Rozen Maiden is an anime series based on a manga by the group PEACH-PIT. It deals obliquely with the pressures placed on children in Japan by telling the story of a student, Jun Sakurada, who cracked under the strain. The series chronicles Jun's reluctant mental recovery through experiences with the Rozen Maiden, a series of enchanted dolls with a mysterious purpose.
The Rozen Maiden are a collection of dolls created by a craftsman known only as "Father". Their primary source of power is a human host -- a "medium" -- that wears a ring to symbolize their bond with the doll. Each Rozen Maiden has her own distinct personality, guardian spirit, and supernatural ability. Their purpose is apparently their participation in the cryptic "Alice Game", a lethal competition that promises the winner the right to meet "Father" by becoming "Alice", a being that is supposedly the incarnation of perfect femininity. The game is played through duels in which the dolls fight using both their guardian spirits and respective abilities -- such as the manipulation of strawberry vines -- as well as the spiritual energy from their medium. The doll that loses the duel loses her "Rosa Mystica", the very thing that endows her with the ability to move, thus becoming "junk". The lost Rosa Mystica is then collected and absorbed by the duel's winner. The doll that gains all of her sisters' Rosa Mysticae will become Alice. Shinku, the central doll of the series, is notable in that while she does not refuse to fight, she does refuse to take the lost power and kill a sister.
The manga currently has 5 volumes in print.
Rozen Maiden's first season consists of twelve episodes that aired between October and December 2004. Rozen Maiden ~Träumend~ will also consist of twelve episodes that began airing on October 20 2005. Both series aired on the Japanese channel TBS, and have extensive involvement with PEACH-PIT.
Story
Rozen Maiden
The first season of Rozen Maiden focuses primarily on the psychological rehabilitation of Jun Sakurada. He is a boy that, for reasons unknown, is terrified of the prospect of attending school, socializing, or even stepping outside. He only wishes to spend his days locked in the safety of his room and ordering items from the internet. However, through a strange order form, he finds himself in possession of an enchanted doll that calls herself "Shinku, the fifth Rozen Maiden". Much to Jun's displeasure, Shinku calls on him to create a strange bond with her, and the socially disinclined boy winds up being her "servant". The series follows the two of them as they encounter more Rozen Maiden, dolls that for the most part seem to want nothing more than to drink tea, destroy windows, and draw on his floor with crayon. In this season, five dolls are introduced: Shinku, Hinaichigo, Suigintou, Suiseiseki, and Souseiseki. Suigintou is the primary villain.
Rozen Maiden Träumend
The second season of Rozen Maiden has a slightly darker tone. The episodes have been more plot-driven and deal with topics such as "Father" -- the Rozen Maiden's creator -- and the inevitable conclusion to the "Alice Game". Jun does not yet attend school, but happily goes outside, and seems to have even grown fond of the ever-present dolls. Shinku is mentally scarred from the events of the previous season, but she is generally as aristocrat-like as ever. Several new non-doll characters have been introduced. These characters include a riddle-spouting, formally-dressed rabbit and two mysterious men that operate a doll shop, one of which bears an unnatural resemblance to "Father". The final two dolls are introduced in this season: Kanaria and Barasuishou. Barasuishou is the primary villain.
Characters
Humans
Jun Sakurada is an arrogant but traumatized boy who lives a hermit's existence in his room. His hobby is ordering things from the Internet and then returning them before he has to pay. He is also interested in cars and collects minaturized ones. When he unknowingly orders Shinku, one of the Rozen maidens, and winds her up, he becomes caught in the crossfire of the Alice Game -- particularly due to Shinku declaring him her "servant" and insisting that he obey her at all times. Jun is quite intelligent, but does not go to school after cracking under the pressure of entrance exams. His psychological condition is known as hikikomori in Japanese. Jun is skilled at crafts and sewing.
Seiyuu: Asami Sanada.
Nori Sakurada is Jun's older sister and caretaker, as their parents are out of the country on business and apparently unaware of Jun's plight. She is kind and gentle, but usually has an amusingly "dirty" mindset. Nori unfortunately takes the brunt of Jun's abuse and criticism. Shinku constantly provides Nori with advice on everything from proper tea-brewing to Jun's care. Nori is very fond of the dolls who live and play in her house.
Seiyuu: Noriko Rikimaru.
Tomoe Kashiwaba is a girl who attends Jun's former school. She is quiet, and kind-hearted, although her speech and style tends to be very dry. Tomoe was originally Hinaichigo's medium, but the bond between them was broken when Hinaichigo drew on too much of Tomoe's energy and was defeated by Shinku. Currently, she aids Jun in his dealings with the Rozen Maiden. Tomoe consistently seeks out Jun and laconically helps him in his efforts to return to school, despite his fear of her.
Seiyuu:' Kurata Masayo.
Yamamoto is a boy in Nori's class who is continually trying to confess his love to her, only to be interrupted by wild coincidences or unfortunate happenings, many of which are (unintentionally) caused by the dolls. Nori is blissfully unaware of his existence.
Shirosaki is the salesperson at the doll shop. He has a genuine passion for the dolls, even going so far as to explain dolls' feelings to Jun and Tomoe, but there is a sinister air about him.
Enju is the young doll craftsman that runs the doll shop with Shirosaki. He leaves all of the customer service to Shirosaki, and relegates himself entirely to the back room to create dolls. Enju obviously takes his art seriously -- he even goes so far as to give brief words of reassurance to halfway finished creations -- but seems very tender nonetheless. Notably, he looks very similar to the Rozen Maiden's "father".
Micchan is Kanaria's doting medium. Her absolute love for dolls (or, more fittingly, obsession) is apparent in both her love for Kanaria and her room's decor. She not only has shelves upon shelves filled with dolls, but also makes frequent trips to the doll shop for the sake of purchasing new clothes or gifts for Kanaria. Micchan is as generally harmless and eccentric as the Rozen Maiden to which she's bonded.
The Rozen Maiden
The First Doll
Suigintou (Mercury Lamp) seemingly the most powerful of the Rozen Maiden, is obsessed with winning the Alice Game and becoming "Alice" solely to fulfill her ultimate dream of meeting "Father". She's particularly focused on destroying Shinku, her rival. Suigintou has no inhibitions with the Alice Game -- she will use any available method to win. Her emotions and will are so enduring that she can move and fight without the aid of a medium. Suigintou seems against using a medium both because of her natural independence and disgust towards humans. Suigintou uses both her black wings and their feathers as weapons.
Artificial Spirit: Meimei.
Seiyuu: Tanaka Rie.
The Second Doll
Kanaria (Canary) is just as adorable as she is eccentric. Not only does she constantly refer to herself in third person, but also speaks constantly about taking her sisters' Rosa Mysticae without actually making an effort to do so. She fancies herself as quite the stealthy prowler, and makes a hobby out of watching the exploits of her sisters. Kanaria's bright, somewhat arrogant disposition that makes her the ideal subject for many of the comedy episodes.
Artificial Spirit: Pizzicato.
Seiyuu: Shimura Yumi
The Third Doll
Suiseiseki (Jade Stone) is the fourth doll to make an appearance. She has a watering can which she uses to nourish the "soul trees" of humans. She is, in a word, devious. Suiseiseki adores the spotlight; her favorite activities include smashing the window of Jun's room (more often than not hitting Jun in the process), stealing cake from Hinaichigo, and cackling maniacally. However small it may be, she does have a heart, and can always be relied on for that extra, positive morale boost in battle. She and Jun seem to be incapable of being civil with each other, however, and Suiseiseki even refuses to call him by name, opting for "runt" instead. She also has a wild imagination and a fondness for terrifying Hinaichigo with elaborate lies. Suiseiseki is notorious among fans of the show for using an extremely high-pitched voice and ending every sentence with "desuuu." Her artificial spirit is named for the popular Anna Sui perfume.
Artificial Spirit: Sui Dream.
Seiyuu: Kuwatani Natsuko.
The Fourth Doll
Souseiseki (Lapis Lazuli Stone) is Suiseiseki's younger "twin sister", although her appearance is somewhat masculine. Like Suiseiseki, she has the power to enter human dreams, and carries a set of pruning shears that she uses to tend human soul trees. Unlike Suiseiseki, she's calm, quiet and deeply devoted to their "Master" -- a lonesome old man -- even though he is using Souseiseki as a vehicle to play out delusions about his dead son. Her artificial spirit is named for a fragrance by Lolita Lempicka.
Artificial Spirit: Lempicka.
Seiyuu: Morinaga Rika.
The Fifth Doll
Shinku (True Red) embodies the traditional aristocrat. She is extremely demanding and can seem unappreciative of others. Her favorite words seem to be "tea" and "servant", and she takes pride in lecturing (or slapping) Jun at every opportunity. No matter how strong the emotion, Shinku rarely lets her sadness, joy, or fear become apparent. No matter how cold her appearance, however, she is highly protective and cares deeply for her doll sisters, Jun, and Nori. She holds a very special place in her heart for the puppet detective "Kunkun". Shinku is in awe of "Father" -- she also desires to fulfill the position of "Alice" -- but refuses to employ the more ruthless methods of playing the "Alice Game". In battle, she fights with rose-based attacks.
Artificial Spirit: Holi.
Seiyuu: Sawashiro Miyuki.
The Sixth Doll
Hinaichigo (Small Strawberry) has perfected childishness. Although she can be ridiculously naive and selfish, Hinaichigo never has anything but the best intentions for those that she cares about. Her disposition is also a mismatch for her tremendous power, which is a series of attacks based on strawberry vines. Shinku defeats her (through Hinaichigo's own selfishness by exhausting Tomoe's energy) in the Alice Game but does not rob her of her ability to move. Instead, she allows Hinaichigo to tap into Jun's power. Her favorite foods are "Unyu", which are actually strawberry daifuku, and Nori's "Flower Hamburger", a dish that consists of a hamburger patty topped with a flower-shaped egg.
Artificial Spirit: Berrybell.
Seiyuu: Nogawa Sakura.
The Seventh Doll
Barasuishou (Rose Crystal) is a doll clad in lavender that seems to lack any sort of personality or conscience. She fights with a disturbing calmness, and seems to draw upon a great amount of power. Her appearance announces the true start of the Alice Game, as she is the final doll of the Rozen Maiden. Barasuishou can manipulate and create any sort of crystalline elements, including glass. Whether or not she has a medium or artificial spirit is currently unknown.
Artificial Spirit: Currently unknown.
Seiyuu: Saori Goto.
?
Laplace is a white rabbit in a tux and a top hat with human mannerisms. He appears to be neither sinister nor kind, and is the very definition of mysterious. His only appearances in the midst of the Alice Game in the "N-field" are limited to dispensing poetic and seemingly nonsensical advice before vanishing. The rabbit's motivations are entirely hidden. This rabbit is named for Laplace's demon.
Seiyuu: Ono Daisuke.
Themes and references
Many important parts of the series take place in Jun's "dream world", which is where his soul dwells. It is a dark, stormy place filled with the relics of his failure. It is said in the series that everyone has their own such spiritual world.
The dolls who live with Jun are all hooked on a puppet-based television series called Detective Kun-Kun, about a dog who solves crimes, including murders. The series-within-a-series appears to be satirizing such popular anime fare as Detective Conan and The Kinidachi Files.
The Gothic Lolita culture plays a significant role, and it might even be said that Rozen Maiden is a series that is founded on it. As well as the obvious character design inspiration, the central themes in Rozen Maiden -- elements of Alice in Wonderland and a fondness for the style/habits of Victorian aristocracy -- are also central to the Gothic Lolita.
The dolls' guardian spirits are named after perfumes.