Video Girl Ai

Video Girl Ai, known in Japan as simply Video Girl (電影少女, Den'ei Shōjo), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 1989 to April 1992. It was followed by a short sequel entitled Video Girl Len, published between April and July 1992. The chapters were collected in 15 tankōbon volumes.

Video Girl Ai
First tankōbon volume cover
電影少女 (Den'ei Shōjo)
Genre	Romantic comedy[1] Science fiction[2]
Manga
Written by	Masakazu Katsura
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Viz Media
Imprint	Jump Comics
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Jump
English magazine	NA: Animerica Extra
Original run	December 4, 1989 – April 20, 1992
Volumes	13
Manga
Video Girl Len
Written by	Masakazu Katsura
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Viz Media
Imprint	Jump Comics
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run	April 27, 1992 – July 20, 1992
Volumes	2
Live-action film
Directed by	Ryū Kaneda
Studio	Toho
Released	June 29, 1991
Runtime	95 minutes
Original video animation
Directed by	Mizuho Nishikubo
Produced by	Mitsuhisa Ishikawa Tetsuo Daitoku
Written by	Mayori Sekijima Satoru Akahori
Music by	Tōru Okada
Studio	I.G. Tatsunoko
Licensed by	NA: Viz Media
Released	March 27, 1992 – August 28, 1992
Episodes	6
Light novel
Written by	Sukehiro Tomita
Published by	Shueisha
Imprint	Jump J-Books
Published	1993
Television drama
Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Ai 2018
Directed by	Kazuaki Seki
Written by	Kōhei Kiyasu
Music by	tofubeats
Studio	TV Tokyo Robot Communications
Original network	TXN (TV Tokyo)
Original run	January 14, 2018 – April 1, 2018
Episodes	12
Television drama
Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Mai 2019
Directed by	Kazuaki Seki
Written by	Kōhei Kiyasu Yoshitatsu Yamada Minato Takano
Music by	KERENMI
Studio	TV Tokyo Robot Communications
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	April 12, 2019 – June 28, 2019
Episodes	12

A live-action film of Video Girl Ai was released in 1991. The series was also adapted into a six-episode original video animation (OVA) series produced by IG Tatsunoko, released in 1992 by Jump Video. In 2018, a television drama adaptatiom, Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Ai 2018, was broadcast on TV Tokyo. Another series, Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Mai 2019, was broadcast the following year.

In North America, the manga and the OVA have been licensed for English-language release by Viz Media. It was formerly published in the anthology Animerica Extra by Viz.

By 2018, the manga had over 14 million copies in print.

Plot

Yota Moteuchi discovers that Moemi Hayakawa, the girl he admires, has romantic feelings for his close friend Takashi Niimai. While returning home disappointed, he encounters an unusual establishment called "Gokuraku" ('Paradise'), and rents a video titled I'll Cheer You Up! featuring Ai Amano, unaware it contains a "video girl"—a being designed to materialize from television screens to comfort viewers. Due to a malfunctioning video recorder, Ai emerges with irregular traits including the capacity for genuine emotional experience.

Initially programmed to support Yota's pursuit of Moemi, Ai gradually develops romantic feelings for him, which he eventually reciprocates after abandoning his affection for Moemi. Their relationship faces challenges when Rolex, a representative of Gokuraku, attempts to retrieve Ai due to her defective state, compounded by the impending expiration of her rental period.

The narrative follows their efforts to navigate these obstacles while addressing other complications, including Yota's lingering attachment to Moemi and his interactions with Nobuko Nizaki. Ai frequently engages in provocative behavior toward Yota, such as feigning sexual advances or intruding on private moments under guises of assistance, generating comedic situations through his flustered reactions.

Characters

Ai Amano (天野 あい, Amano Ai)

Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (OVA), Minami Takayama (CD-drama) (Japanese); Maggie Blue O'Hara (English)

Portrayed by: Kaori Sakagami (1991 film), Nanase Nishino (2018 TV drama)^[3]

Ai is a vibrant and energetic video girl, though her true personality differs from her intended design. Typically, video girls are programmed to be gentle, elegant, and skilled in domestic tasks. However, due to a malfunction in Yota's VCR, Ai behaves more tomboyishly, often displaying bluntness and a tendency toward physical outbursts. Initially a poor cook, she later improves through self-teaching. Despite these quirks, she possesses strong empathy and genuine emotional depth. The same malfunction also causes a noticeable reduction in her physical proportions.

Yota "Dateless" Moteuchi (弄内 洋太, Moteuchi Yōta)^[a]

Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao (OVA), Nozomu Sasaki (CD-drama) (Japanese); Brad Swaile (English)

Portrayed by: Ken Osawa (1991 film), Shigeyuki Totsugi (2018 TV drama)^[3]

A socially awkward and insecure individual, often struggling to express his feelings toward his unrequited love, Moemi. Nervous and clumsy around women, he fits the stereotype of a timid underdog. Despite these traits, he demonstrates genuine kindness, compassion, and loyalty toward those close to him, frequently going out of his way to help others."

Moemi Hayakawa (早川 もえみ, Hayakawa Moemi)

Voiced by: Yuri Amano (OVA), Kotono Mitsuishi (CD-drama) (Japanese); Jennifer Copping (English)

Portrayed by: Hiromi Hamaguchi (1991 film)

Moemi develops romantic feelings for Takashi, who does not return her affections due to his popularity among other potential partners.

Takashi Niimai (新舞 貴志, Niimai Takashi)

Voiced by: Koji Tsujitani (OVA), Kazuhiko Inoue (CD-drama) (Japanese); Samuel Vincent (English)

Portrayed by: Naoki Hosaka (1991 film)

Takashi fits the conventional 'tall, dark and handsome' archetype and maintains considerable popularity. As one of Yota's closest friends, he declines Moemi's romantic overtures out of awareness for Yota's feelings toward her.

Nobuko Nizaki (仁崎 伸子, Nizaki Nobuko)

Nobuko Nizaki is a junior student who developed romantic feelings for Yota after meeting him in art class two years prior. When Moemi and Ai become temporarily unavailable, she attempts to pursue a relationship with him.

Natsumi Yamaguchi (山口 夏美, Yamaguchi Natsumi)

A childhood friend of Yota, having attended kindergarten with him before her family relocated. Orphaned and living as a runaway, she becomes associated with themes of misfortune while maintaining a compassionate nature, often symbolized by an outstretched helping hand. She suffers from a heart condition. Her eventual hospitalization and death later influence Ai's understanding of romantic love.

Len story characters

Len Momono (ももの 連, Momono Ren)

The protagonist of Let's Fall in Love is a newly created video girl with no prior field experience. Developed by an unnamed former Gokuraku store employee known only as "Old Man", she differs from standard models like Ai by possessing autonomous emotional capacity.

Hiromu Taguchi and Toshiki Karukawa

Hiromu and Toshiki are students who rent the video girl tape. Hiromu, the arc's central character, displays shyness comparable to Yota's earlier behavior. His romantic interest in Ayumi faces complications due to both his timidity and her questionable reputation. Though they eventually become engaged, their relationship falters when Hiromu's preoccupation with happiness leads to neglect, resulting in a temporary separation until he rediscovers his feelings. Toshiki presents as more emotionally volatile, exhibiting teenage behaviors like spying on Len—actions that provoke her anger.

Ayumi Shirakawa (白川 歩み, Shirakawa Ayumi)

Ayumi becomes the romantic interest of Hiromu, though their potential relationship faces obstacles due to damaging rumors spread by her former boyfriend. These rumors negatively affect her reputation across multiple schools, including Hiromu's institution. Len intervenes by orchestrating a situation that reveals the ex-boyfriend's true nature to Ayumi. This leads Ayumi to permanently end that previous relationship and begin dating Hiromu.

Yota Moteuchi

Eight years after the events of Video Girl Ai, Yota works as an afternoon instructor at an art school attended by Hiromu and Ayumi. He serves as Hiromu's mentor, with their frequent conversations often focusing on Len. Yota shares with Ayumi that Len faced similar challenges to her current situation. During the series, he briefly mentions that Ai is faring well.

Media

Manga

Video Girl Ai is written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. The manga was serialized in the shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 4, 1989, to April 20, 1992.^[4][5] It was followed by Video Girl Len, which was serialized from April 27 to July 20, 1992.^[6][7] Shueisha compiled the 131 individual chapters into fifteen tankōbon volumes published between July 1990 and March 1993.^[8][9] Shueisha re-published the series into nine bunkoban volumes between January and May 2003.^[10][11]

In North America, Viz Media announced the license of the manga in August 1998.^[12] It was first published in the anthology Animerica Extra by Viz until the cancelation of the magazine in December 2004.^[13] The manga was originally released in a left to right edition; this version was compiled into seven volumes published between January 2000 and January 2004.^[14][15] The complete series was released in a second edition of all fifteen volumes in the original right to left orientation between May 2004 and April 2006.^[16][17]

List of volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
01	July 10, 1990[8]	4-08-871801-1	January 5, 2000 (1st ed.)[14] May 26, 2004 (2nd ed.)[16]	978-1-56931-431-9 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-074-8 (2nd ed.)
02	September 10, 1990[18]	4-08-871802-X	August 30, 2000 (1st ed.)[19] June 2, 2004 (2nd ed.)[20]	978-1-56931-536-1 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-075-5 (2nd ed.)
03	November 9, 1990[21]	4-08-871803-8	September 9, 2001 (1st ed.)[22] October 12, 2004 (2nd ed.)[23]	978-1-56931-632-0 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-103-5 (2nd ed.)
04	January 10, 1991[24]	4-08-871804-6	February 9, 2002 (1st ed.)[25] October 19, 2004 (2nd ed.)[26]	978-1-56931-715-0 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-104-2 (2nd ed.)
05	March 8, 1991[27]	4-08-871805-4	March 6, 2003 (1st ed.)[28] January 11, 2005 (2nd ed.)[29]	978-1-56931-855-3 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-146-2 (2nd ed.)
06	June 10, 1991[30]	4-08-871806-2	July 1, 2003 (1st ed.)[31] January 11, 2005 (2nd ed.)[32]	978-1-56931-895-9 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-607-8 (2nd ed.)
07	August 7, 1991[33]	4-08-871807-0	January 28, 2004 (1st ed.)[15] April 12, 2005 (2nd ed.)[34]	978-1-59116-203-2 (1st ed.) 978-1-59116-748-8 (2nd ed.)
08	October 9, 1991[35]	4-08-871808-9	June 9, 2004[36]	978-1-59116-303-9
09	December 3, 1991[37]	4-08-871809-7	October 5, 2004[38]	978-1-59116-304-6
10	February 10, 1992[39]	4-08-871810-0	January 11, 2005[40]	978-1-59116-305-3
11	May 8, 1992[41]	4-08-871701-5	April 12, 2005[42]	978-1-59116-306-0
12	July 3, 1992[43]	4-08-871702-3	July 12, 2005[44]	978-1-59116-307-7
13	September 4, 1992[45]	4-08-871703-1	October 11, 2005[46]	978-1-59116-308-4
14	November 4, 1992[47]	4-08-871704-X	January 10, 2006[48]	978-1-59116-309-1
15	March 4, 1993[9]	4-08-871705-8	April 11, 2006[17]	978-1-4215-0295-3

Live-action film

A live-action film of Video Girl Ai was released on June 29, 1991.^[49]

Original video animation

Video Girl Ai was adapted into a six-episode OVA produced by IG Tatsunoko (now Production I.G). The series was released in 1992 by Jump Video. It roughly covers most of the material found in the first three volumes of the manga.

In North America, Viz Video released the OVA on VHS in 1999 and on DVD in December 2001.^[50][51][52]

Drama

In 2018, a live-action television drama called Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Ai 2018 ran on TV Tokyo. The series is set 25 years after the original manga and the main character is the nephew of Yota Moteuchi.^[3] TV Tokyo continued the live-action adaptation with a second series Den'ei Shōjo: Video Girl Mai 2019, focusing on the character Mai, played by Mizuki Yamashita.^[53][54]

Reception

As of 2018, the manga has over 14 million copies in print.^[55]

Notes

1. This nickname is based on a pun with the Japanese verb 持てる (moteru), which means to be well liked or popular (or to be able to have something). A second way to read 弄内 is motenai, which is the negative conjugation for moteru (in other words, unable to have something). An attempt to get the joke across to English-speaking audiences is made by Ai, who reads his name and declares, "Motenai?!? As in Loser?"