Title:
Full Moon O Sagashite (Searching for the Full Moon) (US)
Full Moon Wo Sagashite (Japan)
Creator:
Author and Artist: Arina Tanemura
Publishers:
Volumes:
7 volumes
Manga Genres:
- Shojo (Girls') Manga
- Drama
- Romance
- Fantasy
Content Rating:
T – Teens, Age 13+
for plot that mentions death and suicide
More about content ratings
About This Manga:
Originally published in 2001 and featured in the pages of Ribon, a popular Japanese shojo manga magazine, Full Moon O Sagashite was almost immediately picked up and adapted into an anime TV series.
About the Author / Artist:
Arina Tanemura was born in 1978 in Aichi, Japan. After debuting as a manga-ka (comics artist) in 1996, Tanemura has also created two popular maho shojo (magical girl) series that were also adapted into TV anime series: Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne and Full Moon O Sagashite. Her current series, The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross is currently serialized in Ribon magazine in Japan, and is available in English from VIZ Media's Shojo Beat imprint.
Story Summary:
Mitsuki, a shy and sheltered 12-year old has a dream: to sing and become a famous pop idol. Trouble is, she has been diagnosed with throat cancer, and her prognosis is very grave. Unless she agrees to an operation on her vocal chords, she'll die within the year. If she agrees to the operation, she'll live, but won't be able to sing again.
Faced with this no-win situation, Mitsuki decides to refuse the operation and try out for a singing competition, which only leads her super-strict grandmother to lock her up at home. It's at this moment of desperation that Mitsuki encounters two grim reapers, Takuto and Meroko.
Far from being the stereotypical black robe-wearing, scythe-wielding angels of death, these two shinigami are from the pediatrics division of the afterlife agency, and arrive wearing bunny and kitty ear hats. Takuto in particular feels bad for Mitsuki and grants her a wish: He transforms her into a healthy 16-year old girl, who then goes on to win the singing competition and a record contract with a major talent agency.
What happens from there is a romantic fantasy that's a mix between American Idol, Cinderella and magical girl shojo manga like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura. As her alter-ego Fullmoon, Mitsuki finds that her journey to the top of the pop charts will require courage and sacrifices, and it will uncover some not-so-pretty secrets from her past along the way. Can she fulfill her destiny before death comes to claim her?
Main Characters
Mitsuki KoyamaMitsuki is a sweet and innocent 12-year old facing a difficult choice: She must either agree to a life-saving operation that will forever ruin her ability to sing or she'll die within the year. Thanks to the magical intervention of Takuto, the shinigami (grim reaper), Mitsuki is transformed into a 16-year-old pop singing sensation, who must now survive the cut-throat ways of the entertainment world and the supernatural twists that destiny has thrown in her path.
Takuto Kira
As part of the grim reaper pediatrics squad, Takuto is charged to guide children to the afterlife. As a result, this tough, yet soft-hearted shinigami wears funky clothes, a cat-eared hat and can transform himself into an adorable little kitty when necessary. As Full Moon's plot progresses, we find that Takuto has a secret past connection with Mitsuki that intertwines their destinies in ways that neither expect.
Meroko Yui
Partnered with Takuto, bunny ear-wearing shinigami sweetheart Meroko is also charged with guiding children to their final reward. Meroko also has a crush on Takuto, which makes her alternately protective of him, and slightly jealous of Mitsuki.
Madoka Wakamatsu
Ambitious and talented, Madoka is an aspiring singer whose fast-track to top 40 success is slightly derailed by Mitsuki's arrival on the scene. Resentful of Mitsuki's rapid rise, Madoka is not above sabotaging her rival's prospects for stardom.
