is a Japanese manga

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...

 written and illustrated by Yuu Watase

Yuu Watase

is a female Japanese shōjo manga artist. She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" , Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series...

. The manga is five volumes long. It has been 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...

.

Plot

Tanpopo Yamazaki moves from Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

 to Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 in order to begin high school in an entirely new environment. When she goes to see her new school, Meio Academy, she meets a young man who is replanting a Tanpopo (dandelion) flower. At school the next day, Tanpopo is not only amazed by the modern facilities but also that she is in the same class as the young man she met the day before: Koki Kugyo, the son of the owner of Meio. When she greets him, Koki pretends not to know her and she is shocked that he would act so differently from their previous meeting.

Meanwhile, the students at the school discover Tanpopo is a commoner from the country side and begin to bully her. In an effort to change the social hierarchy of the school and also find some new friends, Tanpopo cheerfully starts the "Planting Club". Soon, she attracts the attention of students like the insincerely kind Saionji Tsukiko and Kugyo, who begins to show his kinder side. However, just as Tanpopo and Kugyo's friendship develops and their gardening club grows, secrets of Kugyo's family life are revealed. Increasing tensions result as Tanpopo begins to fall in love with Kugyo and he reciprocates, though is held back as he is engaged to another girl of the same status.

Characters

Tanpopo is the main character of the manga, and the majority of the story focuses on her ventures and relationships. Tanpopo, a "country girl", originally lived in Hokkaido with her grandparents, but moved to Tokyo to attend Meio Academy. Although initially rejected by her peer

Peer group

A peer group is a social group consisting of humans. Peer groups are an informal primary group of people who share a similar or equal status and who are usually of roughly the same age, tended to travel around and interact within the social aggregate Members of a particular peer group often have...

s for her lack of money and familial connections, Tanpopo is determined to make her mark on the school. She starts up the "Gardening Club" (despite the fact that live plants are illegal on school grounds) with fellow students in order to bring life back into the school. Tanpopo is both claustrophobic and afraid of the dark, as she was trapped in her parents' car after a crash that killed them both. She also has a pet fox

Fox

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

 named Poplar.

Koki is the main male lead in the manga, and Tanpopo's main love interest. He is a serious young man, and somewhat burdened by his family responsibilities. As he is the richest of all of the students in his school, Koki feels obligated to live up to the standards that others place on him. He is engaged to a young high class woman, Erika Yanahara, who was previously engaged to Koki's brother, Yoji, before Yoji's disappearance. He resents Yoji for running away and placing all his responsibilities on him. Koki is in the "Gardening Club" with Tanpopo and fellow students, and stands up for Tanpopo when others won't, going so far as to deliberately change the school rules for her so that she can have her way. Koki's favorite hobby is gardening

Gardening

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...

, and when he is around plants, his personality changes from a cold and serious person to a happy, carefree, and somewhat obsessive individual (who even has a Kansai

Kansai

The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...

 accent

Dialect

The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...

). He also carries a gardening scoop with him at all times.

Aoi is a computer genius with an unusual sense of humor, which contributes to the series' comic relief. He is nicknamed "Flippy" by Tanpopo due to his occasional mentally unstable behavior. He initially hates and antagonizes both Koki and Tanpopo, but eventually becomes good friends with both of them.

Tsukiko is Tanpopo's first friend at Meio Academy. Though she appears rather innocent, Tsukiko originally is not very sweet at all, but her friendship with Tanpopo gradually softens her personality and she becomes more caring and loyal. She has her heart set on marrying into the Kugyo family, specifically Koki, although she eventually gets over this longing after realizing Koki and Tanpopo's feelings for each other.

Arisa is a Ganguro

Ganguro

Ganguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion...

 or Kogal

Kogal

The kogal fashion involves wearing an outfit based on a Japanese school uniform, but with a shortened skirt, loose socks, and often dyed hair and a scarf as well. The phenomenon was prominent in the 1990s, but has since declined. The word "kogal" is anglicized from kogyaru, a contraction of kôkôsei...

. She wears heavy white makeup and has very tanned skin, earning her the nickname "reverse raccoon". She prefers partying to schoolwork and has a reputation for being a party girl, but after meeting Tanpopo and discovering that she is pregnant by Ogata, she begins to change for the better.

Erika was originally supposed to marry Yoji Kugyo, but after he ran away, she was left as Koki's responsibility. She loves Koki as she once loved Yoji, but seems to be marrying him only because it is expected of her by her family.

Yoji is Koki's older brother. He is a free spirit, and runs away from the pressures of his high-status family to become a photographer. Upon his return, he falls in love with Tanpopo, and the two date briefly, but Yoji ends their relationship when he realizes that Tanpopo still loves Koki.

Ogata

Ogata is one of the most popular, and powerful, students at Meio Academy. He is extremely jealous of Koki due to his family's wealth and status. Ogata, an infamous ladies' man, is said to have impregnated several female students, including Arisa, at Meio Academy. He even makes a pass at Tanpopo and tries to get her to go out with him. He continually fails to win Tanpopo's heart, however, and is left with the lesser girls of the school. Near the end he decides to take care of Arisa and their baby.

Poplar is Tanpopo's pet fox. Named after a type of tree, Poplar is a trusty companion to Tanpopo, and is always there for her in times of need.

Volumes

Volume 1: Dandelion,
Volume 2: Magnolia,
Volume 3: Daffodil,
Volume 4: Rose,
Volume 5: Poppy

Japanese

Listed below are all Japanese Imadoki! tankōbon

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...

.

1. ISBN 4-09-137473-5 published in August 2000
2. ISBN 4-09-137474-3 Published in November 2000
3. ISBN 4-09-137475-1 published in February 2001
4. ISBN 4-09-137476-X published in May 2001
5. ISBN 4-09-137477-8 published in July 2001