Koi wa Ameagari no You ni

Movies

Background

First serialized in Shogakukan’s Monthly Big Comic Spirits in June 2014, Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (After the Rain) is a romance manga by Jun Mayuzuki set in a seaside town. It quickly became popular for its sweet story and characters, moving on to Weekly Big Comic Spirits in January 2016. It was ranked fourth in the “Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” 2016 ranking and seventh in the Manga Taisho Awards.

The plot is centered around 17-year-old high schooler Akira Tachibana. While she used to be the ace of her track club and is extremely well-known for being a fast runner, she was forced to quit the team after sustaining an injury that left her with a scar which aches when it rains. She decides to work part-time as a waitress at the family restaurant Garden where she meets Masami Kondo, the clumsy and overly apologetic 45-year-old manager who finds his life in a bit of a rut after getting a divorce and being stuck in his position for six years with no sign of a promotion.

Despite their age difference, Akira develops a crush on the manager due to his kind nature and cute quirks. Like Kondo, Akira is soft-hearted and extremely earnest and kind, but she often comes across as cold and even mean due to having trouble expressing herself. This even ends up resulting in Kondo thinking Akira hates him due to her unintentional glaring. These similarly subdued personalities result in a slow, heartwarming, and sincere connection between the two.

Also featured in the story are Takashi Yoshizawa, a classmate of Akira’s with a one-sided crush on her who ends up also working at Garden; Kase Ryosuke, the charming part-timer working in the kitchen; Yui Nishida, a cute and bubbly Garden waitress; and Haruka Kyan, a close friend of Akira’s in the school’s track team.

Koi wa Ameagari no You ni is still being serialized as of January 2017, and there are nine volumes available as of November 2017. Its popularity has also lead to it getting a live-action adaptation by director Akira Nagai (If Cats Disappeared from the World) and writer Riko Sakaguchi (Mary and the Witch’s Flower) starring Nana Komatsu as Akira and Yo Oizumi as Kondo which is is set to premiere in May 2018.

Anime Adaptation

First announced in March 2017, the anime adaptation brings together the talents of anime studio Wit Studio ( well-known for their recent work on Attack on Titan and The Ancient Magus’ Bride), director Ayumu Watanabe (Doraemon, Space Brothers), writer Deko Akao (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Snow White with the Red Hair), character designer Yuka Shibata (Grrl Power, Kimi ni Todoke), and composer Ryo Yoshimata (Shin Megami Tensei Devil Children). CHiCO with HoneyWorks was also brought on for the opening theme, “Nostalgic Rainfall,” and Aimer for the ending theme, “Ref:rain.”

The adaptation stars Sayumi Watabe (Shiki Mori in Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club) as Akira Tachibana and Hiroaki Hirata (Kotetsu T. Kaburagi in Tiger & Bunny) as Masami Kondo. The talented supporting cast also includes Emi Miyajima (A Centaur’s Life, High School Fleet), Haruka Fukuhara (Nameko: Sekai no Tomodachi, Precure Super Stars!), Tomoaki Maeno (Blend S, Death Parade, Haikyu!!), and Junya Ikeda (Cheating Craft, Digimon Adventure tri.) as Haruka, Yui, Ryosuke, and Takashi respectively.

Set for a total of 12 episodes, the series is airing during the Noitamina programming block on Fuji Television as of Jan. 11, and Amazon has exclusive streaming rights worldwide through their Amazon Video service.

Official Info

Cast

Akira Tachibana: Sayumi Watabe
Masami Kondo: Hiroaki Hirata
Haruka Kyan: Emi Miyajima
Yui Nishida: Haruka Fukuhara
Ryosuke Kase: Tomoaki Maeno
Takashi Yoshizawa: Junya Ikeda

Staff

Original Work: Jun Mayuzuki (serialized in Shogakukan’s Monthly Big Comic Spirits and Weekly Big Comic Spirits)
Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Writer: Deko Akao
Character Designer: Yuka Shibata
Music: Ryo Yoshimata
Opening Theme: “Nostalgic Rainfall” by CHiCO with HoneyWorks
Ending Theme: “Ref:rain” by Aimer
Studio: Wit Studio