Asu no Yoichi!
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Yū Minamoto
. It has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since October 2006 with last volume to be released on March 8, 2011. The manga is licensed and released in Chinese by Sharp Point Press
. The manga is licensed in North America by Tokyopop
as Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi!.
It has been adapted into an anime series
by AIC and was broadcast in Japan on TBS
between January 8, 2009 and March 26, 2009.
at their dojo
. In addition to domestic problems, Yoichi deals with Washizu's jealousy of Ibuki and Yoichi's supposed relationship and his school life.
Sakon Saginomiya: She faithfully follows her older brother around, and is very skilled in the arts of Disguise and "her skills with herbs are top notch." She was able to disguise herself as a little old lady and Ayame, although her "boobs were too big" to make the latter one effective. She is voiced by Sayuri Yahagi
, Asu no Yoichi! has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since it premiered in the October 2006 issue. The individual chapters are collected and published in tankōbon
volumes by Akita Shoten
, with the first volume published on October 6, 2006. , 12 volumes have been released in Japan (last volume will be released on March 8, 2011). The manga is licensed in Taiwan by Sharp Point Press
. The manga is licensed in North America by Tokyopop
as Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi!.
on January 8, 2009. The first episode was broadcast on Sun Television on January 25, 2009. It was also broadcast on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
and BS-i
on January 29, 2009. On February 26, 2010, Section23 Films
announced that Sentai Filmworks had picked up Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi and the series was later released on DVD, on May 11, 2010.
The series used two pieces of theme music
. by Meg Rock was used for the opening theme, while "Life and proud" by Aki Misato
was the series' ending theme.
show to promote the anime series called was streamed online every Friday and aired 42 episodes until September 25, 2009 hosted by Lantis website
. It had two hosts — Nobuhiko Okamoto
and Rina Satō
who played the voices of Yoichi Karasuma and Ibuki Irukaga respectively in the anime series.
released a single for Asu no Yoichi!s opening theme, by Meg Rock
. On February 4, 2009, Geneon
released a single for Asu no Yoichi!s ending theme, "Life and proud" by Aki Misato
.
Geneon
released four character song CDs for Asu no Yoichi!. The first two CDs were composed by Miki Fujisue and released on February 25, 2009. The first CD, character song for Ibuki Ikaruga, is sung by Rina Sato
. The second CD, character song for Ayame Ikaruga, is sung by Haruka Tomatsu
. On March 25, 2009, Geneon
released the last two character CDs, both composed by Masumi Ito
. The third character CD, character song for Chihaya Ikaruga, is sung by Yukari Tamura
. The fourth and final CD, character song for Kagome Ikaruga, is sung by Kana Hanazawa
.
The third DVD of Asu no Yoichi! was listed on the Oricon charts between May 18 and 24, 2009. THEM Anime Review's Tim Jones likens Yoichi and Ibuki with Tom
and Jerry
respectively from Tom and Jerry
"where Tom always lost against Jerry". Jones compares Yoichi's love rival, Ryo Washizu, as a "a mishmash of Kuno and Ryoga from Ranma ½
". He's part Ryoga in that he wants to trump Yoichi even if it means training himself to the bone, and part Kuno in that he's an idiot when it comes to women (especially around Ibuki, who he constantly fantasizes of, as well as worries that she'll hate him for something inane that happens to him)." Jones criticises the art with "often drab, uncreative scenery, and the animation is only adequate save for a few fight sequences". He also comments that "the character designs are cute, but the Ikaruga sisters' hair and outfits (save Ayame's) look ridiculous." He also criticises the background music as "entirely forgettable", and the "opening & closing songs won't be staying in your head anytime soon".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Yū Minamoto
Yū Minamoto
is a female Japanese manga creator best known for her manga Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi which has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since 2006....
. It has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since October 2006 with last volume to be released on March 8, 2011. The manga is licensed and released in Chinese by Sharp Point Press
Sharp Point Press
Sharp Point Press is a Taiwanese publisher of manga and music. It was founded in June 1982.-History:*1982 - Company established. Mainly publishes military and models related books.*1985 - Started publishing annual Zodiac fortune telling handbook....
. The manga is licensed in North America by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
as Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi!.
It has been adapted into an anime series
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
by AIC and was broadcast in Japan on TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
between January 8, 2009 and March 26, 2009.
Plot
After learning martial arts in the mountains for 17 years under his father's teachings, Yoichi Karasuma's father orders Yoichi to continue his training to strengthen his spirit with the Ikaruga family in the city, as he has nothing left to teach him. The current head of the Ukiha Divine Wind Style Swordplay school of martial arts, Ibuki Ikaruga, and her siblings gradually accept Yoichi as a freeloaderFreeloader
The term "Freeloader" in everyday speech refers to a "mooch" or a schnorrer. The technical term for such a person is a free rider.Freeloader may also refer to:* Freeloaders , an electronic music act...
at their dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
. In addition to domestic problems, Yoichi deals with Washizu's jealousy of Ibuki and Yoichi's supposed relationship and his school life.
Characters
- A high school sophomore who is also a young swordsman and has moved away from his mountain life to live with the Ikarugas in the city to continue his training. He is a very active person who actively enjoys martial arts with swordsmanship in particular. Due to his early childhood in the mountains with his father, he does not know the current customs in Japan or how to act around a girl. He is very honorable, which is shown when he addresses everyone with the honorific. However, due to constant misunderstandings, Ibuki, in particular, constantly attacks him under the assumption that he had done something perverted. He is usually seen wearing a Japanese martial arts uniformKeikogior dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
and a wooden swordBokkenA bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...
. He is a freeloaderFreeloaderThe term "Freeloader" in everyday speech refers to a "mooch" or a schnorrer. The technical term for such a person is a free rider.Freeloader may also refer to:* Freeloaders , an electronic music act...
at Ikaruga Dojo and is a student of the Ukiha Kamikaze Swordplay (Soaring Wing, Divine Wind Style). He attends the private school Yoku-Ryou Gakuen with Ibuki and Ayame, and he's in the same class as Ibuki and Washizu. He recently was forced to join the Acting Club and was initially paired with Ibuki to play the main hero and heroine of a love-play, but Ayame took over Ibuki's role afterwards so she could get closer to Yoichi. He always gets nosebleeds after unintentionally doing or seeing something perverted, usually the latter. His training in swordsmanship has left him with greatly advanced fighting skills; one of the key factors in his moving was to earn experience to add to his knowledge. He is also oblivious to the fact that Ayame, Ibuki, and Angela are in love with him.
Ikaruga family
- Ibuki is a high school sophomore who becomes a self-appointed head of the Ikaruga family. She is popular at school due to her beauty. She becomes a maternal figure for the Ikaruga family since their parents went overseas at an early age. She secretly likes Yoichi but is the first to attack him for no reason as well as circumstantial reasons, usually when it involves other girls. She is good at studies, sports, and martial arts. She is the Assistant Instructor of Ikaruga Dojo, which teaches Ukiha Kamikaze Swordplay. There are only five students in her dojo due to her violent nature. However, she treats children in a maternal fashion. It is revealed in chapter 19.5 of the manga that her violent nature developed when her parents left Ibuki to look after her siblings at an early age. As the story goes after overcoming the hardships that her parent left for her thanks to Yoichi and her sisters she realizes she is in love with him.
- Ayame is a freshman in high school and Ibuki's younger sister. She has a shy, tsundereTsundereis a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...
personality and is acutely aware of her small breasts when compared to those of her siblings. It took a while for her to like Yoichi romantically and she tries to help him at times while saying it was for no particular reason. She is bad with household chores in general and dislikes being compared to Ibuki, as she is constantly overshadowed. She has kissed Yoichi twice while he was unconscious during the performance of the play (the first unintentional and the other intentional).
- Chihaya is a 15-year-old, 3rd year junior high school student and the second youngest (and most sexually frank) of the Ikaruga family. She is also a professional manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
who uses her siblings and Yoichi as a basis for her manga by manipulating events to bring about satisfying resolutions. She also seems the most knowledgeable about relationships out of the sisters as she flirts with Yoichi while poking fun at the others. She is the only person in the Ikaruga family to wear glassesMeganekkois a Japanese word which translates to "glasses girl"....
. Her signature hair antennae are reminiscient of Naru NarusegawaNaru Narusegawais a fictional character and the female protagonist in the Love Hina series by Ken Akamatsu. Known for her fiery temper and tendency to use physical violence to punish central character Keitaro Urashima, she is the first female introduced in the series who is trying to pass the University of Tokyo...
's from Love HinaLove Hinais a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine by Kodansha from October 21, 1998 to October 31, 2001 and was published in 14 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. The series tells the story of Keitaro Urashima and his attempts to...
.
- Kagome is the youngest of the Ikaruga family and an elementary school student. She is clumsy and does the washing up for the rest of the family. She has a shy personality and is very talented in cooking. Her breasts are bigger than Ayame's, so she binds her breasts to hide them. She is 10 years old in the anime.
Classmates
- Washizu (also known as "Wa-san") is Ibuki's classmate and a famous delinquent. At the beginning of the manga, Washizu was depicted as a loner, and the only friend he had was Torigaya. As the manga progressed, Washizu started being friendly to other people around him. Washizu has a crush on Ibuki and sees Yoichi as a perverted pimp who plays around with many girls, including Ibuki. He despises him because of his misunderstanding of the relationship between Yoichi and Ibuki. However, he occasionally teams up with Yoichi to fight a common enemy. Instead of confessing to Ibuki, He accidentally confessed to Ibuki's sister, Ayame, and they started acting as a comic reliefComic reliefComic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
of the manga. They usually think together for how they could get close to their respective love interests (Ibuki for Washizu, Yoichi for Ayame). The "Washizu Fantasy Channel" in the manga and "Washizu Vision" in the anime are Washizu's misinterpretations of the situation, usually concerning Ibuki. They can also be Washizu's fantasies.
- Torigaya is Washizu's only friend until Washizu started opening himself to other people. She usually acts cocky and arrogant when she is with Washizu and is very fond of children. Both in the anime and manga she started looking like a male, but chapter after chapter she apparently shrinks in size and shows more feminine traits. In the anime, her actual gender is suddenly revealed in the last chapter, while in the manga the change is much more gradual, having the first hint towards her actual gender when she dresses as a maid in chapter 37. This change seems to be noticed only by Washizu.
Tsubame Benten Ryuu Dojo
- Tsubasa is the next heir of the Tsubame Tenryu Ryouge, a martial arts school threatening to collapse due to lack of funds, and was originally hired by Ukyou Sakinomiya to assassinate Yoichi. She is a clumsy and shy girl who dreams of having a normal life. She has a crush on Washizu because he was the first one who treated her normally, but she gets hurt deeply after hearing Washizu saying that he hates martial arts. She insisted to her subordinate Angela that she should go to the same school as Yoichi so she would have a good opportunity to assassinate him, although her true motive was to be a normal high school girl. In one incident, she slices a soccer ball heading towards her in front of her classmates due to her instincts and gets depressed because everyone became silent. Yoichi openly greets her to ease the tension of the scene, and everyone else follows suit. After school, Angela ripped Tsubasa's clothes off in public, causing her to turn into a deadly martial artist in a trance-like state due to her embarrassment and attacks Yoichi at Angela's orders. However, when Washizu interrupted their fight, Tsubasa broke out of her trance and fled the scene crying from humiliation. Later, she told Angela that she hates both martial arts and Angela. But the next day, she forgave Angela and started a ramen shop with her. Like Washizu, she has her own version of the Washizu Fantasy Channel/Washizu Vision called the Tsubame Fantasy Channel ("Tsubame Vision" in the anime). Her full name translates to "Sparrow's Wings" or "Wings of a Sparrow" in Western order.
- Angela is a 16-years-old girl and Tsubasa's subordinate, who Yoichi describes as being "as tall as a model with a dynamic body". Initially Angela was hired by Ukyou Sakinomiya to assassinate Yoichi and she has been observing Tsubasa because she thought that the next heir of Tsubame Tenryu Ryouge should assassinate Yoichi. After she witnesses Tsubasa's lack of interest in proceeding with the job, she ripped off Tsubasa's clothes so she would turn into a deadly weapon, but the fight between Tsubasa and Yoichi was interrupted by Washizu. After Tsubasa left because of the embarrassment, Angela followed her and was in deep shock after hearing Tsubasa say that she hates both martial arts and Angela. She then attempted to assassinate Yoichi that night by herself, but was scared by the ghosts that she had seen in the Ikagura's household. In reality the "ghosts" were Ibuki's sisters whom Angela mistook for ghosts. After she reached Yoichi's room, she attempted to assassinate him, but Yoichi avoided all of her attacks while asleep. Due to when Yoichi was still in training at the mountains he diligently trained to stay on guard even while being fast asleep. She was taken off guard and was sexually harassed by Yoichi while he was still sleeping, but was saved by Ibuki and her sisters. After Yoichi woke up, she explained everything to the Ikarugas about the assassination plot and her assassination attempt. Yoichi lectured her about her mercenary ways and that she should use her martial art skills with pride as a member of the Tsubame Tenryu Ryouge as well for the revival of her martial arts school. After that, she left the house and encountered Tsubasa, who had already forgiven Angela for her previous actions. Angela then started a ramen shop with Tsubasa the next day. Angela also likes Yoichi romantically. The first kanjiKanjiKanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
in her family name means , in referenced to her watchful nature towards Tsubasa and the finger talons she uses as weapons.
Saginomiya clan
- Ukyo is the head of the Saginomiya clan and the head of the Heron's Temple, Azure Sky School. He has a crush on Ibuki and constantly attempts to kill Yoichi and forcefully kidnaps Ibuki. He is followed and helped by his younger sister, Sakon.
Sakon Saginomiya: She faithfully follows her older brother around, and is very skilled in the arts of Disguise and "her skills with herbs are top notch." She was able to disguise herself as a little old lady and Ayame, although her "boobs were too big" to make the latter one effective. She is voiced by Sayuri Yahagi
Sayuri Yahagi
is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She has also been the narrator of Animax since October 2007.-Anime:*Asu no Yoichi! - Sakon Saginomiya*Asura Cryin - Ania Fortuna*Bakugan Battle Brawlers - Ai...
Manga
Written and illustrated by Yū MinamotoYū Minamoto
is a female Japanese manga creator best known for her manga Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi which has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since 2006....
, Asu no Yoichi! has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Champion since it premiered in the October 2006 issue. The individual chapters are collected and published in tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Akita Shoten
Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company established on August 10, 1948 in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its main editorial target has always been teenagers , and it currently publishes mostly manga...
, with the first volume published on October 6, 2006. , 12 volumes have been released in Japan (last volume will be released on March 8, 2011). The manga is licensed in Taiwan by Sharp Point Press
Sharp Point Press
Sharp Point Press is a Taiwanese publisher of manga and music. It was founded in June 1982.-History:*1982 - Company established. Mainly publishes military and models related books.*1985 - Started publishing annual Zodiac fortune telling handbook....
. The manga is licensed in North America by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
as Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi!.
Anime
An anime adaptation began production on August 6, 2008. Directed by Rion Kujo, the first episode premiered on TBSTokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
on January 8, 2009. The first episode was broadcast on Sun Television on January 25, 2009. It was also broadcast on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting
is a regional radio and television service serving Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Its radio service is affiliated with the Japan Radio Network and its television service affiliated with the Japan News Network and the TBS Network.-Radio:Frequency...
and BS-i
BS-i
is a satellite broadcasting station headquartered in Asakaka Gochome, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its channel name is BS-TBS . It is a member television station of Japan News Network.-Channels:*Television: BS-TBS is assigned BS161ch - 163ch....
on January 29, 2009. On February 26, 2010, Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
announced that Sentai Filmworks had picked up Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi and the series was later released on DVD, on May 11, 2010.
The series used two pieces of theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
. by Meg Rock was used for the opening theme, while "Life and proud" by Aki Misato
Aki Misato
is a female Japanese J-pop singer from Saitama, Japan. Most of her songs are theme songs for anime and video games. She made her debut in 2004 with her first single Kimi ga Sora Datta , which was featured as the ending theme of the anime Mai-HiME...
was the series' ending theme.
Internet radio show
An Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
show to promote the anime series called was streamed online every Friday and aired 42 episodes until September 25, 2009 hosted by Lantis website
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
. It had two hosts — Nobuhiko Okamoto
Nobuhiko Okamoto
is a male Japanese seiyū from Tokyo, Japan. He won the Best New Actor Award on Third seiyuu awards and Best Supporting Actor Award on Fifth seiyuu awards.-TV Anime:2006*Welcome to the N.H.K. as Colleague ; Male student...
and Rina Satō
Rina Sato
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-TV Anime:2004:* Divergence Eve * Maria-sama ga Miteru * Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ 2005:...
who played the voices of Yoichi Karasuma and Ibuki Irukaga respectively in the anime series.
Soundtracks
On January 21, 2009, GeneonGeneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
released a single for Asu no Yoichi!s opening theme, by Meg Rock
Megumi Hinata
is a Japanese singer, lyricist and musician. She is currently signed to Mellow Head.-Biography:Megumi Hinata began learning to play the piano at the age of four, and said she first became interested in music in the latter half of elementary school, which she spent in the United States...
. On February 4, 2009, Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
released a single for Asu no Yoichi!s ending theme, "Life and proud" by Aki Misato
Aki Misato
is a female Japanese J-pop singer from Saitama, Japan. Most of her songs are theme songs for anime and video games. She made her debut in 2004 with her first single Kimi ga Sora Datta , which was featured as the ending theme of the anime Mai-HiME...
.
Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
released four character song CDs for Asu no Yoichi!. The first two CDs were composed by Miki Fujisue and released on February 25, 2009. The first CD, character song for Ibuki Ikaruga, is sung by Rina Sato
Rina Sato
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-TV Anime:2004:* Divergence Eve * Maria-sama ga Miteru * Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ 2005:...
. The second CD, character song for Ayame Ikaruga, is sung by Haruka Tomatsu
Haruka Tomatsu
is a Japanese voice actress and singer, employed by Music Ray'n .-Summary:Haruka debuted as voice actress in 2007, starring in Shinkyoku Sōkai Polyphonica as Corticarte Apa Lagranges...
. On March 25, 2009, Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
released the last two character CDs, both composed by Masumi Ito
Masumi Ito
born May 21, is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. Itō has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands Oranges & Lemons and Heart of Air.- Singles :...
. The third character CD, character song for Chihaya Ikaruga, is sung by Yukari Tamura
Yukari Tamura
, is a popular Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress, affiliated with the talent agency I'm Enterprise. Affectionately called Yukarin by her fans, she is also known for her high-pitched voice and interest in Lolita fashion...
. The fourth and final CD, character song for Kagome Ikaruga, is sung by Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa
a voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...
.
Reception
The eighth volume of Asu no Yoichi! was ranked 26th on the Tohan charts between 9th and 15 December 2008. The tenth volume of Asu no Yoichi! was ranked 12th on the Tohan charts between July 6–12, 2009. The eleventh volume of Asu no Yoichi! was ranked 30th on the Tohan charts between November 2–8, 2009. Coolstreak Comics' Leroy Douresseaux commends the manga by saying, "While it offers plenty of cleavage and panty shots, Samurai Harem is more than just a fanservice manga. It’s also an energetic romantic comedy, made all the nicer by the fact that each of the four sisters has a distinct personality". A later review by Douresseaux comments that the manga "mostly avoids the martial aspects of having samurai and ninja populating a manga series. So far, this series avoids the action, but does have plenty of comedy." Comics Worth Reading's Ed Sizemore criticises the manga's "focusing on the pubic region of girls and women" and "sound effect coming from the girl’s genitalia" as "shameless in its tastelessness" as well as "disturbing". Pop Culture Shock's Ken Haley criticises the manga's art as "bland" but concedes the point that "it does a good job at depicting scantily clad underage girls in compromising positions."The third DVD of Asu no Yoichi! was listed on the Oricon charts between May 18 and 24, 2009. THEM Anime Review's Tim Jones likens Yoichi and Ibuki with Tom
Tom Cat
Thomas "Tom" Cat is a fictional character and half of the academy-award winning Tom and Jerry cartoon cat-and-mouse duo. He is a blue/grey anthropomorphic cat who first appeared in the 1940 animated short Puss Gets the Boot...
and Jerry
Jerry Mouse
Jerry Mouse is a fictional animated character, one of the main characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Jerry is a brown anthropomorphic mouse, who first appeared in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss...
respectively from Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
"where Tom always lost against Jerry". Jones compares Yoichi's love rival, Ryo Washizu, as a "a mishmash of Kuno and Ryoga from Ranma ½
Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an anime adaptation. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Ranma Saotome who was trained from early childhood in martial arts...
". He's part Ryoga in that he wants to trump Yoichi even if it means training himself to the bone, and part Kuno in that he's an idiot when it comes to women (especially around Ibuki, who he constantly fantasizes of, as well as worries that she'll hate him for something inane that happens to him)." Jones criticises the art with "often drab, uncreative scenery, and the animation is only adequate save for a few fight sequences". He also comments that "the character designs are cute, but the Ikaruga sisters' hair and outfits (save Ayame's) look ridiculous." He also criticises the background music as "entirely forgettable", and the "opening & closing songs won't be staying in your head anytime soon".