The Wallflower (manga)
The Wallflower (ヤマトナデシコ七変化 Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge), a.k.a Perfect Girl Evolution, is a manga series written by Tomoko Hayakawa. The individual chapters have been serialized in Bessatsu Friend since its premiere in 2000, and in 24 tankōbon volumes in Japan by Kodansha. The series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Del Rey Manga and in Singapore by Chuang Yi — under the name My Fair Lady.
Nippon Animation adapted part of the manga series into a twenty-five episode anime series which aired on TV Tokyo and TV Aichi from October 3, 2006 through March 27, 2007.[1][2] The anime adaptation has been licensed for Region 1 release by A.D. Vision.[3] In 2008, The WallFlower became one of over 30 ADV titles whose North American rights were transferred to Funimation Entertainment.
While the four of them manage to make Sunako physically beautiful enough to become a lady, the problem lies with her attitude and interests (which Sunako has no intention of changing). Up until the most recent release in the story, they've managed to convince Sunako's aunt that her niece is indeed a lady befitting the mansion in which they live (and prevent the rent from skyrocketing to triple the required amount). However, in reality, Sunako has not changed considerably.
Sunako NakaharaVoiced by: Yukiko Takaguchi (Japanese), Hannah Alcorn (English) Live-Action: Aya Ōmasa
Sunako always had an obsession with darkness and a morbid fascination with blood, horror movies, and similarly dark things but it wasn't until she was rejected by her first love that she openly expressed it and became even more isolated from the rest of the world. She hates excessive light exposure and also does poorly in hot weather, though the latter is because she grew up in northern Japan. She has three "friends"; a skeleton called Josephine (with husband, sergeant George) and two anatomical figures named Hiroshi-kunAkira-kun. While she suffers from severely low self-esteem, she is actually quite beautiful (most of her physical imperfections are a result of her self-imposed isolation from the world) and a frighteningly tough fighter, being able to lift someone twice her size with one hand. She is portrayed (mostly) throughout the manga in Super deformed form or chibi as a sort of visual metaphor for how she and others see herself; becoming beautiful when her mood becomes bold or confident . Somewhat surprisingly, she is a very good cook, very athletic, intelligent, and a good pianist. She refers to beautiful people as "creatures of light" and "ugly" people, such as herself, as "creatures of darkness", in the translation in America. Whenever she sees a "creature of light", she gets nosebleeds, and they're usually severe when she sees Kyohei. Despite her negative attitude, once she is driven to do something, Sunako is quite capable of doing things that no one expects her to complete. There is also a possibility that she may have supernatural abilities i.e. plants wilting near her and windows shattering by an unseen force. She's also been possessed many times. and
Her relationship with Kyohei is somewhat unclear, saying that she always wants to kill him, and even going to the extent of turning into a lady temporarily to get him back. Her reason is that "she's the only person who can kill him". She has not, however, thought of or mentioned killing him for many chapters, not even after he kissed her. Recent chapters have seen her forget her first crush, and she is now more open to other people, including her peers and teachers at school. She's also having less and less nosebleeds and though protests at first, doesn't greatly mind spending time with Kyohei.
While he says that all he cares about is getting free (or the lowest amount required to be paid) rent, he has a soft spot for Sunako and empathizes with her more so than the others. He is the most popular of the boys, and always has trouble keeping down a part-time job because his fans will chase after him, or his boss (male or female) will sexually harass him. Kyohei is cocky, short-tempered, and the only one tough enough to fight on the same level as Sunako. His hair is modeled after Tackey of Tackey & Tsubasa. He also tends to succumb to food and money. Since Sunako is the only girl who is able to understand his true personality regardless of his good looks, he gradually develops an obvious attraction towards her, even going as far as kissing her for no apparent reason. In latest chapters he seems to be aware of his feelings to at least a small degree, looking at a loss when it seems Sunako loves a guy (she doesn't) and when witnessing said guy hug a girl rushes to find Sunako after buying chocolates 'for himself' (to console her- he doesn't eat a single one). He seems to have softened towards her more in chapter 91, telling her she's fine just the way she is when she's upset, scolding her for lying on a dangerous place and telling the 'old man' who talked to her not to fill Sunako's head with too many strange ideas, that he and the others would be worried if she went to the underworld.
Takenaga OdaVoiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English) Live-Action: Hiroki Uchi
The most intellectual of the four, Takenaga is called the "Boss" (a pun on his personal name in Japanese, which can be read as buchou, meaning "boss") by his friends and is the least fazed by Sunako's morbid habits. When the quartet dress Sunako up, Takenaga is usually responsible for doing Sunako's hair. Takenaga was originally from a wealthy family descended from flower masters (ikebana), but when the pressure of being the family heir was too much, he became completely withdrawn and ignored everyone. He was sent to live at the Landlady's mansion in hopes of becoming more "normal". He is described as a caring feminist and is rather shy. He is currently going out with Noi, whom he affectionately calls "Noi-chi". His name is derived from Oda Nobunaga (in fact it was once suggested in the anime that Takenaga was a direct descendant of Nobunaga) and his reference to Noi as "Noi-chi" is probably a reference to Oichi, a sister of Nobunaga.
The most androgynous of the four, "Yuki" is gentle and is initially the most frightened of Sunako. He's the most "normal" of the four boys; before coming to live at the mansion he had a normal school life with a middle-class family. His mother and the Landlady are old friends and the Landlady, and Sunako at times, has a soft spot for Yuki. He's also the shortest and shyest, with a "cute" face, and has been called on (very reluctantly) to dress up as a girl on more than one occasion. He is usually responsible for choosing what sort of clothes Sunako wears when she is forced to dress up and has a good sense of fashion.
A ladies' man, Ranmaru is often going out with various beautiful older (and often married) women. The very sight of Sunako initially has him breaking out in hives, but when her true beauty is revealed, he decides that she has "potential" to become a real lady. Like Takenaga, he comes from a wealthy family (who own a series of hotel chains), but was sent to live with the Landlady because he exploited his wealth and his parents wanted him to become "normal". Surprisingly, Ranmaru is actually better at kendo than Takenaga, who comes from a traditional family. He apparently is the strongest advocate of making Sunako into a lady and is usually responsible for doing her make-up whenever she has to dress up; however, his attempts are rarely successful in the long run and he is convinced the it is Kyohei's attitude towards Sunako that is the primary problem. In hopes of changing his womanizing habits, his parents engage him to reserved and conservative girl of their liking, named Tamao Kikunoi. Even though he rejects Kikunoi's love for him, he begins to develop feelings for her. He is named after the real life Mori Ranmaru, the partner of Oda Nobunaga.
A very pretty and exceedingly popular girl. She loves being called beautiful by the others, especially Sunako. Noi is Sunako's closest friend at school, where Sunako is scorned for her terrifying demeanor and association with the boys. She admires Sunako's tough attitude and also believes that Sunako and Kyohei are compatible as a couple. Noi is in love with Takenaga, though she tends to be insecure about their relationship because Takenaga is too shy to openly admit that he likes her. She is called "Noi" in both the North American and Singaporean English-language translation. As stated in recent chapters, she's a fan of shoujo manga.
Laseine : Voiced by: Hiromi Konno (Japanese), Brittney Karbowski (English)
Madeleine : Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama (Japanese), Tiffany Terrell (English)
Roxane : Voiced by: Erika (Japanese), Monica Passley (English)
Nippon Animation adapted part of the manga series into a twenty-five episode anime series which aired on TV Tokyo and TV Aichi from October 3, 2006 through March 27, 2007.[1][2] The anime adaptation has been licensed for Region 1 release by A.D. Vision.[3] In 2008, The WallFlower became one of over 30 ADV titles whose North American rights were transferred to Funimation Entertainment.
Plot
The Wallflower is about a girl who was called "ugly" by a boy, the first and only person to whom she confessed her love. This incident sparks a life change, and as a result Sunako shuns all forms of beauty, both in herself as well as in life. Concerned by her change for the worst, Sunako's aunt, the owner of a beautiful mansion where four very handsome students live, offers the guys free rent in her mansion if they can turn Sunako into a "perfect lady" (referred to in Japan as the titular Yamato Nadeshiko).While the four of them manage to make Sunako physically beautiful enough to become a lady, the problem lies with her attitude and interests (which Sunako has no intention of changing). Up until the most recent release in the story, they've managed to convince Sunako's aunt that her niece is indeed a lady befitting the mansion in which they live (and prevent the rent from skyrocketing to triple the required amount). However, in reality, Sunako has not changed considerably.
Primary characters
Sunako Nakahara
- Sunako Nakahara (中原 スナコ Nakahara Sunako)
Sunako always had an obsession with darkness and a morbid fascination with blood, horror movies, and similarly dark things but it wasn't until she was rejected by her first love that she openly expressed it and became even more isolated from the rest of the world. She hates excessive light exposure and also does poorly in hot weather, though the latter is because she grew up in northern Japan. She has three "friends"; a skeleton called Josephine (with husband, sergeant George) and two anatomical figures named Hiroshi-kunAkira-kun. While she suffers from severely low self-esteem, she is actually quite beautiful (most of her physical imperfections are a result of her self-imposed isolation from the world) and a frighteningly tough fighter, being able to lift someone twice her size with one hand. She is portrayed (mostly) throughout the manga in Super deformed form or chibi as a sort of visual metaphor for how she and others see herself; becoming beautiful when her mood becomes bold or confident . Somewhat surprisingly, she is a very good cook, very athletic, intelligent, and a good pianist. She refers to beautiful people as "creatures of light" and "ugly" people, such as herself, as "creatures of darkness", in the translation in America. Whenever she sees a "creature of light", she gets nosebleeds, and they're usually severe when she sees Kyohei. Despite her negative attitude, once she is driven to do something, Sunako is quite capable of doing things that no one expects her to complete. There is also a possibility that she may have supernatural abilities i.e. plants wilting near her and windows shattering by an unseen force. She's also been possessed many times. and
Her relationship with Kyohei is somewhat unclear, saying that she always wants to kill him, and even going to the extent of turning into a lady temporarily to get him back. Her reason is that "she's the only person who can kill him". She has not, however, thought of or mentioned killing him for many chapters, not even after he kissed her. Recent chapters have seen her forget her first crush, and she is now more open to other people, including her peers and teachers at school. She's also having less and less nosebleeds and though protests at first, doesn't greatly mind spending time with Kyohei.
Kyouhei Takano
- Kyouhei Takano (高野 恭平 Takano Kyōhei)
While he says that all he cares about is getting free (or the lowest amount required to be paid) rent, he has a soft spot for Sunako and empathizes with her more so than the others. He is the most popular of the boys, and always has trouble keeping down a part-time job because his fans will chase after him, or his boss (male or female) will sexually harass him. Kyohei is cocky, short-tempered, and the only one tough enough to fight on the same level as Sunako. His hair is modeled after Tackey of Tackey & Tsubasa. He also tends to succumb to food and money. Since Sunako is the only girl who is able to understand his true personality regardless of his good looks, he gradually develops an obvious attraction towards her, even going as far as kissing her for no apparent reason. In latest chapters he seems to be aware of his feelings to at least a small degree, looking at a loss when it seems Sunako loves a guy (she doesn't) and when witnessing said guy hug a girl rushes to find Sunako after buying chocolates 'for himself' (to console her- he doesn't eat a single one). He seems to have softened towards her more in chapter 91, telling her she's fine just the way she is when she's upset, scolding her for lying on a dangerous place and telling the 'old man' who talked to her not to fill Sunako's head with too many strange ideas, that he and the others would be worried if she went to the underworld.
Takenaga Oda
- Takenaga Oda (織田 武長 Oda Takenaga)
The most intellectual of the four, Takenaga is called the "Boss" (a pun on his personal name in Japanese, which can be read as buchou, meaning "boss") by his friends and is the least fazed by Sunako's morbid habits. When the quartet dress Sunako up, Takenaga is usually responsible for doing Sunako's hair. Takenaga was originally from a wealthy family descended from flower masters (ikebana), but when the pressure of being the family heir was too much, he became completely withdrawn and ignored everyone. He was sent to live at the Landlady's mansion in hopes of becoming more "normal". He is described as a caring feminist and is rather shy. He is currently going out with Noi, whom he affectionately calls "Noi-chi". His name is derived from Oda Nobunaga (in fact it was once suggested in the anime that Takenaga was a direct descendant of Nobunaga) and his reference to Noi as "Noi-chi" is probably a reference to Oichi, a sister of Nobunaga.
Yukinojo "Yuki" Toyama
- Yukinojo Toyama (遠山 雪之丞 Tōyama Yukinojo)
The most androgynous of the four, "Yuki" is gentle and is initially the most frightened of Sunako. He's the most "normal" of the four boys; before coming to live at the mansion he had a normal school life with a middle-class family. His mother and the Landlady are old friends and the Landlady, and Sunako at times, has a soft spot for Yuki. He's also the shortest and shyest, with a "cute" face, and has been called on (very reluctantly) to dress up as a girl on more than one occasion. He is usually responsible for choosing what sort of clothes Sunako wears when she is forced to dress up and has a good sense of fashion.
Ranmaru Morii
- Ranmaru Morii (森井 蘭丸 Morii Ranmaru)
A ladies' man, Ranmaru is often going out with various beautiful older (and often married) women. The very sight of Sunako initially has him breaking out in hives, but when her true beauty is revealed, he decides that she has "potential" to become a real lady. Like Takenaga, he comes from a wealthy family (who own a series of hotel chains), but was sent to live with the Landlady because he exploited his wealth and his parents wanted him to become "normal". Surprisingly, Ranmaru is actually better at kendo than Takenaga, who comes from a traditional family. He apparently is the strongest advocate of making Sunako into a lady and is usually responsible for doing her make-up whenever she has to dress up; however, his attempts are rarely successful in the long run and he is convinced the it is Kyohei's attitude towards Sunako that is the primary problem. In hopes of changing his womanizing habits, his parents engage him to reserved and conservative girl of their liking, named Tamao Kikunoi. Even though he rejects Kikunoi's love for him, he begins to develop feelings for her. He is named after the real life Mori Ranmaru, the partner of Oda Nobunaga.
Noi Kasahara
- Noi Kasahara (笠原 乃依 Kasahara Noi)
A very pretty and exceedingly popular girl. She loves being called beautiful by the others, especially Sunako. Noi is Sunako's closest friend at school, where Sunako is scorned for her terrifying demeanor and association with the boys. She admires Sunako's tough attitude and also believes that Sunako and Kyohei are compatible as a couple. Noi is in love with Takenaga, though she tends to be insecure about their relationship because Takenaga is too shy to openly admit that he likes her. She is called "Noi" in both the North American and Singaporean English-language translation. As stated in recent chapters, she's a fan of shoujo manga.
Supporting characters
- Mine Nakahara (The Landlady)
- Sunako's aunt (addressed as Oba-san or "Auntie"), who expects Kyohei, Takenaga, Yuki, and Ranmaru to make Sunako into a lady. Called the "infamous Marie Antoinette of the East", Miss Nakahara is extremely wealthy and usually travels in unconventional fashion, such as in a fleet of helicopters. The Landlady is rarely around (usually in France with her latest boyfriend or fiancé) and the four males have managed to convince her that Sunako is on the fast track to becoming a lady when really her niece is not. However, the Landlady has also been known to make unexpected visits, which often leads to the boys putting on an act of some sort with Sunako to make her appear more lady-like and, occasionally, resulting in raised rent when all does not go as planned.
- The Landlady is actually the younger sister of Sunako's father and, like her niece, requires very little effort to frighten the boys. It is known that her husband is dead and the apparent reason why she keeps getting a new boyfriend is that she is lonely, but she loves none of these men in the same way she loved her husband. While their interaction is relatively limited, Sunako actually admires her aunt a great deal and considers her the most beautiful woman she knows; the Landlady, in turn, simply wants Sunako to be happy and believes that helping her niece become a lady will do so, especially since as a child Sunako always wanted to be like her aunt. She gradually turns her focus away from trying to shape Sunako into an elegant lady, believing that Sunako is perfectly capable of acting as such, and attempting to change Kyohei into a suitable partner for her niece.
- Sunako's parents
- Sunako's parents live abroad, supposedly in Africa, and have left Sunako under the care of her aunt. The boys are not surprised to discover that Sunako's father is physically huge and not particularly attractive and are more worried about his protective streak towards his daughter, who became increasingly distant towards him and refused to let him into her room. He later discovers that his daughter still loves him; she just did not want him to see the inside of her room because it was filled with things that would horrify him. He has a bad back as a result of saving Sunako from a bear as a child.
- Sunako's mother is a very attractive and petite woman, something that the boys did not expect from their knowledge of Sunako and her father's appearances. She is surprisingly strong and is able to lift her husband off the ground effortlessly. She thinks nothing of Sunako's morbid habits as long as they make her happy and she scolds Sunako's father for pleading for Kyohei to change Sunako into a normal girl. A flashback reveals that Sunako's mother is actually younger than most women with a daughter of Sunako's age.
- Tamao Kikunoi (菊之井 玉绪 Kikunoi Tamao)
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- Unnamed and known in the manga as only as "Princess", Tamao is the fiancée of Ranmaru because of an arranged marriage by both their parents. She is extremely wealthy and studies at an all girls' school. Aside from hoping Tamao's calm demeanor will change Ranmaru's womanizing habits, both Ranmaru's parents are extremely fond of her and would like her to become their daughter-in-law. Her character is a perfect example of a "lady" as she foils Noi's loud mouth and Sunako's un-ladylike nature. Despite Ranmaru's playboy qualities, she has fallen in love with him, to the extent of admitting her feelings. His rejection of her does not faze her, hoping that eventually he would come to feel the same way.
- Sunako's Classmates
- Sunako's classmates initially both fear her terrifying demeanor and scorn her association with the four boys. However, after she wins an athletic competition for their class, they come to respect and admire her, though they remain somewhat frightened of her more morbid habits. In addition, Sunako becomes popular with the cooking club for her domestic abilities and they frequently ask her to join them when they are trying new recipes. Her classmates include a trio of girls named Nana, Nene, and Nono who are friendliest with her.
- Goth-Loli Sisters (ゴスロリ シスターズ Gosu-Rori Shisutāzu)
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Laseine : Voiced by: Hiromi Konno (Japanese), Brittney Karbowski (English)
Madeleine : Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama (Japanese), Tiffany Terrell (English)
Roxane : Voiced by: Erika (Japanese), Monica Passley (English)
- Lassine (ラセーヌ Rasēnu), Madeline (マドレーヌ Madorēnu), Roxanne (ロクサーヌ Rokusānu), and Yvonne (イヴォンヌ Ivonnu) are four girls who are completely obsessed with the main boys of the series. Initially their roles in the storyline were much smaller, but were expanded within the anime to provide comic relief. They usually have a cameo appearance in each episode saying their catch phrase "Goth-Goth, Loli-Loli" while crossing their own fingers. Their first appearance in the manga was a one shot of them getting revenge on Sunako and Noi for being so close to the men they loved. A notable aspect to their characters is that instead of actively pursuing their crushes, they instead sat in the background and waited for them to notice them instead. In the manga they were responsible for a number of disturbances, such as replacing the boys' lunches with their (rather horrible) home-made lunches. Their attempts to get closer to their respective crushes culminated in them attempting to harm Noi for her close relationship to Takanaga and the others. This attempt was foiled after they were discovered by a rage-driven Sunako, only to be spared by the boys' arrival in restraining Sunako.
- They make a reappearance when they enlist Sunako's help in talking with the boys by bribing her with four extremely rare skeleton dolls. Each girl eventually chickens out of her respective encounter, becoming overwhelmed by the aura of the boys which ruin the respective romantic fantasies each goth-loli girl has. The fantasies come to a disturbing conclusion when each girl replaces the hero with an image of Sunako, who they've come to admire.
- Their appearance is an exaggeration of the Gothic Lolita phenomenon, and are very unattractive. Their names are given as Ierie, Machapi, Maririn and Mintan in the Singaporean English-language translation.
- The Prince of Grimel
- He first appeared in chapter 79. The prince's parents, the king and queen of Grimel (a fictional European country), invited Ms Nakahara to their country and she took Sunako and the four guys along. There, it was discovered that the king and queen hoped to marry their son the prince to Sunako. The prince shares a love of horror and darkness with Sunako, and fell in love with her. Sunako was enchanted with the purportedly haunted forests and crypts of Grimel and unknowingly accepted the proposal. However, on the day of the wedding, Kyohei took Sunako away as he was sick of European food and wanted to eat Japanese food. Sunako has since not reinstated the proposal, but the prince has continued to pursue Sunako, studying Japanese horror stories such as the famous Yotsuya Kaidan.
- The "Boss"
- The self-proclaimed "head of the National Boss Association", a street gangster from Kumagoroshi who falls for the SD Sunako, much to the surprise of everyone surrounding him. Originally, he wanted to challenge Kyouhei to a fight to see who was stronger, but later changed it to a fight for Sunako's affections, believing that Kyohei was Sunako's boyfriend. He can be seen in both the manga and the anime version. In the anime, his name is given as Hiromi Hanayashiki.
- Hiroshi-kun
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- Hiroshi-kun is an anatomical figure, being Sunako's most precious possession and best friend. Sunako often confides in him regarding her feelings about the boys and situations, although she does not get reply. Despite not being alive, Hiroshi-kun is treated like a living person, talking at the beginning of episodes in the anime, and is shown dancing in the end credits, showing great love for Sunako. Hiroshi-kun was found by Sunako in a pile of rubbish shortly after she was described as being ugly by her first crush, and she formed a bond with Hiroshi-kun, both being "discarded" from the world.
- Sunako takes good care of Hiroshi-kun, along with her other anatomical friends (Josephine, Akira-kun, and Sergeant George). His fake organs have a habit of falling out or being removed by Sunako. The boys at first are dismissive of Sunako's relationship with Hiroshi-kun, but eventually come to accept it over the course of the manga and anime, treating him the same way Sunako does but remembering that he is not alive. Kyouhei often threatens to destroy Hiroshi-kun when Sunako irritates him, but in one episode, he actually confides in him like Sunako. On several occasions, Hiroshi-kun is kidnapped by other characters and held to ransom. These characters include The Boss so he could meet Sunako, and a trio of obsessive fan girls of Kyouhei, Sunako risking life and limb to save Hiroshi-kun.
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