Ghost Sweeper Mikami
 | This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. |
| Ghost Sweeper Mikami | |
| File:GhostSweeperMikami-DVDcover.jpg Cover of Ghost Sweeper Mikami DVD. | |
| Genre | Comedy, Horror |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Great Paradise Battle!! | |
| Written by | Takashi Shiina |
| Published by |  Shogakukan Star Comics |
| Anime | |
| Ghost Sweeper Mikami | |
| Directed by | Atsutoshi Umezawa |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
Ghost Sweeper Mikami: The Great Paradise Battle!! (GS美神 極楽大作戦!!, Gōsuto Suīpā Mikami Gokuraku Taisakusen!!) is a comedic horror manga series created by Takashi Shiina. The manga version was published by the weekly manga magazine, Shonen Sunday from 1991 to 1999.
The manga was adapted to a 45-episode TV anime series titled Ghost Sweeper Mikami (GS美神, Gōsuto Suīpā Mikami) which ran on TV Asahi from 1993–1994. The series explores some folk religion themes such as possession, exorcism, shamanism, Yurei and Yokai. The anime lead to the release of a movie, which is currently the only existence of Mikami in the United States (released by Manga Video). In the UK, the same label took the bizarre decision to release only the last few episodes of the series. The anime was broadcasted in Mexico in the late 1990's and it was a smash hit, however, the manga has yet to be released in latin America.
Manga
- Overdevelopment and crowding in Japan has forced many of its indigenous spirits and ghosts to lose their homes. Naturally, with all the homeless ghosts running around, there’s bound to be some havoc, so a new profession was created, the Ghost Sweepers (GS)! Private exorcists for hire; they serve only the highest bidder to survive in this cutthroat corporate world. Among this, the Mikami GS Company in the best, led by the strong money-hungry Mikami Reiko, and her two assistants, the horny teenager Yokoshima and the ghost girl Okinu.
- The manga art is unique, artistically detail allowing clear fast-moving action scenes with well-timed comedic expressions, which most of time nicely exaggerated facial expressions (especially with Yokoshima) and very funny arguments. [citation needed]
- The manga setup is scenario-to-scenario, with many whacky plots intertwinning classic Japanese culture and the modern day realities, and occasional references to Western influences. In between this plots are some longer important story arcs, where new characters are introduced and the existing characters are further developed. There is no one ongoing long storyline, therefore the plots are character-driven and serve to gradually develop characters, especially the main protagonists. Even for the main villains like the yasha Medusa and the omnipotent Astaroth, who are hard to vanquish and returns after some time to bring more difficult troubles.
- GS Mikami’s unique comedic sense and memorable characters is what sets it apart from the rest. Despite how serious a character can be, he/she’ll always show up a goofy side sooner or later, and the overall light-heartedness sets it up as just pure good fun.
Characters (spoiler warning)
- Reiko Mikami (美神 令子, Mikami Reiko)
- The beautiful, strong-willed, fearless and money-hungry president and owner of a ghost sweeping business. Reiko has long reddish hair and a lithe form that is difficult not to notice. She was initially trained by a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the art of exorcism, but unlike her mentor, she would not be satisfied with a life of poverty... in other words, she does not work for free. Although she is wealthy from the phenomenal success of her venture, she is very stingy when it comes to doling out the money to her employees, and she is not above gouging a desperate client for a higher fee. She is the best, and she knows it.
- She uses a lightsaber-like spiritual weapon, various exorcism charms and martial arts when dealing with supernatural pests and entities. She apparently inherited her mother's ability to time skip.
- Because she represents an adult woman (as if her body wouldn't give that away), her eyes are not drawn with as wide irises as other anime characters, so that the series can contain endless attempts by her male assistant to try to grope her without it being confused with groping a teenager or pre-teen.
- Mikami is voiced by Hiromi Tsuru in the anime.
- Tadao Yokoshima (横島 忠夫, Yokoshima Tadao)
- A high school student, working as a poorly paid drudge and main assistant of Mikami. He is totally enthralled by Mikami's prefect beauty, and often tells himself that he only keeps the dangerous job because he just might hit upon Mikami someday. The plots often feature him being possessed. He appears at first to have dormant spiritual abilities and later on in the manga, with the help of Shôryuki, a dragon princess, Yokoshima does gain various spiritual abilities of his own (but of course they never seem to be as good as Mikami's). His most useful technique is using his spiritual energy to create special pearls, which can grant various wishes of the person who can use it.
- Yokoshima is voiced by Ryo Horikawa in the anime.
- Kinu Himuro (氷室 キヌ, Himuro Kinu) (Okinu)
- A teenaged female ghost. First encountered by Mikami and Yokoshima as one of two ghosts causing chaos at a mountain hot spring, Mikami ends up "adopting" her when she doesn't go to heaven after the end of the first mission in the manga. Eventually, she ends up becoming the secretary and errand girl for Mikami and even develops a small crush on Yokoshima.
- Later in the manga, Okinu does get her life back as her body was never destroyed. She is able to reunite her soul to her body and now lives a life of a normal teen age girl. Well, not so normal as she is one of the few (only 4 people at present) that can handle the Necromancer's Flute, a powerful artifact useful against ghost and other supernatural beasts. However, her soul is only weakly bound to her body at present, it doesn't take much to be able to rip them apart temporarily.
- Okinu is voiced by Mariko Kouda in the anime.
- Pietro de Blado (ピエトロ・ド・ブラドー, Pietoro do Buradoo) (Pete)
- Half human, half vampire. The descendant of the tribe "Bloodeau". Currently, a disciple of Father Karasu. Also goes to the same school as Yokoshima.
- Father Karasu (唐巣 神父, Karasu Shinpu)
- A male Catholic priest exorcist and Mikami's mentor, who draws holy spiritual energy from a bible for exorcism. He is one of the best and most powerful exorcists currently active.
- Doctor Chaos (ドクター・カオス, Dokutaa Kaosu)
- An old senile male alchemist / exorcist with a genius level intellect. Being immortal (or at least 300 years old), he has acquired much knowledge of the supernatural. Unfortunately, he forgets something he already knows if he tries to learn something new, which leads to him constantly rereading his old books and manuscripts.
- Dr. Chaos is voiced by Shigeru Chiba in the anime.
- Maria (マリア)
- A tough-fighting, pretty female android and the companion of Dr. Chaos. Created in the image of Dr. Chaos's love in his much younger times. She is incredibly strong, fast and resistant to damage. Maria acts as Dr.Chaos' main weapon and bodyguard.
- Maria is voiced by Wakana Yamazaki in the anime.
- Emi Ogasawara (小笠原 エミ, Ogasawara Emi)
- The dark-skinned female voodoo exorcist, equally greedy and chief competitor to Mikami's ghost sweeping business. Like Mikami, Emi has a beautiful body and has been the target of Yokoshima's lust more than once.
- Emi is voiced by Michie Tomizawa in the anime.
- Meiko Rokudo (六道 冥子, Rokudou Meiko)
- A sweet and innocent but extremely powerful teenage girl, since she directly controls 12 Shikigami: (Indara, Ajira, Kubira, Basara, Shindara, Sanchira, Haira, Makora, Shôtra, Anchira, Bikara, and Mekira). Normally they are under control, but whenever Meiko becomes distraught, her "pets" destroy anything or anyone within their reach. Unfortunately for all, Meiko is sensitive, weak-willed and easily hurt. She is hinted at being a closet lesbian and has a huge crush on Mikami.
- Meiko is voiced by Kumiko Nishimura in the anime.
- Yakuchin (厄珍)
- He is the owner of a store that deals with many magical items. He is very greedy and will often overprice his wares if he has the chance.
- Shoryuki
- The Dragon Princess, a deity who owns a training center in spiritual martial arts on top of a sacred mountain. She helped in unlocking Yokoshima's latent spiritual skills, and increasing Mikami's power. Her arch nemesis is the yasha, Medusa.
- Hyakugan
- Her name means Hundred Eyes. She is a triple eye deity (plus several more eyes around her body), who is very curious, able to see through disguises, see things many miles away, and various other sight related abilities. Also uses a briefcase computer similar to laptops.
- Ashtaroth
- Mikami's greatest foe, the strongest supervillain of the final major story arc in the manga. Has been around since antiquity and creates a complexed plan of ruling the universe, which was thwarted once by Mikami's past life incarnation.
- Nobunaga Oda
- Incarnation of the warlord Nobunaga.
- Mitsuhide Akechi
- A warrior that assassinated Nobunaga.
- Ranmaru
- A follower of Nobunaga. His alternate form is a spider.
See also
- Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, an anime series which has similar themes
- Hell Teacher Nūbē is another 90's era manga/anime series dealing with exorcists and the supernatural. One of the characters in this series could possibly even be a parody of Mikami herself in her obsession to use her exorcism abilities on the road to fame and riches.
- Phantom Quest Corp, an anime series featuring a ghost hunting company that has trouble making ends meet. In fact, it was too similar to GS Mikami that Takashi Shiina filed a legal complain to the makers.[citation needed]