From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We are Mint (ミントな僕ら, Mint na Bokura
?) is a Japanese manga
series by Wataru Yoshizumi. We are Mint
centers around the life of a pair of 14-year old twins. It was
initially published in July 1997 issue of Ribon Comics and ended in February 2000. It
is completed in 6 volumes, while in the Spanish version; the manga
is compiled into 16 volumes.
Plot
We are Mint, is a light-hearted romance manga about fraternal twins Minamino Noeru/Noel and
Maria and the various love situations that occur around them. These
two siblings are very close, so when Maria falls for an older guy
from a different school and transfers to that school to be closer
to him, Noeru - who seems to love his sister a *bit* too much - is
struck by extreme jealousy. To make things worse, the school that
Maria has transferred to is a boarding school, so he will no longer
be able to hang out with her. Of course, Noeru won't stand for it.
He decides to enter Maria's new school as well and persuade her to
come back, but there is one major problem: the only open admission
left is in the girl's dormitory! Supposedly, that fact alone is
enough to deter any normal, proud guy, but Noeru seems to be
anything but that - especially when it concerns his beloved sister.
Armed with a wig (hair extension), headband, a pair of suppatsu and
padded bra, Noeru resolutely masquerades as a girl and begins his
new life in Morinomiya Boarding School.
Characters
Main
characters
- Minamino Noeru/Noel
- The main character, Noeru is a gregarious teen who seems to
suffer from extreme sister complex. Learning of his beloved twin's
sudden transfer to a different school, he determinedly follows her
and plans to have her break up with her new "love" so that they can
be together again. However, he finds out that the school no longer
has any open spot for a male transferee, so he has to be female to
be admitted. Refusing to be discouraged by such minor
inconveniences, Noeru does just that.
- Aggressive and temperamental, Noeru can also be very forward
and playful. He is awfully possessive and protective of his sister,
and gives deadly glares to anyone who makes a move on her. Even as
a girl, he nonchalantly retains his boyish mannerisms, such as
referring to himself as "ore" instead of the typical girly
"atashi". His disguise consists of a half-wig that resembles
Maria's long hair, a headband or bandanna, a pair of suppatsu worn
underneath his school skirt, and a padded bra he 'borrowed' from
Maria.
- Minamino Maria
- Maria is your typical 14-year old school girl. She falls in
love with an older guy from a different school and transfers to
that school to be closer to him, which obviously devastates her
twin brother Noeru to the point he swallows his manly pride and
wears a skirt and a half-wig in order to be with her. Of course,
she is quite indignant to this, knowing fully well that Noeru will
only disrupt her chances of getting together with her new love. She
seems to be suffocated with her twin's affection and over
protectiveness towards her, but she still loves him, annoying and
frustrating as he may be at most times.
- Feminine and perky in nature, she can be a bit gullible at
times and tends to be quick to judge. She is also quite
superficial, but she is a very sweet girl who generally understands
the sensitivity of other people's hearts. It is revealed that Maria
is a popular figure in her new (and old) school and many guys are
crushing on her, much to her twin's displeasure. She is a valued
member of Morinomiya's girls' basketball team.
- Sasa Ryuuji
- Sasa is the ace player of Morinomiya's boys' basketball team
and is also one of the school's campus crushes. He is a cool and
easygoing guy who acts indifferent toward his admirers, saying he
doesn't have any interest in girls. This 'phobia' of his actually
has a history of its own, which will be revealed in the later parts
of the manga. A natural sportsman, he is a complete fishing
maniac.
- The first time he meets Noeru-girl, Sasa is instantly befuddled
by his assertiveness, casually calling him by his name here and
there and even mindlessly asking him a favor of making him the
team's manager - just so he can look after his sister more. He
realizes that Noeru is very different from the stereotypical girls
in school and soon falls in love with him, much to Noeru's distress
and Maria's amusement. However, when Noeru reveals to him his
secret, he is very mortified, but after a moment of shock, he
decides to continue being friends with him. To help Noeru conceal
his true identity, they pose as a couple.
- Makimura Miyu
- Quiet, serious and secretive, Miyu is Noeru's roommate. She's a
bit of a loner and sometimes stays out until very late at night. At
first, she appears unfriendly to Noeru, but eventually becomes good
friends with him when he helps her with her 'bug problems', which -
unbeknownst to her - is actually a prank Noeru thoughtlessly pulled
on her. Miyu, despite what people think of her, is actually a very
nice and pleasant girl.
- There are many rumors about her circulating in school, like her
involvement with a much older man. While she seems apathetic to the
issue, Noeru becomes worried and even goes as far as to spy on her
during one of her gimmicks, bringing a disgruntled Sasa with him.
When things are eventually settled, Noeru - with the help of Maria
- realizes that he may actually like Miyu as more than a friend,
and surely, Miyu becomes the girl who is able to distract the main
character from his unhealthy obsession with his sister. However,
Miyu, due to a past experience, holds a deep resentment toward
liars, which poses as a huge problem to cross-dresser Noeru and his
growing feelings toward her. It is also discovered that she and
Sasa share something else than a school later on in the story.
Secondary
characters
- Hirobe Kazuaki
- Although a secondary character, Hirobe is undoubtedly the key
person in the story for being the one who initiated this whole
fiasco. He is Maria's love interest, the main reason of her sudden
school transfer. The coach of Morinomiya's basketball team, he is
described as good-looking, mature, kind and compassionate. Noeru
seems to dislike him for taking his beloved twin away from him, and
is always finding a way to ruin Maria's attempts to get closer to
him. When Maria is finally able to confess to him, she is
disappointed to find out that he already has a girlfriend. Noeru
subsequently rejoices with this, but Maria is still determined to
win Hirobe's heart, which instantly turns his plans of bringing
Maria back home into a puff of smoke. Hirobe is an alumni of
Morinomiya and is currently attending Keiou University as a 2nd
year college student.
- Hirobe Yoshiaki
- Hirobe's younger brother, Yoshiaki is the captain of Hino's
basketball team, Morinomiya's rival school, and is a year older
than Noeru and the others. Upon meeting Maria for the first time,
he immediately asks her out, which obviously sparks extreme fury
and jealousy from Noeru. Maria is unimpressed at first, but after
hearing from Hirobe that Yoshiaki has liked her since the first
time he saw her picture, she decides to date him. Yoshiaki has the
looks and personality that every girl dreams of in a guy, and Maria
is really happy to have a boyfriend like him. On the other hand,
Noeru's hatred toward him seems to grow every time he sees him all
lovey-dovey with his sister. However, when he finally realizes how
much Maria likes Yoshiaki, he begrudgingly steps back, but only
after he makes Yoshiaki promise *never* to hurt Maria. All is well
after that, but seeing as Yoshiaki is a delightful young man, there
will surely be a rival that will pop up and try to ruin his
seemingly perfect relationship with Maria.
- Nakayama Akira
- A senior high school student, Akira is 2 years older than Noeru
and the rest. While her looks are noteworthy, her personality is
deadly and calculating, and she makes her appearance in the manga
as a threatening person to Maria. She is someone who knows fully
well what she wants and will go to great lengths to obtain it with
no care for whoever she hurts or steps on in the process. At this
time, she has her eyes set on Yoshiaki. Initially, Maria is
determined to not back down from her, but her resolve crumbles when
she learns that Akira holds a history with Yoshiaki; they are
childhood friends, and Yoshiaki actually loved Akira! Thus, Akira
is able to bring back what is 'rightfully' hers, and Maria is left
to experience her first major heartbreak. She is a bit interested
with Sasa as well, although Sasa clearly dislikes her for bullying
"Noeru's twin".
- Asou Kanako
- Kanako is a chipper lass who is always on the lookout for the
coolest guys in school. She is originally Maria's roommate, but
became Miyu's when Miyu discovers Noeru's true identity. In a fit
of anger, she tells Maria to exchange rooms with her, to which
Maria wordlessly agrees, already knowing what probably happened.
Like any student unfamiliar with Miyu, Kanako is initially wary of
her, but soon befriends her after realizing that she's actually a
nice and kind girl. Sympathetic and easy to talk to, it is evident
that she and Maria are very good friends, seeing as she's always
with Maria whenever the girl is depressed with something, listening
to her problems and giving her advices. Kanako seems to have a
crush on Sasa, and later on, with Tooru - who is actually Noeru
posing as the twins' boy cousin. She is also a member of
Morinomiya's girls' basketball team.
- Sakurai Daisuke
- Daisuke is a student from Noeru and Maria's old school,
Higashiyama Jr. High. When he learns that Noeru has acquired a new
best friend in the form of Sasa, he becomes quite jealous and
instantly forms some sort of a rivalry with him. Nevertheless,
Daisuke is a good guy. He's in love with Maria, and is totally
distressed when he finds out that she already has Yoshiaki for a
boyfriend. However, he gets his chance to date her after the two
breaks up, and he becomes Maria's 2nd boyfriend in the manga. Then
again, their relationship isn't any romantic at all; despite
Daisuke's total devotion, Maria doesn't seem to return his feelings
in the same degree and neglects - albeit unintentionally - her job
as a girlfriend, like celebrating his birthday with him.
Eventually, he breaks up with her, seeing no possible chances of
ever making Maria love him the way he wants her to. Daisuke is also
a good basketball player.
- Tachihara Karin
- Like Daisuke, Karin attends Noeru and Maria's former school.
Rather stubborn and strong-willed, Karin has a crush on Noeru and
will do anything to win him over. She is saddened upon finding out
that Noeru already has a girl he likes in his new school, then gets
pissed off when he tells her that the girl doesn't regard him the
same. Despite her tendency to act impulsively, Karin is actually
very sharp; it didn't take long for her to realize that Noeru is
hiding something from her. Having no other choice, Noeru then tells
her the truth and she threatens him that unless he wants his secret
to be exposed, he has to go out with her. Of course, she doesn't
really mean it. After making Noeru dress up in his girl version in
front of her (as some sort of punishment for him rejecting her),
she finally lets go of Noeru and even wishes him good luck -
although in a teasing manner.
- Jirou Kurisu/Chris
- Kurisu is the lead vocalist of "Embrasse Moi", a famous band in
Morinomiya. Flamboyant, expressive and narcissistic, he enjoys the
constant attention given to him by his groupies and often acts
overly confident because of this. He has an unusual penchant for
girls who act mean and uninterested toward him, so when he meets
Noeru-girl, he immediately becomes infatuated. He is very
persistent with his "Honey", and goes to great lengths just to make
Noeru fall for him. Of course, Noeru always ignores his advances,
which only intensifies Kurisu's fondness for him. He dislikes Sasa
for the fact that he's Noeru's 'boyfriend', and later, this hatred
grows to immense heights when Sasa steals the title of "Most
Popular Student" from him. After ultimately getting rejected by
Noeru, Kurisu falls in love with Miyu, much to Noeru's horror.
Later on, he discovers Noeru's secret and - with the help of an
oblivious Kanako - proceeds to fool the boy into doing all sorts of
things that will expose his true identity, albeit his schemes seem
to thwart him for the worse in every turn. In the end, he falls for
Kanako after she expresses her disappointment with him for trying
to destroy Noeru and being a huge jerk.
- Iwasaki Ririko
- Ririko is a friendly and outgoing girl who takes an immediate
liking to Sasa upon meeting him and Noeru in Harakuju. Due to her
circle of friends consisting of mostly guys, she has come to be
direct and very open to her feelings. She asks Sasa to be her
boyfriend approximately an hour after they initially met, and while
Sasa seems to be a bit apprehensive about it, he still decides to
consider it. A huge sports and fishing fanatic, Noeru regards
Ririko as someone who can be Sasa's ideal girl, so it's no surprise
to him that Sasa eventually resolves to take Ririko's offer.
However, their relationship is short-lived; Sasa meekly admits that
even though she possesses the qualities he looks for in a girl, he
can never make himself date her because he already has his heart
set on someone else. Ririko is undeniably upset, but decides to
become a good sport and remains his friend despite that.
Conclusive
Pairings
- Minamino Noeru/Noel & Makimura Miyu
Noeru and Miyu's relationship can only be described as pure
cuteness and innocence. As a girl, Noeru is assigned to be Miyu's
roommate. He's initially a bit intimidated by Miyu's unfriendly
attitude, but eventually, they become comfortable with each other's
company as time passes. When Noeru learns about the rumors
concerning Miyu, he gets worried and decides to follow her on one
of her gimmicks, forcing Sasa to join him. A major discovery about
Miyu and Sasa is then made, and seeing them become on much better
terms from that incident, a confused Noeru suddenly feels an
unsettling and unexplainable emotion within him. Noeru - whose only
obsession at the moment is his sister - is slow when it comes to
himself, so it is only after he has a talk with Maria that he is
finally able to realize that he has actually fallen in love with
Miyu.
Subsequently, Noeru finds himself struggling with his newfound
feelings and retaining his disguise without confessing to his
roommate. He decides to woo her as "Kurihara Tooru" in his boy
version, and just as when things are going for the better between
them, he learns that Miyu holds a deep hatred towards liars due to
a past experience. This puts Noeru in an extreme guilt trip, which
instantly hinders any of his attempts to tell Miyu his true
identity. And when Miyu actually finds out the truth, Noeru is sure
that he has lost the girl he loves. Nevertheless, with sheer
determination and perseverance, he is able to earn Miyu's trust
once again after a while. At the end of the manga, they are
supposed to share their very first kiss when an angry Maria
suddenly pops out from nowhere and intervenes their sweet time
together.
- Sasa Ryuuji & Minamino Maria
This pairing has come off as a complete surprise since there
have been no hints between them until the concluding parts of the
manga and Maria's relationship with Yoshiaki has been established
quite firmly since the beginning arc. Nevertheless, their story is
one of the most moving elements of the manga and contains much more
depth and emotion than the Noeru-Miyu couple.
At the start, Sasa and Maria never regard each other as anyone
other than "Noeru's boyfriend/best friend" and "Noeru's twin
sister" respectively. Maria openly admits that Sasa isn't her type,
which goes the same for Sasa - who believes her to be one of those
stereotypical girls who do nothing but worry over their looks too
much and drool over every pretty boy they spot. Hence, they are
only able to hang out because of their close connection to
Noeru.
Volumes
Japanese
- ISBN 4-08-856058-2 published on January 19, 1998
- ISBN 4-08-856099-X published on September 19, 1998
- ISBN 4-08-856125-2 published on February 20, 1999
- ISBN 4-08-856152-X published on July 20, 1999
- ISBN 4-08-856179-1 published on December 12, 1999
- ISBN 4-08-856199-6 published on April 19, 2000
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