Kannagi

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Jin Mikuriya, Ordinary High School Student, has just finished carving a statue out of a sacred tree that was recently chopped down. To his surprise his statue comes to life with the guardian spirit that once inhabited the tree -- and she looks like a teenage girl. This girl, Nagi, sets off to purify the town of the impurities that are starting to spread since the tree has been cleared.

Jin's childhood friend Tsugumi also finds herself getting involved in the events, along with the members of Jin's art club at school. A major source of conflict comes from Nagi's sister Zange, a goddess born from the other, still-standing, sacred tree.

Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens or Kannagi for short, is an ongoing (currently on hiatus, due to the author's health) manga by Eri Takenashi that began in 2005. There is also a series of light novels that began in 2008 written by Tōka Takei and an anime series/OVA that was made in 2008.

Tropes used in Kannagi include:
  • Accidental Pervert -- Jin of course.
    • Also Tsugumi.
  • A-Cup Angst / Petite Pride -- Nagi knows what Jin prefers, and a little information card on her in the middle of episode five says that her dislike is "people who like big breasts".
  • Always Female -- Jin receives a number of tropes usually reserved for girls. For example, his most distinguishing trait is his 'pureness', his most distinguishing physical feature is his very young, childish appearance, he's the victim of Accidental Perversion one time, and apparently was very dependent on Tsugumi when he was younger in a slightly klutzy way. The strength of Always Female means these tropes aren't quite played quite straight: for example, although he was needy and a crybaby in the past, he was also short-tempered and not exactly The Ditz.
    • Plus, he's "pure" in a guyish way, typical of a boy who is attracted to women but has never actually had a girlfriend.
  • Author Avatar -- Yamakan, the director, appears as a member of Nagi's fan club, thanking her for letting him become qualified as a director. This is a direct reference to how he had to deal with Executive Meddling while he was the director of Lucky Star‍'‍s first four episodes.
    • The creator of the manga, Eri Takenashi, has also appeared in the form of some blue humanoid... Thing.
  • Bait and Switch Credits -- The OP depicts Nagi as an Idol Singer with the rest of the supporting cast as her managers and trainers. Not in the least like the show.
  • Barbie Doll Anatomy -- In an episode of the anime and some chapter in the manga they joked about Jin's penis, but in chapter 20, he looks like a Ken doll, and also the next two pages, apparently Jin has a "hydraulic" penis
  • Beach Episode -- In chapter 21 of the manga.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing -- Zange. Although Hakua, the sheep, is still in there somewhere.
  • Blessed with Suck -- Before Nagi came along, Jin's ability to see the impurities was terrifying because he thought they were ghosts. Hakua has it much worse though. Also Daitetsu, because he has the Face of a Thug and a very intimidating physique.
  • Brother-Sister Incest -- After spending a night at Jin's house because he forgot his house key, and seeing the way they act towards each other, Daisetsu thinks that Jin and Nagi have this kind of secret relationship. Doesn't help that Jin won't give him a straight answer (well, he did, but Daisetsu took it the wrong way, thinking that Nagi was the model for Jin's wood sculpture, rather than Nagi being the wood sculpture come to life).
  • Clingy Jealous Girl -- Nagi and Tsugumi whenever Zange is around Jin.
  • Cooking Duel -- Nagi vs. Tsugumi vs. Zange to see who cooks for Jin the best. The winner is Nagi. She can actually be a great cook, but she prefers to let Jin do it because it's too bothersome.
    • Subverted, Nagi may cook good looking food, it just tastes like... Plum, or is it rubber type? Yup, her food is untasteful.
      • Only to everyone else who tries it. Nagi enjoys her own cooking.
  • Creator Breakdown: As of late 2008, the author has been forced into temporary retirement due to an unspecified surgical procedure, though some speculate it has more to do with the borderline death-threat Fan Dumb of a guy online who can't accept the concept of Nagi not being a virgin but also being a nice girl at the same time. Whatever the case, she has thankfully recovered, and it was stated the she would resume work on the manga in Spring 2010. The new release, at least on the Net, didn't come out until mid 2011.
    • It wasn't even that Nagi wasn't a virgin, it was that she had had a boyfriend before. No mention of sex or anything, just that she had a boyfriend once upon a time. And she was declared used goods by her so-called fans.
  • Creepy Cool Crosses -- Zange. She's the daughter of a priest, so it makes its way into her wardrobe. She's also going for a nun-like image. (or the like), so it works.
    • Naughty Nuns -- This especially. Zange specifically alters a standard nun outfit to have a much shorter hemline.
    • Nuns Are Spooky -- Sometimes she's creepy too.
  • Cuteness Proximity: Stray kittens in the second episode has this effect on Nagi.
  • Dancing Theme -- Again, the OP. Nagi's little stage show.
  • Delinquents -- In middle school, Jin was ("No, not like that"). Meaning, he wasn't really a hell-raiser, but acted up a lot because of his troubled past.
    • Manga -- Apparently, he went to Daitetsu for advice, making the same mistake everyone else made about him.
  • Did I Say That Out Loud -- A feverish Jin muses about asking Nagi to lay down beside him when she asks as to what she could do to help. Unfortunately for him, he thought out loud.
  • Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune: Both the opening and (main) ending themes are sung by Nagi's voice actress, Haruka Tomatsu.
  • Dreadful Musician -- Suprisingly for an aspiring idol, Zange couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
  • Dynamic Entry -- Nagi in episode eight:

Nagi: Shaato youar mowthu!!

  • Eyes Always Shut -- Shino. It was even mentioned in episode 10 that when she sings, her eyes will open.
  • Face Heel Turn: Nagi, later in the manga after absorbing the impurites that Zange collected into the form of Ozuma, her past lover.
  • Fan Service with a Smile -- All three main girls in the show end up working at a Maid Cafe at one point. Zange beomes a replacement for her sister, much to her surprise.
  • Fetish -- Besides being an all-around Yaoi Fangirl, Takako is turned on by things like... an innocent-looking Jin, a tone-deaf Tsugumi and a panty-flashing Zange.
  • First Girl Wins
  • Genius Loci -- Nagi.
  • Genre Savvy -- Meguru Akiba, Jin to some extent.
  • Gentle Giant -- Daitetsu. He gets into trouble easily because he can't explain why he really skipped lessons because the reasons are too embarrassingly girlish that he just lets people assume he's a delinquent.
  • Gods Need Prayer Badly -- With Zange's tree being inside a church, weakening it, and Nagi's being cut down, both of them are fighting it out over gaining fans as being the next-best thing to worshipers.
  • Grand Theft Me -- Zange has taken over the body of Hakua Suzushiro. Her father questions it, but he knows Zange means no harm. Nagi at least thinks that he wants Zange gone, and it's heavily hinted that he'd be much happier if he got Hakua back, but he seems to acknowledge that Hakua is actually happier with Zange around.

Suzushiro: My cute daughter has turned into my not-so-cute daughter!

    • It's revealed later on that Zange took over Hakua's body when she tried to commit suicide, reasoning that if she didn't want her body in the first place Zange might as well get some use out of it.
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl -- Daitetsu × Jin, if it were true. Surprisingly it doesn't settle which is the Seme.
  • Hair Antennae -- Jin, although they're referred to as double Idiot Hair / Ahoge. When he's shocked they stand up like TV antennae in the manga.

Some Guy: "That's Aho Aho Man in English right?" No, not really.

  • Heroic BSOD -- Jin suffers from one in episode 12 after Nagi runs away.
  • I Flash My Panties, You Must Obey! -- It's enough to make Takako change her film-making decisions. Courtesy of Zange, natch.
  • Idol Singer -- Zange and Nagi, at least in the OP.
  • Imagine Spot -- Believing that Jin and Nagi are siblings, Daitetsu goes into an elaborate one showing what he thinks is going on.
  • Instant Fanclub -- Nagi gets one (complete with webpage) almost immediately before the school allows her in as a New Transfer Student.
  • Innocent Cohabitation -- Nagi decides to live in the house where Jin's living by himself. They quickly come up with the story that she's his sister to keep down the rumors. Naturally, Jin's hormones later end up throwing his mind into turmoil and Tsugumi ends up extremely concerned and a bit jealous.
  • Innocent Innuendo -- Invoked by Zange. She makes it sound like something illicit is happening between her and Jin. Doesn't work for a second on Nagi, but Tsugumi falls for it completely. Though it's up in the air how much of it was acting.
  • Karaoke Box -- Episode ten, "Karaoke Senshi Mic Takako". Includes a Cameo by the Lucky Star girls when Jin walks in on their karaoke session from the ED.
  • Legal Jailbait -- Centuries old deliciously flat chested cutie Nagi. To a lesser extent Zange-chan.
  • Limited Wardrobe -- Pointed out. Nagi goes around in only the clothes she materialized in before Tsugumi takes her shopping to get more.
  • Little Miss Badass -- Zange takes out 3 guys with little effort when they try to hit on her in episode 12.
  • Little Miss Snarker -- Jin. He takes himself fairly seriously despite looking much younger then the rest of the cast.
  • Lover Tug of War -- Happens to poor Jin between Tsumugi and Zange in episode 9 when both girls are trying to feed him lunch.
  • Magical Girl -- After seeing one on TV, Nagi gets a toy wand and modifies it as her weapon against the impurities.
  • Magical Girlfriend -- Nagi, though she doesn't appear to be romantically interested. Yet.
  • Mistaken for Gay -- Both Jin and Daitetsu are subject to this after Daitetsu stays the night at his house on a rainy night and the events of episode eight go down. Attempts by Tsugumi and Zange to fix this are futile. Instead, Jin ends up getting mistaken for someone who goes for Anything That Moves.
    • Ho Yay -- But Jin brings it on himself, really.
    • Later, Akiba's parents have a long, stern discussion with their son regarding him apparently drawing yaoi doujinshi using Jin and Daitetsu as models. It Makes Sense in Context.
    • The event mentioned in Fan Dumb resulted in both those that took it seriously and those making fun of those who took it seriously referring to Nagi as a slut and "used goods".
  • Mood Whiplash -- Lighthearted fanservicey harem rom com, right? Then Hakua's backstory. Including summoning Zange by trying to commit suicide!.
  • Mundane Utility -- Once Nagi gets enough power, her wand also makes a useful flashlight.
  • My Girl Is Not a Slut -- Real Life example: After a chapter of the manga made it look like Nagi may not be a virgin, the fan reaction was crazy, to say the least.
  • Nosebleed -- Takako, and Jin did it once when Zange was doing things to him in an attempt to get Nagi out of the closet.
  • Nuns Are Mikos -- It seems like fake-nun Zange has built her public image on this assumption.
    • The lack of knowledge of Catholic traditions part of the trope also applies to Hakua's father. He was a former priest, but was married and had a daughter during said time as a Catholic priest. The older priest he asks for help in an exorcism of his daughter doesn't find this fact out of the ordinary.
  • Nun-Too-Holy -- Zange
  • One-Note Cook -- Tsugumi can actually prepare three things: greens, eggs and vegetable omlette.
  • Ordinary High School Student -- Jin fits by being able to touch the impurities without harm. Takako labels his plainness as him being a "too-pure-pure-boy".
  • Otaku -- Akiba, who's Genre Savvy, but occasionally Wrong Genre Savvy. For example, once he sees Nagi, he tells Jin that "if this world is a manga, you are the main character." Which, of course, he is. Though he thinks of Nagi as a rich girl with an interest in ghosts because he saw it in an eroge.
  • Porn Stash -- Briefly mentioned. After Nagi went searching for a bag to carry her wand in, she came across the stash. Jin's a breast man. Upon hearing this information, Tsugumi immediately looks down at her own bust (and promptly punches the air in triumph after glancing over at Nagi's lack-of-bust). Episode seven has Jin being worried when Nagi locks herself in his closet, because that's where he keeps the stash.
    • Although the typical reaction to this trope is averted by Nagi, who, being thousands of years old and none too naive, doesn't care, and only notes that "all of them have big tits."
  • Pretty Freeloaders -- Nagi
  • Product Placement -- "It's a Sony!" Also Biting the Hand Humor, since Akiba brings a Blu-Ray and a Betamax. The show is produced by Aniplex, and therefore sponsored by Sony.
    • Ironically, in an earlier episode they show an "Avio" laptop (instead of Vaio)
  • Psychopomp -- Nagi's other duty, when she isn't cleansing impurities. It doesn't come up very often in the anime.
  • Pungeon Master -- Nagi, who gets off a pun at any opportunity.
  • Punny Name -- Daitetsu - "Big Metal".
  • RPG Elements -- Takako imagines a Visual Novel scene with Nagi, Zange, and Tsugumi.
  • Show Within a Show -- Lolikko Cutie, the show that inspired Nagi and that she mimics in her purification.
  • Shout-Out -- Episode 10. Jin walks into the wrong karaoke box; while we only see the girls in the room from behind, it's obvious who they are.
  • Shrines and Temples -- Kinda obvious.
  • Smoking Is Cool -- Manga -- Naturally, this is how Jin thought you get started being a delinquent.
  • Split Personality -- Subverted. Nagi claims to have one to explain her behavior and sudden appearance to Tsugumi. Even Jin falls for it until Nagi slips up.
    • But justified too. Nagi would occasionally be taken over by a gentle and serene goddess like persona. The persona refers to Nagi in the third person and is able to use powers that her normal self has not yet recovered enough to use.
    • Hakua explains her Grand Theft Me by Zange to her friends as this.
  • Stealth Hi Bye -- Zange seems to be particularly good at this.
  • Stereotype Reaction Gag -- Akiba resents the insinuation. Anyway, maid cafes, while popular among-
  • Take a Third Option -- In episode 9, when Zange is forcing Jin to choose between her or Tsumugi to date in order to shake off rumors of him being gay, he's starts to say Tsumugi's name until Nagi mentions that he should simply hang out with both girls. Which ends up making things worse for him, as now the students suspect him of Anything That Moves.
  • Theme Tune Cameo -- Nagi can be heard humming the OP theme in the bath in the first episode. It can also be overheard during conversations in both men's and ladies' room in the tenth episode.
  • Thirteen Episode Anime
  • Token Loli -- Shino's cousin Miyuu. Introduced in chapter 21 of the manga.
  • Trickster -- There is a very strong (and amusing) streak of the Trickster in Nagi. Note the way she concocts the story that she is Jin's sister, her lie about having a split personality to "explain" her super-gluing her magic wand to Jin's table, and the way she sneaks herself into Jin's school initially.
  • Tsundere -- Nagi, Tsumugi does this occasionally as well.
  • Tsurime Eyes -- Nagi has a marvellous Tsurime Eyes.
  • Unlucky Childhood Friend -- Tsugumi. One episode/chapter showcases how many of the embarrassing secret of Jin's youth she remembers.
    • Hakuha, Zange's host body, turns out to have been a childhood friend of Jin's as well, but he can't remember her.
  • Unprovoked Pervert Payback: Tsugumi enters Jin's home and walks in on him as he's naked and just finished showering... Tsugumi actually slaps him for it.
  • Unwanted Harem - Tsugumi, Zange, Nagi and Hakua (the girl whose body Zange has taken over). It is revealed in chapter 27 of the manga that Hakua had met Jin when they were children and had developed a crush on him.
  • Verbal Tic -- Miyuu ends most of her sentences with "suno".
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic - One episode may be a very roundabout reference to Amaterasu hiding herself in a cage in indignation.
  • Wishful Projection -- Kannagi will often berate Jin for not being her stereotypical vision of a loyal vassal who doesn't think for himself, just as the goddess expects of him. This often leads to powerful arguments between the two.
  • X Meets Y -- Nagi is something like Belldandy meets Holo.
  • Yaoi Fangirl -- Takako of the Art Club is, behind her exterior of a tough critic, prone to examining the boys in the club, and when she sees friendly interaction between Daitetsu and Jin, gets a Nosebleed.
    • Let's not get into what kind of trouble Akiba gets into when the Art Club appraises his pile of manga, including manga targeted at females.
  • Zigzag Paper Tassel -- Nagi has an ōnusa that resembles is attached to a cheap Magical Girl wand. There's also a shide in the series logo (see the picture at the top of the page), which has four segments, each of which has one of four hiragana characters from the title on it.
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