Tokyo Tarareba Girls
Tokyo Tarareba Girls (Japanese: 東京タラレバ娘, Hepburn: Tōkyō Tarareba Musume; lit. 'Tokyo 'What If' Girls') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akiko Higashimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's josei manga magazine Kiss from March 2014 to April 2017 and later collected in nine bound volumes.
Tokyo Tarareba Girls
- Creator
- Akiko Higashimura.
- Language
- Japanese.
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Documentary summary
Tokyo Tarareba Girls (Japanese: 東京タラレバ娘, Hepburn: Tōkyō Tarareba Musume; lit. 'Tokyo 'What If' Girls') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akiko Higashimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's josei manga magazine Kiss from March 2014 to April 2017 and later collected in nine bound volumes.
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In this article
Plot
Plot
It is licensed for an English-language release by Kodansha USA. The manga won the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia in 2019. A 10-episode live-action television drama series adaptation was broadcast on Nippon TV from January to March 2017. It was followed by a two-hour television special in October 2020. The manga also inspired three spin-off manga series written and illustrated by Higashimura and serialized in Kiss magazine: Tarare-Bar (2017–2018), Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns (2018), and Tokyo Tarareba Girls Season 2 (2019–2021). The second spin-off, Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns, is licensed for an English-language release by Kodansha USA.
Rinko, a screenwriter living in Tokyo, remains unmarried at 33 years old. She has not been satisfied in love or at work and often goes out drinking with Kaori and Koyuki, her best friends since high school. One day, while the three women are dining and drinking at an izakaya as usual, complaining about the men they have dated, a mysterious and handsome young man with blond hair named Key tells them that they remain unmarried because they are always talking about "If I had done..." or "If he had been...". After hearing this, Rinko makes up her mind to get married by 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Characters
Characters
Rinko Kamata (鎌田 倫子, Kamata Rinko) Portrayed by: Yuriko Yoshitaka Kaori Yamakawa (山川 香, Yamakawa Kaori) Portrayed by: Nana Eikura Koyuki Torii (鳥居 小雪, Torii Koyuki) Portrayed by: Yuko Oshima Key (キー, Kī) / Haruki Kagitani (鍵谷 春樹, Kagitani Haruki) Portrayed by: Kentaro Sakaguchi Tetsuro Hayasaka (早坂 哲郎, Hayasaka Tetsurō) Portrayed by: Ryohei Suzuki Ryo Samejima (鮫島 涼, Samejima Ryō) Portrayed by: Yūta Hiraoka Mami Shibata (芝田 マミ, Shibata Mami) Portrayed by: Ren Ishikawa Yasuo Torii (鳥居 安男, Torii Yasuo) Portrayed by: Akio Kaneda Yoshio Marui (丸井 良男, Marui Yoshio) Portrayed by: Kei Tanaka Tara (タラ) Voiced by: Ryō Katō Reba (レバ) Voiced by: Ayaka Nishiwaki
Manga
Manga
Written and illustrated by Akiko Higashimura, Tokyo Tarareba Girls was serialized in Kodansha's josei manga magazine Kiss from the March 24, 2014, to April 25, 2017. Kodansha collected the individual chapters in nine tankōbon volumes published from September 2014 to July 2017. Kodansha USA licensed the manga for an English-language release in North America. It was first released digitally in February 2017, and later published in print from June 2018 to October 2019.
Spin-offs
Spin-offs
Tokyo Tarareba Girls inspired three spin-off manga series, also written and illustrated by Akiko Higashimura. The first manga series, titled Tokyo Tarareba Girls Extra Edition: Tarare-Bar (東京タラレバ娘番外編 タラレBar, Tōkyō Tarareba Musume Bangai-hen: Tarare-Bar), features Tara and Reba—the talking codfish milt and liver mascots from Rinko's fantasies—running a bar and giving relationship advice in response to reader-submitted questions. It was serialized in Kodansha's josei manga magazine Kiss from the December 2017 issue (released on October 25, 2017) to the February 2019 issue (released on December 25, 2018). Kodansha collected the 10 chapters in a single tankōbon volume published on March 13, 2019. The second manga series, titled Tokyo Tarareba Girls Returns (東京タラレバ娘 リターンズ, Tōkyō Tarareba Musume Ritānzu), follows the lives of Rinko, Kaori, and Koyuki after the events of Tokyo Tarareba Girls. It was serialized in Kiss from the December 2018 issue (released on October 25, 2018) to the February 2019 issue (released on December 25, 2018). Kodansha collected the three chapters in a single tankōbon volume published on March 13, 2019. At their 2019 Anime NYC panel, Kodansha USA announced they licensed the series for an English-language release, to be made available digitally on December 24, 2019. The volume was delayed and instead released on October 6, 2020. The third manga series, titled Tokyo Tarareba Girls Season 2 (東京タラレバ娘 シーズン2, Tōkyō Tarareba Musume Shīzun 2), follows a new cast of characters and is centered on 30-year-old Reina Hirota, a single, part-time librarian who lives with her parents. It was serialized in Kiss from the June 2019 issue (released on April 25, 2019) to the November 2021 issue (released on September 25, 2021). Kodansha collected the series in six tankōbon volumes published from October 11, 2019, to November 12, 2021. Kodansha USA has licensed the series for digital release, with the first volume set to be released on July 9, 2024.
Live-action
Live-action
A 10-episode live-action television drama series adaptation of Tokyo Tarareba Girls was broadcast on Nippon TV from January 18 to March 22, 2017. The series was directed by Seiichi Nagumo, Yuma Suzuki, and Naoko Komuro, and written by Yūko Matsuda. It starred Yuriko Yoshitaka as Rinko, Nana Eikura as Kaori, Yuko Oshima as Koyuki, and Kentaro Sakaguchi as Key. Its opening theme song was "Tokyo Girl" by J-pop girl group Perfume. The series was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on August 2, 2017. A two-hour television special, titled Tokyo Tarareba Girls 2020 (東京タラレバ娘2020, Tōkyō Tarareba Musume 2020 or Tokyo Girls on prime video), aired on Nippon TV on October 7, 2020. It was also directed by Yuma Suzuki and written by Yūko Matsuda, with the cast of the 2017 television drama series returning to reprise their roles.
Course of the series
Dated record
Course of the series
The full dated record · 1 entries
2018
Tokyo Tarareba Girls 1 (2018) is digitised and catalogued by Open Library.
Reception
Volume 2 of Tokyo Tarareba Girls reached the 5th place on the weekly Oricon manga chart and, as of May 24, 2015, had sold 95,639 copies; volume 3 reached the 17th place on the chart and, as of August 23, 2015, had sold 110,632 copies; volume 4 reached the 12th place and, as of December 20, 2015, had sold 114,433 copies; volume 5 reached the 6th place and, as of May 29, 2016, had sold 157,244 copies; volume 6 reached the 4th place and, as of September 18, 2016, had sold 112,865 copies; volume 7 reached the 1st place and, as of January 21, 2017, had sold 73,574 copies. The series ranked number two on the 2015 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Top 20 Manga for Female Readers survey, and was again number two on the same list the following year. Kadokawa Media Factory's book and manga news magazine Da Vinci ranked the series number 19 on its 2017 Book of the Year list. Tokyo Tarareba Girls was nominated for the 9th Manga Taishō in 2016, finishing in ninth place with 29 points. It was also nominated for Best General Manga at the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016. It won an Eisner Award in the category Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia in 2019.
Primary material
Documents and archives
institutional register
- Internet Archive holdings naming Tokyo Tarareba Girls
General reference · Internet Archive
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q22128702: Tokyo Tarareba Girls
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Tokyo Tarareba Girls”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Tokyo Tarareba Girls Volume 1 Review. Anime UK News. June 28, 2018.
- 2.Alverson, Brigid. New from Kodansha: 'Attack on Titan' Box Sets, New Manga by 'Princess Jellyfish' Creator. ICv2. March 23, 2018.
- 3.Loveridge, Lynzee. Princess Jellyfish s Higashimura Launches Tokyo Tarareba Musume Manga. Anime News Network. February 26, 2014.
- 4.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Akiko Higashimura's Tokyo Tarareba Girls Manga Ends on April 25. Anime News Network. April 5, 2017.
- 5.Ressler, Karen. Kodansha USA Lists Digital Releases for Chihayafuru, Tokyo Tarareba Girls, A Springtime With Ninjas Manga. Anime News Network. February 7, 2017.
- 6.Ressler, Karen. North American Anime, Manga Releases, June 24–30. Anime News Network. June 26, 2018.
- 7.Sherman, Jennifer. North American Anime, Manga Releases, October 13–19. Anime News Network. October 15, 2019.
- 8.Kodansha.
- 9.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 1.
- 10.Kodansha.
- 11.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 2.
- 12.Kodansha.
- 13.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 3.
- 14.Kodansha.
- 15.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 4.
- 16.Kodansha.
- 17.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 5.
- 18.Kodansha.
- 19.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 6.
- 20.Kodansha.
- 21.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 7.
- 22.Kodansha.
- 23.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 8.
- 24.Kodansha.
- 25.Penguin Random House. Tokyo Tarareba Girls 9.
- 26.Ressler, Karen. Akiko Higashimura Continues Tarare-Bar Bonus Manga After Tokyo Tarareba Girls Finale. Anime News Network. August 28, 2017.
- 27.Shueisha. Kiss.
- 28.Kodansha.
- 29.Comic Natalie. October 25, 2018.
- 30.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Akiko Higashimura's Tokyo Tarareba Girls Manga Gets 3 New Chapters. Anime News Network. September 24, 2018.
- 31.Ressler, Karen. Princess Jellyfish Akiko Higashimura Launches New Manga Next Spring. Anime News Network. December 27, 2018.
- 32.Comic Natalie. March 13, 2019.
- 33.Kodansha.
- 34.Mateo, Alex. Kodansha Comics Announces 12 Digital Manga Licenses, 4 Manga Print Releases. Anime News Network. November 17, 2019.
- 35.Sherman, Jennifer. North American Anime, Manga Releases, October 4–10. Anime News Network. October 8, 2020.
- 36.Hodgkins, Crystalyn. Akiko Higashimura's Tokyo Tarareba Girls Manga Gets 'Season 2' Manga in April. Anime News Network. March 25, 2019.
- 37.Comic Natalie. April 25, 2019.
- 38.Hazra, Adriana. Tokyo Tarareba Girls Season 2 Manga Ends in September (Updated). Anime News Network. August 25, 2021.
- 39.Comic Natalie. September 25, 2021.
- 40.Kodansha.
- 41.Kodansha.
- 42.Pineda, Rafael. Kodansha USA Reveals 12 New Print Manga, 2 Digital Manga. Anime News Network. July 4, 2024.
- 43.Ressler, Karen. Tokyo Tarareba Musume Manga by Princess Jellyfish s Higashimura Gets Live-Action Drama. Anime News Network. September 7, 2016.
- 44.Program Catalog: Tokyo Tarareba Girls. Nippon TV.
- 45.Nippon TV.
- 46.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Perfume Performs Live-Action Tokyo Tarareba Musume Show's Theme Song. Anime News Network. December 14, 2016.
- 47.Nippon TV.
- 48.Nippon TV.
- 49.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Tokyo Tarareba Girls Manga Gets Live-Action TV Special This Summer. Anime News Network. March 30, 2020.
- 50.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Tokyo Tarareba Girls Live-Action TV Special Reveals More Cast, October 7 Premiere. Anime News Network. August 26, 2020.
- 51.Comic Natalie. August 7, 2020.
- 52.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, May 11–17. Anime News Network. May 20, 2015.
- 53.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, May 18–24. Anime News Network. May 27, 2015.
- 54.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, August 10–16. Anime News Network. August 19, 2015.
- 55.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, August 17–23. Anime News Network. August 26, 2015.
- 56.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, December 7–13. Anime News Network. December 26, 2015.
- 57.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, December 14–20. Anime News Network. December 30, 2015.
- 58.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, May 9–15. Anime News Network. May 18, 2016.
- 59.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, May 23–29. Anime News Network. June 1, 2016.
- 60.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, September 12–18. Anime News Network. September 21, 2015.
- 61.Ressler, Karen. Japanese Comic Ranking, January 9–15. Anime News Network. January 18, 2017.
- 62.Loo, Egan. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2015's Series Ranking for Female Readers. Anime News Network. December 9, 2014.
- 63.Hodgkins, Crystalyn. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Reveals 2016's Series Ranking for Female Readers. Anime News Network. December 10, 2015.
- 64.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. March comes in like a lion Tops Da Vinci Magazine's Rankings for 2nd Year. Anime News Network. December 6, 2016.
- 65.Hodgkins, Crystalyn. 9th Manga Taisho Awards Nominate 11 Titles. Anime News Network. January 18, 2016.
- 66.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Satoru Noda's Golden Kamuy Wins 9th Manga Taisho Award. Anime News Network. March 30, 2016.
- 67.Nelkin, Sarah. 40th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Nominees Announced. Anime News Network. April 4, 2016.
- 68.Hodgkins, Crystalyn. Akiko Higashimura's Tokyo Tarareba Girls Manga, Junji Ito's Frankenstein Short Win Eisner Awards. Anime News Network. July 20, 2019.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
institutional register
Internet Archive holdings naming Tokyo Tarareba GirlsInternet Archive
Secondary witnessauthority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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