Kyo no Gononi
Encyclopedia
is the debut Japanese seinen manga series created by Koharu Sakuraba
, the author of Minami-ke
. It was originally serialized in Kodansha
's Bessatsu Young Magazine from 2002 to 2003, and the twenty-two chapters were later collected together in a single bound volume along with two extra
chapters and published on November 11, 2003 by Kodansha. The main premise of Kyō no Go no Ni is the school life of the fifth year class 5-2, focusing on an elementary-school boy named Ryōta Satō.
In 2006, Shinkūkan produced a four-episode original video adaptation (OVA) directed by Makoto Sokuza. The OVAs contain a special audio track in which the female characters' voices are replaced by members of the idol unit
Sweet Kiss and were released in two versions: original and special edit. Xebec produced a thirteen episode anime
adaptation directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, unrelated to the OVAs. It first began airing on TV Tokyo
between October 5, 2008 and December 28, 2008. Kodansha
has announced that Xebec will be adapting an OVA version of the anime in 2009, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, featuring the same cast as the anime.
to marry each other. The story begins when they are both now in their fifth year of elementary school
in class 5-2 together with their group of friends Yūki Asano, Kazumi Aihara, Natsumi Hirakawa, Megumi Hidaka, Kōji Imai, Tsubasa Kawai. While making his way to sixth year, much to his own dismay, Ryōta is often forced unwillingly into compromising situations.
. It was serialized in Kodansha
's Bessatsu Young Magazine between 2002 and 2003. The only tankōbon
volume of the series was published on November 11, 2003 with ISBN 9784063611786. The volume features Chika as the cover character in addition to two omake
chapters entitled Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club" and Invitation. In a similarly named magazine the Weekly Young Magazine, it was announced in its 43rd issue on September 22, 2008 that it would begin serializing Kyō no Go no Ni once again in its next issue on September 29, 2008.
Chapter List
; Chika's voice actor (Mai Kadowaki) is replaced by Saaya Irie
; Yūki's voice actor (Mikako Takahashi) is replaced by Jessica; Kazumi Aihara's voice actor (Noto Mamiko) is replaced by Runa. It featured three theme songs, one opening and two endings that were all sung by Mai Kadowaki, Mamiko Noto, and Mikako Takahashi. "Baby Love" is used as the opening for all the episodes. is used as the first ending theme for the first two episodes. is used as the second opening theme for the last two episodes. It adapts all the chapters of the manga except for 9th Period - "Rain", 12th Period - "Fairytale", 17th Period - "Nodding Off", Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club", Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club". However, it includes an arc not included in the manga in its second episode entitled "5th Period 'Invitation'".
The OVAs span four episodes, released in four different DVDs entitled and were released from March 24, 2006 to and March 21, 2007. Each DVD also has a special edit version that comes with an extra item or two. The DVD boxset was released on January 30, 2008. It included all four of the OVA adaptation's DVDs, an additional DVD entitled that included the extra chapter as well as an interview with the staff, and an additional CD which included: all three of the theme songs, all the tracks on the radio drama included with the special edit of the third OVA DVD volume, and a special wallpaper for a computer.
In April 2009, Kodansha
announced that Xebec
will produce a second OVA adaptation of Kyō no Go no Ni, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa and written by Takamitsu Kouno, featuring the same cast as the anime adaptation by Xebec. The music will be composed by Kei Haneoka.
by Xebec, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, written by Takamitsu Kouno, and produced by Starchild Records. The music for the anime was composed by Takamitsu Kouno. The major and staff and leading voice actors were announced on August 7, 2008. It was announced that TV Tokyo
would post a promotional movie on the Internet
on September 27, 2008. It was broadcasted by TV Tokyo Network Stations
and first began airing on TV Tokyo on Sunday at 1:30 starting October 5, 2008 and ending on December 28, 2008. It adapts all the chapters of the manga except the chapter entitled "Supplementary Lesson - 'Today in Tennis Club'".
The anime adaptation featured six main theme songs, one opening that was also used as an ending theme, and five different ending themes. is used as the opening theme for all the episodes except the last which does not feature an opening theme. is used as the first ending theme from episodes one through three. is used as the second ending theme for episodes four and five. is used as the third ending theme for episode six. is used as the third ending theme from episode seven to episode nine. is used as the fifth ending theme from episode ten to episode twelve. "Nisemono" is used once again as the final ending theme in episode thirteen. The two songs, "secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~" and "Daibakuhatsu NO.1" are both covers
of the same song performed by ZONE
. All the ending themes the voice actors for the main characters: Yū Kobayashi, Asami Shimoda, MAKO, Satomi Akesaka, Yōko Honda, and Kana Asumi under the band name Friends.
Four DVDs were released from December 25, 2008 to March 25, 2009, each containing three episodes except for the last which contains four. Each DVD is assigned a season in chronological order beginning from spring. An official fanbook was released on December 22, 2008 by Kodansha
with an ISBN of 978-4-06-375627-2 and Yūki, Chika, and Kazumi as the cover characters.
entitled on March 23, 2006 by Avex Tracks under the catalog number AVCA-22708. The single contained three version for each "Baby Love" and "Yakusoku": two versions sung by the two sets of voice actors for Chika Koizumi, Kazumi Aihara, and Yūki Asano (Mai Kadowaki, Mamiko Noto, and Mikako Takahashi, followed by the respective members of Sweet Kiss) and an instrumental version. A maxi single
entitled Nisemono was released on November 5, 2008 by King Records under the catalog number KICM-3175. This single contained "Nisemono" and "Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~" in original and instrumental versions as sung by the group, Friends. A studio album
of twelve tracks was released on January 7, 2009, entitled Best Friends, by King Records under the catalog number KICA-950. It included all six of the theme songs as sung by the group, Friends: "Nisemono", "Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~", "Daibakuhatsu NO.1", "Natsu Matsuri", "Yūyake Iro", and "Negai."
The anime adaptation's original soundtrack on December 10, 2008 by King Records under the catalog number KICA-945. Twenty-eight tracks of the album are background music
whereas the other six tracks are the shortened versions of all the theme songs. The album is separated into four sections named chronologically after the seasons starting with spring.
's Carl Kimlinger praised the 2007 OVA's characters design as "smooth" and "shiny". He criticized the 2008 anime adaptation for its "almost sloppy character animation" however praised it for almost entirely removing what he described as "squirm-inducing fan-service
" as was present in the OVA adaptation.
Koharu Sakuraba
Koharu Sakuraba is a manga author. She created Kyō no Go no Ni in 2002 and Minami-ke in 2004. These were both very popular and spawned anime series. Her most recent work is the 2009 series Sonna Mirai wa Uso de Aru which has released a single volume in 2011.-External links:...
, the author of Minami-ke
Minami-ke
is a Japanese manga series by Koharu Sakuraba, who also authored Kyō no Go no Ni. It was first serialized in the weekly Japanese manga magazine Young Magazine in 2004. The slice of life comedy focuses on the everyday life of three sisters: Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki Minami. The manga was adapted into...
. It was originally serialized in Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
's Bessatsu Young Magazine from 2002 to 2003, and the twenty-two chapters were later collected together in a single bound volume along with two extra
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
chapters and published on November 11, 2003 by Kodansha. The main premise of Kyō no Go no Ni is the school life of the fifth year class 5-2, focusing on an elementary-school boy named Ryōta Satō.
In 2006, Shinkūkan produced a four-episode original video adaptation (OVA) directed by Makoto Sokuza. The OVAs contain a special audio track in which the female characters' voices are replaced by members of the idol unit
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
Sweet Kiss and were released in two versions: original and special edit. Xebec produced a thirteen episode anime
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....
adaptation directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, unrelated to the OVAs. It first began airing on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
between October 5, 2008 and December 28, 2008. Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
has announced that Xebec will be adapting an OVA version of the anime in 2009, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, featuring the same cast as the anime.
Plot
Ever since their childhood, Ryōta Satō and Chika Koizumi have been close friends, going so far as to pinky swearPinky swear
To pinky swear, or make a pinky promise or Piggy promise, is when two people entwine their pinky fingers to signify that a promise has been made. It is often seen in anime, where it is called a ....
to marry each other. The story begins when they are both now in their fifth year of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in class 5-2 together with their group of friends Yūki Asano, Kazumi Aihara, Natsumi Hirakawa, Megumi Hidaka, Kōji Imai, Tsubasa Kawai. While making his way to sixth year, much to his own dismay, Ryōta is often forced unwillingly into compromising situations.
Characters
- Ryōta is the protagonist of the series and the childhood friend of Chika, having a crush on her ever since. In the past the two often played together, even sleeping together in the same bed, and promised to marry each other once they had grown into adults. He is best friends with Kōji and good friends with Tsubasa Kawai and often challenges Kōji to see which of the two is better. He enjoys eating and playing games together with the rest of the class. Although he is not very intelligent, he is a kind person and tries to help others when he can, which often unwilling and unintentionally trap him in comprising situations that earn him a beating from either Chika or Yūki. He is naive to the desires of normal males as he is not especially interested in relationships between males and females. Once he falls asleep, not only is it extremely hard to waken him once more, but for anyone who comes into close proximity to him, he will grab them and do something strange to them before they too fall asleep. Not only that, he is also a bad sleeper as he frequently rolls around in his sleep. His seat number is 12.
- Chika is the childhood friend of Ryōta and in their romantic relationship with each other, she often takes the lead role. She has a crush on him and despite her best attempts, she is unable to get Ryōta to notice. She is fond of her childhood memories that she shares with Ryōta and in the end, she up take his hand. She is usually level-headed but not always, physically abusing Ryōta should he "deserve" it (decided by her jumping to conclusions). She also has a mischievous spirit, unafraid to play pranks on Ryōta, no matter what position they leave him in. Her number on the class list is 10.
- She is bright, talkative, and active. She enjoys chatting, gossiping, and talking about things such as fashion and frequently worries about the size of her breasts. Though despite having a strong sense of responsibility, she is known for being unable to keep secrets. She has a crush on Kōji and gives him chocolates for Valentine's DayValentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
. She is a terrible cook. Her number on the class list is 2.
- She is quiet, mysterious, and sadistic. She is often seen taking notes down in her observational diary on whatever happens to interest her at the time rather than participating in physical activities along with everyone else. However, no one, not even Chika whom she has been friends with for a long time, has ever seen her laugh. Like Ryouta, she is a member of the health committee. Her number on the class list is 1.
- She is a short, sporty and athletic girl who can beat anyone at sports. Although she generally does not have desires, when she finds a goal, she is able to single-mindely pursue it. Although she is generally a calm person, she is nyctophobic. She is very innocent, often being stopped by her friends from undressing in public in front of boys. She is a tomboy and refers to herself in a very masculine way as she uses the male-singular pronoun to refer to herself and always dresses in boys clothing except during the epilogue of the anime. Her number on the class list is 17.
- Megumi wears glasses and is nearly blind without them. Surprisingly, she is a rather carless person and is often fooled by her surroundings. She is more developed then the other girls in her class and is self conscious when others notice that. She often worries about her weight, ensuring that it stays at exactly 35 kg. Her number on the class list is 16.
- Kōji is Ryōta's best friend. He is bold and quick witted as well as being knowledgeable as to what girls expect from guys and in his childhood, he was a habitual skirt flipper. He has black hair in the TV version and blond in the OVA. He often challenges Ryōta to several duels to see which of the two is better. He is afraid of Yuki cooking. His number on the class list is 3.
- Tsubasa is one of Ryōta's close friends. He is very calm and kind, always carrying an innocent smile and often playing the role of mediator between Ryōta and Kōji. He is intelligent and loves reading about and viewing outer space. He has blond hair in the TV version and black in the OVA. His number on the class list is 8.
Manga
The original work for Kyō no Go no Ni is illustrated and written by Koharu SakurabaKoharu Sakuraba
Koharu Sakuraba is a manga author. She created Kyō no Go no Ni in 2002 and Minami-ke in 2004. These were both very popular and spawned anime series. Her most recent work is the 2009 series Sonna Mirai wa Uso de Aru which has released a single volume in 2011.-External links:...
. It was serialized in Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
's Bessatsu Young Magazine between 2002 and 2003. The only 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...
volume of the series was published on November 11, 2003 with ISBN 9784063611786. The volume features Chika as the cover character in addition to two omake
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
chapters entitled Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club" and Invitation. In a similarly named magazine the Weekly Young Magazine, it was announced in its 43rd issue on September 22, 2008 that it would begin serializing Kyō no Go no Ni once again in its next issue on September 29, 2008.
Chapter List
OVAs
Kyō no Go no Ni was adapted into an OVA by Shinkūkan in 2006, directed by Makoto Sokuza and written by Miki Okitsu. The music for the OVA was composed by Toru Yukawa. A sixty-six second trailer was announced on February 20, 2006. A special audio track was included in the DVDs in which the female characters' voices are replaced by members of the idol unit Sweet KissSweet Kiss (Japanese Pop band)
Sweet Kiss is a Japanese pop band made up of Saaya Irie, Runa Okada, and Jessica. They have debuted only releasing a couple of songs.The band rumored its breakup on May 12, 2006. Two of the members, Irie and Okada, went on to form a new trio, named "Chase," with Rio Iguchi. Furthermore, all Chase...
; Chika's voice actor (Mai Kadowaki) is replaced by Saaya Irie
Saaya Irie
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, junior idol and singer. Her stage name is simply her given name, Saaya.She has recently been appearing in numerous films, radio, and television programs including the recent live action TV drama adaptation of the Jigoku Shoujo series. She has also done voice...
; Yūki's voice actor (Mikako Takahashi) is replaced by Jessica; Kazumi Aihara's voice actor (Noto Mamiko) is replaced by Runa. It featured three theme songs, one opening and two endings that were all sung by Mai Kadowaki, Mamiko Noto, and Mikako Takahashi. "Baby Love" is used as the opening for all the episodes. is used as the first ending theme for the first two episodes. is used as the second opening theme for the last two episodes. It adapts all the chapters of the manga except for 9th Period - "Rain", 12th Period - "Fairytale", 17th Period - "Nodding Off", Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club", Supplementary Lesson - "Today in Tennis Club". However, it includes an arc not included in the manga in its second episode entitled "5th Period 'Invitation'".
The OVAs span four episodes, released in four different DVDs entitled and were released from March 24, 2006 to and March 21, 2007. Each DVD also has a special edit version that comes with an extra item or two. The DVD boxset was released on January 30, 2008. It included all four of the OVA adaptation's DVDs, an additional DVD entitled that included the extra chapter as well as an interview with the staff, and an additional CD which included: all three of the theme songs, all the tracks on the radio drama included with the special edit of the third OVA DVD volume, and a special wallpaper for a computer.
In April 2009, Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
announced that Xebec
Xebec
A xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
will produce a second OVA adaptation of Kyō no Go no Ni, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa and written by Takamitsu Kouno, featuring the same cast as the anime adaptation by Xebec. The music will be composed by Kei Haneoka.
Anime
Kyō no Go no Ni was adapted into an animeAnime
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....
by Xebec, directed by Tsuyoshi Nagasawa, written by Takamitsu Kouno, and produced by Starchild Records. The music for the anime was composed by Takamitsu Kouno. The major and staff and leading voice actors were announced on August 7, 2008. It was announced that TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
would post a promotional movie on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
on September 27, 2008. It was broadcasted by TV Tokyo Network Stations
TXN
- TV Tokyo Network stations :-External links:*...
and first began airing on TV Tokyo on Sunday at 1:30 starting October 5, 2008 and ending on December 28, 2008. It adapts all the chapters of the manga except the chapter entitled "Supplementary Lesson - 'Today in Tennis Club'".
The anime adaptation featured six main theme songs, one opening that was also used as an ending theme, and five different ending themes. is used as the opening theme for all the episodes except the last which does not feature an opening theme. is used as the first ending theme from episodes one through three. is used as the second ending theme for episodes four and five. is used as the third ending theme for episode six. is used as the third ending theme from episode seven to episode nine. is used as the fifth ending theme from episode ten to episode twelve. "Nisemono" is used once again as the final ending theme in episode thirteen. The two songs, "secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~" and "Daibakuhatsu NO.1" are both covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the same song performed by ZONE
Zone
-Places:France* Any of several divisions during the German occupation of France during World War IIGermany* The Zone , a derogatory term for the German Democratic RepublicGreece...
. All the ending themes the voice actors for the main characters: Yū Kobayashi, Asami Shimoda, MAKO, Satomi Akesaka, Yōko Honda, and Kana Asumi under the band name Friends.
Four DVDs were released from December 25, 2008 to March 25, 2009, each containing three episodes except for the last which contains four. Each DVD is assigned a season in chronological order beginning from spring. An official fanbook was released on December 22, 2008 by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
with an ISBN of 978-4-06-375627-2 and Yūki, Chika, and Kazumi as the cover characters.
CDs
Multiple music CDs have been released for Kyō no Go no Ni. The first was a maxi singleMaxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
entitled on March 23, 2006 by Avex Tracks under the catalog number AVCA-22708. The single contained three version for each "Baby Love" and "Yakusoku": two versions sung by the two sets of voice actors for Chika Koizumi, Kazumi Aihara, and Yūki Asano (Mai Kadowaki, Mamiko Noto, and Mikako Takahashi, followed by the respective members of Sweet Kiss) and an instrumental version. A maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
entitled Nisemono was released on November 5, 2008 by King Records under the catalog number KICM-3175. This single contained "Nisemono" and "Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~" in original and instrumental versions as sung by the group, Friends. A studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
of twelve tracks was released on January 7, 2009, entitled Best Friends, by King Records under the catalog number KICA-950. It included all six of the theme songs as sung by the group, Friends: "Nisemono", "Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~", "Daibakuhatsu NO.1", "Natsu Matsuri", "Yūyake Iro", and "Negai."
The anime adaptation's original soundtrack on December 10, 2008 by King Records under the catalog number KICA-945. Twenty-eight tracks of the album are background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
whereas the other six tracks are the shortened versions of all the theme songs. The album is separated into four sections named chronologically after the seasons starting with spring.
Drama CDs
King Records has released two drama CDs adaptations of the series. The first CD is an eight-track album entitled released on December 25, 2008 under the catalog number KICA-951. The second CD is a nine-track album entitled released on February 25, 2009 under the catalog number KICA-952.Reception
Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
's Carl Kimlinger praised the 2007 OVA's characters design as "smooth" and "shiny". He criticized the 2008 anime adaptation for its "almost sloppy character animation" however praised it for almost entirely removing what he described as "squirm-inducing fan-service
Fan service
, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...
" as was present in the OVA adaptation.