Nisekoi

Nisekoi (Japanese: ニセコイ, literally: "Fake Love"), published in Indonesia under the title Nisekoi: False Love, is a Japanese romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Komi. The manga first appeared as a one-shot story before being serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. The story centers on Raku Ichijō, the son of a yakuza clan leader, who is forced into a fake dating relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the daughter of a rival gang leader, in order to prevent a war between gangs.

Since its appearance, Nisekoi succeeded in gaining wide popularity, which later gave rise to various adaptations, including two anime seasons, several OVAs, light novels, and a live-action film. Its popularity also reached Indonesia, where the manga is published by Elex Media Komputindo. This article will review in depth the plot, characters, and the franchise produced by this series, based on the latest information.

Plot

Basic Premise and Initial Conflict

The story of Nisekoi begins with Raku Ichijō, an ordinary high school student who turns out to be the sole heir of a yakuza clan. One day, he meets Chitoge Kirisaki, a blonde girl who has just moved from the United States. Their first meeting goes poorly because Chitoge accidentally kicks Raku in the face. However, their conflict does not stop there. To end a long feud between the yakuza family and the American gang led by Chitoge's father, both of their parents decide to arrange a match between Raku and Chitoge. They are forced to pretend to be a couple in order to keep the peace in the city.

This situation is complicated by the fact that Raku has feelings for his sweet classmate, Kosaki Onodera. Not only that, a story from the past also hangs over them. Ten years earlier, Raku once promised to marry a girl who gave him a padlocked locket, and the girl carried the key to open it. Now, amid the chaos of his fake relationship with Chitoge, Raku must find out who that girl from his childhood promise is, while trying to pursue his true love. The tension increases further when more girls appear and become involved with Raku's past, creating a situation of comedy and romantic conflict typical of the series.

Development and Climax of the Story

Throughout its serialization, Nisekoi develops the relationships among characters with a seasoning of comedy and misunderstanding. Chitoge, who initially hates Raku and considers him a "pathetic yes-man", slowly begins to realize her true feelings. Meanwhile, Kosaki Onodera, the girl who is Raku's first love, also wrestles with her own feelings. The tension increases further with the arrival of new characters such as Marika Tachibana and Seishirō Tsugumi, each of whom also has a connection to the past or feelings for Raku.

The main mystery about the childhood promise and who the rightful owner of the key is finally finds its answer, which becomes the climax of the story. Although it is revealed that Kosaki Onodera is the girl from Raku's promise, Raku ultimately realizes that his feelings for Chitoge are stronger than merely a promise from the past. The decision to choose Chitoge becomes an important turning point in the story, marking Raku's emotional growth in having to follow his heart.

Main Characters

Nisekoi has a colorful ensemble of characters, each with a unique personality and background.

Raku Ichijō is the main protagonist. He is a high school student who aspires to become a civil servant, a desire that conflicts with his status as a yakuza heir. Although he is often trapped in chaotic situations because of his relationship with Chitoge and the other girls, Raku is at heart a kind person who is faithful to his promises.

Chitoge Kirisaki is the main heroine and Raku's "fake girlfriend". As the daughter of a rival gang leader, she is an energetic, outspoken, and often temperamental girl. Her relationship with Raku begins with hatred, but over time, her feelings of love grow and become one of the main drivers of the story.

Kosaki Onodera is a sweet and shy girl who is Raku's first love. She is Raku's classmate who always fails to confess her feelings because of her awkward nature. Onodera is depicted as a gentle and kind-hearted girl.

In addition to these three, there are other important characters such as Marika Tachibana, a flirtatious girl who also claims to have a promised relationship with Raku in the past; Seishirō Tsugumi, Chitoge's capable bodyguard who is initially suspicious of Raku; Shū Maiko and Ruri Miyamoto, friends of Raku and Onodera who often give sharp comments and become loyal observers of the chaos that occurs; as well as Yui Kanakura, Raku's adoptive older sister who appears later and possesses one of the keys to open the locket.

Media and Adaptations

Nisekoi has grown into a large media franchise, with various adaptations that have spread its story to a wider audience. The following is a breakdown of those adaptations.

Manga

The Nisekoi manga series was written and illustrated by Naoshi Komi. Serialization began in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on November 21, 2011 and ended on August 8, 2016. The story was later collected into 25 tankōbon volumes published by Shueisha under the Jump Comics imprint. In Indonesia, the manga is licensed by Elex Media Komputindo and began publication on October 19, 2016. The manga has also been published widely in various countries and has completed its entire serialization, making it one of the best-known romantic comedy manga series of the 2010s.

Anime

The Nisekoi anime adaptation was produced by studio Shaft, with Akiyuki Shinbo serving as chief director. The first season of the anime aired from January 11 to May 24, 2014, consisting of 20 episodes. The success of the first season was later followed by a second season titled Nisekoi:* that aired from April 10 to June 26, 2015, consisting of 12 episodes. In addition, several OVA (Original Video Animation) episodes were also released as supplements. The anime succeeded in adapting the early part of the manga story up to around Chapter 106, before eventually stopping. Aniplex of America licensed the series for the North American region, and Crunchyroll provides it for streaming in various regions.

Live-Action Film

A live-action film adaptation of Nisekoi was announced and released in Japan on December 21, 2018. The film was directed by Hayato Kawai, distributed by Toho, and starred Kento Nakajima as Raku Ichijō and Ayami Nakajo as Chitoge Kirisaki. Other cast members included Natsumi Ikema as Kosaki Onodera and Haruka Shimazaki as Marika Tachibana. The film is an adaptation of the manga story and has a duration of 118 minutes.

Other Media

In addition to the manga, anime, and film, Nisekoi has also expanded into other media. There is a light novel series titled Nisekoi: Urabana written by Hajime Tanaka, with two volumes published in 2013. A video game titled Nisekoi: Yomeiri!? was also released for the PlayStation Vita platform on November 27, 2014 by Konami. Even a mahō shōjo (magical girl) spin-off series was once produced, showing how widely this franchise has grown.

The conclusion of the Nisekoi story provides an answer to the mystery that had gone on for a long time and resolves the love-triangle conflict that is the core of the story. After a series of adventures and revelations, Raku chooses to follow his true feelings for Chitoge, even though it is ultimately revealed that Kosaki Onodera is the girl from his childhood promise.

The final chapter of the manga, titled "Promise", depicts a time jump several years into the future. Raku succeeds in realizing his dream of becoming a civil servant in the public safety department, but he also continues his responsibilities as the heir of the yakuza clan. Chitoge pursues her dream of becoming a fashion designer and moves to the United States. After years of being apart, they finally reunite in Japan. In the end, Raku and Chitoge decide to marry, and the final chapter ends with a sweet moment of them in a field, where they bury the padlock and key of the past in order to begin a new start together.

References

Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas. "Nisekoi: False Love". 

Thegioimanga.vn. "Nisekoi - Cặp Đôi Giả Tạo - Series". 

Grokipedia. "ニセコイ 25 [Fake Love 25] (Nisekoi, #25) (book)". 

Anime News Network. "Nisekoi: (TV 2)". 

Skdesu. "What is the ending of Nisekoi? What happens after the Anime?". 

TEGASIAN. "Live Action Nisekoi: Kisah Cinta Palsu yang Menghibur".

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My Neighbor Seki

My Neighbor Seki (Japanese: となりの関くん, "Seki Next to Me"), known in its English-language release as My Neighbor Seki, is a school-life comedy manga and anime series by Takuma Morishige. The series tells the everyday story of a student named Rumi Yokoi who is always disturbed by the creative and unusual antics of her desk neighbor, Toshinari Seki, who spends class time on various elaborate games on his desk without ever being caught by the teacher.

The story centers on Rumi, who tries hard to pay attention to the lesson, but always fails because her curiosity about the games Seki makes is continually provoked. This creates a unique and funny dynamic in which Rumi is often emotionally involved in those games, trying to sabotage them or even unconsciously joining in playing them, while Seki remains focused on his "work" with a serious expression. The series is liked for its clever visual humor and its ability to present an engaging story from only the narrow space of a school desk.

Background and Publication

The Tonari no Seki-kun manga first appeared as a one-shot story in August 2010 in Media Factory's Comic Flapper magazine. The success of this short story later prompted the start of regular serialization in the November 2010 issue of the same magazine. To date, the series is still running and has produced dozens of tankōbon volumes. In North America, the manga is licensed and published by Vertical.

In 2020, a spin-off manga titled My Neighbor Seki-kun Junior began serialization in the same magazine. This story focuses on the future of Rumi and Seki, in which they are married and have a two-year-old son named Makuru, exploring a new generation within the same unique dynamic. Serialization of this spin-off lasted until May 2023.

Main Characters

Rumi Yokoi (横井 るみ) is the protagonist and main narrator of the series. As a diligent student, she is always determined to focus on the lesson, but her high curiosity makes her continually distracted by Seki. Her reactions to Seki's games often become the main source of humor in the story. In the future, she is married to Seki and blessed with a son named Makuru.

Toshinari Seki (関 俊成) is the eponymous character and the center of all the chaos. He is a quiet and mysterious student who has a high dedication to making elaborate games on his desk, ranging from arranging dominos from erasers and making stamps from rubber erasers to directing melodramatic shogi dramas. Seki very rarely speaks, and he has a desk box arranged so neatly that only he can put it back in order. Although he appears innocent, he sometimes shows a cruel side, such as when he deliberately destroys a toy he made himself if he feels disturbed. In the spin-off, he marries Rumi and becomes the father of Makuru.

Adapted Media

Animation

The anime adaptation of Tonari no Seki-kun was produced by studio Shin-Ei Animation and directed by Yūji Mutoh. Before the TV series aired, an OVA (Original Video Animation) was released on January 4, 2014, bundled with the limited edition of the fifth manga volume. This OVA contains two episodes titled "Bo-taoshi" and "Neko".

The television anime series then began airing in Japan on TV Tokyo and AT-X from January 5 to May 25, 2014. The series consists of 21 episodes with a duration of around 8 minutes each, a short format that fits the comedy style of this series. Outside Japan, the series was simulcast by Crunchyroll under the title Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time. The license for release in North America is held by Sentai Filmworks, which released an English-language dubbed version in 2020.

The opening theme for this series is titled "Meiwaku Spectacle" (迷惑スペクタクル), sung by Kana Hanazawa (the voice of Rumi Yokoi), while the ending theme is "Set Them Free" by Akira Jimbo. The music for the anime was composed by Akifumi Tada.

Live-Action Drama

In addition to the anime adaptation, Tonari no Seki-kun was also adapted into a live-action drama series that aired on MBS and TBS from July 27 to September 14, 2015. The drama series consists of 8 episodes and stars Fumika Shimizu as Rumi Yokoi and Yutaro Watanabe as Toshinari Seki.

Episode List

The following is the episode list of the Tonari no Seki-kun anime series that aired in 2014:

1. "Domino" (ドミノ) – Aired January 5, 2014

2. "Shogi" (将棋) – Aired January 12, 2014

3. "Polishing the Desk" (机みがき) – Aired January 19, 2014

4. "Go" (囲碁) – Aired January 26, 2014

5. "Eraser Stamp" (消しゴムはんこ) – Aired February 2, 2014

6. "Disaster Drill" (避難訓練) – Aired February 9, 2014

7. "Passing Notes" (手紙まわし) – Aired February 16, 2014

8. "Shogi 2" (将棋②) – Aired February 23, 2014

9. "Knitting" (編み物) – Aired March 2, 2014

10. "Golf" (ゴルフ) – Aired March 9, 2014

11. "Mountain Climbing" (登山) – Aired March 16, 2014

12. "RC Car" (ラジコン) – Aired March 23, 2014

13. "Swimming Pool" (プール) – Aired March 30, 2014

14. "Lunch" (お弁当) – Aired April 6, 2014

15. "Paper Sumo" (紙ずもう) – Aired April 13, 2014

16. "Shogi vs Chess" (将棋vsチェス) – Aired April 20, 2014

17. "Fukuwarai" (福笑い) – Aired April 27, 2014

18. "Magic" (手品) – Aired May 4, 2014

19. "Glasses" (眼鏡) – Aired May 11, 2014

20. "Flip Book" (パラパラ漫画) – Aired May 18, 2014

21. "Belongings Inspection" (持ち物検査) – Aired May 25, 2014

References

Wikipedia, "My Neighbor Seki"

Wikipedia, "List of My Neighbor Seki episodes"

Tonari no Seki-kun Wiki, "Toshinari Seki"

TEGASIAN, "Drama "Tonari no Seki-kun to Rumi-chan no Jishō": Perpaduan Unik Dua Cerita Rumi"

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Your Lie in April

Your Lie in April (四月は君の嘘, literally meaning "April Is Your Lie"), better known internationally by the title Your Lie in April, is a Japanese romantic drama manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa. The work was first serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from April 6, 2011 to February 6, 2015, and succeeded in collecting 11 tankōbon volumes. The story focuses on the emotional journey of a gifted child pianist named Kōsei Arima who loses his ability to hear the sound of the piano after his mother's death, and how his meeting with a cheerful violinist named Kaori Miyazono slowly brings him back to the world of music.

The success of this manga expanded into various other media. A television anime adaptation was produced by studio A-1 Pictures and aired in Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from October 10, 2014 to March 20, 2015, with a total of 22 episodes. An original video animation (OVA) episode titled Moments was released in May 2015. The franchise was also adapted into a live-action film in September 2016, as well as various stage productions, including a musical in London in 2024.

Plot

Kōsei Arima is a child pianist who is very famous for having won various music competitions. However, while performing at a recital after his mother, Saki, dies, Kōsei experiences a mental disturbance that causes him to be unable to hear the sound of the piano he is playing. He sees musical notes flying off the sheet and only hears the sound of the keys being struck, even though his hearing is physically fine.

Two years later, Kōsei lives in a world that appears monochrome and no longer touches the piano. He spends time with his friends, Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryōta Watari. One day, he meets Kaori Miyazono, a 14-year-old violinist who is brave and full of spirit. Kaori's free and expressive playing style is in sharp contrast to Kōsei's rigid and structured style. Kaori slowly helps Kōsei return to playing the piano and shows that music can be played in a free and innovative way.

As time goes on, Kōsei realizes that he has fallen in love with Kaori, even though Kaori appears to be interested only in their friend, Ryōta. While performing at a gala, Kaori faints and is treated in the hospital because of illness. She later invites Kōsei to play with her at an event, but she cannot attend because her health is worsening. Kōsei continues to compete, while Kaori's condition grows more severe. Kaori then decides to undergo a high-risk operation in the hope of being able to play with Kōsei again. In the final round of the competition, as Kōsei plays, he sees Kaori's spirit accompanying him and realizes that Kaori has died during the operation.

At Kaori's funeral, her parents give a letter to Kōsei. In the letter, it is revealed that Kaori had known about her coming death for a long time. She became a freer person so that she would not have regrets in heaven. She also confesses that she had fallen in love with Kōsei's piano playing since she saw him perform when she was five years old, which also inspired her to play the violin so that one day she could play together with Kōsei. Kaori admits that her feelings for Ryōta were a lie so that she could be close to Kōsei without hurting Tsubaki. Kōsei later receives a childhood photo of Kaori taken after the concert that inspired her, with the figure of Kōsei in the background. He later frames that photograph.

Production and Development

The Your Lie in April manga originated from a one-shot comic created by Naoshi Arakawa for a competition. He developed the series based on that comic and was inspired by the existence of other music-themed manga, such as Beck and Nodame Cantabile. Arakawa succeeded in creating a narrative that combines elements of classical music with intense teenage life drama.

For the anime adaptation, A-1 Pictures appointed Kyōhei Ishiguro as director, with Takao Yoshioka as scriptwriter and Masaru Yokoyama as music composer. Music plays an important role in this series, with many music performance scenes animated in beautiful detail, in accordance with the direction of the character designer and animation director, Yukiko Aikei.

Related Media

In addition to the manga and anime, Your Lie in April has been expanded into various forms of media. A light novel titled Your Lie in April – A Six Person Etude written by Yui Tokiumi was published by Kodansha in November 2014. A spin-off manga titled Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso: Coda was also released in August 2016. The series was also adapted into a live-action film released in Japan in September 2016. In the theater world, musical adaptations have been produced, including a production on London's West End in 2024 starring Zheng Xi Yong as Kosei Arima and Rumi Sutton as Kaori Miyazono, with music by Frank Wildhorn.

Reception

The Your Lie in April manga received a prestigious award by winning the 37th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2013. Its popularity continued to rise, and by June 2017, the series had sold more than 5 million copies. The anime adaptation was widely praised by critics, especially for its emotional plot, animation quality, and stunning soundtrack. Although the manga received some criticism regarding its art style, overall the Your Lie in April franchise has become one of the most iconic and moving romantic drama stories among anime and manga fans worldwide.

References

Wikipedia. "Your Lie in April".

Wikipedia. "List of Your Lie in April episodes".

UK Theatre Web. "Your Lie in April at The Harold Pinter Theatre, London. 2024. [MUSICAL]".

TEGASIAN. "Mengupas Tuntas Film Live Action Your Lie in April".

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