Mahoromatic


Mahoromatic is a Japanese manga series written by Bunjūrō Nakayama and illustrated by Bow Ditama. The series follows Mahoro, a female android former soldier who, driven by guilt from her actions during her combat days, decides to dedicate the rest of her life to serving the son of her late commander as a maid. Originally serialized by Wani Books in Comic Gum magazine between 1998 and 2004, it was also compiled into eight tankōbon volumes.
An anime adaptation of Mahoromatic produced by studios Gainax and Shaft aired in Japan from October to December 2001, and was followed by a second season airing from September 2002 to January 2003.

Characters

Misato residence

Mahoro Andou
Suguru Misato
Minawa Andou
Slash

  • Junior high school

Saori Shikijo
In the manga, it is shown, after the time lapse, that she has yet to age, most likely due to her mentioned strict beauty regimen, and has also become the principal of the junior high school, which has done nothing to dampen her love for young boys.
Miyuki Sakura
In the manga, after the time lapse, Miyuki is shown to have inherited, and still manage, the bath house, alongside her family. She is also shown to be married to Suguru's friend and former classmate, Kiyomi Kawahara, with whom she had a child. Despite being separated for so long, Miyuki still cares very deeply for Suguru, and is dismayed that he has yet to be happy or live his own life after Mahoro ceased to function.
Rin Todoriki
In the manga, after the time lapse, it is shown that Rin has now become a teacher at the same junior high school she and her friends had attended when they were younger; similar to when they were younger, she is still the most developed.
Chizuko Oe
In the manga, after the time lapse, it is shown that Chizuko went for her dream and became a popular author, most likely relating to food and taste.
Toshiya Hamaguchi
At the end of the anime, it is suggested that once Minawa is completely healed, Hamaguchi enters into a relationship with Minawa.
Kiyomi Kawahara
In the manga, after the time lapse, Kiyomi is shown to be in a relationship with Suguru's friend and former classmate, Miyuki Sakura, and works at the bath house.
Yoshimi Tanaka

  • Vesper

Minato Hokaze
A friend of Mahoro and her primary care giver, Minato is the scientist primarily responsible for the maintenance of Mahoro; he is also constantly asked by Mahoro to give her a bigger bust.

Saint

Tou Ryuga
Is a combat android seen in the first series as a science teacher. His task was to investigate the reason Mahoro was living as a maid. He also wanted to finish the battle with her to see who is the strongest android/warrior, during the final battle he discovers the reason she is living as a maid for Suguru and who the true warrior is. In the second series, he decides to live as a human and continues to teach at Suguru's school much to the irritation to Slash.
In the end of the anime, he visit the members of the Saint for the last time as they depart to another galaxy.
In the manga version, he marries one of his students whom he saved earlier, and becomes a father of a reborn Mahoro.

Management

Introduced in Something More Beautiful, Management is a top secret organization that had shaped the world from the shadows throughout its history. They are dedicated to destroying not only Saint, to preserve the order they established from alien influence, but Vesper as well, for having sympathy for Saint.
Feldrance
A cold-hearted android in the form of a youth who was created by and works under the Management's robotics scientist Professor Mephlis during his scheme to take Mahoro for himself. However, Feldrance was actually working for the higher-ups to collect the data that Mephlis gathered on Mahoro. When Mephlis's plans failed, Feldrance made his move and killed the scientist before taking the data as his creator's lab explodes; he felt no remorse for betraying his creator, coldly pointing out that it was Mephlis, after all, who made Feldrance the way he is.
In the anime, he soon met his untimely end along with the death of Mahoro.
In the manga version, he chops Suguru's hands while capturing Mahoro but soon stopped by Slash and Ryuuga. He also witnessed the death of Mahoro to save mankind. In the epilogue, he was one of the last defenses of The Management in Mars. He encounters Suguru who kills him. With his last breath, he asks whether the quest of vengeance gave him satisfaction.

Endings

Anime's ending

The finale is set on a Saint-Earth colony world, 20 years after Mahoro's "death" and the mutual defeat of Vesper and Management. Suguru left Japan, deciding never to return, and is now a renegade half-cyborg hunter of the last "Management holdouts." He has only memories of Earth, and a sole companion who later turns out to be an android and tries to kill him for the bounty on his head.
As Suguru is in critical condition, Mahoro reappears alive, asking to take him home.

Manga's ending

The ending is set on Earth, 20 years after Mahoro's death and the defeat of Management. Suguru has been working as a commander within Vesper, and has just returned to Earth from the final defeat of Management's last vestiges.
Unbeknownst to Suguru, Mahoro was reborn as a baby shortly after her death as an android. She has grown up, and remembers Suguru. When Suguru returns from Vesper headquarters expecting to find an empty house, she is there waiting for him.

Manga

Mahoromatic manga series by Bow Ditama and Bunjūrō Nakayama was originally serialized in Comic Gum magazine between December 1998 and July 26, 2004, and compiled into eight tankōbon volumes published by Wani Books. The special edition of the eight volume contained a crystal Mahoro, as well as a special cover. The English version was published by Tokyopop.

Volumes

Anime

The manga proved popular, and was adapted into two anime series jointly by Gainax and Shaft: Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden and Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful
The first series consisted of twelve episodes and ran from September 10, 2001, to January 28, 2002, on BS-i in Japan, and more or less followed the manga to the third volume. The opening theme is "Kaerimichi" by Ayako Kawasumi and the ending theme is "Mahoro de MAMBO" by Triomatic. It was directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga and features music by Toshio Masuda. Kazuhiro Takamura designed the characters and served as chief animation director. Three episodes were outsourced outside of Shaft and Gainax: episode 2, produced at Studio Cats and Yuuhodou; and episode 7, produced at M.S.C.
The second series also followed the manga, culminating in the story's end. This series ran from September 26, 2002, till January 16, 2003. The opening theme is "So-re-i-yu" by Ayako Kawasumi and the ending theme is "Triomatic Ran! Ran! Ran!" by Triomatic. The second season features the returning staff as the first season, but with Yamaga and Jukki Hanada also taking up the role as series composition writers. Shouji Saeki, who worked on the first series, was also promoted as the series' assistant director. Episodes 3, 7, and 12 were outsourced to Artland.
Both seasons have an extra episode titled "End Year Special", shown after episode 10 and 12, respectively. These feature a refresher of all the events so far along with new conversations and discussions between characters.
A television special, Mahoromatic: Summer TV Special, set in the days when Minawa had become a regular part of the household, was produced and aired on August 15, 2003.
A two episode special entitled Mahoromatic: I'm Home Special was announced on August 22, 2009. It aired on October 17 and October 24, 2009. It takes place during the second series, on days 270-268 of Mahoro's life timer. The opening theme is "Tadaima no Kaze" by Ayako Kawasumi and the ending theme is " no Tsuku Bugi!" by Triomatic & Minawa & Mahoro. Saeki, the assistant director of the second season, directed the special, and both Masuda and Takamura returned from the prior seasons.
Originally the anime was licensed by Pioneer Entertainment. As of October 2008, ADV Films had announced that they had regained licenses to both Mahoromatic, and Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful, through its new Japanese licensor Sentai Filmworks. Currently, the anime is distributed by Sentai Filmworks. They also acquired Mahoromatic: I'm Home Special and released it in 2012, with the English dub produced at Bang Zoom! Entertainment.
Mahoromatic, including both seasons and the summer special, is currently available through The Anime Network's free video on demand service, found on many cable systems and DirecTV.

''Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden''

Episodes

''Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful''

Episodes

''Mahoromatic: I'm Home''

Takes place during the second season between episodes 2 and 3, on days 270–268 of Mahoro's life timer. Mahoro and Suguru, along with Suguru's classmates, are preparing for a Hiryu town festival, when Feldlance attacks in an attempt to capture Minawa.

Episodes

DVDs

Japan releases include 6 and 7 discs for first and second television series, Year End Special, Summer Special.
Pioneer/Geneon's North America release include:
  • Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden:
  • Mahoromatic II- Something More Beautiful:
A series of four DVDs was released in Europe for season one, each DVD containing 3 episodes.
Sentai Filmworks re-released Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden in 2 DVDs as Collection 1, which includes only the episodes found in Geneon's release and excluding Summer Special. Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful was also released in 3 DVDs as Collection 2, which includes Geneon's release episodes, and Mahoromatic: Summer Special OVA. Both collections were also available in Full Metal Maid or Ultimate Collection releases. Mahoromatic: I'm Home! was released as a separate disc, or part of Ultimate Collection.