Ultra Maniac


Ultra Maniac is a Japanese romantic comedy manga series written by Wataru Yoshizumi. It features two eighth grade students named Ayu Tateishi, a tennis club member, and Nina Sakura, who is actually a trainee witch from the magical kingdom. A manga adaption began serialization in Shueisha's Ribon magazine from February 2001 until January 2004, published in five collected volumes. Viz Media licensed and released an English translation of the series in North America. With Miho Shimogasa by designing the characters and Animation Production by Ashi Productions.
The series was first adapted into a 20-minute original video animation on August 6, 2002. It was also adapted into a 26-episode anime television series from May until November 2003, later licensed for Region 1 distribution by Geneon Entertainment. Both the original video animation and television series were produced by Ashi Productions as well as Animax.

Plot

Ayu Tateishi, an ordinary eighth grade middle school student, finds her friend Nina Sakura outside of the school. Nina explains that she lost something beloved to her earlier that day. Ayu offers to help Nina, the annoying girl look for her lost item, but Nina seems reluctant to say what the item is that she lost, and runs off. On her way home, Ayu finds a small computer underneath the bench she knew Nina to be at earlier that day. After returning the item to Nina, Nina struggles to decide whether to let Ayu in on the "big secret" she keeps.
Wanting to know Ayu's behavior, Nina starts to follow Ayu around and eventually decides she can trust Ayu. Nina reveals that she is actually from the Magic Kingdom and is a magical girl. However, Ayu initially did not believe Nina and thought she was a little clumsy. The former herself had always shunned the ideas of magic and fairy-tales, even admitting she had never read Harry Potter, thus having someone tell her they are a witch might not be something she can easily accept. After several mishaps with her magic, Nina proves she is a magical girl, and a failure who came to Earth as her last chance to prove that she can get things right. These first mishaps and the fact that Nina has shared her secret with Ayu and helps Ayu in winning the heart of her crush, Tetsushi Kaji. As their adventures progress, many residents from the Magic Kingdom come and visit Nina much to Ayu's chagrin.
The anime adaptation has a different plot when Ayu and Nina met. Rather than coming as a witch failure who is trying to prove herself to be more than she is said to be, Nina has come to Earth to find the five "Holy Stones". She tells Ayu that whoever collects all five will qualify to marry the prince of the Magic Kingdom. Nina's childhood friend, Maya, is the first person to arrive on Earth with her to find the stones. Although Nina collects all of them first, she learns that the prince and Maya are in love with each other. As Nina gives up the stones and her dream, the couple's romantic relationship is made official while she stays on Earth with her friends.

Characters

;Ayu Tateishi
;Tetsushi Kaji
;Hiroki Tsujiai
;Yuta Kirishima
;Leo
;Maya Orihara
;Sayaka Nakamura
;Jun Kawanakajima
;Mito Kirishima
;The Principal
;Pine, Bamboo and Plum

Media

Manga

Ultra Maniac premiered in the February 2002 issue of Ribon, with each chapter published monthly until it ended in the January 2004 issue. It was also published in five tankōbon by Shueisha.
Viz Media licensed Ultra Maniac for an English-language release in North America. The series was released from July 5, 2005, to March 7, 2006.

Volume list

Anime

The Ultra Maniac series was produced by the anime television network, Animax, who have broadcast the series exclusively across Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions, dubbing and broadcasting the series into English and other languages. It has been licensed for North American distribution by Geneon Entertainment, who have released the series across the region via a 7-volume DVD release, the first of which was released on April 4, 2005, and the last of which was released on April 18, 2006. The series was released on DVD by Discotek Media on April 25, 2017.
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