jigoro and in the end exploits him to help break up Toji and Momo, the nastiest scheme she has ever plotted. She begins to repent after she falls in love with Ryo and understands the hurtful feeling that she caused Momo, when Ryo seemingly gets her pregnant (it later turns out to be a medical condition that simulates pregnancyFalse pregnancyFalse pregnancy or hysterical pregnancy, most commonly termed pseudocyesis in humans and pseudopregnancy in other mammals, is the appearance of clinical and/or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy when the person or animal is not pregnant. Clinically, false pregnancy is most...
) and subsequently abandons her.
- A popular and carefree classmate of Momo's. Sae goes after him after Momo lies that she likes him to protect her and Toji's relationship, but he is the only boy to see straight through Sae for what she really is. He has the reputation of being a playboy, something he is not exactly proud of. He thought that Momo was the one who once gave him CPR when he had nearly drowned at the beach when they were younger; only to later find out he had been saved by the local male lifeguard. His interest in her is renewed when Sae spreads rumors about them being a couple; he adds to this by claiming he has kissed Momo. When Momo is upset by his rumor, he tries to make the rumor true by kissing her unexpectedly in the beginning of the series.
- After the two start dating, his insecurities about relationships are revealed to stem from his unrequited love for Misao, the school nurse and Kairi's former tutor. However, after he confesses and is shot down by her, he actually feels relieved and confident to pursue his relationship with Momo. He begins fighting over her with Toji and in the end they get back together.
- The English-language manga uses the non standard romanization "Kiley Okayasu". Other groups, such as FUNimation, KodanshaKodansha, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
, and non-English language publishers, use "Kairi".
- The English-language manga uses the non standard romanization "Kiley Okayasu". Other groups, such as FUNimation, Kodansha
A boy who has been Momo's crush since junior high school although she never then confessed to him due to a friend saying he "doesn't like girls with tan skin". He overhears Momo confess her love for him to Kairi and then eventually dates Momo but Sae wants him for herself. He has a good heart, but tends to be hard headed and oblivious to what is in front of him, believing what Sae says over what Momo says, much to the frustration of Momo. Sae later blackmails Toji into dating her using pictures of Momo and Jigoro in a hotel bed together. He then breaks up with Momo. After this Momo starts dating Kairi.
-
- The TokyopopTokyopopTokyopop, 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...
manga renders his family nameFamily nameA family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
as "Toujikamori".
- The Tokyopop
- Kairi's older brother who works in the video game industry. He serves as a male counterpart to Sae, only he is significantly more dangerous. Ryo is in love with Misao, and dated her briefly, but Misao broke up with him because of his cold and manipulating attitude which is revealed when he smacks Sae after hurting Misao.
- Sae meets him and quickly falls for him because of their obvious similarities, though Ryo barely takes the relationship seriously and treats Sae poorly. When Sae tells him she is pregnant with his child he gives her money. Though Ryo feels touched by Sae when she tells him she wants to make a family with him that will love him. Though after they find out Sae had a false pregnancy they two split however Ryo stills feels touched and seems to be interested in having kids.
- The school nurse and a big sister figure for Momo. Misao was once Kairi's tutor and crush, and an old flame of Ryo's. She breaks up with Ryo after finding out his "true personality".
- He is called and is a male model who is smitten with Sae and unaware of her true personality. She uses him in her schemes against Momo.
Morika
- A young woman who once dated both Okayasu brothers, Morika has a grudge against Ryo and tries to use Kairi against him. Morika hires some thugs to beat up Ryo as revenge for using her.
Anime
| # | Episode Title | Airdate (Japan) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Love Hurricane! Love Hurricane! ラブ・ハリケーン！ |
8 January 2005 |
| 2 | The Trap Kiss! Trap Kiss! トラップ・キス！ |
15 January 2005 |
| 3 | How Far Will You Go, Super Sae? Koko Made Yaru!? Super Sae ここまでやる!? スーパーさえ |
22 January 2005 |
| 4 | The Catastrophe Kiyoku Tadashii Hakyou Sengen 清く正しい破局宣言 |
29 January 2005 |
| 5 | The Swim Meet From Hell Shakunetsu Dotou no Suiei Taikai 灼熱怒涛の水泳大会 |
5 February 2005 |
| 6 | Sudden Death At Love Gekitotsu! Koi no Sudden Death 激突！恋のサドンデス |
12 February 2005 |
| 7 | A Brief Love Sign Tsukanoma no Love Sign つかのまのＬＯＶＥサイン |
19 February 2005 |
| 8 | Fame Isn't Enough Black Girl ブラックガール |
26 February 2005 |
| 9 | The Destruction of Pure Love Junai Hakai Kousaku 純愛破壊工作 |
5 March 2005 |
| 10 | Peach Crisis Peach Crisis ピーチクライシス |
12 March 2005 |
| 11 | An Unbearable Breakup Setsuna Sugiru Wakare 切なすぎる別れ |
19 March 2005 |
| 12 | The Peach Flower, Blossomed? Momo no Hana, Saita? ももの花、咲いた？ |
26 March 2005 |
| 13 | Shock! An Ex-Girlfriend Barges In! Shougeki! Moto Kano Rannyuu!? 衝撃！元カノ乱入!? |
2 April 2005 |
| 14 | The Man Who Creates A Storm Arashi wo Yobu Otoko 嵐を呼ぶ男 |
9 April 2005 |
| 15 | Who Will It Be? Honmei wa Dare? 本命は誰？ |
16 April 2005 |
| 16 | When Love Hits Rock Bottom Don Soko no Koi no Yukue どん底の恋の行方 |
23 April 2005 |
| 17 | Direct Line to Pure Love! Junai Icchokusen! 純愛一直線！ |
30 April 2005 |
| 18 | A Summer Seduction Manatsu no Yuuwaku 真夏の誘惑 |
7 May 2005 |
| 19 | The Emotional Puzzle Kimochi no Puzzle キモチのパズル |
14 May 2005 |
| 20 | One Stormy Night Arashi no Ichiya 嵐の一夜 |
21 May 2005 |
| 21 | Continuous Love Storm Warnings! Koi no Sainen Chuuihou 恋の再燃注意報 |
28 May 2005 |
| 22 | Imaginary Love Affair Nounai Renai 脳内恋愛 |
4 June 2005 |
| 23 | Forced to Choose Tsukitsukerareta Sentaku 突きつけられた選択 |
11 June 2005 |
| 24 | The Truth About Goodbye Sayonara no Shinjitsu サヨナラの真実 |
18 June 2005 |
| 25 | Last Typhoon! Last Hurricane! ラスト・ハリケーン！ |
25 June 2005 |
Spin-off
Ueda wrote Peach Girl: Sae's StoryPeach Girl: Sae's Story
is a shōjo manga series by Miwa Ueda. It is a sequel to Peach Girl, told from the point of view of Sae, the antagonist of Peach Girl. It was published in Japan by Kodansha in Bessatsu Friend from 2004 to 2006 and collected in three tankōbon volumes...
, a spin off focused on the character of Sae Kashiwagi. The story explains why Sae acts in such a cruel and vicious way. It also focuses on her days of repeating her last year of high school.
Live-action drama
In November 2002, a 13 episode Taiwanese dramaTaiwanese drama
Taiwanese Drama refers to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and have gained increasing popularity in the Mandarin-speaking community...
of Peach Girl was adapted titled , starring Annie Wu
Annie Wu (actress)
Annie Wu is a Taiwanese actress and model.She has mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV series, and was featured in Jackie Chan's Police Story 4: First Strike. Though not fluent in Cantonese, she has also been featured in several Hong Kong films and magazine spreads...
, Vanness Wu
Vanness Wu
Van Ness Wu is a American actor, singer, director, producer based in Asia. He was born on August 7, 1978 in Santa Monica, California and worked as a telemarketer before moving to Taiwan...
of F4
F4 (band)
F4 is a Taiwanese boy band. The group began in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden as F4 with members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Vic Chou...
and Kenji Wu. The setting was changed from high school to college. It was produced by Comic Ritz International Production (可米瑞智國際藝能有限公司) and Chai Zhi Ping (柴智屏) as producer and boardcasted in Taiwan on free-to-air Chinese Television System (CTS)
Chinese Television System
Chinese Television System is a broadcast television station in Republic of China .-History:Founded on October 31, 1971, CTS started off as a joint venture between the ROC's Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. At the time of its establishment, CTS was the only VHF-supported...
(華視).
Cast
- Annie WuAnnie Wu (actress)Annie Wu is a Taiwanese actress and model.She has mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV series, and was featured in Jackie Chan's Police Story 4: First Strike. Though not fluent in Cantonese, she has also been featured in several Hong Kong films and magazine spreads...
as Xiao Tao (安達桃) - Vanness WuVanness WuVan Ness Wu is a American actor, singer, director, producer based in Asia. He was born on August 7, 1978 in Santa Monica, California and worked as a telemarketer before moving to Taiwan...
of F4F4 (band)F4 is a Taiwanese boy band. The group began in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden as F4 with members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Vic Chou...
as Ah Li (岡安浬) - Kenji Wu as Dong Si (東寺森一矢)
- Guan Ru as Sha Hui (柏木紗繪)
- Edward OuEdward OuEdward Ou was born on 16 October 1980 in Taiwan. He is a Taiwanese actor. He graduated from from Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School in 1998. Ou is junior to other Taiwanese entertainers such as Barbie Hsu, whom he co-starred with in the Meteor Garden series, and Dee Hsu; and senior to Alien Huang, Rainie...
as OD - Vicky Chen (陳孝萱) as Misao Aki (安芸操)
Music
- Opeing theme song: "愛的就是你" (Love Is You) by Wang Leehom
- Insert song: "你不愛我愛誰?" (Who Do You Love If Not Me?) by Vanness WuVanness WuVan Ness Wu is a American actor, singer, director, producer based in Asia. He was born on August 7, 1978 in Santa Monica, California and worked as a telemarketer before moving to Taiwan...
- Ending theme song: "我依然相信你還愛我" (I Believe in Your Love) by Ginny Liu (劉虹嬅)