7.6 /10 1 Votes
Volumes 15 First episode date 1999 Genres Comedy, Erotic literature | 7.6/10 IMDb Original run 1991 – 2008 Directed by Makoto Moriwaki Number of episodes 24 Written by Risa Itō | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cast Similar Hamtaro, Higepiyo, Mahoromatic, His and Her Circu, Excel Saga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oruchuban Ebichu (おるちゅばんエビちゅ, lit. Ebichu Minds the House) is a manga series by Risa Itō that was published by Futabasha Publishers. It later became an anime produced by Gainax, but animated by Group TAC. It first aired as six eight-minute episodes in 1999 as one third of the show Modern Love's Silliness. Ebichu is very adult in nature, and its explicit violence, innuendo, and sexual intercourse scenes could only be shown on DirecTV Japan. The uncut version of the series is only found on DVD. The show is done in a simplistic art style, and its sexual content is played for comedic value rather than for fanservice.
Contents
Plot
Most episodes follow Ebichu, a talking hamster devoted to her oft-indifferent owner, who is only identified as OL ("Office Lady"), a single 28-year-old (this is her age in the original manga series while she is 25-year-old in the anime series) who doles out cynical commentary and the occasional beating on the rodent. Ebichu tends to take this in stride with endless praise and compliments. Such abuse is usually caused by Ebichu's almost disturbing lack of tact or propriety, which often embarrasses her master in front of other people. Ebichu often attempts to correct OL's bad decisions, such as her berating of OL's obnoxious and untrustworthy boyfriend that Ebichu nicknamed Kaishounachi (worthless man).
Characters
Other Characters
Characters that do not appear in the TV and animated versions.
Development
The origin of the anime came about during voice recording sessions for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Kotono Mitsuishi, the voice actress for the character of Misato Katsuragi, would read the Ebichu manga in between takes and laugh at the humor. She would show others what she was reading and eventually it was decided that the series was worth animating. As a result, she was selected to voice the title character of housekeeping hamster Ebichu. Also, in Neon Genesis Evangelion, the character Misato drinks cans of Ebisu-brand beer. In one episode, though, the beer cans are labeled "Ebichu Ichiban" across the top with a small picture of a hamster with one white ear and one brown ear (as Ebichu), although the colorations are the wrong way around (the brown ear is on the right on the beer, but Ebichu's brown ear is on the left).
Ebichu is sometimes joked by fans to be the complete polar opposite of Hamtaro, a popular children's anime featuring a hamster in more wholesome adventures.
An Ebichu plush toy was available in UFO catchers and can be found on eBay.
The opening theme of the series is "Nande Kana" (なんでかな, "Wondering") performed by Kotono Mitsuishi. The ending theme, shared with the other shows in the Modern Love's Silliness block is "Kumokumo Gake ni Konma Takeyafu" (くもくもがけにこんまたけやふ) by Minami Karasuyama 6th Street Production.