Overview
Wish Upon the Pleiades (放課後のプレアデス, 'After School Pleiades') is an anime produced in collaboration between Gainax and Japanese automobile manufacturer Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru).
It was released online on YouTube from 2011. A TV anime version was also broadcast from April to June 2015.
Although the anime started as part of a Subaru car sales promotion and targeted at the Japanese domestic market, it is notable for the fact that not many car-related depictions or Subaru products appear in the work. The reason for this is that the intention on the part of Fuji Heavy Industries to "not care if there is no car" and "show the goodness of Subaru and Subaru's challenge" coincided with the idea on the part of Gainax that "even if there is no car, we can realise the goodness of Subaru with something that can take the place of a car".
This is a story of lonely girls looking up at the stars, and the possibilities of the future, the power of magic and the starry sky.
Characters
- Subaru (CV. Natsumi Takamori)
- Aoi (CV. Ayuru Ohashi)
- Itsuki (CV. Kanako Tateno)
- Hikaru (CV. Yui Makino)
- Nanako (CV. Saki Fujita)
- Minato (CV. Houko Kuwashima)
- Prez a.k.a. The Pleiadian (CV. Saki Fujita)
Synopsis
After school, a girl (Subaru) who loves the stars unlocks the key to the observation room and enters, only to find that it is not the usual room but a greenhouse. There, Subaru meets a mysterious boy (Minato).
After meeting the boy, Subaru encounters a mysterious creature ( The Pleiadian), who takes away her precious compass. While wandering the corridors of the school in search of the compass, Subaru happens to touch the door of a nearby clubroom, and the door opens by itself and she meets four girls dressed as witches. Subaru finds her best friend (Aoi) among them...
Web Animation
Four episodes were released free of charge on YouTube in 2011.
Theme Song
"Houkago no Pleiades" (放課後のプレアデス)
Lyrics - Kiyomi Kumano / Composition and arrangement - Nobuhito UNA Tanahashi / Guitar - Kaoru Kato
Songs - Subaru (Natsumi Takamori), Aoi (Ayuru Ohashi), Itsuki (Kanako Tateno), Hikaru (Yui Makino), Nanako (Saki Fujita)
TV Animation
After the release of the web animation version, the project was not updated for a long time, but a restart was announced in December 2013. Originally planned to be produced as a theatrical film, it was changed to a TV-anime at the request of Warner Entertainment Japan, which had joined the production committee members.
It was then broadcast on TV from April to June 2015. It was broadcast on TOKYOMX, AT-X, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, BS Fuji and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation. Incidentally, there is a Fuji Heavy Industries automobile factory in the broadcasting area of Tochigi TV and Gunma TV.
Directed by Shouji Saeki, animation produced by Gainax.
Gainax withdrew from the production of anime as of September 2016, making this work virtually the last Gainax-produced anime.
Theme Songs
- Opening Theme
"Stella-rium"
Lyrics - Kiyomi Kumano / Composition/arrangement - samfree
Song - Kano
- Ending Theme
"Koko kara, Kanata kara" (ここから、かなたから, 'From here, from beyond')
Lyrics - Kiyomi Kumano / Composition/arrangement - Tsubasa Ito
Song - fragments (Natsumi Takamori, Ayuru Ohashi, Kanako Tateno, Yui Makino, Saki Fujita)
Novels
In addition to these anime series, a novel and a children's book version have been published.
A novel adaptation of "Wish Upon the Pleiades: Minato no Hoshizora" (放課後のプレアデス みなとの星宙, 'After school Pleiades: Starry-universe of Minato') was written by science fiction writer Hiroe Suga and published by Ichijinsha. The story is told from Minato's point of view.
The children's book After School Only' Wizards! (放課後だけの魔法使い！) series is written by Kozue Awai and illustrated by Nana Koinuma. The series is adapted for children's literature and is published in two volumes by Gakken, a publisher of educational books.
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External Links
ABC Television's program introduction website
