Happy Lesson

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Happy Lesson


caption = The "Happy Lesson" Region 1 DVD cover art, from the ADV Films release.
ja_name =
ja_name_trans =
genre = Comedy, School Life, HaremInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Sasaki Mutsumi (story)
Shinnosuke Mori (art)
publisher = flagicon|Japan KSS
publisher_en = flagicon|Canada flagicon|USA ADV Manga (Defunct)
publisher_other = flagicon|Germany Tokyopop
demographic = Seinen
magazine = Dengeki G's Magazine
first = April 1999
last = September 2002
volumes = 2Infobox animanga/OVA
title =
director = Akira Suzuki
studio = KSS
episodes = 5
released = 19 July 2001Infobox animanga/Anime
title =
director = Akira Suzuki, Takeshi Yamaguchi
studio = Media Works, KSS
network = Kids Station
first = 1 April 2002
last = 30 June 2002
episodes = 13Infobox animanga/Anime
title = Happy Lesson Advance
director = Akira Suzuki, Takeshi Yamaguchi
studio = Media Works, KSS
network = Kids Station
first = July 2003
last = September 2003
episodes = 13Infobox animanga/OVA
title = Happy Lesson: The Final
director = Akira Suzuki
studio = KSS
episodes = 3
released = 28 May 2004

"Happy Lesson" is a comedy manga, written by Sasaki Mutsumi and illustrated by Shinnosuke Mori, serialized in "Dengeki G's Magazine" from April 1999 to September 2002, featuring a high school student who is adopted by five of his teachers. It was adapted into a five-part OVA series in 2001; a thirteen-episode animated TV series in 2002; a sequel TV series, called "Happy Lesson Advance", in 2003; and a second OVA series, "Happy Lesson: The Final", in 2004. The series has also been adapted into a series of drama CDs and a Dreamcast game.

The first volume of the manga was licensed and released by A.D. Vision's ADV Manga label in the United States; the first three episodes of the OVA and the first TV series were licensed by the ADV Films label for Region 1 distribution.

Plot

The plot of "Happy Lesson" is based on five teachers who end up living with a troubled and indifferent orphan and their unusual plan to become mother figures in an effort to make him a productive student. To achieve their plan, they employ various methods, such as science experiments, spiritual cleansing, physical training, and hijinks.

Resembles a harem anime.

Characters

Aside from the male lead, the main female characters follow a distinct scheme in their names. Their surnames are listed off in numbers, from 1 to 10. Furthermore, those characters have the archaic names of the months as their given names; for example, "Mutsuki" means "January", "Kisaragi" means "February", and so on.

;nihongo|Chitose Hitotose|仁歳 チトセ|Hitotose Chitose:"Voiced by": Daisuke Kishio (Japanese), Josh Meyer (English)A high school orphan who has moved into his deceased parent house by himself, but not for long as each of his teachers recognises his slipping grades and decide to secretly move in with him, becoming his "Mothers".

In the beginning of the series, it is shown that Hitotose is very good at fighting, as seen when he beats up two guys who were making fun of him because he has no parents; later on, in "Happy Lesson Advance", we see his ability to fight numerous times during his conflicts with Nagatsuki Kuron. Hitotose's true feelings about the family are also revealed in "Happy Lesson Advance".

;Susumu ArisakaThe male protagonist in the manga version of the story. He replaces Chitose in the story but his circumstances are the exactly the same. He differs in personality from Chitose, being more studious, less irritable and generally nicer to those around him.

;nihongo|Mutsuki Ichimonji|一文字 むつき|Ichimonji Mutsuki:"Voiced by": Ruri Asano (Japanese), Shaneye Ferrell (English)Chitose's homeroom teacher and a teacher of Japanese Classics, she is the first to move in with him. She is gentle until Chitose slacks off on studying. She is seen cooking or cleaning the house, if she is not trying to lecture Chitose. In the "Final" OVA it is revealed that she also has feelings for Chitose.

;nihongo|Kisaragi Ninomai|二ノ舞 きさらぎ|Ninomai Kisaragi:"Voiced by": Akiko Kimura (Japanese), Peyton Hayslip (English)The introverted science teacher who acts like a cultist. She has a personality similar to that of Chikage from "Sister Princess" except that she is far more interested in science and things that can be explained through science. Though she usually comes across as 'emotionless', Kisaragi is an incredibly warm, loving, sweet and kind-hearted person who is fond of cute things (such as baby animals, pink pajamas and her son), and cares deeply for the people around her. She is actually an alien, which explains her high technological skills.

;nihongo|Yayoi Sanzenin|三世院 やよい|Sanzen'in Yayoi:"Voiced by": Kikuko Inoue (Japanese), Lana Lesley (English)The school nurse and "miko" (meaning priestess), Yayoi can be calm and spiritual unless she feels Chitose is in danger, when she may put her sword fighting skills to work. She is seen wearing a Japanese priest dress and puts her sword against Chitose's neck in order to attain a positive response.

;nihongo|Uzuki Shitenno|四天王 うづき|Shitenno Uzuki:"Voiced by": Kimiko Koyama (Japanese), Larissa Wolcott (English)The art teacher, Uzuki acts like a small girl and is very happy-go-lucky. She gets into arguments with Satsuki. She is seen with angel-like wings due to her obsession with "cosplay".

;nihongo|Satsuki Gokajo|五箇条 さつき|Gokajō Satsuki:"Voiced by": Kahoru Sasajima (Japanese), Lee Eddy (English)The athletics coach, Satsuki prefers brawn over brains and has a loud personality. She is seen as very aggressive and violent, acting or speaking without thinking things through, but with a very sweet personality underneath. She is often referred to as "The Bear-Woman" for she is prone to wear pajamas with bears on them and acts like an animal.

;nihongo|Minazuki Rokumatsuri|六祭 みなづき|Rokumatsuri Minazuki:"Voiced by": Nana Mizuki (Japanese), Leigh Anderson Fisher (English)Chitose's adopted younger sister. Mina currently attends the middle school section of the same campus as Chitose. She lives with her sister Hazuki (whenever she is not touring) in an apartment building not far from Chitose's house. Mina loves Chitose like a real brother and helps Chitose whenever she can. She plans to marry Chitose when she is old enough.

;nihongo|Fumitsuki Nanakorobi|七転 ふみつき|Nanakorobi Fumitsuki:"Voiced by": Ryōka Shima (Japanese), Shawn Sides (English)Chitose's class president. Fumitsuki has a deep crush for Chitose, though he is oblivious to it. She has excellent marks and continuously tries to win Chitose's heart. At times she is very aggressive, seen punching people with great force in a comical manner in order to silence students B and C or to get back at Chitose.

;nihongo|Hazuki Yazakura|八桜 はづき|Yazakura Hazuki:"Voiced by": Mie Sonozaki (Japanese), Crystal Calderoni (English)Chitose's adopted elder sister. Hazuki is a pop idol in Japan; because of this, she is usually touring different cities across Japan. Her singing is very popular and has won the hearts of people across the country. A major characteristic is her ability to eat, being able to eat extremely large amounts of food in very little time.

;nihongo|Nagatsuki Kuron|九龍 ながつき|Kuron Nagatsuki:"Voiced by": Tamaki NakanishiA mysterious kid from China who claims to be the rightful child of Mutsuki. She first appears in "Happy Lesson Advance". She is versed in Kung Fu, and contends with Chitose at every chance possible. Although she is first introduced wearing a red China dress, she prefers to dress like a boy. In the end she confesses to Hitotose.

;nihongo|Kanna Togakushi|十隠 カンナ|Togakushi Kanna:"Voiced by": Akiko Nakagawa (Japanese)Kisaragi's childhood friend. She is first introduced as a highly skilled technician bent on taking over the world, with her technical skills being only second to Kisaragi. After meeting Chitose, she immediately develops a crush towards him and has been seeking to 'capture' him using both casual talking and technological force.

;Student B and CTwo male students at Chitose's school who pop up every now and then. As their name suggest they each have a letter on their forehead. They seem to exist only to make Fumitsuki miserable as they constantly follow her around with a video camera and make sarcastic comments, often breaking the fourth wall. They were the only members of her poetry club until she kicked them out. They regard Fumitsuki as the "A" member.

Reception

Happy Lesson received positive reviews from English speaking audiences. Stig Hogset from Them Anime Reviews said that "the show itself actually manages to balance its comedy with the drama, neither one really overlapping or distracting the audience from the main content". [cite web |url=http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=296 |title=Happy Lesson review |accessdate=2007-06-12 |publisher=THEM Anime |last=Hogset |first=Stig |quote=the show itself actually manages to balance its comedy with the drama, neither one really overlapping or distracting the audience from the main content ] Don Houston from DVD Talk review stated that it "was a fun, cute, and even interesting way to spend several hours as Chitose and his gang of lovely teachers handled the various situations they got into with a sly grin and a knowing wink". [cite web |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=18998 |title=Happy Lesson: Teacher's Pet Collection |accessdate=2007-06-12 |last=Houston |first=Don |publisher=DVD Talk Review |quote=was a fun, cute, and even interesting way to spend several hours as Chitose and his gang of lovely teachers handled the various situations they got into with a sly grin and a knowing wink ] Chris Beveridge from AnimeonDVD commented that "I found myself laughing more at this than I expected (in a good way) and enjoyed it a lot over the couple of days it took us to get through all of it." [cite web |url=http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/2764.php |title=Happy Lesson Vol#1 review |accessdate=2007-06-12 |last=Beveridge |first=Chris |publisher=AnimeonDVD |quote=I found myself laughing more at this than I expected (in a good way) and enjoyed it a lot over the couple of days it took us to get through all of it. ]

Anime adaptations

"Happy Lesson OVA"

The manga was first adapted into an animated format in 2001, replacing the original male lead, Susumu Arisaka, with Chitose Hitotose. This first adaptation took the form of a five-part OVA, featuring how the main character meets with the teachers, as well as how he is reunited with his childhood friends, Hazuki Yazakura and Minazuki Rokumatsuri, from the orphanage. [Ann anime|id=835|title=Happy Lesson OVA. Accessed 2007-01-30.] It was published from June 2001 to May 2003 by Studio KSS; English adaptations of the first three episodes were licensed and distributed in the United States by ADV Films. [" [http://www.animated-divots.com/haplesson.html Happy Lesson] " from Animated Divots.com. Accessed 2007-01-25.]

List of episodes

"Happy Lesson: The Final"

List of episodes

Theme songs

;"Happy Lesson OVA"
*Opening theme: "C'" ("C Dash"), by Hikari Okamoto
*Ending theme: "Place", by Five Moms;"Happy Lesson"
*Opening theme: nihongo|"Telescope"|テレスコープ|Teresukōpu, by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
*Ending theme: nihongo|"Dreamtown, Tokyo Life"|夢の都TOKYO LIFE|Yume no Miyako Tokyo Life, by Akiko Nakagawa ;"Happy Lesson Advance"
*Opening theme: nihongo|"Radio Jack"|RADIOジャック|Radio Jakku, by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
*Ending themes:
*# nihongo|"Party"|パーティー|Pātī, by Millio (episodes 1–12)
*# "Love Goes On", by Mie Sonozaki (episode 13);"Happy Lesson: The Final"
*Opening theme: nihongo|"Hikari Hitotsu Hirari"|ひかりひとつひらり, by Sleepin' Johnny Fish
*Ending theme: "Paradise", by Grace

References

External links

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