A Sharply Graceful Girl

Reclusive novelist Makio Koudai has always preferred the company of books—but when her sister and brother-in-law pass away, Makio unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her 15-year-old niece, Asa Takumi. As they navigate grief, clashing personalities, and the challenges of living together, the two slowly open their hearts to each other, discovering warmth, understanding, and the meaning of family.

Etsuko Kono is a 28-year-old woman who loves fashion. Aspiring to become a fashion editor, she joins a publishing company, but is sent to work in copy editing. There, her job is to correct errors and inadequate parts of documents and copies.

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.

Newly graduate Yamaguchi Kumiko an idealistic teacher who entered Shirokin High to be a math teacher. Having high hopes for her students, her world turned up side down when she finds out that she'll be teaching the class 3-D the hardest class to take care of. Class 3-D is a bunch of students who looks more like delinquents and trouble makers. The students show no respect to teachers nor a little kindness. Each and every student doesn't like teacher for almost everyone has no good memories of them. The leader of the class is Sawada Shin. He is well respected for there are rumors that he beat a teacher to death. The students try there hardest to bully and make fun of her so she'll quit but all there efforts went to waste because Yamaguchi ain't an ordinary Teacher. Yamaguchi Kumiko is actually the 4th generation heir to Oedo group, a yakuza clan. Even though everyone in there clan wants her to the next leader, she made up her mind and so everyone accepted it.

Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi are pretty much foils of each other. Mashiro, an average 9th grade student but talented artist, and Takagi, an overall advanced 9th grader and aspiring writer. After great convincing, Takagi convinces Mashiro to join him in becoming the greatest mangakas Japan has ever seen. Takagi, with his gift of writing, hopes to become a successful mangaka, and Mashiro, with his gift of art, hopes to marry the girl of his dreams, Azuki Miho.

A lonely little boy moves into a ramshackle apartment building all on his own and makes friends with the broke manga artist who lives next door.

Dick Loudon and his wife Joanna decide to leave life in New York City and buy a little inn in Vermont. Dick is a how-to book writer, who eventually becomes a local TV celebrity as host of "Vermont Today." George Utley is the handyman at the inn and Leslie Vanderkellen is the maid, with ambitions of being an Olympic Ski champion; she is later replaced by her cousin Stephanie, an heiress who hates her job. Her boyfriend is Dick's yuppie TV producer, Michael Harris. There are many other quirky characters in this fictional little town, including Dick's neighbors Larry, Darryl, and Darryl...three brothers who buy the Minuteman Cafe from Kirk Devane. Besides sharing a name, Darryl and Darryl never speak.

Evie and Pete move into an upscale neighborhood and find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. They find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka, but after Danny and Evie share a passionate night together there is trouble ahead.

Taiyo Asano has been on his own ever since his parents died and the only one who seems to care for him is his childhood friend and classmate, Mutsumi Yozakura. But Mutsumi has a secret—she is the head of a family of spies! And on top of that, her brother Kyoichiro is dangerously protective of her! To stop Kyoichiro from killing him, Taiyo and Mutsumi must take the ultimate leap—marriage! Because in the Yozakura family, family cannot kill family.

Yuuta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama, and Shinobu Morita are college students who share the small apartment. Even though they live in poverty, the three of them are able to obtain pleasure through small things in life. The story follows these characters' life stories as poor college students, as well as their love lives when a short but talented 18 year old girl called Hagumi Hanamoto appears.

Miki's parents come home from their vacation to announce that they are getting a divorce. But what is more shocking is that they have switched partners with another couple! And to top things off, this other couple has a handsome son, Yuu, who Miki begins to develop feelings for. To make things more disturbing, everyone moves into one house. What will everyone think about Miki's family lifestyle?

Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. It's a glamorous job, but Hotaru's private life is totally the opposite of glamorous. She lives alone, and when she isn't working, she's mostly lazing about her rented house in training wear. She's really not interested in doing anything, much less dating. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto. One day her landlord's son comes to inspect the rental property, not knowing that someone is living there. He is shocked at the mess, but not as shocked as Hotaru, as he turn's out to be her fastidious boss, Takano.