Magikano

Magikano (マジカノ Majikano^?) is a manga series by Takeaki Momose, which was later adapted into an anime series, directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Hideki Mitsui.

The anime series was also broadcast by Animax, who adapted and dubbed the series into Englishfor broadcast across its English language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia from February 2007, where the series received its English language premiere.

ADV Films has licensed the rights for the North American release of Magikano on DVD, and released the first volume on December 4, 2007. ADV Films' Anime Network began airing the anime on January 3, 2008 on their Subscription On Demand platform. On March 6, 2008 the anime began airing on their Free On Demand platform. In July 2008, the series became one of over 30 ADV titles to be transferred to Funimation.

Storyline

Ayumi Mamiya is a witch cursed to lose her powers but there is one boy who can break the spell and save her. Haruo Yoshikawa thinks he is a normal boy but unknown to him his three sisters are witches who use their magical powers to keep him protected and ignorant about the existence of magic. Now Ayumi must wake up Haruo's latent powers to save herself but his sisters will have none of that.

Characters

Haruo Yoshikawa (吉川春生 Yoshikawa Haruo^?)

Voiced by: Mitsuhiro Ichiki (Japanese), Clint Bickham (English)

Haruo is the leading male of the series, an average junior high school boy who has a perfect attendance record at school and doesn't have any long-term prospects, aside from living a long life. He lives with his three sisters, and has no idea any of them are mahoutsukai (magic users). Haruo, himself, supposedly has latent magic powers, but he is not aware of this, believing he and his family are perfectly ordinary. Maika and his other sisters make sure Haruo is kept in the dark about the fact that they can use magic through liberal application of magic memory erasing hammers (no less than three hammers simultaneously at times). He seems somewhat naive, and always in the dark about the feelings of people (mainly women who like him) around him. However, he cares about the well being of others. Haruo is in his first year of junior high school (grade 7), in classroom B. In the last episode, Haruo is revealed to be an avatar, or incarnation of the Demon Lord/Maoh. "Haru" means "spring" in Japanese, as he is the oldest in his family.

Ayumi Maniya (魔宮あゆみ Maniya Ayumi^?)

Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (Japanese), Jessica Boone (English)

Ayumi Mamiya is a young witch who was cursed during her childhood. The only one who could lift this curse is Haruo Yoshikawa, which forces her to study at the same school and move into the Yoshikawa residence as the maid. For most of the series, Ayumi tries to seduce Haruo and "make him a man", by flirting and casting spells. Because of this, she and Maika constantly get into arguments and fights - which Ayumi inevitably loses. She claims that her curse is the reason for her seduction attempts, although it is revealed that she truly loves him in the last episode. Ayumi Mamiya is a very determined, humorous, and strange-hearted girl, but can be heart-warming as well.

Maika Yoshikawa (吉川舞夏 Yoshikawa Maika^?)

Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese), Kira Vincent Davis (English)

Maika is the oldest sister of the Yoshikawa family. She can use magic, and loves cooking for her brother and sisters. She has long lilac-coloured hair, often tied back with green ribbons. She is very protective of her brother Haruo, and was immediately suspicious of Ayumi's intentions (which were justified). The others often accuse her of having a brother complex, which is not entirely unjustified. As a toddler she subliminally brainwashed Haruo in his sleep by chanting "Big Brother and Maika together forever" repeatedly, and her usually caring and ladylike-personality is replaced by a possessive jealousy whenever any female tries to seduce her brother. She is even able to transform into a green-skinned demon when she becomes especially jealous. "Ka" means "summer" in Japanese, as she is the second oldest in the Yoshikawa family.

Chiaki Yoshikawa (吉川千秋 Yoshikawa Chiaki^?)

Voiced by: Kanako Sakai (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)

Chiaki is the middle sister of the Yoshikawa family. She can also use magic, and loves working out and eating food. She has long, violet hair, often tied back with a red ribbon. Clueless, honest, sincere, and completely without guile and malice, Chiaki is easily the most sweet and likable girl in the cast. "Aki" means "Autumn" in Japanese, as she is the third born in her family.

Fuyuno Yoshikawa (吉川冬乃 Yoshikawa Fuyuno^?)

Voiced by: Tomoko Kaneda (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)

Fuyuno is the youngest sister of the Yoshikawa family. She can also use magic, and she loves just about anything that involves making money, a subject that makes her adopt the demeanor (and voice) of a Scrooge-like miser. Many times she comes up with excuses for the strange events which occur to non-magic people, and is fantastic at problem solving. She has short periwinkle hair with a yellow and black ribbon. "Fuyu" means "winter" in Japanese, as she is the youngest in her family.

Sora Fujiwara (藤原宇宙 Fujiwara Sora^?)

Voiced by: Sachie Abe

A friend of Haruo's from his class at school, Sora is a boy with glasses who has no dialogue and speaks by taking pictures. But, somehow others (especially Hajime) knows what hes saying. He is always seen with his camera. In the original manga, Sora did not wear glasses and talked. Sora is one of the two members of the "Supernatural Science Club".

Hajime Hario (針生ハジメ Hario Hajime^?)

Voiced by: Katsuhiro Harasawa (Japanese), Greg Ayres (English)

Another friend of Haruo's from his class. Hajime Hario is generally loud and outspoken, and is always on the lookout for girls. The sound of a rooster call typically follows him due to his red hair and mohawk giving him a rooster-like appearance. Harasawa is one half of the "Supernatural Science Club", and thus is constantly showing up when incidents mainly caused by the witches occur. Because of this, he and Sora are frequent victims of the memory loss hammers.

Yuri Kurosu (黒須ゆり Kurosu Yuri^?)

Voiced by: Noriko Namiki (Japanese), Carli Mosier (English)

Yuri is the school's #1 idol as the student council president, but she gets some unwelcome competition when Ayumi transfers in. She met Haruo when she was a little girl, and instantly fell in love. She even made a bento for Haruo, only to be thwarted by Maika. Her hair changes colour (brown to silver) when she uses her battle magic, and instead of a broom/wand she has a large sword she rides like a surfboard. Yuri is still in love with Haruo, hence her constant indecent daydreaming about him, and gets irrationally angry when Ayumi is with him. As an excuse to see him she often says that Ayumi's behaviour is "Against School Policy" and as the Student President she must see that all rules are followed. Most of the girls in school seem to be in love with her, student council vice-president Umi Fujiwara in particular, so her name is likely a reference to the yuri genre.

Marin Nijihara (虹原真鈴 Nijihara Marin^?)

Voiced by: Haruko Momoi (Japanese), Hannah Alcorn (English)

A Catholic witch hunter who thinks that Haruo was sent from heaven and needs protection from witches (especially Ayumi). She works with Ayumi, Yuri, and/or Maika when she feels that they have a common cause. Marin is an incompetent and clumsy fool who injures herself more in her attacks than any of the "evil-witches" that she so adamantly hunts. It's unclear whether Marin has deeper feelings for Haruo, or if she just admires him for what she calls "keeping away evil witches". Marin has never purified any other witches (if you don't count the witch she purified in Michiru's world).

Rika Anju (杏樹リカ Anju Rika^?)

Voiced by: Nana Inoue (Japanese), Tiffany Grant (English)

An enigmatic maid sent by Ayumi's father into the service of the Yoshikawa household, apparently to collect data. An effective maid, she is taciturn and quite able to cause trouble and thwart Ayumi's attempts to seduce Haruo. Her seeming obliviousness to the present conceals a calculating cunning that rivals even Fuyuno's. It is later revealed that she is an artificially-created human. The sound of a cymbal solo - A short musical quotation from The Terminator - follows her as she goes into action.

Michiru Mamiya (魔宮みちる Mamiya Michiru^?)

Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)

Ayumi's younger sister, who is determined to stop Ayumi from breaking her curse and one day becoming head of the Mamiya family. She knows that Haruo's powers extend far beyond the ability to break Ayumi's curse and she intends to use that power to take over the world. Michiru is unbelievably powerful and extremely malevolent. Her powers are able to surpass all of the girls magic when they chased her the first time when she took Haruo during the play. Haruo woke up thinking they were dead. Outraged, the demon lords power took over Haruo and easily overwhelmed Michiru. In the final episode Michiru French Kisses Haruo multiple times, and does a series of other sexual things like hopping on his lap and moving about sexually.

Hongō Tetsuko (本郷哲子 Tesuko Hongō^?)

Voiced by: Noriko Rikimaru (Japanese), Christine Auten (English)

Haruo's class teacher, who seems to always be nearby whenever something strange happens. She also always seems to know whats happening. It is later revealed that she is an artificially-created human immune to certain kinds of magic.