The Wallflower (manga)
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| The Wallflower | |||
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 Cover of volume 1, featuring Kyohei |
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| ヤマト ナデシコ 七変化 (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge) |
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| Genre | Comedy, Drama, Romance | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Tomoko Hayakawa | ||
| Publisher |  Kodansha |
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| Demographic | Shōjo | ||
| Magazine | Bessatsu Friend | ||
| Original run | 2000 | ||
| Volumes | 20 (ongoing) | ||
| TV anime | |||
| Director | Shinichi Watanabe | ||
| Studio | Nippon Animation |
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| Licensor |  ADV Films |
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| Network | TV Tokyo, TV Aichi |
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| Original run | October 3, 2006 – March 27, 2007 | ||
| Episodes | 25 | ||
The Wallflower: Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge (ヤマト ナデシコ 七変化 Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge?), or The Wallflower for short, is a manga series written by Tomoko Hayakawa (はやかわ ともこ Hayakawa Tomoko?). The manga is being serialized in Bessatsu Friend and has been published in twenty collected volumes by Kodansha thus far.
The WallFlower manga series has been licensed for an English language release in North America by Del Rey Manga and in Singapore by Chuang Yi. Chuang Yi's translation is published under the name My Fair Lady.
Nippon Animation adapted part of the manga series into a twenty-five episode anime series which aired on TV Tokyo and TV Aichi from October 3, 2006 through March 27, 2007.[1]. The anime adaptation has been licensed for Region 1 release by A.D. Vision.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The Wallflower is about Sunako Nakahara, a girl who was called "ugly" by a boy, the first and only person to whom she confessed her love. This incident sparks a life change, and as a result Sunako shuns all forms of beauty, both in herself as well as in life. Concerned by her change for the worst, Sunako's aunt, the owner of a beautiful mansion where four very handsome students live, offers the guys free rent in her mansion if they can turn Sunako into a "perfect lady" (referred to in Japan as the titular Yamato Nadeshiko).
While the four of them manage to make Sunako physically beautiful enough to become a lady, the problem lies with her attitude and interests (which Sunako has no intention of changing). Up until the most recent release in the story, they've managed to convince Sunako's aunt that her niece is indeed a lady befitting the mansion in which they live (and prevent the rent from skyrocketing to triple the required amount). However, in reality, Sunako has not changed considerably.
[edit] Characters
- Sunako Nakahara
- The female lead, Sunako is often referred to as Ghost girl or Scary girl due to her dark presence. A lover of solitude, gore movies, anatomical dolls and objects that reflect the ugly side of life as she puts it, Sunako has locked herself away in a world of solitude due to a traumatic experience with her first love. She has especially mixed feelings about Kyouhei and as the storyline progresses their relationship becomes more solid and intimate.
- Kyohei Takano
- He is the most popular of the foursome. He is a very loud and bossy when it comes to his needs. He is a lover of food and can devour anything in seconds. One of his favorite foods is Sunako's fried shrimp. He was forced to leave home because all of the mobbing and harassment by his fans were taking a toll on his family. He loves to fight and even becomes a gang leader in the manga. He can't hold a job either, because he seems to be prone to sexual harassment. He has unsorted feelings for Sunako which he demonstrates by constantly provoking her rage.
- Takenaga Oda
- He comes from a very wealthy family and is quite serious in nature. He is the brain and logic of the group often trying out logical strategies to make Sunako become a lady. He is a book worm, who loves to study. This is evidenced by him having the highest grade point average out of all of the boarders. He has a love interest in Naie "Noi" Kasahara. But his shyness gets in the way when he wants to express his feelings. As the manga progresses he becomes more social and open about himself. He prefers Japanese-style formal wear.
Yukinojo "Yuki" Toyama
- A shy character, he is sweet and has a very loving nature. He comes from a humble family and has two younger twin sibling who make an appearance in the manga. Yuki is the most innocent of all the characters, often crying and becoming scared when he enters Sunako's room. Due to his extremely girlish face Yuki is often forced to dress up as a girl, creating self esteem issues for him. He has a girlfriend who is only spoken of. In the story Yuki tries to make himself strong and have more confidence so as to not be scared as easily. But he is easily defeated by Sunako's extreme taste in decorations.
- Ranmaru Morii
- The playboy of the story. Ranmaru comes from a wealthy family and is an only son. He is very extroverted and a lover of older women. He has a very sexy nature and extremely high self esteem. He is often going out on dates with married women, provoking trouble. But he has a very good heart and loves his friends. Later on in the storyline he is set up in an arranged marriage date by his parents. But unwilling to get married to anyone he asks the guys to help him. But as he encounters the girl, mixed feelings arise inside him making him unsure of his playboy ways.
- Naie "Noi" Kasahara
- She has an unbreakable love for Takenaga and is often questioning their relationship. She is very beautiful and kind. She is the first female friend that Sunako makes even though it is unwillingly. She has a very quick temper around Kyohei and the two are often found fighting.
[edit] Production
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Reception
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Media
[edit] Manga
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Anime
Because the manga's creator, Tomoko Hayakawa, is an avid admirer of J-Rock singer Kiyoharu, it was decided that Kiyoharu would perform the theme music for The Wallflower anime. His songs, "slow" and "Carnation" play over the opening and ending themes, respectively. The songs were a collaboration between Kiyoharu and Takeshi Miyo. The background orchestral music was written by two respectable Japanese composers, Hiromi Mizutani and Yasuharu Takanashi.[citation needed]
The opening theme "slow" plays over recycled footage from the first episode, and is more of a love ballad. Episode 14 onwards shows the second version of the opening sequence which portrays more original footages. Whether this change was made due to growing popularity or the initial reception is unknown.[citation needed]
The first closing theme, "Carnation", the more upbeat of the two, is set to a small computer animation of Hiroshi dancing in the corner as the credits scroll up the page.[citation needed]
∞Changing∞, the second ending theme by Bon-Bon Blanco, presents the viewers with an even faster rhythm while preserving the use of computer animation (Hiroshi, Josephine and Akira dancing to the song) in the sequence.
[edit] References
- ^ テレビ東京・あにてれ ヤマトナデシコ七変化 (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge). TV Tokyo. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
- ^ ADV Acquires The Wallflower. Anime News Network (2007-05-15). Retrieved on 2007-07-14.
