Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! manga volume 1 cover
がくえんゆーとぴあ まなびストレート! (Gakuen Yūtopia Manabi Sutorēto!)
Genre	Comedy, Futuristic
Manga
Written by	Ufotable
Illustrated by	Tartan Check
Published by	MediaWorks
Magazine	Dengeki Daioh
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	December 2005 – February 2008
Volumes	4
Anime television series
Directed by	Team Manabibeya
Written by	Ryunosuke Kingetsu
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	US: Discotek Media
Original network	TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido, TV Osaka
Original run	January 8, 2007 – March 26, 2007
Episodes	12
Video game
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! Kira Kira Happy Festa!
Developer	Marvelous Interactive
Publisher	MediaWorks
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	PlayStation 2
Released	March 29, 2007
Original video animation
Directed by	Team Manabibeya
Studio	Ufotable
Licensed by	US: Discotek Media
Released	October 10, 2007
Runtime	24 minutes
Manga
Manabi Straight! Sakra
Written by	Ufotable
Illustrated by	Eshika/Shōgo
Published by	Enterbrain
Magazine	Famitsu Comic Clear
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	January 30, 2015 – February 26, 2016
Volumes	2

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (がくえんゆーとぴあ まなびストレート!, Gakuen Yūtopia Manabi Sutorēto!, often shortened to Manabi Straight!) is a Japanese multimedia project co-developed by the animation studio Ufotable and MediaWorks. The project revolves around a group of high school girls in the year 2035 when the birth rate has dropped dramatically. It launched in August 2004 in MediaWorks' Dengeki AniMaga magazine, and went on to produce a manga adaptation serialized in MediaWorks' Dengeki Daioh, and a second manga serialized in Enterbrain's Famitsu Comic Clear. A 12-episode anime series aired on TV Tokyo between January and March 2007, and is complemented by a bonus episode released exclusively on DVD in October 2007. A PlayStation 2 visual novel based on the series was released in Japan in March 2007, developed by Marvelous Interactive. On February 22, 2019, Discotek Media announced its license of the series and OVA for a April 30, 2019 Blu-ray release. The project continued until Dengeki AniMaga volume 19 when the magazine ceased publication on August 29, 2005.

The Manabi Straight! manga, with story by Ufotable and illustrated by Tartan Check, was serialized in MediaWorks' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh between the December 2005 and February 2008 issues. Four tankōbon volumes were released between May 27, 2006 and February 27, 2008. A second manga, titled Manabi Straight! Sakra (まなびストレート! SAKRA), with story by Ufotable and illustrated by Eshika/Shōgo, was serialized in Enterbrain's online magazine Famitsu Comic Clear from January 30, 2015 to February 26, 2016. Two tankōbon volumes were released on August 12, 2015 and March 14, 2016.

Anime

A 12-episode anime television series produced by Ufotable aired in Japan between January 8 and March 26, 2007 on the TV Tokyo television network. An original video animation episode was released on October 10, 2007. The production staff of Manabi Straight! removed the traditional "director" position and instead a team of studio producers and episode directors called Team Manabibeya (チームまなび部屋, Chīmu Manabibeya) shared the burden together. Team Manabibeya includes the story director Ryunosuke Kingetsu, the animation director and character designer Atsushi Ogasawara, the layout director Takurowo Takahashi, and the technical director Takayuki Hirao. The opening theme is "A Happy Life" and the ending theme is "Lucky & Happy"; both are sung by Megumi Hayashibara. The single containing both songs was released on February 7, 2007. "A Happy Life" is a cover of Ritsuko Okazaki's 1996 single, while "Lucky & Happy" is a cover of a song written by Okazaki for the anime Wedding Peach. On February 22, 2019, Discotek Media announced its license of the series and OVA for a April 30, 2019 Blu-ray release. Two original soundtracks were released for the anime on February 21 and May 16, 2007. The soundtracks featured background music tracks, remixes of the songs featured on the character mini albums, and original songs. A single titled "Seioh Gakuen Kōka Band", sung by Yui Horie and Minori Chihara, was released on March 21, 2007; the single contained the two insert songs found in episode 11 of the anime.

Episodes

#	Title	Original air date
01	"Extraterrestrial Manami Appears" Transliteration: "Manami Seijin, Arawaru" (Japanese: 学美星人、あらわる)	January 8, 2007 (2007-01-08)
Manami Amamiya transfers to the all-girl Seioh Private High School and arrives with a bang. Before long, Manami is elected the student council president due to her vigorous personality.
02	"Straight Ahead Go" Transliteration: "Massugude Gō" (Japanese: まっすぐでゴー)	January 15, 2007 (2007-01-15)
Manami and Mika start to clean up the student council room but after initially finding it a daunting task, Mutsuki, Momoha, and even Mei helps out to turn the room into a café where the students in the school can hang out.
03	"Monday is Too Late" Transliteration: "Getsuyōbi Ja Ososugiru" (Japanese: 月曜日じゃ遅すぎる)	January 22, 2007 (2007-01-22)
As an effort to get the other schools to work together, Manami plans a dodgeball tournament. Afterwards, when the student councils from the five participating schools meet, they start to discuss what to do for their respective upcoming school festivals. Manami initially gets discouraged that she isn't able to help very much during the discussion.
04	"The Film Reel of Promo Go" Transliteration: "Puromo de Gō no Kan" (Japanese: プロモでゴーの巻)	January 29, 2007 (2007-01-29)
The student council plans to release a promo video led by Mei to promote the upcoming school festival. However, Mei soon drops out of the project due to trauma from her past related to being a class representative in elementary school, which left her emotionally scarred.
05	"The Night of the Two" Transliteration: "Futarikkiri no, Yoru" (Japanese: ふたりっきりの、夜)	February 5, 2007 (2007-02-05)
Manami has come down with the mumps and thus cannot attend school for one week. In the meantime, Mika tries to become closer friends with Mei while they try to decide before Manami's return what the theme for the school festival shall be.
06	"Cinnamon Sugar Raised Happiness" Transliteration: "Shinamon Shugā Reizudo Hapinesu" (Japanese: シナモンシュガーレイズド·ハピネス)	February 12, 2007 (2007-02-12)
Summer vacation is coming up, which means final exams to take. The student council is working hard on promoting the student festival and the preparations are going better than expected. The night before their last exam, Mika goes to Mutsuki's house with the pretense of studying, but they both end up going out and having fun all night long. At the end of the episode, it is shown that Mutsuki has joined the student council as the assistant.
07	"The End of Summer (Bye-Bye)" Transliteration: "Natsu no Oshimai (Baibai)" (Japanese: なつのおしまい(ばいばい))	February 19, 2007 (2007-02-19)
It's the last day of summer vacation, and the student council is working very hard in order to finish some planning for the upcoming student festival. However, after working for so long, the group has lost most of its morale. The student council president from Aikoh, Takako Kakuzawa, visits Seioh to see how they are coming along with the planning of the student council.
08	"Fight! Seioh Student Council" Transliteration: "Tatakae Seiō Seitokai!" (Japanese: たたかえ聖桜生徒会!)	February 26, 2007 (2007-02-26)
The principal of Seioh High School announces the merger of Seioh and Aikoh High School and the cancellation of the Seioh School Fair. In order to try to change the minds of the administration, Manabi and the student council begin a petition campaign. Later, Manabi returns home to find her brother with his girlfriend, Kyoko Kiyokawa — who happens to be the superintendent of Aikoh High School.
09	"Our Song" Transliteration: "Watashitachi no Uta" (Japanese: わたしたちのうた)	March 5, 2007 (2007-03-05)
The student council has been given a week to try to gain enough signatures via a petition to save the student festival, but are having serious trouble even getting a single signature. When all seems lost, Momoha manages to take over the school's broadcasting room while she shows clips of the student council working to help improve the school. While initially unsuccessful, this endeavor helped re-energize the student council's spirit.
10	"Gathered Friends" Transliteration: "Tsudō Nakamatachi" (Japanese: 集う仲間たち)	March 12, 2007 (2007-03-12)
The time draws near for the deadline to gain at least 70% approval from the students of Seioh for student festival, but unexpectedly the clock in the clock tower blows up, destroying the student council room along with it. Just when things look bleak, Shimojima shows Manami and her friends the old, abandoned Seioh boarding house and they start to clean it up to create a new student council room. Eventually, more students start coming and a huge group effort is underway to clean up the entire boarding house.
11	"We're Also Watching" Transliteration: "Watashi ni mo Mieru yo" (Japanese: わたしにもみえるよ)	March 19, 2007 (2007-03-19)
The school festival is finally underway after receiving 76% approval from the students of Seioh, and the entire school is having fun in what will be the last school festival for Seioh High School. Throughout most of the day, the student council stays out of the festival's affairs, but near the end of the day Manami is able to sing a song for the entire school.
12	"The Cherry Blossom Colored Futures" Transliteration: "Sakurairo no Miraitachi" (Japanese: 桜色の未来たち)	March 26, 2007 (2007-03-26)
It is now two years later and the girls are just about to graduate from high school. Everyone is reflecting on the past few years at Seioh and are looking toward the future to where they are going. Mika decides to go to America after graduation and study abroad and her friends are there to see her off.
OVA	"It's Summer! It's Manabi! It's a Training Camp!" Transliteration: "Natsu da! Manabi da! Kyōkagasshuku da!" (Japanese: 夏だ!まなびだ!強化合宿だ!)	October 10, 2007 (2007-10-10)
This episode takes place between episodes six and seven from the regular broadcast. Manami and her friends raise money for a trip during summer vacation, but when on the day they go, a storm blows through, and they have to cancel their plans. Instead, they stay in a local hotel in a rural area overnight and go back to their town the following day.

Visual novel

A visual novel developed by Marvelous Interactive for the PlayStation 2 titled Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! Kira Kira Happy Festa! (がくえんゆーとぴあ まなびストレート! キラキラ☆Happy Festa!, Gakuen Yūtopia Manabi Sutorēto! Kira Kira☆Happy Festa!) was first released on March 29, 2007 in limited and regular editions. The limited edition came bundled with a thirty-minute length drama CD and two background music CDs. The gameplay consists of the player interacting with the game by making choices at key times in the story. While the game consists of several different scenarios, the main one takes place during the summer festival. In the scenario, Manami needs the cooperation and comprehension of the town people in order to ensure the success of the event. Manami and her friends go through various missions in the game while they work and help the people in town get ready for the festival. As an original system built into the game, Manami has the power to give her friends "Hustle Points" that she uses to cheer her friends up during their various missions. An album titled Miracle Straight! was released on April 4, 2007 containing the opening and ending themes to the video game sung by Yui Horie, Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue, Aya Hirano and Saki Fujita.

External links

• Manabi Straight! at Starchild Template:Ja icon
• Manabi Straight! at TV Tokyo Template:Ja icon
• Visual novel official website Template:Ja icon
• Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia