, often abbreviated , is a Japanese

adult An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...

visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...

developed by and released for the PC on August 28, 2009 (first press version) as a

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

and on October 30, 2009 (regular version) as two

s. An English translation of the PC version was made by

JAST USA JAST USA is a publisher of English language, English-language versions of Video gaming in Japan, Japanese video games, specifically bishōjo games, dating sims, visual novels and History of Eastern role-playing video games, Japanese RPGs. It wa ...

and was to be available in 2019, but was delayed to be released on December 25, 2020, first as a digital game, with the physical Collector's Edition released in February 2021. A sequel entitled ''Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!! S'' was released in 2012, and a series of five

fandisc A fan disc (sometimes called fandisk or simply abbreviated as FD) is a package of additional content, usually released by a game company after the successful launch of one of its titles. The contents of fan discs varies, but often includes new im ...

s called ''Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!! A'' were released throughout 2013. A manga adaptation has been publishing in ''

Comp Ace is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. ''Comp Ace'' began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, '' Comptiq''. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was p ...

'' since May 2010 and an

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation animated by Lerche aired from October to December 2011.

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC (or simply Sentai) is an American entertainment company. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is Sentai Studios. The ...

licensed the anime series for North America under the title ''Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls'' for streaming, and for home video release in 2012. MVM films has licensed the series in the UK for release in 2013.

Plot

Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A healthy fighting spirit is always valued and it is even an important factor for success at school. Yamato, the protagonist of the story and a second year student from Kawakami Academy, is always with his close friends (three boys and three girls). They have all known each other since they were young and have done many things together. While they have many other friends, this group of seven is a close-knit, inseparable group. They even have a secret base where they meet. With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things begin to change.

Characters

Kazama Family

; : :The main protagonist of both the video game and anime, Yamato is the tactician of the group and loves to outwit others, mostly for fun but occasionally for material gain. He has an extreme love for his hermit crabs, Yadon and Karin. He is aware of all the girls being head over heels in love with him, but does not reciprocate their feelings at all, always avoiding their romantic advances and always rejecting them instantly, up to the point of being scared of them. ; : :The eldest of the Kawakami Family by a couple of years, Momoyo is seen as the older sister of the group. She effortlessly defeats anyone who challenges her, and is considered by many to be the strongest warrior in the world. She also loves combat more than anything, making her lack of worthy foes frustrating. Fights using her fists. ; : :The adoptive second daughter of the Kawakami family and nicknamed "Wanko" for her dog-like tendencies, Kazuko is known for her cheerful demeanor and dedication to what she cares about. She has been practicing for nearly her entire life to become a trainer at the Kawakami temple, but still pales in comparison to her sister. Fights using a naginata. ; : :A longtime classmate of Yamato's, Miyako is withdrawn & aloof, barely speaking to anyone outside the Kazama family. She has been madly in love with Yamato for years, but while Yamato cares deeply about Miyako, he does not reciprocate her feelings at all, and always rebuffs all of her romantic advances and continuously rejects her. Fights using a bow. ; : :A first-year transfer student, Yukie is shy to the point of conversing with her horse-shaped phone strap, which she has named Matsukaze and given a distinct personality; she often speaks to the Kazama family ''as'' Matsukaze. Her goal for the year is to make 100 friends. Fights using a katana. ; : :A transfer student from Germany, Chris is devoted to justice & fairness, looking down on Yamato for taking pride in being sneaky. She is not good at reading the room, but will readily jump into conflicts in order to defend her friends. She knows very little about Japan outside of what she has seen in

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...

dramas. Fights using a rapier. ; : :The leader of the Kazama Family and Yamato's longtime best friend, Shoichi is rarely called anything besides "Captain" by his friends. He loves having new experiences, and makes sure every member of the group is involved in the fun. ; : :The muscle of the group on the men's side, Gakuto is obsessed with finding a girlfriend but has no luck due to most women finding his antics repulsive. His family owns both the group's dorm and their hideout. ; : :The biggest geek of the group, Takuya is an otaku as he openly loves both anime and manga. He is also skilled with computers and can be counted on to keep up with the rumor mill, but like Gakuto has no luck with women. He is only the member of the Kazama family with no fighting capability.

Anime

television series adaptation was announced on January 18, 2011. The series was animated by Lerche, directed by Keitaro Motonaga, and the scripts are by Katsuhiko Takayama. The anime aired on AT-X from October 1 to December 18, 2011.

licensed the series in North America. The series was simulcasted through the

Anime Network Anime Network was an American video on demand (VOD) network dedicated to anime owned by AMC Networks. History The network was launched in North America in late 2002 and is marketed to multi system operators (MSOs) as both a free and subscr ...

as well as being streamed on

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

, then released on home video via

Section23 Films SXION 23 LLC, doing business as Section23 Films, is an American multimedia distributor based in Houston, Texas specializing in releasing anime and Japanese films. Established in 2009, Section23 is one of five successors to ADV Films; alongside ...

in 2012. the anime has one opening theme and ending theme. The opening theme is 'U-n-d-e-r-STANDING' by SV TRIBE, while the ending theme is 'Kimi no Maji o Chōdai'.

Reception

''Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!'' topped the Getchu Annual Sales Ranking for PC games in 2009, and was ranked highly by user votes, coming in 2nd place overall, 9th in System, 10th in Music, and 6th in Movie (referring to the opening and ending animations) among games from that year. Thomas Knight of NookGaming highly recommended

's English release, praising the writing, characters, and comedy. The sequel, ''Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! S'', was awarded the Silver Grand Prize in the 2012 Moe Game Awards.

References

External links

''Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!'' official website

''Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! A'' official website

Official anime website

''Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls!'' at Sentai Filmworks
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maji De Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! 2009 video games 2011 Japanese television series debuts Anime television series based on video games Bishōjo games DVD interactive technology Eroge Japan-exclusive video games Lerche (studio) Sentai Filmworks Video games developed in Japan Visual novels Windows games Harem anime and manga Harem video games PlayStation 3 games Seinen manga