Wikipedia

Video Girl Ai

Video Girl Ai,known in Japan as simplyVideo Girl(Điện ảnh thiếu nữ,Den'ei Shōjo),is a Japanesemangaseries written and illustrated byMasakazu Katsura.It was serialized inShueisha'sshōnenmangamagazineWeekly Shōnen Jumpfrom December 1989 to April 1992. It was followed by a short sequel entitledVideo Girl Len,published between April and July 1992. The manga was compiled into fifteentankōbonvolumes by Shueisha and published between July 1990 and March 1993.

Video Girl Ai
Cover of the firsttankōbonvolume
Điện ảnh thiếu nữ
(Den'ei Shōjo)
Genre
Manga
Written byMasakazu Katsura
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
English magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runDecember 4, 1989–April 20, 1992
Volumes13(List of volumes)
Manga
Video Girl Len
Written byMasakazu Katsura
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA:Viz Media
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 27, 1992–July 20, 1992
Volumes2(List of volumes)
Live-action film
Directed byRyū Kaneda
StudioToho
ReleasedJune 29, 1991
Runtime95 minutes
Original video animation
Directed byMizuho Nishikubo
Produced by
Written by
Music byTōru Okada
StudioI.G. Tatsunoko
Licensed by
  • NA:Viz Media
ReleasedMarch 27, 1992–August 28, 1992
Episodes6
Light novel
Written bySukehiro Tomita
Published byShueisha
ImprintJump J-Books
DemographicMale
Published1993
Television drama
Den'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Ai 2018~
Directed byKazuaki Seki
Written byKōhei Kiyasu
Music bytofubeats
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original runJanuary 14, 2018–April 1, 2018
Episodes12
Television drama
Den'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Mai 2019~
Directed byKazuaki Seki
Written by
Music byKERENMI
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original runApril 12, 2019–June 28, 2019
Episodes12

A live-action film ofVideo Girl Aiwas released in 1991. The series was also adapted into a six-episodeOVAproduced byIG Tatsunoko(now known as Production I.G.). The series was released in 1992 by Jump Video. It roughly covers most of the material found in the first three volumes of the manga. In 2018 a live-action television drama calledDen'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Ai 2018~ran onTV Tokyo.Another series,Den'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Mai 2019~,was released the following year.

In North America, the manga and the OVA have been licensed for English-language release byViz Media.It was formerly published in the anthologyAnimerica Extraby Viz.

As of 2018, the manga has over 14 million copies in print.

Plot

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The story starts when Yota Moteuchi finds out that the girl he likes, Moemi Hayakawa, is in love with his best friend, Takashi Niimai. Disappointed by this fact, he decides to rent a video from a mysterious video store that appears in front of him on his way home. The video store is called "Gokuraku"('Paradise'). The unique thing about this video store was that the videos in the store contained" video girls ", girls which literally come to life and out of the user's television when the video tape is played to cheer the renter up. Not knowing about the video girls, Yota chooses to rent the video 'I'll Cheer You Up!', starring Ai Amano. Ai comes to life with the purpose to brighten up Yota's life and encourage him to pursue his love.

However, Yota plays the video on a broken video recorder, which causes Ai to come out "broken"; among other effects she has the ability to feel emotions. This additional feature of Ai causes her to eventually fall in love with Yota; a feeling which, after giving up on Moemi, Yota begins to return. However, a mysterious man related to Gokuraku known as Rolex enters the story and tries to recall Ai as she is faulty, and the fact that Ai's tape is nearing the end of its playing time makes matters even worse.

From this point on, the story changes focus slightly and concentrates on Yota and Ai attempting to overcome the difficulties presented by Gokuraku. Various other complications come into the story; for example Yota's continuing love for Moemi, and his relationship with a new character, Nobuko Nizaki.

Initially, Ai spends some of her time teasing Yota mercilessly in various sexual manners i.e. pretending to initiate intercourse, or joining Yota "innocently" in the bath "to help him wash". Yota's resulting embarrassment and attempt to extricate himself from the situation results, as always, in some slapstick humor and more resulting sexual tension.

Characters

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Ai Amano

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Ai Amano(Thiên dã あい,Amano Ai)is voiced byMegumi Hayashibara(OVA) andMinami Takayama(CD-drama) in Japanese andMaggie Blue O'Harain English. She is portrayed byKaori Sakagamiin the 1991 film, andNanase Nishinoin the 2018 TV drama.[3]Beautiful, full of boundless energy. Hard to say what she is really like, versus what she was intended to be. Video girls are generally supposed to be comforting, nubile, excellent cooks and socially graceful, but the malfunction of Yota's VCR has made her tomboyish, at times rude, prone to violence, a terrible cook (actually, she learns to cook all by herself), but full of heart and able to feel human emotion. Her chest endowment has also shrunk considerably due to said VCR malfunction.

Yota Moteuchi

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Yota "Dateless" Moteuchi[a](Lộng nội dương quá,Moteuchi Yōta)is voiced byTakeshi Kusao(OVA) andNozomu Sasaki(CD-drama) in Japanese andBrad Swailein English. He is portrayed by Ken Osawa (1991 film) andShigeyuki Totsugi(2018 TV drama).[3]Yota is the stereotypical loser, unable to declare his feelings to his unrequited love, Moemi, socially awkward, with a tendency to get nervous and clumsy around women. However, he is known to be also very caring, kind, and helpful to those he is close to.

Moemi Hayakawa

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Moemi Hayakawa(Sớm xuyên もえみ,Hayakawa Moemi)is voiced byYuri Amano(OVA) andKotono Mitsuishi(CD-drama) in Japanese and Jennifer Copping in English. She is portrayed by Hiromi Hamaguchi in the 1991 film. An attractive girl, though almost hopelessly moon-eyed over Takashi, who is too popular to really appreciate Moemi's affectations.

Takashi Niimai

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Takashi Niimai(Tân vũ quý chí,Niimai Takashi)is voiced byKoji Tsujitani(OVA) andKazuhiko Inoue(CD-drama) in Japanese andSamuel Vincentin English. He is portrayed by Naoki Hosaka in the 1991 film. The typical "tall, dark and handsome"popular guy. He is one of Yota's best friends, and rejects Moemi's advances because he knows Yota's feelings for her.

Nobuko Nizaki

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Nobuko Nizaki(Nhân kỳ duỗi tử,Nizaki Nobuko)is a girl, one year behind Yota, who developed a crush on him in art class two years earlier and now, with Moemi and Ai temporarily sidelined, can pursue romantic ties with Yota. She first appears midway through volume 3 and only appears in the manga.

Natsumi Yamaguchi

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Natsumi Yamaguchi(Sơn khẩu hạ mỹ,Yamaguchi Natsumi)is a girl, an orphan and a runaway, who had played with Yota in kindergarten. Her family then moved away. Her theme is misfortune. Her attribute is a hand extended to help one up. She first appears in volume 6 and only appears in the manga. She seems to have a weak heart. Later on in the series she dies in the hospital, and becomes Ai's role model in love.

Len story characters

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Len Momono

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Len Momono(もも の liền,Momono Ren)is the star ofLet's Fall in Love.A new and untested video girl. She was created by the nameless "Old Man" who once worked in theGokurakustore. Unlike Ai and the original video girls, she is allowed to feel emotions of her own.

Hiromu Taguchi and Toshiki Karukawa

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Hiromu and Toshiki are the boys who rent the tape. Hiromu is the center character of this new story arc, and is pretty much as shy as Yota used to be. He has a keen interest in Ayumi, but there are some problems in their relationship because of his shyness and because of the bad reputation she has. Later, they engage, but Hiromu becomes too happy to pay attention to Ayumi, and they break up temporarily until he can "find her again" in his memories. Toshiki, on the other hand, is more emotionally expressive and prone to teenage-typical reactions, like spying on Len (which makes her angry).

Ayumi Shirakawa

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Ayumi Shirakawa(Bạch xuyên bộ み,Shirakawa Ayumi)is the girl Hiromu wants to love. However, their relationship is made difficult because of a rumor spread out by her ex-boyfriend, which gave her a bad reputation in her school and beyond (Hiromu and Ayumi attend different schools). Len then devised a plan to re-approach them, just to make Ayumi see who she was dealing with all along. She breaks up with her ex-boyfriend for good and starts dating Hiromu.

Yota Moteuchi

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Eight years older than he was at the end ofVideo Girl Ai,Yota now teaches at an art school in the afternoon, which Hiromu and Ayumi attend. He is Hiromu's mentor and they talk often about Len. Yota tells Ayumi that Len went through the same experiences that she is going through. He does mention at one point in the series that Ai is doing well.

Media

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Manga

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Video Girl Aiis written and illustrated byMasakazu Katsura.The manga was serialized in theshōnenmangamagazineWeekly Shōnen Jumpfrom December 4, 1989, to April 20, 1992.[4][5]It was followed byVideo Girl Len,which was serialized from April 27 to July 20, 1992.[6][7]Shueishacompiled the 131 individual chapters into fifteentankōbonvolumes published between July 1990 and March 1993.[8][9]Shueisha re-published the series into ninebunkobanvolumes between January and May 2003.[10][11]

In North America,Viz Mediaannounced the license of the manga in August 1998.[12]It was first published in the anthologyAnimerica Extraby Viz until the cancelation of the magazine in December 2004.[13]The manga was originally released in a left to right edition; this version was compiled into seven volumes published between January 2000 and January 2004.[14][15]The complete series was released in a second edition of all fifteen volumes in the original right to left orientation between May 2004 and April 2006.[16][17]

List of volumes

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No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
01July 10, 1990[8]4-08-871801-1January 5, 2000 (1st ed.)[14]
May 26, 2004 (2nd ed.)[16]		978-1-56931-431-9(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-074-8(2nd ed.)
02September 10, 1990[18]4-08-871802-XAugust 30, 2000 (1st ed.)[19]
June 2, 2004 (2nd ed.)[20]		978-1-56931-536-1(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-075-5(2nd ed.)
03November 9, 1990[21]4-08-871803-8September 9, 2001 (1st ed.)[22]
October 12, 2004 (2nd ed.)[23]		978-1-56931-632-0(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-103-5(2nd ed.)
04January 10, 1991[24]4-08-871804-6February 9, 2002 (1st ed.)[25]
October 19, 2004 (2nd ed.)[26]		978-1-56931-715-0(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-104-2(2nd ed.)
05March 8, 1991[27]4-08-871805-4March 6, 2003 (1st ed.)[28]
January 11, 2005 (2nd ed.)[29]		978-1-56931-855-3(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-146-2(2nd ed.)
06June 10, 1991[30]4-08-871806-2July 1, 2003 (1st ed.)[31]
January 11, 2005 (2nd ed.)[32]		978-1-56931-895-9(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-607-8(2nd ed.)
07August 7, 1991[33]4-08-871807-0January 28, 2004 (1st ed.)[15]
April 12, 2005 (2nd ed.)[34]		978-1-59116-203-2(1st ed.)
978-1-59116-748-8(2nd ed.)
08October 9, 1991[35]4-08-871808-9June 9, 2004[36]978-1-59116-303-9
09December 3, 1991[37]4-08-871809-7October 5, 2004[38]978-1-59116-304-6
10February 10, 1992[39]4-08-871810-0January 11, 2005[40]978-1-59116-305-3
11May 8, 1992[41]4-08-871701-5April 12, 2005[42]978-1-59116-306-0
12July 3, 1992[43]4-08-871702-3July 12, 2005[44]978-1-59116-307-7
13September 4, 1992[45]4-08-871703-1October 11, 2005[46]978-1-59116-308-4
14November 4, 1992[47]4-08-871704-XJanuary 10, 2006[48]978-1-59116-309-1
15March 4, 1993[9]4-08-871705-8April 11, 2006[17]978-1-4215-0295-3

Live-action film

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A live-action film ofVideo Girl Aiwas released on June 29, 1991.[49]

Original video animation

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Video Girl Aiwas adapted into a six-episodeOVAproduced byIG Tatsunoko(now Production I.G). The series was released in 1992 by Jump Video. It roughly covers most of the material found in the first three volumes of the manga.

In North America,Viz Videoreleased the OVA onVHSin 1999 and onDVDin December 2001.[50][51][52]

Drama

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In 2018 a live-action television drama calledDen'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Ai 2018~ran onTV Tokyo.The series is set 25 years after the original manga and the main character is the nephew of Yota Moteuchi.[3]TV Tokyo continued the live-action adaptation with a second seriesDen'ei Shōjo ~Video Girl Mai 2019~focusing on the character Mai, played byMizuki Yamashita.[53][54]

Reception

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As of 2018, the manga has over 14 million copies in print.[55]

Notes

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  1. ^This nickname is based on a pun with theJapaneseverb cầm てる(moteru),which means to be well liked or popular (or to be able to have something). A second way to readLộng nộiismotenai,which is the negative conjugation formoteru(in other words, unable to have something). An attempt to get the joke across to English-speaking audiences is made by Ai, who reads his name and declares, "Motenai?!? As in Loser?"

References

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  1. ^"Video Girl Ai - First Date - Review".Anime News Network.RetrievedMay 25,2020.Video Girl Aicontinues to be the sweetest, loveliest, most angst-drenched romantic comedy ever
  2. ^"The Official Website for Video Girl Ai".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 27,2017.
  3. ^abcRessler, Karen (15 December 2017)."Live-Action Video Girl Ai 2018 Series' Promo Video Streamed".Anime News Network.
  4. ^Tuần san thiếu niên ジャンプ 1989 năm tỏ vẻ số thứ tự 51.Media Arts Database(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2020.RetrievedApril 6,2020.
  5. ^Tuần san thiếu niên ジャンプ 1992 năm tỏ vẻ số thứ tự 31.Media Arts Database(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2020.RetrievedApril 6,2020.
  6. ^Tuần san thiếu niên ジャンプ 1992/04/27 tỏ vẻ số thứ tự 19.Media Arts Database(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2019.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  7. ^Tuần san thiếu niên ジャンプ 1992/07/20 tỏ vẻ số thứ tự 31.Media Arts Database(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2019.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  8. ^abĐiện ảnh thiếu nữ 1(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  9. ^abĐiện ảnh thiếu nữ 15(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  10. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 1(in Japanese).Shueisha.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  11. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 9(in Japanese).Shueisha.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  12. ^"Otakon 98 Wrap-Up".Anime News Network.August 15, 1998.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  13. ^Macdonald, Christopher (December 17, 2004)."Animerica Extra Canceled".Anime News Network.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  14. ^abKatsura, Masakazu (5 January 2000).Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1.VIZ Media LLC.ISBN1569314314.
  15. ^abVideo Girl Ai, Vol. 7.ASIN1591162033.
  16. ^ab"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 1".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  17. ^ab"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 15".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  18. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 2(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  19. ^Katsura, Masakazu (30 August 2000).Video Girl Ai, Vol. 2.VIZ Media LLC.ISBN1569315361.
  20. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 2".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  21. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 3(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  22. ^Katsura, Masakazu (2001).Video Girl Ai, Vol. 3.VIZ Media LLC.ISBN1569316325.
  23. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 3".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  24. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 4(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  25. ^Katsura, Masakazu (9 February 2002).Video Girl Ai, Vol. 4.VIZ Media LLC.ISBN1569317151.
  26. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 4".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  27. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 5(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  28. ^Video Girl Ai, Vol. 5.ASIN1569318557.
  29. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 5".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  30. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 6(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  31. ^Video Girl Ai, Vol. 6.ASIN1569318956.
  32. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 6".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  33. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 7(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  34. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 7".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  35. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 8(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  36. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 8".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  37. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 9(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  38. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 9".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  39. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 10(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  40. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 10".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  41. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 11(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  42. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 11".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  43. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 12(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  44. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 12".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  45. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 13(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  46. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 13".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  47. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ 14(in Japanese).Shueisha.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2004.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  48. ^"Video Girl Ai, Vol. 14".Viz Media.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  49. ^Điện ảnh thiếu nữ.Japanese Cinema Database.RetrievedJanuary 13,2018.
  50. ^Sevakis, Justin (February 10, 1999)."ANN 1999 Spring Anime Preview".Anime News Network.
  51. ^"Viz Press Release Extravaganza!".Anime News Network.June 5, 2001.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  52. ^"Video Girl Ai".Amazon.4 December 2001.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  53. ^"Thu nguyên lợi lâu, ドラマ “Điện ảnh thiếu nữ” đệ 2 đạn で nãi mộc bản 46 dưới chân núi mỹ nguyệt とW diễn viên chính "(in Japanese).Natalie.February 28, 2019.RetrievedApril 1,2019.
  54. ^Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 18, 2019)."Live-Action Video Girl Ai Series Gets Sequel in April".Anime News Network.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
  55. ^Komatsu, Mikikazu (March 17, 2018)."Time-Limited" Video Girl Store "to Open in Tokyo Next Week".Crunchyroll.RetrievedMay 11,2019.
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