Kannazuki no Miko (神無月の巫女, Kannazuki no Miko) "Shrine Maidens of the Godless Month", (also Kannaduki no Miko) is both an anime and manga, created by Kaishaku. The anime spans 12 episodes and aired while the manga barely started serialization. The manga had a very short run in Japan, as only 14 chapters were published by Kadokawa Shoten and serialized in Shonen Ace magazine during the course of 8 months. One of the more unique aspects of the series is that, although primarily following the relationship of the two main characters, elements of magical girl and mecha help carry the plot. Geneon Entertainment announced at AnimeExpo 2005 that they have the North American distribution rights to the anime, however the manga remains unlicensed.
The series has very obvious yuri themes, and much like Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito or Maria-sama ga Miteru, the leads are closely designed after the archetypal oneesama/kōhai pairing. Himeko is (at first) a lighthaired, somewhat clumsy and self-conscious girl who idolizes the cultured and graceful but aloof Chikane, who in turn adores Himeko's informality and kindness and is very much in love with her. These themes are exacerbated in the manga version where events that are implied in the anime are made explicit (sometimes graphically so) in the former.
Kannazuki no Miko is considered by many to be the spiritual successor of Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito, at least because Chikane and Himeko look almost exactly like Hazuki and Hatsumi, respectively. The personalities of the two characters actually resembles those of Yumi and Sachiko from Maria-sama ga Miteru. This series goes where its predecessor did not, however, and remains on record as the only series with a conclusive happy ending for a shoujo-ai couple (though the final resolution occurs after the credits of the final episode, a placement that most viewers miss as a result).
Plot summary
The basic story of the manga and anime follow the two female protagonists, Kurusugawa Himeko and Himemiya Chikane (reincarnations of the Solar and Lunar Miko, respectively), as they battle the ancient menace to the world, the Orochi. The focus of the anime, however, is on the romance of Chikane and Himeko, the mecha and even the plot itself only serving to develop the relationship of the two.
The first part of the series consists of a fairly repetitive set-up of characters; the Orochi attempt to kill the two priestesses with their mecha, the only thing saving Chikane and Himeko is one of the Orochi, Sōma, a boy in love with Himeko. The later part of the series, however, sees Chikane snap in apparently jealous rage at Sōma and Himeko's "relationship," and she seems to turn against Himeko. Many consider this aspect of the story very difficult to follow, as no explanation of Chikane's motivations or the nature of the Priestess' roles, is revealed until the end. Further, nothing conclusive is revealed about their romance, post-Orochi, until after the end credits of the last episode, where it is implied — though revealed only by the most symbolic item of the couples bonding — that they are finally free to be with one another. The longer, more involved manga, goes into more detail on their relationship, though it is not as focused on it as the anime is.
Characters
The Miko
Kurusugawa Himeko
Solar Miko
File:Himeko.jpgA very shy, innocent 16-year-old girl, and the character that receives most of the anime's attention. She has known Chikane for many years, although unknowing of Chikane's affections towards her. Himeko originally has affections for Soma and the two date, a relationship which puts Chikane's heart into turmoil. She starts off considering Chikane a very close friend, although the two very rarely meet outside of secrecy.
File:Chikane.jpgIn sharp contrast with Himeko, Chikane is a very commanding girl of the same age, who has a very noble and elegant aura, living in a large mansion with many maids, and considered to be of the highest standing at their school. Many at school believe she has a relationship with Souma. She has been in love with Himeko since they first met, although she does not reveal it until much later on. She eventually "turns evil," vanquishing all other Orochi heads, attacking and sexually assaulting Himeko in an effort to force Himeko to hate her. At the end of the series, it is heavily implied that their romance will be able to exist, unhindered.
There are eight Orochi, all possessing mecha and exaggerated personal characteristics. None barring Souma, Chikane, and Tsubasa are very significant characters; however, it is revealed that they became Orochi's followers because they have experienced great pain in their lives and have given in to despair. The seven evil Orochi fit easily into archetypes, consisting of a sociopathic criminal, an unintelligent brute, a former pop idol, an anti-social manga artist, a catgirl, and a disillusioned nun. They are not very cooperative with each other and do not organize their attacks on the two miko, which leads to their demise.
Tsubasa
The First Neck
File:Tubasa.jpgConsidered to be the leader and the most powerful of the Orochi, Tsubasa is a tall teal-haired Bishōnen, as well as a (presumed) sociopathic criminal with a long record, starting with the murder of his father. Tsubasa is also Sōma's biological older brother, having left the young child in the care of the Ōgami family when he went on the run. When all the other necks failed at taking his brother down, Tsubasa was ultimately successful. Sōma has few memories of him, and Tsubasa is hesitant to harm him seriously when they first fight; he is more focused on totally "converting" Sōma to the Orochi cause than killing the Priestesses.
His mech has deployable wing-like structures which it uses to fly, and attacks with swords mounted on its arms. He is the only one of the Orochi who puts up a serious fight against Chikane after she "turns Orochi," but the battle ends in a Mexican standoff which Tsubasa ultimately loses. However, he successfully destroyed Chikane's mecha and ended up fleeing from the fight instead. He didn't feel the need of finishing it. Tsubasa also waited until Chikane defeated all the Orochi before attacking, another sign of his sociopathic nature.
Sister Miyako
The Second Neck
File:Sister miyako.jpgA purple haired-nun who is the first Orochi to appear and attack, having lost her faith due to living through a terrible war (presumed somewhere in South America due to her tanned skin color which is a common stereotype in manga). Although there is little co-operation among the Orochi, she seems to be the closest thing therein to a second-in-command and the most cool-headed of the lot. Her influence appears to be what turns Chikane to the Orochi cause, though it is later revealed that the Lunar Miko went to them of her own accord.
Her mech vaguely resembles a lightning demon in appearance, having no arms but an array of tentacles and a giant circle of electrodes on its back which fire deadly beams.
Girochi
The Third Neck
File:Girochi.jpgOne of the first Orochi to attack the miko. He is a very large man with heavy chains hanging off him, which he uses as weapons. He is attracted to Himeko and wishes to go on a date with her, which only fuels Chikane's jealous protectiveness of the Solar Miko. Girochi is said to be Miyako's brother.
His mecha is called Gangal, and it is characterized by an excessively large left arm — so large that the entire mech's body can fit inside it when he uses it as a weapon (the "Megaton Knuckle" attack). He is the first to be petrified by Chikane.
Corona
The Fourth Neck
File:Korona.jpgA delusional pop idol whose dismal sales (68th, though Reiko constantly taunts her with "69th!") are partly responsible for her turning to the dark side. She is almost manic in her behavior, constantly trying to impress the other Orochi with her showmanship, but her energetic exterior hides a dark past.
Ōta Reiko
The Fifth Neck
File:Ota reiko.jpgAn antisocial mangaka of few words, Reiko continues her "day job" as a member of the Orochi and has in fact done better on the market since joining, though her manga have taken on very dark themes since then. She barely interacts with the other Orochi and is stone-cold in battle, though her level-headedness is more the product of cynicism and numbness than Miyako's.
Nekoko
The Sixth Neck
File:Nekoko.jpgA small, squeaky-voiced catgirl (her name is derived from neko, the Japanese word for cat), who is often seen wearing a nurse's outfit and wielding a giant syringe. She appears to fit the stereotypical, cheerful catgirl archetype, but it is later revealed that she was the subject and victim of horrible medical experiments, which is most likely what made her an Orochi follower.
Her mecha is named Meow Meow, and is a large mechanical ball with many cannons on it. It is capable of destroying buildings easily. She is later petrified by Chikane.
Ōgami Sōma
the Seventh Neck
File:Souma.jpgThe only Orochi who was able to resist becoming completely evil, Sōma is the lone protector of Himeko and Chikane for most of the series and later plays a part in bringing the Orochi down. He has a very high social standing at their school, comparable to Chikane's, and most of their fellow students believe they are dating, though in truth they rarely interact until the Orochi events. Like Chikane, he is in love with Himeko and is incredibly protective of her, fighting to keep her safe until he is overwhelmed by the Orochi curse and put out of action. He appears to play a similar role in the new, Orochi-free world after everyone is reincarnated.
The Eighth Neck
The Eighth Neck is Chikane, when she joins the Orochi. She takes over and uses Sōma's mecha, transforming it into a demonic monstrosity. She then uses the mecha to obliterate all of the other Orochi before becoming the Miko of the Orochi and the only and most powerful head of Orochi, forcing Himeko to make a very drastic decision.
Others
Ōgami Kazuki
Sōma's adoptive older brother and legal guardian, as well as priest of the temple of the Solar and Lunar Miko. His duties are to care for and maintain the legacy of the mikos, as well as to prepare them for battle. Calm and collected, he is especially worried about Sōma and what his Orochi blood will do to him; he also worries to an extent about Himeko and Chikane and what their duties will do to them. Even still, there are some indicators that imply he's not telling everyone the full extent of what is going on.
Yukihito
The temple assistant, his duties are to assist the priest and miko in readying the weapon that will defeat the Orochi. It is unclear if he is a hired employee, relative of the Ōgami family, or a junior priest-in-training (the last is unlikely, as he is never seen wearing Shinto clerical robes). He is also Sōma's best friend and confidant, though this last part is shown more in the manga than the anime.
Otoha
Chikane's personal maid, Otoha is loyal and devoted to Chikane to the point where it is heavily implied that the former may be in love with the latter. When Himeko comes to live with Chikane, Otoha immediately notices the bond between the pair and grows intensely jealous, angered at Himeko for taking Chikane away from her. Aside from playing a humorous role and some very weighty scenes of her own in the series, she is a support character who clarifies how Chikane reserved her feelings for Himeko alone.
Saotome Makoto
Himeko's friend and roommate, "Mako-chan" is injured in the initial attacks by the Orochi and held Himeko to blame for it. She is rarely seen until near the climax, where she helps Himeko to come to a final decision regarding the events surrounding her.
Kadokawa Shoten
