Blend S

Blend S
Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, anime
Founded	2013
Founder	Miyuki Nakayama
Defunct	2022
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Manga, anime television series
Parent	Houbunsha (publisher)

is a Japanese yonkoma manga created and illustrated by Miyuki Nakayama. It was serialized in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Carat magazine from 2013 through 2022 and collected into eight volumes. The series received a 12-episode anime adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures, which aired between October and December 2017.

Plot

Maika Sakuranomiya, a high school student, faces difficulties securing a part-time job because her smile unintentionally appears intimidating. Eventually, she is hired by Dino, an Italian manager of Stile, a café where waitresses perform distinct character roles such as tsundere or little sister archetypes. Maika is assigned the "sadistic" persona, adopting a dominant demeanor to entertain customers, particularly those with masochistic preferences.

Characters

: Maika is a lively sixteen-year-old whose cheerful smile is often misinterpreted as sadistic, catching Dino’s eye. Although she plays the "sadistic girl" role at Stile, she frequently worries about how she treats patrons. She works part-time to save money for studying abroad and looks up to figures like Colonel Sanders and Santa Claus. She holds Dino in high regard but remains unaware of his romantic feelings toward her.

: Seventeen-year-old Kaho takes on the tsundere waitress role at Stile. While she maintains this act, her natural personality is easygoing and spirited. She finds it challenging to sustain the persona during conversations about video games with customers and is the café’s most favored waitress. There are subtle indications she harbors affection for her coworker Kōyō.

: Mafuyu, aged twenty and a college student, plays the younger sister character owing to her small stature. In reality, she is mature and reserved but becomes enthusiastic when discussing her favorite series Aikatsu!. She has a younger brother and wishes for a younger sister but excludes Kaho due to her build. Mafuyu disapproves of lolicon clientele and once turned down one who showed inappropriate interest.

: Miu is twenty-two years old and portrays the older sister role at Stile. She carries an elegant air and typically wears glasses. Additionally, she creates dōjinshi specializing in adult-themed comics under the pen name "Hanazono Folder." Dino discovered one of her works left behind at the café, leading to her joining Stile. Despite Dino’s protests, Miu frequently observes his interactions with Maika for creative inspiration.

: Hideri is a sixteen-year-old boy who crossdresses while working at Stile as he aspires to become an idol. His goal is to attract fans and prove his talent to his parents. Though he adopts a cute female persona, he sometimes unintentionally reveals masculine traits. He is vain and fashion-conscious, favoring cute or Gothic attire that often conflicts with Miu’s style preferences. Occasionally, he attempts to assist Dino in connecting with Maika.

: Dino, the twenty-six-year-old Italian manager and chef at Stile, is passionate about anime and frequently watches late-night programs. He openly harbors romantic feelings for Maika but remains unaware of how obvious his affection appears. Residing above the café, he also cares for a dog named Owner. His quirky behavior causes coworkers to label him as perverted; he was even arrested once for publicly expressing his attraction toward Maika.

: At twenty-one years old, Kōyō serves as Stile’s chef who enjoys yuri themes and encourages interactions among female customers for creative inspiration. He works alongside Dino but compensates for Dino’s lack of diligence. Sharing an interest in gaming with Kaho, he gradually becomes more conscious of her presence and develops a tsundere-like rapport with her.

: Aika is Maika’s elder sister who dresses in traditional yamato nadeshiko fashion. Concerned about Maika’s intimidating gaze, she shares similar sadistic traits and mistakenly assumes Dino is Maika’s boyfriend.

: Older brother of Aika and Maika, Kōichi also exhibits sadistic tendencies like his sisters. He worries about Maika’s limited social interactions due to her appearance and similarly misinterprets Dino as her boyfriend.

Manga

Blend S is a four-panel comic created by Miyuki Nakayama, which made its debut in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Carat magazine in October 2013 and began regular serialization in March 2014. The series wrapped up with its final installment in April 2022. Throughout its run, eight tankōbon volumes were published from January 2015 until May 2022. Initially, Sol Press acquired the North American license and released just one volume before shutting down. Later, Yen Press announced at Anime Expo 2024 that they would handle the English-language publication.

Anime

The television anime adaptation, produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Ryōji Masuyama, premiered on October 8, 2017. Script supervision was managed by Gō Zappa, with character designs crafted by Yōsuke Okuda. The screenplay was written by Go Zappa, while the musical score was composed by Tomoki Kikuya. For North American distribution, Aniplex of America secured the licensing rights. The opening theme Bon Appétit♡S and the ending theme Detarame na Minus to Plus ni Okeru Blend Kō are performed by the members of Blend A: Maika Sakuranomiya (voiced by Azumi Waki), Kaho Hinata (voiced by Akari Kitō), and Mafuyu Hoshikawa (voiced by Anzu Haruno).

In November 2017, the opening song gained viral popularity on platforms like Twitter and YouTube through a meme trend that involved inserting various words into the song’s initial line, significantly boosting its cultural footprint.

Video game

The series’ characters appear in the 2018 mobile RPG Kirara Fantasia, which features cast members from multiple Manga Time Kirara titles, thereby broadening the franchise's reach within the gaming sector.

External links