- Occult Academy
-
Occult Academy 
Occult Academy title card世紀末オカルト学院
(Seikimatsu Okaruto Gakuin)Genre Fantasy, Supernatural TV anime Directed by Tomohiko Itō Studio A-1 Pictures
AniplexNetwork TV Tokyo Original run July 6, 2010 – September 27, 2010 Episodes 13 Occult Academy (世紀末オカルト学院 Seikimatsu Okaruto Gakuin, "End of Century Occult Academy") is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex[1][2] and directed by Tomohiko Itō. The 13-episode anime premiered in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network on July 6, 2010. Occult Academy is the third project of Anime no Chikara.[3] It was shown by Crunchyroll an hour after the Japanese broadcast.[3] A manga adaptation of the anime is currently serialized in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive.[4][5] A series of DVD/Blu-ray releases are made over six volumes. Volumes one through five each contain two episodes from the series and comes with extras, such as bonus songs sung by various voice actors for the characters. The final volume covers the last three episodes There are also four spinoff episodes, the first of which is included with the second volume.[6]
Contents
Plot
See also: List of Occult Academy episodesMaya is the daughter of the former Headmaster of Waldstein Academy. In 2012, the world is invaded by aliens and time travelers like Fumiaki are sent back to the year 1999 in order to destroy the Nostradamus Key, to prevent apocalypse. In 1999, Maya returns to the Academy as headmaster with the intention of destroying it. Her plan is interrupted when she meets Fumiaki and learns of the forthcoming destruction. They form a pact to look for the Key.
In order to find the Key, time agents were provided with specially created cell phones. By using the phone, Maya and Fumiaki investigate occult occurrences.
Characters
- Maya Kumashiro (神代 マヤ Kumashiro Maya)
- Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa
- The daughter of the Waldstein Academy's late headmaster, Junichirou Kumashiro. She hates the occult despite her vast knowledge about it. Her hatred stemmed from her father's obsession with the occult thus causing a strained relationship between his wife and daughter. After her father's death, Maya becomes headmistress of the "Occult Academy" and vows to destroy the school. However, as the series progresses, Maya's hatred for the occult lessens. Eventually she regains her former love for the occult, promising to keep it safe rather than to destroy it. Later, it is revealed that the Academy was Maya's Christmas present from her father. Maya realizes that she turned her back on her father when he was only trying to fulfill her Christmas wish. She then makes a promise to her dead father to save the Academy and the World. With the arrival of Fumiaki Uchida, she forms a partnership with him in order to find the key of Nostradamus which will cause an alien invasion on July 21, 1999.
- Fumiaki Uchida (内田 文明 Uchida Fumiaki)
- Voiced by: Takahiro Mizushima, Sayuri Yahagi (young)
- A time traveler from 2012 who is sent to 1999 to find the key of Nostradamus. He was forced to be #6 after the agent before him, #5, was killed. In 1999, Fumiaki was a little boy with special psychic powers. Dubbed "Uchida Bunmei", he appeared on many television shows, demonstrating his psychic powers by bending a spoon. His popularity grew quickly, but it came at a heavy cost. As he became more popular, his mother became obsessed with his fame, to the point that she refuses him a normal social life. Fumiaki eventually loses his psychic powers, and by 2012, he was considered a fake. He is also known as "Abe Minoru", which is the collective identity for all of the time agents.
- Upon arriving in 1999, Fumiaki encounters Maya, who at first thought of him as a coward, since all he could do is run in fear. However, he eventually earns some of Maya's respect, as Maya sees part of his life in a near-death experience and realizes that he, like her, was also a lonely child. He and Maya form a team to find the Nostradamus Key and prevent the alien invasion.
- Mikaze Nakagawa (中川 美風 Nakagawa Mikaze)
- Voiced by: Minori Chihara
- Mikaze is a cute teenage girl who works at a local diner. Her cooking skills are extremely outstanding, as Fumiaki Uchida eats at her diner everyday. However, despite her cute and cheerful personality, Mikaze is not a normal teenage girl.
- Chihiro Kawashima (川島 千尋 Kawashima Chihiro)
- Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi
- Chihiro serves as the vice-principal for Waldstein Academy. She is depicted as a stern woman, although with a penchant for keeping a love diary. She is very much infatuated with Bunmei, and develops a hatred for Mikaze because of that.
- Ami Kuroki (黒木 亜美 Kuroki Ami)
- Voiced by: Ayahi Takagaki
- Ami is Maya's childhood friend as well as classmate in the Academy. She genuinely cares for Maya and tries to mend Maya's relationship with the occult. Ami is often seen with Kozue, JK, and Smile.
- Kozue Naruse (成瀬 こずえ Naruse Kozue)
- Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa
- Kozue is first shown to be a Ami's friend and classmate at the Academy. She is deeply embracing of the occult, shown through her endeavors to prove to Maya that the occult is very real as well as agreeing to go through a near death experience for a class demonstration. Kozue is portrayed as a being very clumsy, often being the first to fall victim to demons.
- Smile (スマイル Sumairu)
- Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi
- Smile acts as the mechanic for the Academy. He first meets Maya and the others when Ami requested his and JK's help to find the possessed former principal. Smile is shown to be very adept at physical combat although he often carries an enormous wrench as a weapon. He is usually shown to be with JK.
- JK
- Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu
- JK is an occult dowser who specializes in using dowsing rods to locate individuals. Like Kozue, he is also an occult manic and often accompanies the other characters when occult-related events occur. He is able to engage in combat using his dowsing rods, but usually calls for Smile when in trouble.
Reception
Anime News Network's Zac Bertschy sees that the "animation and character designs are gorgeous, with some really nice background work" and "an incredibly strong start to a show with huge promise".[7] Theron Martin says that the series "is one of the best-looking series of the new season (maybe the best), including some beautiful background art, nice animation courtesy of A-1 Pictures, and character designs that certainly won't bore".[8] Carl Kimlinger finds that the series "is, if not the best, certainly the most entertaining of the series to emerge from Aniplex's Anime no Chikara project" and "is more Sam Raimi than Tite Kubo".[9] Hope Chapman comments that "it's still incredibly entertaining in a pure, enchanting way, a little reminiscent of the most humorous bits in Mamoru Hosoda's films".[10]
References
- ^ "世紀末オカルト学院 :: 作品紹介 :: A-1 Pictures" (in Japanese). A-1 Pictures. http://www.a1p.jp/works/works_occult.htm. Retrieved 7 July 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "世紀末オカルト学院" (in Japanese). Official website. http://www.occult-gakuin.jp/. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Crunchyroll to Simulcast Occult Academy, Tono to Issho". Anime News Network. July 5, 2010. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-05/crunchyroll-simulcasts-occult-academy-tono-to-issho. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "月刊アライブにて「世紀末オカルト学院」連載中！" (in Japanese). http://6109.jp/occult/?cate=1007.
- ^ http://www.mediafactory.co.jp/comic-alive/comics.php?MENU=detail&id=26863
- ^ "Occult Academy Official Site" (in Japanese). A-1 Pictures. http://6109.jp/occult/?cate=1157. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
- ^ Bertschy, Zac (July 5, 2010). "The Summer 2010 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Martin, Theron (July 5, 2010). "The Summer 2010 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Kimlinger, Carl (July 5, 2010). "The Summer 2010 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Chapman, Hope (July 5, 2010). "The Summer 2010 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
External links
- Official website
- Occult Academy (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Occult Academy at Crunchyroll
Categories:- Anime series
- Anime of 2010
- Manga of 2010
- Anime with original screenplays
- Aniplex
- School anime and manga
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
