September 23, 2024 12:53 pm
It's all about the hard path of idols.
You've probably heard of magical girl anime like Sailor Moon. However, the genre is much richer than many people think, and the main characters don't necessarily save the world.
In 2002, just as the magical girl genre was reaching its peak, manga artist Arina Tanemura decided to turn her attention to magical girls. Her project was the manga Finding Full Moon, the adaptation of which began airing on Japanese television in 2002 – almost at the same time as the original manga.
If you liked the recent anime about idols, Oshi no Ko, then Finding Full Moon is a perfect next choice.
What Is Finding Full Moon About?
Finding Full Moon is the story of a girl named Mitsuki who lost her parents and lived in an orphanage. There, Mitsuki became friends with a young man named Eichi, who was to leave for America.
The two friends agreed that they would meet again when their childhood dreams came true: Mitsuki would become a singer and Eichi an astronomer. Before leaving, the young man confesses his love to the girl, and she has no time to answer.
After some time, Mitsuki is taken away by her strict grandmother. The girl has not come any closer to her dream – the problem is her poor health, which forces the girl to spend all her time at home.
Mitsuki is diagnosed with cancer: a tumor in her throat that can be cut out, but then the girl will lose her voice forever. The girl refuses the operation and secretly applies for an audition.
At the same time, Mitsuki is visited by death gods that only she can see. Their names are Takuto and Meroko, and they don't look scary at all – they have cat and rabbit ears. After all, the duo works in the Department for Child Deaths, so their goal is not to scare their charges in their last days of life. They tell Mitsuki that she has one year left, and the girl begs them to help her fulfill her dream of becoming an idol.
Takuto feels sorry for Mitsuki and transforms her into an "adult version." In this form, Mitsuki becomes a rising star of the idol scene – a singer under the pseudonym Full Moon. Mitsuki hopes that Eichi will recognize her voice and contact her when she becomes famous.
Finding Full Moon Is a Surprisingly Deep Yet Life-Affirming Magical Girl Title
Finding Full Moon touches on three main topics. The first one is show business and the world of idols. Mitsuki has to go through a lot before she becomes a real star. The second one is friendship and romance. The girl, who has had no friends except Eichi, meets new people. Over time, Mitsuki falls in love with Takuto.
The third topic is the most important one: death and its acceptance. Why does Mitsuki agree to die in a year so easily? How did Takuto and Meroko become gods of death – and why? After all, they were once ordinary people.
Finding Full Moon can certainly be called one of the most unusual approaches to the story of magic and idols that also touches on the topic of death, which is rare in this genre.
It's all about the hard path of idols.
You've probably heard of magical girl anime like Sailor Moon. However, the genre is much richer than many people think, and the main characters don't necessarily save the world.
In 2002, just as the magical girl genre was reaching its peak, manga artist Arina Tanemura decided to turn her attention to magical girls. Her project was the manga Finding Full Moon, the adaptation of which began airing on Japanese television in 2002 – almost at the same time as the original manga.
If you liked the recent anime about idols, Oshi no Ko, then Finding Full Moon is a perfect next choice.
What Is Finding Full Moon About?
Finding Full Moon is the story of a girl named Mitsuki who lost her parents and lived in an orphanage. There, Mitsuki became friends with a young man named Eichi, who was to leave for America.
The two friends agreed that they would meet again when their childhood dreams came true: Mitsuki would become a singer and Eichi an astronomer. Before leaving, the young man confesses his love to the girl, and she has no time to answer.
After some time, Mitsuki is taken away by her strict grandmother. The girl has not come any closer to her dream – the problem is her poor health, which forces the girl to spend all her time at home.
Mitsuki is diagnosed with cancer: a tumor in her throat that can be cut out, but then the girl will lose her voice forever. The girl refuses the operation and secretly applies for an audition.
At the same time, Mitsuki is visited by death gods that only she can see. Their names are Takuto and Meroko, and they don't look scary at all – they have cat and rabbit ears. After all, the duo works in the Department for Child Deaths, so their goal is not to scare their charges in their last days of life. They tell Mitsuki that she has one year left, and the girl begs them to help her fulfill her dream of becoming an idol.
Takuto feels sorry for Mitsuki and transforms her into an "adult version." In this form, Mitsuki becomes a rising star of the idol scene – a singer under the pseudonym Full Moon. Mitsuki hopes that Eichi will recognize her voice and contact her when she becomes famous.
Finding Full Moon Is a Surprisingly Deep Yet Life-Affirming Magical Girl Title
Finding Full Moon touches on three main topics. The first one is show business and the world of idols. Mitsuki has to go through a lot before she becomes a real star. The second one is friendship and romance. The girl, who has had no friends except Eichi, meets new people. Over time, Mitsuki falls in love with Takuto.
The third topic is the most important one: death and its acceptance. Why does Mitsuki agree to die in a year so easily? How did Takuto and Meroko become gods of death – and why? After all, they were once ordinary people.
Finding Full Moon can certainly be called one of the most unusual approaches to the story of magic and idols that also touches on the topic of death, which is rare in this genre.
