I"s

I"s, pronounced “Eyes,” is a Japanese romantic drama manga written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. The series follows Ichitaka Seto, a shy high-school student whose long-standing feelings for his classmate Iori Yoshizuki are repeatedly complicated by misunderstandings, rival affections, and the return of his childhood friend Itsuki Akiba. Its central premise combines adolescent romance, comedy, emotional uncertainty, and the pressures of public attention, particularly through Iori’s work as a model and aspiring performer. The manga was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump from April 21, 1997, to May 29, 2000. Its 143 chapters were collected into 15 tankōbon volumes. The ensemble includes several characters whose names or identities are associated with the “I” motif, including Iori, Itsuki, Izumi Isozaki, and Aiko Asō. Their contrasting personalities and relationships create the series’ principal romantic tension. Ichitaka’s best friend Yasumasa Teratani acts as an informal adviser, while various classmates and antagonists add comic or dramatic complications. I"s became a multimedia property through two original video animation projects. From I"s, released in two episodes in 2002 and 2003, presented an original story set during the characters’ summer holiday. I"s Pure, a six-episode OVA released across 2005 and 2006, offered a compressed adaptation of the manga’s major events. The animated versions omit or reduce several manga characters and subplots because of their shorter formats. A video game titled I"s Pure was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006, based on the OVA version. A Japanese live-action television drama later aired from December 2018 through April 2019 on SKY PerfecTV!’s SkyPer! channel. The property also received an international publishing and home-video release through Viz Media. Viz published the manga in North America from April 2005 to September 2007 and released the OVAs as a DVD box set in March 2009. The North American manga edition included changes to conceal nudity, made with Katsura’s approval according to the cited reference material; the edits later became a subject of critical discussion among manga commentators. By 2008, the manga reportedly had more than 10 million copies in circulation, although no independently verified financial or sales source is supplied here. I"s is best understood as a creator-led manga and media franchise rather than a conventional corporate brand. Its identity is anchored in Katsura’s character-driven romantic storytelling and detailed visual style, with the manga remaining the primary work and the OVAs, game, and television adaptation functioning as derivative formats. Current corporate ownership, operating headquarters, official website, and present licensing status are not established by the supplied sources.

Masakazu Katsura created I"s as a romantic manga for Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump. Serialization began on April 21, 1997, and ended on May 29, 2000. The completed work comprised 143 chapters, later collected into 15 tankōbon volumes. Its narrative focuses on Ichitaka Seto, a reserved high-school student who struggles to express his feelings for Iori Yoshizuki. Iori’s public visibility as a model, the reappearance of Ichitaka’s childhood friend Itsuki Akiba, and the introduction of additional romantic interests produce the misunderstandings and emotional reversals that define the story. The manga’s supporting cast expands the central romance into an ensemble account of adolescence. Itsuki represents Ichitaka’s past and an emotionally direct counterpoint to Iori. Izumi Isozaki, introduced later, openly pursues Ichitaka, while Aiko Asō resembles Iori and creates another layer of romantic confusion. Friends such as Yasumasa Teratani, Jun Koshinae, Nami Tachiba, and Yuka Morisaki provide advice, comic relief, and secondary relationship arcs. Recurring antagonists and disruptive classmates intensify the series’ melodramatic and comedic elements. I"s was subsequently adapted into animation. From I"s consisted of two approximately 30-minute episodes, released on December 9, 2002, and March 19, 2003; its story was newly created for the animation and took place during the characters’ summer vacation. I"s Pure was a six-episode OVA produced by Pierrot and animated by ARMS, with Japanese DVD releases from December 2005 through June 2006. It condensed the major plot developments from the manga’s 15 volumes, necessarily reducing or excluding several characters and storylines. The franchise expanded into interactive and live-action media. The I"s Pure video game was released for PlayStation 2 on November 9, 2006. A Japanese television drama adaptation aired from December 21, 2018, to April 26, 2019, featuring Amane Okayama as Ichitaka Seto and Sei Shiraishi as Iori Yoshizuki. These adaptations demonstrate the property’s movement from serialized print fiction into home video, games, and television while retaining the original romantic premise. Internationally, Viz Media licensed both the manga and the OVAs for North America. The manga was published from April 15, 2005, through September 4, 2007, and the animated works were issued in a DVD box set on March 24, 2009. The North American manga localization altered some nudity to meet the publisher’s stated audience criteria, with the changes approved by Katsura; the edits were later criticized by manga commentator Jason Thompson. The supplied reference material also states that the manga had exceeded 10 million copies in circulation by 2008. No current publisher, corporate owner, official website, or present commercial status is established in the available material.

• 2018

  Live-action drama premieres

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  The Japanese television adaptation begins airing on December 21.

• 2009

  North American OVA box set

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  Viz Media releases the animated adaptations in a North American DVD box set.

• 2006

  I"s Pure game released

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  The PlayStation 2 game I"s Pure is released in Japan on November 9.

• 2005

  I"s Pure begins release

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  The six-episode OVA adaptation begins its Japanese DVD release.

• 2002

  From I"s begins release

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  The first two-episode OVA adaptation begins release in Japan.

• 2000

  Manga serialization ends

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  The serialized manga concludes on May 29 after 143 chapters.

• 1997

  Weekly Shōnen Jump serialization begins

  [1]I"sen.wikipedia.org

  I"s begins serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump on April 21.

A creator-led Japanese romantic manga franchise centered on adolescent relationships, visual character appeal, misunderstandings, and coming-of-age drama, with adaptations across animation, games, and live-action television.

• Manga · 1997

  I"s manga

  The original romantic drama manga by Masakazu Katsura. It ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1997 to 2000, comprising 143 chapters collected in 15 tankōbon volumes. The story follows Ichitaka Seto and his difficult path toward a relationship with Iori Yoshizuki amid competing affections and recurring misunderstandings.

• Original video animation · 2002

  From I"s

  A two-episode OVA released in 2002 and 2003. Rather than directly adapting a specific manga storyline, it presents an original story set during the characters’ summer vacation.

• Original video animation · 2005

  I"s Pure

  A six-episode OVA produced by Pierrot and animated by ARMS. Released between 2005 and 2006, it provides a shortened retelling of the manga’s principal events and omits or reduces some supporting characters.

• Video game · 2006

  I"s Pure

  A PlayStation 2 video game based on the I"s Pure animated adaptation. It was released in Japan on November 9, 2006.

• Television drama · 2018

  I"s live-action television drama

  A Japanese live-action adaptation broadcast on SKY PerfecTV!’s SkyPer! channel from December 2018 through April 2019. It starred Amane Okayama as Ichitaka Seto and Sei Shiraishi as Iori Yoshizuki.

• 2005

  North American localization editsOther

  Background

  Viz Media stated that some nudity in its North American manga edition was altered to fit U.S. audience criteria.

  Action taken

  The publisher concealed nudity in portions of the release, with the supplied reference stating that Masakazu Katsura approved the edits. The changes reportedly stopped in volumes 13 through 15.

  Aftermath

  The localization became a subject of criticism and was later characterized by Jason Thompson as a notable manga-censorship failure.

  Source

1. 1I"sen.wikipedia.org