''I Dream of Mimi'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese series written and illustrated by

Kaoru Shintani is a Japanese manga artist. Shintani is best known for his series ''Area 88''. In addition to his pilot comics, Shintani has ventured into science fiction, fantasy, comedy, and hentai comics as well. In 1985, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Aw ...

. It was serialized in

Hakusensha is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company mainly publishes manga magazines and is involved in series' productions in their games, original video animation, music, and their animated TV series. The com ...

's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Young Animal'' from 1993 to 1997, with its chapters collected in three ''

tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...

'' volumes. The series was adapted into a three-episode

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

(OVA) produced by

Pink Pineapple Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, sensitiv ...

and animated by

OLM The olm () or proteus (''Proteus anguinus'') is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus ''Proteus'' of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant g ...

in 1997. It was released in North America by

The Right Stuf International Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) was an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specialized in Asian entertainment (anime and live action, live action films). It had several divisi ...

Plot

A young student named Akira has saved up a large sum of money to buy the latest and best

personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

—only to find out they are sold out. He then finds what he thinks is the same model number in an alley, and buys the large boxed-up machine from a shady salesman nearby. When he gets home, Akira is shocked to find that his new computer is a bio-android shaped like a pretty young lady. He is even more shocked when she tells him that she constantly needs his

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

to refresh her

physical memory Computer data storage or digital data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The central processin ...

Characters

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by

, ''I Dream of Mimi'' was serialized in

's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Young Animal'' from 1993 to 1997. Hakusensha collected its chapters in three ''

'' volumes, released from May 29, 1995, to December 17, 1997. The series was re-released by

Media Factory , formerly known as , was a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing. History The company was founded on December 1, 1986, and was a subsidiary of Recruit (Japanese company), Recruit Co., Ltd., based in Shibuya, Tokyo. ...

in two '' bunkoban'' volumes, published on April 5 and May 2, 2003.

Volume list

Original video animation

A three-episode

(OVA), produced by

and animated by

, was released from April 25 to September 26, 1997. The three episodes were released on DVD on May 25, 2001. In North America, the OVA was licensed by The Right Stuf International Inc. and released on home video on March 26, 2001. The OVA was re-released on March 27, 2004.

Episode list

Reception

Christopher Macdonald of

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

wrote that the OVA is "much better animated than the average

hentai Hentai () is a style of Pornography in Japan, Japanese pornographic anime and manga. In addition to anime and manga, hentai works exist in a variety of media, including artwork and video games (commonly known as ''eroge''). The developme ...

", praising its comedy and stating that, despite being labeled as an "erotic comedy", it can be "watched and enjoyed by anyone who isn't offended by the sexual content." Stig Høgset of

THEM Anime Reviews THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an anime review website that writes about current and past anime in any form, including OVAs and ONAs. The website offers reviews, editorial content and hosts forums. ...

praised the series for its art, calling it "lovely" and for its characters, but criticized it for its ""enemy of the month" syndrome rearing its head in episode two and onwards" and its brevity. The series was reviewed by four critics of AnimeOnDVD; Jamal Sacranie wrote that the OVA is "perfect for anyone looking for a light hentai or just wants something funny", commenting that despite being labeled as a hentai, the scenes are not graphic, do not actually show anything happening and that "most of it is implied." Michael Thomas highlighted the "high technical quality" of the OVA, praising the attention to detail in costumes, character designs, settings, and choreography. Thomas noted the influence that it probably had on other ''

bishōjo In Japanese popular culture, a , also romanized as ''bishojo'' or ''bishoujo'', is a cute girl character. characters appear ubiquitously in media including manga, anime, and computerized games (especially in the ''bishojo'' game genre), and al ...

'' android series, like ''

Chobits is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the Japanese manga collective Clamp. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Young Magazine'' from September 2000 to October 2002, with its chapters collected ...

'', ''

Mahoromatic is a Japanese manga series written by Bunjūrō Nakayama and illustrated by Bow Ditama. The series follows Mahoro, a female android former soldier who, driven by guilt from her actions during her combat days, decides to dedicate the rest ...

'' and '' Hand Maid May''. Thomas called it a "fun, racy, adult romp into cyberspace" and a"good parody of the cyber-culture that exists in Japan and America." Luis Cruz wrote that labeling the OVA as a hentai "does it a disservice", stating that it is primarily a comedy and that the sexual content is "along the lines of the ''American Pie'' and ''

Porky's ''Porky's'' is a 1981 sex comedy film written and directed by Bob Clark about the escapades of teenagers in 1954 at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida. The film stars Kim Cattrall, Scott Colomby, Kaki Hunter, Nancy Parsons, Alex Ka ...

'' franchises but is less graphic than the two." Cruz wrote that despite the little development, the core of the series is the parody and comedy, which is delivered in enough quantities to allow "overlook such plot flaws". Cruz called it a "R-rated ''Chobits''" and that it is " using, cute, and a little bit naughty." Chris Beveridge wrote that while the jokes do get repeated throughout, the OVA has "other computer related humor that is a lot of fun here", adding that it is "light and fun and in the end, not demeaning at all, which is a trap a lot of

ecchi is a slang term in the Japanese language for playfully sexual actions. As an adjective, it is used with the meaning of "sexy", "dirty" or "naughty"; as a verb, means "to have sex", and as a noun, it is used to describe someone of lasciviou ...

/hentai shows really fall (or leap) into. Definitely recommended."

References

External links

* * {{OLM OVAs 1993 manga 1997 anime OVAs Android (robot) comics Hakusensha franchises Hakusensha manga Hentai anime and manga Kaoru Shintani OLM, Inc. Pink Pineapple Science fiction anime and manga Seinen manga Sex comedy anime and manga