Plot
Onodera Ritsu, a literary editor, resigns from his father's publishing company, due to his coworkers' jealousy of his success, claiming that he is simply riding his father's coattails. He applies for a position at Marukawa Publishing in order to move away from his father's shadow, but instead of his preferred department of literature he is placed in the infamous shōjo manga department, Emerald. He initially considers resigning, especially because he finds his new boss, Masamune Takano, intolerable and unnerving from the very beginning; however, Takano inadvertently convinces Onodera to stick with the job by calling him "useless," his pride forcing him to stay in order to prove his worth. Later, Onodera learns that Takano's old family name was Saga, an older schoolmate from high school that Ritsu fell in love with and confessed to.
Characters
- Ritsu Onodera (小野寺 律 Onodera Ritsu)
- Seiyuu: Takashi Kondo
- Ritsu is a 25-year-old jaded literary editor. He is the only son of the head of Onodera Publication and previously worked at his father's company in the literature department. Hearing his fellow co-workers accusing him of only getting ahead because of his father's influence, he decides to show that he can be successful on his own by going to work at Marukawa Publishing. After being hurt by his first love in high school when he was 15, Ritsu vowed to never fall in love again. His resolve is tested, however, when he is reunited with the boy he once loved. Now very much a man and his new boss, things get very complicated for Ritsu. And now he must figure out his feelings while also juggling his career and seduction from his former first love and new boss. At his previous job, he was an editor in charge of Akihiko Usami as well as Ryouichi Sumi, father of Misaki's friend Keiichi Sumi (all from Junjo Romantica).
- Masamune Takano (高野 政宗 Takano Masamune)
- Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi
- The 27-year-old, Formerly known as Masamune Saga, before his parents divorced in high school and his mother remarried. He is the editor-in-chief of the Emerald department at Marukawa, and is sometimes referred to as "the capable". He and Ritsu were once in a brief relationship in high school but split up over a misunderstanding, where they both thought each other was wrong. It is revealed that he later had a breakdown from the break-up, family problems, and other personal issues, which in turn left him with unresolved feelings for Ritsu. When both he and Ritsu realize who each other are, he promises Ritsu he will make him fall in love with him again, much to Ritsu's contempt. In Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi: Takano Masamune no Baai (lit. Masamune Takano's Case), the reader sees Takano's perspective on his and Ritsu's first meeting and romantic development.
- An Kohinata (小日向 杏 Kohinata An)
- Seiyuu: Yukari Tamura
- Ritsu's childhood friend and his fiancée, due to an agreement their parents made when the two were kids. However, Ritsu does not view her as his fiancée. Sweet, polite and sensitive, An has deep feelings towards him, despite being rejected by Ritsu (whom she calls 'Ricchan') when she confessed her love.
- Chiaki Yoshino (吉野 千秋 Yoshino Chiaki)
- Seiyuu: Shinnosuke Tachibana
- Chiaki Yoshino is a 28 year old shōjo manga artist known as Chiharu Yoshikawa (a female name). His editor in-charge is Yoshiyuki Hatori, who is also his childhood friend. His two best friends are Hatori and Yanase, but the lines between friendship and love begin to blur after a number of confusing incidents. Chiaki begins to question his feelings for Hatori after not only witnessing him and Yanase together in what he thinks is a kiss; then Hatori kisses him one night. Chiaki begins to realize he has to confront his true feelings or risk losing them both.
- Yoshiyuki Hatori (羽鳥 芳雪 Hatori Yoshiyuki)
- Seiyuu: Yuichi Nakamura (voice actor)
- Hatori, also known as Tori, is 28 years old and an editor in the Emerald department. Although in the beginning he is serious and reserved, we later learn that he has harbored both deep and secret feelings for his childhood friend Chiaki. After kissing him and confessing his love, Hatori pulls away fearing that Chiaki doesn't feel the same, but instead loves his rival, Yanase. Although Chiaki does somewhat have the same feelings, unbeknownst to Tori.
- Yuu Yanase (柳瀬 優 Yanase Yuu)
- Seiyuu: Hiroshi Kamiya
- Chief assistant for manga artist Yoshino Chiaki. Hatori and Chiaki both came to know Yuu when they were in junior high. An immediate tension is visible between Hatori and Yanase. It isn't until later that it is discovered that both are vying for the love of Chiaki.
- Shōta Kisa (木佐 翔太 Kisa Shōta)
- Seiyuu: Nobuhiko Okamoto
- Kisa is a fellow editor in the Emerald department, and because of his looks he is mistaken for being much younger than his true age of 30. He considers himself gay and has never been in a serious relationship; he doesn't think himself capable of being in one because of his tendency to fall in love for only good looks without knowing a guy's personality. Because of this, he immediately questions his feelings for Kou and doesn't hold out much hope for a relationship with him. His mentality can be described by his line: "love at first sight works well enough in manga, but this is reality."
- Kō Yukina (雪名 皇 Yukina Kō)
- Seiyuu: Tomoaki Maeno
- Yukina is a 21-year-old clerk in charge of the shōjo manga section at the bookstore Marimo Books. He's been aware of Kisa coming in to watch him, but when he finds out Kisa is the editor behind all of his favorite works he begins to develop feelings for him, though he considered himself straight prior to then. He's willing to fight to make Kisa understand that what they feel for each other is real and that Kisa is able to actually fall in love.
- Takafumi Yokozawa (横澤隆史 Yokozawa Takafumi)
- Seiyuu: Kenyu Horiuchi
- Yokozawa works in the sales department at Marukawa. He is friends with and had a physical relationship with Takano when they were both in college. It's also common knowledge in the publishing world that he helped Takano get into publishing and get his position at Marukawa. He is seriously jealous of and resents Ritsu, blaming him for "screwing up" Takano. He often warns Ritsu away from Takano, even going as far as proclaiming Takano is his. He has his own side story called Takafumi Yokozawa No Baii(Takafumi Yokozawa Case) about his new love interest, Kirishima, and him handling his rejection by Takano.
- Zen Kirishima (桐嶋禅 Kirishima Zen)
- He was first introduced in Junjo Romantica as the editor in chief of Japun, the shōnen manga magazine, and is now Yokozawa's new love interest. He is raising his daughter, Hiyori, on his own due to his wife passing away a few years ago. After blackmailing Yokozawa, the two start dating once they realizing their feelings for each other. He has a habit of teasing Yokozawa, calling him the mother of his daughter Hiyori.
- Hiyori Kirishima (桐嶋日和 Kirishima Hiyori)
- Hiyori is the only child of Zen; 10 years old and lost her mother some time ago. She bonds quickly with Yokozawa, to whom she refers as 'Onii-san' (big brother/older male figure). She's responsible for cooking her father's meals and is very fond of kittens and green tea sweets.
- Kanade Mino (美濃奏 Mino Kanade)
- Seiyuu: Hikaru Midorikawa
- Mino is a fellow editor in the Emerald department, who is constantly smiling through all the stress and exhaustion. It has been hinted that he has a dark side, with Takano saying "Make sure you don't make Mino upset".
- Ryūichirō Isaka (井坂 龍一郎 Isaka Ryūichirō)
- Seiyuu: Toshiyuki Morikawa
- Isaka is the senior managing director of Marukawa Publishing, and is acquainted with Ritsu's parents. He is quite the mysterious man. He is also a character of Junjo Romantica. In "Junjo Mistake" the reader learns he has been in a relationship with his secretary/former childhood playmate/caretaker Asahina since 10 years ago when both realized their mutual feelings. He once aspired to be a novelist, but realized his real talents lay in finding future best-sellers. Like Ritsu, others once implied that Isaka's success only came from his family's influence (when in reality it was his talent in nurturing authors to greatness), so he feels a kinship with Ritsu, which annoys Ritsu who wants to get away from that image.
- Kaoru Asahina (朝比奈 薫 Asahina Kaoru)
- Seiyuu: Ryōtarō Okiayu
- Asahina is Ryūichiro's assistant, and came to work for the Isaka family when they helped the Asahina family out of a bad situation. Originally intended to be Isaka's playmate, he ended up becoming something more of a caretaker and developed feelings for Isaka at a young age.
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