Carol was originally a novel written by Naoto Kine, the guitarist of TM Network (aka TMN), a very famous J-pop band. The story was made into a one-shot OAV featuring character designs by shoujo manga artist Yun Kouga (of Earthian fame). The soundtrack, of course, was provided by TM Network.

Carol is the story of a teenage girl whose life seems normal enough until she notices music disappearing from all around her, such as the sound of Big Ben, her father's cello-playing, and the concert of her favorite band, Gaball Screen. After hearing some mysterious voices, Carol is transported to a fantastic world where she must fight against the evil monsters who are stealing the music from Earth. She meets and is assisted by three dashing heroes: Clark, Tico, and Flash. These three are based on the members of TM Network. Clark is based on Tetsuya "TK" Komuro, the producer, songwriter, and keyboardist of TMN. Tico, with his characteristic sunglasses, is based on Naoto Kine. And finally, Flash is based on Takashi Utsunomiya, the lead singer of TMN.

Carol is a pretty typical magical girl story. Its greatest strength is its excellent soundtrack by TMN, though the music seems to be underutilized at times. Casual viewers might find Carol uninspiring. However, for fans of TM Network, Carol is particularly fun to watch for its portrayals of TK, Naoto Kine, and Takashi Utsunomiya as Clark, Tico, and Flash.

[Carol art book]


[Carol pencil board]


[Carol pencil board]