Kamichu!

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Kami-chu!: Kami-sama wa Chuugakusei, The Goddess is a Middle School Student

Japanese: かみちゅ!

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jun 29, 2005 to Sep 27, 2005

Premiered: Summer 2005

Broadcast: Unknown

Producers: Aniplex

Licensors: Geneon Entertainment USA

Studios: Brain's Base

Source: Original

Genres: Award Winning, Slice of Life, Supernatural

Themes: Iyashikei, Mythology, School

Duration: 26 min. per ep.

Rating: G - All Ages

Statistics

Score: 7.39¹ (scored by 18,707 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2294²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #2740

Members: 63,529

Favorites: 277

Available At

Official Site

Resources

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ANN

Synopsis

Yurie Hitotsubashi was just an average middle school student living in the city of Onomichi on Japan's inland sea in the easygoing times of the 1980s. She spent her days worrying about exams and trying to get Kenji, the clueless boy she likes, to notice her. Then during lunch one day she suddenly announces to her friend Mitsue that the night before she had become a goddess. Their classmate Matsuri quickly latches on to Yurie's newfound divinity as a way to promote her family's bankrupt Shinto shrine. She hopes that replacing their hapless local god, Yashima-sama, with Yurie will make the shrine more popular (and profitable). Now, with Matsuri as her manager, Yurie has to grant wishes, cure curses, meet aliens, and attend god conventions. All the while attending school and working-up the courage to confess to Kenji.

The DVD/BD box set includes the Kamichu! Specials episodes. For a complete list of episodes and the order they're included in the box set, see the More Info tab.

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Background

The series won an Excellence Prize for animation at the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival.

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Kamichu!
Side story:	Kamichu! Specials

Iwao, Mantaro
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Ochikoshi, Tomonori

Producer

Masunari, Koji

Director, Series Production Director

Kosaka, Harume

Episode Director, Storyboard

Asano, Katsuya

Episode Director, Key Animation

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Opening Theme

"Hare Nochi Hare!" by Maho Tomita

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Ending Theme

"Ice Candy" by Mako

Reviews

Oct 2, 2009

Yuunagi

Recommended

“Sleeping in classes and coming late.
You haven’t changed at all, even after you became a god.”

"God." The word alone brings up images of supposed grace, divinity, and perfection. However, Hitotsubashi Yurie is far from being the embodiment of those qualities. In fact, she's quite the klutz even by mortal standards. Even so, providence has chosen this middle school student for the role of shinto kami (deity). Fortunately, she has friends to help her out with her troubles, whether earthly or divine.

Content:
After seeing more than a few other shows featuring magical girls and moe-blobs, one might wonder how Kamichu! could stand out from the rest ...

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Nov 20, 2007

SeerQueen

Recommended

This series encapsulates everything that is right about the slice-of-life genre - honest, character driven situations that one can relate to. Kamichu! manages to do this, and put a smile on your face at the same time. It is simply that good. But it is also more than just this genre.

Kamichu! might not be incredibly flashy, and the pace of the show might put some viewers off. Yet there is a stillness, a gentleness to the story that it is easy to like every single one of its characters. It mixes fantastical elements such as the world of the God's, with the everyday lives ...

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Aug 3, 2011

NeverKnowsBest26

Recommended

The slice-of-life genre has been done to death in anime. Even the most unique of premises have been turned into mundane school yard comedies that squander their potential. Kamichu is a refreshing difference from this. While it does does share the same settings and many characteristic as the typical slice-of-life, it uses its unique premise to set a Ghibli-esque sense of wonder and imagination; tapping into some of the untouched potential of the genre.

The story follows Yurie, a clumsy space-case middle school girl, who one night becomes a god. This however doesn't make her life any easier, as she knows nothing of what being a ... god entails, and still has to deal with the issues of a regular middle school student even as she takes up the responsibilities of a god. The mere premise and how it is handled is a reminder of what makes anime special; let's face it, if this premise was used in an American cartoon it would likely be a satire of religion centered around a middle-age man, which would include a lot of pop culture jokes and run so long that it loses sight of its original intent.

Of course, if the show went down the tired old route most slice-of-life anime do, it might have not been any better. What makes Kamichu special is the way it uses its premise to show Yurie grow as a person. Yurie knows nothing about being a god, and is pretty clueless in human affairs as well. Instead of just using this as a springboard for gags, the show pushes Yurie into situations in which she has to take action and make decisions, and thus learning and growing. The imaginative world that Yurie inhabits ties into this, with Yurie's experiences having a whimsical charm to them, whether it be rising the spirit of a sunken ship or attending a god convention, they are pleasant to watch.

Another big thing Kamichu has going for it is its likable cast of cast of characters. First and foremost are Yurie's two friends, Matsuri and Mitsue. The two are polar opposites, with Matsuri being outspoken and charismatic; while Mitsue is more reserved and cynical. The only common bond between them is their friendship with Yurie, which makes for some interesting and fun dynamic between the three. Then there are Matsuri's quiet younger sister, who can see spirits and gods (most people can't see gods other than Yurie, whom they can only see because she is also human); and Yurie's younger brother, who is similar to Mitsue in his cynicism. The rest of the cast consists of a wide array of humans, spirits, and gods including Kenji, Yurie's calligraphy-obsessed classmate and crush; and a poverty god residing in Yurie's cat, Tama. All are charming in their own way... and though they might wear down on some viewers' patience, as overly cutesy characters often do, it is a gripe overshadowed by their general likability.

On the technical side, Kamichu is really very nice. The character designs are generally adorable, especially those of Yurie, Matsuri, Mitsue, and of course Tama the cat; tough each in their own way. Sometimes the spirits and gods might look more weird than cute, but in an endearing way, kind of like in studio Ghibli's films. Actually, the visuals as a whole have a Ghibli-like spirit, though obviously not as polished as a big budget Ghibli film. That hardly matters though, few TV anime look as good as this. The music equally as beautiful, and really adds to the magic. There are some beautifully orchestrated pieces here that will have you feeling all warm inside as you gush about how cute the characters are.

Now, this all may sound like the show has nary a flaw, but actually it has a few very big ones. For as likable as the cast is, and how much time we spend with them, characters other than Yurie don't get a lot of development themselves. Sure, characters have their moments and those are wholesome on their own right, but they are dwarfed by the time the show spends on Yurie, or just being cute. That's another thing, for as wonderfully imaginative the show is, it does get too caught up in its whimsy and cuteness. It doesn't really dangle the cuteness in your face like lesser slice-of-life might, but it is distracting enough to take you out of the story more often than it should; like the alien scenario of episode three (with the alien being super adorable, of course). These are pretty big blows to the show, and take away from its overall quality of the story being told.

Though not without some major flaws, Kamichu is an enjoyable experience. It does what many slice-of-life anime fail to, tells a heart warming coming of age story. A story filled with likable characters and boundless imagination. More than anything, this is a good reminder of what the slice of life genre can be.

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Kamichu!

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Noto, Kiyomi

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Kamichu!

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Synopsis

Background

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Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

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Recent Forum Discussion

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