Absolute Boyfriend

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Absolute Boyfriend
Cover of the first volume of the original Japanese release of Absolute Boyfriend
絶対彼氏。 (Zettai Kareshi)
Genre	Romantic comedy, Science fiction
Manga
Author	Yuu Watase
Publisher	Shogakukan
English publisher	Chuang Yi Viz Media
Other publishers: Kana Egmont Manga & Anime Conrad Editora
Demographic	Shōjo
Magazine	Shōjo Comic
Original run	March 25, 2003 – February 25, 2005
Volumes	6
TV drama
Network	Fuji TV
Original run	April 15, 2008 – ongoing

Absolute Boyfriend (絶対彼氏。, Zettai Kareshi^?) is a six volume manga series by Yuu Watase, first serialized in Shōjo Comic. Chuang Yi licensed it for an English language release in Singapore, with the first volume released in March 2005. Viz Media licensed the series for an English release in North America, serializing the series in its Shojo Beat manga anthology as well as releasing the volumes.

The manga series is being adapted into a live-action drama series.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 3 Media 3.1 Manga 3.2 Drama CD 3.3 Live-Action television series 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Plot

Riiko Izawa has never had a boyfriend and she has been rejected by every boy she has ever had a crush on. When she returns a lost cell phone to an oddly dressed salesman, she mentions wanting a boyfriend so to thank her, he directs her to his company's website. When she visits the site, Riiko finds it's a site to create your own lover. Thinking its a game, she customizes and accidentally orders one. The next day, her new lover arrives. Following the instruction manual, she kisses him to wake him up and configure him to be in love with only her. She names him "Night." Three days later, she is shocked to learn that she only had him for a free trial. The salesman, Gaku Namikiri, tells her that she must now pay 100,000,000 yen for Night, or they will waive the fee if she helps them to collect data about how women think and feel to help perfect future models.

Riiko must keep Night's true nature of not being human a secret from everyone around her. She also finds herself in a love triangle between Night and her childhood friend Soshi, who declares his love for her out of fear he will lose her. As the series progresses, Night begins to develop real human emotions, enabling him to truly love Riiko but also resulting in system malfunctions. When Riiko almost loses Night due to the malfunctions, she realizes that he is the one she really loves. She apologizes to Soshi, who moves to Spain with his brother. As the series ends, Night begins to grow sleepier and sleepier. The problems developed by his exceeding his abilities eventually causes his machinery to stop working, resulting in his "death". Before he died, he wrote a letter to Soshi to tell him what was happening and asking him to take care of Riiko. Soshi gives Riiko time to grieve, then returns to Japan to be at her side again.

[edit] Characters

Riiko Izawa (井沢 リイコ, Izawa Riiko^?)

Riiko doesn't seem to have any luck with boys until she meets a strange salesman and ends up accidentally ordering a boyfriend: Night Tenjo. Riiko is rather naïve, clumsy, and simple-minded, but kindhearted and hardworking. She seems to have feelings for Soshi and Night, which becomes the primary conflict of the story.

Night Tenjo (天城ナイト, Tenjou Naito^?)

Night is the perfect boyfriend: charming, dependable, intelligent, athletic, good-looking, sensitive, devoted, and completely loyal. Because he is unaware of certain social conventions, he often seems over-the-top and attracts a lot of attention. Although he is a doll, albeit of a high-caliber design, he seems to have genuine emotions and to want to become more human and be a better boyfriend to Riiko. He wears a mood ring that indicates Riiko's emotions. He later crushes this ring, claiming real boyfriends didn't need it, so he didn't either. His developing genuine emotions eventually causes his system to shut down, essentially resulting in his death. Before he died, he asked Soshi to take care of Riiko in a letter which he entrusted to Gaku to deliver.

Soshi Asamoto (浅元ソウシ, Asamoto Soushi^?)

Soshi has had a crush on Riiko since they were both children, though he has never found the nerve to confess his real feelings and instead teases her. His father is a photographer who travels around the world, so Soshi lives alone with his younger brother, Masaki. Since Riiko lives alone at the beginning of the series as well, Soshi has promised her mother to protect her. He is a very good cook and usually gives Riiko food when he suspects she needs it. Near the end of the series, he moves to Spain with his brother, but six months after he left, he returns to take care of Riiko after Night's death.

Gaku Namikiri (ガク・ナミキリ, Gaku Namikiri^?)

Gaku is a salesman for a company known as Kronos Heaven which specializes in making highly realistic robots, or "figures," for various purposes. Though usually businesslike and down-to-earth, Gaku is sometimes mistaken for a cosplayer because of his odd manner of dress. When Riiko cannot return Night nor pay the bill for him, Gaku allows her to keep him so Night can collect data on how to become a better lover for use in future models. Whenever there is a problem with Night, Gaku is the one to fix him. After Kronos Heaven attempts to take back Night and wants to dismantle him, Gaku decides to quit the company and opens his own business. Before his death, Night entrusts Gaku to deliver a letter to Soshi.

[edit] Media

[edit] Manga

Written by Yuu Watase, Absolute Boyfriend premiered in Japan in the March 2003 issue of Shōjo Comic. It appeared monthly until the thirty-fifth and final chapter was published in the February 2005 issue. The chapters were published in six collected volumes by Shogakukan with the first volume released on October 25, 2003 and the final volume released on February 25, 2005.^[1][2]

Absolute Boyfriend is licensed for both English and Chinese releases in Singapore by Chuang Yi, which has released all six volumes of the series.^[3][4] Madman Entertainment subsequently imported and republished the Chuang Yi English translated volumes in Australia from May 17, 2006 through October 11, 2006.^[5][6] In North America, the series was licensed for an English translated release by Viz Media. It was one of the first six manga series Viz included in the June 2005 premiere issue of the company's new manga anthology Shojo Beat.^[7] It continued to be serialized in Shojo Beat until it reached its conclusion with in the March 2008 issue.^[8] Viz simultaneously released the six collected volumes of the series, with the first volume released February 7, 2006 and the final volume released on May 6, 2008.^[1]

The series is also licensed for regional language releases in Germany by Egmont Manga & Anime, in France by Kana, and in Portugal by Conrad.^[1]

#	Japanese[2]		Singapore (English)
	Release date	ISBN	Release date	ISBN
1	October 25, 2003	ISBN 4091384617	March 2005	ISBN 981-260-381-6
Chapter list:			Australian release May 17, 2006 - ISBN 9789814204286[9] North American release February 6, 2006 - ISBN 1-4215-0016-7[10] Cover characters Night Tenjo
2	January 26, 2004	ISBN 4091384625		ISBN 981-260-411-1
Chapter list:			Australian release June 21, 2006 - ISBN 9789814204293[11] North American release August 1, 2006 - ISBN 1-4215-0568-1[12] Cover characters Soshi Asamoto
3	April 26, 2004	ISBN 4091384633		ISBN 981-260-454-5
Chapter list:			Australian release July 26, 2006 - ISBN 9789814204675[13] North American release February 6, 2007 - ISBN 1-4215-1003-0-7[14] Cover characters Gaku Namikiri
4	June 26, 2004	ISBN 4091384641		ISBN 981-260-454-5
Chapter list:			Australian release August 16, 2006 - ISBN 9789814204682[15] North American release February 7, 2007 - ISBN 1-4215-1004-9[16] Cover characters Toshiki Shirasaki Yuki Shirasaki
5	October 26, 2004	ISBN 409138465X		ISBN 981-260-551-7
Chapter list:			Australian release September 6, 2006 - ISBN 9789812690906[17] North American release February 5, 2008 - ISBN 1-4215-1535-0[18] Cover characters Night Tenjo
6	February 25, 2005	ISBN 4091384668		ISBN 981-260-654-8
Chapter list:			Australian release October 11, 2006 - ISBN 9789812690913[19] North American release March 6, 2008 - ISBN 1-4215-1562-8[20] Cover characters Riiko Izawa

[edit] Drama CD

A drama CD based on this manga was released under the title Zettai Kareshi - Figure Darling in Japan by Marine Entertainment on August 25, 2004.^[21]

[edit] Live-Action television series

A live-action adaptation of the manga began airing on Fuji TV on April 15, 2008. In the live-action version, Riiko Izawa is an office lady in search of a boyfriend, and she ends up in possession of a "robot" known as Night Tenjo, who is programmed to be the perfect boyfriend. However, this creates a love triangle with a distinguished young man at her company who also has feelings for her. Riiko is played by Saki Aibu, Night is played by Mokomichi Hayami, and Soshi Asamoto is played by Hiro Mizushima.^[22]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Fuji TV live-action drama website (Japanese)
• Official Shojo Beat manga website
• Official Viz Media manga website
• Absolute Boyfriend (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia