Jewelpet (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series was written by Atsushi Maekawa (Digimon Adventure 02, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Fresh Pretty Cure!) with direction from Nanako Sasaki, screenplay by Takashi Yamada (Yumeiro Pâtissière), and produced by Kazuya Watanabe (Onegai My Melody) with character designs from Tomoko Miyakawa. The story begins in the magical world of Jewel Land, where three magicians turned the Jewelpets into Jewel Charms so they could rest in the Dream Forest. During a delivery, a strong wind scattered the charms across Takaragaseki City on Earth. Ruby, a white rabbit who likes to goof off, is punished and sent to Earth to retrieve her friends. A student named Rinko Kougyoku discovers a red Jewel Charm and, with the help of a boy named Keigo Tatewaki, learns about the Jewelpets and the mission to gather them before the evil Jewelpet Diana finds them first.

The anime expanded into six more series, one movie, three official shojo manga adaptations, one official light novel, and various stage plays, moving from TV Osaka to TV Tokyo. Each series is completely separate season to season, featuring different characters and storylines. Crunchyroll SAS (formerly Viz Media Europe) currently licensed both the first series and Twinkle in Europe. Unlike other Sanrio series, it was never released in the United States.

Reader's Guide

Jewelpet is significant as the inaugural anime of the Jewelpet franchise, a collaboration between Sanrio and Sega Sammy Holdings. It established the core premise of Jewelpets—magical animals from Jewel Land—and introduced the recurring mascot Ruby. The series' focus on magic, witches, and alchemy set it apart from other Sanrio adaptations, and its success led to six additional series, a movie, manga, light novel, and stage plays. The franchise's structure of completely separate seasons with different characters and storylines allowed for creative variety. Its licensing by Crunchyroll SAS in Europe, but absence from the United States, marks a notable distribution pattern. The series also represents Studio Comet's second Sanrio-based animation, following Onegai My Melody.

Did You Know?

• The series replaced Onegai My Melody Kirara★ in its initial timeslot on TV Osaka and TV Tokyo.
• It was never released in the United States, unlike other Sanrio series.
• The anime expanded into six more series, one movie, three shojo manga adaptations, one light novel, and various stage plays.
• Crunchyroll SAS (formerly Viz Media Europe) licensed both the first series and Twinkle in Europe.