Nanako SOS (manga/anime)

Nanako SOS (ななこSOSNanako Esu-ou-esu) is a seinen manga series created by Hideo Azuma which ran in Popcorn and Just Comic (both published by Kobunsha) from April 1980 to July 1986. The series was adapted into 39-episode anime television series produced by Kokusai Eiga-sha which aired on the Fuji Television network from April 2, 1983 to December 24, 1983. Azuma created additional manga stories which ran in Azuma Magazine from July 2001 to July 2004.

Enoki Films holds the distribution rights of TV series worldwide, with the series international title being Nana the Supergirl which was the name used when the series aired in ItalyFranceGermany and Russia.

Story

Nanako, is a young girl who unexpectedly acquires superpowers and at the same time loses her past memory as the unintended result of a scientific experiment gone awry. The mad scientist high school student who was running the experiment, Tomoshige Yotsuya, says he will help her regain her memories if she will join his detective agency. Nanako innocently believes him, but Yotsuya’s real intent is to use her powers to benefit his agency and himself.

The story unfolds as Nanako encounters a variety of dangerous missions and mysterious events, but her natural sunny disposition helps her through all the incidents as she solves each mystery one after the other.

Characters

Nanako (ななこ)
Voiced by: Reiko Kitō
A shy young girl who has lost her memory. She can fly, has super strength, and can become a giant. She stays with Yotsuya and Shibuya, as Yotsuya has promised to help her get her memory back. They give her a costume and call her “SuperGirl”. However, she is unaware that they only want her to help them fight crime. She experiences some strange things as a hero, for example turning into a boy named Nanano. At one point her powers disappear. She has a crush on Yotsuya.
Tomoshige Yotsuya (四谷 智茂Yotsuya Tomoshige) (Eiichirō Yotsuya (四谷 永一郎Yotsuya Eiichirō) in the manga)
Voiced by: Yūji Mitsuya
A tall, pink-haired, leather-clad biker boy who is there when Nanako gets her powers. He is trying out his latest invention, a machine that can supposedly give a person super intelligence, when he finds Nanako. He promises to help her get her memory back, but he really only wants her to benefit his detective agency. However, he seems to develop feelings for her as time passes.
Hakase Iidabashi (飯田橋 博士Iidabashi Hakase)
Voiced by: Tōru Furuya
Yotsuya’s bespectacled classmate, best friend, and fellow detective. He has a crush on Nanako, but that doesn’t stop him yelling at her when she does something wrong. He wants to be a manga artist. He is always the guinea pig for Yotsuya’s experiments.
Dr. Ishikawa (ドクター石川Dokutā Ishikawa)
Voiced by: Banjō Ginga
A strange man who is always chasing after Nanako. He seems to be from the military, and fights with a water pistol.
Convenience Angel 7 (コンビニエンジ・セブンKonbini Enji Sebun)
Voiced by: Naoki Tatsuta
A robot designed by Yotsuya. He sends 7 and 11 to follow Nanako and help her out when needed.
Convenience Angel 11 (コンビニエンジ・イレブンKonbini Enji Irebun)
Voiced by: Kyoko Miyagi
A robot designed by Yotsuya. He sends 7 and 11 to follow Nanako and help her out when needed.

Anime staff

  • Directors: Akira Shigino, Yoshihiko Yamatani, Yoshinobu Shigino, Tetsuro Amino, Tsukasa Sunaga
  • Scenarists: Masaru Yamamoto, Shikichi Ohashi, Asami Watanabe, Tomoko Ishizuka
  • Character Designs: Tsuneo Ninomiya
  • Animation Directors: Geki Katsumata, Shiro Murata, Tsuneo Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, Masami Abe
  • Music: Ichiro Nitta
  • Production: Kokusai Eiga-sha (Movie International Co., Ltd.), Fuji TV

Episodes

# Episodes Originally Aired Translation
1 超能力の美少女, Chōnōryoku no bishōjo 1983-04-02 The girl with special abilities
2 宇宙豆(そらまめ)の唄が聞こえる, Sora mame no uta ga kikoeru 1983-04-09 I can hear the song of the space bean
3 悩める吸血少年!?, Nayameru kyūketsu shōnen!? 1983-04-16 Troubles of a young vampire!?
4 ボスとななこと機関銃, Bosu to nanako to kikanjū 1983-04-23 Boss and Nanako and the machine gun
5 オリーブは悪魔の匂い, Orību wa akuma no nioi 1983-04-30 Olive is the scent of the devil
6 美しき氷の女王, Utsukushiki kōri no joō 1983-05-07 The beautiful Ice Queen
7 不思議の国のななこ, Fushigi no kuni no nanako 1983-05-14 Nanako of the Mysterious Country
8 暴れていいとも! 筋肉娘, Abarete ītomo! Kin’niku musume 1983-05-21 You may rage! Muscle Lady
9 燃えろショジョ寺拳法, Moero shojoji kenpō 1983-05-28 Blazing Shōjo Fist
10 アラブより愛をこめて, Arabu yori aio komete 1983-06-04 From Arab with love
11 のんびりブッシュマン, Nonbiri busshuman 1983-06-11 The peaceful bushman
12 ダイエット急行殺人事件, Daietto kyūkō satsujin jiken 1983-06-18 Diet express murder
13 セーラー服のサウスポー, Sērā-fuku no sausupō 1983-06-25 Southpaw’s sailor uniform
14 八ツ仮面村の怪!?, Yatsukamen-mura no kai!? 1983-07-02 Freak of the Hatsu Masked Village!?
15 ななこの決死圏, Nanako no kesshi-ken 1983-07-09 Nanako’s desperate measures
16 オオカミ男だぜい!, Ōkami otoko dazei! 1983-07-16 I am the Wolfman!
17 怪人、百面相の涙, Kaijin, hyakumensō no namida 1983-07-23 Tears of the Hundred-Faced Freak
18 北の果て物語, Kita no hate monogatari 1983-07-30 Story of the end of the North
19 漂流・100万年, Hyōryū・hyaku man-nen 1983-08-06 Exile, a million years
20 ななこプロレスの味方です, Nanako puroresu no mikatadesu 1983-08-13 Ally of Nanako pro-wrestler
21 ひと夏の思い出, Hitonatsu no omoide 1983-08-20 Memories of Summer
22 ななこハリウッドする, Nanako hariuddo suru 1983-08-27 Nanako goes to Hollywood
23 南の島の秘宝, Minami no shima no hihō 1983-09-03 Treasure of the Southern Island
24 異次元の冒険, Ijigen no bōken 1983-09-10 Adventure in an alternate reality
25 ななこの料理パラダイス, Nanako no ryōri paradaisu 1983-09-17 Nanako’s culinary paradise
26 ななこ売ります, Nanako urimasu 1983-09-24 Nanako for sale
27 ななこを愛したスパイ, Nanako o aishita supai 1983-10-01 The spy who loves Nanako
28 わが心のバイオリン, Waga kokoro no baiorin 1983-10-08 Violin in my mind
29 大混戦!? 王女とななこ, Dai konsen!? Ōjo to nanako 1983-10-15 Riot!? The Queen and Nanako
30 スーパーボーイななお, Sūpābōi nanao 1983-10-22 Superboy Nanao
31 危うし!よろずカンパニー, Ayaushi! Yorozu kanpanī 1983-11-05 Watch out! Yoruzu Company
32 いけいけマリンウォーズ, Ike ike marin uōzu 1983-11-12 Go, go, marine wars
33 小倉のプロポーズ大作戦, Ogura no puropōzu dai sakusen 1983-11-19 Kokura’s proposal strategy
34 消えた超能力!?, Kieta chōnōryoku!? 1983-11-19 The disappeared special abilities!?
35 四谷にホレた天才少女!?, Yotsuya ni horeta tensai shōjo!? 1983-11-26 The prodigy who appeared in Yotsuya!?
36 ななこのお見舞い日記, Nanako no omimai nikki 1983-12-03 The day to visit Nanako
37 星に願いを, Hoshi ni negai o 1983-12-10 Wish upon a star
38 トキと駆ける少女, Toki to kakeru shōjo 1983-12-17 Toki and the running girl
39 また会う日まで, Mata auhimade 1983-12-24 Till the day we meet again

 

Nanako SOS
Nanako SOS screenshot of three main characters.jpg

Iidabashi, Yotsuya, and Nanako, the three main characters.
ななこSOS
(Nanako Esuouesu)
Genre Gag comicmagical girl , romancescience fictionslice of life
Manga
Written by Hideo Azuma
Published by Kobunsha
Magazine House
Hayakawa Publishing
Magazine Popcorn
Just Comic
Demographic Seinen
Original run April 1980 – July 1986
Volumes 5
Anime television series
Directed by Akira Shigino
Written by Yu Yamamoto
Studio Kokusai Eiga-sha
Original network Fuji TV
Original run April 2, 1983 – December 24, 1983
Episodes 39
Manga
Written by Hideo Azuma
Published by Hideo Azuma
Magazine Azuma Magazine
Demographic Seinen
Original run July 2001 – July 2004

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