Tokimeki Tonight


Tokimeki Tonight is a Japanese manga series by Koi Ikeno. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Ribon from July 1982 to October 1994. An anime television series directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa was adapted from the manga and was broadcast on Nippon TV from October 7, 1982 to September 22, 1983.

Plot

15-year-old Ranze Eto lives in an isolated castle in Japan with her werewolf mother, vampire father, and younger brother, Rinze. Despite her lineage, she has yet to demonstrate any special powers of her own, and her parents are worried she might be a normal girl. One day, Ranze's innate power finally manifests itself when she, quite by accident, discovers that she can change herself into a carbon copy of any object she bites, whether it be a person or an inanimate object like a piece of bread, and can return to her normal self only by sneezing. Her parents are overjoyed, but Ranze's new powers make it difficult to continue living life as a normal teenage girl.
On Ranze's first day at her new school in junior high, she meets and falls in love with the brash yet handsome young athlete, Shun Makabe. The chief problem with this is that Ranze's parents will not allow her to date a human - although there may be much more to Shun than meets the eye. On top of this, she also has a bitter rival in the pretty but spiteful Yoko Kamiya who also likes Shun and doesn't take kindly to Ranze's intruding on her turf.

Final anime episode

Since the anime series ended years before the manga, the writers had to create an original ending. This leaves the story open-ended. In the last episode, it had Shun being discovered of a star birthmark, proving that he is actually the long lost prince of the Demon World. Ranze is thrilled by the news, meaning she'll be able to marry him. However, when confronted by the King, Shun denies being the long-lost-prince and claiming the star as a bruise. The King bans the Eto Family from the Demon World, until they can bring back his long-lost-son. When Shun returns home, his mother reveals that the star is actually a birthmark and he realizes that he's the true long lost prince of the Demon World, and the Eto family were right about it all along. The following morning, Shun tries to talk to Ranze about that star on the way to school, but Yoko ends up interrupting the conversation. The series closed with a special ending, with not only Ranze but the main cast dancing to the ending, "Super Love Lotion".

Characters

Eto Family

Ranze Eto
Rinze Eto
Mori Eto
Shiira Eto
Peck

Makabe Family

Shun Makabe
Hanae Makabe

Kamiya Family

Yoko Kamiya
Tamasaburo Kamiya

Others

Kunihiko "Shuusai" Takaba
Aaron
Sand
Mr. Mitsuki

Media

Manga

There are 30 volumes in the original release of the manga series in Japan. In 2006, they sold 26 million copies, making Tokimeki Tonight the sixth best-selling shōjo manga.
In 2002, a second manga series called Tokimeki Midnight, also by Koi Ikeno, began serialization in Shueisha's magazine Cookie. The manga is an alternate retelling where the roles are reverse. The series completed in 2009 at nine volumes.

Anime

A 34-episode anime television series adaptation, directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa and produced by Group TAC and Toho, aired in Japan between October 7, 1982 and September 22, 1983 on Nippon TV. Its opening theme is "Tokimeki Tonight" and its ending theme is "Super Love Lotion".

Episode list

  1. Ranze Eto's Secret
  2. Door to The Demon World
  3. Bathroom Crisis
  4. A Small Friendship
  5. Ranze goes to the Demon World
  6. Foggy Night Romance
  7. Beware the Cultural Festival
  8. Love, Camera, Action
  9. Tamasaburo's Love
  10. The Invisible Girl, Miel
  11. Birthday of the Full Moon
  12. Eh?? Ranze's Wish
  13. White Sweethearts
  14. I saw it!! Ranze is a Tanuki!
  15. Sorry for the Nudity
  16. Love of The Young Runner
  17. Fickle Magic Teacher
  18. Title Match of Love
  19. The Sentimental Giant
  20. Chaos! Too many Ranzes!
  21. Love Letter from E.T.
  22. Panic! Pajama Game
  23. Sand's Love Story
  24. Ardent Love! Great War in the Demon World
  25. The Transformation is seen! Shun must die
  26. Execution Battleship! Space Wars
  27. Clash! Rocky VS Shun
  28. Stretching Angel, Hunter of Love
  29. Shock! Future Encounter
  30. The Prince's Order of Assassination
  31. The Migratory Bird Returns
  32. Venture! Island of Sweethearts
  33. Tokimeki Folklore Comic
  34. I Love you! I Love you! Love Triangle!

    Reception

On Anime News Network, Justin Sevakis said the anime was "a thirty year-old comedy that's still funny, with a setup that's still plausible and interesting, and animation that's still serviceable".