Love Me, Love Me Not (manga) explained

Love Me, Love Me Not
Ja Kanji:思い、思われ、ふり、ふられ
Ja Romaji:Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare
Type:manga
Author:Io Sakisaka
Publisher:Shueisha
Publisher En:Viz Media
Imprint:Margaret Comics
Magazine:Bessatsu Margaret
First:June 13, 2015
Last:May 13, 2019
Volumes:12
Volume List:
  1. Manga
Type:live film
Director:Takahiro Miki
Music:Goro Ito
Akira Kosemura
Runtime:124 minutes
Type:film
Director:Toshimasa Kuroyanagi
Music:Yuuji Nomi
Studio:A-1 Pictures
Runtime:103 minutes

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka. It was serialized in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret magazine from June 2015 to May 2019, with Its chapters collected in 12 tankōbon volumes. Viz Media licensed the manga in English release.

A live-action film adaptation opened in Japan in August 2020, while an anime film adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures premiered in September 2020.

By July 2020, the manga had over 5.5 million copies in circulation. In 2018, Love Me, Love Me Not won the 63rd Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category.

Plot

Yuna Ichihara is in the spring before her first year of high school and is pained to be separated from her best friend Sacchan who is moving away. On her way to the train station, she is stopped by a random girl named Akari Yamamoto, who asks her for money for her train fare. Although Yuna is somewhat afraid and reluctant, she gives the girl money, who in turns give Yuna her bracelet as a promise she will meet her tomorrow to pay her back. On the same day, Yuna runs twice into a boy who looks like the idolized prince of her childhood who she referred to as her first love. After that, the girl named Akari returns Yuna's money, they head home together only to find out that they live in the same apartment building. The girls instantly become friends. However, they find that they explore love in completely different ways, and Yuna may be in love with Akari's younger brother and Akari in love with Yuna's childhood friend.

Characters

[1]
  • Portrayed by: Riko Fukumoto
  • A shy girl who loves to read romance manga,[2] but has never experienced love herself. Her best friend, Sacchan, moves away after they graduate middle school, and Yuna worries that she will be alone in high school.[3] However, when she unexpectedly meets Akari at the train station and befriends her. Due to Yuna's wary and shy personality, she is initially suspicious of Akari following her home, when they are actually just neighbors in the same apartment building. She is in love with Rio, Akari's step-younger brother. She confesses the first time but is rejected due to Rio's love for Akari. Later on, however, she confesses a second time and Rio happily accepts her as his girlfriend.
    [1]
  • Portrayed by: Minami Hamabe
  • Yuna's apartment neighbor who is also a first year in high school. She initially has a boyfriend at the beginning of the series,[4] but he later breaks up with her. Her step-younger brother is Rio,[5] whom Yuna is in love with. She thinks that Yuna's childhood friend, Inui, is a good guy and initially tries to push the two together but stops when she finds out that Yuna is in love with Rio. She eventually grows closer to Inui and falls in love with him. Akari's mother married Rio's father recent to the series beginning, and hates that her mother doesn't trust her and Rio alone together.[6] She pretends to not know that Rio loved her but actually has known since the beginning of the series. Both are able to reconcile, with the help of Yuna, which gives way for both to be able to move on. By the end of the manga, Akari is living in America with her parents and eagerly awaits Inui who has decided to move to America to be with her.
    [1]
  • Portrayed by: Takumi Kitamura
  • Akari's step-younger brother and the boy of Yuna's affection. He is asked out by many girls but claims he only likes pretty faces, and rejects the girls.[7] He knew Akari before his father married her mother and was in love with her.[8] Akari's mother knows this and is suspicious of Rio spending time alone with Akari.[9] Rio develops a close friendship with Yuna early on in the series, often confiding in her when he found himself frustrated over Akari. He eventually falls for Yuna, but is hesitant to confess due to the fact that his friend has also fallen for Yuna. Both compete for her affection, but eventually he musters up the courage to confess at the same time that Yuna confesses to him that she is still in love with him. Both become a couple and are happily attending college together at the end of the manga.
    [1]
  • Portrayed by: Eiji Akaso
  • Yuna's childhood friend. Akari describes him as a "good guy" and wishes that Yuna and him would get together. Inui has often been referred to as an "airhead" by Akari due to his carefree and sincere nature. He and Akari both develop feelings for each other, but he rejects her confession out of consideration for Rio's feelings. After he finds out Rio has moved on, he confesses to Akari. He faces some trouble when Akari's ex-boyfriend comes back into the picture and especially so when Akari decides to move to America, but he asks her to wait for him. By the end of the manga, he meets with Akari at the airport as he has decided to also live in America to pursue his dream and to be with her.

    Production

    The series was announced in Bessatsu Margaret June 2015 issue.[10] Io Sakisaka reflected on plot lines in her previous series, Ao Haru Ride, and wanted to display love experiences in a different way.[11] The original Japanese title was inspired by a tagline from an advertisement campaign for acne from the 1980s that became popular among schoolgirls; the tagline claimed certain locations of where acne appeared on the face foretold if the person or the person's admirer like or are ignoring each other.[12]

    Media

    Manga

    Love Me, Love Me Not is written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka. It was serialized in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret magazine from June 13, 2015, to May 13, 2019.[10] [13] Its chapters were collected in twelve tankōbon volumes released from October 13, 2015, to June 25, 2019.[14] [15]

    In North America, Viz Media licensed the series for English release.[16] The first volume was released on March 3, 2020;[17] and the last one was released on January 4, 2022.[18]

    Volume list

    Live-action film

    A live-action film directed by Takahiro Miki was released on August 14, 2020. It stars Eiji Akaso as Kazuomi Inui and Minami Hamabe as Akari Yamamoto. Riko Fukumoto plays Yuna Ichihara and Takumi Kitamura plays Rio Yamamoto. Official Hige Dandism performed the theme song with "115man Kilo no Film".[19]

    Anime film

    On April 22, 2019, it was announced by Shueisha that the series would receive an anime film adaptation by A-1 Pictures. It was originally scheduled to premiere on May 29, 2020,[20] but was delayed to September 18, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[21] [22] The film is directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, with Erika Yoshida handling the film's scripts, Yuu Yamashita designing the characters, and Yuuji Nomi composing the film's music.[1] The theme song for the film is "Gravity" by Bump of Chicken.[23] The main cast members from the live-action film also have cameo roles in the film.[24]

    Reception

    Love Me, Love Me Not was awarded the 63rd Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category in 2018.[25] [26] [27] It was nominated for the 41st Kodansha Manga Award in the shōjo category in 2017.[28] On Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! ranking of top manga series of 2017 for female readers, the series ranked 9th.[29]

    By July 2020, Love Me, Love Me Not had over 5.5 million copies in circulation.[30] Volume 3 of the series debuted at No. 4 on Oricon's Japanese Comic Ranking;[31] and peaked at No. 2;[32] and sold an estimated 325,010 copies.[33] Volume 4 debuted at No. 1 and sold an estimated 168,863 copies in its first week alone.[34] It sold an estimated 293,419 copies in a month and consistently ranked from October to November.[35] Volume 5 debuted at No. 6, selling 110,175 copies;[36] in its first week and peaking at No. 1 in its second week with 121,903 additional copies sold.[37]

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio . December 9, 2019 . 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Shōjo Anime Film's Teaser Reveals Cast, Staff, May 29 Debut . December 9, 2019 . Anime News Network.
    2. Chapter 1 page 33
    3. Chapter 1
    4. Chapter 1 page 34
    5. Chapter 1 page 60
    6. Chapter 4 page 42
    7. Chapter 2 page 37
    8. Chapter 5 page 33
    9. Chapter 4 page 39
    10. Web site: Sherman. Jennifer. Story, Title Revealed for Blue Spring Ride Creator Io Sakisaka's New Manga. Anime News Network. May 10, 2015. May 22, 2023.
    11. Web site: Sakisaka Io Interview - Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare (Trans.). Oh darling, begin again.. May 22, 2023.
    12. Web site: 恋とニキビのカンケイ . The relationship between love and acne . ja . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190825210410/https://jp.rohto.com/acnes/column/ . August 25, 2019. May 22, 2023.
    13. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Io Sakisaka's 'Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare' Manga Ends on May 13. Anime News Network. April 14, 2019. May 22, 2023.
    14. Web site: 思い、思われ、ふり、ふられ 1 . May 22, 2023 . Shueisha.
    15. Web site: 思い、思われ、ふり、ふられ 12 . May 22, 2023 . Shueisha.
    16. Web site: Sherman. Jennifer. Viz Media Licences Downfall, Prince Freya, Blue Flag, 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Manga. Anime News Network. July 4, 2019. May 22, 2023.
    17. Web site: Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 1 . May 22, 2023 . Viz Media.
    18. Web site: Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 12 . May 22, 2023 . Viz Media.
    19. Web site: Live-Action 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Film's Trailer Reveals Theme Song. September 17, 2021. June 16, 2020. Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Anime News Network.
    20. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio . April 22, 2019 . Io Sakisaka's 'Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare' Romance Manga Gets Anime Film, Live-Action Film . April 22, 2019 . Anime News Network.
    21. Web site: Loo . Egan . April 14, 2020 . 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Anime Film Delayed Due to Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 . April 14, 2020 . Anime News Network.
    22. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio . July 20, 2020 . 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Anime Film Opens on September 18 After COVID-19 Delay . July 20, 2020 . Anime News Network.
    23. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio . September 14, 2020 . 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Anime Film Posts BUMP OF CHICKEN's Animated Music Video . October 7, 2020 . Anime News Network.
    24. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio . August 26, 2020 . 'Love Me, Love Me Not' Anime Film Features Cameos by Live-Action Version's Cast . October 7, 2020 . Anime News Network.
    25. Web site: Ressler. Karen. The Promised Neverland, After the Rain, More Win 63rd Shogakukan Manga Awards. Anime News Network. January 22, 2018. August 30, 2022. July 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180712114618/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-01-22/the-promised-neverland-after-the-rain-more-win-63rd-shogakukan-manga-awards/.126788. live.
    26. Web site: January 22, 2018 . 第63回『小学館漫画賞』受賞作決定！– 小学館コミック . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220724135435/https://shogakukan-comic.jp/news/10109 . July 24, 2022 . August 30, 2022 . . ja.
    27. News: 第63回小学館漫画賞に「空母いぶき」「恋雨」「ふりふら」など5作品 . ja . Natalie. Natasha, Inc. . January 23, 2018 . August 23, 2019.
    28. Web site: 第41回講談社漫画賞の候補13タイトル決定、受賞作の発表は5月9日 . August 30, 2022 . Natalie. Natasha, Inc. . April 3, 2017. ja.
    29. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Reveals 2017's Series Ranking for Female Readers. Anime News Network. December 9, 2016. May 22, 2023.
    30. Web site: 丸井グループはアニメ＆実写映画『思い、思われ、ふり、ふられ』の製作委員会に参加します . July 31, 2020 . August 30, 2022 . PR Times . ja.
    31. Web site: Ressler . Karen . June 29, 2016 . Japanese Comic Ranking, June 20–26 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    32. Web site: Ressler . Karen . July 6, 2016 . Japanese Comic Ranking, June 27-July 3 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    33. Web site: Ressler . Karen . July 27, 2016 . Japanese Comic Ranking, July 18–24 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    34. Web site: Ressler . Karen . November 2, 2016 . Japanese Comic Ranking, October 24–30 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    35. Web site: Ressler . Karen . November 23, 2016 . Japanese Comic Ranking, November 14–20 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    36. Web site: Ressler . Karen . March 29, 2017 . Japanese Comic Ranking, March 20–26 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.
    37. Web site: Ressler . Karen . April 5, 2017 . Japanese Comic Ranking, March 27-April 2 . October 23, 2022 . Anime News Network.

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