Madobe Universe
The informal term Madobe Universe is used on the Moeverse Database to refer to the collection of ideas related to the Madobe Family.
Techno-Alliance Corp. (via the Windows 7 Mania and then Windows Navi+ subsidiaries), a partner of Microsoft Japan, has established the characters to support sales of the Windows operating system in Japan. The work can be considered as published on September 2009 with Nanami Madobe's debut, and retired in 2021 after the last campaign with Tōko Madobe.
Microsoft Japan has explicitly recognized Claudia and Claude Madobe as "Microsoft Azure Official Characters". Other characters did not earn such acknowledgement, though Microsoft Japan was directly involved with some campaigns featuring other characters such as the Windows 7 Ultimate DSP × Touch Mouse Campaign or some Comic Market exhibitions.
An artist nicknamed Wakaba presumably drew most official artworks, and popular performers such as Nana Mizuki or Daisuke Namikawa were hired to voice some of the characters.
Characters
The Madobe Universe characters essentially consist of the Madobe Family, with only a few characters such as Ruri Azumi that does not belong to the Family.
From her official Facebook account, Inori Aizawa is said to be close friends with Nanami, Yū and Ai Madobe, as well as Hikaru's cousin, who has herself three sisters, Yu (eldest), Aoi, and Lei.
Lore and Setting
Some profiles about the main characters from the Madobe Family have been released, though the universe they belong to is not expanded, and the various official published work appear to only feature a specific place, the Akibano Computer Shop, notably in the Nanami Madobe's Commercial or the Cloud Girl Comic. The shop is presumably set in real life's Akihabara.
Tōko Madobe is said to come from 100 years in the future, but nothing about her era or how she time traveled is explained.
Notes
- The Madobe Universe is often associated with OS-tans, however it has in fact nothing to do with them and is a completely separate work. The OS-tan Universe has its own representations of Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.