Dance till Tomorrow

Dance till Tomorrow
あさってDANCE
(Asatte Dansu)
Genre Romantic comedy
Manga
Written by Naoki Yamamoto
Published by Shogakukan, Inc.
English publisher Viz Media
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits
English magazine Pulp
Original run 1989 – 1990
Volumes 7
Live-action film
Directed by Itsumichi Isomura
Released June 22, 1991
Runtime 91 minutes
Original video animation
Directed by Teruo Kogure
Studio Knack
Released July 25, 1991 – October 21, 1991
Runtime 45 minutes
Episodes 2
Live-action film
Directed by Ryūichi Honda
Released December 1, 2005
Anime and Manga Portal

Dance till Tomorrow (あさってDANCE Asatte Dansu?) is a manga series by Naoki Yamamoto that has also been adapted into two live action movies. A two-episode OAV was also released on VHS in Japan. It is a romantic comedy which details the life of Suekichi, a student who will inherit a fortune when he graduates from college and gets married with unexpected complications from a mysterious girl, Aya Hibino. The first five and a half volumes were published in the now-defunct adult manga magazine Pulp, and the rest were released afterward under Viz's Editor's Choice line.

Contents

Characters

Main

Suekichi Terayama
A student who takes part in an acting troupe, originally from a small island. His life is changed dramatically when he finds out he has been left a secret inheritance from his great-grandfather, on condition that he graduates from college, gets married and establishes a career.
Aya Hibino
A kindergarten teacher lacking modesty and propriety who left her husband. She accidentally stumbles in Suekichi's life and learns of his secret inheritance, and shortly begins a sexual relationship with him.
Miyuki Fukagawa
Originally hired by Suekichi's lawyer to break up Aya and Suekichi. Miyuki required the money to prevent her family home from being repossessed. She starts out of with an accidental meeting with Suekichi before convincing him that she's pregnant. Although Suekichi learns that Miyuki was hired by his lawyer, he still professes his love for her and agrees to marry her. Before the wedding Miyuki realizes that this was a sham and ends the wedding. She finally takes on a job as Tachima's personal assistant.

Other

Naruhito Munakata
Aya's husband, who works for the mint. After their breakup, which is explained during the series, he is determined to get back together with her. They broke up after he became angry at her for breaking one of his records. Later in the series, he wins an award for the diaries he kept concerning his feelings towards Aya, which were edited and published by Sueekichi's nosy cousin Sue.
Ikezu
The lead actor of the drama troupe. Often involved in affairs with various women.
Masami Shimomura
She is the leader of the drama troupe, and Suekichi has a crush on her in the beginning of the series. She's been friends with Ikezu for a long time, and according to him, she's a twenty-seven year old virgin.
Mr. Tachimi
Suekichi's lawyer and the manager of his trust fund. He is always looking out for Suekichi's best interests, and is convinced that Aya is after him only for the inheritance. He looks upon marriage as a form of prostitution.
Freddy
A Southeast Asian man who Aya brings home one day to live with Suekichi. For most of the series he knows very little English, and is often used as a comic-relief character. At the end of the series, after learning proper English and establishing a career as a gameshow host, he goes back to his home country and returns ten years later at Genichiro's funeral. He is known for shouting the word "pussy" as a greeting, since when he arrived in Japan Aya told him that that was the way to greet people in Japanese.
The Reasonable Yakuza
A gangster who's office is located above the Bondage Horse theater troupe. He becomes a regular patron of the troupe after they sell him tickets half-price to their show one time to make up for the noise they made while practicing. Later on, he asks Suekichi to hold on to a handgun that the police are looking for. He even hides out at Suekichi's apartment, and Aya paints his skin so that he resembles Freddy. During this time, he works for Bondage Horse for a brief period of time, using scare tactics to sell tickets for their show.
Daikichi Terayama
Suekichi's deceased great-grandfather, who left him the inheritance. But even in death he doesn't rest: He has too much fun haunting Suekichi at the most inopportune moments and peeping on or possessing people.
Genichiro
A wealthy old man that Aya meets while working at a nightclub. She ends up marrying him so that she can live off of his money. Though he considers himself a sickly old man about to die, his death doesn't occur until 10 years later.


Manga releases

Each of the manga volumes are divided into various acts.

No. Release date ISBN
1 September 1998 ISBN 1-56931-321-0
Suekichi meets a mysterious woman (Aya) who he believes is only after his secret inheritance. The first performance of the troupe is a success even after Aya accidentally sells some tickets to the local yakuza.
2 June 1999 ISBN 1-56931-379-2
Aya's ex-husband offers Suekichi 1 million yen to break up with Aya. When Aya finds out the Suekichi was considering the deal this leads to a breakup. They meet again and reconcile, however a chance encounter with Aya's ex-mother-in-law explains one of the reasons Aya divorced her husband. Aya and Suekichi spend the 1 million yen on an extravagant holiday by the seaside.
3 February 2000 —
Aya explains to Suekichi the reasons she got divorced from her ex-husband. Miyuki is hired by Suekichi's lawyer to break up Aya and himself.
4 January 2002 ISBN 1-56931-668-6
Suekichi begins to fall for Miyuki. He also discovers that he may not rightful heir to secret inheritance.
5 April 2002 —
Suekichi is faced with the prospect that both Aya and Miyuki may be pregnant. Miyuki leaves Suekichi on the day of their wedding.
6 April 2003 —
After deciding to move in with Suekichi, Aya gets a job at a nightclub, where she meets Genichiro,a wealthy old man that she plans to marry. Suekichi poses as her brother, against his will, and meets with Genichiro over dinner to discuss the plans for marriage. Aya and Suekichi then go on a vacation to the island where Suekichi grew up on.
7 October 2003 —
After the fight on the island, Aya and Suekichi break up. With Genichiro's money financing the production, Suekichi feels he has lost in role as part of the troupe. After the final performance Suekichi begs Aya not to marry Genchiro. She storms out and Suekichi's plans to prevent the wedding is thwarted by Aya's ex-husband. After the wedding Suekichi returns to the island for 10 years, only coming back for Genichiro's funeral where he meets Aya again. They get drunk and end up naked in the bed. The next morning Aya introduces Sueikichi to his son.

External links