Tokimeki Tonight


Tokimeki Tonight is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koi Ikeno. It was serialized in Shueisha's List of [manga magazines|manga magazine] Ribon from July 1982 to October 1994 and became a huge commercial success. The manga series had a circulation of 30 million copies in total, making it one of the best-selling manga series. An anime television series produced by Toho and Group TAC was broadcast on Nippon Television from October 7, 1982, to September 22, 1983.

Plot

15-year-old Ranze Eto lives in an isolated castle in Japan with her werewolf mother, vampire father, and younger brother, Rinze. Despite her lineage, she has yet to demonstrate any special powers of her own, and her parents are worried she might be a normal girl. One day, Ranze's innate power finally manifests itself when she, quite by accident, discovers that she can change herself into a carbon copy of any object she bites, whether it be a person or an inanimate object like a piece of bread, and can return to her normal self only by sneezing. Her parents are overjoyed, but Ranze's new powers make it difficult to continue living life as a normal teenage girl.
On Ranze's first day at her new school in junior high, she meets and falls in love with the brash yet handsome young athlete, Shun Makabe. The chief problem with this is that Ranze's parents will not allow her to date a human - although there may be much more to Shun than meets the eye. On top of this, she also has a bitter rival in the pretty but spiteful Yoko Kamiya who also likes Shun and doesn't take kindly to Ranze's intruding on her turf.

Characters

Eto Family

Ranze Eto
Rinze Eto
Mori Eto
Shiira Eto
Peck

Makabe Family

Shun Makabe
Hanae Makabe

Kamiya Family

Yoko Kamiya
Tamasaburo Kamiya

Others

Kunihiko "Shuusai" Takaba
Aron
Sand
'''Mr. Mitsuki'''

Media

Manga

There are 30 volumes in the original release of the manga series in Japan. By 2006, they sold 26 million copies, making Tokimeki Tonight the sixth best-selling shōjo manga.

''Tokimeki Midnight''

In 2002, a second manga series called Tokimeki Midnight, also by Koi Ikeno, began serialization in Shueisha's magazine Cookie. The manga is an alternate retelling where the roles are reversed. The series was completed in 2009 with nine volumes.

''Tokimeki Tonight: Sore kara''

On May 26, 2021, a sequel, Tokimeki Tonight: Sore kara, which takes place after the third arc where Ranze and Makabe's daughter Aira saves the world from crisis and centers on the lead protagonist Ranze as her 40s, began serialization in Cookie magazine starting from July 2021 issue.

Other books

There are several additional stories set in the Tokimeki Tonight universe that have been collected in the following volumes:
  • Tokimeki Tonight: Hoshi no Yukue. Contains:
  • *Tokimeki Tonight: Hoshi no Yukue
  • *Hoshi no Yukue
  • *Hoshi no Yukue
  • *Hoshi no Yukue
  • *Hoshi no Yukue
  • Tokimeki Tonight: Makabe Shun no Jijō
  • Tokimeki Tonight: Etō Mōri no Kakeochi
  • Tokimeki Tonight: Etō Ranze no Takarabako
Additional books released about the series include:
  • Tokimeki Manga Road: Ikeno Koi 40th Anniversary Book
  • *Volume 1
  • *Volume 2

    Anime

A 34-episode anime television series adaptation, directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa and produced by Group TAC and Toho, aired in Japan between October 7, 1982, and September 22, 1983, on Nippon TV. Its opening theme is "Tokimeki Tonight" and its ending theme is "Super Love Lotion". Since Group TAC closed its doors as a studio, Toho has been the sole rights-holder of the series.
Since the anime series ended years before the manga, the staff had to craft their own conclusion. In the final episode it's revealed Shun has a star-shaped birthmark that proves he is the long lost prince of the Demon World. However, Shun denies this, saying it's actually a bruise and not a birthmark. The door to the Demon World is sealed, with the Eto family banished until they are able to locate the lost prince. Sometime later, Shun's mother reveals the star-shaped mark is in fact a birthmark. The following morning Shun tries to tell Ranze the truth but is interrupted by Yoko. The series closes with a special version of "Super Love Lotion" featuring the main cast.

Episode list

  1. Secret of étranger
  2. Door to The Demon World
  3. Bathroom Crisis
  4. A Small Friendship
  5. Ranze goes to the Demon World
  6. Romance in the Foggy Night
  7. The Terrifying Culture Festival
  8. Action Camera of Love
  9. Tamasaburo's Love
  10. The Invisible Girl, Miel
  11. Full Moon Birthday
  12. Teehee. Ranze's Wish
  13. White Sweethearts
  14. I saw her! Ranze is a Tanuki!
  15. Sorry I'm naked
  16. The Youthful Runner of Love
  17. The Flirtatious Magician
  18. Title Match of Love
  19. The Great Sentimental Giant
  20. Chaos! Lots of Ranzes!
  21. Love Letter from E.T.
  22. Panic! Pajama Game
  23. Sand's Love Story
  24. Ardent Love! Great War in the Demon World
  25. Transformation Revealed: Kill Shun
  26. Execution Fleet! Space Wars
  27. Clash! Rocky VS Shun
  28. Delinquent Angel: Love Hunter
  29. Shock! A Future Encounter
  30. The Prince's Order of Assassination
  31. The Migratory Bird Returns
  32. Venture! Island of Sweethearts
  33. Tokimeki Folktales
  34. ''Fall in Love! Be in Love! The Love Triangle!''

    Reception

The manga had a circulation of 30 million copies in 2021.
On Anime News Network, Justin Sevakis said the anime was "a thirty year-old comedy that's still funny, with a setup that's still plausible and interesting, and animation that's still serviceable".