Mahoraba

• Name — Mahoraba • Ja Kanji — まほらば • Genre — Romance, slice of life

• Type — manga • Author — Akira Kojima • Publisher — Enix (2000–03) Square Enix (2003–06) • Magazine — Monthly Gangan Wing • First — November 2000 • Last — July 2006 • Volumes — 12

• Type — tv series • Title — Mahoraba ~Heartful Days • Director — Shinichiro Kimura • Music — bice • Studio — J.C.Staff • Network — TV Tokyo • First — January 10, 2005 • Last — June 26, 2005 • Episodes — 26 Mahoraba is a Japanese manga series by Akira Kojima. It was serialized in Square Enix' Monthly Gangan WING manga magazine between November 2000 and July 2006, spanning a total of 12 tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation titled Mahoraba: Heartful Days, was animated by J.C.Staff, aired on TV Tokyo from January 10, 2005, to June 26, 2005, spanning a total of 26 episodes.

Ryushi Shiratori wants to become a children's picture book writer, and he moves to an apartment, Narutaki-Sou (Narutaki Villa), in order to go to an art school in Tokyo. Narutaki-Sou is an old Japanese style one-story house which doesn't fit in urban scenery. The complex is owned by his mother's cousin and the manager of the apartment is his second cousin, Kozue Aoba. They met each other when they were children, but Shiratori does not remember much of it. Unbeknownst to her eccentric personality, Ryushi moves to Narutaki-Sou to realize his dream.

• Kozue Aoba is the landlady of Narutaki-sou and Ryūshi's 16-year-old second cousin. She attends the same high school as Tamami. Kozue has several different personalities that come out when she experiences different emotions, but returns to her original one after sleeping or passing out. • Saki Akasaka is a caring and tough girl who appears when Kozue is surprised or angered. She is an extreme lightweight, and unable to tolerate anything but umeshu (in the manga), in the anime she can't even smell liquor without passing out. • Nanako Kanazawa is a curious and playful residence of Narutaki-sou. • Chiyuri Midorikawa is a girl who loves cosplay. • Natsume Konno is a shy girl who initially avoided speaking to people. She is skilled at sleight of hand and card tricks.

• Tamami Chanohata is Kozue's close classmate who always has a camera and likes to take pictures of Kozue in embarrassing situations. She is also an inactive member of the occult club with her. • Ryūshi Shiratori is the main protagonist of the series who is an aspiring children's book author. Ryūshi moved into Narutaki Sou so he could attend the Sumeragi Design School in Tokyo. • Megumi Momono is a student of Washida University for one year, but it turned out to be too expensive, so she took a year-off. • Sayoko Kurosaki is an irresponsible girl from a wealthy family whose father is a talented sculptor. Despite her evident uselessness throughout the series, she cares for Asami. • Asami Kurosaki is a girl who lives in room 5 with only her adopted mother since her adopted father died when she was younger. She keeps things together despite her mother's problems, pulling most of the workload at home and keeping track of expenses. • Yukio Haibara is a boy with ventriloquism to speak through his puppet, Johnny. • Johnny Ryūsei is Yukio Haibara's hand-puppet of a brown dog through whom the latter speaks using ventriloquism. They both act as if the puppet were really the one speaking; Johnny often "speaks" as if Haibara is the extra part. It is revealed near the end of the manga that Johnny was "born" when Haibara was at a loss as to how to get the sad and lonely Kozue to talk to him after her parents left her.

• Satsuki "Sa-chan" Matsuba is Asami's classmate who speaks in Kansai dialect. She tries to keep control of Michiyo's haughty attitude, often using heavy texts such as dictionaries or telephone books as punishment. • Michiyo Asagi is Asami's rich and slightly snobby classmate. She is often seen with old-fashioned poses with her fan.

• Asahi Chigusa is a baker whose bakery is famous for its taiyaki. • Huang Youli is one of the bakers who is known for going through several unrelated jobs in quick succession.

• Ushimitsu Minazuki is Sayoko's father who works as a sculptor and tends to be controlling. • Yu Minazuki is Sayoko's mother who cannot stand sunlight, thus much more active at night. Yū walks with a cane, which she applies to her husband's feet when he is rude. • Mahiru Minazuki is Sayoko's younger sister and Asami's aunt. Having lived in Italy since childhood, she is somewhat awkward at speaking Japanese. • Tachibana is the senior maid of the Minazuki household. Despite her tough appearance, she has a soft spot for things like teddy bears. Tachibana is conscious of her height, thinking herself to be too tall (at the shrine, her wish is to shrink). She is over-protective of Mahiru. • Sakura Utsugi is one of the maids of the Minazuki household. Sakura's careless and clumsy personality often lands her in trouble.

Manga volumes • Name — Date published — ISBN — Name — Date published — ISBN • Mahoraba volume 1 — July 2001 — Mahoraba volume 7 — September 2004 • Mahoraba volume 2 — January 2002 — Mahoraba volume 8 — December 2004 • Mahoraba volume 3 — July 2002 — Mahoraba volume 8 — December 2004 • Mahoraba volume 4 — December 2002 — Mahoraba volume 9 — March 2005 • Mahoraba volume 5 — September 2003 — Mahoraba volume 10 — October 2005 • Mahoraba volume 5 — September 2003 — Mahoraba volume 11 — April 2006 • Mahoraba volume 6 — December 2003 — Mahoraba volume 12 — July 2006

• Miyabi Shirogane is Shiratori's teacher. Students who are disobedient or forget their homework are subjected to "the mysterious closet", which apparently is a frightful ordeal. She has a habit of having her eyes half open and talking happily. • Tsubasa Yamabuki is Shiratori's classmate who is always trying to impress young women. • Risona Aizawa is Shiratori's classmate who wears glasses and is a devoted fan of manga. • Mizuho Amane is Shiratori's classmate who uses her batting skills to punish Tsubasa for his womanizing. She normally uses a spiked baseball bat, but because of the adults' circumstances, it was taken away and replaced with a plastic megaphone.

• Erika Vermilion is head of the occult research lab, where Tamami and Kozue are technically members. • Hiro Utsugi is Sakura's younger sister who serves as club president and conductor.