Ariel (novel series)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

ARIEL (エリアル, Eriaru) stands for "All a-Round Intercept and Escort Lady." It is a mecha science fiction light novel series written by Yūichi Sasamoto with illustrations by Masahisa Suzuki. The books were published by Asahi Sonorama under the Sonorama Bunko imprint from 1986 to February 28, 2006, totaling 20 volumes plus two side stories.

The story follows Dr. Kishida, a brilliant but eccentric scientist from the defense research group SCEBAI, who builds the combat robot ARIEL and recruits his granddaughters and niece to pilot it against alien invaders. The pilots are Mia Kawaii (his college-enrolled niece), Aya Kishida (a high school student who would rather study), and Kazumi Kishida (a middle school student who loves piloting). A mysterious alien vigilante named Saber Starblast helps ARIEL in their battles. Miss Simone, the stern head of the accounting department, keeps a close eye on Dr. Kishida’s spending.

ARIEL was adapted into two original video animations (OVAs). The first, ARIEL (1989), was produced by Animate and J.C. Staff, directed by Junichi Watanabe, with two 30-minute episodes. The second, ARIEL Deluxe (1991), was also by Animate and J.C. Staff, directed by Junichi Watanabe, with two 45-minute episodes. In the United States, Central Park Media released the series in 2003.