Otomen v01 ch01 Summary

Well, I know Otomen is an incredible adorable gem, but scanlators only got to a couple chapters before it got licensed in English. So I'm definitely no translator, but I can at least share some of the love with you other aspiring Otomen fans!

I don't really know what chapters/volumes other people have already summarized, so I'll just start at the beginning until people ask for certain chapters/volumes. I might switch between the beginning and the place where scanlators left off though... tell me what you think! If you like it, feel free to request any particular chapter that you want to know about! I have volumes 1-13 in English =]

Follow along with the Japanese raws! I put the page numbers and some pictures in between to help you keep track of where you are :'D



You can download the Japanese Volume 1 RAWs here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?xx9l7dp2ad3mdj3

Front and back cover of the English version, and volume art inside =]

Chapter 1 cover and first scene.

 [005] We start off with Asuka remembering his childhood and all the girly things he liked to do.

[006] But then, for some unknown reason, his mother upon seeing him do these things is mortified (quite literally too, she ended up in the hospital due to shock.) She urged young Asuka to never be like his father and that instead he should start acting more like a boy.

[007] Now coming back to the present, we see Asuka all manly-man in his high school kendo team absolutely destroying all his teammates. All of the boys and girls at his school are in awe of how manly he is.

[008] Even girls who try to give sweets to Asuka rationalize the idea that because he's so manly, he probably doesn't even like sweets. While he's washing his face, he hears a bunch of guys bullying someone, and another girl trying to protect the victim.

Ryo: "You're lying! | He obviously doesn't want to do that!"
Asuka: "My fault. | Looks like I accidentally hit you."

[009] Asuka interferes like a boss, and hits one of the bullies with his kendo sword.

[010] Bully 2 was about to get revenge on Asuka, but then Bully 3 warns him not to mess with Asuka's impressive resume of manliness (country's number one in kendo, first degree black belt in judo and second degree black belt in karate). The bullies decide it's best to drag their friend and run away. Asuka checks up on the girl and asks if she's okay, she responds in the affirmative.

Asuka: "No matter what happens... | I must be manly."
Asuka: "Even if... | I fall in love..."

[011] Another boy witnesses the scene, he seems to be up to something.

Love Chick Scene - "I can't hold back anymore... if I fall in love."

[012] Asuka reads a shojo manga that strangely looks like something he just experienced, HMM... [013] However, he reads it in the bookstore where everyone can see him, and they're all looking at him weirdly. He tries to play it off coolly by saying out loud that he was bored and puts down the magazine.

[014] Asuka has conflicted feelings. He threw away everything to become more manly, but he can't stop thinking about the girl he met before. [015] In the end, he gave into his girlish desires and bought everything (someone was watching him...) Asuka tries to hold back his feelings, and... [016] ...before he knows it, he's already crafted a cute teddy bear! "Be still my (girlish) heart...!", he tells himself. Back in kendo practice, he trains hard and acts as manly as he can.

[017] The impressed hot girl informs the reader that Asuka's mom is one of the school's trustees and that Asuka himself, is an excellent academic student as well. The playboy next to her that we've seen before, his name is Juta Tachibana.

[018] Asuka makes it through the day safe so far and thinks he might be able to forget that girl, and upon thinking that he sees her outside doing P.E. Juta comes in to answer his thoughts almost telepathically and tells him that the girl's name is Ryo Miyakozuka and her measurements.

[019] Asuka is a naturally a bit taken aback by his sudden appearance, but Juta continues telling him about Ryo who transferred recently. Juta goes on to tease Asuka by saying, "You like her, don't you? Asuka-chan." The playboy even goes as far as telling Asuka that he'll try making Ryo his as well. [020] An eerily familiar scene in the manga that Asuka read before plays out. [021] The manga is called Love Chick by Jewel Sachihana and runs in Hana to Mame magazine. Asuka is drawn by the girls' exclamations on the manga's new development. His teammates on the other hand think otherwise, saying that guys like them wouldn't be able to understand shojo manga. The girls keep talking and the conversation reach the topic of Juta; they describe him as a player and note that he was with Ryo earlier.

[021] He dashed off to the Home Economics room to save Ryo. From the door he can hear things like:
"Come on... | Please stop..." | "Huh? it's fine. We're all alone together, after all..." | "Don't got any further, okay?" | "It's fine... look!"
He opens the door and... they're sewing.

Asuka goes overboard helping Ryo make things.

[022] Asuka decides it'd be best if he helps Ryo with her sewing project. [023] Ryo's project is just supposed to be using scraps to make whatever she wants, but they end up being these atrocious pieces of scrappy scraps. Asuka gently guides and helps her sew... [024] ...but he ends up unleashing his girly sewing talents again, making super cute purses, mittens, cups and so on. He then leaves with Juta to try to save face after helping Ryo.

[025] Ryo thanks him for saving her twice now. Asuka is undoubtedly happy, [026] but once again, he tries to contain this girly feeling of love. Back at school, Juta invites Ryo for lunch. Before Asuka got the chance to apply some serious damage to the playboy, Ryo invites Asuka along as well.

[027] Ryo brought a super huge lunch box and she wanted to thank the two for their help before. The boys' excitement was sorely let down upon seeing the boxes filled with either a bunch of cucumbers, a bunch of rice and a bunch of roasted fish. "It's the same bento I always bring for myself..." she admits, "I've got dessert too." (referring the bunch of bananas she's holding in her hands.)

[028] Asuka asks Ryo if she always cooks by herself. She tells him that her mother passed away early on, her dad doesn't do any of the housework, and it's been a while since she had some good food. Asuka feels compelled to make Ryo lunch and asks her if it would be okay if he dad that for her. [029] He admits to being raised in a single parent family as well. The next day, he brings a super gourmet lunch box.

[030] Juta and Ryo thinks it's really delicious and Asuka is happy that Ryo thinks so. He shyly notes that he could continue making lunches for her. [031] From then on, the threesome enjoyed Asuka's gourmet lunches on the rooftop together.

[032] Love Chick Scene - "I want to see your happy face." | "I want you..." | "...to show me your smile more often."

[033] Asuke completely identifies with the manga and is in awe at Jewel Sachihana's work. His room has progressively become more girly thinking about Ryo. And the more that he thinks it's not good, [034] the more that he admits that what he's been doing lately has been fun. Ryo tells him that "Men who can cook are wonderful." Juta jokes that maybe he should start learning too and asks if she likes that kind of guy. But she responds differently to this, saying that "I look up to men who are masculine..."

[035] Asuka remembers what his mom told him about being masculine. [036] Juta tries to encourage him to tell Ryo about how he feels. Verbalizing Asuka's worries "Do you think that she'll hate you..." | "...if she fins out about the real you?" [037] Even with Asuka's denial, Juta happily describes Asuka's personality and secrets perfectly. He confesses to have been watching Asuka for a long time, which is why he knows so much about Asuka's feelings.

[038] Asuka argues that Juta wouldn't understand his feelings. He flashbacks to the day his father left home. His father had always wanted to be a woman. Asuka explains to Juta that because of that incident, his traumatized mother wanted him to be as manly as possible. Juta catches on quick and sees that Asuka is worried that Ryo will reject him like his mother did when she found out about Asuka's girlish hobbies. But Juta tells Asuka that he wouldn't want to lie to someone he really cared about.

[039] The playboy continues by saying, "You want to be who you really are..." | "...when you're around someone you like, right?"
Love Chick Scene - "To be your real self..." | "How you really are..."
The girls talk about how the girl in the manga, whose name is also Asuka, should just tell the boy she likes how she feels.

[040] He gets a letter supposedly written by Ryo in his locker that tells him that they should meet at the other building at 8 o' clock at night. Asuka hates ghosts and he remembers somebody mentioning that there might be some in that building. [041] He eventually meets with Ryo, but it turns out that they both got identical letters from each other.

Asuka tried to hold Ryo's hand at first to seem manly,
but upon noticing his trembling fingers, she grabbed his instead.

[042] Ryo suspects it might be prank, so they decide to head out of there. Asuka gets creeped out by their surroundings and wants to get out quick. [043] Ryo notices how scared he is, and takes his hand instead.

[044 The bullies make their come back and mocks Asuka for being protected by a girl among other things. [045] They had eavesdropped on Juta and his conversation and knows how girly he is. They want revenge and they tell him off, saying he's "just a pansy with embarrassing hobbies" and he doesn't "have a speck of manliness" in him.

Ryo defends herself before Asuka can help her.

[046] Asuka calmly confirms it. One of the bullies charge towards Ryo with a bat. [047] Asuka reflexes to protect her, but before he can, Ryo does it herself with a brilliant kick. A stunned Asuka gets told by Ryo that she's had all sorts of martial arts drilled into her since she was little and that she had always looked up to the idea of manliness herself because of it.

[048] She tells Asuka, "You're really cute." | "...I start to want to protect you." [048] The bullies try to charged again, but Asuka beats them up. He realizes that he can't hide his true self around Ryo. [049] He finishes off the last guy with his kendo-bat skills and confesses to Ryo, "I..." | "...like you." | "Please let me..." | "...protect you too."

Juta is secretly a shoujo manga artist writing about his two friends.
Girl Asuka in the manga is based off Asuka in real life, and Boy Ryo is based on Ryo in real life.

[049] "Okay!" Ryo responds. Meanwhile, Juta has a secret of his own and is pleased with the recent development between his new found friends. [050] It turns out that Juta is Jewel Sachihana and he's been secretly drawing a manga called Love Chick about Ryo and Asuka, whose character names are... Asuka (female)... and Ryo (male)...

volume 01 chapter 01 end.