Onegai My Melody

Onegai My Melody (おねがいマイメロディ) is an anime series based on the Sanrio character, My Melody. Produced by Studio Comet, it ran 3 April 2005 to 26 March 2006 on Animax, TV Osaka and TV Tokyo, spanning 52 episodes. A sequel, Onegai My Melody ~Kuru Kuru Shuffle!~, ran 2 April 2006 to 23 March 2007. With its next sequel, Onegai My Melody Sukkiri♪, each episode was cut to 10 minutes. That series was followed by a third sequel, Onegai My Melody Kirara★, which ran April 2008 to March 2009. This series was also aired across Japan by TV Osaka and TV Tokyo. However, Sanrio currently has no plans to release this series in North America. The anime series ended on March 30, 2009, and was replaced by Jewelpet in its timeslot.

Story
Kuromi and Baku are imprisoned in a dungeon in Mari Land. They escape along with the Melody Key and the Melody Bow, but in their haste, forget the instruction manuals. They flee to the human world and shortly after arriving, Kuromi discovers the power of the Melody key: it makes wishes come true but in a twisted, nightmarish sort of way. If the person who wishes enjoys the nightmare, he produces one or more black notes, which Baku promptly eats. What neither one of them realize is that when 100 black notes are gathered, the Spirit of Dark Power consumes the dreams of all humanity. Because Mari Land is formed from the dreams of humans, even the incompetent king of Mari Land is able to sense the danger. He gives the Melody Takt to My Melody and sends her to the human world. Her mission is to collect 100 pink notes before Kuromi and Baku can collect 100 black notes. If she can do this, then the Dark Power will be defeated, and both the human world and Mari Land will be saved.

As each series progresses, new tasks fall to My Melody and her friends. In ~KuruKuru Shuffle!~, My Melody must collect Pink Notes while Kuromi must collect the Black Notes so they can fulfill their wishes. In Sukkiri♪, both My Melody and Kuromi are candidates to become the new Princess of Mari Land. Unlike the first three seasons, Kirara★ takes place before Kuromi escapes to the human world. This series revolves around Kirara collecting the missing pieces of the Wishing Star so that she can return to the human world.

Major Characters
My Melody (マイメロディ) My Melody, the main protagonist of the series, is a rabbit from the forest of Mari Land. Throughout the show, she is shown wearing a pink hood that also covers her ears. With adequate cooking ability, My Melody is the one who prepares meals for Uta and her family. Her nickname is My Melo.
 * Seiyū: Rei Sakuma

The magic that comes from her tact can only be used as an antidote to Kuromi's spell. When she waves the tact, a small heart sticker attaches to an object and brings it to life. The animated object then helps to reverse the effects of Kuromi's magic. Sometimes, the animated object won't be able to perform the specific task it needs to. My Melo will then smile at it sweetly and say, "[object name] Onegai?" ("[object name] Please?"). This causes the enchanted object's power to intensify, sometimes increasing its size. Surprisingly, even Kuromi has become one of the things Melody used her magic on which was seen in one episode.

As a very cheerful individual, My Melo is never seen angry. She can be a bit scatterbrained and oblivious to things though. She also doesn't seem to have any affections for anybody the way Kuromi and Uta have for Keichi, although she is quite fond of Usamimi Kamen.

To travel from place to place, My Melo uses a pink umbrella which enables her to fly. This was until Kuromi stole and used it to go to Mari Land. Since then, she started sharing with Flat's umbrella. She regains it back in the second season though.

She has two magical items. The first one is the Melody Takt, which she uses to cast magic by waving it like a maestro's baton. In ~Kurukuru Shuffle!~, the Melody Tact was upgraded into the Hyper Melody Takt by the king, but in Sukkiri♪, it was destroyed in the final battle, making it useless, although it was repaired a short time later by the Melody Box. The second is the Heart and Star Pendant, which appeared in Onegai My Melody Kirara★, My Melody uses it to do magic along with Kirara.

Flat A blue mouse with yellow ears who wears an orange or pink ribbon on his tail. He is the closest among My Melody's animal friends. Whenever there's trouble, especially a curse created by Kuromi's magic, My Melody sometimes casts a spell on Flat to deal with it. There have also been hints that Flat may have a crush on My Melody, for example blushing when she hugs him in one episode.
 * Seiyū: Kaori Miura

Flat also has great social skills when it comes to interacting with the opposite gender. With these, he occasionally gives pointers to Kakeru when trying to contact Uta in certain situations.

Kuromi (クロミ) A bizarre replica of My Melody, Kuromi is her rival. She is also a rabbit and wears a black joker's hat with a pink skull at the center of her forehead. The skull's facial expression changes to match Kuromi's mood. Wielding a magical artifact called the Melody Key, which is infused with dark dream-corrupting powers, Kuromi is trying to collect 100 Black Notes in order to resurrect the Spirit of Dark Power, in the hopes that it will destroy her enemies, especially My Melody. Her tail is a weak point wherein she would fall unconscious if someone were to step on it.
 * Seiyū: Junko Takeuchi

She is an escaped prisoner from Mari Land. She was arrested but it was later revealed that Kuromi committed crimes like stealing bread in order to feed Baku's poor family. When Kuromi was on trial, Baku tried to convince the judge that he too was responsible. But Kuromi claimed that Baku was lying, so that her friend wouldn't share a similar fate.

What started her grudge towards My Melo was an incident where My Melo unknowingly tore a page from her journal to wipe Piano the sheep's nose. Since then, Kuromi has been writing down on it all the mishaps and unfavorable moments that My Melo has caused her (accidentally). More than 3,000 events written (6342 exactly at the start of the series), Kuromi sometimes reads them in front of My Melo, but My Melo seems oblivious to why Kuromi's so upset over them.

Kuromi is the leader of a biker gang known as "Kuromi's 5." Other members include a purple cat named Nyanmi, a pale orange dog named Wanmi, a white fox named Konmi, and a grey and white rat named Chumi. They all wear black and drive around in a menacing fashion.

Just like Uta, Kuromi has affections for Hiiragi. Her affections for him seem somewhat stronger than Uta's however. In one episode, Kuromi used the power of the Melody Key to turn herself into a human being so she could dance with him, taking the pseudonym Kurumi Nui. Hiiragi actually seemed to be very attracted to Kurumi Nui, but, unfortunately, the spell had a Cinderella-esque effect: if Kuromi did not return to the spell-casting circle before all the magical candles blew out, she'd be turned into a tapir like Baku. Because of this, she had to run away in the middle of dancing with Hiiragi, but he kissed her hand in farewell. In the show's opening theme prior to this episode, Kuromi is seen in the rain under a blue umbrella (Uta is usually in this part).

Besides being desperate, Kuromi also has a bit of a good side. On Christmas Eve, she first refused to accept the gift her parent's gave because she was still displeased on why nobody, not even them, came to visit when she was imprisoned. But with it include a letter telling that her parents still cherished her and that they even tried to come inside the dungeon but weren't permitted. Deeply touched by this, Kuromi accepted the present. She then returned to Uta whom she ignored to help earlier. Combined with My Melo's magic with some from Santa Claus, Kuromi helped summoned the spirit of Uta's deceased mother (how this person died isn't known).

Baku (バク) A purple tapir and Kuromi's sidekick with the ability to fly. He, in some episodes, appears to have a crush on Kuromi, and is often victim to Kuromi's anger. Kuromi is frequently very physically abusive to him, but regardless, she truly does love him, although despite the fact that they're both animals, they have a master-pet relationship.
 * Seiyū: Noboru Maeda

Like Kuromi, Baku has a journal where he writes down his moments with her. Hiiragi burns it in the middle of the first season, but he somehow retrieves it in the second season when they break out of jail.

His birthday is confirmed to be on February 29. His name is a bit of a pun: in Japanese, baku could mean a tapir or a dream-eating creature of Japanese mythology. In one episode he has a crush on Uta. He does appear to have a conscience. On one occasion, he was seen delivering newspapers and giving rides to children. Baku has the ability to sniff out Black Notes, and whenever a new one is obtained, Kuromi skewers it with a magical stick and Baku eats it for safekeeping. Baku first met Kuromi at a beach in Mari Land. Baku usually says "Zona" at the end of his sentences, a lot like a catchphrase which is common of anime characters.

Uta Yumeno (夢野 歌) My Melody's human friend. She is the first person to fall victim to Kuromi's Melody Key. She is very cheerful and energetic. Also has a crush on Hiiragi. When she sings she can power up the Melody Takt by singing, just like how Jun and Hiiragi power up the Melody Key. In Episode 4 of the first series, that her mother is a "Star in the Heavens" meaning she passes away long before the events of the series take place. In Onegai My Melody Sukkiri, she became Kogure's girl friend. She has been seen in Kirara★ at the last episode
 * Seiyū: Azusa Kataoka

Kakeru Kogure (小暮 駆) One of Uta's friends. Kakeru has known her since they were little. He has a crush on Uta. He had bullied Uta when they were young and now regrets it, hoping the past will be put aside as he attempts to tell her how he feels. He confessed his love to Uta in Onegai My Melody Kurukuru Shuffle. His first kisses were accidentally taken by Hiiragi, his 2nd by Jun, and other by Baku. In Onegai My Melody Sukkiri, he became Uta's boyfriend.
 * Seiyū: Miyuki Sawashiro

Masahiko Yumeno Uta's hard-working father. Whenever he approaches a room in the house, especially the kitchen, Uta would try to hide My Melody away and pretend that My Melo was a stuffed animal. He once trembled when he saw My Melody serving him coffee in front. Kuromi one time cast a spell on him, making Masahiko the fastest man on earth. He at last befriended My Melody when her brother and grandfather freed him from the spell. He loves making jokes and puns, much to his daughters' dismay. When he discovers that Uta and Kogure were dating in Sukkiri, he is at first furious, but then accepts it.
 * Seiyū: Hiroshi Shimizu

Keiichi Hiiragi (柊 恵一) A famous violinst and teen heartthrob, Hiiragi's violin playing supplies Kuromi's Melody Key with Dark Power in the first series being the apparent chosen of the Melody Bow. Very popular around girls he is often secretly agitated or indifferent to ladies. He joins Kuromi's side to unleash the Dark Power seemingly out of boredom but soon is the de facto leader of Kuromi's group. He is not above subterfuge to further his goals and keep the knowledge he is working with My Melody's enemies a secret from the heroes though he interacts with them freely. In ~Kurukuru Shuffle!~, he transforms into Usamimi Kamen with My Melody's magic. Forced to become My Melo's super hero due to his actions in the first season, he absolutely hates becoming Usamimi Kamen, as he is often apathetic and unenergetic when My Melo summons him.
 * Seiyū: Ryōtarō Okiayu

Jun Hiiragi (柊 潤) Keiichi's younger brother. Appears in ~Kurukuru Shuffle!~ and replaces his brother as Kuromi's source for the Dark Power. Jun has a crush on Uta but is rejected several times. He is constantly taunting his older brother, making Keiichi direct his anger at Jun. This causes Jun to become very depressed and angry, which results in Dar-chan taking over his conscious. He also has a crush on Uta-chan
 * Seiyū: Isohata Hayto

Mana Fujisaki (藤崎 真菜) A tomboyish red-haired girl who is one of Uta's friends. She is athletic and has a fear of cute things. Whenever Kuromi and Baku created chaos, she would often kick them out of the vicinity. She has a frog named Kojiro. Whenever My Melo comes near or talks to her, she would often freak out in the same way another girl would if she came in contact with a rat or a spider.
 * Seiyū: Yuu Sugimoto

Miki Sakurazuka (桜塚 美紀) One of Uta's friends. Loves happy, dramatic and romantic stuff. She is often seen reciting poems she has written and she also likes to draw. Miki also has a crush on Keiichi Hiiragi but is fine just cheering Uta on when it comes to their relationship.
 * Seiyū: Ami Koshimizu

Kirara Hoshizuki (星月 きらら) Appeared in Onegai My Melody Kirara★, she's a human girl and the second main protagonist of the series. She came to Mary Land from the Human World and befriended My Melody and her friends, telling her about an important event about the Wishing Star arriving at Mari Land that would grant everyone's wish. But at the night of that event, the Wishing Star broke into pieces and got scattered throughout Mari Land. Unable to return to the Human World, she and My Melody were chosen to gather all the Wishing Star fragments throughout the land so she could return to back to the Human World. She also has the Heart and Star Pendant to do magic along with My Melody.
 * Seiyū: Reina Tanaka

Minor Characters

 * Piano - A sheep with pink wool. Behind only to Flat, she is Melody's second closest animal friend. Though she can't actually speak, she does have talent in playing keyboards. It was hinted in Onegai My Melody Kirara★ that she also has good Knitting Skills, and in the first season that she is good at writing poetry.
 * Kanade Yumeno - Uta's older sister. Goes to school with Keiichi. She goes out with Kikuchi.
 * Koto Yumeno - Uta's little sister. She can sometimes be seen wearing a dinosaur costume.
 * Bako - Baku's youngest sibling. Baku and Kuromi watch over her during ~Kurukuru Shuffle!~. She has the ability to sense Black Notes like her older brother does.
 * Spirit of Dark Power (Dar-chan) - The antagonist of the series. A mysterious being that is able to inhabit those who tamper with the Dark Power or have powerful dreams. Because Kuromi's too lazy to say his entire name, she shortens it to "Dar-chan", much to his disgust.
 * The King of Mari Land - The ruler of Mari Land who's an elephant and has a crush on Kanade. Whenever he expresses affection for Uta's older sister or any other attractive woman, his wife (also an elephant) causes lightning to strike at him.

Onegai My Melody
Opening Theme Ending Theme
 * "Oto MELODY" by Mikako Takahashi
 * "My Dream, My Melody" by MY MELODIES (ep1-28)
 * "夢見るチカラ (Yume miru Chikara)" by MY MELODIES (ep29-52)

Onegai My Melody ~Kuru Kuru Shuffle!~
Opening Theme Ending Theme
 * "コイ♥クル (Koi♥Kuru)" by Marina Kuroki
 * "ハレ★ソラ (Hare★Sora)" by MY MELODIES
 * "手をつなごう (Let's Hold Hands)" by MY MELODIES

Onegai My Melody Sukkiri♪
Opening Theme Ending Theme
 * "キリキリスー (Kirikirisuu)" by Marina Kuroki (ep1-27)
 * "Chu☆おねがいマイメロディ (Chu☆Onegai My Melody)" by Nanakana (ep28-52)
 * "ほっぺにChu♡Chu♡ (Hoppeni Chu♡Chu♡)" by Nanakana

Onegai My Melody Kirara★
Opening Theme Ending Theme
 * "きらきらキララ★彡 (Kira Kira Kirara ★ San)" by Yuka Uchiyae
 * "星空ハヤトチリ (Hoshizora Hayatochiri)" by Yuka Uchiyae
 * "宇宙(ほし)のフラメンコ (Uchuu [Hoshi] no Flamenco)" by ???