Hatsukoi Limited

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Hatsukoi Limited


caption =
ja_name = 初恋限定。


ja_name_trans = First Love Limited
genre = Romantic ComedyInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Mizuki Kawashita
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shueisha
publisher_other = flagicon|Hong Kong CultureCom Comics
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump
first = October 1, 2007
last = May 26, 2008
volumes = 4

Nihongo|"Hatsukoi Limited"|初恋限定。|Hatsukoi Rimiteddo|lit. "First Love Limited" is a Japanese shōnen romantic comedy manga by Mizuki Kawashita. It was serialized by Shueisha in the manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump" from October 2007 to May 2008 and collected in four bound volumes. Adaptations as an anime and a series of drama CDs were announced in September 2008, and are currently in production. The series depicts vignettes in the love lives of eight girls in middle school and high school.

Plot

The manga features a series of short stories about eight girls in middle school and high school, plus their classmates and relatives. Each chapter focuses on a different main characters. These stories are entertwined and eventually lead to a main story involving most of the cast.

Characters

Middle school students

;nihongo|Ayumi Arihara|有原あゆみ|Arihara Ayumi:A middle school second year, as well as the focus of Chapter 1, Ayumi is one day asked out by Misao Zaitzu. Though she claimed she would accept any offer, she is consistently unsettled by Zaizu's monstrous appearance. However, she shows she can be somewhat caring as well as crafty. She is 152cm (4'9") tall and runs the second fastest in her class. She is in the 2nd year of middle school. She shares a strong ressemblance to Chinami Hashimoto, a character from another of Kawashita's work, Strawberry 100%.

;nihongo|Kei Enomoto|江ノ本慧|Enomoto Kei:One of Ayumi's friends, Kei is apparently very popular with guys due to her "mature" face. However, she sees the attention she receives as a hassle, and believes confessions of love are just a chore if the feeling isn't mutual. She openly admits that looks are a major factor in choosing a relationship, but carries a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with Kusuda. She is in the same grade as Ayumi.

;nihongo|Koyoi Bessho|別所小宵|Bessho Koyoi:Another one of Ayumi's friends, Koyoi has an open brother complex. Once Misao starts hanging around, she, along with Chikura, stop walking home with Ayumi. She is also in the same grade as Ayumi.

;nihongo|Rika Dobashi|土橋りか|Dobashi Rika:Seemingly the most level headed out of the group, Rika seems to enjoy teasing others. She is in Ayumi's grade. A well known tom-boy, Doba excels in athletics and has been stated to be domineering.

;nihongo|Nao Chikura|千倉名央|Chikura Nao:Another one of Ayumi's friends, Nao is somewhat envious of Kei's attention. Along with Koyoi, she stops walking home with Ayumi for fear of Misao. She is in her 2nd year of middle school. She shares a strong ressemblance to Misuzu Sotomura, a character from another of Kawashita's work, Strawberry 100%.

;nihongo|Mamoru Zaitsu|財津衛|Zaitsu Mamoru:A cheerful boy who dreams of being a paramedic, Ayumi falls for Mamoru quickly when he offers to take her to the nurse. Although he is in Ayumi's class, Ayumi only realizes that he is in fact Misao's younger brother a day after she meets Misao. He is somewhat taken back by Ayumi; he believes she is more fearsome than she may appear. Furthermore, despite Ayumi's feelings, Mamoru has a crush on his next door neighbor Misaki Yamamoto. He shares a passing ressemblance to Kojima, a character from another of Kawashita's work, Lilim Kiss.

;nihongo|Kusuda|楠田|Kusuda:He is a pervy friend of Mamoru's. His talent is putting girls to sleep with stupid puns. He doesn't see much in Ayumi, but he is very interested in Misaki. He is nearly obsessed with her. He seems undaunted by Kei's good looks, and with his "Kappa" face, they tend to bicker a lot.

;nihongo|Terai|寺井|Terai:A member of the tennis club at school, Terai has little athletic ability. However, with Dobashi's assistance, he manages to become a somewhat decent athlete. During that time, he has fallen for Dobashi, but due to her (inadvertent) teasing, he is unsure of their relationship.

;nihongo|Sogabe|曽我部|Sogabe:He is a friend of Kusuda. Sogabe likes Nao and he tries to get close to her to "create" opportunity for her to confess to him. A bit of a delusional character, as well as a little narcissistic.

;nihongo|Soako Andou|安藤そあこ|Andou Soako:A second year middle school student, Soako is the heroine of the Omake of the first printed volume of Hatsukoi Limited. The first introduction of Soako is when she is late for school. Unfortunately for Soako, in her lateness, she has forgotten to put on underwear. The story follows her throughout the day, and all the problems that she has.

;nihongo|Sumire Fudounomiya|Fudounomiya Sumire:Head of the Theatre Club, she is determined on producing the best stage-performance since her taking the position. She has hers sights set on making Kusuda join the production and will resort to any means necessary to achieve it.

High school students

;nihongo|Misao Zaitsu|財津操|Zaitsu Misao:With a monstrous face and a huge body, Misao is feared by anyone who sees his face or knows his name. As expected, he is a capable fighter with plenty of enemies. However, he is also unexpectedly shy; being unable to convey his feelings through words, he writes his confession on a note, and he is unable to bring himself to even say Ayumi's name. He fell for Ayumi when he saw her picture while looking through his brother's class photos. He is a stark 194cm (6'3") tall.

;nihongo|Yuuji Arihara|有原有二|Arihara Yuuji:Ayumi's older brother, Yuuji can be somewhat callous and rude. For example, he steals her cookies and barges into her room without knocking. The opposite to Koyoi, he has a sister complex, for which he claims the love is purely brotherly. Like all other guys, he cowers at hearing the name of Misao Zaitsu, and is under the impression that his sister has fallen for Misao.

;nihongo|Misaki Yamamoto|山本岬|Yamamoto Misaki:A first year in high school, Misaki is the Zaitsus' next door neighbor, as well as their childhood friend. She has a very open relationship with her neighbors, and even comes into Mamoru's room through his window. She somehow knows submission techniques, and can perform them instinctively in her sleep. Though she claimed she had no interest in relationships at the moment, she developed a thing for Yuuji Arihara when he shoved a lollipop in her mouth (showing an example to his friend, Yoshihiko Bessho).

;nihongo|Yuu Enomoto|江ノ本夕|Enomoto Yuu:The focus of Chapter 3. Kei's older sister, Yuu is a cheery girl who never hesitates to make friends. Although she appears to be a little ditsy, she carries an avid interest for just about everything, making her very knowledgeable on a variety of subjects. As a result, she, like her sister, garners a lot of attention from many guys. However, whether its being oblivious or just nonchalant, she doesn't seem to mind being friendly with all of them.

;nihongo|Meguru Watase|渡瀬めぐる|Watase Meguru:Meguru is a close friend of both Misaki and Yuu. In middle school, she is a national champion in swimming, making her a reserve candidate for the Olympics. However, Meguru quits swimming when she enters high school because her breasts grow too large and attract too much attention when she's in her swimsuit. Unfortunately, those who are attracted don't include Takei, whom Meguru secretly likes.

;nihongo|Uemura|上村|Uemura:A classmate of Misaki and Yuu, he has dreamed of being a mangaka since he was 5 years old. He decides to use Yuu as the model for a story he is thinking up, and Yuu inadvertently becomes the first one to find out about his passion. He receives a lot of support from Yuu, and eventually becomes more interested on becoming her boyfriend than writing manga. Still, he is faced by the challenges he face with manga, as well as the competition for Yuu's attention.

;nihongo|Yoshihiko Bessho|別所良彦|Bessho Yoshihiko:A first year in high school, Yoshihiko is Koyoi's older brother, with whom she is smitten. However, he does not return her level of affection, and is often annoyed by it. He is in love with Misaki, whom, to his dismay, likes his friend Arihara.

;nihongo|Kazuma Chikura|千倉一真|Chikura Kazuma:Nao's older brother, he is classmates with Yoshihiko and Yuuji. To his dismay, all three of their younger sisters are coincidentally friends.

;nihongo|Gengorou Takei|武居源五郎|Takei Gengorou:Elder classman who tries to persuade Meguru to join the swimming club at every opportunity. He challenges Meguru to a backstroke contest (to persuade her to join the team) and loses. Takei is Meguru's childhood friend - it is mentioned that they've taken swimming together since they were children.

; Yukito Renjou:An artist, whom drew the Sakura painting which Nao is inspired at. He used to attend the middle school which Nao goes to. Presently, he goes to a prestigous high school called, Kaitei High School.

Media

Manga

"Hatsukoi Limited" was serialized by Shueisha in the Japanese shōnen manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump" from October 1, 2007 to May 26, 2008. The 32 chapters were collected in four bound volumes.cite web | url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/zen_list.cgi?siries_isbn=X78-4-08-874482-7&siries_kanren_isbn=&mode=2 | title=Volume information | accessdate=2008-04-30 | publisher=Shueisha | language=Japanese] Each chapter is a separate story following one or more of the eight main characters. The series is licensed in Hong Kong by CultureCom Comics.

Graphic novel list/header
OneLanguage = yesGraphic novel list
OneLanguage = yes
VolumeNumber = 1
RelDate = February 4, 2008
ISBN = 978-4-08-874482-7cite web | url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874482-7&mode=1 | title=初恋限定。／1｜河下　水希｜ジャンプコミックス｜BOOKNAVI｜集英社 | publisher=Shueisha | accessdate=2008-09-04 | language=Japanese]
ChapterList =
* 001. nihongo|Beautiful Girl "A" and Monster "Z"|美少女Aと野獣Z|Bishōjo A to yajū Z
* 002. nihongo|Yamamoto-san From Nextdoor|となりの山本さん|Tonari no Yamamoto-san
* 003. nihongo|The Everything Girl|全方位性彼女|Zenhōisei kanojo
* 004. nihongo|Wavering Unbalance|ゆらめきアンバランス|Yurameki ANBARANSU
* 005. nihongo|Secrets|ナイショノコトバ|Naisho no kotoba
* 006. nihongo|Surprise Attack Candy!|ふいうちキャンディ!|Fuiuchi KYANDI!
* 007. nihongo|Love You More Than Anybody Else in this World|世界の誰より大好きな|Sekai no dare yori daisuki na
* 008. nihongo|Pure-hearted Afro|純情アフロ|Junjō AFURO
* Omake. nihongo|Limited Girl|限定少女|Gentei Shōjo
VolumeExtras =;Volume title
*;Cover character
* Ayumi AriharaGraphic novel list
OneLanguage = yes
VolumeNumber = 2
RelDate = May 2, 2008
ISBN = 978-4-08-874515-2cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874515-2&mode=1|title=初恋限定。／2｜河下　水希｜ジャンプコミックス｜BOOKNAVI｜集英社|publisher=Shueisha|accessdate=2008-09-04|language=Japanese]
ChapterList =
* 009. nihongo|Alluring Miss Dolphin|トキメキドルフィン|Tokimeki DORUFIN
* 010. nihongo|Reverse Boys|逆走少年|Gyakusō shōnen
* 011. nihongo|Before the Snow Starts Falling|雪が降り出すその前に|Yuki ga furidasu sono mae ni
* 012. nihongo|Want to Say, But Can't Say|言いたくて,言えなくて|Ītakute, ienakute
* 013. nihongo|Colored Communication|イロヅキコミュニケション|Irozuki COMYUNIKESHON
* 014. nihongo|Kotatsu, Mandarins, and One More Thing|こたつとみかんともう一つ|Kotatsu to mikan to mō hitotsu
* 015. nihongo|Let's Kiss|キスをしようよ|KISU o shiyō yo
* 016. nihongo|Confused Diving!|とまどいダイビング!|Tomadoi DAIBINGU!
* 017. nihongo|The Shape of Love|恋するカタチ|Koi suru katachi
VolumeExtras =;Volume title
*;Cover character
* Kei EnomotoGraphic novel list
OneLanguage = yes
VolumeNumber = 3
RelDate = July 30, 2008
ISBN = 978-4-08-874545-9cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874545-9&mode=1|title=初恋限定。／3｜河下　水希｜ジャンプコミックス｜BOOKNAVI｜集英社|publisher=Shueisha|accessdate=2008-09-04|language=Japanese]
ChapterList =
* 018. nihongo|The Melancholy of the Chocolate Bomber (1/3): Ignite|チョコレート・ボマーの憂鬱1/3<点火-ignite->|CHOKORĒTO BOMĀ no yūutsu 1/3
* 019. nihongo|The Melancholy of the Chocolate Bomber (2/3): Drop|チョコレート・ボマーの憂鬱2/3<投下-drop->|CHOKORĒTO BOMĀ no yūutsu 2/3
* 020. nihongo|The Melancholy of the Chocolate Bomber (3/3): Burst|チョコレート・ボマーの憂鬱3/3<炸裂-burst->|CHOKORĒTO BOMĀ no yūutsu 3/3
* 021. nihongo|Konohana Sakuya (1/3): One Flower Bud|コノハナサクヤ1/3<つぼみひとつ>|Konohana Sakuya 1/3
* 022. nihongo|Konohana Sakuya (2/3): Open Seamed and the Change of Color|コノハナサクヤ2/3<ほころんで、いろづいて>|Konohana Sakuya 2/3
* 023. nihongo|Konohana Sakuya (3/3): In Those Memories, Fully-blooming|コノハナサクヤ3/3<その思い出には満開の>|Konohana Sakuya 3/3
* 024. nihongo|Kappa Fight!!|カッパファイト！！|Kappa FAITO!!
* 025. nihongo|Sparkling☆Pool (first part)|キラキラ☆プール<前編>|Kira Kira☆PŌRU
* 026. nihongo|Sparkling☆Pool (last part)|キラキラ☆プール<後編>|Kira Kira☆PŌRU
VolumeExtras =;Volume title
*;Cover character
* Misaki YamamotoGraphic novel list
OneLanguage = yes
VolumeNumber = 4
RelDate = September 4, 2008
ISBN = 978-4-08-874568-8cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-874568-8&mode=1|title=初恋限定。／4｜河下　水希｜ジャンプコミックス｜BOOKNAVI｜集英社|publisher=Shueisha|accessdate=2008-09-04|language=Japanese]
ChapterList =
* 027. nihongo|Boys' Escape part 1: Disappearing Sleepless Dreamers|少年達の逃避行その1: 失踪する寝不足ドリ-マ-|Shōnen-tachi no ESUKĒPU sono ichi: shissō suru nebusoku DORĪMĀ
* 028. nihongo|Boys' Escape part 2: Pursuing Sleepless Dreamers|少年達の逃避行その2: 追跡する寝不足ドリ-マ-|Shōnen-tachi no ESUKĒPU sono ni: tsuiseki suru nebusoku DORĪMĀ
* 029. nihongo|Boys' Escape part 3: Complicating Sleepless Dreamers|少年達の逃避行その3: 交錯する寝不足ドリ-マ-|Shōnen-tachi no ESUKĒPU sono san: kousaku suru nebusoku DORĪMĀ
* 030. nihongo|Boys' Escape part 4: Sprinting Sleepless Dreamers|少年達の逃避行その4: 疾走する寝不足ドリ-マ-|Shōnen-tachi no ESUKĒPU sono yon: shissō suru nebusoku DORĪMĀ
* 031. nihongo|Rainbow-Colored Drop|虹色ドロップ|Nijiiro doroppu
* 032. nihongo|First Love Limited|ハツコイリミテッド|Hatsukoi rimiteddo
VolumeExtras =;Volume title
*;Cover character
* Koyoi Bessho

Anime

In the September 1, 2008 issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump", Shueisha announced that "Hatsukoi Limited" will be adapted as an anime television series as well as a series of drama CD, with further details to be announced later.cite web|url=http://www.animekon.com/news-644-Hatsukoi-Limited-Manga-Gets-Anime.html|title=Hatsukoi Limited Manga Gets Anime|publisher=Animekon|language=|accessdate=2008-09-03] cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-28/hatsukoi-limited-anime-drama-cd-to-be-announced | title=Hatsukoi Limited Anime, Drama CD to Be Announced (Updated) | publisher=Anime News Network | date=2008-08-28 | accessdate=2008-09-30]

Reception

The first volume of "Hatsukoi Limited" reached number 10 on the Tohan list of best-selling manga in the week it was released.cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-13/japanese-comic-ranking-february-5-february-11 | title=Japanese Comic Ranking, February 5–11 | publisher=Anime News Network | date=2008-02-13 | accessdate=2008-09-30]

References

External links

* [http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/zen_list.cgi?siries_isbn=X78-4-08-874482-7&siries_kanren_isbn=&mode=2 Official Shueisha webpage]
*