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This article is about the anime series. For the "god people" of the Ryukyus, see Ryukyuan_religion#Kaminchu

Kamichu!
かみちゅ！～かみさまでちゅうがくせい～ (Kami-chu! ~Kamisama de Chugakusei~)
Demographic	Seinen
Genre	Fantasy
TV anime
Director	Koji Masunari
Studio	Aniplex
Network	Animax, TV Asahi
Other networks: Animax A+
Original run	28 June 2005 – 27 September 2005
Episodes	16 [12 tv, 4 dvd only]
Manga
Author	Hanaharu Naruko
Publisher	MediaWorks
Serialized in	Dengeki Daioh
Original run	June 2005 – January 2007
Volumes	2

Kamichu! (かみちゅ!～かみさまでちゅうがくせい～, Kami-chu! ~Kamisama de Chugakusei~^?), also known as Teenage Goddess, is a Japanese anime television series, strongly influenced by the Shinto religion, that follows the adventures of teenage goddess Yurie Hitotsubashi and her friends. The series was created by Besame Mucho (ベサメムーチョ, Besamemūcho^?), which is the joint pen name of Tomonori Ochiai, Koji Masunari, and Hideyuki Kurata. It was broadcast by the anime television network Animax on its respective networks worldwide, including Japan, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, where it received its first English-language broadcast with the title Kamichu - Teenage Goddess, and other regions.

The series was adapted as a manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh, a seinen manga magazine, and collected in two tankōbon volumes.

At the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival, Kamichu! was received an Excellence Prize for animation.^[1]

Contents 1 Story 2 Main characters 3 Production staff 4 Reception and awards 5 Media 5.1 Anime episodes 5.2 Music 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Yurie is a petite, shy, and otherwise ordinary middle-school girl who suddenly discovers that, overnight, she has become a kami (神, kami^?), a god in the Shinto sense. She has no idea what kind of god she is or what her powers are. Her friends give her the nickname kamichu from kami (god) and chūgakusei (middle school student). In her journey she meets many gods and learns the ways of the gods in order to become a great god herself.

Kamichu! is set in the city of Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture, on the shores of Japan's Inland Sea. Many of the temples and landmarks shown in the anime are real places in and around the city, faithfully depicted. It is set in the Spring of 1983 to Spring of 1984^[2]

Yurie Hitotsubashi (一橋 ゆりえ, Hitotsubashi Yurie^?)

Voiced by: MAKO (Japanese), Megan Harvey (English)

Yurie is the main protagonist in the series. In the very first episode, she tells her best friend Mitsue that overnight she became a goddess. It is not explained how she became one throughout the entire series. She is remarkably naive and simple-minded but always has the best intentions. She has a crush on Kenji Ninomiya. She also has a younger brother who has a crush on Miko, Matsuri's younger sister.

Matsuri Saegusa (三枝 祀, Saegusa Matsuri^?)

Voiced by: Rika Morinaga (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Matsuri is the person in charge of the Raifuku Shrine in Onomichi. She runs the shrine with her sister, Miko. Unlike Miko, she cannot see spirits without the charms that Yurie usually writes (thought it is stated in the manga by Miko, that she too could see spirits before). Her name means "worship".

Mitsue Shijo (四条 光恵, Shijō Mitsue^?)

Voiced by: Kaori Mine (Japanese), Erika Weinstein (English)

Mitsue is Yurie's best friend. She's very down to earth but wishes that more interesting things would happen to her throughout the series. Usually possessed by Yashima when he needs to communicate with Matsuri, who cannot see spirits.

Miko Saegusa (三枝 みこ, Saegusa Miko^?)

Voiced by: Ai Nonaka (Japanese), Rachel Hirschfeld (English)

Miko is Matsuri's younger sister. She helps out in the shrine and has the ability to see spirits. She has a crush on Yashima. A miko is a shinto shrine attendent.

Kenji Ninomiya (二宮 健児, Ninomiya Kenji^?)

Voiced by: Issei Miyazaki (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

Kenji is the president and only member of his school's calligraphy club. He is quite aloof and a bit slow at realising things. Often does calligraphy for the Raifuku shrine. Usually called "Ken".

Yashima-sama (八島様, Yashima-sama^?)

Voiced by: Kousuke Okano (Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal (English)

Yashima is the local god of the Raifuku shrine. He wishes to be a rock star thus resulting in him possessing Mitsue (who is totally against this). He is also often seen with an Akita Inu that talks and aside from that he seems to be close friends with Miko Saegusa and he respects Yurie much more than he does himself.

Shoukichi Hitotsubashi

Voiced by: Makoto Tsumura (Japanese), J.D. Stone (English)

Shoukichi is Yurie's younger brother, who like Miko attends the same school as his older sister, one grade below. He has a crush on Miko.

The anime received an Excellence Prize at the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival.^[1]

There are sixteen episodes in the anime series. Twelve episodes were broadcasted on TV Asahi in 720p, omitting episodes 8, 11, 13, and 16. The DVD release included all sixteen episodes.^[3]

The titles of several episodes are from Japanese pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s.^[4]

#	Title	Original air date[5]
01	"The Spice of Youth" "Seijun no Ijiwaru" (青春のいじわる)	2005-06-29
When Yurie announces during lunch that last night she became a god, Matsuri, as the daughter of a shinto priest, tries to help her figure out what kind of god she is. During their efforts, Yurie accidentally creates a typhoon, which she has to dispell to save Kenji.
02	"Please God" "Kami-sama Onegai" (神様お願い)	2005-07-06
Matsuri decides her family's shrine will host a festival in honor of Yurie, but meanwhile Yashima, the local god, is missing. Yurie travels to the land of the gods to convince him to return.
03	"I Didn't Mean It" "Sonna Tsumori ja Nakatta no ni" (そんなつもりじゃなかったのに)	2005-07-13
The god of poverty arrives in town, sending the local economy into a depression. Yurie's pet cat, Tama, goes missing.
04	"Earth's Crisis" "Chikyuu no Kiki" (地球の危機)	2005-07-27
The God Association sends Yurie three assistants to help her deal with petitions. The Prime Minister summons Yurie to help deal with an alien.
05	"I Don't Like Being Alone" "Hitori Bocchi wa Kirai" (ひとりぼっちは嫌い)	2005-08-03
06	"A Small Decision" "Chisa na Kesshin" (小さな決心)	2005-08-10
07	"Lovers of the Sun" "Taiyou no Koibito-tachi" (太陽の恋人たち)	2005-08-24
08	"Wild Times" "Yasei Jidai" (野生時代)	N/A
09	"Crossing the River of Time" "Toki no Kawa o Koete" (時の河を越えて)	2005-08-31
Yurie is asked to return the spirit of the sunken battleship Yamato to its home port.
10	"I Choose You" "Kimi ni Kettei" (君に決定)	2005-09-07
11	"Love is Missing" "Koi wa Yukue Fumei" (恋は行方不明)	N/A
12	"Mysterious Adventure" "Fushiigina Bouken" (ふしぎなぼうけん)	2005-09-14
For the month of Kannazuki, Yurie attends the "God Convention" in Izumo. While there, she temporarily transfers to a local middle school where everyone treats her with utmost respect.
13	"We Do As We Like" "Yaritai Houdai" (やりたい放題)	N/A
14	"Dream Colored Message" "Yume Iro no Message" (夢色のメッセージ)	2005-09-21
During her winter break from school, Yurie spends an entire day under the kotatsu. She receives several New Years cards, including one from Kenji.
15	"A Small Step" "Chiisana Ippo de" (小さな一歩で)	2005-09-28
When Yurie resolves to give Kenji chocolate for Valentine's Day and confess her love, the entire school pitches in to help her.
16	"Look, Don't You Think Spring Has Come?" "Hora ne, Haru ga Kita" (ほらね、春が来た)	N/A
Yurie and Mitsue help Matsuri and Miko clean the shrine storage rooms. As she spends the night there, Yurie tells her friends that Kenji is her boyfriend.

Opening Theme:

• "Fair Weather Followed by Fair Weather" ( 晴れのちハレ!; Hare Nochi Hare! )

Lyrics by: Bee'

Composition and arrangement by: Junpei Fujita

Song by: Maho Tomita

Closing Theme:

• "Ice Candy" ( アイスキャンディー; Aisu Kyandī )

Lyrics by: Bee'

Composition and arrangement by: Noriyasu Agematsu

Song by: MAKO

CDs
3 Kamichu! CD's have been released:

1. アイスキャンディー Maxi - 2005-08-24 ^[6]
2. 晴れのちハレ! Maxi - 2005-08-24 ^[7]
3. Kamichu OST - 2005-10-26 ^[8]

• Arahitogami: More information on human being as a God(dess) in Shinto religion.

• Official Kamichu! website by Sony Music (Japanese)
• Official Kamichu! website (English)
• Interview with Hideyuki Kurata and Koji Masunari (Japanese) - about the anime Kamichu!
• Kamichu! (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia