Kawai's books and videos of the TV episodes beginning in October. subsidiaries, Viz Communications and ShoPro USA, are set to start releasing translations of Ms. The first 52 TV episodes have been shown in the U.S. The second theatrical feature, Trotalong Hamtaro: Princess HamHamHamja's Dreams! (the promo pictures show an "Arabian Nights" setting) is scheduled for December 14, 2002. The first theatrical feature, Trotalong Hamtaro: The Great HamHamland Adventure, was released on Decemit was in the box-office top ten for six weeks and grossed $18,623,382. It quickly became the top-rated children's show on TV Tokyo and replaced Pokémon as the #1 licensed character in Japan. The anime TV series, produced by Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment (with animation production by TMS Entertainment), premiered in July 2000. It became popular enough there that Shogakukan gave Hamtaro star treatment with picture books, pop-up books, origami books and hamster care books. Ritsuko Kawai in Little School Second-Grader magazine published by Shogakukan, the educational/entertainment conglomerate also responsible for Pokémon.
Totoko Hamtaro (usually translated as Hamtaro's Tales, although "totoko" - one of numerous onomatopoeic words in the Ham-Ham language - is closer to "scampering" or "trotalong") began in 1997 as illustrated children's stories by Ms. Hamtaro is the kinder, gentler kin to Pokémon. Both Yuhi and Toya recognize that the other truly loves Aya, and each believes that the other is the better man to protect her, so the viewer is kept wondering which of them will be first to sacrifice himself unselfishly so Aya can live happily with the other. By the halfway point the romance has become serious. Not all of the unexpected plot twists or explanations of mythology as ancestral memories of space aliens are convincing (one of the ruthless enemies turns out to have an unselfish motive still, a noble goal does not excuse his murderous means), but the serious attempt to keep the viewer intellectually guessing is an admirable one. Above all, there is romance: romantic humor as she and one teen savior, Yuhi, who try to keep their relationship on a chaste hero and rescued damsel-in-distress level, start to develop embarrassing adolescent hormonal stirrings toward each other romantic horror as Aya's beloved brother Aki is possessed by the personality of Ceres' ancient lover and starts to attack her incestuously romantic mystery as Toya, the handsome agent of one of her enemies, announces that he has had a change of heart and he will save her from them instead (can she believe him?). There is the horror of isolation from family and friends, as those who hope to control Ceres murder anyone they think might aid Aya. The confusing-enough changes of adolescence are compounded by the fears of losing her body and mind to the emerging powerful personality of Ceres.
The 24-episode series (an adaptation of a popular tragic romance manga novel by Yuu Watase, animated by Studio Pierrot, broadcast April 20 - September 28, 2000) spans Aya's transformation from a carefree tomboy to a frightened young woman. In any case, there are rival ruthless factions who are determined to possess her for her mighty supernatural or superscientific powers. What Aya (and the audience) think they know changes from episode to episode as new legends and theories of truths behind legends are investigated. Or maybe Ceres was an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth who keeps her psyche alive through alien technology. She is the direct descendent of Ceres, a heavenly angel who came to Earth in the distant past and married a mortal, and is now expected to reincarnate in Aya's body. This teen romantic action fantasy gets off to a rousing start as the stunned Aya discovers that everything she thought she knew about herself and her normal life is false. An unexpected powerful blast levels the mansion and Aya is whisked to safety by a mysterious but handsome stranger. Aya is shocked when he announces that Aki is to become the new head of their clan, but she must be killed. She and her twin brother Aki are brought to their rich grandfather's estate for their 16th birthday party. Distributor: Viz Video.Īya Mikage is an extroverted high-schooler. © Yuu Watase/Shogakukan Bandai Visual Studio Pierrot. Cover illustration from Anime Art Gallery: The Art of Ceres, Celestial Legend.