Ebichu
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EbichuDVD.jpg
Oruchuban Ebichu (or Ebichu Minds the House, in Japanese: おるちゅばんエビちゅ) is an anime produced by Gainax and directed by Hideaki Anno, and is based on the manga by Risa Ito that was published by Futabasha Publishers. It first aired as six eight minutes episodes in 1999 as one third of the show Modern Love's Silliness.
Ebichu is very adult in nature, and presents explicit violence, innuendo, and sexual scenes as far as the TV network will allow. Like South Park in the United States, this series streched the limits of what could be shown on Japanese network television, and the uncut version of the series is only found on DVD. The show is done in a simplistic artstyle, and its sexual content is played for laughs rather than for fanservice.
Most episodes follow Ebichu, a talking hamster devoted to her oft-indifferent owner, who is only identified as OL, a single 25 year old (this is the age Japanese women are considered nearing the end of the ideal marrying age) who doles out cynical commentary and the ocassional beating on the rodent. Ebichu tends to take this in stride with endless praise and compliments, although such abuse is usually caused by Ebichu's almost disturbing lack of tact or propriety.
Ebichu often attempts to correct OL's bad decisions, such as her berating of OL's obnoxious and untrustworthy boyfriend Ebichu nicknamed Kaishounachi (literally, Useless).
Ebichu is sometimes joked by fans to be the complete polar opposite of Hamtaro, a popular children's anime featuring a hamster in more wholesome adventurers.
The origin of the anime came about during voice recording sessions for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Kotono Mitsuishi, the seiyuu for the character of Misato Katsuragi would read the Ebichu manga in between takes and laugh at the humor. She would show others what she was reading and eventually it was decided that the series was worth animating. As a result, Mitsuishi Kotono was selected to voice the title character of housekeeping hamster Ebichu.
External link
- Gainax's Ebichu website in Japanese (http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/awaawa/ebichu/index.html)
- Gainax's Ebichu website in English (http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/awaawa/ebichu/index-e.html)
- Futabasha's Ebichu website in Japanese (http://www.futabasha.co.jp/ebichu/)fr:Ebichu
Categories: Anime | Manga | Gainax