Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gasshu!!
(金色のガッシュ!!?, lit. Golden Gash!!) is a shōnen manga series
written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku. It was published in Shogakukan's
Weekly Shōnen Sunday. The series follows Kiyo Takamine and his Mamodo (魔物,
Mamono?, lit. "demon") partner Zatch Bell as they try to win the
tournament of Mamodo battles in order to make Zatch the king of the Mamodo
world.
The manga was later adapted into a 150 episode
anime TV series titled Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!! (金色のガッシュベル!!?, lit.
Golden Gash Bell!!) by Toei Animation. The anime was directed by Tetsuji
Nakamura. Konjiki no Gash Bell premiered on Fuji TV on April 6, 2003 and ran
until March 23, 2006.[2] The anime ranked 64th of the Top 100 anime in 2005
according to a web poll conducted by TV Asahi. In 2003, the manga won the Shogakukan
Manga Award for best shōnen title of the year.
In addition to an array of licensed merchandise,
the series also spawned a series of video games for the Game Boy Advance,
PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and in the US and Japan a collectible card game was
released by Bandai.
Plot
One hundred Mamodo (魔物,
Mamono?, lit. "demon") go to Earth every 1,000 years to battle to be
the king of the Mamodo world. Each Mamodo needs a human partner in order to use
his or her spell book, a book that seals the powers of the Mamodo. When read
aloud, the spells are cast by the Mamodo producing many effects. If the spell
book is burned, the Mamodo is forced to return to the Mamodo world, and they
lose all claim to the position of the Mamodo king. While the spells in each
book typically are different for each Mamodo, there are Mamodo that share
spells, like Zatch Bell and his evil twin brother, Zeno Bell. The human and
their Mamodo gain these spells through experience and hard work. The last
Mamodo standing without their book burnt is the new Mamodo king.
The story follows Kiyo Takamine, a 14-year old boy
in junior high school. His father, Seitaro Takamine, discovers an unconscious
child named Zatch Bell while in a forest in England, and sends Zatch to live
with Kiyo. Unlike the other Mamodo, Zatch lost his memory of the Mamodo world.
Kiyo learns about the spell book when he reads a spell causing Zatch to fire
lightning from his mouth (the spell is mentioned in the first episode). As Kiyo
and Zatch begin to encounter different Mamodos and learn more about the Mamodo
battles, they discover that there are those who do not wish to fight and there
are those who fight for the wrong reasons. After meeting a Mamodo named Kolulu
and seeing how this kind Mamodo was forced to fight due to the power of her
spells, Zatch decides to become a kind king in order to stop the battle from
ever happening again. As the story progresses, Zatch and Kiyo meet other
Mamodos that share similar views to them and become allies.
As the number of Mamodos decreases, Zatch and his
allies encounter a Mamodo called Zofis who takes control of several Mamodos who
were sealed in stone from the previous battle to decide the king. After the
battle against Zofis, the whole world is put in danger after a giant Mamodo
named Faudo is brought to life by a Mamodo named Riou. Faudo is then taken over
by a Mamodo that looks like Zatch, who turns out to be Zatch's twin brother
Zeno Bell. Finally, when the number of Mamodos have decreased to ten, an evil
and powerful Mamodo named Clear Note appears.
After many sacrifices, Clear Note is defeated
leaving Zatch and his ally Brago as the remaining Mamodos. After Kiyo's
graduation ceremony, Zatch and Brago battle and Zatch is crowned the Mamodo
King. Three weeks later, a letter is sent from the Mamodos to their human
partners. Zatch's letter reveals that all is well in the Mamodo world.
Creation and
conception
After Raiku's
"Newtown Heroes" series in the Shonen Sunday Super ended, Raiku
looked at his old drafts he created in the past for an idea for his next
series. One of his ideas was about a mercenary who used a giant sword to defeat
enemies. After playing with that idea for three months, Raiku decided to
abandon it and go with another idea. His next idea was a story where a middle
school student, the prototype of Kiyo, finds an old toy that turns into a giant
knight that combats evil. After taking this up with his agent, he was advised
to use a cuter character to fight and thus, Zatch was created. After Raiku
worked on the idea for a month, it was published. The reason Zatch uses
lightning spells is because "Raiku" means "lightning" in
Japanese.
Protagonists
Kiyo Takamine and
Zatch Bell
Kiyo Takamine,
known in the original version as Kiyomaro Takamine (高嶺 清麿 Takamine Kiyomaro?)
and his Mamodo partner Zatch Bell, known in the original version as Gash Bell (ガッシュ・ベル Gasshu Beru?),
are the main protagonists of the series. Kiyo is a genius 14-year-old junior
high school student with an IQ of over 180. His classmates eventually shunned
him due to his high intelligence causing him to develop an introverted and
apathetic demeanor to the point where he skips school on a regular basis. One
day, Zatch, an overly cheerful amnesic boy, is sent by Kiyo's father to live
with Kiyo. Zatch's personality slowly influences Kiyo causing him to become
more outgoing and friendly and allowing him to befriend many people during the
course of the series. Zatch's past is slowly unraveled and reveals he is the
son of the current Mamodo King and sealed within Zatch is a power known as Bao
(バオウ
Baō?).Also brought to light is the fact that Zatch's twin brother, Zeno Bell,
was the one who erased Zatch's memory in order to make him suffer. In battle,
Zatch's spells revolve around lightning with his most powerful spell allowing
him to create an electrical dragon. Kiyo's seiyū is Takahiro Sakurai and his
English voice actor is Jason Spisak. Zatch's seiyū are Ikue Ohtani and in the
nine final episodes, Konami Yoshida. His English voice actress is Debi
Derryberry.
Megumi Oumi and Tia
Megumi Oumi (大海 恵 Ōumi Megumi?) and her
Mamodo partner Tia, known as Tio (ティオ?) in Japan, are friends and allies of Kiyo
Takamine and Zatch Bell. Both Megumi and Tia have expressed romantic interest
in Kiyo and Zatch, respectively. Megumi is a famous Japanese teen idol and pop
singer who spends most of her time working. Tia is a young girl who believed no
one could be trusted in the Mamodo tournament after being attacked by a friend
of hers from the Mamodo World. When Kiyo and Zatch save Megumi and Tia from an
attack by the same Mamodo, Tia begins to trust others again and allies with
Kiyo and Zatch in order to make sure the Mamodo World would be ruled by a kind
king. Tia's spells consist mostly of defensive and regenerative spells which
are used to support and heal their allies. Tia's book is burned while protecting
her friends from Clear Note's spells. She had a crush on Zatch for much of the
series, despite her hobby of abusing him physically. Megumi's seiyū is Ai Maeda
and her English voice actress is Kate Higgins. Tia's seiyū is Rie Kugimiya and
her English voice actress is Melissa Fahn.
Parco Folgore and
Kanchomé
Parco Folgore (パルコ・フォルゴレ Paruko
Forugore?) and his Mamodo Partner Kanchomé (キャンチョメ Kyanchome?) are friends and allies of Kiyo
Takamine and Zatch Bell. Folgore is a superstar and film hero from Milan,
Italy, known for his two hit songs Chichi o Moge! (チチをもげ!?, lit. Grope the
Breasts!) and Muteki Folgore! (無敵フォルゴレ!?, lit. Invincible Folgore!). Chichi no
Moge! was changed to Hey Hey Let's Dance all Day by Viz Media and Muteki
Folgore to Iron Man Folgore. Although appearing perverted, cowardly, and weak,
Folgore is a person with high morale standards and is more insightful than he
seems. In the past, Folgore was a short tempered and vicious man who was feared
in town due to his ruthless nature. His parents threatened him with a shotgun
to leave home out of fear. Folgore later changed his personality after watching
a hippopotamus and oxpecker living in mutalism and developed his comedic
personality. Kanchomé's appearance is that of a young boy wearing a blanket
sleeper, with large eyes and a duck bill. His personality tends toward childish
and abrasive, often crying and whining like an infant. He greatly admires
Folgore, believing him to be invincible. Kanchomé's spells involve
transformation and illusions. He later gains the ability to create clones with
inhuman strength and a spell that can trap his opponents in an illusionary
world giving him full control over their senses. Kanchomé's book was burned by
an attack by Clear Note. Folgore's seiyū is Hiroki Takahashi and his English
voice actor is Dave Wittenberg. Kanchomé's seiyū is Masami Kikuchi and his
English voice actor, from episodes 11-49, is Richard Steven Horvitz.
Kafk Sunbeam and
Ponygon
Kafk Sunbeam (カフカ・サンビーム Kafuka
Sanbīmu?), an engineer from Germany working on projects in Japan. He was
introduced much further in the series and was revealed to be the partner of the
small horse Mamodo Ponygon (ウマゴン Umagon?). Ponygon looks like a small horse
but has the personality of a dog, and can only communicate by bleating like a
sheepBecause of this, Ponygon is unable to communicate his real name, Schneider
(シュナイダー Shunaidā?), and is given the name Ponygon by Kiyo Takamine. In the
Mamodo world, Ponygon hated other Mamodos after watching his father work as a
riding animal and isolated himself from others. Zatch Bell eventually
befriended Ponygon after they saved Ponygon's father from a poisonous snake
bite. Ponygon's spells give him armor, increasing his speed and power with each
spell. Eventually Ponygon gains the ability to manipulate fire and the ability
to fly. During Clear Note's assault, Sunbeam was forced to burn Ponygon's book
in order to stop his body from breaking down. Kafk Sunbeam's seiyū is Hozumi
Gouda and his English voice actor is Henry Dittman. Ponygon's seiyū is Satomi
Koorogi and his English voice actor is Dave Wittenberg
Sherry Belmont and
Brago
Sherry Belmont (シェリー・ベルモンド Sherī
Berumondo?) comes from an abusive background in a wealthy French family, raised
by a mother who only cared about the family name. Sherry attempted to commit
suicide by jumping off a bridge, but was saved and befriended by a poor girl
named Koko, her first and best friend. During the events of the Mamodo battle,
Koko became brainwashed by her Mamodo partner Zofis and destroyed the town.
Sherry then meets her Mamodo, Brago (ブラゴ Burago?) and teams up with him in order to
save Koko. Brago has a rough, antisocial attitude but is kind underneath. Upon
saving Koko, Brago threatens Zofis into erasing Koko's memories of the time she
spent with Zofis in an act of mercy. Gratified, Sherry promises Brago she will
make him the Mamodo King. After helping Kiyo and Zatch defeat Clear Note, Brago
is defeated by Zatch in the final battle to determine the King. Brago's spells
are based on the manipulation of gravity, giving him the ability to increase
gravity in a certain area or fire a gravitational well from his hand. Sherry
assists in battle with her flail. Sherry's seiyū is Fumiko Orikasa and her
English voice actress is Saffron Henderson. Brago's seiyū is Kazunari Kojima
and his English voice actor is Wally Wingert.
Antagonists
Koko and Zofis
Koko (ココ?) is Sherry Belmont's
first and best friend who saved Sherry's life when she attempted suicide. Koko
lives a life of poverty, and was accepted to a university through a full
scholarship. Shortly thereafter Koko meets her Mamodo partner Zofis (ゾフィス Zofisu?) who
brainwashes her into doing his bidding. Zofis then starts to build his army of
Mamodos by freeing the Mamodos from a thousand years ago from stone and
brainwashes the descendants of the Mamodos partner. As Kiyo, Zatch, and other
mamodo invade Zofis' hideout, he is confronted by Sherry and Brago and is
eventually defeated. Threatened by Brago, Zofis undoes his control on Koko and
erases her memories of the Mamodo battles. Zofis's spells are based on
combustion. Koko's seiyū is Chinami Nishimura and her English voice actress is
Lara Jill Miller. Zofis's seiyū is Toshiko Fujita and his English voice actress
is Susan Silo.
Faudo
Faudo (ファウード Faūdo?) makes his
first appearance as a tower the size of Mt. Fuji by the coast of New Zealand.
Inside the structure is a giant Mamodo who can only be freed when a large
amount of power breaks its seal. It was sent to Earth by the tribe of the
Mamodo Riou (リオウ Riō?), and does not follow the rules of the Mamodo Battle, allowing it
to use spells without the need of a book nor partner. Faudo can only be
controlled by a special jewel which Riou has possession of. Riou takes the form
of a lion-like centaur with an mouth-like opening between the human and horse
body parts where his partner Banikis Gigo (バニキス・ギーゴー Banikisu Gīgō?) resides. To get the
required power to release Faudo, Riou placed a curse on Li-en, Ellie, Nicole,
and Alishie, which saps their strength until either Faudo is released or they
die. Upon Faudo's release, Riou engages Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell in battle
which ultimately results in Kiyo's death (though he is eventually resuscitated
by Momon). Riou however is later defeated by Zeno Bell who takes the jewel and
control of Faudo. Riou's seiyū is Keiko Yamamoto. .
Dufort and Zeno
Bell
Dufort (デュフォー Dufō?) was a child
who was sold by his mother to scientists who wanted to study his ability dubbed
as Answer Talker (アンサートーカー Ansa Toka?). After finishing their experiment, they left Dufort to die
but was saved by his Mamodo partner Zeno Bell, in Japanese Zeon Bell (ゼオン・ベル Zeon Beru?).
Because of the scientists treatment, Dufort gains an apathetic personality and
harbors a deep hatred against humanity. He journeys with Zeno to see things
that interest him. Zeno is Zatch Bell's older twin brother. Zeno was envious
that Zatch was bestowed with the power of Bao and lived away from the castle
while he was forced to endure torturous training set up by his father, the
Mamodo King. When seeing Zatch's name on the participating Mamodo Battle list,
Zeno aims to make Zatch suffer the same way he had. When confronting Zatch
inside Faudo, Zeno accidentally reads Zatch's memories of the Mamodo World,
which he had stolen prior, and discovers Zatch had also led a life of
suffering. After Zatch defeats Zeno, Zeno apologizes to Zatch and gives Zatch
the missing piece of Bao. Dufort, after realizing life has meaning, helps Zatch
and his friends prepare for the battle against Clear Note. Zeno's spells are
based on lightning which is fired from his hands. Dufort's seiyū is Hikaru
Midorikawa and his English voice actor is Dave Wittenberg. Zeno's seiyū is
Urara Takano and his English voice actress is Debi Derryberry.
Vino and Clear Note
Vino (ヴィノー Vinō?) is a young
infant brainwashed by his Mamodo Clear Note (クリア・ノート Kuria Nōto?). Due to his young age, Vino
has an unlimited supply of Heart Energy needed to fuel spells. Clear Note's
appearance is that of a young thin man and who aims to become the Mamodo King
in order to destroy all Mamodos. He claims he is the end of evolution for
Mamodos and has been commanded by nature to wipe out the Mamodo race. Clear
Note's spells consist of complete annihilation with his final spell transforming
him into a giant monster. After being defeated by Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell,
Clear Note's personality was erased and he was reborn as a Mamodo named White (ワイト Waito?).
Other notable
characters
Suzy Mizuno
Suzy Mizuno (水野 鈴芽 Mizuno Suzume?) is a
close friend and schoolmate of Kiyo. She has a crush on him, and is jealous of
other girls that Kiyo spends time around. She is a self-proclaimed klutz and
often gets sidetracked from the original task at hand. Suzy freely admits that
she has trouble with various academic subjects, particularly mathematics. Her
favorite hobby is to draw faces on fruits and other round objects to express
her feelings. Her seiyū is Tomoko Akiya and her English voice actress is
Colleen O'Shaughnessey.
Naomi
Naomi (なおみ?) is Zatch Bell's
bully at the playground who aims to make Zatch suffer as much as possible. Her
appearance is that of a young girl with pig tails and oversized teeth which are
always clenched, a trait her parents also share. In a mini-comic in the manga's
last volume, it is revealed that she loves Zatch, who does not share the same
feelings. Her seiyū is Shihomi Mizowaki and her English voice actess is
Michelle Ruff.
Lori and Kolulu
Lori, known as
Shiori (しおり?)
in Japan, is a teenage girl who is constantly home alone due to both of her
parents working. She comes upon her Mamodo Kolulu (コルル Koruru?) on the
streets and takes her in as a little sister. When Lori reads a spell from
Kolulu's book, Kolulu loses her timid and kind personality and gains a
merciless and bloodthirsty one; Her body then grows and she gains metallic
claws. When a transformed Kolulu engages Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell in
battle, Kolulu accidentally injures Lori and uses her willpower to revert back
to normal. She explains that personality was instilled in her since she refused
to join the Mamodo Battles. She asks Zatch to burn her book and become the King
of the Mamodo World and prevent what happened to her from happening ever again,
instilling in him the idea to become a "kind king", a goal he has for
the rest of the series. Though Kolulu's alternate form's spells revolved around
her claws, her true spells are revealed to be based on protection. Lori's seiyū
is Yuka Imai and her English voice actress is Philece Sampler. Kolulu's seiyū
is Houko Kuwashima and her English voice actress is Kate Higgins.
Apollo and Rops
Apollo (アポロ Aporo?), is the heir
to a successful American business company, and is traveling the world before
being instated as the head of the company. He meets his Mamodo Rops (ロップス Loppusu?) on the
way and they begin traveling together and defeating Mamodos when challenged.
When traveling to Japan, the pair battle and befriend Kiyo Takamine and Zatch
Bell before leaving. In Holland, they encounter Dufort and Zeno Bell and are
defeated with Rops' book being burned. After the pair's defeat, Apollo returns
home to run the company and uses the its resources to assist Kiyo and his
friends whenever possible. Rops' spells were based on the manipulation of ropes
and chains. Apollo's seiyū is Toshihiko Seki and his English voice actor is
Michael Lindsay. Rops' seiyū is Mika Kanai and his English voice actress is
Michelle Ruff.
Li-en and Wonrei
Li-en (リィエン Ryien?) is a young
Chinese girl who was introduced after having been restricted from dating by her
crime boss father Li-Akron. She fell in love with her Mamodo Wonrei (ウォンレイ Won Rei?), and
after Li-Akron discovered their relationship, he captured Wonrei and sent Li-en
to Japan, where she runs into Kiyo and Zatch and asks for their help in
rescuing Wonrei. After doing so, Li-Akron allows Li-en and Wonrei's
relationship to continue after witnessing his feelings. Wonrei's spells are
based on martial arts combined with the ability of summoning ethereal forms of
a white tiger. Wonrei's book was burned while battling with Faudo's guardians.
Li-en's seiyū is Haruna Ikezawa and her English voice actress is Gwendoline
Yeo. Wonrei's seiyū is Akira Ishida and his English voice actor is Crispin
Freeman.
Lupa and Purio
Lupa (ルーパー Rūpā?) is a woman
with a large afro and a hideous face. She treats her Mamodo Purio, known as
Papipurio (パピプリオ Papipurio?) in Japan, as her son, who died from a heart defect. Purio
is an arrogant, bratty Mamodo in princely clothes who likes to use his regal
appearance to show a strong front, despite being extremely weak. Because Purio
is weak, Lupa and Purio often ally themselves with the enemy, assuming they
will be protected from harm. Purio later befriends Kanchomé and has his book
burned by Clear Note. Papipurio's spells involve spitting out substances out of
his mouth. Lupa's seiyū is Chihiro Sakurai and her English voice actress is
Dorothy Elias-Fahn. Purio's seiyū is Michiru Yamizaki and his English voice
actor is Sam Riegel.
Gustav and Vincent
Bari
Gustav (グスタフ Gusutafu?) is a
Russian man who is the partner of the Mamodo Vincent Bari (ヴィンセント・バリー Vinsento
Barī?). Bari looks like a ruthless and cold jester who is always scowling. He
defeats many Mamodos in the search of a meaning for battle. When combating Kiyo
Takamine and Zatch Bell, Zatch's goal of being a kind King prompts Bari to aim
to be a powerful king. Bari, initially confused on how to achieve this goal,
defeats a Mamodo which puts him on the brink of death and leaves him with many
permanent scars. When complimented by that Mamodo, Bari understands what it
means to be a strong king. During the battle against Faudo, Bari infiltrates
the giant and encounters the Mamodo Keith whom he defeats. Keith however
activates a trap and Bari sacrifices himself in order to save Zatch and has his
book burnt in the process. Gustav, who is always critical of Bari, praises his
mamodo for being able to knock Zatch, a mamodo likely to become the King, out
of the trap's area. Bari's spells involve forming vortexes on his hands and
using them as drills or firing them at enemies. Gustav's seiyū is Unshou
Ishizuka and his English voice actor is Crispin Freeman. Vincent Bari's seiyū
is Ryotaro Okiayu and his English voice actor is Wally Wingert.
Dr. Riddles and
Kido
Dr. Riddles (ナゾナゾ博士 Nazonazo Hakase?)
is an ex-Surgeon who quit his career and isolated himself from the world after
he failed to save his grandson during an operation. While in his house full of
books, the Mamodo Kido (キッド Kiddo?), romanized as Kedo by Viz Media in the manga, asks Riddles if
he would help him become the Mamodo King. Riddles, reminded of his grandson,
decides to help Kido and leaves his isolation. During the course of the Mamodo
Battle, Dr. Riddles' high intelligence allowed him to unravel the mystery of
the Mamodo Books, information he shared with others whom he deemed good. He
informed Kiyo Takamine and his friends about the threat the Mamodo Zofis posed
and organized a group of Mamodos to help them defeat him. Kido is a childish
boy resembling a dummy who is very gullible, believing any lie told by Riddles,
who tells him he was kidding, eliciting shocked reactions from Kido. During the
infiltration of Zofis' base, Kido's book is burned whilst defeating one of his
minions. Kido's spells involve changing his body into weapons and his strongest
spells allow him to create a giant mechanical goddess. Dr. Riddles' seiyū is
Rokuro Naya and his English voice actor is Quinton Flynn. Kido's seiyū is Akemi
Okamura and his English voice actress is Brianne Siddall.
Uri and Penny
Uri (ウルル Ururu?) is the
partner of the Mamodo Penny, Patty (パティ Pati?) in Japan. Uri is a poor man who
cooperated with Penny in order to steal food for his family. At the end of the
series, Uri has a stable job as a chef. Penny resembles a young girl who has an
obsessive love with Zatch Bell, who is fearful of her. When she discovers that
Zatch does not remember her after losing his memory, she decides to defeat him
and send him back to the Mamodo World and joins up with Zofis. Zofis gives her
a number of brainwashed Mamodos to do her bidding. As the series progresses,
Penny realizes the suffering Zofis causes and sacrifices her book in order to
help Zatch defeat Zofis' minions. Penny's spells involve the manipulation of
water. Uri's seiyū is Kosuke Toriumi and his English voice actor is Stephen
Apostolina. Penny's seiyū is Naoko Matsui and her English voice actress is
Stephanie Sheh.
Alvin and Byonko
Alvin (アルヴィン Aruvin?) is an old
man who wants to live his life in peace but became involved with the Mamodo
battles when he meets his Mamodo Byonko (ピョンコ Pyonko?). Byonko's appearance is that of a
frog with a four-leaf clover on his head, that became three when Alvin plucked
a petal off. Byonko joins up with Zofis believing he could make friends with
him and the ancient Mamodos. Alvin, knowing Zofis' real evil intentions, hides
his dentures making it impossible to cast spells. As the series progresses,
Byonko realizes that Zofis is evil and decides to help Kiyo Takamine and
friends defeat Zofis' minions; prompting Alvin to use his dentures and unleash
their surprisingly powerful spells. His book catches fire along with Penny's in
the process but he befriends Zatch Bell and his friends before returning to the
Mamodo World. Alvin's seiyū is Masaaki Tsukada and his English voice actor is
David Lodge. Byonko's seiyū is Yasuhiro Takato and his English voice actor is
Brian Beacock.
Albert and Laila
Albert (アルベール Arubēru?) is a
bored university student who was kidnapped and brainwashed by Zofis to be the
partner for the thousand year Mamodo Laila (レイラ Reira?). Laila, knowing Zofis' intentions,
planned to defy him from the start. When she meets Kiyo Takamine and Zatch
Bell, she helps them escape from Zofis' minions. However, Zofis finds out and
tells her that if the Moon Stone used to free them from stone is destroyed,
they will revert back to stone tablets. With Kiyo's persuasion, Laila realizes
that Zofis is bluffing and helps him destroy the Moon Stone. With the stone
gone, Albert is released from the mind control and works together with Laila to
defeat Zofis' minions. After the fall of Zofis, Laila has Kiyo burn her book,
explaining that the battle to determine the Mamodo King ended a thousand years
ago for her. Laila's spells are themed around crescent moons. Albert's seiyū is
Kishou Taniyama and his English voice actor is Crispin Freeman. Laila's seiyū
is Rumi Shishido and her English voice actress is Kate Higgins.
Jido and Ted
Jido (ジード Jīdo?) is a middle
aged man who travels around the world with his Mamodo Ted (テッド Teddo?) in search of
Ted's friend Cherish. Ted's appearance is of a young boy with a long pompadour
hairstyle. When passing by Zatch Bell's hometown, Zatch offers Ted lodging at
Kiyo's home where both pairs become friends. During the battle against Faudo,
Jido and Ted infiltrate Faudo where he is forced to fight against Cherish, who
is being controlled by Zeno Bell. Ted manages to free Cherish from Zeno's
control, but his book is burnt in the process. Ted's spells are physical
upgrades, and can only be cast in a particular order. Jido's seiyū is Kouji
Ishii and his English voice actor is Christopher Darga. Ted's seiyū is Junko
Takeuchi and his English voice actor is Michael P. Greco.
Ellie and Arth
Ellie (エリー Erī?) is a young
girl who was confined to a hospital bed waiting for death from her terminal
illness. She then meets her Mamodo Arth (アース Āsu?) who tells her she must continue to
live, prompting the creation of her tomboyish personality. Arth is a wise
Mamodo who wishes to become the Mamodo King to change the laws of the Mamodo
World for the greater good. Ellie and Arth were the first ones who were aware
of the existence of Faudo and attempted to stop its resurrection. However, the
mamodo Riou placed a curse on Ellie forcing Arth to assist in breaking the seal
to Faudo. After breaking the seal, Ellie and Arth ally themselves with Kiyo
Takamine to send Faudo back to the Mamodo World. After the victory over Faudo,
Ellie returns to the hospital where a cure has been found for her illness.
During her stay, she and Arth are engaged by Clear Note's minion Gorm and Arth
is sent to the Mamodo World in their defeat. Arth's spells were based on sword
techniques. Ellie's seiyū is Konami Yoshida. Arth's seiyū is Hideyuki Umezu.
Berun and Keith
Berun (ベルン?) is a man who wears
a red ball on his nose. He met his Mamodo Keith (キース Kīsu?) in a potato tempura restaurant.
Keith claims to be Bari's rival, though Bari does not acknowledge this. Keith
joined up with Riou in order to usurp him of Faudo's power. Keith constantly
smokes cigars and often makes his entrances singing a gibberish version of Ode
to Joy. Keith carries a walking stick that doubles as a baton, which he tends
to wave about randomly while he sings. Keith's book was burned when he was
defeated by Bari inside Faudo. His spells are based on lasers. Berun's seiyū is
Satoshi Taki and Keith's seiyū is Kenyu Horiuchi.
Aleshie and Riya
Aleshie (アリシエ Arishie?) is a
teenager from an African village who was forced to join the resurrection of
Faudo by Riou. He, along with his Mamodo partner Riya (リーヤ Rīya?) were escorted
by Riou to Faudo where they remained until running into Kiyo Takamine and Zatch
Bell and decided it was the right time to betray Riou. After the resurrection
of Faudo, Aleshie joins Kiyo's group to return Faudo back to the Mamodo world.
Riya's book is burned when battling Riou's minion, Zaruchim. Riya's spells
cause him to transform his body parts to use for battle. Alishie's seiyū is
Tomokazu Seki and Riya's seiyū is Kotono Mitsuishi.
Sauza and Karudio
Sauza (サウザー Sauzā?) is a young
child and partner to the Mamodo Karudio (カルディオ Karudio?). He has a brash personality and
hates working with others, after having been ambushed by Mamodos who have
formed an alliance. He is able to understand Karudio, who, like Ponygon, is
unable to speak words. The pair eventually partnered up with Ellie and Arth in
order to prevent Faudo's resurrection. Karudio is sent back to the Mamodo world
after sacrificing himself to defeat Faudo's Heart Guardian and protecting
Ellie. Karudio has an obvious dislike for Ponygon. His spells allow him to gain
armor and manipulate ice, akin to Ponygon's fire. Sauza's seiyū is Kumiko
Watanabe. Karudio's seiyū is Yuji Ueda.
Nicole and Cherish
Nicole (ニコル Nikoru?) is a young
woman who works as a game warden. She disguised as a male in her travels with
her Mamodo Cherish (チェリッシュ Cherisshu?) for safety purposes. Cherish was the caregiver of a group
of orphan Mamodos in the Mamodo World. During the Mamodo battles, Nicole is put
under Riou's curse and forced to help resurrect Faudo. After gaining control of
the massive mamodo, Zeno Bell places an electrical torture device on Cherish
and forces her to do his bidding. Cherish is eventually forced to battle her
longtime friend, Ted, who sacrifices his book to free her. Cherish, freed from
Zeno's control, assists Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell in defeating Zeno. Her
book is burned in the battle against Zeno. Her abilities are based on crystals.
Nicole's seiyū is Sayaka Aida. Cherish's seiyū is Ai Nagano.
Elle Chivas and
Momon
Elle Chivas (エル・シーバス Eru Shībasu?) is
a nun who journeys with her perverted Mamodo Momon (モモン Momon?) in order to
stop the Mamodo battle. Elle has a hard time controlling Momon, who often
steals women's undergarments. She eventually allies with Kiyo Takamine and
their friends, and begins a relationship with Kafk Sunbeam and is seen living
with him in Africa at the end of the series. Momon's appearance is a young boy
with a monkey-like face and pink rabbit ears. His ears allow him to sense
Mamodo energy and allows him to detect Mamodos and their spells. Momon is a
coward and avoids battle at all costs. Whenever he lies, his face droops down
onto the floor. Kiyo is able to force him to reveal Faudo's location, and he is
forced by Elle to accompany the group to stop the mamodo's resurrection. During
their confrontation with Zeno Bell, Momon, inspired by Kiyo's sacrifices inside
Faudo, is able to sum up enough courage to help stall Zeno until Kiyo's
arrival; his book is burned in the process. Although his spells didn't had any
particular theme, none of them could be used to hurt people, something that
made the non-violent Elle proud of him. Elle's seiyū is Kotono Mitsuishi.
Momon's seiyū is Naozumi Takahashi.
Lean Vise and
Ashuron
Lean Vise (リーン・ヴィズ Rīn Vizu?) is
largely silent, and little is known about him, though he is known for his very
distinctive hairdo. His Mamodo partner, Ashuron (アシュロン Ashuron?) is a dragon with red scales.
Ashuron aims to become the Mamodo King to bring an end to discrimination in the
Mamodo World. Vise and Ashuron were combating Clear Note since the beginning of
the Mamodo Battles. They later ally and inform Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell
about Clear's existence and work together to defeat him. Ashuron's book is
burned in the battle but he is able to gravely injure Clear Note before
returning to the Mamodo World. Ashuron's spells allow him to unleash massive
blasts of fire and change parts of his body to attack. Ashuron's Dragon Scales
allow him to take many attacks while receiving little damage.
Production
After Raiku's series in the Shōnen Sunday Super ended, Raiku looked at
his old drafts he created in the past for an idea for his next series.One of
his ideals was a mercenary who uses a giant sword to defeat enemies. After
playing with that idea for three months, Raiku decided to abandon it and go
with another idea.His next idea was a story where a middle school student finds
in an old toy and with the help the of a noble knight, combats evil and after
taking this up with his agent, he was advised to use a cuter character to fight
and thus, Zatch was created After Raiku worked on the idea for a few months, it
was published. Raiku said that he intended to create a "passionate story
about a heartwarming friendship" and that he used the concept as a
"base" while adding the mamodo, book, and spell concepts. He was
inspired by a western magic story that he read to create Zatch's red spell
book. The reason Zatch uses lightning spells because his name had the word
"Raiku" means "lightning" in Japanese. He mentions he
created Folgore with the words "Invincible Italian Man" as a base.
While writing volume five and six which takes place in England, Raiku
went to England on a research trip.
Zatch Bell! ended in December 2007. Shogakukan sent Raiku back his
original manga artwork.However, five full color pieces were missing.On May 21,
2008, Raiku announced that he would no longer do business with Shogakukan.
During the same year Raiku sued Shogakukan over the lost Zatch Bell!-related
artwork.Later that year Raiku settled for 2.55 million yen.
Media
Manga
Written and drawn by Makoto Raiku, Konjiki no Gash! premiered in
Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine in January, 2001. On December 2005,
the series was put on hiatus due to the author injuring his hand. The series
resumed its serialization on issue #11 of Weekly Shōnen Sunday on February
2006.The series finished its serialization on December 26, 2008 with 323
installmentsThe manga spanned a total of 323 individual chapters and 33
Tankōbon volumes. The series was licensed for an English language release by
Viz Media. The first volume of the series was released on August 2, 2005. Viz
has discontinued the series, however, having released 25 volumes by June 9,
2009. In March 2011, Makoto Raiku released a one-shot chapter of Zatch Bell to
promote the rerelease of the manga in a new bunkouban format.
Anime
The episodes of the Zatch Bell! anime series were directed by Tetsuji
Nakamura and Yukio Kaizawa and produced by Toei Animation. The episodes were
aired on Fuji Television between April 6, 2003 to March 26, 2006 and spanned
150 episodes.Viz Media obtained the foreign television, home video, and
merchandising rights to the Zatch Bell! anime from Toei Studio on August 4,
2005Subsequently, Viz Media contracted Studiopolis to create the English
adaptation of the anime, has licensed its individual Zatch Bell! merchandising
rights to several different companies.
The English adaptation of the Zatch Bell! anime premiered on Cartoon
Network's Toonami on March 5, 2005 to January 20, 2007 with seventy-seven
episodes aired. Canada's YTV began airing Zatch Bell! in September 2005 and
ended on December 6, 2008 with episode 104. The series was released in
fifty-one DVD compilations by Shogakukan between November 19, 2003 and March 7,
2007 in Japan.As of July 2009, Thirteen DVD compilations of the English
adaption of the anime have been released by Viz Media between November 8, 2005
and December 4, 2007.
Films
The second film, "Gekijou Ban Konjiki no Gash
Bell!! Mecabarukan no raishuu" (劇場版 金色のガッシュベル！！ 「メカバルカンの来襲」?, lit.
"Movie Golden Gash Bell!! Attack of the Mechavulcan"), was released
in Japanese theaters on August 6, 2005 and on DVD on January 2, 2006.[ The
movie tells the story of Dr. M2 who travels from the future mamodo world to the
human world with his army of mechanical Vulcan 300 look-alikes.
Video games
PlayStation 2
Konjiki no Gash Bell!: Yuujou Tag Battle
JPN: 金色のガッシュベル!! - 友情タッグバトル (Konjiki no Gash Bell!!: Yuujou Tag Battle) literally translates to: Friendship Tag Battle- Genre: fighting game (3D)
- Platform(s): PlayStation 2, Gamecube
Zatch Bell! Mamodo Battles
- Genre: fighting game (3D) with RPG elements
- Platform(s): PlayStation 2, released on GameCube at 12/12/06
- Release Date: 12/02/05 (JPN) - 09/19/06 (US)
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Go! Go! Mamono Fight!!
JPN: 金色のガッシュベル!! - ゴー！ゴー！魔物ファイト！！ (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Go! Go! Mamono Fight!!) literally translates to: Go! Go! Demon Fight.- Genre: fighting game (2.5D) similar to Super Smash Bros. games)
- Platform(s): PlayStation 2, GameCube
- Release Date: 12/15/05 (JPN)
Game Boy Advance
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru
JP: 金色のガッシュベル!! - うなれ！友情の電撃 (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru) literally translates to: Electric Shock of Friendship. US: Zatch Bell: Electric Arena- Genre: fighting game (2D)
- Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: 12/12/03 (JPN) - 11/22/05 (US)
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru 2
JP: 金色のガッシュベル!! - うなれ！友情の電撃2 (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru 2) literally translates to: Electric Shock of Friendship 2. US: Zatch Bell! Electric Arena 2- Genre: fighting game (2D)
- Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: 12/12/04 (JPN)- Cancelled (US)
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! - Makai no Bookmark
JP: 金色のガッシュベル!! - 魔界のブックマーク (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! - Makai no Bookmark) literally translates to: Bookmark of Demon World- Genre: RPG
- Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: 07/15/04 (JPN)-
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru Dream Tag Tournament
JP: 金色のガッシュベル!! - 友情の電撃 ドリームタッグトーナメント (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yuujou no Zakeru Dream Tag Tournament) literally translates to: Electric Dream Tag Tournament of Friendship- Genre: fighting game (2D)
- Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: 11/24/05 (JPN)-
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! - Card Battle
JP: 金色のガッシュベル!! - ザ・カードバトル (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! - Card Battle)- Genre: card game
- Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
- Release Date: 07/28/05 (JPN)
GameCube
Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Yūjō no Tag Battle Full Power
JPN: 金色のガッシュベル!! - 友情タッグバトル FULL POWER (Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Yuujou no Tag Battle Full Power) literally translates to: Friendship Tag Battle Full Power- Genre: fighting game (3D)
- Platform(s): GameCube
- Release Date: 03/25/04 (JPN)-
Reception
Mania.com's Jarred Pine's review of the first volume said that the art style was odd yet crude. He also mentioned the art style and explosive action scenes with moments of humor save the series from being recycled material.
Anime News Network's Zac Bertschy review of the anime adaption described it as "...mind-numbingly over-the-top, so enthusiastically bizarre, that it's difficult to not get sucked into its strange little world" but criticized how it was like a "battle your way to the top while learning important lessons about teamwork and courage" anime. He commented how the "sheer exuberance and energy" saves the show from being a bland anime and how it would be the perfect show for kids. IGN's review of the series was mostly negative. IGN's Jason Van Horn criticized the animation, plot, and dubbed voice acting. IGN's JKB stated the books are more interesting than the animation.
The Konjiki no Gash Bell!! anime ranked twentieth in animage's anime popularity poll in 2005.
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