Sumomomo, Momomo

The story centers on Momoko Kuzuryū, a young and strong martial artist girl who wants to marry and bear a child with a boy that she believes to be a strong fighter. A 22-episode anime television series adaptation by Studio Hibari was broadcast on TV Asahi from October 2006 to March 2007, with two additional original video animation (OVA) episodes released in August 2007.

• Portal — yes

• Type — tv series • Director — Nobuaki Nakanishi • Writer — Toshiki Inoue • Studio — Studio Hibari • Network — TV Asahi • First — October 6, 2006 • Last — March 16, 2007 • Episodes — 22 + 2 OVAs

• Type — manga • Author — Shinobu Ohtaka • Publisher — Square Enix • Magazine — * Gangan YG • Young Gangan • First — January 30, 2004 • Last — February 6, 2009 • Volumes — 12

• Name — Sumomomo, Momomo: The Strongest Bride on Earth • Ja Kanji — すもももももも〜地上最強のヨメ〜 • Ja Romaji — Sumomomo Momomo ~Chijō Saikyō no Yome~ • Genre — * Martial arts • Romantic comedy

Kōshi Inuzuka is a normal high school student aspiring to become a prosecutor after graduating. One day, a strange girl named Momoko Kuzuryū approaches him, revealing that they are betrothed and expected to produce a strong child together, although Kōshi does not accept this odd notion. Apparently the betrothal resulted from Kōshi's and Momoko's fathers having arranged the marriage. After Kōshi and Momoko's initial meeting, Kōshi realizes that Momoko is not just a normal — albeit strange — girl, as she has been trained by her father in a special form of martial arts known only to twelve families in all of Japan. Each of these twelve families correlates with one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Momoko's family is associated with the Dragon, while Kōshi's family is associated with the Dog. The Dragon family is the head of the six families of the west, whereas the Dog family is the head of the six families of the east. Before long, it is revealed to Kōshi and Momoko that five of the six western families are out on a plot to assassinate Kōshi to prevent him from marrying Momoko, which would cement the twelve families together by bonds of blood. This assassination would be the start of a martial artist war, which would be the seventh such war of the twelve zodiac Masters of Japan. Kōshi must now fight for his life as Momoko protects him, hoping he will return her affection.

• Illustration — Main characters (from left to right): Tenka, Sanae, Kōshi, Momoko, Iroha, and Hanzō • Kōshi Inuzuka (犬塚 孝士, Inuzuka Kōshi) • Hiroki Takahashi • Kōshi is a studious but physically frail seventeen-year-old high school student, the son of Unken Inuzuka, a martial arts master from one of Japan's twelve zodiac families, associated with the Dog of the Chinese zodiac. Despite his lineage, he rejects martial arts due to childhood trauma involving bullies, which left him prone to freezing when confronted with violence. Aspiring to become a prosecutor, he immerses himself in legal studies, often citing laws to deter aggressors. Initially reluctant to engage with Momoko or the martial arts conflict around him, he gradually overcomes his fears and grows closer to her. • Momoko Kuzuryū (九頭竜 もも子, Kuzuryū Momoko) • Yui Kano • Momoko is a highly skilled but eccentric and energetic young martial artist, specializing in a unique fighting style exclusive to Japan's twelve zodiac Masters, with her lineage tied to the Dragon. She believes marrying Kōshi will produce a powerful heir, as her family's techniques are harder to master as a woman. Initially, their dynamic resembles that of a dog and its master, with Momoko relentlessly pursuing his approval. Despite her usual barefootedness, she wears shoes Kōshi gives her, though she discards them in combat. Fiercely devoted, she protects him from assassins with exceptional skill and unwavering determination, willing to sacrifice herself for his sake. • Iroha Miyamoto (巳屋本 いろは, Miyamoto Iroha) • Ui Miyazaki • Iroha, a fifteen-year-old from the zodiac Master family linked to the Snake, seeks to restore her family's former notoriety as the most feared of the twelve lineages. Her father's leniency weakened their once-powerful yakuza group, the Miyamoto family, leaving only her and her subordinate Hanzō to pursue its revival. Initially targeting Kōshi for assassination, she is thwarted by Momoko. However, after Momoko commends her strength and questions her path, Iroha abandons vengeance, develops feelings for Kōshi, and befriends Momoko. She later supports Momoko's relationship with Kōshi while seeking a new future for her family. • Sanae Nakajima (中慈馬 早苗, Nakajima Sanae) • Aya Hirano • Sanae is a high school student and class representative, secretly operating as Tenchū Senshi Uma Kamen ("Divine Punishment Warrior Horse Mask"), a superheroine tasked with protecting Kōshi. As a descendant of the Horse zodiac Masters, she wields a power-enhancing outfit that grows stronger with less coverage—maximizing its effect when wearing only the boots, ideal for her family's kick-based combat style. Though she harbors unrequited feelings for Kōshi, she suppresses them, believing her duty is to guard him discreetly while supporting his bond with Momoko. Despite her inner conflict, she remains a loyal friend, often tending to Momoko's injuries and accepting her role as "a flower in the shadow". • Hanzō (半蔵) • Chihiro Suzuki • Hanzō, a seventeen-year-old loyal follower of Iroha, assists in her mission to eliminate Kōshi out of unwavering devotion after she once saved his life. As the sole remaining member of her family's formerly powerful yakuza organization, he deeply admires Iroha and strives to better himself through her example. Their relationship mirrors that of a Dog and its master, though Iroha openly regards him as a brother and rejects any romantic possibility, despite Hanzō's apparent feelings for her. His loyalty remains steadfast regardless of her dismissal of his affections. • Tenka Koganei (虎金井 天下, Koganei Tenka) • Takeshi Kusao • Tenka, a member of the Tiger zodiac Master family, initially attempts to assassinate Kōshi while displaying feline-like traits including aquaphobia and a fondness for round objects. He carries a soccer ball named "Becky" (ベッキー, Bekkī) that appears to converse with him, though observers attribute this to ventriloquism. Having developed childhood feelings for Momoko after defeating her in training, he mistakenly believed they would marry when reunited, while she anticipated a deadly rematch. Ultimately abandoning his mission, Tenka warns Momoko about impending attacks from his relatives and allies with her and Kōshi. By the story's conclusion, he maintains friendly relations with the group. • Unken Inuzuka (犬塚 雲軒, Inuzuka Unken) • Tesshō Genda • Unken, Kōshi's father and head of the Dog zodiac Master family, is a martial arts master who struggles to convince his son to follow his path. Despite their differences, he maintains a friendly rivalry with Sendayū. Though now distinct in appearance, an old school photo reveals he once resembled Kōshi closely—a fact that unsettles his son. Unken remains determined to pass on his legacy, even as Kōshi resists martial arts training. • Sendayū Kuzuryū (九頭竜 千太夫, Kuzuryū Sendayū) • Katsuhisa Hōki • Sendayū, Momoko's father and a martial arts master, instructs his daughter to marry the strongest warrior and produce a powerful heir, as their family's techniques cannot be fully mastered by women. This directive motivates Momoko's pursuit of Kōshi, despite his initial reluctance toward martial arts. • Katsuyuki Saigō (西郷 勝行, Saigō Katsuyuki) • Taketoshi Kawano • Saigō is a hulking, intimidating student at Kōshi's school who leads a group of delinquents. Despite his rough exterior—communicating mostly through grunts while wearing sunglasses—he secretly enjoys caring for kittens and reading romance novels. When he first encounters Alice Uzuki, he fearlessly defends her from assassins and later shields Kōshi from her weapon. Smitten with Alice, he enlists Momoko and others to help pursue a relationship with her. His actions reveal a gentle nature beneath his fearsome appearance. • Inaho Kameda (亀田 稲穂, Kameda Inaho) • Kikuko Inoue • Inaho, representing the turtle-associated Kameda family, seeks to supplant the Nakajima family as protectors of the Inuzuka lineage. Though disliking legal studies, she becomes a teacher to approach Kōshi romantically. As "Kame Kamen" (Turtle Mask), she wears a revealing armored costume resembling a turtle shell. After failing to seduce Kōshi, she attempts to kidnap him but ultimately abandons her scheme when confronted by Sanae's resolve. Despite developing genuine affection for Kōshi, her advances are rejected due to the unethical teacher-student dynamic. The Kameda family's turtle motif makes them unique among the zodiac lineages. She is an anime-exclusive character. • Alice Uzuki (卯月 アリス, Uzuki Arisu): • Alice, from the Rabbit-aligned Uzuki clan, is a skilled assassin who rebels to pursue music. Recognizable by her combat hairstyle resembling rabbit ears, she befriends Saigō but faces blackmail when her clan demands she kill Kōshi or see Saigō executed. Though nearly successful, Saigō intervenes, convincing her through Momoko that her talents belong to music, not violence. With help from the group, Alice escapes her clan's influence and departs for France to study music professionally. She is an anime-exclusive character.

Written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka, Sumomomo, Momomo started in the inaugural issue of Square Enix's manga magazine Gangan YG on January 30, 2004; the magazine was later rebranded as Young Gangan on December 3 of the same year. The series finished on February 6, 2009. Square Enix collected its chapters in twelve volumes, released from May 5, 2005, to February 25, 2009. The manga has been licensed by Yen Press for distribution in English in North America. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The twelve collected volumes were released from May 12, 2009, to May 29, 2012.

A twenty-two episode anime television series adaptation, animated by Studio Hibari and directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi, was broadcast on TV Asahi from October 6, 2006, to March 16, 2007. Two additional original video animation (OVA) episodes were released with the ninth DVD set of the series on August 24, 2007. The two opening theme songs, "Saikyō○×Keikaku" (最強○×計画) (episodes 1–12) and "Setsujō! Hyakka Ryōran" (切情! 佰火繚乱) (episodes 13–24), were performed by Mosaic.wav. The first ending theme song is "No Rock No Life" (episodes 1–12) by Honey Bee (band); the second ending theme song is "Mōsō Break" (妄想ブレイク, Mōsō Bureiku) (episodes 13–14, 16–22) by Yozora Orihime & AiAi; the ending theme song for episode 15 is "Good Luck" by Mi-ko.