BLEND-S

Daisuke Higashida gets a job at a restaurant because of family financial difficulties, but no one who works there is normal.

Set in a family restaurant in Hokkaido, the northern prefecture of Japan, 16-year-old high school student Sōta Takanashi works part-time along with his strange co-workers: Popura Taneshima, a high school girl who—despite being a year older than Sōta—is easily mistaken for a elementary/middle schooler, and Kyoko Shirafuji, the 28-year-old store manager who does not bother to do any work at all.

Godai is a ronin (someone who has failed university entrance exams) living in a run down apartment house called Maison Ikkoku. Among the other residents are the nosy Ichinose, the sexy Akemi Roppongi, and the mysterious Yotsuya. The others are given to having wild parties which makes it difficult for Godai to study. Into this mayhem comes the recently widowed Kyoko as the new live-in manager. Godai falls for her, but doesn't have the nerve to tell her. As time passes, their relationship slowly develops amid life at Maison Ikkoku, despite all sorts of romantic hurdles.

Cocoa Hoto is a positive and energetic girl who becomes friends with anyone in just three seconds. After moving in with the Kafuu family in order to attend high school away from home, she immediately befriends the shy and precocious granddaughter of Rabbit House cafe's founder, Chino Kafuu, who is often seen with the talking rabbit, Tippy, on her head. After beginning to work as a waitress in return for room and board, Cocoa also befriends another part-timer, Rize Tedeza, who has unusual behavior and significant physical capabilities due to her military upbringing; Chiya Ujimatsu, a waitress from a rival cafe who does everything at her own pace; and Sharo Kirima, another waitress at a different cafe who has the air of a noblewoman despite being impoverished. With fluffy silliness and caffeinated fun.

People are not always who they appear to be, as is the case with Umaru Doma, the perfect high school girl—that is, until she gets home! Once the front door closes, the real fun begins. When she dons her hamster hoodie, she transforms from a refined, over-achieving student into a lazy, junk food-eating otaku, leaving all the housework to her responsible older brother Taihei. Whether she's hanging out with her friends Nana Ebina and Kirie Motoba, or competing with her self-proclaimed "rival" Sylphinford Tachibana, Umaru knows how to kick back and have some fun! Himouto! Umaru-chan is a cute story that follows the daily adventures of Umaru and Taihei, as they take care of—and put up with—each other the best they can, as well as the unbreakable bonds between friends and siblings.

Sasaki is an overworked salaryman drifting through the corporate grind, sustained by cigarettes and the cheerful service and smile of Yamada, the clerk at his favorite supermarket. But one night after a grueling shift, he arrives late to find Yamada nowhere to be seen. With nowhere left to smoke, his spirits sink—until a pierced young woman calls out to him: “You can smoke here.”

Eiji Kitahama joins the drama club with dreams of having a harem like the ones from his favorite manga. Rin Nanakura, an underclassman, finds herself crushing hard on Eiji, and tries on different personas in his presence to win him over. No matter how she acts, one thing is certain—her feelings for Eiji continue to grow stronger. Will she ever be able to tell him the truth and be herself?

The life of an artist can be hard: Long, arduous hours working with only your thoughts and assistants to keep you company. In the case of overworked mangaka Aito, his attempts to merge the two are so far unsuccessful. His priorities are askew and subjecting his assistants to his fantasies has taken precedent over work. Despite his abuse of power, his assistants are willing to play along. Thankfully, editor Mihari is there to keep him in line, from threatening to fire him to physical punishment.

Alya is a transfer student enjoying popularity at her new high school, often sporting a cold shoulder while earning high marks in class. She ignores her nerdy classmate, Kuze Masachika, except for when she blurts out a flirtatious line to him in Russian. Little does she know, Kuze understands Russian, though he pretends not to. Let’s see where this wacky love story takes them!

Kazunari Usa finally has a place of his own at the Kawai housing complex. Unfortunately, his roommate is a total weirdo and a massive pervert! But life at the Kawai Complex isn’t all that bad with his dream-girl Ritsu living right down the hall.

Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be… but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens!

Nakamura falls for his classmate Hirose instantly, but they've never spoken. Can his bumbling attempts to say hello lead to a real connection?