Amagami Explained

Amagami
Ja Kanji:アマガミ
Genre:Harem, romantic comedy
Developer:Enterbrain
Publisher:Enterbrain, Kadokawa Shoten (EbiKore+)
Genre:Dating sim, Mahjong game (EbiKore+)
Platforms:PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita
Type:manga
Amagami: Sincerely Yours
Author:Kotetsu Sakura
Publisher:Enterbrain
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:Famitsu Comic Clear
First:October 30, 2009
Last:Jul 30, 2010
Volumes:1
Type:manga
Amagami: Precious Diary
Author:Tarō Shinonome
Publisher:Hakusensha
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:Young Animal
Young Animal Island
First:November 27, 2009
Last:September 2010
Volumes:2
Type:manga
Amagami: Love Goes On!
Author:Ryuya Kamino
Publisher:ASCII Media Works
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:Dengeki Maoh
First:March 2010
Last:January 27, 2014
Volumes:3
Type:manga
Author:Piaisai
Publisher:Enterbrain
Demographic:Shōnen
Magazine:Famitsu Comic Clear
First:April 30, 2010
Type:tv series
Amagami SS
Director:Yoshimasa Hiraike
Music:Toshiyuki Omori
Studio:AIC
Network:JNN (TBS, CBC, MBS, BS-TBS)
First:July 2, 2010
Last:December 23, 2010
Episodes:26 + 2 OVAs
Episode List:List of Amagami SS episodes
Type:manga
Amagami: Close to You
Author:Tomoya Andō
Publisher:Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:Comp Ace
Published:October 2010
Type:manga
Amagami: Precious Diary - Kaoru
Author:Tarō Shinonome
Publisher:Hakusensha
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:Young Animal
Young Animal Island
First:November 2010
Last:December 2011
Volumes:2
Type:tv series
Amagami SS+ plus
Director:Tomoki Kobayashi
Music:Toshiyuki Omori
Studio:AIC
Network:JNN (TBS, CBC, BS-TBS), SUN
First:January 5, 2012
Last:March 29, 2012
Episodes:13 + 8 OVAs
Episode List:List of Amagami SS episodes#Amagami SS+ plus (2012)

, is a Japanese dating simulation game for the PlayStation 2 and the spiritual successor to KimiKiss, both of which were developed and published by Enterbrain. Amagami was released on March 19, 2009., six manga adaptations have been produced: two serialized in Enterbrain's Famitsu Comic Clear, two in Hakusensha's Young Animal and Young Animal Island, one in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Maoh and one in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace. An anime adaptation titled Amagami SS aired in Japan from July 1, 2010, to December 23, 2010. An anime sequel titled Amagami SS+ plus, pronounced as "Amagami SS Plus", aired in Japan from January 6, 2012, to March 29, 2012. Seiren is a sequel to the similarly-structured Amagami adaptation, set in the same high school, albeit 9 years later.

Plot

Two years ago, Junichi Tachibana had his heart broken by a girl who stood him up on a date on Christmas Eve. Now a second-year student in high school, Junichi is wary of love because of his past and dislikes celebrating Christmas. However this Christmas, his encounter with one of six girls from his school: Haruka Morishima, Kaoru Tanamachi, Sae Nakata, Ai Nanasaki, Rihoko Sakurai, or Tsukasa Ayatsuji will finally open his true self and heart.

Characters

Main characters

The lead male protagonist of the story, and class 2A student. He has had a hard time opening up to others since his Christmas Eve date stood him up two years ago. He also fears heights, as he feels uncomfortable when riding elevators. Although his sister thinks of him as unreliable and slightly perverted, in the various character arcs. He shows that he is quite responsible when he puts his mind to it. He is academically better than the average student (particularly in math), but has a tendency to oversleep in the mornings and has to be woken up by his sister Miya.
  • A very popular girl in her final year, who has many fans at school. She can be described as a fickle and insecure girl with a liking for cute things, especially puppies. Her best friend is Hibiki Tsukahara and she has a younger brother named Satoshi. She is a quarter British from her mother, whose family's surname is Lovely (thus Haruka's middle name). Possibly as a nod to her heritage, she frequently mixes English phrases into her speech.
  • One of Junichi's childhood friends and class 2A classmate, she often hangs out with him and his best friend, Masayoshi. She is unpredictable and is liable to punch or otherwise physically assault Junichi unexpectedly. Kaoru does household chores and works part-time at a family restaurant to help support her single mother, who later dates another man. Her feelings for Junichi have been building since middle school, even though he is usually completely oblivious to it.
  • A friend and classmate of Miya's. Having studied at an all-girls school for most of her life, Sae is incredibly shy around men. She has a soft, quiet voice and though generally reserved, shows a child-like enthusiasm for the Inago Mask superheroes. She also has a severe fear of dogs. Sae's arc in the anime is unique in that her story is regularly narrated by Jouji Nakata, as well as some instances in breaking the fourth wall.
  • A friend and classmate of Miya's. She is a member of their school's swimming team. She has a younger brother named Ikuo and possesses a cool, calm disposition. She is responsible for maintaining the household as both of her parents work long hours.
  • She is Junichi's childhood friend who, despite her large appetite for sweets, or because of it, avidly reads the dieting books in the school library. She is a member of the Tea Club. In Rihoko's arc, it is told more from her perspective rather than Junichi's.
  • Class 2A's class representative, who excels academically and is a hard worker. While she acts kind and friendly, this is actually a facade that secretly hides the real her, who is manipulative, cunning, and selfish
  • Supporting characters

    Junichi's younger sister, who playfully calls her brother, "Nii-nii". She tends to be jealous when her brother is with another girl, with the exceptions of Sae, Ai and Rihoko, who are her close friends. Her favorite food is nikuman, which she frequently brings up in conversation, often completely out of context. She often wakes her brother up when it is time for school. She has a very distinctive laugh.
  • Class 2A's homeroom teacher. Usually a serious teacher, she easily gets drunk when she drinks amazake. She has a mini route within Ai's route. The 2nd fan disc expands on this mini-route, making her a winnable heroine.
  • Junichi's best friend since childhood, who has an interest in Japanese idols. He often purchases photo books of them and shares them with Junichi. His family owns a sushi shop, which he plans to inherit. He always refers to Junichi as "Boss".
  • A close friend of Rihoko's. She wins the Miss Santa Contest during the Kibitou High School's Founder's Festival should Haruka not participate.
  • A friend of Kaoru's. A quiet girl, Kaoru and Junichi give her advice on how to deal with her crush on a boy at school.
  • Haruka's friend who is captain of the girls' swimming team and Ai's senior. She tends to berate Haruka's frivolous nature. The 4th fan disc covers her route, making her a winnable heroine.
  • Rihoko's senior and a member of the Tea Club. Ruriko tends to worry about Rihoko's clumsiness as the future of the Tea Club will be in the latter's hands once she and Manaka graduate.
  • Rihoko's senior and another member of the Tea Club. Manaka has a rather quiet voice and a tendency to speak cryptically.
  • Tsukasa's older sister who is pleasant but oblivious and somewhat irresponsible. It these latter traits that Tsukasa dislikes about her sister.
  • A secret character in the game and anime. A shy girl, Risa has been in love with Junichi since grade school and has been secretly stalking him since. Risa is also the one responsible for what happened two years ago under the belief she was protecting Junichi from humiliation.
  • In the Amagami Official Complete Guide, she is listed as a student of class 2-B but in the game, she is a student from class 2-C. In the anime, she is a student from class 2-B and Rihoko's classmate.
    A character created exclusively for the Amagami SS+ anime, she is Haruka's cousin and looks exactly like her but with blond hair with green eyes. Her bangs also sway in a different direction than Haruka's, while wearing a white headband. She came to Japan to go sight seeing and also take Haruka back to England in one week prior to their grandparent's request without Junichi knowing the truth.
  • &
  • & Tomokazu Sugita (Drama CD)
  • Junichi's two other male friends who do not appear in the anime. Originally, they did not have their own character design, but since their appearance in the Drama CDs, Kisai Takayama, the character designer for the game, created their designs based on ideas by Tomokazu Sugita, Ken's voice actor.[1]
    Kaoru's Uncle
  • (Drama CD)
  • Kaoru's unnamed uncle in the Drama CD. He is her uncle on her father's side of the family.

    Adaptations

    Game ports

    The game saw an updated re-release with a number of bug fixes under the name of and a port to the PlayStation Portable with the same title on March 31, 2011, this time with Kadokawa Games[2] as the publisher. This version features a playable Mahjong minigame. The PSP version requires at least PSP Firmware 6.31 to run. A port was also released for the PlayStation Vita on 30 January 2014.[3] The game was only released in Japan.

    Manga

    Anime

    See also: List of Amagami SS episodes. An anime television series adaptation by AIC titled Amagami SS[4] aired from July 2, 2010, to December 23, 2010, in Japan. The anime adaptation is divided into six four-episode story arcs where each arc focuses on one of the main heroines who will become Junichi's love interest along with two extra episodes that focuses on Risa Kamizaki and Miya Tachibana.[5] [6] [7] Also included are two bonus OVA Short Story DVDs that were delivered to customers who ordered the first six Blu-ray/DVDs for the first OVA and the next six Blu-ray/DVDs for the second OVA.[8] On May 21, 2011, Sentai Filmworks announced at Anime Central 2011 they have licensed the anime series for North America.[9] On August 13, 2011, it was announced that Amagami SS would get a second season.[10]

    The anime has ten pieces of theme music: two opening themes and eight ending themes; each ending theme is sung by the voice actresses of the heroines of the series in their respective story arc. The first opening theme is "i Love" by azusa which ran from episode 1 to 13 and was released on July 19, 2010. The second opening theme is by azusa which was used from episode 14 to 26 and was released on October 20, 2010. The first ending theme, used for episodes one through four, is by Shizuka Itō and was released on July 21, 2010. The second ending theme, used for episodes five through eight, is by Rina Satō and was released on August 18, 2010. The third ending theme, used for episodes nine through twelve, is by Hiromi Konno and was released on September 15, 2010. The fourth ending theme, used for episodes 13 through 16, is by Yukana and was released on October 20, 2010. The fifth ending theme, used for episodes 17 through 20, is by Ryōko Shintani and was released on November 17, 2010. The sixth ending theme, used for episodes 21 through 24, is by Kaori Nazuka and was released on December 15, 2010. The seventh ending theme, used for episode 25 is by Mai Kadowaki. The eighth and final ending theme, used for episode 26 is by Kana Asumi. Both the seventh and eighth ending themes were released on January 19, 2011.

    Reception

    The anime adaptation received positive reviews. THEM anime gave Amagami SS 3 out of 5 stars. They sum up the review saying it could have been better but overall an enjoyable series for older teens.[11] Chris Beveridge from The Fandom Post gave the complete collection content a grade of A−. He recommended it for fans wanting different story arcs, and cited that it plays to the series roots as a video game.[12]

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Drama CD Amagami Vol. 4, Sae Nakata Chapter~This year, with you~ (ドラマCD アマガミ vol.4 中多紗江編~今年も、あなたと~). Tablier Communications inc. ASIN: B00309UCKG
    2. Web site: エビコレ+ アマガミ - KADOKAWA GAMES . May 7, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110120162214/http://www.kadokawagames.co.jp/title/detail/000089.php . January 20, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
    3. 2013-10-29, First Look At Amagami On PlayStation Vita, Siliconera
    4. Web site: Amagami Romance Game TV Anime Announced. Anime News Network. April 24, 2010. September 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100825022534/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-04-24/amagami-romance-game-tv-anime-announced. August 25, 2010 . live.
    5. Web site: Voice Actress: Amagami Game's Risa Kamizaki Gets Anime. Anime News Network. August 24, 2010. September 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100826184931/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-08-24/voice-actress/amagami-game-risa-kamizaki-gets-anime. August 26, 2010 . live.
    6. Web site: Amagami Game's Miya Tachibana Character Gets Video Anime. Anime News Network. September 24, 2010. October 20, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101027132756/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-09-24/amagami-game-miya-tachibana-character-gets-video-anime. October 27, 2010 . live.
    7. Web site: TBSアニメーション・アマガミSS公式ホームページ・グッズ情報 . TBSテレビ . ja . 2022-09-30 . 2023-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230422034059/http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/amagami/1st/goods/disc_1.html . live .
    8. Web site: Amagami SS BD/DVD Buyers Offered 2 Bonus DVDs. Anime News Network. July 9, 2010. September 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100913004228/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-09/amagami-ss-bd/dvd-buyers-offered-2-bonus-dvds. September 13, 2010 . live.
    9. Web site: Sentai Filmworks Adds MM!, Amagami SS. Anime News Network. May 21, 2011. May 22, 2011. May 23, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110523060637/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-21/sentai-filmworks-adds-mm-amagami-ss. live.
    10. Web site: Amagami SS Anime Gets 2nd Season. Anime News Network. August 13, 2011. August 13, 2011. August 19, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110819203052/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-08-13/amagami-ss-anime-gets-2nd-season. live.
    11. Web site: Amagami SS. THEM anime reviews. September 26, 2015. October 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211020003444/https://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=1312. live.
    12. Web site: Amagami SS Season 1 Complete Collection Blu-ray Anime Review. www.fandompost.com. Chris Beveridge. November 10, 2014. September 26, 2015. August 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170822214041/http://www.fandompost.com/2014/11/10/amagami-ss-season-1-complete-collection-blu-ray-anime-review/. live.