Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club (砂沙美☆魔法少女クラブ,Sasami: Mahō Shōjo Kurabu?) (translation: Sasami: Magical Girl Club) is a magical girlanime which features the rather familiar likenesses of Sasami and other characters of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, specifically those of Pretty Sammy. However, this series has nothing to do with either Pretty Sammy anime titles. The animation style is different and the anime itself is set in a very different alternate universe. Produced by AIC and BeSTACK and officially recognized as a Tenchi Muyo! spin-off, it is aired in WOWOW on Thursday nights, the show aired its first season from April 132006 to July 132006. On October 62006, a second season had begun airing. The first season has now been licensed for a release in the U.S. by Funimation Entertainment. [1][2]
Sasami Iwakura has been enthroned with magical powers since birth; but at age three, she is forbidden by her parents to use it. So she decides to keep her magical powers a secret. But in the start of a new term, she encounters the new transfer teacher Washu and her pet Ryo-Ohki, and her life is about to change. This anime also features Misao (Shinohara) and Sasami's homeroom teacher Mihoshi.
Characters
The Magical Girl Club (a.k.a. The Cooking Club)
Sasami Iwakura(岩倉砂沙美,Iwakura Sasami?) - The lead character of the series. She is a bubbly girl who has magical powers which she uses only in secret. That is because she is forbidden by her parents to use it. It is only when her cooking teacher Washu discovered her magical powers that the are to be of use. Except for the absence of freckles and the triangular mark on her forehead, she looks similar to her metaseries counterpart. Voiced by:Mana Ogawa
Misao Shinohara(篠原美紗緒,Shinohara Misao?) - The second member of the magical girl club whom Sasami befriended. She comes off as an introvert because she attracts worm-like creatures around her whenever she gets scared and they envelop her body, making her scary to those around her. It is only after meeting Sasami that she becomes more outgoing. Except for the bow on her hair and her hair being more purple than purplish black, she resembles Misao Amano. Voiced by:Himeko Shimura
Makoto Hozumi(穂積真琴,Hozumi Makoto?) - The third member of the club, she has the ability to either shrink or enlarge herself at will. It is for this (and her short stature) that she drinks up the school's entire supply of milk and eventually goes to the restroom. Voiced by:Momoko Hatano
Tsukasa Takamine(高峰 司,Takamine Tsukasa?) - The fourth member of the club. Although emotionless, she has the ability to use and manipulate the wind. She has an overprotective father who does not want her to use her powers after her mother died, but he eventually lets go of that trait, knowing those powers she have are a reminder of her mother. Voiced by:Saharu Kawakami
Anri Misugi(美杉杏莉,Misugi Anri?) - The fifth member of the club. Although popular with the boys, she has admiration for Tsukasa due to reasons unknown, and does not want anyone to hang out with Tsukasa. She can do drawings and write words and also has the ability to make each of those those words into tangible symbols. Although she acts like a princess, she actually comes from a rather large family with a lot of siblings. Voiced by:Marin Funayama
Washu Kozuka(小塚鷲羽,Kozuka Washū?) - Cooking teacher and adviser of the magical girls' club (and of the cooking club). Although she is recruited by the school, she is in fact from the world of the witches. As advisor, she trains the girls to be good magical girls. Ironically, although she is the cooking teacher, she herself cannot cook. Fans of the Tenchi franchise can recognize this character as the Washu they know. Voiced by:Akiko Hiramatsu
Other characters
Ryo-Ohki - Washu's pet, whom she tortures very much. This probably is the reason it eventually ends up with Sasami, much like its counterpart. Although its sex is not known, it can change its form, like its counterparts do. Voiced by:Ema Kogure
Daimon(大門,Daimon?) - Washu's helper and Sasami and Misao's friend. Like Washu, he is also from the world of the witches. Voiced by:Masakazu Suzuki
Ginji and Honoka Iwakura (岩倉銀次, Iwakura Ginji; 岩倉ほのか, Iwakura Honoka) - Sasami's parents who both forbid their daughter to use magic. Ironically, Ginji, in particular, is also from the magical world, and he is a rank higher than Washu and Daimon. They were named after Sasami Kawai's parents in Magical Project S (Pretty Samy TV). Kenji Hamada - Ginji Iwakura (Sasami's father); Ruri Asano - Honoka Iwakura (Sasami's mother)
Monta(もんた,Monta?) - Sasami's classmate who has feelings for her. Sasami does not know this; rather it is Misao who has feelings for him. His real name is Toshihiko Saruta (猿田寿彦,Saruta Toshihiko?). Voiced by:Yuka Nishigaki
Kozue Matsubara(松原 梢,Matsubara Kozue?) and Chiaki Miyazawa(宮沢千晶,Miyazawa Chiaki?) - Sasami's friends. Kozue is the girl wearing glasses and Chiaki the tall girl. Aimi Yanagi - Kozue Matsubara; Natsuki Matsuzaki - Chiaki Miyazawa
Itoki(衣斗紀,Itoki?) - She is a messenger and magical girl trainer. She does not get along with Washu very well. Voiced by:Mai Kadowaki
Amitav(アミターヴ,Amitāvu?) A strange being whom Sasami meets at a pond in the magical world and teaches her the magical girls' song which Sasami memorizes very well. Sasami calls him Ami-chan (アミちゃん,Ami-chan?). (He should not be confused with Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, whose name sounds similar.) Voiced by:Mitsuki Saiga
Music
Opening: Sweet MAGIC (performed by Magical Sweets)
Ending: Kirakira Days (performed by Magical Sweets)
AIC
FUNimation Entertainment
