Psychic Squad

Psychic Squad,[2] known in Japan as Zettai Karen Children (絶対可憐チルドレン, Zettai Karen Chirudoren, lit. Absolutely Lovely Children), is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Takashi Shiina. It is the story about three young problem girls with outstanding psychic powers and a young man with no special powers at all tasked to guide them properly while dealing with all the commotions they cause, including their obvious infatuation with him. The manga started in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday in August 2005.

Zettai Karen Children
Psychic Squad manga volume 1 featuring its main characters (from left to right): Aoi Nogami, Kaoru Akashi and Shiho Sannomiya
絶対可憐チルドレン
(Zettai Karen Chirudoren)
GenreComedy, science fiction[1]
Manga
Written byTakashi Shiina
Published byShogakukan
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runAugust 25, 2005 – present
Volumes57
Anime television series
Directed byKeiichiro Kawaguchi
Written bySatoru Nishizono
Music byKōtarō Nakagawa
StudioSynergySP
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run April 6, 2008 – March 29, 2009
Episodes51 + OVA
Light novel
Zettai Karen Children the Novels "B.A.B.E.L. Hōkai"
Written byGakuto Mikumo
Illustrated byTakashi Shiina
Published byShogakukan
ImprintGagaga Bunko
DemographicShōnen
PublishedMay 20, 2008
Game
Zettai Karen Children DS: Dai-4 no Children
DeveloperKonami
PublisherKonami
GenreSimulation RPG
PlatformNintendo DS
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2008
Manga
The Unlimited: Hyōbu Kyōsuke
Written byRokurou Ogaki
Published byShogakukan
MagazineShōnen Sunday S
DemographicShōnen
Original runMarch 25, 2013 – July 25, 2015
Volumes6
Anime television series
Unlimited Psychic Squad
Directed byShishō Igarashi
Written byShinichi Inotsume
Music byKōtarō Nakagawa
StudioManglobe
Licensed by
Sentai Filmworks
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run January 7, 2013 – March 25, 2013
Episodes12
Manga
The Unlimited: Hyōbu Kyōsuke - WANDERER
Written byRokurou Ogaki
Published byShogakukan
MagazineShōnen Sunday S
DemographicShōnen
Published2015

An anime television series by SynergySP began on April 6, 2008 which ran for fifty-one episodes and had a special OVA released in July 16, 2010. A spin-off focused on main antagonist Kyōsuke Hyōbu titled Unlimited Psychic Squad and animated by Manglobe, began airing on January 7, 2013.

Plot

In the future, as people with ESP increase in numbers, so does the possible good and evil they can cause to society. The Japanese government establishes of the Base of Backing ESP Laboratory (B.A.B.E.L.) a special esper organization tasked with dealing with situations that can't be resolved by ordinary means, including dealing with espers engaged in criminal activity. Kōichi Minamoto, a 20-year-old prodigy is assigned by B.A.B.E.L. to the task of supervising the most powerful espers in the country, a trio of gifted but mischievous 10-year-old girls known as "The Children": Kaoru Akashi, Shiho Sannomiya, and Aoi Nogami.

As the series progresses, The Children and Minamoto must deal with several enemy organizations, each with conflicted views regarding the role of espers in the world, including "P.A.N.D.R.A.", a cadre of rogue espers determined to wage war against the rest of mankind, the "Black Phantom", a mercenary organization who brainwashes espers into living tools of destruction and the "Normal People", composed solely of non-esper individuals who view espers only as a threat to be vanquished.

Media

Manga

Psychic Squad, written and illustrated by Takashi Shiina, started in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 2005. Shiina developed the series out of a short story he had written in a special issues of Shōnen Sunday. The series was essentially the same, except for the fact that Kōichi Minamoto was named "Hikaru Minamoto", and he also had psychic powers. The manga has entered its final arc in June 2014.[3] Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on October 18, 2005.[4] As of March 18, 2020, fifty-seven volumes have been published.[5]

Anime

Psychic Squad
See also: List of Zettai Karen Children episodes

An anime adaptation produced by SynergySP began airing in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 6, 2008, and contained fifty-one episodes (and one filler).[6] The anime has six pieces of theme music; two opening themes and four ending themes. The first opening theme is "Over The Future" by Karen Girl's, the first ending theme is "Zettai love×love Sengen!!" (絶対love×love宣言!!) by "The Children starring Aya Hirano, Ryoko Shiraishi and Haruka Tomatsu"; the second ending theme is "Datte Daihonmei" (DATTE大本命), also by Hirano, Shiraishi, and Tomatsu. From episode 27 onwards opening theme has changed to "MY WINGS", once again by Karen Girl's, ending theme changed to "Break+Your+Destiny" by Yuuichi Nakamura, Kishō Taniyama and Kōji Yusa and "Soushunfu" performed by Aya Hirano, Ryoko Shiraishi and Haruka Tomatsu. In episode 46 of the series, the opening theme, "MY WINGS", was sung by Aya Hirano, Ryoko Shiraishi and Haruka Tomatsu while the ending theme was "Zettai love×love Sengen!!", sung by Karen Girl's. The series has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks will be released under the title Psychic Squad; due for release in 2012.[7]

An OVA was released in summer of 2010[8] that includes original material based on the junior high school story arc.[9] The opening theme for this OVA is "Seventh Heaven" by The Children and the ending theme is "Out of Control" by Karen Guy's.

Unlimited Psychic Squad
See also: List of Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited episodes

In September 2012, a new anime project based on Zettai Karen Children was announced on Shonen Sunday. Later it is revealed to be an original spin-off series focused on main antagonist Kyōsuke Hyōbu and his organization known as P.A.N.D.R.A.. Titled as The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke it was animated by Manglobe and premiered on TV Tokyo and other stations in 2013. New additions to the cast include Nao Tōyama as Yūgiri and Junichi Suwabe as Andy Hinomiya while almost all characters from the first TV Series are voiced by the same actors from then.[10] The opening song is "LAST RESOLUTION" by Emblem of THE UNLIMITED and has two versions, one in English and the other in Japanese. It also has eight ending songs: "OUTLAWS" by eyelis, "BRIGHTEST LIGHT" by Yuichi Nakamura & Kishō Taniyama, "DARKNESS NIGHT", another version of "BRIGHTEST LIGHT" by Kōji Yusa & Junichi Suwabe, "BRAND NEW EDEN" by Kōji Yusa, "ADVENT" by Kōji Yusa, another arrangement of "DARKNESS NIGHT" entitled "DARKNESS NIGHT (Hyōbu Arrange.)" also by Kōji Yusa & Junichi Suwabe, "Sora no Hate (空の涯て;End of the Sky)" by eyelis, and a secondary arrangement of "DARKNESS NIGHT" called "DARKNESS NIGHT (Hinomiya Arrange.)" once again by Kōji Yusa & Junichi Suwabe. There is an insert song in the final episode called "Mirai Monogatari (未来物語;Future Story)" by Nao Tōyama. The series, while similar in setting and characters, is darker and more serious in plot and tone than both its predecessor and the original manga material being transposed. The series has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks under the title Unlimited Psychic Squad; due for release in 2015.[11]

Video game

A video game for the Nintendo DS developed by Konami entitled Zettai Karen Children DS: Dai-4 no Children (絶対可憐チルドレンDS 第4のチルドレン) was released on September 4, 2008.[12]

Kaoru Akashi appears as a fighter character in the fighting game Sunday vs Magazine: Shūketsu! Chōjō Daikessen (サンデー VS マガジン 集結！ 頂上大決戦) for Sony's PlayStation Portable. Characters Aoi, Shiho, Minamoto, Fujiko and Hyōbu also make appearances as part of special moves or as support. The game was also developed by Konami and released on March 26, 2009.[13]

gollark: I'll probably just end up with *no* SAltkins.
gollark: When does christmas start?
gollark: *can't tell if complex but planned lineage or mad mess*
gollark: Yay, got a cheese!
gollark: Ah, not likely then.

References
  1. "Zettai Karen Children Manga Returns on August 23". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  2. "Psychic Squad". Sentai Filmworks. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. "Zettai Karen Children Manga Enters Final Arc in Summer". Anime News Network. February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  4. 絶対可憐チルドレン　１ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  5. 絶対可憐チルドレン　５７ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  6. "Zettai Karen Children episode listing" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
  7. "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Zettai Karen Children Anime". Anime News Network. January 30, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  8. Zettai Karen Children Manga, Chapter 206, Page 1
  9. Zettai Karen Children Manga, Chapter 200, Page 1-2
  10. "Zettai Karen Children's New Anime Is Hyōbu Spinoff". Anime News Network. October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  11. "Sentai Filmworks Adds Unlimited Psychic Squad Spinoff Anime". Anime News Network. December 16, 2014.
  12. "Zettai Karen Children DS game official website" (in Japanese). Konami. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
  13. "Sunday VS Magazine: Shūketsu! Chōjō Daikessen game official website" (in Japanese). Konami. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
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