Ask John: Is Risky Male or Female?

Question:
Is Risky a guy or a girl? In the series they refer to Risky as a guy, but the Animenation website icon has Risky as a girl, and she looks a little older and different.

Answer:
Now that the second Omishi Magical Theater: Risky Safety DVD is officially available in America, I think it’s safe to admit that Risky is female. The English dubbing on Risky Safety DVD 1 refers to Risky as a “he.” That’s actually not a mistake, but a carefully planned translation that makes perfect sense in context. Beginning with her very first appearance in the anime, Risky refers to herself with male pronouns and speaks with a masculine dialect. Since Moe Katsuragi and her friends don’t know Risky’s gender for certain, they listen to Risky’s speech patterns and assume that Risky is male. Safety is the only character in the first half of the show (besides Risky herself) that knows Risky’s gender for certain. In both the English dubbed version and subtitled version of Risky Safety DVD volume 1, Safety never once refers to Risky with gender specific pronouns. Only characters who aren’t certain of Risky’s gender refer to her as a “he.” In episode 14, Risky reveals that she’s female in no uncertain terms. Moe is a little bit surprised by the revelation, but from that point forward always refers to Risky as a girl.

The image of Risky in the AnimeNation.com banner rotation is quite buxom, and clearly female. This image is taken from creator Ray Omishi’s original Omishi Maho Gekijou Risky Safety manga, which is significantly different from the anime TV series, and quite a bit more risqué.