Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan
| Earth Defender! Mao-chan | |
|
陸上防衛隊まおちゃん (Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Magical girl |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Yoshiaki Iwasaki |
| Produced by | Atsushi Moriyama Kiyonori Hiramatsu |
| Written by | Yousuke Kuroda |
| Music by | Takayuki Hattori |
| Studio | XEBEC |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | 3 July 2002 – 25 December 2002 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Manga | |
| Mao-chan | |
| Written by | Ken Akamatsu |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Magazine Special |
| Original run | July 2003 – October 2004 |
| Volumes | 2 |
Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan (陸上防衛隊まおちゃん Rikujō Bōeitai Mao-chan?), also known as Earth Defender! Mao-chan, is a 26-episode comedy anime, created by Ken Akamatsu, the author of Love Hina.
It stars three eight-year-old girls, Mao, Misora and Sylvia, as they try to defend the earth against invading aliens. The world's defense has fallen to unlikely straits because the aliens are excessively cute, of which combat engagements are televised: if the forces battling the aliens were not cute themselves, the general public would revolt, as it would be seen as "bullying". Consequently, three military leaders chose their granddaughters to be the defenders, fittingly, becoming a team even cuter than the aliens. They each have a clover-shaped badge that enables them to transform. (This transformation provides no apparent special ability.)
The series itself is rife with parodies and references, particularly to Akamatsu's earlier work Love Hina. The girls' commanding officer bears a resemblance to Naru Narusegawa from Love Hina. See also below in the characters, and anime episode 20, manga chapters 17 and 25.
It was one of Tony Pope's last voice acting roles before his death in 2004.
According to the anime, the United Defense Force badges have the ability to summon the Light of Kusanagi. Originally hatched from Cosmic Tama-chan, the badges are able to download "Type-2 Gear" onto the wearer, which consists of a red band uniform and a double-ended baton.
The baton is summoned by a crystal orb that's tucked into a pouch in the belt of the uniform. The orb duplicates itself and connects to form the baton.
Mao-chan's green badge represents the Type-2 Ground Gear. Late in the anime, it gives Mao-chan roller blades to make up for her inability to run.
Misora-chan's blue badge represents Type-2 Flight Gear. These give Misora a pair of wings that she can use to fly, glide or hover.
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Wikipedia