Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gash!! (manga) and Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (anime) (金色のガッシュベル!!, Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!!?, lit. "Golden Gash Bell!!), is a shōnen manga series by Makoto Raiku published in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday, which has been adapted as an anime TV series by Toei Animation. Many of the Zatch Bell! graphic novels have short comics inside titled Zatch & Suzy (Gash and Suzume in the original versions). In 2003, the manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Intent
2 Story
3 Characters
4 Anime
4.1 Writing style of the anime
5 Episodes and chapters
6 Theme songs
7 Cast
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
[edit] Intent
Raiku said that he intended to create a "passionate story about a heartwarming friendship" and that he used the concept as a "base" while adding the mamodo, book, and spell concepts.[2]
[edit] Story
One hundred mamodo (known as "mamono/demons" in the original version) go to Earth every 1,000 years to battle to be the king of the mamodo world (referred to as makai in the original, which can be translated as hell). Each mamodo has a particular element which it can control and attack with, a set of body supporting spells, and other spells (e.g. a defensive spell), all via the use of a special spell book. Each mamodo needs a human partner in order to use his or her spell book, and if his or her spell book is burned, the mamodo is forced to return to the mamodo world. While the spells in each book typically are different for each mamodo, there are mamodo that share spells. The human and their mamodo gain these spells through experience. Each spell book is a different color. The last mamodo standing without their book burnt is the new mamodo king.
The main human character, Kiyo Takamine (Kiyomaro Takamine in the original version), is a 14-year old boy in junior high school. His father, Seitaro Takamine, discovers an unconscious mamodo named Zatch Bell (Gash Bell in the original version) while in a forest in England. His father sends the mamodo to be Kiyo's mentor. Unlike the other mamodo, Zatch lost his memory of the mamodo world. Kiyo and Zatch are now caught up in the battle to be the king of the mamodos.
[edit] Characters
Main articles: List of Zatch Bell! characters and List of Zatch Bell! minor characters
See also: List of Ancient Mamodo
Gash Bell (ガッシュ・ベル Gasshu Beru)/Zatch Bell - The titular character and Kiyo's mamodo. He has electric based spells. When he was found, he had no memory of where he was from or who he was except for his name, because of his brother Zeno. His favorite food is yellowtail tuna.
Kiyomaro Takamine (高嶺清麿 Takamine Kiyomaro)/Kiyo Takamine - A brainy junior high school student who is Zatch’s bookkeeper and friend. At first, the two do not get along due to Kiyo's snobbishness. Early on, Kiyo had few friends and was disliked in his school. After his father sent Zatch, things began to change. He is a genius whose battle plans help Zatch fight.
Suzume Mizuno (水野鈴芽 Mizuno Suzume)/Suzy Mizuno - A ditzy girl who has a crush on Kiyo. She draws faces on fruit to express how she is feeling and often uses oranges. She gets jealous when she hears that Kiyo is hanging out with other girls.
Vulcan 300 (バルカン300)/Volcan 300 - Zatch's best friend. He is said to be a robot that can launch up to 300 air missiles. He was created in five minutes with a hyper body made of a Pocky box ("cardboardium" wink and chopsticks. He was made by Kiyo as a way to occupy Zatch, and he shows up several times in the series. He apparently had to be remade several times due to his poor construction, and Zatch keeps graves of each previous Vulcan. Vulcan was first made in episode 3 when Zatch began crying because he had no one to play with him while Kiyo went to school.
Sherry Bellmont (シェリー・ベルモンド Sherī Berumondo) - A girl with a painful childhood who is trying to find a way to defeat a mamodo named Zofis, who has brainwashed her best friend, Koko. Her mamodo is Brago. She is not a particularly friendly person because of her callousness. After Zofis' defeat, Sherry decides to help Brago become king out of gratitude.
Brago (ブラゴ Burago) - One of the most powerful mamodo, who uses gravitational spells and isn't exactly thrilled with having to have a human partner, much less a weak girl, to read his spells. He often expresses disdain for having to team up with a human to win the mamodo battle. Exceptionally strong, he is one of the few mamodo who do not require spells to fight.
Parco Folgore (パルコ・フォルゴレ Paruko Forugore) - An Italian superstar who has a mamodo named Kanchomé. In the original version, his "trademark song" is the infamous "Chichi wo Moge" (which translates into English as "Groping Breasts" wink . The American dub changes the song to the more innocent "Hey, Hey, Let's Dance All Day". In the original version, he's a pervert who gropes every girl he comes across, but in the American version he is simply a flamboyant womanizer. He likes to call himself "The Invincible Folgore" and he even has a song for it.
Kanchomé (キャンチョメ Kyanchome) - Folgore's mamodo, who seems weaker than Gash, but only because his spells are more based around deception and transformation of form. He is dubbed "crybaby" by those around him. He is extremely loyal to Folgore and sings Folgore's songs all day. He has an "endless pocket" filled with all kinds of candy, but despite that he will always try to take candy that is nearby, which has caused him problems.
Tio (ティオ Tio)/Tia - A tomboy female mamodo that used to bully Zatch, yet is now his ally. At first, she did not believe that mamodos could team up, but that all changed due to Zatch. She is very outgoing and a bit pushy because of her stressing partner. Her spells are mainly defensive (shields), with sword-based ones later on. She apparently has a crush on Zatch, who is oblivious to her actions. Tia went as far as to give the lunch she made for Zatch to Kiyo as an attempt to hide her feelings.
Megumi Oumi (大海 恵 Ōumi Megumi) - A Japanese teenage idol who befriends both Zatch and Kiyo (some would say more than friends on the latter). Her mamodo is Tia. There is currently no background info on her, but she is always busy due to tours and concerts. Tia is really upset at the fact that she has limited vacation time. She can make Kiyo blush many times in one day. She also seems to be skilled in Judo and has also taught her mamodo how to defend herself physically.
Umagon (ウマゴン)/Ponygon - A mamodo that appears to be a kind of miniature horse. This mamodo uses armor based spells, although he is unable to find his partner for a very long time. First befriended by Zatch in England in the manga (in the anime, he first shows up in Japan), he is consistently obsessed with eventually finding his book keeper and taking part in the mamodo battle as well. His partner turns out to be Kafk Sunbeam, a German engineer who can somehow understand Ponygon. Ponygon seems good-natured and befriends everyone easily, except for Kiyo. His real name is "Schneider", but because no one can understand his language, they end up calling him Ponygon (even Kafk, who tries to ask his real name and ends up getting the same answer as everyone else). In the original version, this stems from uma ("Horse" wink and gon (as in Monster). In the American dub, Kiyo says "Since you look like a horse (pony) and I want you gone...", leading to Ponygon. Ponygon was at first scared of fighting, but after burning Dalmos' book, he is no longer afraid and will protect his frineds.
Kafka Sunbeam (カフカ・サンビーム)/Kafk Sunbeam - An easygoing man in his 30s. He is Ponygon's bookkeeper. He did not appear until midway through the second season. Unlike most of Kiyo's friends, he is a simple German engineer working on projects in Japan.
View User's Journal
~ Kazekage Sasori ~
 |
