| Miniskirt Space Pirates Bodacious Space Pirates | |
Cover for the first light novel volume, featuring the protagonist, Marika Kato | |
| モーレツ宇宙海賊 / ミニスカ宇宙海賊 (Mōretsu Pairētsu / Minisuka Pairētsu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, science fiction, space opera |
| Light novel | |
| Miniskirt Space Pirates | |
| Written by | Yūichi Sasamoto |
| Illustrated by | Noriyuki Matsumoto |
| Published by | Asahi Shimbun (former) Kadokawa |
| Imprint | Asahi Shimbun Shuppan (former) |
| Original run | October 21, 2008 – August 20, 2014 |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tatsuo Sato |
| Produced by | Kenjiro Kawato Rei Shimai |
| Written by | Michiko Itou |
| Music by | Elements Garden
|
| Studio | Satelight |
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | Tokyo MX, MBS, tvk |
| English network | |
| Original run | January 8, 2012 – June 30, 2012 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yuichi Sasamoto |
| Illustrated by | Hiro Tōge |
| Published by | Asahi Shimbun |
| Magazine | Nico Nico Asahi Comic Fantasy |
| Original run | June 2, 2012 – December 3, 2012 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Anime film | |
| Miniskirt Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace | |
| Directed by | Tatsuo Sato |
| Written by | Tatsuo Sato |
| Music by | Elements Garden
|
| Studio | Satelight |
| Licensed by |
|
| Released | February 22, 2014 |
| Runtime | 93 minutes |
| Manga | |
| Abyss of Hyperspace | |
| Written by | Tatsuo Sato |
| Illustrated by | Chibimaru |
| Published by | Media Factory |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Monthly Comic Alive |
| Original run | December 27, 2013 – September 27, 2014 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Light novel | |
| Super Miniskirt Space Pirates | |
| Written by | Yūichi Sasamoto |
| Illustrated by | Noriyuki Matsumoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa |
| Original run | July 25, 2019 – present |
| Volumes | 2 |
Miniskirt Space Pirates (ミニスカ宇宙海賊, Minisuka Pairētsu) is a Japanese light novel series about space pirates written by Yūichi Sasamoto and illustrated by Noriyuki Matsumoto, published since October 2008. An anime television series adaptation produced by Satelight, under the title Bodacious Space Pirates (モーレツ宇宙海賊, Mōretsu Pairētsu; "Fierce Pirates"), aired in Japan from January to June 2012. A film adaptation was released in Japanese theaters in February 2014. A web manga adaptation launched in June 2012. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga series for a printed release in North America in August 2015.
Miniskirt Space Pirates was initially just a working title for the series, which Sasamoto had been asked to write for the debut lineup of Asahi Shimbun's Asahi Novels label. However, he was unable to come up with another name to replace it. Sasamoto stated that he stuck with the title because it easily conveyed what the story was about. But when the series was selected for an anime adaptation, Sasamoto was advised that they couldn't use "miniskirt" so he provided "mōretsu" instead.
In the far future where space travel and colonization have become the norm, humanity has expanded its living space to the far reaches of the known galaxy. One hundred years before the beginning of the series, several colonies, eager to gain their independence, rebelled against their masters in the Stellar Alliance Colony Federation. The government of one of the newly colonized planets, Sea of the Morningstar (うみのあけほし) in the Tau Ceti system, recruited Space Pirates to bolster its fighting forces, legalizing their actions by issuing them letters of marque.
In the midst of this conflict, a Galactic Empire arose and absorbed both the Stellar Alliance and the border worlds, but allowed the colonies to run on an independent government. Despite peace having been achieved, the Space Pirates remain respected figures in Imperial society, even though their activities are now reduced to more legal jobs (like errand running and staging raids for the entertainment of space travellers) in which their knowledge of the system's wild space proves particularly useful. At the time the series begins, their cessation of illegal activities is gradually causing them to pass into local legend.
Marika Kato is a high school girl living a rather ordinary life as a member of the space yacht club with a part-time job at the high-class retro Lamp Café. One day, Marika learns of her recently deceased father, Gonzaemon, who is revealed to have been a Space Pirate. In order for her father's ship, the Bentenmaru (弁天丸), to continue legal operation, Marika, Gonzaemon's direct descendant, is chosen to become the ship's new captain, thus beginning her life as a Space Pirate.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (April 2012) |
The first novel of Miniskirt Space Pirates, written by Yūichi Sasamoto and illustrated by Noriyuki Matsumoto, was published by Asahi Shimbun on October 21, 2008, and the twelfth and last on August 20, 2014. The series was transferred to Kadokawa in 2018, who began reprinting it in the same year. A new series, Super Miniskirt Space Pirates, began publishing on July 25, 2019.
| No. | Title | Original release date | Kadokawa release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | October 21, 2008 9784022739018 | December 25, 2018 9784040650678 |
| 2 | Ōgon no Yūreisen (黄金の幽霊船) | April 21, 2009 9784022739131 | December 25, 2018 9784040650685 |
| 3 | Kosupure Minarai Kaizoku (コスプレ見習海賊) | November 20, 2009 9784022739261 | January 25, 2019 9784040650692 |
| 4 | Shikkoku no Nanpasen (漆黒の難破船) | May 20, 2010 9784022739421 | January 25, 2019 9784040650708 |
| 5 | Shirogane no Kyūnansen (白銀の救難船) | November 19, 2010 9784022739568 | February 25, 2019 9784040650715 |
| 6 | Shinku no Kaizokusen (真紅の海賊船) | March 18, 2011 9784022739629 | February 25, 2019 9784040650722 |
| 7 | Sōhaku no Dokurohoshi (蒼白の髑髏星) | November 25, 2011 9784022739780 | March 25, 2019 9784040650739 |
| 8 | Shikon no Senmajo (紫紺の戦魔女) | April 20, 2012 9784022739858 | March 25, 2019 9784040650746 |
| 9 | Muhō no Gomenjō (無法の御免状) | November 20, 2012 9784022739964 | April 25, 2019 9784040650753 |
| 10 | Niseki no Hakuchōgo (二隻の白鳥号) | June 20, 2013 9784022760036 | April 25, 2019 9784040650760 |
| 11 | Mōretsu Jikan Kaizoku (モーレツ時間海賊) | February 7, 2014 9784022760104 | May 25, 2019 9784040650777 |
| 12 | Mōretsu Shūsen Kōsaku (モーレツ終戦工作) | August 20, 2014 9784022760135 | June 25, 2019 9784040650784 |
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaizoku Shikankōhosei (海賊士官候補生) | July 25, 2019 | 9784040650791 |
| 2 | Mōretsu Denshi Kantaisen (モーレツ電子艦隊戦) | June 25, 2021 | 9784040648774 |
The anime adaptation, under the title Bodacious Space Pirates (モーレツ宇宙海賊, Mōretsu Pairētsu) is produced by Satelight and directed by Tatsuo Satō. The anime aired on Tokyo MX, MBS and TVK between January 8, 2012, and June 30, 2012, and was also simulcast by Crunchyroll. The anime has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks and released to digital outlets in February. The series was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD with an English dub on January 8, 2013 (Vol 1) and March 5, 2013 (Vol 2). MVM Films have licensed the series in the United Kingdom and will release the series in two DVD boxsets from February 4, 2012. The opening theme song is "Mōretsu Uchū Kōkyōkyoku Dai Nana Gakushō «Mugen no Ai»" (猛烈宇宙交響曲・第七楽章「無限の愛」; "Bodacious Space Symphony's Movement VII «Infinite Love») by idol group Momoiro Clover Z and ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman. The ending theme song is "Lost Child" by Momoiro Clover Z.
A film adaptation was announced following the end of the series. The film, titled Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace (モーレツ宇宙海賊 ABYSS OF HYPERSPACE -亜空の深淵-, Mōretsu uchū kaizoku - Akū no shin'en), was released on February 22, 2014, with Satō returning as director and screenwriter.
A manga adaptation illustrated by Hiro Tōge began serialization in Asahi Shimbun's Nico Nico Asahi Comic Fantasy web manga publication on Nico Nico Seiga from June 2, 2012. A manga adaptation of the film illustrated by Chibimaru began serialization in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive from February 2014. The manga was licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, who released the first and second volumes in August and November 2015, respectively.
The anime version won the 2013 Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
Reviewing the television anime adaptation for Otaku USA, Clarissa Graffeo recommended it, describing the series as "just plain fun... colorful and exciting, with a good balance between character drama, comedy, and tense privateer missions."
Erica Friedman of Yuricon praised Jenny and Lynn, two supporting characters in the anime, as not only strong female characters, but as a "perfect Yuri couple," and noting a moment between these characters in the second part of the anime.
Regarding the film adaptation, Nicole MacLean of THEM Anime Reviews pointed out: "It basically does what it sets out to do, that is, giving fans of the series a bit to drool over." Stig Høgset appreciated the "pirate shenanigans and space nerdery" present in the film but voiced displeasure in its failure to continue the story from the television series.
08年10月に朝日新聞出版から新レーベルの朝日ノベルズを立ち上げることになり、創刊ラインアップに新シリーズをと笹本さんにお願いしました。その時にいただいたのが、父親の跡を継いで船長として海賊船に乗り組む女子高生宇宙海賊のアイデアでした。こりゃ、いけそうだと即決でお願いすることにしたのですが、仮題が「ミニスカ宇宙海賊」。
『ミニスカ宇宙海賊』というタイトルは仮で付けていたんです。これは原作1巻のあとがきにも書いてましたが、そのままのタイトルで刊行することになっていたので、他に何かいいタイトルをひねり出そうとしたんだけど、なにやってもこれよりもわかりやすくならない!と。だって、このタイトルで、若い女の子が主人公のスペースオペラだってわかりますでしょう?… "ミニスカ"がダメだったらしく。でも"モーレツ"と出したのも私で、まさか"モーレツ"がOKだと思わないじゃないですか。さらにひどいのを出せば"ミニスカ"になるだろうと思っていたら、"モーレツ"が通ってしまったという(笑)。
朝日ノベルズの人気シリーズ「ミニスカ宇宙海賊(パイレーツ)」が、8月20日刊行の『ミニスカ宇宙海賊12 モーレツ終戦工作』をもって一区切りを迎える。テレビアニメ化や劇場化など幅広いメディア展開を見せた人気作が、いったん幕を降ろすことになった。