Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (Japanese: 山田くんと７人の魔女, Hepburn: Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo) is an ongoing manga series written and illustrated by Miki Yoshikawa.^[2] The series has been published by Kodansha in their Weekly Shonen Magazine since February 22, 2012. The series has been licensed in Chinese by the Taiwanese publishing company Tong Li.^[3] It was adapted into a live-action television drama which aired on FujiTV from August–September 2013.^[4] On October 26, 2013, Crunchyroll announced a partnership with Kodansha where it would distribute chapters digitally to 170 countries.^[5] The series has been licensed for North American release by Kodansha Comics USA, who will begin releasing the series in 2015.^[6]

Conception and development

Manga author Miki Yoshikawa's previous work, Flunk Punk Rumble ran in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 2006-2011, with a total of 211 chapters.^[7] Her editor suggested for her next project that she write a one-shot for Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. She developed two stories: a prototype story for Yamada-kun and The Demon's Classroom. The second story was initially chosen, but became difficult to run because the main character was a grade school girl. The prototype Yamada story eventually became the first chapter for Yamada-kun.^[8]

In the Natalie interview, Yoshikawa said that she had thought of the body swapping idea in the Yankee-kun days, and had researched some medical books on the differences between men and women, both physically and emotionally, but generally went with it because she liked the idea. "It just kind of came to me, but I was wondering how a guy finding himself in a girl’s body would react, and the reverse".^[8] She treats a body-swapped character as an entirely different character.^[9]

When it was noted that the main characters for both of her works were delinquents, Yoshikawa replied that those types of characters came easily for her, as she grew up in the lower end of Tokyo. The characters and their names are not based on her friends so that they can act crazy. She tries to vary each kiss, but mostly uses the side angle to make sure it comes through. With regards to kisses between members of the same gender, she replied that wasn't intended to target any specific demographic but just "an inevitable outcome."^[8]

Plot

Ryū Yamada is known as a delinquent in his high school; he has been bored of classes after one year of attending school. One day, he accidentally falls from a flight of stairs onto Urara Shiraishi, the ace student of the school. Yamada wakes up to find that he has swapped bodies with her. The two try to reverse the change and discover that kissing triggers the body swap. On the suggestion of student council vice-president Toranosuke Miyamura, they revive the Supernatural Studies Club. The supernatural phenomenon-obsessed Miyabi Itō soon joins the club. The club encounters other "witches" with different powers that are activated with a kiss. A transfer student, Kentarō Tsubaki, becomes a part of the club after nearly causing a fire to the old schoolhouse. Upon discovering the identity of the seventh witch, Yamada supposedly has his memories of the witches erased, but it instead affects the witches and the students involved. While the student council tries to impede his progress, Yamada restores the memories of the witches with a kiss, and gathers the seven witches for a ceremony where he wishes for the powers to go away. He confesses his love to Urara and they become a couple. He is recruited to the new student council where he learns that he still has his witch copying power, that the witch powers have been allocated to other girls in the school, and there are multiple groups of witches. Although the student council tries to shield each other from the powers, they find themselves facing opposition from students controlled by the Japanese Chess Club, which has male students with new types of witch powers.

Characters

Ryū Yamada

Ryū Yamada (山田 竜, Yamada Ryū) is an apathetic delinquent who finds high school boring and is failing in his school's academics. That is until he meets Shiraishi, the student ace of the school, who is able to swap bodies with the person she kisses. Yamada has the power to copy the powers of people that he has kissed, but up to one power. He is portrayed by Yusuke Yamamoto in the live-action adaptation,^[10] and by Ryōta Ōsaka in the anime.^[11]

Urara Shiraishi

Urara Shiraishi (白石 うらら, Shiraishi Urara) is introduced as the student ace; she holds the highest grades in her class, but is bullied by other students who are envious of her academic success. Her decision not to go to college worries the teachers and the student council. When she discovers her body-swapping powers with Yamada, the two resolve each other's problems in school; she begins to make friends and have a social life, eventually also becoming Yamada's girlfriend. Toranosuke Miyamura appoints her the president of the Supernatural Studies Club. She is portrayed by Mariya Nishiuchi in the drama series,^[10] and is voiced by Saori Hayami in the anime.^[11]

Supernatural Studies Club

Miyamura revives the Supernatural Studies Club when he learns of Yamada and Shiraishi's body swapping ability. He appoints Urara to be the president. Miyabi joins the club and Tsubaki later joins after some events. Following the encounter with the seventh witch, Yamada leaves the club.

The members of the Supernatural Studies Club include:

• Toranosuke Miyamura (宮村 虎之介, Miyamura Toranosuke), the student council vice-president who convinces Yamada and Shiraishi to join the dying Supernatural Studies Club as a de facto meeting place for the two to swap bodies. Miyamura discovers the two's ability to swap bodies through observing the Yamada-possessed body of Shiraishi. His older sister, Leona, once attended the same school but fled in fear of the seventh witch's powers. In the TV drama series, Miyamura is portrayed by Ide Takuya of the J-pop band Ships.^[10] In the anime, he is voiced by Toshiki Masuda.^[11]

• Miyabi Itō (伊藤 雅, Itō Miyabi), a girl who is obsessed with supernatural phenomenon who one day decides to join the Supernatural Studies Club to the club's surprise. She can be naive at times, after purchasing evidence of "supernatural" phenomena in order to join the club. Yoshikawa remarked in an Natalie intereview that Ito seems to be very popular among her male readers.^[8] She also remarked that Miyabi is "not all there" so she is easy to make come alive.^[9] Itou is played by Reina Triendl in the TV drama series.^[10] In the anime, she is voiced by Maaya Uchida.^[11]

• Kentarō Tsubaki (椿 健太郎, Tsubaki Kentarō), a transfer student who has a crush on Shiraishi. Yamada discovers that Tsubaki will be the accidental cause of the old schoolhouse's fire from frying tempura. In the anime, he is voiced by Toshiharu Sasaki.^[11]

Witches

The witches are girls at Yamada's high school that have acquired special powers that are reflective of their desires. This power is applied when they kiss someone, with exceptions of other witches, the boys with special powers such as Yamada (who copies the ability) and Tamaki (who can cut and paste the ability), and people who are already under the influence of another witch. Some powers such as body swapping and charming are cancelled out with another kiss. The seventh witch's powers operate differently from the others.^[ch. 73,74] Witch powers can be taken by Tamaki or allocated to a new witch if he takes a second witch's power while holding the first, as demonstrated with a senior girl and Noa Takigawa.^[ch. 77] It is rumored that when all seven witches are gathered, they can fulfill someone's wish.^[ch. 75] The witches seem to be chosen among the smartest girls in the school.^[ch. 77]

Besides Urara Shiraishi, there are the following witches:

• Nene Odagiri (小田切 寧々, Odagiri Nene), the second vice-president of the student council, she competes with Toranosuke Miyamura as a candidate to be the next student council president. The club discovers that she is a witch with the ability to capture the hearts of people she has kissed, including Yamada's friend Ushio, who continues to pursue her regardless of whether or not he is charmed. She is the first student to regain her memories after Yamada meets the seventh witch,^[ch. 73,74] but in her interactions with helping Yamada, it becomes apparent to Tamaki and Haruma that she is putting aside her own feelings of love for Yamada.^[ch. 73-77] She later becomes the clerk of the new student council.^[ch. 92] Nene is portrayed by Ito Ono (Haruna in High School Debut) in the drama series.^[10] In the anime, she is voiced by Eri Kitamura.^[11]
• Meiko Ōtsuka (大塚 芽子, Ōtsuka Meiko), the third witch that the club encounters; she uses telepathy to communicate with whomever she kisses. Shiraishi in Yamada's body meets her in an after school make-up class and the two become friends. In the drama series, she aspires to become a manga artist.^{[ep 3]} She is portrayed by Karen Miyama.^[10] She is voiced by Yui Makino in the anime series.^[11]
• Maria Sarushima (猿島 マリア, Sarushima Maria), a transfer student who is able to see a glimpse of the future from the perspective of the person she kisses. After learning that she would be responsible for a fire at the old school building, she stops attending school, but Yamada and his friends help her out. In the drama series, she has a different vision, and is still attending school when she meets Yamada; she has lived in the United States.^{[ep 5]} and is portrayed by Fujiko Kojima.^[10] In the anime adaptation, she is voiced by Yuki Takao.^[11]
• Noa Takigawa (滝川 ノア, Takigawa Noa), a first-year student who causes trouble around the school with her three other friends. She is a witch with the ability to see a traumatic memory of the person she kisses. After Yamada sets her straight and helps her situation, she develops a crush on him. In the drama series, she is a former child actor but suffers a traumatic event in junior high.^{[ep 4]} She is portrayed by Airi Matsui (former member of Sakura Gakuin).^[10] She is voiced by Aoi Yūki in the anime series.^[11]
• Mikoto Asuka (飛鳥 美琴, Asuka Mikoto), is the student council secretary and Haruma's personal bodyguard. While she appears kind and collected, Asuka reveals a sadistic side to herself when she captures Yamada. Although she is one of the witches, prior to the events of the series she willingly allows Tamaki to take her powers. In the drama series, she is a witch who makes herself invisible to whomever she kisses. Her background shows a distrust of boys who would leer at her or want her to be something she is not. However, she has a crush on Yamazaki.^{[ep 6]} She is portrayed by Ryoko Kobayashi in the live-action drama,^[10] and voiced by Kana Hanazawa in the anime adaptation.^[11]
• Rika Saionji (西園寺 リカ, Saionji Rika), a mysterious "seventh witch" who is able to erase a person's memories regarding witches. Whenever a person learns about her name, she approaches them and gives them a memory wipe. She is able to use her powers without having to directly kiss someone. In her first appearance, she carries a parasol and wears gloves. She tells Yamada that she has perverted habits such as not wearing underwear. Since a witch's powers do not affect Yamada, Saionji's memory erasure power reverses and instead erases the memories of his schoolmates regarding witches, and replaces them with other people in Yamada's role. Later, Yamada discovers that Rika cannot erase someone's memory more than once,^[ch. 75] and her power also erases her existence in others' memory, save for a few individuals. When the seven witches are gathered and the ceremony commences, Rika reveals that the wish is activated with her kiss. In the drama series, Rika and Leona become friends as they discover the notebooks and the witches, but Rika's kiss makes Leona forget her.^{[ep 7]} She is portrayed by Yukie Kawamura.^[10] In the anime series, she is voiced by Masumi Tazawa.^[11]

New Witches

Yamada learns that the witch powers have been given to a new set of girls,^[ch. 95] and they are slightly different from the previous powers.^[ch. 98] Miyamura later learns that these witches actually preceded the seven that Yamada gathered,^[ch. 110] and that there are other clusters of witches with such powers.^{[ch. 110,111]} Some of the recurring witches include:

• Tsubasa Konno (紺野 つばさ), a basketball player,^[ch. 97] has a submission ability, but unlike Nene's charm ability, the people she kisses will obey her commands rather than try to please her out of love.^{[ch. 97-100]}
• Nancy (ナンシー) is a delinquent student who has the power to erase people's memories concerning witches.^{[ch. 102,103]} She thinks she can save the witches by erasing their memories. She later asks Yamada-kun if he remembers her from his past.^[ch. 103] She and Sid (シド)^{[note 1]} monitor the witches and which students they affect.^[ch. 107]
• Kotogi Moegi (萌黄 ことり), a petite student who enjoys playing with her doll. Yamada determines that she can read someone's thoughts,^[ch. 105] specifically anyone that the doll has kissed.^[ch. 106]
• Aiko Chikushi (筑紫 愛子), a glasses-wearing girl with long dark hair who makes money by fortune telling.^[ch. 108] After reading a person's future, she tries to change it by disguising herself as a superhero and intervening in the conflict.^[ch. 109]
• Momoko Seishuin (清集院 桃子), a portly class 2-1 student with body-swapping powers.^{[ch. 112-113]}

Supporting characters

Yoshikawa has mentioned that many of the characters in the storyline are school peers, and hardly any adults:^[8]

• Ushio Igarashi (五十嵐 潮, Igarashi Ushio), is Yamada's schoolmate and friend from middle school. After he and Yamada go their separate ways in high school, Yamada learns that he is under the influence of Odagiri's capture power. He remains loyal to Odagiri, even after the power is canceled out. He will do anything for Odagiri which includes making her the next student council president. In a later story, he is involved in a Japanese chess club with Asuka,^[ch. 117] and is suspected of manipulating witches in the faction against the student council.^[ch. 134] He is portrayed by Shōtarō Mamiya in the drama series,^[10] and by Daisuke Ono in the anime series.^[11]
• Haruma Yamazaki (山崎 春馬, Yamazaki Haruma), is the president of the student council. In contrast to his aloof and perverted exterior, he is actually extremely cunning. He accomplishes his goals by manipulating and blackmailing clubs, including the Supernatural Studies Club. Along with the president, the rest of the student council is aware of the existence of witches. Yamazaki manipulates Yamada to find the identities of the seven witches by indulging him with information regarding the witches. He uses the identity of the seven witch as a final test to determine his successor. He later tries to prevent the witches from gathering, but eventually relents in order to determine why he ended up becoming president and to bring back his erased memories. In the drama series, Haruma discovers he has the "witch killing" ability, that is he can take a witch's power with a kiss, and give it back with another kiss.^{[ep 6]} He is portrayed by Hidenori Tokuyama.^[10] In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Jun Fukuyama.^[11]
• Shinichi Tamaki (玉木真一, Tamaki Shinichi), is a so-called Witch Killer who has the power to remove a witch of her power and use it as his own. He is introduced as having the sixth witch's "invisibility" power, which makes him unnoticeable to schoolmates. He usually keeps to himself and can be rather snide when approached. After Yamada meets with the seventh witch, Tamaki teams up with Yamada to reverse the effect of her powers. He later discovers he has the ability to "paste" the power back to a witch. He becomes the treasurer of the new student council.^[ch. 92] In the anime series he is voiced by Shinnosuke Tachibana.^[11]
• Leona Miyamura (宮村 レオナ, Miyamura Reona), Toranosuke's older sister is a former member of the Supernatural Studies Club. After learning about the seventh witch's name, Leona stops attending school in fear of the witch's memory wipe, and hangs out in her room where she types on her computer. She likes to use scissors like throwing knives at intruders. She later reveals that Haruma and she were the former members, and that he told her to flee when he discovered the seventh witch's power. In the drama series, she stops attending school because her memory was wiped by the seventh witch.^{[ep 7]}
• Midori Arisugawa (有栖川 翠) is a first-year student who becomes one of the vice-presidents under Miyamura. She is described as an airhead with big breasts.^[ch. 92,94] Yamada discovers that although Midori purposely acts flirty,^[ch. 107] she does not have friends and keeps to herself.^[ch. 113]
• Jin Kurosaki (黒崎 仁) is a first-year student who is selected to be a vice-president along with Arisugawa. He wears a hoodie and has a rebellious-looking appearance.^[ch. 92,94] He tries to find ways to appease Miyamura.^[ch. 122] After he kisses Yamada, he discovers he does not body swap, and upon further investigation by kissing Arisugawa, he discovers he has a new witch ability that allows him to travel to someone's past.^{[ch. 123,124]}
• error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help) is a witch who got his seventh-witch power of erasing people's memories after Rika lost her power. He has long white hair, and carries a walking stick. He desires the power of knowing human relationships. He is also anemic and faints easily. He is a top student along with Shiraishi when it comes to exams.^{[ch. 125,126]}

Media

Manga

The manga is written and illustrated by Miki Yoshikawa and serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine. The first chapter was published in 2012's 12th issue, released on February 22, 2012.^[12] The series is also released in tankōbon volumes, the first of which was published on June 15, 2012,^[13] and the latest, volume 14, on September 17, 2014.^[14] On October 26, 2013, Crunchyroll announced a partnership with Kodansha where it would distribute chapters digitally to 170 countries using a new service called Crunchyroll Manga. This includes an English translated version.^[5] The series is licensed for a North American release by Kodansha Comics USA who will begin releasing the series in 2015.^[6]

Television drama

A live-action drama began airing on August 10, 2013 on Saturdays on FujiTV at 11:10pm.^[15] It stars Yusuke Yamamoto as the title character Ryū Yamada, and Mariya Nishiuchi as Urara Shiraishi.^[4] Its theme song is "Time Machine Nante Iranai" by former AKB48 headliner Atsuko Maeda. She described the song as "cheerful and fun" and hopes it will liven up the show.^[16] Sponsors include Samsung, which included the show's characters in their related commercials broadcast at the time.

Episode list

The average rating for the series was 6.3%.^[17]

Anime

An animated promotional video (PV) was released by Liden Films on August 26, 2013.^[18] The video was directed by Seiki Takuno. Ryu Yamada was voiced by Ryōta Ōsaka, and Urara Shiraishi was voiced by Saori Hayami.^[ch. 76] In June 2014, Liden Films launched a website with news that it would be producing an original anime DVD (OAD).^[19] The OAD has two installments: the first was released on December 17, 2014 bundled with the manga volume 15, and the second is bundled with volume 17 for May 15, 2015. They were advertised as featuring all seven witches as well as hot springs scenes.^[20]

In November 2014, Liden films announced plans to produce a TV series with the voice characters to reprise their roles from the OAD project. The director is Tomoki Takuno, who did IDOLM@STER: XENOGLOSSIA, Love Live! School idol Project, and the assistant director is Fumiaki Usui. The series writer is Michiko Yokote, and the chief animation director and character designer is Eriko Iida. Sound is being directed by Yota Tsuruoka and music composed by Masaru Yokoyama.^[20]

OAD (2014-2015)

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (2015)

Notes

References

Manga references

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches manga volumes by Miki Yoshikawa. Original Japanese version published by Kodansha. English version published by Crunchyroll Manga.

Other references

• 山田くんと７人の魔女 ― スポニチ (Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches) drama, 2013, 8 episodes. Template:Ja icon

External links

• Kodansha's official Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo manga website Template:Ja icon
• FujiTV's official Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo drama website Template:Ja icon
• Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches at Crunchyroll Manga (subscription required)
• Official anime website Template:Ja icon
• Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia