Wedding Peach (愛天使伝説ウェディング・ピーチ, Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedingu Pīchi?, literally "Legend of the Angel of Love: Wedding Peach") is a shōjo manga by Nao Yazawa and Sukehiro Tomita that was originally serialized in Shogakukan's Ciao magazine. In North America it is translated and published by VIZ Media in its entirety, comprising six volumes.[1]
The manga later was adapted into an anime television series that was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and ran for 51 episodes on TV Tokyo from April 5, 1995 to March 27, 1996 [2] as well as 2 omakes : Ai Tenshi Robot: Wedding Peach and Ai Tenshi Sentai and spawned a 4-episode OVA sequel (Wedding Peach DX) in 1996.[3]
The anime (which is co-produced by KSS, TV Tokyo and NAS) is licensed for distribution in North America by ADV Films, and they have released both the TV series and OVA series onto a total of ten DVD volumes.
In 2004, Wedding Peach: Young Love was released, a compilation of Wedding Peach stories made specifically for the monthly magazine Shogaku Sannensei ("Elementary School Third-grader").[4] To better fit the magazine's target audience, the "Young Love" version of Wedding Peach features younger-looking characters, less complex storylines, and simpler dialogue.
Series overview
The story follows Momoko Hanasaki, a junior high school girl who is in trouble between the Angel World and the Devil World. It all starts when Aphrodite tells Momoko that she is the legendary Love Angel Wedding Peach, and that she will take the place of her mother, Sakura, in finding and protecting the "Saint Something Four", after a devil named Pluie tries to steal Momoko's mother's ring. Now she must protect the sanctity of love from Reine Devila and her minions.
Her friends, the other Love Angels, are Yuri Tanima (Angel Lily) and Hinagiku Tamano (Angel Daisy). She also has Jama-P, who originally was a minion of Reine Devila. Momoko is in love with Yousuke who is, unknowingly, a half-devil warrior of the devil named Viento; Yousuke's father Uragano, coincidentally, is the one who sent Celeste (Sakura) and himself to Earth in the first place. Yuri is in love with Captain Yanagiba of the soccer team, otherwise known as the angel Limone. Hinagiku eventually develops an unsteady relationship with her childhood friend Takuro.
While trying to live the lives of normal Japanese middle school students, the Love Angels must protect the world with love, or live in a world filled with nothing but hate.
Characters
- Momoko Hanasaki (花咲 ももこ, Hanasaki Momoko?)/Wedding Peach
- Voiced by: Kyoko Hikami (Japanese), Larissa Wolcott (English)
- The central character of the series. Momoko is half-angel from her mother's side, and is given the power to transform into Wedding Peach, a Love Angel tasked with fighting devils intent on destroying all love in the world. Like many other girls at her school, she has a crush on Yanagiba in the first season, but in the second season she develops feelings for Yousuke, whom she marries in the manga. Momoko and Yosuke's love is so powerful that in the last episode it shows that their love saved the world despite their different races. In the last episode Momoko and Yousuke are shown watching the sunrise during the credits.
- Yuri Tanima (谷間 ゆり, Tanima Yuri?)/Angel Lily
- Voiced by: Yukana Nogami (Japanese), Carla Witt (English)
- One of Momoko's best friends. Yuri is very well-mannered and polite. She is actually the Love Angel Lily, reborn on Earth as a human. She had a close relationship with the angel Limone as an angel. In the manga, she eventually marries Limone/Yanagiba after remembering her past as an angel. In "The Last Wedding" in the anime Yuri and Yanagiba are watching the sunrise with Momoko, Yousuke, Hinagiku, Takuro, Jama-P, and Scarlett.
- Hinagiku Tamano (珠野 ひなぎく, Tamano Hinagiku?)/Angel Daisy
- Voiced by: Yuko Miyamura (Japanese), Heather Kafka (English)
- Another one of Momoko's close friends. Hinagiku is a short-haired rough-speaking tomboy who practices judo. Like Yuri, she was an angel reborn on Earth as a human. She eventually falls in love with her childhood friend Takuro (in the manga, she marries him). In the very last episode in the series she is shown with Takuro watching the sunrise with the rest of the group.
- Scarlett O'Hara/Angel Salvia
- Voiced by: Yuka Imai (Japanese), T. Lynn Mikeska (English)
- The last and eldest of the Love Angels to appear in the series, Scarlett is a lone angel andunforgiving towards the devils and wishes to destroy rather than rehabilitate them. Unlike the other Love Angels, she is a full-blood angel. In the series, it is revealed that she has no friends because she did not want to be emotionally hard after a devil killed her friend. It stated that she had a relationship with a rich man in Wedding Peach DX episode 2.
- Scarlett's history varies very differently in the original manga. She is a reincarnated angel like Yuri and Hinagiku, and is a foreigner from America (she is half Japanese) who gained her memories as a young girl and moved to Japan to transfer into the girls' school in the hopes of befriending them. She holds a grudge against devils because they killed Celeste (also known as Momoko's mother Sakura), the angel she, Lily, and Daisy were sent to protect; she is also the first to remember her past life as an angel, having received her memories at an early age. While she tries to befriend the other angels, she tries to ward Momoko away from Yousuke, but eventually realizes her duty is to find a love of her own, not the opposite. She eventually falls in love with, and marries, a childhood friend from her native country America named Dean Butler.
- Scarlett and Dean's names are taken from Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler from the novel Gone with the Wind.
- Jama-P
- Voiced by: Miwa Matsumoto (Japanese), Bill Wise (English)
- A cute and small devil that served as Pluie's sidekick until he was purified by Wedding Peach and subsequently forced out of the devil realm. He becomes a close friend of Momoko and pretends to be a stuffed toy when others are around.
- Yousuke Fuuma (風摩 ようすけ, Fuuma Yousuke?)/Viento
- Voiced by: Yuji Ueda (Japanese), Gray Haddock (English)
- The freshman goalie on the school soccer team. He enjoys teasing Momoko such as calling her "Momopi" (a term of endearment in Japanese) instead of Momoko, but eventually begins to have feelings for her. Later on in the series, it is revealed that he is half-devil on his father's side. Even though Momoko and him are from different races (Momoko half-angel and Yousuke half-devil) they still have a crush on each other. He eventually overcomes the battle with himself (and his father, in the manga) and eventually marries Momoko (in the manga).
- Kazuya Yanagiba (柳葉 和也, Yanagiba Kazuya?)/Limone
- Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (Japanese), Brian Jepson (English)
- Limone (which means lemon in Italian) is a powerful angel sent by Aphrodite to watch over Momoko and the other Love Angels, granting them assistance whenever he is able. To remain close to them, he takes the form of Yanagiba, a popular upperclassman at the school and captain of the soccer team, but when turning into Yanagiba, he has no memory of the Love Angels or that he is one himself until later in the season (in the anime). In the Angel World, he and Angel Lily had a very close relationship.
- In the manga, he was always aware of the Love Angels and took a different identity only to remain close to them; he is visibly able to withstand attacks by devils even in that form. He also was scarred by having witnessed Lily's death 100 years prior but could not reveal the truth to her for fear she would not believe him. She does recover her memories however, and in the final chapter epilogue they are shown to get married.
- Takuro Amano
- Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese), Josh Meyer (English)
- A frail childhood friend of Hinagiku. Desiring to be stronger and more confident, he makes a pact with Igneous, who takes residence in his heart and controls his body when the time is right. In the anime, he had a crush on Momoko; in the manga, his constant stalking of Momoko led many to believe he liked her but he in fact wanted to impress Hinagiku. In the manga, he later marries Hinagiku.
- Reine Devila
- Voiced by: Mika Doi (Japanese), Lainie Frasier (English)
- The leader of the devil world (her name is French for "Queen Devil"). Her greatest desire is to destroy all love and subjugate the angel world. In the anime, it is revealed that years ago she ventured into the Angel World and falls in love with a angel in first sight, who later became another angel's husband in which they both unknowingly banished Reine Devila out of the Angel World. Ever since, Reine Devila has wanted to kill all those who love.
- Her backstory and subplot do not exist in the manga; she is simply depicted as a tyrannical ruler. In the anime, she is purified and lives as a normal devil; in the manga, she is purified and is made to protect the Devil World the way Aphrodite does for the Angel World.
- Aphrodite
- Voiced by: Mako Hyōdō (Japanese), Catherine Berry (English)
- Goddess of love and ruler of the angel world. She is unable to leave the angel world and must rely on Limone and the Love Angels to ward off the devils, She is the sister of Angel Celeste.
- Pluie
- Voiced by: Kazuki Yao (Japanese), Ben Wolfe (English)
- The first of Reine Devila's primary henchmen to appear in the story. He enacts various schemes to both destroy love and lure out the Love Angels, but eventually he is sucked into the vortex of destruction as punishment for countlesss defeats by Reine Devila (in the anime). He is destroyed by the angels in the manga.
- Kawanami Hiromi/Potamos/Angel Potamos
- Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese), Jenny M. Larson (English)
- The third of Reine Devila's henchmen to appear in the story. She comes to help out Igneous but later in the series kills him for turning soft by the love angels and falls for Yousuke at first sight. Potamos is later turned good by Wedding Peach and lives a life as an ordinary school girl.
- She becomes a love angel during the second omake. She is later brought back in Wedding Peach DX episode 3.
- In the manga, Potamos tries to take revenge for Igneous but falls in love with Yousuke/Viento because of his devil energy, even calling him "V-kun". She eventually returns him to his father, but when Yousuke rebels against his father and Uragano attacks, Potamos shields Viento and Peach with her body and sacrifices her life to save him, leading Peach to realize she had truly loved him.
- Sakura Hanasaki/Angel Celeste
- Voiced by: Chiharu Suzuka (Japanese), Marla Kanoff (English)
- Celeste is the sister and guardian of Aphrodite. While fighting against some devils with Angels Lily, Daisy and Salvia, she was knocked down to earth. She lost her memory during the fall. She begins to use the name Sakura. On earth she fell in love with Hanasaki Shouichirou, a young photographer. They had a child together, named Momoko. Three years later, Limone finds Celeste and restores her memory. Celeste said goodbye to her family and left. She vanished leaving behind her ring, which is part of the Saint Something Four, the Something Old. She then returned to the angel world to protect it and fell into a deep sleep.
- Celeste returns after waking from the energies of the Saint Something Four to tell Momoko of her past. She is given permission by Aphrodite to spend one day on Earth. However, she uses up more energy saving Momoko from a brainwashed Viento, and falls into sleep again. In the OVA it is revealed she awoke and returned to having a normal family life, although she is aware of Momoko's former identity of an angel.
- In the manga, her past differs; she was killed along with Lily, Daisy, and Salvia, and reincarnated 100 years later. She fell in love with Momoko's father but remembered her past and had to return to the angel world; the barrier she erected, however, prevented her from meeting or contacting her daughter. Momoko initially has doubts about her mother as she traces Celeste's legacy, but her mother finally gets through and sends a brief message that she has faith in her and will be able to meet her if the threat of devils is removed and the barrier is able to be dissolved. Eventually after the defeat of Reine Devila, Momoko and her mother have a tearful reunion.
Media
Episodes
Season one
| DVD Title |
Episode
Number |
Episode Title |
Love Wave |
01 |
"Celebration! Birth of the Love Angel" |
| 02 |
"Splendid! Bridal Dress Change" |
| 03 |
"The Targeted Bride" |
| 04 |
"Angel Lily is Born" |
| 05 |
"The Third Love Angel" |
Pluie's War |
06 |
"Jama-P's Counterattack" |
| 07 |
"Take Care Against Eating Too Much" |
| 08 |
"Pajama and the Sleeping Princess" |
| 09 |
"The Stolen Something Four" |
| 10 |
"Good Work! Friendship Renewal" |
Spring Storm |
11 |
"Time Traveling Hinagiku" |
| 12 |
"The Beautiful Devil's Love Fortune Telling" |
| 13 |
"Challenge! The Devil's Penalty Kick Battle" |
| 14 |
"The Stolen Ring Of Love" |
| 15 |
"Infiltration! The Devil's Forest" |
Summer Flower |
16 |
"The Devil's Pride" |
| 17 |
"The Secret of Saint Hanazano Campus" |
| 18 |
"Love Angels, We'll Fight, Even During Summer Vacation" |
| 19 |
"Midsummer Night's Mystery" |
| 20 |
"Seaside Pendant" |
| 21 |
"Resound, Piano, to the Starry Sky" |
Angel Bell |
22 |
"Targeted Jama-P" |
| 23 |
"My First Kiss is Going to be Stolen" |
| 24 |
"Exciting School Festival" |
| 25 |
"A Devil's Kiss Isn't Sweet" |
| 26 |
"The False Wedding Ceremony" |
| 27 |
"No Way! Captain Yanagiba Has a Lover?" |
Season two
| DVD Title |
Episode
Number |
Episode Title |
Rivals! |
28 |
"Girls in Love is the Strongest" |
| 29 |
"A Halloween-esque Witch" |
| 30 |
"Good-Bye Dear Devil" |
| 31 |
"Trespassing! Rival for His Love" |
| 32 |
"Putting Your Love in a Muffler" |
| 33 |
"The Love That Blossomed on the Battlefield" |
Scarlet Tears |
34 |
"The Marionette of Love" |
| 35 |
"The Fourth Love Angel" |
| 36 |
"The Lone Wolf Love Angel" |
| 37 |
"Salvia's Tears" |
| 38 |
"Passionate Farewell kiss" |
| 39 |
"The Teacher is a Devil?" |
Black Heart |
40 |
"My Love Is Being Sucked Away" |
| 41 |
"Pretend Love - Great Skiing" |
| 42 |
"Yuri's Lips" |
| 43 |
"The Truth About Rain Devila" |
| 44 |
"Jama-P's First Love" |
| 45 |
"Mama's Come Home" |
Wedding Day |
46 |
"My Boyfriend is a Devil" |
| 47 |
"Revive, Memories of Love" |
| 48 |
"Loving is Painful" |
| 49 |
"The Night for Just the Two of Us" |
| 50 |
"Inseparable Hearts" |
| 51 |
"Last Wedding" |
Wedding Peach DX
| DVD Title |
Episode Number |
Episode Title |
Revival |
OVA 1 |
"Revival of the Love Angels! We'll Fight Even When We Go to the Beach" |
| OVA 2 |
"Salvia's Love... We'll Fight, Even on a Luxury Liner" |
| OVA 3 |
"Reunion - We'll Fight, Even on Christmas" |
| OVA 4 |
"The False Love Angels - We'll Fight, Even On Valentine's Day" |
Sound Tracks
- Wedding Peach Furil
- "Lucky & Happy"
- "Anata no Tenshi ni Naritai" (I want to be your angel)
- Intermission I
- "Anata ga Iru Kara" (Because you're here)
- "Tokimeki Nagara For You" (When my heart pounds for you)
- "Yume Miru Ai Tenshi" (Dreaming love angels)
- Intermission II
- "Hitomi no Oku ni Dakishimete" (Hold me deep in your eyes)[5]
- "Zutto Aitakatta" (I've wanted to see you for a long time)
- Intermission III
- "21 Seiki no Juliet" (21st Century Juliet)
- "Ai to Bi o Kono Mune" (Love & beauty in my breast)
- Wedding Peach - Memories
- Wedding Wars (TV-Version)
- Serenade I
- Wedding Beautiful Flower
- Angel Amour Peach
- Saint Crystal Love For You I
- Saint Crystal Love For You II
- Love & Beauty in that Breast
- Open the Door of Hope
- Peach-Daisy-Lily
- To the Future
- Serenade II (Hinagiku Tamano)
- In the Language of Flowers, Salvia Means a Burning Heart
- Angel Passionate Salvia
- Saint Pure Sword
- Serenade III (Yuri Tanima)
- Wedding Dream
- Saint Something Four
- He who is Leaving I
- Thoughts that Can't Be Forgotten
- He who is Leaving II
- Reunion
- Serenade IV (Yosuke Kazama)
- Bridge Collection I
- Bridge Collection II
- Serenade V (Jama-pi)
- Transfer Student
- Hiromi Kawanami
- Like --- Devil !
- Insentient - Rules of the World of Spirits
- Evil Tree
- Supreme Ruler of the Evil World
- Eye Catch I
- Eye Catch II
- Serenade VI (Kazuya Yanagiba)
- Dreaming Girl
- Following the Longing Guy
- Friends are Rival
- We Three will be Cheerful Tomorrow
- Serenade VII (Scarlet O'Hara)
- Virgin Love (TV Size)
- Wedding Peach - Summer Carnival
- Merry Angel (Furil)
- "Koi wa Prism" (Love is a prism) (Hikami Kyoko)
- "Datte, Koi da mon" (Because it's love) (Mitsuishi Kotono)
- Sweet-Little Love (Furil)
- Sound Drama: "Manatsu no Yoru no Mystery" (Mystery in Midsummer)
- Wedding Peach - Dream Collection
- Wedding Wars (Nakajima Erina)
- Virgin Love (Furil)
- "Ichiokuichi no kiseki" (Miracle of one in a million) (Imai Yuka)
- "Kisetsu ga Kureta Jewel" (The jewel the season gave us) (Furil)
- Funk Jama-pi (Matsumoto Miwa)
- Monochrome (Furil)
- Sound Drama: "Taiikusai ha Daisoudou" (School Athletics is Disturbing)
Games
A Super Famicom game was released only in Japan in 1995. In the game, the player plays as one of the three main girls (either Momoko, Yuri or Hinagiku) to compete with each other in a series of mini games. The ultimate goal is to win the competition over the other two girls so that the player who won the competition can ask the guy that all three girls are in love with (Yanagiba) to the school dance. The game has a three player option as well, where two other people can play the other two girls that you did not pick.
Wedding Peach games have also been released for the Game Boy (Jama-P Panic! - 1995) and PlayStation (Wedding Peach: Doki Doki Oiro-naoshi Fashion Dai-sakusen - 1996).
References
External links
