Honey and Clover
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Chika Umino. It is also known as and H&C. It is published by Shueisha
, initially serialized from June 2000 to July 2006 in the magazines CUTiEcomic, Young YOU, and Chorus
, and collected in ten bound volumes
. The series depicts the lives and relationships of a group of art school students who live in the same apartment building. In 2003, the manga won the 27th Kodansha Manga Award
for shōjo.
The series was adapted as an animated
television series
by J.C.Staff
, initially broadcast on Fuji TV in two seasons from April to September 2005 and June to September 2006. The series was also adapted as a live action movie, which was released in theaters in Japan on July 22, 2006, and two separate live-action television dramas in 2008, one broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV from January 8, 2008 to March 18, 2008 and the other broadcast in Taiwan
on CTS
beginning on May 25, 2008.
One day, they are introduced to Hagumi Hanamoto, the daughter of a cousin of Shūji Hanamoto, an art professor, who has come to live with Hanamoto and has become a first year art student at the art school that everyone attends. Yuta and Shinobu both fall in love with Hagu, but Yuta hides his feelings and tries to be a friend to Hagu while Shinobu expresses his love in ways that seem only to scare Hagu, such as calling her "Mousey" and constantly photographing her. Hagu herself, though initially timid and afraid of company, gradually warms up to the three.
The group comes to include Ayumi Yamada, a master of pottery
who is well-known by her nickname "Tetsujin" (Iron Lady), who becomes very close to Hagu. When not at school, she helps run the family liquor store. While Ayumi is popular with many young men, she falls in love with Takumi, who does not recipocrate her feelings and considers her a very dear friend. Instead, Takumi pursues an older woman, Rika Harada, a widowed friend of Professor Hanamoto who runs an architecture studio she founded with her late husband.
The story follows these five characters in their love triangle
s, unrequited love, graduating from college, finding jobs, and learning more about themselves.
. The first fourteen chapters were serialized in the josei
(aimed at younger adult women) manga magazine CUTiEcomic from June 2000 to July 2001, when serialization moved to Young YOU. With the demise of Young YOU in 2005, it moved to Chorus
, where it ran until July 2006. The 64 chapters were collected in ten bound volumes
. The series was also issued in a ten-volume box set in May 2007.
The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
, which began serializing it in Shojo Beat
magazine in August 2007. It is also licensed in France by Kana
, in Germany by Tokyopop Germany, and in Thailand by Bongkoch Comics
.
and consists of 38 episodes in broadcast in two seasons on Fuji TV in the Noitamina
programming block. The first season was directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
, and consisted of 24 episodes that aired from April 14, 2005 and September 29, 2005 plus two DVD-only episodes. The second season was directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai
, and consisted of 12 episodes that aired between June 29, 2006 and September 14, 2006.
Both seasons were rebroadcast in Japan by the anime CS
television network Animax
, which also later broadcast the series across its respective networks in Hong Kong, Taiwan
, South Korea, and other regions. The series was first broadcast in English on Amimax's Southeast Asia
network starting August 1, 2006.
The anime featured numerous sponsors, including clothing brands we
, adidas
, Head Porter, visvim and Sally Scott, as well as Weider in Jelly in the second season.
FUNimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media
's dub and it premiered on the FUNimation Channel
on September 19, 2009.Viz Media have subsequently released the entire series across three DVD collection sets.. In Australia, the anime is distributed on DVD by Madman Entertainment
.
produced by Asmik Ace Entertainment
. It was directed by Masahiro Takada from a screenplay by Masahiko Kawahara and Masahiro Takada, and starred Sakurai Sho as Takemoto, Yū Aoi
as Hagu, Yūsuke Iseya
as Morita, Ryō Kase
as Mayama, and Megumi Seki
as Ayumi. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 22, 2006. The DVD for the film was released on January 12, 2007.
adaptation of the series premiered on January 8, 2008. It aired every Tuesday at 21:00 JST for 11 episodes on Fuji TV until March 18, 2008. Written by Kaneko Shigeki, and directed by Masaki Tanamura and Hiroaki Matsuyama, the show starred starred Toma Ikuta
as Takemoto, Riko Narumi
as Hagumi, Hiroki Narimiya
as Morita, Osamu Mukai
as Mayama, and Natsuki Harada as Ayumi. The music for the series was provided by Shōgo Kaida, Keiichi Miyako (SOPHIA) and Shin Kōno, while the theme song to the series was "Canvas" by the Japanese R&B singer Ken Hirai
. A DVD set was released for the series on July 11, 2008.
titled starring Lego Li as An Zhu Ben (Takemoto), Chiaki Ito as Hua Ben Yu (Hagumi), Eddie Peng as Ren Sen Tian (Morita), Joe Cheng
as Den Zhen Shan (Mayama), and Janine Chang
as He Ya Gong (Ayumi). It was produced by Huang Zhi Ming and directed by Li Yun Chan.
It was broadcasted on free-to-air on Chinese Television System (CTS)
(華視) from 25 May 2008 to 31 August 2008 on Sundays at 22:00.
for shōjo. About.com
's Deb Aoki lists Honey and Clover as the best new josei manga of 2008. Yū Aoi
won the award for Best Actress at the 28th Yokohama Film Festival
for her role as Hagumi Hanamoto in the live-action film.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Chika Umino. It is also known as and H&C. It is published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
, initially serialized from June 2000 to July 2006 in the magazines CUTiEcomic, Young YOU, and Chorus
Chorus (magazine)
is a Japanese josei manga magazine published by Shueisha.- Current :# Kyaria Kogitsune Kin no Machi # Samurai Kaasan # Higepiyo # Chikutaku Bonbon # Yottsu no Kisetsu...
, and collected in ten bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
. The series depicts the lives and relationships of a group of art school students who live in the same apartment building. In 2003, the manga won the 27th Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for shōjo.
The series was adapted as an animated
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
, initially broadcast on Fuji TV in two seasons from April to September 2005 and June to September 2006. The series was also adapted as a live action movie, which was released in theaters in Japan on July 22, 2006, and two separate live-action television dramas in 2008, one broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV from January 8, 2008 to March 18, 2008 and the other broadcast in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on CTS
Chinese Television System
Chinese Television System is a broadcast television station in Republic of China .-History:Founded on October 31, 1971, CTS started off as a joint venture between the ROC's Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. At the time of its establishment, CTS was the only VHF-supported...
beginning on May 25, 2008.
Plot
Yūta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama and Shinobu Morita are three young men who live in the same apartment complex and are students at an art college in Tokyo.One day, they are introduced to Hagumi Hanamoto, the daughter of a cousin of Shūji Hanamoto, an art professor, who has come to live with Hanamoto and has become a first year art student at the art school that everyone attends. Yuta and Shinobu both fall in love with Hagu, but Yuta hides his feelings and tries to be a friend to Hagu while Shinobu expresses his love in ways that seem only to scare Hagu, such as calling her "Mousey" and constantly photographing her. Hagu herself, though initially timid and afraid of company, gradually warms up to the three.
The group comes to include Ayumi Yamada, a master of pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
who is well-known by her nickname "Tetsujin" (Iron Lady), who becomes very close to Hagu. When not at school, she helps run the family liquor store. While Ayumi is popular with many young men, she falls in love with Takumi, who does not recipocrate her feelings and considers her a very dear friend. Instead, Takumi pursues an older woman, Rika Harada, a widowed friend of Professor Hanamoto who runs an architecture studio she founded with her late husband.
The story follows these five characters in their love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
s, unrequited love, graduating from college, finding jobs, and learning more about themselves.
Main characters
- Portrayed by: Hiroshi KamiyaHiroshi Kamiyais a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production. He is best known for being the voice of Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Tieria Erde from Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He won "Best Lead Actor" and "Best Personality" at the Third Seiyu Awards, and "Best Supporting Actor" at the...
(anime, Japanese), Kenji NojimaKenji Nojimais a Japanese seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He is employed by Japanese voice talent agency Aoni Production. He is the son of veteran seiyū Akio Nojima and is the younger brother of seiyū Hirofumi Nojima...
(final episode in TV production), Yuri LowenthalYuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
(anime, English), Shō SakuraiSho Sakuraiis a Japanese idol, singer, songwriter, actor, newscaster, host and former radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi....
(movie), Toma IkutaToma Ikutais a Japanese talent artist part of Johnny's Jr. under the supervision of Johnny & Associates.-Career :Ikuta Toma used to be in a variety show for kids called Tensai Terebi kun. Being a member of a then all-children band called Strawberry Parfait, he was popular with the audience...
(Japanese TV drama)- A second-year art student, age 19 at the start of the series, living in the same apartment complex as Mayama and Morita. Takemoto is the main character and acts as the point-of-viewPoint of view (literature)The narrative mode is the set of methods the author of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical story uses to convey the plot to the audience. Narration, the process of presenting the narrative, occurs because of the narrative mode...
of the series, and often as narratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
of episodes. He is depicted as the most mellow of the main characters. He falls in love with Hagu immediately after being introduced by his professor but keeps his feelings to himself through most of the series. Because of his inability to act upon his feelings as freely as Morita, Takemoto decides to act as a brother-figure to Hagu, giving her friendly support when needed, for example, building her sophisticated dollhouses at her request. Later in the series, as a result of his conflicted emotions, Takemoto develops a stomach ulcer, forcing him to repeat a year of school. Early in the series, he questions his vocation as an artist, but over the series he becomes comfortable with himself. After a bicycle trip to Cape SōyaCape Soyais the northernmost point of the island of Hokkaidō, Japan. It is situated in Wakkanai, Sōya Subprefecture. The is at the cape, although the true northernmost point under Japanese control is a small deserted island called Bentenjima, 1 km northwest...
, the northernmost point in Japan, Takemoto gains the confidence to tell Hagu how he really feels. Although Hagu does not accept him, Takemoto admits that just meeting her and the time they spend together has influenced him.
- A second-year art student, age 19 at the start of the series, living in the same apartment complex as Mayama and Morita. Takemoto is the main character and acts as the point-of-view
- Portrayed by: Haruka KudōHaruka Kudois a Japanese model and seiyu.She is best known as the voice of Hagumi Hanamoto in Honey and Clover and Sayu Yagami in the anime adaption of Death Note.She was an exclusive model for Seventeen magazine until May 2007...
(anime, Japanese), Heather HalleyHeather HalleyHeather Halley is an American actress and voice actress. She is best known as the English voice of Para-Medic in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. She also reprises her role as Para-Medic in Metal Gear Portable Ops. In the "Tales" series, she performs the role of Chloe Valens from Tales of Legendia....
(anime, English), Yū AoiYû Aoiis a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou...
(movie), Riko NarumiRiko Narumiis a Japanese actress and model.-Films:-Dramas:-External links:* at Ken On Entertainment...
(Japanese TV drama)- Usually called "Hagu" by her friends, she is an 18-year-old first-year art student at the start of the series. She is depicted as appearing and acting several years younger than her true age. Despite her appearance, she is a gifted artist and her work is highly praised by art professionals. She is shy and very nervous when interacting with people, to the point of becoming physically ill from stress, with the result that other art students think she is strange. She was raised by her grandmother in a sheltered environment, where she learned to draw sketching the ever-changing view from her porch. When Morita and Takemoto first meet Hagu, they both immediately fall in love with her, although they express it in different ways. Hagu spends most of the series unaware of their feelings for her, seeing them as friends. After Takemoto confesses his feelings for her, she begins avoiding him, and at the end of the series she admits she loves Morita. However, she returns to Shūji because she cannot imagine a life without drawing.
- Portrayed by: Yūji UedaYuji Uedais a popular Japanese seiyū.He is most known for the roles of Sagara Sanosuke , Akito Tenkawa , Takeshi , Horohoro , Johannes Krauser II and Keitaro Urashima ....
(anime, Japanese), Sam RiegelSam RiegelSamuel Brent Oscar "Sam" Riegel is a voice actor, writer and director who appears in many television cartoons, anime, and video games. He began as a child actor in theater in Virginia, and moved to New York City to perform in Broadway and off-Broadway shows...
(anime, English), Yūsuke IseyaYusuke Iseyais a Japanese actor.He was born in Tokyo, Japan. With his modeling career , Yūsuke is known for Loreal , Men's Nonno magazine, Prada , and Asahi Aqua Blue....
(movie), Hiroki NarimiyaHiroki Narimiya, better known as , is a Japanese actor.-Early life:He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. His parents are Okinawan, so he is of Okinawan descent. His parents divorced when he was young, and in his third year of junior high school, his mother died and he and his brother were raised by his...
(Japanese TV drama)- A sixth-year art student, age 24 at the start of the series, in the same apartment complex as Takemoto and Mayama. Morita is depicted as a perpetual student, unable to graduate because of persistent absenteeism. This is mainly due to his work, which forces him to go missing for several days, after which he sleeps for at least 48 hours. Morita is considered mysterious by the other students, prone to bizarre behavior such as creating a version of TwisterTwister (game)Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Hasbro Games. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has four rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, blue, and green. A spinner is attached to a square board...
with too many colors. He is a perceptive person who cares for his friends Takemoto and Mayama but often expressing himself tactlessly, and who is not generous with his money and food. He also expresses his desire for Hagu in quirky ways, such as forcing her to dress up as a mouse because he likes cute things. Later in the series, he departs for a year in America, and eventually the others learn he has been moonlighting as an award-winning CGIComputer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
artist.
- A sixth-year art student, age 24 at the start of the series, in the same apartment complex as Takemoto and Mayama. Morita is depicted as a perpetual student, unable to graduate because of persistent absenteeism. This is mainly due to his work, which forces him to go missing for several days, after which he sleeps for at least 48 hours. Morita is considered mysterious by the other students, prone to bizarre behavior such as creating a version of Twister
- Portrayed by: Tomokazu SugitaTomokazu Sugitais a Japanese voice actor employed by Atomic Monkey. Best known for his role as Gintoki in Gintama, he also voices Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. He is also one of the three hosts on the radio show Bururaji promoting the videogame Blazblue which is produced and released on Nico Nico...
(anime, Japanese), Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
(anime, English), Ryō KaseRyo Kaseis a Japanese actor. He grew up in Bellevue, Washington until he was seven. He portrayed Shimizu, one of the lower-ranked Japanese soldiers, in Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima. He starred in Masayuki Suo's film I Just Didn't Do It.-Filmography:...
(movie), Osamu MukaiOsamu Mukaiis a Japanese actor. He was born in Kanagawa, Japan. Graduated from Meiji University.-Summary:Mukai's first main role was in the 2006 Japanese television drama Nodame Cantabile...
(Japanese TV drama)- A fourth-year art student, age 22 at the start of the series, in the same apartment complex as Takemoto and Morita. He acts as a senpaiSenpaiand are an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, with even twins being divided into elder and younger sibling...
(senior) to Takemoto and tries to help Morita get up for early morning classes. Early in the series, Mayama helps Rika Harada out with various errands at her design firm, Harada Design, during which time he develops feelings for Rika. The series initially leaves unclear whether Mayama takes advantage of Rika's disability to fulfill his desires, but it is later shown that Rika reciprocates his feelings. At her urging, Mayama begins working for a different design firm, but after it breaks up, near the end of the series, he returns to work for Rika. Despite Yamada's throwing herself at him, Mayama considers her only as his close friend, but he becomes protective of her when a colleague with a reputation for playing girls develops an interest in her.
- A fourth-year art student, age 22 at the start of the series, in the same apartment complex as Takemoto and Morita. He acts as a senpai
- Portrayed by: Mikako TakahashiMikako Takahashiis a seiyū and J-pop singer born May 29, 1980 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Under the alias Mikako Hyatt, she forms one half of the Excel Saga seiyū duo The Excel Girls . She is employed by I'm Enterprise...
(anime, Japanese), Julie Ann TaylorJulie Ann TaylorJulie Ann Taylor is an American voice actress who is best known for her role of Ai Tanabe in Planetes, Mutsumi Otohime in Love Hina, Yukari Hayasaka in Paradise Kiss and Taiga Fujimura in Fate/Stay Night among others...
(anime, English), Megumi SekiMegumi Sekiis a Japanese actress. Her movies include Koi wa Go-Shichi-Go! , Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge and Dragonball Evolution .-TV dramas:*Ganbatte Ikimasshoi...
(movie), Natsuki Harada (Japanese TV drama)- A third-year art student, age 21 at the start of the series, specializing in ceramic artsPotteryPottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
. She is well-known by other students for her pottery and her nickname Tetsujin "Iron-lady" for running 6 km to school every morning to help her dog lose weight. She is depicted as a beautiful young woman, who catches the attention of her male friends and coworkers. Yamada is deeply in love with Mayama, but he does not return her feelings and repeatedly encourages her to find someone else. Later in the series, she is angered by Mayama's sudden protectiveness when he tries to shield her from his former boss, Nomiya. Yamada is close friends with Hagu, who addresses her by first name. At the end of the series, Yamada continues as a graduate student in art, while making pottery for Harada Design.
- A third-year art student, age 21 at the start of the series, specializing in ceramic arts
Manga
The Honey and Clover manga was written and illustrated by Chika Umino and published by ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. The first fourteen chapters were serialized in the josei
Josei
also known as or , is a term that refers to the target demographic of manga created mostly by women for late teenage and adult female audiences. Readers range from 15-44. In Japanese, the word josei means simply "woman", "female", "feminine", "womanhood" and has no manga-related connotations at...
(aimed at younger adult women) manga magazine CUTiEcomic from June 2000 to July 2001, when serialization moved to Young YOU. With the demise of Young YOU in 2005, it moved to Chorus
Chorus (magazine)
is a Japanese josei manga magazine published by Shueisha.- Current :# Kyaria Kogitsune Kin no Machi # Samurai Kaasan # Higepiyo # Chikutaku Bonbon # Yottsu no Kisetsu...
, where it ran until July 2006. The 64 chapters were collected in ten bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
. The series was also issued in a ten-volume box set in May 2007.
The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, which began serializing it in Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...
magazine in August 2007. It is also licensed in France by Kana
Kana (publisher)
Kana is a French publisher affiliated with Les Éditions Dargaud. Kana was founded in 1996 by Yves Schlirf. The company publishes manga in French and Dutch. Its headquarters are in the Dargaud offices in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.-External links:*...
, in Germany by Tokyopop Germany, and in Thailand by Bongkoch Comics
Bongkoch Comics
Bongkoch Publishing is a Thai publisher based in Thailand. It produced mainly shōjo, romance and fantasy comics. The price of the books is about 45 to 200 Bath ....
.
Anime
The anime television series was produced by J.C.StaffJ.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
and consists of 38 episodes in broadcast in two seasons on Fuji TV in the Noitamina
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
programming block. The first season was directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
Ken'ichi Kasai
is a Japanese anime director, born on 12 April 1970 in Gifu Prefecture.He is amongst J.C.Staff's most noted directors, having directed the highly-rated Honey and Clover series. Beginning his career as a production manager, using his birth name, he moved onto direction with J.C. Staff...
, and consisted of 24 episodes that aired from April 14, 2005 and September 29, 2005 plus two DVD-only episodes. The second season was directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai
Tatsuyuki Nagai
is an anime director and member of the noted anime studio Sunrise. He made his full directorial debut with 2006's Honey and Clover II, after which he had directed 2007's Idolmaster: Xenoglossia and 2008's Toradora!...
, and consisted of 12 episodes that aired between June 29, 2006 and September 14, 2006.
Both seasons were rebroadcast in Japan by the anime CS
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
television network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, which also later broadcast the series across its respective networks in Hong Kong, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, South Korea, and other regions. The series was first broadcast in English on Amimax's Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
network starting August 1, 2006.
The anime featured numerous sponsors, including clothing brands we
WE (clothing)
WE is an originally Dutch, slightly upmarket, high street fashion retailer selling clothing, shoes, bags and accessories of its own WE clothing brand as well as their Fundamentals clothing brand for more basic gear...
, adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Head Porter, visvim and Sally Scott, as well as Weider in Jelly in the second season.
FUNimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
's dub and it premiered on the FUNimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
on September 19, 2009.Viz Media have subsequently released the entire series across three DVD collection sets.. In Australia, the anime is distributed on DVD by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
.
Staff
- Director: Ken'ichi KasaiKen'ichi Kasaiis a Japanese anime director, born on 12 April 1970 in Gifu Prefecture.He is amongst J.C.Staff's most noted directors, having directed the highly-rated Honey and Clover series. Beginning his career as a production manager, using his birth name, he moved onto direction with J.C. Staff...
, Tatsuyuki NagaiTatsuyuki Nagaiis an anime director and member of the noted anime studio Sunrise. He made his full directorial debut with 2006's Honey and Clover II, after which he had directed 2007's Idolmaster: Xenoglossia and 2008's Toradora!...
(second season) - Screenplay: Yōsuke Kuroda
- Character supervision: Chika Umino
- Character designs: Shūichi Shimamura
- Chief animation director: Takahiko Yoshida (first season), Masaru Heiwatari (second season)
- Prop design: Yukako Tsuzuki
- Art director: Chikako Shibata
- Color setting: Miyuki Ishida
- Video design: Nobuo Ōkouchi
- Photography director: Yutaka Kurosawa, Yoshio Ōkouchi (second season)
- Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama
- Sound director: Jin Aketagawa
- Sound production: Magic Capsule
- Music: DEPAPEPE (first season), Yuzo Hayashi & Salon'68
- Opening image: Fumiko Hirano (second season)
- Music production: AniplexAniplex, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
, SME Records - Opening video: Nagi Noda (1-12 episodes), Yuichi KodamaYuichi KodamaKodama Yuichi is a Japanese video director. He has mainly directed music videos and ads. Remarkably, he often produces music videos and ads that are strongly connected, or "tie-up"ed, such as Perfume's "Secret Secret" and Morinaga Milk's "Eskimo Pino", or Amuro Namie's songs and Vidal sassoon's...
(13-24 episodes) - Clothing supervision: Kazuki Kuraishi
- Producers: GENCO
- Animation production: J.C.StaffJ.C.STAFF, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
- Production: Hachikuro Production Committee (Asmik Ace EntertainmentAsmik Ace Entertainmentwas formed in 1997 through a merger between the Asmik Corporation and Ace Entertainment, both of Japan. The name Asmik comes from its three founding companies: Ask, Sumitomo and Kodansha. The company is headquartered on the third floor of the Lapiross Roppongi building in Minato, Tokyo.Asmik...
, ShueishaShueishais a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
, Fuji TelevisionFuji Televisionis a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
, DentsuDentsuis one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
, Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, Genco)
Live-action film
The series was adapted as a live-action feature filmFeature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
produced by Asmik Ace Entertainment
Asmik Ace Entertainment
was formed in 1997 through a merger between the Asmik Corporation and Ace Entertainment, both of Japan. The name Asmik comes from its three founding companies: Ask, Sumitomo and Kodansha. The company is headquartered on the third floor of the Lapiross Roppongi building in Minato, Tokyo.Asmik...
. It was directed by Masahiro Takada from a screenplay by Masahiko Kawahara and Masahiro Takada, and starred Sakurai Sho as Takemoto, Yū Aoi
Yû Aoi
is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou...
as Hagu, Yūsuke Iseya
Yusuke Iseya
is a Japanese actor.He was born in Tokyo, Japan. With his modeling career , Yūsuke is known for Loreal , Men's Nonno magazine, Prada , and Asahi Aqua Blue....
as Morita, Ryō Kase
Ryo Kase
is a Japanese actor. He grew up in Bellevue, Washington until he was seven. He portrayed Shimizu, one of the lower-ranked Japanese soldiers, in Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima. He starred in Masayuki Suo's film I Just Didn't Do It.-Filmography:...
as Mayama, and Megumi Seki
Megumi Seki
is a Japanese actress. Her movies include Koi wa Go-Shichi-Go! , Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge and Dragonball Evolution .-TV dramas:*Ganbatte Ikimasshoi...
as Ayumi. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 22, 2006. The DVD for the film was released on January 12, 2007.
Staff
- Director: Masahiro Takada
- Screenplay: Masahiko Kawahara, Masahiro Takada
- Producers: Shinji Ogawa, Keiko Imamura, Maho Tada
- Photography: Keiji Hasegawa
- Lighting: Kimihiko Yamazaki
- Art: Momoko Nakamura
- Sound: Makio Ika
- Recording: Tadao Tasai
- Stylist: Haruhisa Shiroyama
- Music Producers: Toyohiko Kinhashi, Kyoto Megei
- Music: Yoko KannoYoko Kannois a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many games, anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements...
- Hagumi's Painting Work: Maya Maxx
- Morita's Sculpture Work: Taisho Morita
- Production: Hachimitsu to Kurōba Film Partners
- Distribution: Asmik Ace
Japanese TV drama
A Japanese television dramaJapanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
adaptation of the series premiered on January 8, 2008. It aired every Tuesday at 21:00 JST for 11 episodes on Fuji TV until March 18, 2008. Written by Kaneko Shigeki, and directed by Masaki Tanamura and Hiroaki Matsuyama, the show starred starred Toma Ikuta
Toma Ikuta
is a Japanese talent artist part of Johnny's Jr. under the supervision of Johnny & Associates.-Career :Ikuta Toma used to be in a variety show for kids called Tensai Terebi kun. Being a member of a then all-children band called Strawberry Parfait, he was popular with the audience...
as Takemoto, Riko Narumi
Riko Narumi
is a Japanese actress and model.-Films:-Dramas:-External links:* at Ken On Entertainment...
as Hagumi, Hiroki Narimiya
Hiroki Narimiya
, better known as , is a Japanese actor.-Early life:He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. His parents are Okinawan, so he is of Okinawan descent. His parents divorced when he was young, and in his third year of junior high school, his mother died and he and his brother were raised by his...
as Morita, Osamu Mukai
Osamu Mukai
is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kanagawa, Japan. Graduated from Meiji University.-Summary:Mukai's first main role was in the 2006 Japanese television drama Nodame Cantabile...
as Mayama, and Natsuki Harada as Ayumi. The music for the series was provided by Shōgo Kaida, Keiichi Miyako (SOPHIA) and Shin Kōno, while the theme song to the series was "Canvas" by the Japanese R&B singer Ken Hirai
Ken Hirai
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and spokesperson.During his career, Hirai has released 32 singles and 11 albums up until October 2010. According to Oricon, his single Hitomi Wo Tojite became the best-selling single...
. A DVD set was released for the series on July 11, 2008.
Taiwanese TV drama
The manga was adapted into a Taiwanese dramaTaiwanese drama
Taiwanese Drama refers to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and have gained increasing popularity in the Mandarin-speaking community...
titled starring Lego Li as An Zhu Ben (Takemoto), Chiaki Ito as Hua Ben Yu (Hagumi), Eddie Peng as Ren Sen Tian (Morita), Joe Cheng
Joe Cheng
Joseph Cheng, also known as Joe Cheng, was born on 19 June 1982. He is a Taiwanese model, actor and singer. Although he started his career as a model, Cheng is well known for his role as Jiang Zhishu in Taiwanese drama serial version of Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss, It Started with a Kiss...
as Den Zhen Shan (Mayama), and Janine Chang
Janine Chang
Janine Chang , also known as Chang Chun-ning, is a German-born Taiwanese actress. Chang attended the National Taipei University and National Central University , obtaining a bachelor's degree in law....
as He Ya Gong (Ayumi). It was produced by Huang Zhi Ming and directed by Li Yun Chan.
It was broadcasted on free-to-air on Chinese Television System (CTS)
Chinese Television System
Chinese Television System is a broadcast television station in Republic of China .-History:Founded on October 31, 1971, CTS started off as a joint venture between the ROC's Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. At the time of its establishment, CTS was the only VHF-supported...
(華視) from 25 May 2008 to 31 August 2008 on Sundays at 22:00.
Reception
In 2003, the manga of Honey and Clover won the 27th Kodansha Manga AwardKodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for shōjo. About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Deb Aoki lists Honey and Clover as the best new josei manga of 2008. Yū Aoi
Yû Aoi
is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chou...
won the award for Best Actress at the 28th Yokohama Film Festival
Yokohama Film Festival
The is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel...
for her role as Hagumi Hanamoto in the live-action film.