Rumic Theater

Rumiko Takahashi Anthology
高橋留美子劇場 / 高橋留美子傑作集 (Takahashi Rumiko Gekijō / Takahashi Rumiko Kessakushū)
Manga
Written by	Rumiko Takahashi
Published by	Shogakukan
English publisher	NA: Viz Media
Imprint	Big Comics Special
Magazine	Big Comic Original Other Shogakukan's magazines
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	1987 – present
Volumes	5
Anime television series
Directed by	Akira Nishimori
Studio	TMS Entertainment
Licensed by	NA: Geneon
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	July 5, 2003 – September 27, 2003
Episodes	13

Rumic Theater (高橋留美子劇場, Takahashi Rumiko Gekijō), or Rumiko Takahashi Anthology (高橋留美子傑作集, Takahashi Rumiko Kessakushū), is a Japanese manga series composed of short stories written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. New stories are published annually in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original magazine (and other Shogakukan magazines), and have been since 1987.

A 13-episode anime adaptation of these short stories was produced by TMS Entertainment and broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to September 2003, followed by the sequel series Rumic Theater: Mermaid Forest, adapting Takahashi's Mermaid Saga. A two-episode Japanese television drama based on the stories was broadcast on NHK-BS Premium in July 2012.

Media

Manga

Rumic Theater is a series of manga short stories published periodically by Rumiko Takahashi Shogakukan's Big Comic Original and other Shogakukan magazines since 1987. An English language collection by Viz Media was released in two volumes on June 5, 1996, and June 5, 1998, the first corresponding to the volume The Tragedy of P, but the second being a release of Rumic World's One or Double collection.

Volumes

No.	Title	Original release date	English release date
1	The Tragedy of P P no Higeki (Pの悲劇)	January 29, 1994 978-4-09-184721-8	June 5, 1996 978-1-56-931054-0
"The Tragedy of P" "The Merchant of Romance" "House of Garbage" "Hidden in the Pottery" "One Hundred Years of Love" "Extra-Large Size Happiness"
2	The Executive's Dog Semmu no Inu (専務の犬)	May 29, 1999 978-4-09-184722-5	–
"The Executive's Dog" "Aberrant Family F" "As Long as You Are Here" "Living Room Lovesong" "Middle-Aged Teen" "In Lieu of Thanks"
3	Red Bouquet Akai Hanataba (赤い花束)	June 30, 2005 978-4-09-184724-9	–
"One Day Dream" "Grafitti Pop" "Dutiful Vacation" "Help" "Red Bouquet" "Permanent Love"
4	Birds of Fate Unmei no Tori (運命の鳥)	July 15, 2011 978-4-09-183887-2	–
"Positive Cooking" "Wrong for One's Age" "Birds of Fate" "Happiness List" "Trouble with the Neighbors" "Scene of the Crime"
5	The Witch and the Dinner Majo to Dinā (魔女とディナー)	September 18, 2019 978-4-09-860432-6	–
"The Witch and the Dinner" "A Guilty Happening" "I Should Die" "Amorphous Family" "(Confidentiality) Renaissance" "My Sky"

Anime

In June 2003, the July issue of Animage announced that an anime adaptation of Rumic Theater produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Akira Nishimori would premiere on TV Tokyo on July 5, 2003. The series ran for 13 episodes until September 27, 2003.

In North America, Geneon Entertainment licensed the series for English language release. They released the series on four DVDs from January 11 to July 19, 2005.

Episodes

Episode 1

"The Tragedy of P" (Pの悲劇, P no Higeki) – July 5, 2003

Summary: It follows the struggle of Mrs. Haga to keep her guest, Pitto the penguin, out of sight from Mrs. Kakei, the resident tattletale who will report the bird's violation of the pet free apartment building.

Characters

Yuko Haga (羽賀 裕子, Haga Yūko)

Voiced by: Sakiko Tamagawa (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)

Mrs. Kakei (筧, Kakei)

Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Sally Dana (English)

Pitto (ピット)

Voiced by: Nao Nagasawa

Kota Haga (羽賀 浩太, Haga Kōta)

Voiced by: Minami Omi (Japanese); J.D. Stone (English)

Hiroshi Kakei (筧 ひろし, Kakei Hiroshi)

Voiced by: Junko Hori (Japanese); Adam Gordon (English)

Mr. Haga

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Patrick Seitz (English)

Mitsue (美津江)

Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese); Carrie Savage (English)

Episode 2

"The Merchant of Romance" (浪漫の商人, Roman no Akindo) – July 12, 2003

Summary: A wedding chapel that has fallen on hard times struggles to stay in business while its young owner deals with her recent divorce and the burden of keeping her friends employed.

Characters

Yukari (縁)

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)

Betto (別当)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); William Markham (English)

Old gentlewoman

Voiced by: Natsumi Sakuma (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Old gentleman

Voiced by: Yousuke Akimoto (Japanese); Michael McConnohie (English)

Auntie

Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese); Jody Jaress (English)

Pops

Voiced by: Jouji Yanami (Japanese); William Frederick (English)

Keiichi (圭一)

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese); Lance J. Holt (English)

Episode 3

"Middle-Aged Teen" (おやじローティーン, Oyaji Rō Tīn) – July 19, 2003

Summary: A tough, business-minded father loses his memory and believes he is a teenager. He meets a young school girl and cannot help but become smitten with her.

Characters

Toshio Furuda (古田 年男, Furuda Toshio)

Voiced by: Akira Kamiya (Japanese); Doug Stone (English)

Kazuko (和子)

Voiced by: Kazuko Sugiyama (Japanese); Sonja S. Fox (English)

Minoru Furuda (古田 稔, Furuda Minoru)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Kevin Hatcher (English)

Emiri (絵美理)

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Jennifer Sekiguchi (English)

Episode 4

"Hidden in the Pottery" (鉢の中, Hachi no Naka) – July 26, 2003

Summary: Mrs. Asakawa suspects her neighbor of beating her elderly mother-in-law being responsible for the death of her husband. The mystery unfolds when Mrs. Asakawa makes a shocking discovery hidden inside a potted plant.

Characters

Yukie Asakawa (浅川 幸恵, Asakawa Yukie)

Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Tara Hudson (English)

Ruriko Tonegawa (利根川 ルリ子, Tonegawa Ruriko)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Megan Hollingshead (English)

Tonegawa Mother

Voiced by: Tomie Kataoka (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Tonegawa Husband

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese); Darrel Guilbeau (English)

Yukie's Husband

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Sam Regal (English)

Episode 5

"Aberrant Family F" (迷走家族F, Meisō Kazoku F) – August 2, 2003

Summary: Hazuki's family is virtually in the poorhouse. Therefore, she is shocked when her father decides to go on an expensive family vacation. Soon she suspects that her father's motives may involve a suicide pact for her and her family.

Characters

Hazuki Fuwa (不破 はづき, Fuwa Hazuki)

Voiced by: Yuko Minaguchi (Japanese); Rachel Hirschfeld (English)

Hazuki's Father

Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese); Doug Stone (English)

Hazuki's Mother

Voiced by: Hisako Kyouda (Japanese); Erica Shaffer (English)

Shohei Fuwa (不破 翔平, Fuwa Shohei)

Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); J.D. Stone (English)

Aisaki (愛崎)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Darrel Guilbeau (English)

Aisaki's Girlfriend

Voiced by: Kumiko Nishihara (Japanese); Hunter Mackenzie Austin (English)

Neighbor

Voiced by: Rikako Aikawa (Japanese); Megan Hollingshead (English)

Doctor

Voiced by: Toshihiko Nakajima (Japanese); Stephen Martello (English)

Episode 6

"As Long As You Are Here" (君がいるだけで, Kimi ga Iru Dake de) – August 9, 2003

Summary: When Mr. Domoto is laid off of his prestigious job as a salaryman, his wife falls ill and asks him to fill in for her at the convenience store. There, his rough personality doesn't mesh well with his co-workers, but he learns from a hard-working foreigner named Achara to persevere.

• Note: Narration by Ichiro Nagai

Characters

Domoto (堂本, Dōmoto)

Voiced by: Chikao Ohtsuka (Japanese); Alfred Thor (English)

Atchara (アッチャラー, Atcharā)

Voiced by: Keiko Han (Japanese); Reiko Matsuo (English)

Hosoda (細田)

Voiced by: Minoru Yada (Japanese); Reg Green (English)

Sumiyo (澄代)

Voiced by: Ikuko Tatsu (Japanese); Georgette Riley (English)

Episode 7

"One Hundred Years of Love" (百年の恋, Hyaku-nen no Koi) – August 16, 2003

Summary: Risa Hoshino comes back from the dead with amazing telekinetic powers. The old woman develops a crush on another patient and believes him to be the reincarnation of her jilted lover from decades ago.

Characters

Risa Hoshino (星野りさ, Hoshino Risa)

Voiced by: Hiroko Emori (Japanese); Louise Chamis (English)

Koizumi (小泉)

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Hunter Mackenzie Austin (English)

Takanezawa (高根沢)

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese); T. Axelrod (English)

Date (伊達)

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Michael McConnohie (English)

Episode 8

"In Lieu of Thanks" (お礼にかえて, Orei ni kaete) – August 23, 2003

Summary: Mrs. Kobato finds herself in the middle of a battle between the stuck-up Mrs. Shiratori and the elderly Mrs. Ukai, who eventually bring a crab and a bird into the argument.

Characters

Kobato (小鳩)

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)

Shiratori (白鳥)

Voiced by: Michie Tomizawa (Japanese); Erika Schaffer (English)

Ukai (鵜飼)

Voiced by: Roko Takisawa (Japanese); Jody Jaress (English)

Kamoshita (鴨下)

Voiced by: Masayo Kurata (Japanese); Erika Weinstein (English)

Kyuu (九ち)

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Jay Klein (English)

Kobato's Son

Voiced by: Asako Dodo (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Episode 9

"Living Room Lovesong" (茶の間のラブソング, Chanoma no Rabu Songu) – August 30, 2003

Summary: A middle-aged man loses his wife, yet his wife's soul is bothered by the fact that he does not cry at her funeral. Her spirit soon returns to haunt him as he begins to develop feelings for the young office worker at his company.

Characters

Ichiro Tadokoro (田所 一郎, Tadokoro Ichirō)

Voiced by: Kouji Yata (Japanese); William Frederick (English)

Makiko (牧子)

Voiced by: Nana Yamaguchi (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Hitomi (ひとみ)

Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese); Mia Bradley (English)

Odagiri (小田切)

Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese); Liam O'Brien (English)

Episode 10

"House of Garbage" (ポイの家, Poi no Uchi) – September 6, 2003

Summary: The Hirooka's front door is mistaken for a garbage drop spot, and when the Boss's wife starts throwing out his favorite things, Ritsuko and Yoshio have to do everything they can to save the tacky items, or risk losing a promotion.

Characters

Ritsuko Hirooka (広岡 律子, Hirooka Ritsuko)

Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe (Japanese); Karen Thompson (English)

Yoshio Hirooka (広岡 良夫, Hirooka Yoshio)

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese); Patrick Seitz (English)

Manager

Voiced by: Ryuuji Nakaki (Japanese); Simon Isaacson (English)

Manager's Wife

Voiced by: Miyuki Ichijo (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)

Ritsuko's Father-in-Law

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); William Frederick (English)

Kenta Hirooka (広岡 健太)

Voiced by: Sachi Matsumoto (Japanese); Tara Platt (English)

Episode 11

"One Day Dream" (日帰りの夢, Higaeri no Yume) – September 13, 2003

Summary: Shinonome is a downtrodden company man who is going through life without finding true happiness. His junior high school reunion soon rolls around and his thoughts turn to a girl he once loved named Shima.

Characters

Mr. Shinonome (東雲, Shinonome)

Voiced by: Akira Kamiya (Japanese); Jackson Daniels (English)

Shinonome's Wife

Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)

Tsuyoshi (ツヨシ)

Voiced by: Ikue Ootani (Japanese); Ted Sroka (English)

Seiko Shima (志摩 聖子, Shima Seiko)

Voiced by: Sumi Shimamoto (Japanese); Jennifer Sekiguchi (English)

Shima-chan (シマちゃん)

Voiced by: Fuyumi Shiraishi (Japanese); Kirsty Pape (English)

Tajima (田嶋)

Voiced by: Daiki Nakamura (Japanese); Mike McFarland (English)

Oda (小田)

Voiced by: Mari Maruta (Japanese); Carrie Savage (English)

Episode 12

"Extra-Large Size Happiness" (Lサイズの幸福, L Saizu no Shiawase) – September 20, 2003

Summary: Ryuuichi's mother, Kayoko moves in with her son and his young wife, Hanako. But problems start to arise when Hanako starts behaving oddly and risking the anger of her mother-in-law who they are counting on to invest in their new home. Hanako claims a large spirit is the cause, but only she can see him.

Characters

Hanako (華子)

Voiced by: Gara Takashima (Japanese); Kirsten Potter (English)

Kayoko (加代子)

Voiced by: Masako Kyoda (Japanese); Sonja S. Fox (English)

Ryūichi (隆一)

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita (Japanese); Liam O'Brien (English)

Young Ryūichi

Voiced by: Asako Dodo (Japanese); Kirsty Pape (English)

Baby Ghost (座敷童, Zashiki Warashi)

Voiced by: Chie Kojiro

Episode 13

"The Executive's Dog" (専務の犬, Senmu no Inu) – September 27, 2003

Summary: The Kogure's are asked to take care of Mr. Matsurida's dog Gorgeous, but when his mistress moves in and the children draw eyebrows on the dog, things become complicated.

Characters

Matsuko Kogure (小暮 松子, Kogure Matsuko)

Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese); Kirsty Pape (English)

Yuji Kogure (小暮 祐二, Kogure Yūji)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Chris Kent (English)

Kanna (カンナ)

Voiced by: Fumi Hirano (Japanese); Erica Shaffer (English)

Yuko Kogure (小暮 由布子, Kogure Yuuko)

Voiced by: Machiko Toyoshima (Japanese); Jennifer Sekiguchi (English)

Kosuke Kogure (小暮 甲介, Kogure Kosuke)

Voiced by: Mari Maruta (Japanese); J.D. Stone (English)

Matsurida (祭田)

Voiced by: Ryo Kamon (Japanese); Stephen Martello (English)

Mrs. Matsurida

Voiced by: Mari Mashiba (Japanese); Sonja Fox (English)

Gorgeous (ゴージャス, Gōjasu)

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Liam O'Brien (English)

Drama

A two-episode television drama adaptation was broadcast on NHK-BS Premium. The first episode adapted the "Red Bouquet", "Hidden in the Pottery" and "Aberrant Family F" stories, and the second adapted "The Executive's Dog", "Birds of Fate" and "As Long As You Are Here". Both episodes aired on July 8 and July 15, 2012, respectively.

See also

• Rumic World

External links

• Description on Furinkan.com
• Rumic Theater (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia