Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese light novel

Light novel

A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...

series by Yūsaku Igarashi

Yusaku Igarashi

is a Japanese writer of light novels. In 2003. Igarashi won the Grand Prize in the fourth Dengeki hp Novella Prize held by MediaWorks for his novella Shiawase Nisei Taidōkyo Keikaku: Yōsei-san no Ohanashi. The following year in 2004, Igarashi debuted with his light novel series Nogizaka Haruka no...

, with illustrations by Shaa. The series originally started serialization in volume thirty of MediaWorks

MediaWorks (publisher)

was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...

' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp
Dengeki hp
was a Japanese seinen magazine published by MediaWorks centered on publishing light novels. The first issue was released on December 18, 1998, and for the first eight issues was published quarterly; after this, it is being published bimonthly...

on June 18, 2004. One more chapter was published until the first bound novel of the series was released, though more chapters were later serialized in the magazine. The first novel was released in October 2004, and as of July 2011, 14 volumes have been published by ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...

under their Dengeki Bunko

Dengeki Bunko

is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...

imprint

Imprint

In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...

. A manga

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...

adaptation by Yasuhiro Miyama was serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Moeoh between the October 2006 and August 2010 issues. An anime

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....

adaptation produced by Studio Barcelona

Studio Barcelona

, previously known as is a Japanese animation studio located in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded on October 5, 2005 after a split from Group TAC.-Anime involved with:*Fushigi Hoshi no Futago Hime Gyu!*Chokotto Sister...

aired between July and September 2008; a second anime season aired between October and December 2009. A visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

for the PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

was released in Japan in September 2008 and a second game for the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

was released for digital download in February 2010.

Plot

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is set at the private high school Hakujō Academy in Japan and centers around the male protagonist Yūto Ayase and his classmate Haruka Nogizaka. While Yūto is rather ordinary, Haruka is very attractive, intelligent, and rich. Due to this, she is the school's most unattainable girl and is so idolized that her classmates give her the French nicknames Nuit Étoile (The Night Star) and Lumière du Clavier (The Piano's Light). One day, Yūto's good friend Nobunaga Asakura asks him to return a book to the school library, and when he goes to return it, Yūto stumbles across Haruka and her darkest secret—she is a diehard fan of anime

Anime

, manga

Manga

, and the otaku

Otaku

is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...

culture. Yūto promises to keep her secret hidden and the two become close friends. Yūto does his best to help Haruka with her secret hobby while developing his relationship with her.

Main characters

Yūto is the main protagonist of the story. He is an ordinary student who attends the private high school Hakujō Academy and is in his second year of high school. One day, he stumbles across his classmate Haruka in the library and discovers her hidden secret—she is a major otaku

Otaku

and loves anime

Anime

and manga

Manga

. Following this revelation, Yūto starts to hang out with Haruka which brings up the envy and jealousy of many of his fellow classmates. Yūto lives with his parents and older sister Ruko, though his parents are always working and thus are generally absent from home. He behaves bluntly and generally likes to be left alone. He has an average determination to study for school. Even though he and Haruka are so close, he sometimes believes since he is not wealthy he cannot officially be her boyfriend.

Haruka is the main female character of the story, and is Yūto's classmate. Due to her beauty and intelligence, She is idolized at school and regarded as the school's most unattainable girl, even known by the French nicknames Nuit Étoile (The Night Star) and Lumière du Clavier (The Piano's Light). She is very skilled at playing the piano and has taken overall victories in international contests. She also has a gentle personality, is a natural airhead, and is quite clumsy. Her deep hidden secret is that she is a major otaku

Otaku

and loves anime

Anime

and manga

Manga

. In middle school, her secret was exposed and she received a certain amount of prejudice towards it which caused her to keep it a secret once she entered high school. When Yūto finds out about it, Haruka is relieved that he does not tell anyone or harass her about it. She also comes from a rich family and privileged upbringing, so her interest in the otaku subculture is looked down upon due to her status in society, which is another reason why she keeps it a secret. Haruka once fled to a park after being scolded by her father, several years before. It was here that her anime obsession started when Yūto gave her the first issue of Innocent Smile. While being very talented, she cannot draw well, but does not realize it because she is too proud of it for anyone to tell her directly.

Classmates and teachers

Nobunaga is a childhood friend of Yūto who attends the same private high school, though is in the class next to his. He has a cheerful and openhearted personality, gets very good grades, and is considered a bishōnen

Bishonen

is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...

by the female students. However, he is a hardcore otaku

Otaku

and is familiar with the layout of Akihabara

Akihabara

, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...

. He is extremely famous in various places in Akihabara. Due to his enormous amount of purchases, he is known as "Kaiser

Kaiser

Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...

" at the Animate

Animate

is the retailing arm of MOVIC and is the largest retailer of anime, games, and manga in Japan. The first and headquarters store of Animate opened in 1983 and is located in Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, there are 38 Animate stores in Japan, and two in Taipei, Taiwan...

store, and is one of three people who possesses the golden Animate card. At a maid café where Haruka once worked part time called "@Home ~Café", there is a picture of him shaking hands with the manager of the café, framed in gold with the caption "Welcome home, our greatest master" hung in the center of the café. Covertly, he knows what is going on between Yūto and Haruka.

Yukari (light brown hair, braided) is the vice-homeroom teacher to Yūto's class and is an old friend of Ruko. She is referred in the story by Yūto as the "sexual harassment teacher". She is constantly smiling, though she enjoys teasing trouble makers. She likes spending a lot of time over at the Ayase house, and is unmarried though wants a boyfriend. At school, she is in charge of teaching music. She is twenty-three years old, though refers to herself as "eternally seventeen". There is a possibility that she is the rumored teacher that graduated from this same school and famous in the music world as the Performer of the Sunset.

Shiina is a girl who participated in the London Piano Contest with Haruka; Shiina ranked second after Haruka who ranked first. She transfers into Yūto's class at school. Her hobbies include playing the piano and the martial art of naginatajutsu

Naginatajutsu

is the Japanese martial art of wielding the . This is a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budō, in which competitions also are held.-Debated origins:...

. She always has a positive, cheerful and sociable personality. This makes her transition as a transfer student very easy. She used to live in Otaru, Hokkaidō

Otaru, Hokkaido

is a city and port in Shiribeshi, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, though does not speak much of those days. She shows an interest for Yūto as she believes there might be a reason they constantly bump into each other. She said one of the reason she chose Yūto's school to transfer to is because of a famous teacher who graduated from the school and is known as the Performer of the Sunset is teaching at the school.

Tōka is a student at Yūto's school, though she is in her first year, class three. She is known by the nickname Princess Blizzard at school because of her domineering and arrogant personality. She comes from a family whose wealth could rival that of Haruka's family. Her family is known as "The East Nogizaka's House and the West Tenōji's house". Yūto worked as her personal butler for one week before Christmas to earn money for Haruka's Christmas present. After the head of the family died at age 147, she became the third in line to inherit the family fortune. Her ultimate goal is world conquest. She cameos in the first season of the anime adaptation, but is fully shown in Purezza.

Mai is a girl in Yūto's class. She generally has a quiet personality, though is vice-president of the naginatajutsu

Naginatajutsu

club. She is close friends with Shiina and Ryōko. She cameos in the first season of the anime adaptation, but is fully shown in Purezza.

Ryōko is a classmate and close friend of Shiina and Mai, and is often seen with them. As opposed to the quiet Mai, she is quite boisterous and hyperactive. She often refers to Shiina as "Shiina-cchi" and Yūto as "Ayase-cchi". She notices that Shiina feels something for Yūto, so she (and Mai) encourages her to go for him, perhaps oblivious to the fact that Yūto has Haruka. She is mostly active in Purezza.

(Nagai), (Takenami), (Ogawa)

Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa are a group of male students in Yūto's class. Everyone refers to them as the "three idiots" because they always get into idiotic discussions. These three wish for the same wishes every New Year, and get the same fortune slips that indicate terrible luck.

Mahiro is Nobunaga's younger sister. She is referred by her brother as a hopeless person with a poor sense of direction. She views Nobunaga as an idiot older brother, though she does like Yūto. She dislikes her brother's otaku

Otaku

hobbies. She does not make an appearance in the anime.

(visual novel)

Keiji is Yūto's classmate; he is known as "mad dog". He calls himself a "natural enemy of Akiba-kei

Akiba-kei

or is a Japanese slang term similar in meaning to otaku.-Definition:Akiba-kei is a Japanese slang term meaning "Akihabara style". It dates back to the early 80s and refers to a subset of otaku, now largely older males, who spend much of their time in and around the Akihabara area of Tokyo and are...

," though Yūto has seen him in Akihabara

Akihabara

, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...

and at Comiket

Comiket

, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....

. He originally comes from Shaa's other manga series Kyōhaku Dog's. He only cameos in the anime.

(visual novel)

Setsuna is a girl in Yūto's class; she is known as "faithful dog Hachikō

Hachiko

, known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō , was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.-Life:In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno,...

". She is considerably clumsy. She has been seen by Yūto together with Keiji in Akihabara

Akihabara

, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...

and at Comiket

Comiket

. Like Keiji, she originally comes from Kyōhaku Dog's. She only cameos in the anime.

Ayase family

Ruko (black hair, ponytail) is Yūto's older sister. She works as a private secretary to a company president. She is skilled in karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

and is a 2-dan

Dan rank

The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...

. She is a hard worker, though she drinks a lot at home and is unable to do any housework which makes Yūto in charge of all the chores. She generally has a rough attitude and will often speak in a brutish manner. Since her parents are absent so often, Ruko takes up the position as the highest person in the house with her brother. When first meeting Haruka, Ruko was very pleased with her, though Yūto regarded this as unusual. She is a weapon fanatic, which is proven by the fact that she owns many magazines about weapons. She also has her personal favorite Japanese blade called Ruri Dokuro, which means lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color....

skull. Her battle skills are considered at the professional fighter level. This is demonstrated when she completely broke the Tennōji's household security with Yukari looking for Yūto when he had to stay one week for his butler part time job and forgot to make food for them.

Nogizaka family

Mika is Haruka's younger sister in her second year of junior high school. Her hobbies include playing the violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

, playing squash

Squash (sport)

Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...

, caring for wild pigs, and spying on her sister and Yūto. She has a personality that is the exact opposite of her sister's, who is naïve. She enjoys Yūto's company and she often calls him "Onii-san" (an affectionate word meaning brother, brother-in-law, or a brother-like male figure). When Haruka is with Yūto, however, Mika likes to tease them. In contrast to her airhead older sister, Mika is very stable. Even at her young age, she is more knowledgeable about sex than Haruka, although she will get shocked or stunned mentally if exposed to H-rated

Hentai

is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...

material just like her sister. She shows some interest in Yūto after their date. She is deathly afraid of ghosts. She has been running for the student council president of her all girl school for two consecutive years. She is just as much as an idol as her sister at school and is known by the name Moonlight Strawberry.

Gentō is Haruka's and Mika's father. His last name is adopted from his wife's family. His speech and conduct makes him seem like a member of the yakuza

Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...

, though he is a loving parent who dotes on his daughters. He even bought an entire island for Haruka's birthday. He is against Haruka hanging around Yūto so much (and he often draws his sword when he suspects Yūto is "doing something hanky-panky" with Haruka), though he does not mind having Yūto around when he is alone. He heads the family's private paramilitary strike force unit known as The Hell Hounds.

Akiho is Haruka's and Mika's mother. Despite having given birth twice, she appears youthful and beautiful, so young-looking and beautiful that Yūto originally thought she was Haruka's older sister or cousin when he first met her. She is a principal of a cooking school. She has a quiet and intellectual demeanor but has the strength to overcome her husband; in fact, she is referred to by Yūto and Mika as "The Nogizaka house's ultimate weapon". In contrast to her husband, she thinks it is good that Haruka and Yūto spend time together, and she likes to watch the development of their relationship by joining in on spying on them. However, she is very strict that Haruka keeps up on her studies.

Ōki is Haruka's and Mika's grandfather on their mother's side. He has a sociable personality and is a goodhearted old man. Although he is retired from his original position as the president of the Nogizaka's organization and became the consultant, he is still a very powerful man in the economic and political world. If he wants, all great leaders in the world will gather at one place for a high level conference within three hours. He has a shadow warrior named Heizō Sebastian Sakurazaka—Hazuki's grandfather.

Nogizaka family maids

The Nogizaka family maid team follows a ranking system. For some unspecified reason (and it seems that the Team are too scared to discuss the topic with Yūto), the second highest ranking maid is missing.

Hazuki is the head maid of the Nogizaka family. She is mainly in charge of looking after Haruka and Mika, particularly Haruka; Hazuki acts in the way of an older sister towards her. She is generally very reserved and expressionless, but sometimes speaks of bombshell announcements. Hazuki adores cute things and even has a collection of stuffed animal

Stuffed animal

A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...

s. She often appears out of nowhere holding a chainsaw, her preferred defensive weapon.

Nanami is the third-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family, and she usually helps Hazuki with her work, but is more commonly found alongside Mika helping and joining in on her spying missions. She has a friendly personality and smiles a lot, though also has a wicked tongue. She is seen wearing sunglasses often. Like Hazuki, she also often appears out of nowhere, though holding a large hammer that looks like a meat tenderizer for a defensive weapon. She has a habit of driving extremely fast (she drives the family Rolls-Royce Phantom like a WRC

World Rally Championship

The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...

driver, though she sometimes drives the other Nogizaka limousine

Lincoln Town Car

The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...

), but Haruka just states she is a great driver when one is in a hurry.

Minamo is the fourth-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family and in charge of finances, legal, and public relations. Very calm and refined in demeanor, she easily commands attention and respect. She is practically second in command and becomes the head maid in case something happens to Hazuki.

Maria is the fifth-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family. She does general work around the house, though she is mostly on the family medical treatment group.

Koayu is the sixth-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family, and is the head chef. She is extremely shy, and does not appear often.

, ,

(Ayame), Momoko Ishikawa

Momoko Ishikawa

is a female Japanese seiyū from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and works for I'm Enterprise.-Notable voices:* Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza—Sara Rokujō* Sky Girls—Haruko Mikogami* Toradora!—Nanako Kashii* Sonic: Night of the Werehog—Female ghost...

(Sara), 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...

(Juri)

Ayame, Sara, and Juri are three sisters who are all equally ranked the seventh-highest maids of the Nogizaka family. They are in charge of being chauffeur

Chauffeur

A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...

s to the family. The eldest sister Ayame flies an eight-passenger airplane (the Nogizaka business jet, the Winter Shogun), which is comfortable to ride. Sara, the middle sister, is very speedy when flying her plane, or driving her limousine

Lincoln Town Car

The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...

, or her Harrier jump jet. Juri, the youngest sister, also flying a plane.

Alister, otherwise known as Alice, is the eight-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family, and is in charge of VIP security and sabotage. She looks like a grade school student, and is a blond Caucasian (most likely German, since she once utters "Bruder", which conveys the same meaning as Mika's "Onii-san", when addressing Yūto). She rarely speaks in the novel (being not yet skilled in Japanese), and normally converses with others via an array of nods and head-shakes to express her meanings (while uttering "koku"). However, in the second series, she is revealed to have superb fighting skills with the attitude of a programmed hell-bent killer, as she was revealed by Hazuki to be the one in charge of VIP security and sabotage. She has a baseball bat studded with spikes, as well as spiked knuckles, as weapons.

Rio is the ninth-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family and in charge of the chemistry department.

Iwai is the tenth-highest ranking maid of the Nogizaka family and in charge of festivities. She also works as a real miko

Miko

is a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...

Other characters

Milan is a popular idol. Her posters and promotions for her song (which is the first anime adaptation's opening theme) are seen in the Comiket

Comiket

and in places around Akihabara

Akihabara

, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...

. She is also working on the anime Nocturne Girls' School Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

Club as a voice talent. She turned Yūto into her manager upon knowing her real manager is on the other end of Japan, and later tipped Yūto of Yayoi's true plans for Haruka.

Yayoi is a talent agent who is Milan's manager and the organizer of an idol audition that Haruka was asked to participate in. The truth is, they really wanted Haruka to be an idol, by all means necessary (that "idol audition" and the related processes are a fake, a ploy to draw in Haruka). Haruka is absolutely unaware of what Yayoi is planning.

Nozomi is Yayoi's partner as a talent agent. She usually fetches Haruka from school to the "lesson".

Shute is the son of a wealthy family who is doing business with the Nogizaka family. He is an arrogant young man who, unlike his father looks down upon common people. Oftentimes his arrogance leads him to trouble that ends up humiliating him. During Haruka's birthday, he bullies and tries to discourage Yūto from giving his gift to Haruka and brags about his multimillion-dollar gifts while belittling Yūto's, but ends up humiliated when he handles Ōki Nogizaka by the collar of his shirt, and his father demands that he apologize to both him and Yūto in front of a distinguished crowd (Haruka ignored him, anyway—she just greeted him out of courtesy). He is later demoted by his father to work as a butler "to teach him the value of humility," but to no avail, calling the maids and butlers slaves and tools to people like him, and even stepping on Alistia's stuffed frog Yūto had won for her, which earned trouble for himself at the Year-End Maid and Butler Convention.

Eri is one of Mika's friends and classmates. She is in the drama club together with Mika and is very passionate about it. She has a gentle and kind personality.

Light novels

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu began as a series of light novel

Light novel

s written by Yūsaku Igarashi

Yusaku Igarashi

, and drawn by Shaa. The series originally started serialization in MediaWorks'

MediaWorks (publisher)

now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp
Dengeki hp
was a Japanese seinen magazine published by MediaWorks centered on publishing light novels. The first issue was released on December 18, 1998, and for the first eight issues was published quarterly; after this, it is being published bimonthly...

with the release of volume 30 on June 18, 2004. A second chapter was published in volume 31 of the same magazine on August 21, 2004. Less than two months later on October 10, 2004, the first bound volume of the series was published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko

Dengeki Bunko

publishing imprint

Imprint

, and as of July 8, 2011, 14 volumes have been published. Additional chapters have also been published in Dengeki hp volumes: 34, 35, 41, and 47. The Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...

reported that as of January 2008, over 700,000 copies of the first seven volumes have been sold.

Manga

A manga

Manga

adaptation was serialized in ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

' seinen manga magazine Dengeki Moeoh between the October 2006 and August 2010 issues. The manga takes its story from the light novels that preceded it, and is illustrated by Yasuhiro Miyama. Four 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 were sold under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics

Dengeki Comics

is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...

imprint from November 15, 2007 to November 27, 2010.

Audio dramas

A four-episode radio drama

Radio drama

Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...

, which first aired on October 27, 2007 aired on ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

' radio program Dengeki Taishō
Dengeki Taisho
is a Japanese radio program broadcast by Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, Radio Osaka, and Tokai Radio Broadcasting which first aired in October 1994, and is produced by ASCII Media Works . The program airs late at night on the weekend ranging between either 1:00-1:30 AM, 1:30-2:00 AM, or 2:00-2:30 AM...

. An hour long drama CD which adds to the story from the second episode of the radio broadcast was released on January 10, 2008. The voices provided for both dramas were the same, and the same cast was used for the anime adaptation.

Anime

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu was adapted into a 12-episode anime

Anime

adaptation, and was broadcast in Japan between July 3 and September 25, 2008 on the Chiba TV

Chiba TV

, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...

broadcasting network. The anime is produced by Studio Barcelona

Studio Barcelona

and directed by Munenori Nawa

Munenori Nawa

is a Japanese animation director.-Anime involved in:*D.C.S.S.: Da Capo Second Season: Director*Digimon: The Movie: Key Animation*Galaxy Angel A: Animation director*Galaxy Angel Z: Animation director*Kiss×sis: Director...

. Six DVD compilation volumes were released by Geneon Entertainment between September 26, 2008 and February 27, 2009. A Blu-ray disc box set of the series was released in Japan on September 26, 2009. The opening theme, , is performed by Miran Himemiya and Chocolate Rockers

Hitomi Nabatame

is a Japanese voice actress. She is affiliated with Ken Production. When voicing adult games, she is known as , , , or . She also sings opening themes for Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu under the name Miran Himemiya and Chocolate Rockers.-Anime:...

. The ending theme, , is performed by Kana Ueda

Kana Ueda

is a Japanese Seiyū employed by I'm Enterprise. She is best known as the voices of Yumi Fukuzawa in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rin Tohsaka in Fate/Stay Night and Hayate Yagami in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's and Strikers...

, Mai Goto

Mai Goto

is a Japanese actress and gravure idol.-External links:...

, 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:...

, Kaori Shimizu

Kaori Shimizu

Kaori Shimizu is the name of:*Kaori Shimizu , Japanese voice actress*Kaori Shimizu , '80s Japanese idol known for the video game Psycho Soldier...

and Mamiko Noto

Mamiko Noto

is a Japanese voice actress working under Office Osawa. She was born in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and graduated from Hokuriku Gakuen Senior High School.-Voice:...

, the various voice actresses

Seiyu

Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...

for the main characters of the anime collectively known as The N's.

A second anime series entitled was announced for production in a pamphlet included with the tenth Spice and Wolf
Spice and Wolf
is a Japanese light novel series written by Isuna Hasekura, with illustrations by Jū Ayakura. ASCII Media Works published 17 novels between February 2006 and July 2011 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. ASCII Media Works reported that as of October 2008, over 2.2 million copies of the first nine...

light novel volume. This series is again directed by Munenori Nawa and produced by Studio Barcelona under the name Diomedea. The second season aired 12 episodes between October 6 and December 22, 2009 in Japan. The opening theme is by Milan Himemiya and Chocolate Rockers. The ending theme is by The N's (Kana Ueda, Mai Goto, Rina Satō, Kaori Shimizu and Mamiko Noto).

Visual novels

A visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

based on the series for the PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

developed by Vridge is published by ASCII Media Works

ASCII Media Works

and was released on September 25, 2008 in Japan entitled . A second video novel, also developed by Vridge and published by ASCII Media Works, is titled and was originally released as a five-part digital download online playable on the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

. A Universal Media Disc

Universal Media Disc

The Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...

version of the game will be sold on October 28, 2010.

External links

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu at ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
Anime official website
Visual novels official website

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