Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou
| Company type | Manga and anime franchise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Publishing |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Nekoume |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Manga, anime television series, audio drama |
Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou ( -sō ) is a Japanese romantic comedy presented as a four-panel manga series created by Nekoume. It was originally published in Ichijinsha's seinen periodical Manga 4-Koma Palette from 2014 through 2022, later transferring to Monthly Comic Rex where it concluded within the same year. As of October 2021, seven compiled tankōbon volumes had been released. The franchise also includes a 2016 audio drama and an anime TV adaptation produced by Silver Link that aired in 2018, with an English-language dub by Funimation.
The narrative focuses on Aki Shiina, who, after facing ridicule due to his delicate appearance, relocates to the Sunohara-sou boarding house in Tokyo to assert his masculinity. He develops romantic feelings for the caretaker Ayaka, who, along with other female inhabitants, frequently teases him and encourages him to dress in feminine attire. Critics have praised the series for its character development and comedic elements.
Plot
The story revolves around the timid Aki Shiina, whose girlish features lead to teasing and being mistaken for a female. In an effort to affirm his male identity, he moves into the Tokyo lodging facility Sunohara-sou and becomes infatuated with its nurturing caretaker, Ayaka Sunohara. Despite this, Ayaka and other residents—Yuzu Yukimoto, Sumire Yamanashi, and Yuri Kazami from the Tanamachi student council—regularly playfully mock him and often have him wear women's clothing, while others continue perceiving him as female.
Characters
- A reserved young man who takes up residence at Sunohara-sou and harbors feelings for Ayaka.
- The caring manager of Sunohara-sou who treats Aki with motherly affection.
- Ayaka's younger sibling who embodies the gyaru style.
- President of the student council; confident yet conceals insecurity about her height behind a distinctive chicklet-adorned hair loop; denies any romantic interest in Shiina.
- Vice-president of the student council; tall and harbors feelings for Yuzu; shares a friendly, sibling-like bond with Shiina.
- Secretary of the student council and childhood friend of Yuzu; encourages Aki’s cross-dressing.
- Owner of a liquor shop and close companion of Ayaka.
- Aki’s affectionate elder sister who treats him like a girl, promoting cross-dressing and referring to him as her "sister."
- Nana’s lively classmate with an interest in younger males.
- Another of Nana’s classmates described as "perverted," also attracted to younger men.
Manga
Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou, both written and illustrated by Nekoume, ran as a four-panel manga under Ichijinsha’s publication in their Manga 4-Koma Palette magazine targeting a seinen audience from 2014 until February 2020. The series resumed publication in October 2020 and, following the magazine’s closure in February 2022, transitioned to Ichijinsha's Monthly Comic Rex, where it concluded later that year. The story has been compiled into eight tankōbon volumes domestically, with an accompanying audio drama included in the second volume.
Anime
An anime adaptation was created by Silver Link, with Mirai Minato serving as director and Shin Oonuma acting as chief director. The series composition was managed by Fumihiko Shimo, while Kazuya Hirata handled character designs. The soundtrack was composed by Ruka Kawada under the FlyingDog label.
The voice actors from the original audio drama returned to their roles, contributing to a warm and intimate recording atmosphere, largely due to the small, predominantly female cast. Sato interpreted Ayaka as a laid-back and kind character, whereas Kitamura approached Aki’s portrayal with an emphasis on innocence and purity, noting that her perspective as a woman influenced how she shaped the character.
This 12-episode anime aired from July 5 through September 20, 2018 on networks including AT-X, Tokyo MX, and BS11. The opening song, "Bitter Sweet Harmony," was performed by Megumi Nakajima, while the ending theme featured vocals by Shino Shimoji.
Promotion and release
The anime was announced in November 2017 alongside the release of the manga’s third volume. Promotional efforts included a June 2018 event at Tokyo’s Kanda Shrine featuring ceremonial blessings and a themed café. At this event, a life-sized figure of Ayaka—designed based on fan votes on Twitter—was unveiled and later sold for 1.99 million yen.
In Japan, the series was distributed across four DVD and Blu-ray volumes between September and December 2018, each containing three episodes. Limited edition releases came with acrylic character figures. The single for the ending theme was released on August 1, 2018.
Funimation acquired licensing rights and began releasing an English dub weekly starting July 25, 2019, followed by a North American Blu-ray launch on November 10, 2020. After Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll, the show transitioned to that platform. In Australia, Animelab offered digital streaming from January 2020 and released a Blu-ray version in January 2021.
Template:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode listTemplate:Episode list {{Episode list- EpisodeNumber=10
- Title=Costume, Penguins, Pretend Sister
- AltTitle=Kasō Pengin Ane-gokko
- RAltTitle= (Template:Nihongo2)
- OriginalAirDate=September 6, 2018
- ShortSummary=Residents attend aquarium and karaoke outings; role-playing games deepen their connections.
- EpisodeNumber=11
- Title=Invasion, Sickly-sweet, Hospitality
- AltTitle=Shūrai Betaamai Omotenashi
- RAltTitle= (Template:Nihongo2)
- OriginalAirDate=September 13, 2018
- ShortSummary=Aki’s sister Matsuri arrives requiring him to cross-dress; Ayaka demonstrates her caregiving skills leading Matsuri to accept Aki living at Sunohara-sou.
- EpisodeNumber=12
- Title=Heated Table, Year's End, Santa Claus
- AltTitle=Kotatsu Nenmatsu Santa-san
- RAltTitle= (Template:Nihongo2)
- OriginalAirDate=September 20, 2018
- ShortSummary=Holiday celebrations include cross-dressing challenges for Aki; residents share traditions during Christmas and New Year's.
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|
Reception
During their initial release weeks, the first two volumes ranked among the top-selling manga titles in Japan, and by May 2018, total sales had surpassed 350,000 copies. However, the anime adaptation did not significantly boost long-term manga sales.
The series received commendations from Manga.Tokyo, Animate Times, and Honey's Anime for its endearing characters, with particular attention given to Aki’s cross-dressing as a delightful feature. Honey's Anime characterized the manga as charming, humorous, and sensuous, highlighting the appeal of themes involving emasculation by attractive women. They found amusement in Aki’s misunderstandings and his attempts to win over Ayaka, acknowledging the effective use of familiar character types despite a lack of novelty. The interaction between Aki and Ayaka was positively noted, with approval that their relationship remained non-romantic due to their age gap. Some characters—such as Maiko, Mea, Nana, Matsuri, Sumire, and Ayaka—were perceived as somewhat overbearing because of their clingy behavior but still provided entertainment value.