Sasami: Magical Girls Club

Sasami: Magical Girls Club (砂沙美☆魔法少女クラブ) is a magical girl anime which features the rather familiar likenesses of Sasami and other characters of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, specifically those of Pretty Sammy. However, this series has nothing to do with either Pretty Sammy anime titles. The animation style is different and the anime itself is set in a very different alternate universe.

Produced by AIC and BeSTACK and officially recognized as a Tenchi Muyo! spin-off, it is aired in WOWOW on Thursday nights, the show aired its first season from April 13, 2006 to July 13, 2006.

On October 6, 2006, a second season had begun airing. Both seasons have now been licensed for a release in the U.S. by Funimation Entertainment.

On January 12, 2009, the series made its North American debut on the FUNimation Channel.

Story
Sasami Iwakura has been endowed with magical powers since birth; but at age three, she is forbidden by her parents to use them. So she decides to keep her magical powers a secret. But at the start of a new term, she encounters the new transfer teacher Washu and her pet Ryo-Ohki, and her life is about to change.

The first series/season is dedicated to character development as we are introduced to magic girls Sasami, Misao, Makoto, Tsukasa, and Anri. As the girls discover their awakening powers, they also learn a bit about themselves as they train with Washu and Daimon as part of their "cooking club." This culminates in their taking a trip to the magic world, where they compete against other magic squad teams, some having boys in them.

The second series/season is dedicated to plot, where Sasami's magic girl squad's activities have impressed the Chief Sorceress. As such, she wants those girls as part of her plan to change the human world (Earth), which she sees as too corrupt. The girls, especially Misao, must not only learn to master their abilities and magics, but also learn to face their own fears, lack of understanding, and the like as they walk a dark road set down before them by the Chief Sorceress.

This anime also features Misao (Shinohara) and Sasami's homeroom teacher Mihoshi.

The Magical Girls Club (a.k.a. The Cooking Club)

 * Sasami Iwakura (岩倉 砂沙美) - The lead character of the series. She is a bubbly girl who has magical powers which she uses only in secret because she is forbidden by her parents to use them. It is only when her cooking teacher Washu discovered her magical powers that they are to be of use. Except for the absence of freckles and the triangular mark on her forehead, she looks similar to her metaseries counterpart.
 * Misao Shinohara (篠原 美紗緒) - The second member of the magical girl club whom Sasami befriended. She comes off as an introvert because she attracts worm-like creatures around her whenever she gets scared. They also envelop her body, making her scary to those around her. It is only after meeting Sasami that she becomes more outgoing. Except for the bow on her hair and her hair being more purple than purplish black, she resembles Misao Amano.
 * Makoto Hozumi (穂積 真琴) - The third member of the club, she has the ability to either shrink or enlarge herself at will. It is for this (and her short stature) that she drinks up the school's entire supply of milk and eventually goes to the restroom.
 * Tsukasa Takamine (高峰 司) - The fourth member of the club. Although emotionless, she has the ability to use and manipulate the wind. She has an overprotective father who does not want her to use her powers after her mother died, but he eventually lets go of that trait, knowing the powers she has are a reminder of her mother.
 * Anri Misugi (美杉 杏莉) - The fifth member of the club. She has the ability to transform her drawings and writings into tangible symbols. Although she acts like a princess, she actually comes from a rather large family with a lot of siblings. Anri has a strong infatuation with Tsukasa and lavishes words of love and flattery on her constantly.
 * Washu Kozuka (小塚 鷲羽) - Cooking teacher and adviser of the magical girls' club (and cooking club). Although she is recruited by the school, she is in fact from the world of the witches. As adviser, she trains the girls to be good magical girls. Ironically, although she is the cooking teacher, she herself cannot cook. She bears a striking resemblance to Washu Hakubi from the Tenchi franchise.

Other characters

 * Ryo-Ohki - Washu's pet, whom she tortures a lot. This probably is the reason it eventually ends up with Sasami, much like its counterpart. Although its gender is not known, it can change its form, like its counterparts do. It also makes noises that often sound like laughter. Its name is pronounced "Roy-Ohki" in the English dub, or "Royo" for short.
 * Mihoshi (美星先生) - Sasami and Misao's homeroom teacher. Just like her counterpart in the Tenchi franchise, she is clumsy and goofs up a lot.
 * Daimon (大門) - Washu's helper and Sasami and Misao's friend. Like Washu, he is also from the world of the witches, while at the school he plays the part of the janitor.
 * Ginji Iwakura (岩倉 銀次) and Honoka Iwakura (岩倉 ほのか) - Sasami's parents who both forbid their daughter to use magic. Ironically, Ginji, in particular, is also from the magical world, and he is a rank higher than Washu and Daimon. They were named after Sasami Kawai's parents in Magical Project S (Pretty Samy TV). Voiced by: Kenji Hamada/Sonny Strait - Ginji Iwakura (Sasami's father); Ruri Asano/Stacey Oristano - Honoka Iwakura (Sasami's mother)
 * Monta (もんた) - Sasami's classmate who has feelings for her. Sasami does not know this; rather it is Misao who has feelings for him. His real name is Toshihiko Saruta (猿田 寿彦).
 * Kozue Matsubara (松原 梢) and Chiaki Miyazawa (宮沢 千晶) - Sasami's friends. Kozue is the girl wearing glasses and Chiaki the tall girl. Voiced by: Aimi Yanagi/Majken Bullard - Kozue Matsubara; Natsuki Matsuzaki/Kate Oxley - Chiaki Miyazawa
 * Itoki (衣斗紀) - She is a messenger and magical girl trainer. She does not get along with Washu very well and is infatuated with Daimon, though his exact feelings for her are somewhat ambiguous.
 * Amitav (アミターヴ) A strange being whom Sasami meets at a pond in the magical world and teaches her the magical girls' song which Sasami memorizes very well. Sasami calls him Ami-chan (アミちゃん) and has romantic feelings for him. He says he has three names which he has trouble remembering, and the first name given to him happens to be very long. It is also possible that he returns Sasami's feelings.
 * Ayane - She is the leader of the "Shining Star" magic girl team. Misao looks at Ayane as a mentor.
 * Chief Sorceress - She is the leader of the magic world and her beliefs about how the corrupt human world needs to be lead by witches leads her to enact an ambitious plan which involves the magic girls from Earth, especially Sasami's group. Chief Sorceress is never addressed by name, only by title.

Music

 * Opening: Sweet MAGIC (performed by Magical Sweets)
 * Ending: Kirakira Days (Sparkle-sparkle Days) (performed by Magical Sweets) (Season 1)
 * Ending: Yuyake No Solitude (Sunset Of Solitude) (performed by Magical Sweets) (Season 2)

The opening and end themes were dubbed into English for Funimation's release of the series. The opening theme was performed by Lauren-Claire Poitevent while the closing themes were performed by Laura Wetsel, both of whom had voice roles in the English dub.