Rec (manga)
Rec is a Japanese manga series by. It was serialized by Shogakukan's manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from November 2002 to March 2013, with its chapters collected in sixteen volumes. The story follows the relationship between Fumihiko Matsumaru, a salaryman, and Aka Onda, an aspiring voice actress. A nine-episode anime adaptation by Shaft aired between February and March 2006; an original video animation episode was also produced.
Plot
Fumihiko Matsumaru waits outside a movie theater for a date who does not arrive. As he prepares to discard the unused tickets, a young woman approaches and, speaking as if she were the tickets themselves, asks him not to waste them. Intrigued, he watches the film, Roman Holiday, with her. During the screening, he observes her quietly reciting the subtitles aloud.Afterward, the girl explains she was practicing the dialogue, expressing a desire to emulate Audrey Hepburn. She introduces herself as Aka Onda, a twenty-year-old aspiring voice actress. They discover they live in the same neighborhood and part ways. Later that night, a fire alarms Matsumaru, and he finds Aka's apartment destroyed. With no other shelter available, he offers her a place to stay, which she accepts.
Matsumaru soon learns his proposed mascot, "Nekoki", has been approved for a snack product called "Ha". Coincidentally, Aka is hired to provide the character's voice. To avoid any appearance of impropriety at their shared workplace, they agree to keep their living arrangement secret. Aka clarifies that their cohabitation is strictly practical and does not imply a romantic relationship, despite a prior moment of intimacy. Their daily life together becomes a complex negotiation of professional boundaries and deepening personal connection.
Characters
;Fumihiko Matsumaru;Aka Onda
;Yoshioka
;Tanaka
;Yoshio Hatakeda
;Hideyoshi Sekigahara
;Kazushi Kubo
;Takagawara
;Ao Onda
;Maki Koiwai
;Akari Yukiji
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by, Rec was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from November 19, 2002, to March 19, 2013. Shogakukan collected its chapters in sixteen volumes, released from September 19, 2003, to June 19, 2013.Anime
An anime adaptation containing nine twelve-minute episodes was animated by Shaft and aired in Japan between February 3 and March 31, 2006; a single original video animation episode was also produced. The anime's opening theme is "Cheer! " performed by Kanako Sakai, written by Hiiro Misaki, and composed and arranged by Kōhei Koyama. The anime's ending theme is "Devotion" performed by BRACE;d, and written, composed, and arranged by a.k.a.dRESS.The series was directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura and written by Reiko Yoshida and features music by Kei Haneoka. Hideyuki Morioka designed the characters and served as chief animation director. Four of the episodes were outsourced outside of Shaft: episode 2 to Daume; and episodes 3, 5, and 7 to Studio Pastoral.