Venus to Mamoru!, also known by its Japanese title Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! (護くんに女神の祝福を!?, lit. "To Mamoru-kun, the Blessings of the Goddess!", or "Mamoru was Blessed by a Goddess!") is a series of Light Novels written by Hiroki Iwata with illustrations by Toshiyuki Satou, which was published under the Dengeki Bunko label from 2003 to 2009 for 16 volumes. It has an anime adaptation by ZEXCS that ran for 24 episodes in 2006.
Mamoru Yoshimura has just joined Tokyo Beatrice University. Beatrice is the Background Magic Field in this world that certain people can use. On his first day, he is asked out by Ayako Takasu, known on campus as the "Angel of Death". He discovers that, despite her reputation, she's really quite a nice person, just tsundere and has never opened up to anyone before.
With the two of them an Official Couple, Mamoru joins the school's Absurdly Powerful Student Council to investigate incidents around the school. In the process, he tries to keep Ayako's temperament under control and to know her better. The younger sister of one of Ayako's rivals joins the Council later due to her admiration of Ayako.
Tropes:
- Absurdly Powerful Student Council: To emphasize the point, the Student Council room is closer to an evil overlord's lair than anything else. They even use their humongous wall of TV screens to spice up conversation. For the amount of resources that seem available to them, for some reason they seem to use it mostly to spy on Mamoru and Ayako, which often causes Ayako to beat them down. Occasionally they'll also use it for good purposes.
- Amazon Chaser: John wants Ayako as his bride because she is the only woman powerful enough to challenge him in a fight.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Emelenzia has one in episode 19 for Mamoru and says it while Ayako is present
- Anime Hair: Shione, whose hair has Ojou Ringlets and, at times, goes downright Seussian. This is lampshaded; in one episode where she makes her hair straight, nobody recognizes her.
- Battle Aura: Ayako and several others when they use Beatrice.
- Beach Episode: Episode 17. Ayako's grandfather paid for it as an apology for the trouble he caused in episode 16. Special attention is paid to Emelenzia and her choice of swimsuit.
- Berserk Button: Anytime Ayako catches the student council spying on her and Mamoru or cracking jokes about their relationship something is smashed.
- Big Brother Worship: Shione, again. She uses the very respectful honorfic "sama" when addressing him.
- Big Fancy House: Once again, Ayako. Her house is so big the buttler doesn't know what's in all the rooms and the student council plays hide-and-seek.
- Break the Cutie: When Ayako was a child, her parents abandoned her because of her power. This is why she's so hostile to others and why she can't bring herself to trust them.
- Breather Episode: Episode 15, after the intense and dramatic events in episodes 13 and 14.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Itsumi, Mamoru's sister is disturbed after seeing him kiss Ayako during the play, and then later how close and friendly they are to each other. The look she has during those scenes is jealousy, as if Itsumi wants her brother to be closer to her...
- The Chosen One: Ayako's tremendous power is because she has been "chosen" by the Beatrice. Other chosen ones include John and Maria. Together they are the three strongest Beatrice users in the world.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Ayako tends to display this if Mamoru spends too much time with another girl, particularly Emelenzia.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Yagi of the Student Council. He has a tendency to speak in Gratuitous English and borders on a Hard Gay because his idea of a "exciting valentine gift" was to coat himself in chocolate and strike poses.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Emelenzia is a complicated example. She challenges Ayako to a battle and is defeated by her. Then she joins the student council as The Mole but then genuinely enjoys their company. At the start of all this, is her admiration of Ayako.
- Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Averted. Both the male and female members of the student council suffer Ayako's wrath. In fact, female is more likely because there are more female members. Notably, Ayako never hits Mamoru.
- Dropped Glasses: When Abiko loses his glasses, he's a real looker. This is a manifestiation of Beatrice power.
- Dynamic Entry: Combined with a through-the-roof Super Window Jump and ending with Ayako's foot on Yagi's head.
- Epic Fail: Emelenzia's attempts to seduce Mamoru are so horrible that he thinks it's a German concentration technique.
- Exposed to the Elements: As Emelenzia found out, lingerie and winter weather don't mix.
- Fantastic Science: Beatrice is energy that is described as "the power to create miracles" and it is studied as if it were any other kind of energy.
- Flying Car: Not only can it fly, but Mamoru can drive it! (Does he have a license?)
- Forgotten First Meeting: It gradually becomes clear that the Beatrice-user who saved Mamoru during a disaster when he was small was Ayako's uncle — and what's more, she was there too. Neither one of them remembers at first due to having been quite young and traumatized to boot, but that event was the reason why Mamoru decided to become a Beatrice-user himself, which led to him joining the Beatrice Academy, where he met Ayako again...
- Gratuitous German: Emelenzia slips in German words amoung the Japanese. It's part of the running gag about how she hasn't mastered the local language.
- Heel–Face Turn: Emelenzia and her two lackeys. In at least one instance, they help bring Mamoru to Ayako.
- Heroic BSoD: Ayako and Mamoru suffer these from time to time when they have (perceived) relationship trouble.
- Hot Springs Episode: Maya and Shione turn delivering a bottle of shampoo into Serious Business. There are battle plans and booby traps and heroic sacrifices!
- Huge Schoolgirl: Ayako and Youko are taller than most of the boys. This doesn't bother the latter but it makes the former all the more intimidating.
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Emelenzia, despite having feelings for Mamoru, helps him get back with Ayako. She claims that she's doing it so that she can steal him away fair and square.
- Insecure Love Interest: A number of episodes are driven by how Mamoru doesn't feel worthy of someone as amazing as Ayako and how this is exploited by enemies.
- Instant Fan Club: Emelenzia gets a set of fans shortly after joining the school.
- Malaproper: While she speaks Japanese perfectly, Emelenzia doesn't always get it right.
- Megaton Punch: Megaton Kick, Megaton Throwing-a-Table-at-People... all from Ayako.
- New Transfer Student: Emelenzia transfers into Ayako's school on her brother's orders. Oddly, this is several episodes after her introduction and her battle with Ayayko.
- Out-of-Clothes Experience: When Mamoru enters into Ayako's soul to free her from problems (twice during the series), they're always without clothing, though Barbie Doll Anatomy is in full effect.
- Parental Abandonment: As explained by Ayako in the third episode; her parents were muggles that considered her a monster because of her power. She was raised by her grandfather.
- The Plan: What drives the non-school plot portions of the series. Maria is against the research with beatrice that Johan and Misaki are doing, and tries to do things to stop it. While she failed initially, they learn much more about the beatrice after seeing Mamoru and Ayako in action at the end of the series, and they ultimately begin to research using beatrice for good rather than selfish purposes.
- Power Nullifier: Horacle is a gem that naturally absorbs the power of Beatrice in the area. Ayako is Brought Down to Normal by one and this forms the last arc of the series.
- The Power of Love: Ayako explains it herself: when Mamoru's with her, she's invincible.
- Punny Name: "Mamoru" can also mean "to protect". Both Ayako and Mamoru end up protecting each other.
- Red Baron:
- Ayako is known as "Witch Beatrice" because of her power and temper.
- John is known as "Prussian Devil" because of his heritage and cruel demeanor.
- Maria is known as "Silver Maria".
- Really 700 Years Old: Marie is much older than her appearance suggests. This is because she has Voluntary Shape Shifting;she can change her age from a young child to a grown woman in an instant.
- School Newspaper News Hound: Mitsuki's never seen without her camera.
- School Play: Sleeping Beauty, used for Tonight, Someone Kisses. It's ultimately rewritten into an Unwanted Harem story.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: The student council convinces Ayako to dress formally for the welcome party in episode 3. Mamoru tells her she looks wonderful.
- Snow Means Love: There's a reason an episode or two is spent at the ski slopes and it is more opportunities for our leading couple to have cute moments.
- Stalker with a Crush: Tsuneo Abiko, Ayako's crazed stalker with Nerd Glasses, Idiot Hair, and way too much free time.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Our Official Couple, Mamoru and Ayako, of course and it is taken to ridiculous levels early on in the series during a car chase when she carries him like a baby.
- Tsundere: Ayako (duh!). Type A all the way. She has her dere moments in Mamoru's company (now if everyone would only leave them alone!)
- Undying Loyalty: Emelenzia's lackeys are so loyal to her they suffer separation anxiety when she goes to school.
- Women Prefer Strong Men: A case of Playing with a Trope. Ayako says her Beatrice is "drawn to John" because of his power but she can't stand him and prefers the much weaker Mamoru. At the end of the series, Maria states that Mamoru has tremendous potential as a Beatrice user and that she understands why Ayako likes him so much.
