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Suki (manga)
Encyclopedia
, is a three volume manga
by Clamp
. The title literally means "I like you, that's why I like you." It was published in English
by TOKYOPOP
(although their license has since expired).
s. She lives alone in her house and early in the story, her new homeroom teacher moves into the empty house next door. Shiro Asou, her new teacher, becomes her first crush and he seems to take an interest in her as well. However, this simple love story grows complicated as Shiro's interest in Hina is put into question as more sinister elements are placed in the story, all while forcing Hinata to grow up at the same time.
: Seemingly cold and unfeeling, thirty-two year-old Shiro moves into the unoccupied house next door to Hina's, and is also her new substitute teacher. He is actually hired by Hina's father to protect her from another kidnapping. Oblivious to Hina's feelings of love, he (at first) seems to think of Hina as merely another job. He later recognizes her feelings, but he rejects them. He had fallen in love with a client before, but he always feels a pang of guilt whenever he thinks about her. The woman he had fallen in love with before, threw herself into the path of a bullet meant for him, sparing his life. Although she survived the blast, she was a diplomat
ic guest, and later returned to her home country and married.
: Hina's best and life long friend, Touko is always looking out for the girl. Touko also is very suspicious about Asou. Many boys like her.
: Emi is another friend of Hina's. Opinionated and loud-mouthed, she never gives up the chance to explain how childish and naïve Hina is. Emi's father borrowed a lot of money from Yakuza
loansharks and he doesn't have any to repay them. Emi concocts a scheme to help her father kidnap Hina for the ransom that Hina's father is guaranteed to pay. After she is rescued by Shiro, Hina, in her loyalty and naïvete, forgives her and asks her father to loan Emi's family the money that they need. Emi is ashamed of what she's done and is grateful for Hina's forgiveness.
: A famous 21-year-old writer, Hina refers to Tomoaki as Tomo-kun, a name that he hasn't been called in at least ten years. Curiously enough, the genres he writes in are erotica
and children's books. Tomo is the writer of Hina's favorite series of children's books, all featuring bears. Like Hina, Tomo is very carefree and sometimes hard to handle. He has also hired a bodyguard to protect him. Later in the story, Tomo writes a series of books, titled "Suki", that mirror the lives of Hina and Shiro, much like in Chobits
, another work by Clamp.
: Kizu is a colleague of Shiro, both having worked with the Secret Police. Now employed as Tomo's bodyguard, for reasons unexplained in the book, though it was implied that the circumstances are similar to Hina's.
Hina's house is a large, two story home in a safe neighborhood. Shiro moves into the house next door to hers, to keep a watchful eye over her. Her house is (unbeknownst to her) tapped with multiple cameras and microphones, placed secretly by Shiro, to monitor Hina.
The girls-only high school that Hina attends and Shiro's place of employment. Outo High has also appeared in Legal Drug
(along with Shiro and a graduating Hina).
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...
by Clamp
Clamp (manga artists)
, is an all-female Japanese manga artist group that formed in the mid 1980s. Many of the group's manga series are often adapted into anime after release. It consists of their leader , who provides much of the storyline and screenplay for all their works and adaptations of those works respectively ,...
. The title literally means "I like you, that's why I like you." It was published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
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...
(although their license has since expired).
Plot
Suki follows the story of Hinata Asahi, also known as Hina, a child-like teenager who loves teddy bearTeddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s. She lives alone in her house and early in the story, her new homeroom teacher moves into the empty house next door. Shiro Asou, her new teacher, becomes her first crush and he seems to take an interest in her as well. However, this simple love story grows complicated as Shiro's interest in Hina is put into question as more sinister elements are placed in the story, all while forcing Hinata to grow up at the same time.
Characters
: Although her full name is Hinata, she likes people to call her Hina. Sixteen-year-old Hina gets excellent grades, but is still very naïve and sees the world with child-like wonder and innocence. Hina chooses to live on her own, with two teddy bears named Waka and Tono and her new found friend, a cat. She wants to live on her own to accommodate her father's hectic schedule.- Her father is the chairman of the school and he also owns many businesses. He hires Shiro Asou, a bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, to protect her from another kidnapping attempt (she had been kidnapped nine times before). Because her father always pays the ransomRansomRansom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
, no matter how large, Hina has been kidnapped many times. She later develops deeper feelings towards Shiro.
: Seemingly cold and unfeeling, thirty-two year-old Shiro moves into the unoccupied house next door to Hina's, and is also her new substitute teacher. He is actually hired by Hina's father to protect her from another kidnapping. Oblivious to Hina's feelings of love, he (at first) seems to think of Hina as merely another job. He later recognizes her feelings, but he rejects them. He had fallen in love with a client before, but he always feels a pang of guilt whenever he thinks about her. The woman he had fallen in love with before, threw herself into the path of a bullet meant for him, sparing his life. Although she survived the blast, she was a diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
ic guest, and later returned to her home country and married.
: Hina's best and life long friend, Touko is always looking out for the girl. Touko also is very suspicious about Asou. Many boys like her.
: Emi is another friend of Hina's. Opinionated and loud-mouthed, she never gives up the chance to explain how childish and naïve Hina is. Emi's father borrowed a lot of money from 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...
loansharks and he doesn't have any to repay them. Emi concocts a scheme to help her father kidnap Hina for the ransom that Hina's father is guaranteed to pay. After she is rescued by Shiro, Hina, in her loyalty and naïvete, forgives her and asks her father to loan Emi's family the money that they need. Emi is ashamed of what she's done and is grateful for Hina's forgiveness.
: A famous 21-year-old writer, Hina refers to Tomoaki as Tomo-kun, a name that he hasn't been called in at least ten years. Curiously enough, the genres he writes in are erotica
Erotic literature
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of human sexual relationships which have the power to or are intended to arouse the reader sexually. Such erotica takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and sex manuals...
and children's books. Tomo is the writer of Hina's favorite series of children's books, all featuring bears. Like Hina, Tomo is very carefree and sometimes hard to handle. He has also hired a bodyguard to protect him. Later in the story, Tomo writes a series of books, titled "Suki", that mirror the lives of Hina and Shiro, much like in Chobits
Chobits
is a Japanese manga created by the Japanese manga collective Clamp. It was published by Kodansha in Young Magazine from February 2001 to November 2002 and collected in eight bound volumes....
, another work by Clamp.
: Kizu is a colleague of Shiro, both having worked with the Secret Police. Now employed as Tomo's bodyguard, for reasons unexplained in the book, though it was implied that the circumstances are similar to Hina's.
Important locations
Hina's houseHina's house is a large, two story home in a safe neighborhood. Shiro moves into the house next door to hers, to keep a watchful eye over her. Her house is (unbeknownst to her) tapped with multiple cameras and microphones, placed secretly by Shiro, to monitor Hina.
The girls-only high school that Hina attends and Shiro's place of employment. Outo High has also appeared in Legal Drug
Legal Drug
is a manga series by Clamp. The main artist in this serialization is Tsubaki Nekoi, formerly Mick Nekoi. It is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten and it is published in English by Tokyopop who have currently released 3 volumes as of 2005...
(along with Shiro and a graduating Hina).
-
- MARUKAWA Books
- Hina's favorite place to buy books, mostly by her favorite author, Tomo.
-
- Caffe Piffle Princess
- A cafe, a favorite place of Tomo's, he can often be seen writing his latest book (children's or otherwise) at his favorite booth near the door. The cafe is themed around the Piffle Princess, a cuteCuteness in Japanese cultureSince the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms...
mascot character that appears frequently in Suki and other works by Clamp.