River's Edge (manga)
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| River's Edge | |
 Cover to the 2023 release of River's Edge as published by Kodansha USA | |
| リバーズ・エッジ (Ribāzu Ejji) | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Kyoko Okazaki |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kyoko Okazaki |
| Published by | Takarajimasha |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | CUTiE |
| Published | 1994 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Live-action film | |
| |
River's Edge (Japanese: リバーズ・エッジ, Hepburn: Ribāzu Ejji) is a Japanese slice of life manga written and illustrated by Kyoko Okazaki. River's Edge was first published in the women's fashion magazine Monthly Cutie between 1993 and 1994.[1][2]: 195 River's Edge follows Haruna, a high school girl in a suburb of Tokyo, and her friends as they traverse the ups and downs of high-school life in the 90s.[3][2]: 195–196
Themes of bullying, homosexuality, drug-use and teenage pregnancy are explored through the lens of a coming of age story. The manga was highly influential in Japanese literature.[3]
A film adaptation of the manga was released in 2018. Kodansha USA publishes the manga in English.[4]
Characters
Haruna Wakakusa (若草ハルナ, Wakakusa Haruna) - The first protagonist of the novel. Haruna is a straightforward and unrelenting teenage girl who saves Ichiro from the bullying of her boyfriend, Kannonzaki.
Ichiro Yamada (山田一郎, Yamada Ichirō) - The second protagonist of the novel. Ichiro is bullied by the other boys at school due to his popularity with girls at school. Quiet and non-chalant, Ichiro is closeted although he dates Kanna to appear straight.
Kozue Yoshikawa (吉川こずえ, Yoshikawa Kozue) - Kozue is one of the most popular girls at the high school. She is a child model and one of Ichiro's only friends aside from Haruna.
Kannonzaki (観音崎, Kanōnzaki) - Hotheaded and rash, Kannonzaki is Haruna's boyfriend. He relentlessly bullies Ichiro due to his popularity with girls at school.
Kanna Tajima (田島カンナ, Tajima Kanna) - Ichiro's girlfriend. She is unaware of his homosexuality and is overprotective of Ichiro.
Lumi (ルミ, Rumi) - One of Haruna's friends. She dates older men for gifts.