Full Moon Wo Sagashite

From Animepedia

Full Moon wo Sagashite ("Searching for (a) full moon"; aka "Full Moon o Sagashite" (mostly in the US)) is a Shoujo manga and anime series of the Romance/Comedy genre by Manga-ka TANEMURA Arina. 12-year-old Mitsuki's greatest wish is to become a famous singer, aside from her passion for singing itself due to a promise she made with her childhood friend and first love Eichi-kun. What's keeping her from training and auditioning, however, is her throat-cancer, which gets worse when she tries to use her voice loudly.
One day, when Mitsuki wants to go to an audition, even though her grandmother forbode her to, two Shinigami, namely Takuto and Meroko, arrive and announce that Mitsuki will die in one year's time. Because of Mitsuki's exceptional ability to see Shinigami they come to talk and later on become friends, and Takuto gives her the possibility to transform her body into the one of healthy 16-year-old girl, so she can fulfill her dream. But the way of becoming an idol is a long and hard one...

TV anime:

• 52 episodes, approx. 24 mins each, originally aired weekly on TV Tokyo
• a 13-minute special

Characters

• KOUYAMA Mitsuki

  Mitsuki, a twelve year old girl with throat cancer, is the main protagonist of the story. She lived in an orphanage for a short time when she was younger after her parents died, where she met Eichi. Eichi and her quickly became unseperable and though Mitsuki didn't know it then, she had fallen in love with him. Eichi is soon adopted by an American family and he and Mitsuki make promises to each other that they will meet again when he has acheived his dream of being an astronomer, and she a famous singer. Before he leaves, he confesses his feelings of love for her. Stunned, Mitsuki doesn't say anything in return and Eichi apologizes, telling her to forget him. Soon after, Mitsuki's grand-mother, Fuzuki, comes and takes her. Since then, Mitsuki has lived with her. Because of her throat cancer, she is often unable to attend school and consequently, has no friends. Her favourite thing to do is sing, but is constantly ridiculed for it by her grand-mother. Though she knows the seriousness of her illness, Mitsuki retains her bright, optimistic attitude and is constantly trying to sneak into singing auditions and hoping to become famous so that she can find Eichi.

• Full Moon

  Full Moon is Mitsuki's alter ego. Her mind, character and voice are Mitsuki's, however there are some differences - caused by the transformation thanks to Takuto's powers -: Her body is the one of a 16-year-old girl (thus a little taller) and healthy, no more throat cancer. Her hair is blonde, while Mitsuki's is brown. She usually carries a handbag which is large enough to contain Takuto and Meroko in their stuffend animal forms. Her first audition is where she meets her top rival, Madoka, and is convinced by Madoka to not audition. Full Moon, however, proceeds to audition, being too quiet at first until Takuto (disguised as a judge) convinces her, subtley, to proceed. Enlightened by the encouragement, she does her best and woos the entire panel of judges.

• SAKURAI Eichi

  Eichi is Mitsuki's friend from childhood. They were both in the same orphanage until an American couple decided upon adopting Eichi. At which point, he had to leave his best friend, Mitsuki. Eichi was the first person to make Mitsuki feel comfortable and they were inseperable. When it was time for Eichi to fly to America, he confessed his feelings of love to Mitsuki, which left her dumbfounded and speechless. He thereafter shrugged it off and told her to forget about him before leaving with his new family. In the anime, Eichi is found to be dead after already having been in America. However, in the manga, his plane crashes and he dies in the ocean thinking of Mitsuki.

• KIRA Takuto

  Now a Shinigami, Takuto was a former band member of Route: L when he was young, being the lead singer while he was alive. In the manga, Takuto pursued a solo career after Route: L that was soon shot down when he had to have surgery on his throat that rendered his voice mute. He then jumped from the hospital roof and killed himself. In the anime, Takuto dies by driving his motorcycle in a storm and lost control, causing him to spin out and fly off the edge of a cliff as what is depicted to be suicide as well. It is assumed that he did this after finding out Aoi was dead. Now a partly a Shinigami, he and his Negi-Ramen partner, Meroko, are in charge of Mitsuki until the fated day of her death in one year from their arrival. On that day, they are to take her soul and Takuto will then be a full Shinigami. Throughout the series he tries to remain detached from Mitsuki, however, he continually does nice things for her and eventually is the one that transforms her into Full Moon. Upon hearing her voice in the audition, he is captivated and from then on, continues to support her career.

• YUI Meroko

  Meroko is Takuto's Shinigami partner in Negi-Ramen and has been since he first became a Shinigami. Once partnered and in love with Izumi, she was seperated per his request and given charge of Takuto to train him. Since then, she's fallen in love with him and continually confesses this. Meroko is really upbeat and is always schemeing to find ways to help Mitsuki or cause trouble. Often jealous of how Takuto pays attention and helps Mitsuki, she gets emotional and cries (usually in her rabbit form) until Mitsuki consoles her and encourages her in her quest to triumph Takuto's heart. Meroko keeps track of Mitsuki's progress, originally trying to keep anything from preventing Mitsuki's death. Eventually she grows to care very much for Mitsuki and proceeds to try to find ways to prevent Mitsuki's death and helps her and Takuto to continue Full Moon's career.

• WAKAOUJI Keiichi

  Wakaouji-sensei is Mitsuki's doctor, as well as a former band member of Route: L and was close friends with both Aoi and Hazuki until their deaths. During his time in Route: L, he met a young and enthused Oshige who had been completely in love with him as any fan, however, Wakaouji was in love with Hazuki, and neglected Oshige's quiet feelings of adoration, not recognizing their existence. Wakaouji admits to loving Hazuki until she died, but was happy for her and Aoi. After Route: L, he proceeded into his current medical career, which is what he always wanted to do. Because of his feelings and love for Aoi and Hazuki, Wakouji feels responsible for the well-being of Mitsuki and cares for her as if she were his own.

• OSHIGE Masami

  Oshige-san is Full Moon's spunky manager. Until late in the series, she is completely clueless to the fact that Full Moon is actually Mitsuki, though on several occasions she comes close to figuring it out. Upon finding out Mitsuki's secret, she and Wakaouji work together to conceal the secret and work to set her schedule so that she can perform, but still have mandatory check ups. It is later insinuated, and confirmed, that she and Wakaouji form a relationship.

• KOUYAMA Fuzuki

  Fuzuki is Mitsuki's grandmother who detests music after her daughter, Hazuki, ran away with Route: L member, Aoi.

• KOUYAMA Hazuki

  Hazuki was the mother of Mitsuki, who died in an accident with Aoi when Mitsuki was young. She loved music and against her mother's will, ran away with Aoi after finding out she was pregnant with Mitsuki.

• KOGA Aoi

  Aoi was Mitsuki's father and band member of Route: L. He died with Hazuki in an accident while Mitsuki was still young. It is later discovered he had a very strong impression on younger band member/lead singer, Takuto.

• WAKAMATSU Madoka

  Madoka is Full Moon's first and main rival. She first meets her at her first audition, where Madoka tells Full Moon the winner had already been set before the audition itself began to try and scare Full Moon out of auditioning because she felt that the "cuteness" of Full Moon would outstage herself. Full Moon, however, proceeds to audition anyway. Later both Full Moon and Madoka apply for a TV commercial, where Madoka pulls all tricks to out-match her opponent.

  Her grudge against Full Moon is actually caused by the fact that she has always felt inferior to others and suffered much ridicule for having plastic surgery to become beautiful and pursue her singing career, whereas she thinks that Full Moon is naturally beautiful and talented and therefore doesn't have to work as hard.

• RIO Izumi
• Jonathan

See also

• Shinigami (Full Moon wo Sagashite)

Links

• Full Moon Wo Sagashite image gallery atAnimeGalleries.net
• Anime Lyrics dot Com - Full Moon Wo Sagashite Lyrics