, also known as Earth Defender! Mao-chan, is a Japanese anime television series created by Xebec.
Plot The series stars three eight-year-old girls, Mao, Misora and Sylvia, as they try to defend Earth against invading aliens. The world's defense has fallen into unlikely straits because the aliens are excessively cute, of which combat engagements are televised: if the forces battling the aliens were not cute themselves, the general public would revolt, as it would be seen as "bullying". Consequently, three military leaders chose their granddaughters to be the defenders, becoming a team even cuter than the aliens. They each have a clover-shaped badge that enables them to transform (this transformation provides no apparent special ability).
The series itself is rife with parodies and references, particularly to Akamatsu's earlier work Love Hina.
Characters Mao Onigawara Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama (Japanese), Sandy Fox (English) Mao is the girl with pink pigtails held by red bows, who defends Japan from the ground by using a plastic tank (the tank was officially named 'White Tiger,' but she refers to it as 'Mi-kun' because when she was little, she had a kitten she called Mi-kun, but it got lost in a river while she was playing near it one day. She re-named the tank that so it seemed it was still there). As revealed in assorted Physical Education scenes, she is a very slow runner. Her physical ability is minimal, but she more than makes up for it with her total seriousness in the spirit of defense. It is revealed that she has no mother and her father is busy with his own work as a secret spy for the Defense Forces. Her least favorite food is carrots. Her clover pin is green. Her baton initiates the Defense Barrier. Misora Tsukishima Voiced by: Yūya Yoshikawa (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English) Misora has purple-blue hair with a blue headband, and defends Japan from the air using an airplane. Her mother (and presumably her father, as well) is a diplomat, and thus is never home. As a result of this, she lives with her grandfather. Her clover pin is blue. Her transformed outfit features a pair of white-feathered wings on her back, which she can use to fly. She's fairly mature and the type who can come up with ideas all the time but physically can't carry them out. Misora's also an Honors student. In the anime, she is known for ending most of her sentences with "...I must say!" while in the manga, she says "Dont'cha know" and "If ya please" compared to her Japanese "arimasu." Her baton activates the Reflection Barrier. Silvia Maruyama Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Julie Maddalena (English) Silvia, nicknamed "Sylvie", who has a low grayish-black ponytail held by a green bow, defends Japan from the sea using a submarine. Despite her occupation as a member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), she cannot swim. She has a somewhat curious affection for tangerines, and is frequently depicted eating them. Her clover pin is grey. She's Russian and a quarter Japanese despite speaking with a British accent in the English dub, she acts casual and even a little loopy. In the manga, she's crazy about fishing. Her transformation is different from the others, because right after the hat goes on her head, it flies up a bit, and the red part extends and droops down. Her name in the English-language subtitles is alternately written 'Sylvia", though the opening credits show her name as "Silvia". In episode 20 when they come face to face with Naru, Silvia makes plenty of allusions to Love Hina (such as, "When I close my eyes, memories from another life come back to me") because the Japanese voice actress who played Naru plays Silvia, hence, the past allusions, though the same voice actress isn't the case for the english version. In the anime, she is known to referring to herself as "I, the officer..." or the girls as "We, the officers...." In the manga, she uses a "surfer" dialect, using terms such as calling Mao and Misora "dudettes" or "girlfriends" in comparison to her Japanese use of "-yan" instead of "-chan." She has a Love Interest named Taro. Her baton activates the Restriction Barrier. Kagome Mishima Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English) A Colonel in the Ground Self-Defense Force with an IQ of 250. She is assigned to be Mao-chan's homeroom teacher in order to watch over her for her (Mao's) grandfather who she is madly in love with. In the manga, she is revealed to be the striking image of Rikushiro's late wife, Kunie Onigawara. Despite her better judgement, she will do anything for Rikushiro if asked (and might regret the decision later). As she's pulling double duty with being the United Defense Force's commanding officer and the girls' homeroom teacher, she tends to be tired out a lot and is often asleep in class. Bears a striking resemblance to Naru Narusegawa from Love Hina minus one hair antennae. The resemblance is noted upon in ep 20 when they come face to face with Naru, and as an added bonus for the english version, the same voice actress for Naru plays Kagome Mishima as well. After the climactic battle in the manga, she is seen to be still teaching as Mao-chan's homeroom teacher three years later. Yuriko Ōzora Voiced by: (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English) Yuriko, also known as Yuriko-senpai, is the student council president of her high school. She is actually half-alien (her father was a human, while her mother was an alien); as a result, she has a pair of cat ears that appear when she is nervous or upset. Due to her alien heritage, she attempts to further the Cute Alien's cause. She seems to suffer from an inferiority complex, which frequently hinders her mission. Yuriko also seems to be a fan of Mao-chan and her friends, which often prevents her from hurting them. In the anime, she even assumes the mantle of Lady of Purple Lily when Mao-chan and the others can't handle the current alien threats. In the manga, her hair is blonde, but in the anime it is red. After being branded and imprisoned as traitors with Chinami, she rebels against the alien's forces. Three years later, she's seen to be working with Chinami at their co-owned hot springs. She no longer hides her cat ears. Chinami Noki Voiced by: Ai Iura (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English) Chinami is the vice president of the student council in the anime; thus, she is technically lower in rank than Yuriko, but she behaves as if it were the other way around, giving Yuriko orders and formulating plans on her own. However, in the manga, she is secretary of the student council. Chinami is presumably half-alien, as she has cat ears identical to Yuriko's (but Chinami's ears do not appear nearly as often as Yuriko's do). At first, she's secretly jealous of Yuriko's carefree personality and always being in the spotlight, but after winning the title of Queen of the Beach, she realizes that she prefers being a supporting character than a main one. After being branded and imprisoned as traitors with Yuriko, she rebels against the alien's forces. Three years later, she's seen to be working with Yuriko at their co-owned hot springs. Unlike Yuriko, she is not yet brave enough to reveal her cat ears to the public. Rikushiro Onigawara Voiced by: Akio Nojima (Japanese), Michael McConnohie (English) Rikushiro is Mao's grandfather, and he gave her the green clover-shaped pin as a present for her eighth birthday. He is also the head of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). Rikushiro is something of a doting grandfather (he had a weapon-free tank built especially for Mao, saying that his granddaughter deserved only the best toys), but he insists that Mao address him as 'Chief of Staff' instead of 'Grandpa.' His name is a play on words meaning "warrior of the land." Sorajiro Tsukishima Voiced by: Kiyonobu Suzuki (Japanese), Tony Pope (credited as Anthony Mozdy) (English) Sorajiro is Misora's grandfather and the head of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). His daughter (Misora's mother) is constantly away from home, so Misora lives with Sorajiro. He is always depicted as carrying what appears to be a plush-doll version of Captain Juzo Okita from Space Battleship Yamato. Rikushiro and Sorajiro have been rivals since their college days. Sorajiro enlisted his granddaughter in the Air Defence Forces just to keep up with Rikushiro. Adalbert Von Marayuma Voiced by: Takashi Taniguchi (Japanese), Ron Allen (English) Adalbert is Sylvie's grandfather and the head of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). He is of German descent, and is almost always shown smoking a large cigar. Adalbert has a mischievous personality. Like Sylvia, he cannot swim either. Emi Uehara Voiced by: Machiko Toyoshima (Japanese) Shoko Akasaka Voiced by: Machiko Toyoshima (Japanese) Mio Nanba Voiced by: Chiaki Takahashi (Japanese) Keinosuke Urashima / Keitaro Urashima
Voiced by: Yūji Ueda (Japanese), Derek Stephen Prince (English) He has failed the Tokyo University entrance exam four times. Misora encounters him in the woods on Mt. Fuji in manga chapter 17 just as he is about to fail to commit suicide for the fourteenth time. Misora cheers him up just in time for him to receive 40 e-mail messages from the people who love him. Keinosuke mentions getting mail from his fiancée Nana, from Motoko and even from Tama-chan. Although he looks very much like the Keitaro from Love Hina, he is only referred to as Keitaro in the anime. His only appearance in the anime is Episode 24 on Mao's TV where Naru uses a "Naru Punch" on him. However, he is briefly mentioned by Naru in the Episode 20 preview. Nana Nanasegawa / Naru Narusegawa
Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English) Appears twice in the show (once in ep 20, another in ep 25 on Mao's TV) as a carry over from Love Hina taking place after the aforementioned show. She's turned the Hinata dorms into an inn with her husband Keitaro, and is another victim of the cute aliens' shenanigans. The manga seems to take place in a parallel world that contains many things that resemble Love Hina. In chapter 25 the Defense Force travels to Hinata Ryokan (hot springs resort) and are greeted by its proprietress Nana Nanasegawa and her fiancé Keinosuke Urashima. Nana looks very much like Naru in Love Hina. Based on the email she sent Keinosuke in chapter 17 she also has the same short temper. Misorako "Kūko" Tsukushima Voiced by: Tomoe Hanba (Japanese) Misora's mother and an ambassador of Japan. She carries a plush doll of Yuki Mori from Space Battleship Yamato. In the anime, she is seen to be equipped with a packable glider that she can summon at will. Carol Cameron Voiced by: Masayo Kurata (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English) (Anime only) Carol is an 8 year old American Defense Force member who came to Japan to receive her support mecha armor developed by Toko. Upon meeting Mao-chan and company she shows admiration of them by kissing all three girls. Carol has a very outgoing personality. Her popularity with the chiefs of staff especially Rikushiro Onigawara made Kagome Mishima a bit jealous. Carol joins Kagome Mishima's class as an observer which surprises Mishima mistaking her age as junior high or high school. Carol excels both in academics and athletics, particularly soccer. Her only flaw is that she swoons when she sees a cute alien, getting her kidnapped and rescued by Mao-chan, subsequently learning the importance of the defense spirit. Carol Cameron's character design is based on Love Hinas Sara McDougal. Rikukichi Onigawara Voiced by: Kōji Haramaki (Japanese) Mao's father. In the anime, he is only seen once in the second episode. However, in the manga, he is actually a double-agent for the Ground Defense Force, spying on the aliens until the time came to reveal himself. He is seen to be disguised in a dinosaur-type alien costume. He usually wears a veil over his face as to protect his identity. Kuniko Onigawara Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese)