About
Tachikawa Megumi is the wonderfully creative manga-ka (manga author) of series like Kaitou Saint Tail (known as St. Tail in North America), Dream Saga Takamagahara (known as Dream Saga), and Cyber Idol Mink (known as Mink here). All of these series originally were serialized in Japan in the monthly shoujo magazine Nakayoshi, but have all been licensed and released (or are in the process of being released) in English by Tokyopop.
Most of her series are mahou shoujo (magical girl) stories with elements of humor, romance, sweet characters and intriguing plot twists, making for a fun and delightful read. Her art is simple yet sweet. A trademark of her writing is creating characters who deal with secret identities--hence the name of this fanlisting! Lots of angst and drama ensues, particularly since the same characters have a romantic interest--who usually expresses an interest in the alter ego!
Kaitou Saint Tail is her most popular and well-known series to date--the manga has a total of 7 volumes, and it was turned into a 43 episode anime that aired from 1995 to 1996. "Kaitou" translates to "mysterious thief," which is exactly what the title character is. Haneoka Meimi is a schoolgirl by day and a thief by night--but only from the unjust. Armed with the tricks that she has picked up from her magician father (without his knowledge), she stays one step ahead of the police and...Asuka Jr., her classmate, who is the son of a detective and is determined to be the one to catch Saint Tail. The fun (and angst!) really begins when Meimi realizes how much she enjoys being chased by Asuka Jr...and he realizes how much he enjoys trying to catch both Saint Tail and the attention of Meimi. The anime follows the manga pretty closely, and most of the "filler" episodes (stand-alone episodes not based on the manga), are enjoyable, making it a fun watch. Of all of her stories, this is my favorite because of the superb plot development and one of the most wonderful endings ever. And, in case you're wondering, this series preceded that other mysterious thief manga, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne by Tanemura Arina (which I own too, so I'm not bitter).
Dream Saga Takamagahara ran for a total of 5 volumes. It begins with Yuuki Wakasa, an ordinary (of course!) schoolgirl who one day finds an oddly shaped red stone that fell from the sky. However, this stone allows her to travel to the dream world of Takamagahara, where she finds that she has a mission--she must stop the sun being destroyed in this world, or else her world will also be cast into darkness. But this world is so strange--a strange desert with talking birds and the threat of...being eaten. There's also a man in this world--Takaomi--who has the same name as one of her classmates in the real world and whom Yuuki secretly likes...yet in this world, he is too old to be the same person. So exactly who is he?
Cyber Idol Mink ended more recently with 6 volumes. It's not a matter of destiny or desire for Shiraishi Minku, but an accident that brings her into contact with a computer program from the future that allows her to transform into an idol--Mink! Complete with bright pink hair. Once Motoharu meets Mink, he realizes that she's the idol he's been looking for. But Minku has also met Motoharu--only she's met him as her real self. How long will she be able to carry out her masquerade, and how will it impact her social life?! [This SO should've been turned into an anime. *ahem* :P]
Tachikawa Megumi's series have a whole lot of fluff but with substance too! Thanks to Tokyopop, which has licensed all three of the series listed above, you can pick up a volume from your local bookstore. Enjoy one of the best works of the mahou shoujo genre.
Tokyopop Series Pages
Kaitou Saint Tail Manga // Kaitou Saint Tail Anime
Fan Pages
Doi's Kaitou Saint Tail Page // Detailed Summary of Kaitou Saint Tail Episode One