Houkago Orange 1 Yoku sempai is the captain of the track and field team of the Tokiwa Middle School, but no matter what sport he is doing, he is just really good. Actually he is only 151 cm, thus he's the smallest member of the team but he's till really good. The heroin of the story ist Sakurai Natsumi, a first year student who's also in the track and field team. Her older brother is rather famous, as he used to be the former captain of the track and field team and now he's at a sports high school, aiming to become a sprinter (he's already kinda famous). Natsumi actually is pissed at the track and field team a lot, because rather than training, they are only playing around all day. On day at school, the track and field team is playing soccer instead of training again and natsumi tells Yoko sempai from now on she'll boycott the training since there's no sense in coming if they are not doing track and field anyway. She critisizes Yoku sempai and accuses him of being a bad captain, when the team manager comments how it was Natsumi's brother who made Yoku the new team captain and she says if Natsumi wants to know why her brother did so, he should ask him herself. As she is about to leave to visit her brother after school, some first year team member ask her if they can come along toi meet her famous brother. We see that someone was hiding around the corner, listening to their conversation and smiling. On their way, they meet a group of older students and one of them is the guy who eavesdropped over their conversation before. Meanwhile, the older students of the track and field team realize their kohai really boycotted training and say if it continues like this, their club might get cancelled. Suddenly, on of the first year students, Yuutaro, comes in and he's looking pretty beat up. He says Yoku sempai should help them. At the same time, the leader of the other students who challenged Natsumi and her teammates, grabs Natsumi and says she's Sakurai's younger sister. He says how Sakurai made life hell for him and as Natsumi is about to cry, he says he hates to see girls crying and he feels like hitting them. As he's about to hit Natsumi, Yoku sempai goes in between and saves Natsumi. Yoku says he knows this leader, he's Kai Koushi, a third year student who used to be part of the team. Yoku says he and his friends should all apologize to the first year students they beat up and Koushi gets pissed at Yoku's attitude. He hits Yoku in the face. Koushi says he should hit him back, but Yoku says he won't. He asks Koushi to come back and join the track and field team again instead. Now Koushin gets really pissed and wants to hit Yoku again, but Natsumi holds him back with all her power. The track and field team manages to escape. Natsumi and Yoku stop after a while and she treats his wounds. Yoku says last year, Natsumi's brother would always talk about his sister and how cute she was and he just wouldn't stop. Natsumi thinks her brother is an idiot and says well in reality, she isn't cute. Yoku says that he seriously thinks she's cute. He brings her back home and when he's about to leave, Natsumi says thank you for today. Yoku says he has to thank her and smiles at her in a very nice way and Natsumi blushes. After Yoku left, someone asks if Natsumi has a crush on Yoku. Natsumi turns around and it's her older brother, who came home for today. He says it might be hard for her, because Yoku is clueless when it comes to love and natsumi says it's nothing like that. While entering the house, she complains about the training plan of the team with soccer and basketball every day. Hearing this, Sakurai says Yoku has a really good training strategy and asks natsuki if she ever hear of the 2 m 10 cm wall. On the next day, a lot of people gather around the sports ground. The manager explains to Natsumi that it's the only day the track and field team can use the ground and a lot of people come to see Yoku highjump. Natsumi is surprised to hear this. The manager says that all the ball sports the team are playing usually all week aren't just to play around and Natsuki should just wait and see Yoku's jumping. Natsumi remembers the conversation with her brother from the night before. The 2m 10 cm wall is a Jr High highjump record that hasn't been broken in 20 years, but Sakurai told Natsumi that Yoku will be the one braking it. He says when he met Yoku and saw him jump, he knew he was a talent and he would be the one breaking the record. Natsumi is looking at Yoku's beautiful jump. It was the day after school, when the sports ground was all orange because of the setting sun. It was the day she would never ever forget, because it was when she fell in love with Yoku. The next chapter begins with Koushi beating up some more kids at night. When he comes home, Yoku is waiting for him and asks him to join the club once more. Koushi grabs Yoku and says he won't join with a captain like Yoku. The next day at school, Natsumi enters the clubroom and sees Yoku sleeping. She tries to wake him up, but he won't wake up, instead he's falling from the chair and landing on top of Natsumi. As he still doesn't wake up, Natsumi manages to push him away a little when the other team mates enter the room. Ichikawa, the cute manager of the club tells Natsumi Yoku has been tired because he has been trying every night to make Koushi join the team again. Natsumi is thinking how much Ichikawa knows about Yoku. After school, Natsumi meets Koushi by chance and he drags her along to Karaoke just the two of them. He teases her and says he'll make her his girlfriend, but says she's ugly and all. Natsumi then asks him to join the track and field team again, because Yoku is trying so hard to get him back. Seeing how much courage it takes for Natsumi to say that, he asks her if she likes Yoku and says it's an interesting outcome. He grabs her and drags her out, saying he'll take her home with him. Natsumi refuses, but Koushi is too strong. On the way to his house, they meet some of the guys Koushi beat up before and they say they are here for revenge. Koushi beats most of them up again, but one guy grabs Natsumi. Seeing this, Koushi tries to save her, but at the same time, Yoku comes up running from behind and he reaches her faster (Yoku has been waiting at Koushi's house at usual and he heard the noise so he came to help them). Koushi asks Yoku then how fast he can run and he's a little frustrated because he's not even a sprinter. Yoku says Koushi can do better, if he just joins the team again. Koushi says he will, but only if he will become the capitain. The next training starts, but the members don't really see Koushi as the new captain ^^; The are all supposed to sprint but Natsumi is really really slow. She ends up being in the situation where both, Yoku and Koushi check her legs and Yoku asks her how miuch weight she has gained during the last year due to growing. Koushi lifts her up and says she's probably 53 kilo now. Natsumi locks herself in the club room and Yoku is trying to get her come out, but everyone says he's an idiot for asking a girl such delicate questions. Yoku says he didn't mean to say mean stuff, but he just wants to make her stronger and faster. Natsumi comes out eventually and says she wants to become better and come with him to the track and field competition. She ends up running with Koushi in the woods, and she has to realize she really has no stamina. Koushi stops and grabs her from behind and says she's better if she keeps her upper part straight and her shoulders back and Natsumi blushes a lot. Koushi asks her if she likes him, to which Natsumi says in a very emotional way, she likes Yoku. Koushi takes a video of the love confession and runs away with it, Natsumi's trying the best to run after him. A while later, Koushi comes back to school, carrying Natsumi on his arms. He says she ran until she collapsed. Later in the infirmary, Natsumi is still unconsciously lying on the bed and Yoku gets on the bed to give her a leg massage. Natsumi, still not fully awake feels his touch and lying there in a very cute way, says Yoku's name. Yoku is confused and stops massaging her. He blushes and he's like WTF… It's another day of training and the whole team is running loups. Yoku sees how Koushi is touching Natsumi to make her run faster on the butt and he tells him to stop it and not touch her. He tells natsumi to leave with him and Koushi wonders if Yoku fell for Natsumi. Natsumi and Yoku are trinking water and Natsumi says there's dirt on Yoku's cheek and she tries to wipe it away. Yoku backs away and says he'll do it by himself. That moment, Ichikawa, the manager, comes and brings Yoku his bento. Seeing how Natsumi is worried about it, Koushi comes up from behind and says the two of them have been dating for a year already. At home, Natsumi is really worried and asks her brother about Ichikawa and if she's perfect and he says she really is. Natsumi gets mad at this and leaves the house and says from now on, her breasts will also get bigger (just as Ichikawa's) and right at that moment, she sees Yoku standing in front of her door, who's delivering the newspaper. She's really embarrassed and changes the topid, so she asks him if he and Ichikawa are going out. He says they aren't and so Natsumi aks if she can make him Bentou too. Yoku says okay and from now on, he'sa looking forward to her Bentou. The next morning, Natsumi is getting up early to make Bentou, but it doesn't look good at all, so her mother makes it for her. She only manages to make to rice balls look nice. At school, she gives Yoku the bentou, but says she only made to rice, the rest is made by her mother. Ichikawa says he can only eat the stuff Natsumi's mother made, he can't eat rice due to a special diet. He says he'll eat it anyway, but Natsumi says no and she wants to support him not being a burden so she takes the rice away. She's about to throw it out, but Koushi takes the rice and says it's a waste. He says it's really bad, but he eats it all. He says she sure tried her best and Natsumi starts to cry and says she did it for Yoku. In a worried way, Koushi says she souldn't cry. Later, Yoku is highjumping, but he isn't too focused. Koushi comes up and says he'll definitely jump higher then him. The next chapter starts with ichikawa calling Sakurai and telling him Koushi decided to start high jump too. Sakurai smiles and says this will be a challenge for Yoku (I don't really know how to put the word Sakurai says here into english. It isn't exactely challenge, but more like critical situation or so) At school, Yoku is eating Natsumi's bentou, that has been made by her mother again ^^; and Koushi is eating the rice balls again, which Yoku seems to mind a little. The team members wonder why Koushi is eating natsumi's bentou too and he says because he asked her to make one for him. Yoku looks a little shocked. Koushi adds that the riceballs yesterday were pretty bad and Yoku is looking at them. He mumbles how Koushi was the one who ate yesterday's rice balls. Later at practice, natsumi is surprised Koushi is starting to high jump bow and if it isn't too late for that, but he tells her to shut up. Natsumi sits doen next to Yoku and he explains Koushi used to highjump, but he quit due to a reason. He says it's good that Koushi is really serious now about it. Koushi jumps, but he can't make the height. Yoku comes up to him and says it's not good the way he jumps and gives gim tipps to make it better. Koushi doesn't want to listen to him and Yoku makes it even higher, so that it's about Koushi's height now. Koushi can't jump over it again, but Yoku tries and he has no problem jumping this height. At the same time, Natsumi is working out with Ichikawa and she explains to her that everyone is able to jump their own height. But because Yoku is small, he has to do a special diet to be able to jump higher, but from tomorrow on, he can eat rice balls again. As Natsumi is about to leave after training she thinks that Ichikawa is a really good person,when she suddenly sees Yoku waitin for her. He says he has a favor to ask, starting tomorrow, he wants to eat Natsumi's rice balls and he's blushing. He says that's all and he'll be waiting and she says ok. On the next day, the bentou Natsumi made for Yoku is really big and Koushi's is really small ^^. Yoku says it's really good and Natsumi says she could practice (while making Koushi's rice balls before ^^;;). Koushi gets pissed and says it's probably because Natsumi likes Yoku. Natsumi is shocked and asks what he's saying and the other guys says they have been thinking the same too. Natsumi is really worried and Yoku asks Natsumi if it's true. Natsumi thinks how her face is all red now and so she doesn't want to lie about her feelings for Yoku. She's about to confess, but Koushi cover her mouth from behind and says she should come outside with him. She starts crying and tells him he should stop making a fun about her because she's serious about Yoku. Koushi gets pissed and asks what she expects him to answer to her confession and she thinks she hasn't thought about that yet. Koushi suddenly hugs her. He says it's not like he wants to make her cry, it's just that he really likes her. My opinion on Houkago Orange vol 1 I really like sports manga! It's like, they can do without all the clichee, since there's already a plot because of all the talking about the sport. Well, I wouldn't say Houkago Orange is a really a sports Manga but it has all those elements. I really liked this book. I thought chapter 1 wasn't all that great, but the story got better really quick. I like pretty much all of the characters so far and the artwork is really really good. It's so detailed and pretty. I tend to think it's a little Shounen-like because the eyes are so not Shoujo-style, but I really like it. I loved the cover of this a lot too. It's so… school life, if you know what I mean. This Manga is so natsukashii and it brings back the good memories of my time at school and of school sports club life. The only thing I am worried about right now is that I like both, Yoku and Koushi equally and even though I'd prefer Koushi, I know he doesn't have a chance and Yoku is totally fine with me too. It's a lot like in Hatsukare, when I was a total Ibushi fan, but from the beginning I liked Hashimoto a lot too and it was okay he was with Chiharu. Argh I'm ranting…. Anyway, if you get a chace, give this a shot and all the love to Koushi :) ISBN 978-4-09-131356-0 Back