Uwasa no Midori-kun!!
Uwasa no Midori-kun!! (うわさの翠くん!!?, lit. "The Rumored Midori-kun!!") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gō Ikeyamada. It premiered in Shōjo Comic in December 2006 where it ran until its conclusion in October 2008. The individual chapters were collected and published in ten tankōbon volumes by Shogakukan. Two of its chapters are used in Gō Ikeyamada's Shōnen x Cinderella. The manga is licensed in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing and in Indonesia by Tiga Lancar Semesta.
The manga was adapted into a Nintendo DS game called Uwasa no Midori-kun!! Natsu Iro Striker (うわさの翠くん!! 夏色ストライカー?), which was released by Idea Factory on September 20, 2007. On August 21, 2008, Idea Factory released another Nintendo DS game for the series called Uwasa no Midori-kun!! Futari no Midori!? (うわさの翠くん!!2 ふたりの翠!??).
Story
Yamate Midori is a 15 year-old girl and is a tomboy. One day, Midori meets a boy called Hino Tsukasa, who came to the island she lives on for a holiday. He teaches her to play soccer and she falls in love with the sport. Inspired by Tsukasa, Midori continues to play soccer in hopes that they would meet again someday. When they do meet again, Tsukasa loses her trust by doing something unforgivable. Determined to defeat Tsukasa on the soccer field, Midori enrolls in an all-boys high school.
Characters
Main Characters
- Midori Yamate (山手 翠, Yamate Midori?) is 15 years old. She is a 1st year, a girl disguised as a boy, at Aoba 3rd High School. She lives in Aoba 3rd dormitory. She has part time job as a waitress (she uses a black long hair wig) to earn money. At the beginning of the series, she loves Tsukasa. As the result of his irresponsible behavior, she detests him, but actually she still loves him. During the series, she begins to develop feelings towards Kazuma, though she doesn't seem to realize her love for him. In the end of the manga, she calls out Kazuma's name while she's asleep, as an evidence showing he's her true love. She decides to let go of her first love, Tsukasa Hino, in order to come to Kazuma. In the end, Midori married Kazuma and had a daughter named Akane, they went back to Midori's island and start a new life. In there, Midori and Kazuma met Tsukasa, his wife, and son Kakeru.
- Kazuma Shinbashi (新橋 カズマ, Shinbashi Kazuma?) is 15 years old. He is a 1st year at Aoba 3rd High School. He lives in Aoba 3rd dormitory. He knows Midori is a girl because of unexpected incident between them at the begin of series. He loves Midori very much and is willing to do every thing for her to keep her smiling. He acts as her protector and is willing to put his own feelings and happiness aside if it means to help Midori and make her happy. He is even usually seen helping her get closer to Tsukasa because he thinks that will make her smile. In the end, Midori confesses her love to Kazuma and they begin dating; he proposes to her after graduation. Years later, they are married and have a daughter named Akane.
- Tsukasa Hino (氷野 司, Hino Tsukasa?) is 17 years old. He is a 2nd year at Josei High School. He is the Josei soccer club ace. He is actually in love with Midori, but because of his dark past, he cannot show his feelings directly. In order to protect Midori, and also to bring her happiness. He constantly sexually harasses her when they are alone. Tsukasa also gets very jealous whenever Midori is with Kazuma smiling brightly. They eventually reconcile when Midori discovers his dark past and date for a while. Near the end, they break up; Tsukasa later marries and has a son named Kakeru.
Aoba 3rd High School
- Kouki Saagara (相楽 光輝, Sagara Kouki?) is a 2nd year at Aoba 3rd High School. He is Aoba 3rd soccer club striker. He is Sagara Yuki-Miki's son and he is Kaji Mamori's boyfriend.
- Kei Hodaka (穂高 慧, Hodaka Kei?) is a 2nd year at Aoba 3rd High School. He is Aoba 3rd soccer club striker. He is Hodaka Ryu's son. He is Sagara Kouki's best friend and is Sagara Maki's boyfriend.
- Jin Ebisu (恵比寿, Ebisu Jin?) is a 1st year at Aoba 3rd High School. He lives at Aoba 3rd dormitory in room 204. He is Motoyama Miyu's boyfriend.
- Tetsu Yoyogi (代々木, Yoyogi Tetsu?) is a 1st year at Aoba 3rd High School. He lives at Aoba 3rd dormitory in room 203.
- Kaoru Sugamo (巣鴨 薫, Sugamo Kaoru?) is a 1st year at Aoba 3rd High School. He lives at Aoba 3rd dormitory in room 205.
- Toru Shinagawa (品川 トオル, Shinagawa Toru?) is a 2nd year at Aoba 3rd High School. He is Aoba 3rd soccer club striker. He knows Midori is a girl at first sight. He often skips soccer practice and is a playboy.
- Masato Gotanda (五反田 正人, Gotanda Masato?) is a 3rd year at Aoba 3rd High School. He is Aoba 3rd soccer club goal keeper and captain.
- Tatsuya Ikebukuro (池袋 龍也, Ikebukuro Tatsuya?) is a 3rd year at Aoba 3rd High School. He is Aoba 3rd soccer club defender. He is a troublemaker.
Josei High School
- Akira Kawasaki (川崎 明, Kawasaki Akira?) is Hino Tsukasa's friend in Josei soccer club. He knows all of Tsukasa's dark past and problem. He knows Midori is a girl.
- Jun Kurihama (恵比寿 仁, Kurihama Jun?) is Hino Tsukasa's junior in Josei soccer club.
- Tōgo Misaki (三崎 冬吾, Misaki Tōgo?)
Other Characters
- Wakaba Yamate (山手 若葉, Yamate Wakaba?) is Yamate Midori's mother. She is a single parent.
- Mamori Kaji (加持 守里, Kaji Mamori?) is Kaji Tamotsu's daughter. She is Sagara Kouki's girlfriend.
- Miyu Motoyama (本山 みゆ, Motoyama Miyu?) is Ebisu Jin's girlfriend. She is Midori's friend at the cafe where Midori has part time job as a maid.
- Yūki (ユウキ, Yūki?) loves Gotanda Masato. She is Midori's friend at the cafe where Midori has part time job as a maid.
- Maki Sagara (相楽 真樹, Sagara Maki?) is Sagara Yuki-Miki's daughter and Hodaka Kei's girlfriend.
- Akane Shinbashi (新橋 茜, Shinbashi Akane?) is Midori and Kazuma's daughter. She looks like young Midori. Like her parents, she loves soccer. When she first meets Kakeru, they play happily together in the same style of how Midori and Tsukasa did as children.
- Kakeru Hino (氷野 翔, Hino Kakeru?) is Tsukasa's son. He looks like young Tsukasa. Like his father, he loves soccer and accidentally hits Akane with his soccer ball when he first meets her. The two children are seen in the last scene playing happily together.
- Sara is Tsukasa's wife.
Media
Manga
Uwasa no Midori-kun!! was written and illustrated by Gō Ikeyamada. It was serialised in Shogakukan's Shōjo Comic in December 2006 where it ran until its conclusion in October 2008. The individual chapters were collected and published in ten tankōbon volumes by Shogakukan.[1][2] Two of its chapters are used in Gō Ikeyamada's Shōnen x Cinderella.
Games
The manga was adapted into a Nintendo DS game called Uwasa no Midori-kun!! Natsu Iro Striker (うわさの翠くん!! 夏色ストライカー?), which was released by Idea Factory on September 20, 2007.[3][4] On August 21, 2008, Idea Factory released another Nintendo DS game for the series called Uwasa no Midori-kun!! Futari no Midori!? (うわさの翠くん!!2 ふたりの翠!??).[5]
Drama CD
Based on the manga, a Drama CD, called Uwasa no Midori-kun!! Futari no Oji to Hadaka Hime no Fukushu, was released on March 5, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment. The songs are sung by Hikaru Midorikawa, Akira Ishida, Romi Park and Kazuya Nakai.[6]
Reception
The fifth volume of Uwasa no Midori-kun!! was ranked 10th on the Tohan charts between October 30 and November 5, 2007.[7] The ninth volume of Uwasa no Midori-kun!! was ranked 8th on the Tohan charts between August 26 and September 1, 2008.[8] The tenth volume of Uwasa no Midori-kun!! was ranked 22nd on the Tohan charts between October 21 to 27, 2008 and 13th on the Tohan charts between October 28 and November 3, 2008.[9]
References
The series feature some characters from Get Love!!, another Ikeyamada's manga, such as the Sagara brother and sister, Kei Hodaka and Mamori Kaji.
External links