Kanokon

かのこん (Kanokon) Genre 	Fantasy, Romantic comedy Light novel Author 	Katsumi Nishino Artist 	Koin Publisher 	Flag of Japan Media Factory [show]Other publishers: Flag of the United States Seven Seas Entertainment Flag of Thailand Luckpim publishing Demographic 	Male Published 	October 31, 2005 – ongoing Volumes 	9 Manga Author 	Katsumi Nishino (story) Rin Yamaki (art) Publisher 	Flag of Japan Media Factory [show]Other publishers: Flag of the Republic of China Sharp Point Press Flag of Thailand Luckpim publishing Demographic 	Seinen Serialized in 	Monthly Comic Alive Original run 	June 27, 2006 – ongoing Volumes 	4 TV anime Director 	Atsushi Ōtsuki Studio 	Xebec Network 	Flag of Japan AT-X Original run 	April 5, 2008 – ongoing Episodes 	12

Description

Kanokon (かのこん, Kanokon?) is a Japanese light novel series by Katsumi Nishino, with illustrations by Koin. The first novel was released on October 31, 2005, and as of February 25, 2008, nine volumes have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label. A manga adaptation by Rin Yamaki started serialization in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive on June 27, 2006, also published by Media Factory. A drama CD was produced by Media Factory that was released on March 28, 2007. An anime first aired in Japan on April 5, 2008 and is produced by Xebec.[1] The story follows that of Kouta Oyamada and the fox and wolf girls that surround him. Contents

Plot

Kanokon's story revolves around Kouta Oyamada, a young first-year high school student who moves from the country to the city and thus transfers to Kunpō High School. On his first day at his new school, a beautiful second-year female student named Chizuru Minamoto asks him to meet her alone in the music room. When he arrives, she tells him that she is in love with him and accidentally reveals to him that she is in fact a fox deity. From that day on the two hang out together, and Chizuru constantly hangs on Kouta which embarrasses him greatly due to others watching. Soon after the story begins, a wolf deity named Nozomu Ezomori transfers into Kouta's school and class. From day one, she is all over Kouta which serves to embarrass him more and cause Chizuru to become annoyed at her new competition for Kouta's affection.

Characters

Main characters

Kouta Oyamada (小山田 耕太, Oyamada Kōta?)

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto Kouta is the protagonist of the story. He moves from the country to the city in his first year of high school, and on his first day of school, he discovers that the second year girl Chizuru Minamoto is actually a kitsune. He used to live with his grandfather before moving. Kouta generally has a moderate personality and is indecisive. Apparently, his parents are dead and he lives with his grandparents. He loves Chizuru, but does like Nozomu too. When he was younger, he almost drowned in a river and now has a fear of swimming.

Chizuru Minamoto (源 ちずる, Minamoto Chizuru?)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi Chizuru is a second year female student at Kouta's school. She appears to be a normal, albeit big-breasted girl, but is in fact a 400-year-old powerful kitsune (when she reveals herself, her hair goes from black to blond). She is constantly hanging around and on Kouta, though he is the only male she acts genuinely towards. She loves Kouta very much and wants to enter a "relationship of sin" with Kouta.

Nozomu Ezomori (犹守 望, Ezomori Nozomu?)

Voiced by: Miyū Takeuchi Nozomu is a first year female student at Kouta's school who first appears in the second volume of the novels. She has short silver hair, and is in fact a wolf deity. She has an older brother named Saku. She is in love with Kouta, and is a rival of Chizuru with Kouta's affections. While she cannot compete with her in terms of breast size, Nozomu does take reference of her brother's pornographic magazines which feature such things as sadomasochism, and cosplay among other things. She lives by herself in an expensive penthouse apartment. She is a serious glutton when it comes to food.

Secondary characters

Tayura Minamoto (源 たゆら, Minamoto Tayura?)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita Tayura is the younger brother of Chizuru, and is Kouta's classmate. When they first meet, Tayura is jealous of the relationship between his sister and Kouta. Chizuru says that he is suffering from a sister complex. Tayura looks much older than many boys his age. He enjoys teasing his older sister and Kouta by calling them "love birds". Like his sister, he too is a fox deity. He is generally has a calm and cool personality. Whenever he tries to get closer to Akane, he is given the cold shoulder, though he himself has stated that it is okay with her being cold. Incidentally, he has a small interest in masochism.

Akane Asahina (朝比奈 あかね, Asahina Akane?)

Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō Akane is the class representative of Kouta's class, and wears glasses. Due to this, she has a high sense of regulations, and therefore disagrees with Kouta's and Chizuru's close high school relationship. She is on good terms with Kouta, and worries about his relationship with Chizuru. She warns Kouta to watch out for Chizuru, though she might be jealous of Chizuru's body.

Rin Nanao (七々尾 蓮, Nanao Rin?), Ai Nanao (七々尾 藍, Nanao Ai?)

Rin and Ai are twin first-year sisters at Kouta's school, and first appeared in the fifth volume of the novels. Originally, they were given the task to assassinate Chizuru, but did not go through with it since she was still "only a kid". They are nearly identical except for their slightly different hair styles. They use chains when attacking.

Omi Kiriyama (桐山 臣, Kiriyama Omi?)

Voiced by: Takashi Kondō Omi is a second year student at Kouta's school who is in fact a wind spirit with the power to control the wind. Omi was once the bitter enemy of the Minamoto siblings. In the fourth volume of the novels, he succeeds as the gang leader of the delinquents at his school. He hates the friendship between Kouta and his friends, and does not speak much.

Mio Osakabe (長ヶ部 澪, Osakabe Mio?)

Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki Mio is a second year student who hangs around with Omi. Due to his short stature, he is often mistaken for a grade school student and has even received multiple confessions from grade school girls. He is in fact half frog spirit and can heal quickly. While he did not have a name originally, Omi named him from a combination of his own given name and the Omi's home town's name. He is on good terms with Omi.

Ryūsei Kumada (熊田 流星, Kumada Ryūsei?)

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake Ryūsei is a third year student who has a distinct cross-wound over his left eye and was a gang leader of the delinquents at school before Omi took over in his place. He is in fact a bear spirit. In the fourth volume, he graduated from high school, but soon changes his name to Suisei Kumada (熊田 彗星, Kumada Suisei?) restarts high school as a first year student.

Iku Sahara (砂原 幾, Sahara Iku?)

Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya Iku is a social studies teacher and is Kouta's homeroom teacher. She is prone to making silly mistakes and is very childish. She is in fact possessed by a yōkai and thus has dissociative identity disorder as an effect. She has to conceal her true identity to Chizuru, and investigates the spirits and deities at school.

Takao Yatsuka (八束 たかお, Yatsuka Takao?)

Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama Takao is the gym teacher at Kouta's school, and has a scary face. Like Iku, he too is investigating the spirits at school. He is very wise, and gets along with Yukihana.

Saku Ezomori (犹守 朔, Ezomore Saku?)

Voiced by: Yūto Kazama Saku is the older brother of Nozomu who makes his first appearance in the second volume of the novels; like his sister, he is a wolf deity. He usually drives a motorcycle around town.

Minori Mitama (三珠 美乃里, Mitama Minori?)

Minori makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels, and refers to herself as Kouta's younger sister.

Nue (鵺, Nue?)

Nue makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels. She is also a yōkai and is seen together with Minori.

Tamamo (玉藻, Tamamo?)

Voiced by: Naomi Shindō Tamamo makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels. She is Chizuru's mother, though not related by blood. She is a golden-furred Nine-tailed fox deity and is very powerful. She is a manager of a hot-spring hotel deep in the snowy mountains. Occasionally when business is slow, she manages a beach-side restaurant. She gets along with Kouta, though does sometimes meddle in his relationship with Chizuru.

Yukihana (雪花, Yukihana?)

Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu Yukihana makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels. She is a ninja who works under Tamamo at her hot-spring hotel. She has an honest personality. In volume seven of the novels, she becomes a teacher for the handicapped at Kouta's school. When working as a teacher, she goes by the name Hanadai Yukino (雪野花代, Yukino Hanadai?), and if someone calls out to her using the name Yukihana, she will say she is not that person. She can manipulate snow storms and uses a gleaming sword in battle; she is very strong.

Okata (御方, Okata?)

Okata is a yōkai who is the head of the Sahara family; her true form is that of an old woman. She has survived for thousands of years.

Media

Kanokon English light novel volume 1. Kanokon English light novel volume 1.

Light novels

Kanokon began as a series of light novels written by Katsumi Nishino, and drawn by Koin. The series started under the title Kanojo wa Kon, to Kawaiku Seki o Shite (彼女はこん、とかわいく咳をして, Kanojo wa Kon, to Kawaiku Seki o Shite?) when the first novel was submitted to Media Factory's annual literary contest MF Bunko J Light Novel Rookie of the Year Award held in 2005. The novel placed as a “good piece of work” with two other titles which was more or less third place.[2] The first novel was released on October 31, 2005, and as of February 25, 2008, nine volumes have been published.[3] The novels are published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J publishing label. The novels have been licensed by Los Angeles-based company Seven Seas Entertainment for distribution in the English language.[4]

Manga

A manga adaptation started serialization in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive on June 27, 2006, published by Media Factory. The manga takes its story from the light novels that preceded it, and is illustrated by Rin Yamaki. The first bound volume was released on January 31, 2007, and as of March 22, 2008, four volumes have been released by Media Factory under their MF Comics label.[5]

Drama CD

A drama CD based on the series was released on March 28, 2007 by Media Factory. The drama's theme song was “Otokonoko Desho” (オトコのコでしょ, “Otokonoko Desho”?) sung by Marina Kuroki.

Internet radio show

An Internet radio show produced by Media Factory called Kanokon Radio: Kouta to Chizuru no Yuya Yon Seichō Nikki (かのこんラジオ 〜耕太とちずるのゆやよん成長日記〜, Kanokon Radio: Kouta to Chizuru no Yuya Yon Seichō Nikki?) began airing on March 21, 2007.[6] One episode is broadcast every other week on Friday. The show is hosted by Mamiko Noto (the voice of Kouta in the anime), and Ayako Kawasumi (the voice of Chizuru in the anime).[7] There are four corners, or parts, to each episode. The shows starts with a short radio drama, which moves on to general news about the Kanokon anime and series in general. Listeners can send in comments about the show up on the air. The show's opening theme is “Strategy” by Ui Miyazaki, and the ending theme is “Sweet Time” by Yui Sakakibara.

Anime

An anime adaptation produced by the animation studio Xebec first aired in Japan on April 5, 2008 on the AT-X television network. The anime's opening theme is “Phosphor” sung by Ui Miyazaki, and the ending theme is “Koi no Honō” (恋の炎, “Koi no Honō”?) sung by Yui Sakakibara.