My Little Monster
Japanese manga series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese manga series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
My Little Monster (Japanese: となりの怪物くん, Hepburn: Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, lit. "The Monster Sitting Beside Me") is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Robico about the relationship between a girl named Shizuku Mizutani and a boy named Haru Yoshida. It was serialized in Kodansha's Dessert magazine from August 23, 2008 to June 24, 2013. An anime adaptation by Brain's Base aired from October 2 to December 25, 2012. It was also streamed on Crunchyroll during its original run.
| My Little Monster | |
Cover of the first manga volume, featuring main characters: Haru Yoshida (left) and Shizuku Mizutani (right). | |
| となりの怪物くん (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Robico |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Dessert |
| Demographic | Shōjo |
| Original run | August 23, 2008 – June 24, 2013 |
| Volumes | 12 + 1 special volume |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Hiro Kaburaki |
| Written by | Noboru Takagi |
| Music by | Masato Nakayama |
| Studio | Brain's Base |
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | TV Tokyo, TVO, TVh, TSC, TVA, TVQ |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 2, 2012 – December 25, 2012 |
| Episodes | 13 + OVA |
| Live-action film | |
| Directed by | Sho Tsukikawa |
| Written by | Arisa Kaneko |
| Music by | Yuki Hayashi |
| Studio | Toho |
| Released | April 27, 2018 |
My Little Monster focuses on the relationship between Shizuku Mizutani, who has absolutely no interests except in studying and her plans for the future, and a boy named Haru Yoshida, who sits next to Shizuku in class but rarely attends school. After Shizuku is tasked with delivering class printouts to Haru's home, she meets Haru, who immediately greets her as a friend, starting their new relationship. Nicknamed "dry ice," Shizuku is renowned as a girl who is emotionless and cold. However, when she meets Haru she is touched by his innocence and his lack of knowledge concerning human relationships. Though known as a violent and uncontrollable monster, Haru is actually kind and gentle. Haru immediately declares his love towards Shizuku, but it takes much longer for Shizuku to realize and accept her own feelings towards Haru. Together, as two previously antisocial beings, they help each other learn how to care for one another and relate with their friends and family.
The manga series is written and illustrated by Robico and published in the Kodansha magazine Dessert. It was serialized between the September 2008 issue, published on August 23, 2008, and the August 2013 issue, published on June 24, 2013. The series has also been released in 12 tankōbon volumes between January 13, 2009, and August 12, 2013.[4][5] A limited edition version of the final volume was bundled with an OVA episode of the anime series on DVD.[6][7] The series has been licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, who released the first volume on March 11, 2014.[8][9] A spin-off manga series was published in Dessert between August 24 and November 22, 2013.[10][11] Its chapters were collected in a 13th volume, released on January 10, 2014.[12]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 13, 2009[4] | 978-4-06-365540-7 | March 11, 2014[9] | 978-1-61262-597-3 | |
| |||||
| High school student ace Shizuku Mizutani has been studying hard so she can have a well-paying career in the future. When she brings school printouts to Haru Yoshida, a classmate who has not been attending since being suspended earlier in the year, but is surprised when he runs away. However, he comes back and pulls her aside multiple times for activities such as playing with animals or eating out, and asks her if school is fun. Seeing Shizuku as his new friend, he returns to school, sits next to her in class, and hangs out with her. Shizuku confronts Haru about being tricked by a group of guys who only hang out with him because he gives them money. Classmate Asako Natsume asks Shizuku to tutor her so she can pass the make-up exam and meet some friends that she knows from an Internet group. Shizuku finds that she is thinking of Haru a lot more. She confesses her love to him, but soon waffles on the statement. When Haru states his love for her may be different, she vows to win him over in a different way. Haru, Asako, Shizuku, and classmate Sōhei "Sasayan" Sasahara get parts to make a home for Haru's pet chicken Nagoya, but get into trouble when they run into Haru's former money-extorting friends. | |||||
| 2 | June 12, 2009[13] | 978-4-06-365555-1 | May 27, 2014[14] | 978-1-61262-598-0 | |
| |||||
| When Haru discovers his brother Yuzan is visiting, he stays over at Shizuku's house. At school, Shizuku notices Haru scares people with his glaring, so she suggests he act more friendly and smile, which soon makes him really popular with the girls. Haru saves the shy class representative Chizuru Oshima from being bullied by some seniors. Haru and Asako take Shizuku to the beach. Later, Haru's cousin Mitchan and Sasayan take the group to go fishing. Shizuku meets Yuzan, who wants Haru to return to their home instead of staying at Mitchan's, but after seeing that Haru is actually attending school because of Shizuku, he leaves Haru in her care. When the gang try to brainstorm ways to make Chizuru more social, Haru and Shizuku start arguing and then ignore each other. Although Chizuru is attracted to Haru, when she sees he and Shizuku are still on bad terms, she decides she has had enough and yells at them to stop behaving like that. | |||||
| 3 | October 13, 2009[15] | 978-4-06-365575-9 | July 29, 2014[16] | 978-1-61262-599-7 | |
| |||||
| Haru and Shizuku have a somewhat uncomfortable study date as they sort their feelings for each other. Haru confides with class rep Oshima, but Asako tells him to confess to Shizuku that he likes her, which he does. Later, Shizuku is bothered by Haru's attempts to touch her or be close to her. They are called by their class to try to secure a good location for their festival booth. Shizuku finds that Yamaken attends the same cram school as her. The day of the festival, Yamaken's friends visit Haru at the haunted house. Yamaken finds Shizuku on a break, but when Haru sees them together, he tries to slug Yamaken but accidentally hits Shizuku, after which Shizuku tells Haru to stay away from her. Shizuku is puzzled as to why she can't cut Haru off, at which Asako and then Yamaken offer their advice. Haru confides with Oshima, asking what she would do if he told her he liked her. Mitchan consoles Asako who thinks Shizuku doesn't want to be her friend anymore. Eventually, Shizuku and Haru are able to mend their relationships with each other and their friends. | |||||
| 4 | February 12, 2010[17] | 978-4-06-365590-2 | September 16, 2014[18] | 978-1-61262-600-0 | |
| |||||
| Haru tries to advance his relationship with Shizuku by offering to catch a fish when Shizuku mentions that she once had thoughts of keeping one. At the library, Shizuku thanks Yamaken for his earlier advice, but Yamaken starts wondering if he's unintentionally developing feelings for Shizuku. Asako tries to hide from some girls but when Mitchan arrives to save her, she starts to act nervous and shy around him later. When Haru asks Yamaken if he has a crush on Shizuku, Yamaken asks if he would have a problem with that, which makes Haru jealous. At Asako's Christmas party, he learns Yamaken and Shizuku are taking winter cram school classes together. Asako becomes lonely during New Year's that she hangs out with Shizuku and Haru. They go to temple for New Year's where they see everyone. When Mitchan gives her some more words of comfort, she replies vaguely that she would like to be in a relationship with Mitchan. | |||||
| 5 | July 13, 2010[19] | 978-4-06-365613-8 | November 18, 2014[20] | 978-1-61262-601-7 | |
| |||||
| Asako shares with Shizuku and Chizuru about how she wasn't able to have friends in middle school. After mistaking more of Mitchan's friendly gestures as romantic, Asako confesses her love to Mitchan, but when he turns her down, Asako resolves to work harder. Haru surprises Shizuku by saying he wants to kiss, but then leaves. Mitchan, Yuzan and Haru visit Mitchan's mother's gravesite, where Haru is reminded of her relationship advice. Yamaken, who was lost in town again, spends the afternoon with Shizuku, who later decides that she should do something with Haru's interests in mind. With Yamaken's friend providing accommodations, the gang go a ski resort, along with Chizuru and Yu. Sasayan suggests Haru restrain himself from barging in on a private conversation between Shizuku and Yamaken. | |||||
| 6 | December 13, 2010[21] | 978-4-06-365632-9 | January 20, 2015[22] | 978-1-61262-800-4 | |
| |||||
| 7 | May 13, 2011[23] | 978-4-06-365650-3 | March 17, 2015[24] | 978-1-61262-991-9 | |
| |||||
| Shizuku's mom tells Shizuku to put in extra effort on both the relationship and her studies. Chizuru asks Haru for a reply to her confession, but Haru runs away, realizing that she likes him. Asako, who was planning to meet with Shizuku to study for her make-up finals, meets Mitchan who formally rejects her confession. Haru gets upset, and he and Mitchan fight. Haru then formally turns down Chizuru. Shizuku comforts Asako. With Haru out visiting his family, Yamaken spends the day with Shizuku and tries to get her to get a cell phone. At the start of the second school year, Shizuku and Haru are placed in separate classes. Haru and Chizuru agree to go back to being friends. | |||||
| 8 | October 13, 2011[25] | 978-4-06-365668-8 | May 19, 2015[26] | 978-1-61262-992-6 | |
| |||||
| Shizuku takes Haru out to celebrate his birthday, but Haru is bothered that he got a study guide as a birthday gift. Asako befriends Iyo, a beautiful and shy first-year student, but discovers she is Yamaken's younger sister, and that she has developed a crush on Haru. After more prodding by the jealous Haru, Yamaken formally confesses to Shizuku, who is shocked as she had always thought of him as a friend. Haru later confesses to Shizuku and they officially become a couple. Iyo invites the gang to camping with her but the site is also being used by her brother. | |||||
| 9 | March 13, 2012[27] | 978-4-06-365685-5 | July 21, 2015[28] | 978-1-61262-993-3 | |
| |||||
| Shizuku and the gang continue their summer camping trip where Shizuku and Haru go into town to do a stamp rally event. Shizuku ponders how they are perceived as a couple, while Haru and Yamaken try to avoid Yuzan and Ando who are in the area. Later, the gang and Shizuku's little brother go to a summer festival. After Asako musters the courage to give a souvenir to Mitchan, she is surprised when Sasayan holds her hand when he comforts her, and things get awkward between the two. But when they reconcile and become friends again, Sasayan casually mentions that he likes her. Shizuku learns that Haru wants to choose a non-academic career and that he has some family history that he doesn't want Shizuku to dig into. | |||||
| 10 | August 10, 2012[29] | 978-4-06-365701-2 | September 8, 2015[30] | 978-1-63236-106-6 | |
| |||||
| Haru and Yuzan's father wants Yuzan to organize his own birthday party. Yuzan meets Shizuku and they talk about Haru's future while he thinks about his and Haru's past. At the school festival, Yuzan invites Haru to his party. Haru agrees on the condition that they don't bug him anymore. At the party, Shizuku feels uncomfortable that she doesn't belong in Haru and Yuzan's social circles and questions why she is even in the relationship when she and Haru are not alike and that Haru does not understand how she feels. But when she confronts Haru about it, Yuzan replies "You, Yuzan, this party, everyone can go to hell." Haru thinks about his childhood with Yuzan, ponders his falling out with Shizuku, who ponders making up with him but Haru does not appear at school the next day. The bonus chapter covers Haru and Yamaken's childhood when they were classmates in elementary school around second grade. | |||||
| 11 | January 11, 2013[31] | 978-4-06-365717-3 | November 10, 2015[32] | 978-1-63236-108-0 | |
| 12 | August 10, 2013 (limited edition)[6] August 12, 2013 (regular edition)[5] | 978-4-06-358451-6 (limited edition) ISBN 978-4-06-365739-5 (regular edition) | January 26, 2016[33] | 978-1-63236-127-1 | |
| |||||
| Shizuku and Haru reconcile. Shizuku, Haru, and the gang attend the Japanese New Year festival. Shizuku visits Haru at his room. She learns of the story of Haru and Yuzan's moon rocks, and discovers he is going to move out and work on the science internship. Shizuku and the others go through their third year without Haru. They graduate and share their plans for colleges and schools. The school teachers give Shizuku Haru's stuff that they have collected over the years. She visits Mitchan's, and soon discovers Haru has returned. Haru says he may join that fishing expedition for a year and continue at the science internship. Three-and-a-half years later, Shizuku has passed her bar exam and is starting a legal apprenticeship, when Haru casually proposes marriage to her. A bonus chapter has them with Shizuku's engagement ring. | |||||
| 13 | January 10, 2014[12] | 978-4-06-365755-5 | March 29, 2016[34] | 978-1-63236-208-7 | |
| |||||
| The volume contains a bunch of side stories, four-panel comics, and other extras. It also has profiles of the characters in the series. Sasayan thinks over his high school relationships especially with Asako. Iyo and Yuzan go on a date until Yamaken interrupts. As Takaya prepares for his sister's wedding, he thinks about his own relationship situation where he has fallen for Chizuru Oshima, who has been working as a student teacher. At first he tries to confess to her but discovers she had a boyfriend, and backs down. But later, he tells her boldly, which embarrasses her, and thinking of Haru and Shizuku's relationship, hopes to keep trying. | |||||
An anime adaptation was announced in the July 2012 issue of Kodansha's Dessert magazine.[1] The series was produced by Brain's Base under the direction of Hiro Kaburaki with Noboru Takagi as script supervisor.[35] It aired between October 1 and December 24, 2012. An OVA episode was released on DVD with the final manga volume on August 12, 2013.[7][36] NIS America licensed the anime for release in North America.[37] Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for streaming in April 2021.[38] The opening theme is "Q&A Recital!" (Q&Aリサイタル！) by Haruka Tomatsu and the ending theme is "White Wishes" by 9nine.[39]
A live-action film adaptation was announced on May 15, 2017,[40] and was released in April 2018. It stars Masaki Suda as Haru and Tao Tsuchiya as Shizuku.[41][42]
The manga has over 6.1 million copies in print.[43]
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