Wikipedia

The World God Only Knows

The World God Only Knows(Japanese:Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ,Hepburn:Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai),abbreviated asKaminomi(Thần の み),[a]is a Japanesemangaseries written and illustrated byTamiki Wakaki.It was originally serialized inShogakukan'sWeekly Shōnen Sundayfrom April 2008 to April 2014, with its chapters collected in 26tankōbonvolumes. The manga was adapted into threeanimetelevision series byManglobe,which were broadcast in Japan from October 2010 to September 2013. In North America, the anime series were licensed for English release bySentai Filmworks.

The World God Only Knows
Firsttankōbonvolume cover, featuring Keima Katsuragi
Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ
(Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai)
Genre
Manga
Written byTamiki Wakaki
Published byShogakukan
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 9, 2008–April 23, 2014
Volumes26(List of volumes)
Light novel
Written byMamizu Arisawa
Illustrated byTamiki Wakaki
Published byShogakukan
ImprintGagaga Bunko
DemographicMale
PublishedMay 19, 2009
Anime television series
Directed by
Written byHideyuki Kurata
Music byHayato Matsuo
StudioManglobe
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo,TVO,TSC,TVQ,TVh,TV Aichi
English network
Original runOctober 6, 2010–September 23, 2013
Episodes36(List of episodes)
iconAnime and manga portal

Plot

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Main article:List of The World God Only Knows characters

Keima Katsuragi,a second-year high school student, is an avid player ofgal games(video games that involve interactions with anime-styled pretty girls). He is known on the Internet as "The God of Conquests"(Lạc とし thần,Otoshi-gami)for his legendary skills to be able to "conquer" any2Dgirl in games. However, in his actual school life, Keima is calledotamega(オタメガ),a derogatoryportmanteauof the two wordsotaku(オタク)andmegane(メガネ,glasses).

At the start of the series, Keima receives an e-mail offering him a contract to "conquer" girls and, thinking it is an invitation to a game challenge, he accepts. In response, a cute demon from Hell namedElsieappears: a Spirit Hunter. She asks for his cooperation to help her in catching the evil spirits that have escaped to the Human Realm: the "Loose Souls", which were once Old Demons from Hell. These evil spirits hide themselves inside the hearts of girls, feeding off the hosts' negative emotions to replenish their power and strength, thus becoming whole demons once again (and in turn, the host becomes an empty shell of a person). Elsie suggests that the only method to force the evil spirits out is by "conquering" the girls' hearts, making them fall in love with him and filling up the gaps which the escaped evil spirits hide in, in which she is then able to capture them. Interested only in video game girls, however, Keima is appalled by the idea, and refuses the assignment as he has no romantic real life experiences whatsoever. Nevertheless, with the contract already agreed, Keima has no choice but to help Elsie no matter what, as they will be beheaded by an invisible (to others) purple collar around their necks if they fail.

After winning the hearts of fourteen girls (and capturing the spirits residing in them), Keima and Elsie are given an even greater mission: to awaken the six goddesses known as theJupiter Sisters.Each sister is dormant in the heart of a girl among those they have previously helped, thus Keima must locate them and conquer their hearts a second time. This time however, they remember the encounters he has had with them already, due to the goddesses inside them, causing high tension and constant possible failure as he tries to conquer the girls simultaneously. However, his time is limited as a rebel demon faction called "Vintage" is planning to capture the goddesses and take over the world. After Vintage's plans are thwarted, Keima starts seeing visions of a child who is somewhat familiar to him. The goddesses send Keima and Elsie to the past with the task of helping her. Upon arriving, they team up with a mysterious girl who apparently has some connection withDokuro,Elsie's superior in the underworld, and Keima discovers that several occurrences in the past are different from what he remembers, leading to a tragic chain of events that he must avert to ensure that the present stays unaltered, as well as another demon faction which releases giant humanoid monsters. As Keima completes his final mission, he discovers the truth about one of the giants and is able to reconcile with it. He is relieved from the collar and returns to his normal life in the real world.

Development

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The World God Only Knowswas authored byTamiki Wakaki.He cited the 1996visual novelYU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this Worldas an influence on the manga.[4]

Media

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Manga

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Main article:List ofThe World God Only Knowschapters

Written and illustrated byTamiki Wakaki,The World God Only Knowswas serialized inShogakukan'sshōnenmangamagazineWeekly Shōnen Sundayfrom April 9, 2008,[5]to April 23, 2014.[6][7]Wakaki created a prototype version of the story which debuted as aone-shotinWeekly Shōnen Sundayin 2007, titled,"Koishite!? Kami-sama!!"(Luyến して!? Thần dạng!!).[8]Shogakukancompiled its chapters in twenty-sixtankōbonvolumes, released from July 11, 2008,[9]to June 18, 2014.[10]

The series is licensed in South Korea byHaksan Culture Company,and the first two volumes of the series were simultaneously released in August 2009 with a limited edition supplement for each.[11]

A 3-chapter spin-off series, titledMagical Star Kanon 100%(マジカル☆スターか の ん１００％),portraying Kanon Nakagawa as amagical girl,ran inWeekly Shōnen Sundayfrom March 13 to March 27, 2013.[12][13]The series was published along with additional chapters in a book, bundled with the limited edition of the 21st volume of the main series, released on April 16, 2013.[14]Another spin-off series, titledKami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai On the Train(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｔｒａｉｎ),was serialized on theClub Sundaywebsite in 2014.[15]It was later released into a single volume with three additional previously published chapters on July 17, 2015.[16]

Light novel

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Alight novelentitledThe World God Only Knows―God and the Devil and an Angel(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ― thần と ác ma と thiên sứ,Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai Kami to Akuma to Tenshi),written byMamizu Arisawaand illustrated byTamiki Wakaki,was released on May 19, 2009, published byShogakukanunder theirGagaga Bunkolabel.[17]The novel features a completely original story, disparate from the series, with original novel characters. A second light novel entitledThe World God Only Knows 2 Prayer and Curse and Miracle(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ 2 kỳ りと chú いとキセキ,Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai Inori to Noroi to Kiseki)was released on May 18, 2010.[18]

Anime

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Main article:List ofThe World God Only Knowsepisodes

Ananimetelevision series adaptation was officially announced byWeekly Shōnen Sundayin April 2010.[19]It was announced that script writerHideyuki Kurata,character designerWatanabe Akio,and directorShigehito Takayanagiwould be working on the project.[20][21]The studio in charge of the animation wasManglobe.[22]On September 18, 2010,Crunchyrollannounced the anime would be streaming online on their site.[23]The anime aired onTV Tokyofrom October 6 to December 22, 2010,[24]with the second season airing from April 11 to June 28, 2011.[25][26]The third season, titledThe World God Only Knows: Goddesses(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ nữ thần thiên,Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami-Hen),aired on TV Tokyo from July 8 to September 23, 2013, and was simulcast onCrunchyroll.[27][28]

AtAnime Weekend Atlanta2011,Sentai Filmworksannounced that they have licensed both seasons of the anime in North America and released the first season on DVD andBlu-ray Discin January 2012.[29]

Original video animations

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A prologueOVAepisode was released and bundled together with the tenth manga volume on September 17, 2010.[30]A second OVA episode, titledKami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai: 4-nin to Idol(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ 4 người とアイドル,"The World God Only Knows: 4 Girls and an Idol" ),was released on a DVD, bundled together with the fourteenth manga volume on September 16, 2011.[2]A third OVA, titledKami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Tenri-Hen(Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ thiên lý thiên,"The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc" ),was released in two parts with the 19th and 20th volumes of the manga, on October 16 and December 18, 2012.[31][32]A spin-off OVA based on the character Kanon was announced in the 2013 combined #2–3 issue of Shogakukan'sWeekly Shōnen Sundaymagazine.[33]The spin-off is titledMagical Star Kanon 100%(マジカル☆スター か の ん100％)and was released bundled with the 22nd volume of the manga on June 18, 2013.[34]

Reception

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The third volume ofThe World God Only Knowswas the fourth highest-sellingtankōbonin Japan on the Oricon Comic Chart for the week of January 13 and January 19, 2009, with over 50,500 copies sold that week.[35]The following week, it was the twenty-first highest-selling manga volume in Japan, having sold 30,600 copies the week of January 20 and January 26, 2009. As of January 2009, the third manga volume have sold about 81,100 copies.[36]

Carlo Santos ofAnime News Networkreviewed the anime's first season and gave it a B where he was surprised how much he enjoyed the great storyline despite its plot description alone might be off putting to some saying, "By most expectations, anything involving ditzy demon girls and gaming-obsessed geekboys and a rotating lineup of high school beauties should have been the stuff of critical derision. Yet the show's sharp sense of humor, honest emotions, and polished production values prove that working with the right prodding and poking, any anime series can indeed become greater than the sum of its parts."[37]In a 2019Forbesarticle about the best anime of the 2010s decade, Lauren Orsini considered it to be one of the five best anime of 2010; she wrote, "What makes this show a standout of its genre is Keima's individuality; he's not a viewer stand-in, but an interesting and flawed character in his own right. Sharp production values and creative character design make this show a visual and audio treat".[38]

Notes

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  1. ^As seen inWeekly Shōnen Sunday.The author also acknowledgedKamishiru(Thần しる),Misoshiru(みそしる),Kamiseka(Thần セカ)as alternative abbreviation.

References

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  1. ^Green, Scott (May 2, 2013)."Third Coming of" The World God Only Knows "Anime Arriving This Summer".Crunchyroll.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2021.RetrievedMay 2,2020.Shonen Sundayhas confirmed that the previously announced third season of harem comedyWorld God Only Knowsanime TV series will be airing this summer
  2. ^abLoo, Egan (June 10, 2011)."The World Only God Knows Manga Gets New Video Anime".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2021.RetrievedJune 29,2011.
  3. ^"The World God Only Knows".Sentai Filmworks.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2019.RetrievedMay 27,2018.
  4. ^Danh tác “YU-NO” リメイク bản をサターン bản と tương đối し hoàn toàn レビュー!.ITmedia(in Japanese). April 16, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2019.RetrievedMay 17,2019.
  5. ^Wakaki, Tamiki (April 9, 2008).4/9: Tôn Ngộ Không の phát の mao の ごとく.(in Japanese). Archived fromthe originalon April 12, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  6. ^Loo, Egan (March 18, 2014)."The World God Only Knows Manga to End in Next Volume".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2018.RetrievedApril 14,2018.
  7. ^Quế mã が tuyển んだ の は… Nếu mộc dân hỉ “Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ” kết thúc.Natalie(in Japanese). April 23, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on March 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  8. ^Wakaki, Tamiki (July 25, 2007).7/25: Ngoại れメール truyền tin chung わりました.(in Japanese). Archived fromthe originalon August 7, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  9. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ １(in Japanese).Shogakukan.July 11, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on October 17, 2020.RetrievedApril 14,2019.
  10. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ ２６(in Japanese).Shogakukan.June 18, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2019.RetrievedApril 14,2019.
  11. ^"Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai question"(in Korean).Haksan Culture Company.July 21, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon August 3, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  12. ^Loveridge, Lynzee (March 9, 2013)."The World God Only Knows Manga Gets 3-Chapter Spinoff".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2019.RetrievedJuly 14,2019.
  13. ^Tuần san thiếu niên サンデー 2013 năm tỏ vẻ số thứ tự 17.Media Arts Database(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.Archivedfrom the original on March 24, 2020.RetrievedMarch 23,2020.
  14. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ 21 マジカル☆スターか の ん１００％コミックス phó(in Japanese).Shogakukan.Archived fromthe originalon June 20, 2013.RetrievedJune 18,2013.
  15. ^Cardine, Kyle (September 13, 2014)."The World God Only Knows Manga to Get Train-Themed Spinoff".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2020.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  16. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｔｒａｉｎ＋パイロットフィルムズ(in Japanese).Shogakukan.July 17, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2020.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  17. ^"Shogakukan: Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ"(in Japanese).Shogakukan.May 19, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  18. ^"Shogakukan: Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ2"(in Japanese).Shogakukan.May 18, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  19. ^Loo, Egan (April 2, 2010)."Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai Manga Gets Anime Green-Lit".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2023.RetrievedApril 2,2010.
  20. ^2010, May 14 - Announced at Tamiki Wakaki's blogArchivedJune 30, 2012, atarchive.today(in Japanese)
  21. ^As seen onWeekly Shōnen Sundaymagazine 2010 Issue #25, #26.
  22. ^As seen onWeekly Shōnen Sundaymagazine 2010 Issue #27.
  23. ^Loo, Egan (September 18, 2010)."Crunchyroll Adds Squid Girl, KamiNomi, Letter Bee 2".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on September 18, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 18,2010.
  24. ^Loo, Egan (October 5, 2010)."Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai's 2nd Season Listed for April 2011".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2023.RetrievedOctober 7,2010.
  25. ^"Thần の みぞ biết るセカイII"(in Japanese). Web Newtype. Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2011.RetrievedMay 4,2011.
  26. ^"Thần の みぞ biết るセカイII"(in Japanese). Web Newtype. Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2011.RetrievedJune 10,2011.
  27. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ nữ thần thiên(in Japanese).TV Tokyo.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2020.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  28. ^Loo, Egan (July 6, 2013)."Crunchyroll to Stream MoreWorld God Only Knows,Silver Spoon,Makai Ouji".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2023.RetrievedJuly 21,2013.
  29. ^Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 30, 2011)."Sentai Filmworks Licenses Towa no Quon, The World God Only Knows".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2020.RetrievedOctober 1,2011.
  30. ^Loo, Egan (August 4, 2010)."The World God Only Knows Manga to Bundle Anime DVD".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 18,2010.
  31. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ 19 OVA phó hạn định bản ( thiếu niên サンデーコミックス)(in Japanese).ASIN4099418030.
  32. ^Thần の みぞ biết るセカイ 20 DVD phó đặc biệt bản ( đặc phẩm )(in Japanese).ASIN4099418065.
  33. ^Loo, Egan (December 7, 2012)."The World God Only Knows Anime Gets 3rd Season & Spinoff OVA".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2012.RetrievedDecember 7,2012.
  34. ^Loo, Egan (March 11, 2013)."The World God Only Knows'New OVA Slated for June 18 ".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on May 9, 2023.RetrievedJune 1,2013.
  35. ^Loo, Egan (January 21, 2009)."Japanese Comic Ranking, January 13–19".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 21,2009.
  36. ^Loo, Egan (January 28, 2009)."Japanese Comic Ranking, January 20–26".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 21,2009.
  37. ^Santos, Carlo (January 23, 2011)."The World God Only Knows Episodes 1-12 streaming".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 23,2011.
  38. ^Orsini, Lauren (December 2, 2019)."The Best Anime Of The Decade - 2010 And 2011".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2020.RetrievedDecember 3,2019.
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