After the Rain (Japanese: 恋は雨上がりのように, Hepburn: Koi wa Ameagari no Yō ni, lit.'Love Is Like After the Rain') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Jun Mayuzuki. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Big Comic Spirits magazine from June 2014 to November 2015, and later in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from January 2016 to March 2018. Its chapters were compiled into 10 tankōbon volumes.
A 12-episode anime television series adaptation by Wit Studio aired from January to March 2018 on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. A live-action film adaptation was released in May 2018.
In North America, Vertical licensed the manga and published it in five omnibus volumes from September 2018 to September 2019. The anime series has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks for home video and digital release.
By April 2018, the manga had over two million copies in circulation. In 2018, After the Rain won the 63rd Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.
Plot
After the Rain tells the story of Akira Tachibana, a high school student working part-time at a family restaurant, who starts falling in love with the manager, a forty-five-year-old divorcé with a young son. Akira struggles to determine why she is falling for Masami, and whether or not to reveal her feelings to him.
A high school student with a piercing expression that makes many people slightly wary of her. She used to be part of the track team, before a leg injury forced her to give up running. Having fallen into a depression, she met Masami who acted in a kind and friendly manner, offering her a free coffee when she took shelter at the restaurant in the rain; his act of kindness began her infatuation with him. Despite her cold and inapproachable demeanor, she is actually rather timid and shy, especially when it comes to Masami.
A 45-year-old manager of a family restaurant. A kind, timid man, he is often criticized by his employees for being too weak. He is divorced and has a young son named Yuto. He is initially rather intimidated by Akira, whom he assumes actually hates him, while she, in fact, is merely staring at him in love. He is a fan of "Pure Literature" and loves reading books. Prior to becoming a restaurant manager, he wrote novels alongside his former college buddy and now-renowned writer Chihiro Kujo.
A chef at the restaurant who had a sexual interest in Akira. When he learns about Akira's infatuation with Masami, he blackmails her by forcing her to date him in order to keep her secret intact.
An older, brusque, and more seasoned waitress at the restaurant where Akira works. She is constantly disparaging towards Masami, and acts as a sort of class prefect among the younger staff.
In March 2018, it was announced that Vertical licensed the manga for an English language release in North America.[13] The manga was released into five omnibus edition volumes from September 25, 2018,[14] to September 17, 2019.[15]
An anime television series adaptation was announced in March 2017.[2] Produced by Fuji Television, Aniplex, DMM pictures, Dentsu and Wit Studio; the series is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with Deko Akao handling series composition, Yuka Shibata designing the characters and Ryō Yoshimata composing the music.[27] The opening theme song is "Nostalgic Rainfall" by CHiCO with HoneyWorks, while the ending theme song is "Ref:rain" by Aimer. It ran for 12 episodes from January 12 to March 30, 2018, on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block.[28]
Amazon streamed the series worldwide on their Amazon Video service. In March 2020, Sentai Filmworks announced the acquisition of the series for home video and digital release in North America.[29] In the United Kingdom, the series is licensed by MVM Films and it was released on Blu-ray on October 26, 2020.[30]
Akira Tachibana is working at Cafe Restaurant Garden, operated by her manager, Mr. Masami Kondo. Her coworkers say Kondo is quite pathetic, because he keeps apologizing to the customers. Tachibana takes her break in the office, and finds a boy doing his schoolwork. That boy is Kondo's son, Yuto, and Tachibana teaches him to play his recorder outside the restaurant. Tachibana meets her former Track club teammate Haruka at school, and they talk about the upcoming tournament. On her break, Tachibana finds Kondo's shirt hanging on a chair, and remembers the first time she visited the restaurant. On a rainy day, Kondo treated her kindly, with a free cup of coffee and a magic trick. She takes Kondo's shirt, and sniffs it with some kind of nostalgia, until Kondo comes back and sees her sniffing the shirt. Tachibana awkwardly puts it back, and sits to finish her break, blushing in front of Kondo.
2
"Rain Drops on Green Leaves" "Aoba Ame" (Japanese: 青葉雨)
Shingo Uchida
Deko Akao
January 19, 2018 (2018-01-19)
Mr. Kondo introduces a new part-timer, Yoshizawa, Tachibana's classmate, on whom Yui instantly develops a crush. It is a slow day at the cafe, so Yui asks Tachibana to name things that make her heart flutter to pass the time. While Tachibana is thinking, she sees Mr. Kondo, and quickly changes the subject. A customer forgets his cellphone so Tachibana tells Mr. Kondo, who tries to get the customer's attention. He is unsuccessful, because the customer is riding a bike, and decides to wait for him to come back, but Tachibana runs after the customer, and is able to catch him. Walking back, Tachibana collapses in pain. Mr. Kondo takes Tachibana to a nearby clinic to get her ankle checked. Leaving early, Tachibana recalls the day's events. Mr. Kondo calls Tachibana that night, asking if she is alright. The next day, Kondo visits to apologize to Tachibana's mother, regarding the previous day's incident. Tachibana inadvertently confesses, but Mr. Kondo misinterprets this as general affection rather than love.
Tachibana dreams about the previous day's events, and questions whether she should have worded her confession differently. As Tachibana heads home from school, a track team member notices her, and persuades her to come to the field. As Tachibana watches from afar, she remembers when she was part of the team, and abruptly prepares to leave. The track team offers to eat at the family restaurant where Tachibana works, but she curtly declines, only to backtrack, explaining it is too far. As she leaves, it starts raining. Tachibana reminisces on how she injured her ankle doing track, and how she eventually met Mr. Kondo. The rain becomes a downpour. Mr. Kondo goes out for a smoke just as Tachibana walks up. He tries to get her to come inside, but she confesses again and walks away. Mr. Kondo stands in the doorway, shocked. The next day, Tachibana is back to work as her usual self, and Mr. Kondo wonders whether the previous night was a prank or dream. After work, Kondo drives Tachibana to the train station, and tries to convince her to reconsider her feelings.
Tachibana speaks to Mr. Kondo about his suggestion, that she should go on a date with him to see how incompatible the two are. Mr. Kondo tries to explain he was only speaking hypothetically, but she continues to press for a date, and he agrees. Meanwhile, Tachibana's coworker, Kase, sexually fantasizes about her. Unwittingly, she allows him to read one of her school textbooks, and he discovers doodles revealing her interest in Mr. Kondo. Kase agrees to keep her secret, but only if she goes on a date with him. Though both dates take place in identical venues, Tachibana finds her date with Kase revolting, while her date with Kondo is perfect. Kase suggests Tachibana give up her pursuit of Mr. Kondo, and date someone her own age instead. Mr. Kondo returns to the restaurant, convinced Tachibana did not have a good time.
Yuto shows the restaurant staff his new hamster, and reveals he plans to walk home alone. The staff protest this, however, so Tachibana volunteers to walk him to Mr. Kondo's apartment when her shift ends. Mr. Kondo is not at home when they arrive, so Tachibana cooks Yuto a meal, and Yuto tells her about his dad's interest in literature. When Mr. Kondo returns, Yuto suggests Tachibana surprise him, and she hides in a closet. Mr. Kondo agrees to care for the hamster, and Tachibana bursts from the closet, collapsing from the heat. Yuto tries to pour her a drink, but trips and spills it on her shirt instead. Mr. Kondo loans her one of his T-shirts, and walks to the laundromat. When it starts to rain, Tachibana and Yuto bring Mr. Kondo an umbrella, and she expresses her desire to know Mr. Kondo more. The restaurant staff goof off, talking with Mr. Kondo about the hamster, and Kondo, feeling accepted by his staff for the first time, allows this. Tachibana angrily puts everyone back to work, and tells Mr. Kondo he can come to her in the future if he needs help with the hamster.
Haruka sees Tachibana out with Yui, and reminisces on how they came to attend the same high school. Tachibana overhears two girls discussing a rumor, that having the rare character of a key chain series can bring you closer to the one you like. Tachibana goes to a dispenser, but fails to pull the rare character. Haruka interrupts, and the two travel together a while. Haruka reminisces on how she and Tachibana got into running. Haruka gets the secret character, and gives it to Tachibana, along with a note about their friendship. Tachibana runs into Mr. Kondo at the library, and asks if he can recommend any books, but Mr. Kondo explains she should try to find a book she is interested in instead. Mr. Kondo finds a book by someone he is familiar with, and his demeanor noticeably dampens. Tachibana checks it out for him, along with a couple of books for herself.
At the restaurant, the staff discuss the possibility of organizing a group chat, and Mr. Kondo reads about the book he borrowed in some off time. Tachibana contemplates asking Mr. Kondo whether they can text, but asks about the book instead. He explains it was written by a friend. Tachibana is impressed by this, but Kondo despondently dismisses her. Later, Tachibana's mother tries to convince her to call off work, due to an incoming typhoon, but she refuses. To Tachibana's disappointment, Mr. Kondo is absent, having caught a cold. On her break, Kase joins Tachibana in the office, and tells her she should stop pursuing Mr. Kondo, explaining that her advances are obviously problematic for him. After work, Tachibana walks through the typhoon to Mr. Kondo's apartment, and he lets her inside. Tachibana asks if it is problematic that she loves him, but Mr. Kondo emphatically denies this, and embraces her as a friend. The next day, Tachibana is absent from work, having caught the cold, and sexually fantasizes about her embrace with Kondo.
At the restaurant, Mr. Kondo pointedly reminds Tachibana they are just friends. Yoshizawa laments Mr. Kondo's criticism of his hair, so Yui offers to cut it for him, explaining she has some skill as she wants to become a hairdresser. Yoshizawa enthusiastically agrees, but Yui confides in Tachibana that she is not as skilled a hairdresser as she had claimed, and only wanted a chance to be with Yoshizawa. Recalling her experiences with Mr. Kondo, Tachibana encourages Yui not to give up on her romantic pursuit. Tachibana tells Mr. Kondo that, since they're friends, she wants to text with him. Haruka encounters the former captain of the school's soccer team, Yamamoto, and runs off when the conversation shifts to Tachibana. When Yamamoto tries to follow, Haruka realizes the true reason he gave up his role as team captain was a knee injury. She confides in him her fear that Tachibana does not want to return, but he assures her from personal experience that is not the case. Tachibana and Mr. Kondo discuss her homework on the Rashōmon short story, what they thought of the servant's decision, and what they would do in his situation. Tachibana invites Haruka to a festival.
Tachibana and Haruka bond at the festival, but Tachibana's attention is diverted when she sees Mr. Kondo, who is attending the festival with his son. Haruka deduces Tachibana's feelings, but Tachibana refuses to talk about it. Haruka accuses Tachibana of causing the rift in their relationship, and Tachibana explains it is because things can not be as they were. Haruka leaves the festival in tears. Mr. Kondo walks to a restaurant he used to visit in college, and meets an old classmate, Chihiro. The two discuss the book of Chihiro's that Kondo borrowed from the library, and the time when they were still college students. Kondo admits to secretly continuing his writing hobby in his spare time. Haruka continues to avoid Tachibana at school, and at the restaurant, Mr. Kondo asks why Tachibana seems down. She explains the situation with Haruka, and Kondo reminds Tachibana of the super moon in the sky that night. He tells her about his meeting with Chihiro, and explains that in the same way, she too could grow close to her friend again, even if they are currently growing apart. Tachibana wishes for it on the super moon.
Tachibana stumbles across an ad for a secondhand book fair, and invites Mr. Kondo to come help recommend books for her. Kondo runs into a familiar bookstore owner, and the two tell Tachibana the story of the world's shortest letter, (Victor Hugo's "?" to his publisher regarding the success of Les Misérables, which was answered "!"). Kondo gets carried away and disappears, so Tachibana texts him, and they correspond in the same way. While, Haruka feels the weight of separation between her and Tachibana, Tachibana visits the clinic, and is told her injury has healed. Despite this, she expresses no interest in undergoing rehab to return to track and field. Mr. Kondo sees Chihiro in a TV interview, and remembers how his relationship with writing was once the same as his friend's, yet put him on a different path. Kondo and Tachibana discover a bookmark with the silhouette of a swallow in a book she had gotten at the book fair. Kondo recalls a swallow's nest that was once outside the restaurant, and Tachibana wonders what would happen to a swallow that could not leave the nest. Kondo answers that while some happiness may be found in choosing to stay behind, the swallow would forever look to the sky. Tachibana tells Mr. Kondo she hopes he will return to writing novels, and that she looks forward to reading whatever he writes.
At track practice, Haruka learns Nan High's Kurata recently set a personal best in the 100-meter race, despite suffering the same injury as Tachibana, and refuses to give up on her friend. Meanwhile, Tachibana submits her November shift request, but Mr. Kondo is reluctant to accept it, because she would be spending most of her free time working at the restaurant. Haruka shows up to Tachibana's work, and asks her to return to track and field; confronting her with Kurata's story. Mr. Kondo hears one of Chihiro's books is being made into a film, and Chihiro shows up to Kondo's apartment unannounced. The two bond over coffee and writing exercises, and Kondo congratulates Chihiro about the film, but Chihiro reveals he hates his novel, and only wrote it because he believed it would be popular. Kondo claims he can not go back to how he used to write, but Chihiro says Kondo just will not. That night, Kondo starts writing again. The next day, Kondo asks Tachibana again if there is really nothing else she would rather do. Tachibana angrily insists there is nothing.
12
"After the Rain" "Tsuyu no Ato Saki" (Japanese: つゆのあとさき)
Ryōji Masuyama Ayako Kawano
Deko Akao
March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)
Haruka decides it was a mistake to visit Tachibana at the restaurant. Tachibana nearly throws away her school's career path survey, but at the last moment, decides against it. Mr. Kondo has made frequent visits the head office recently, so some of the staff suggest he may be promoted. As Yui cuts Yoshizawa's hair, he asks how she decided to become a hairdresser. Yui confesses Yoshizawa was the one who inspired her, and he encourages her not to give up on her choice. Meanwhile, Mr. Kondo continues to spend his nights writing. Haruka remembers the first time she and Tachibana saw Kazu High, and how they promised to do track together. Tachibana finds Yuto in the office during her break, and he asks her to teach him to run for his PE class, having promised his dad to keep running until he crossed the finish line. Mr. Kondo thanks Tachibana, and reveals he also made a promise to continue writing. He asks if perhaps she too made a promise that she is neglecting. As Tachibana reminisces over photos with Haruka, she looks over a guide to rehabilitation. Mr. Kondo announces his recent visits were about a new restaurant menu, and that he must return to the head office. He forgets his binder, so Tachibana leaves the restaurant to take it to him. While Kondo is preoccupied by a phone call, Tachibana turns back to return to the restaurant, but Kondo calls after Tachibana, and she sprints to him. After they embrace, Kondo and Tachibana agree to inform each other when they have fulfilled their promises. Tachibana texts Haruka her desire to return to track, and the two reconcile. Mr. Kondo and Tachibana vow not to forget one another, and Kondo collects the manuscript of his latest novel, "After the Rain".
Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation of the manga was announced in November 2017. It stars Nana Komatsu as Akira Tachibana and Yo Oizumi as the manager Masami Kondo.[6] The film is distributed by Toho and premiered on May 25, 2018.[32]
Reception
By April 2018, After the Rain had over 2 million copies in circulation.[33]
In 2018, alongside Kūbo Ibuki, After the Rain won the 63rd Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.[34][35] The manga was ranked fourth in the 2016 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook.[36] In 2016, the manga was nominated for the 9th Manga Taishō Awards;[37] and was ranked 7th with 42 points.[38]After the Rain ranked fourth on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics" in 2016.[39]
