Overview

Orange is a Japanese science-fiction manga written and illustrated by Ichigo Takano. The story centers on Naho Takamiya, a second-year high-school student in Matsumoto, Nagano, who receives letters apparently written by her future self. The letters warn her about choices she will regret and ask her to support Kakeru Naruse, a new transfer student whose mother dies by suicide shortly after his arrival at school. The narrative combines school romance, speculative time travel, parallel futures, and an extended exploration of guilt, depression, bereavement, friendship, and suicide prevention. The series began serialization in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret in 2012 before moving to Futabasha's Monthly Action in 2013. Its demographic position is unusual: it was initially associated with shōjo manga but also developed a substantial seinen readership. The serialization concluded in 2015, while later material expanded the story through a spin-off and the film Orange: Future. The manga was collected in seven Japanese volumes by 2022, with the later volumes incorporating material connected to the animated and theatrical adaptations. In North America, Seven Seas Entertainment issued the series in two omnibus editions, and the work was also made available through Crunchyroll Manga. The central dramatic device is the existence of multiple possible futures. In the future described by Naho's letters, Kakeru dies by suicide, and Naho and her friends live with the knowledge that they failed to intervene. In the present timeline, Naho gradually follows the letters while also learning to act on her own feelings rather than merely obeying instructions. Hiroto Suwa, Naho's close friend, eventually reveals that he has received a letter from his own future self. Other members of the group also receive letters, creating a collective effort to keep Kakeru alive. The story treats their intervention as the creation of a parallel future rather than a simple erasure of the original one. Orange became a multimedia property. A Japanese live-action film was released in December 2015, followed by a television anime that premiered in July 2016. Orange: Future, an anime theatrical film, opened in Japan in November 2016 and retold much of the story from Suwa's perspective while adding original material. The franchise has also received international licensing and dubbing. Critical responses have generally praised its emotional premise, visual presentation, and ensemble cast, while some reviewers have questioned the passive characterization of its protagonists and the mechanics of its time-travel explanation. The manga received award nominations and achieved notable chart performance, including a New York Times manga bestseller placement for its second English omnibus.

History

Ichigo Takano created Orange as a coming-of-age story built around a speculative premise: a teenager receives written warnings from her future self and must decide whether to follow them. Serialization began in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret in March 2012. The early publication established the core group of Naho Takamiya, Kakeru Naruse, Hiroto Suwa, Takako Chino, Saku Hagita, and Azusa Murasaka, as well as the story's tension between an apparently fixed future and the possibility of changing it. The manga changed publishers and magazines in 2013, moving to Futabasha's Monthly Action. Shueisha initially published two collected volumes, which Futabasha later republished. The main serialization ended in August 2015, and the fifth volume followed later that year. Subsequent collected material expanded the property beyond the original run. A sixth volume included material associated with Orange: Future and the Suwa Hiroto spin-off, while a seventh and final volume was subsequently announced. By April 2022, the Japanese edition had reached seven volumes. The story follows Naho as she receives letters describing future regrets, especially the failure to help Kakeru after his mother's suicide. Kakeru's grief and self-blame lead to depression and a planned suicide that his friends eventually prevent. The other members of the group receive comparable letters from their future selves, turning the plot from an individual romance into a collective act of care. Suwa's role is particularly important: in one future he marries Naho, but he understands that she loves Kakeru and chooses to help create a future in which Kakeru survives, even at the cost of his own expected relationship. Orange was adapted into a live-action Japanese film released on December 12, 2015. A television anime produced by Telecom Animation Film premiered in July 2016, with Hiroshi Hamasaki and Naomi Nakayama directing, Yuko Kakihara supervising series scripts, Nobuteru Yuki designing characters, and Hiroaki Tsutsumi composing the music. Orange: Future followed as a theatrical anime film on November 18, 2016. It combined a retelling from Suwa's perspective with newly written material by Takano. Internationally, Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga in North America and released it in two omnibus editions. Crunchyroll also carried the manga digitally, while the anime received international streaming and English-dub distribution. The property attracted critical attention for its moving treatment of friendship and loss, although reviewers also noted that suicide and bereavement can make the work difficult for some readers. Sales and chart results included strong placements for several Japanese volumes, while the second English omnibus reached the top of The New York Times manga bestseller list in June 2016.

2022
Seven-volume collected edition
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The series is reported as having seven collected Japanese volumes by April.
2016
Television anime premieres
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The anime adaptation begins airing in Japan in July.
2016
Orange: Future announced and released
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The theatrical anime film premieres in Japan on November 18.
2015
Main manga serialization concludes
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The principal manga run ends in August, with the fifth collected volume released later in the year.
2015
Live-action film adaptation
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The live-action film opens in Japan on December 12.
2013
Publication moves to Monthly Action
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
The series transfers to Futabasha's Monthly Action.
2012
Serialization begins
[1]Orange (manga)en.wikipedia.org
Orange begins serialization in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret.

Products and positioning

Emotionally driven Japanese science-fiction and romance manga that uses time travel to examine friendship, responsibility, grief, and suicide prevention.

Manga · 2012
Orange manga
The original science-fiction romance manga follows Naho Takamiya and her friends as they respond to letters from their future selves. The letters reveal that Kakeru Naruse is at risk of dying by suicide, and the group works to support him and alter the course of events. The series was serialized from 2012 to 2015 and later expanded through additional collected material.
Licensed print manga
Orange omnibus editions
Seven Seas Entertainment published the English-language North American edition in two omnibus books. The edition brought the complete principal story to English readers in a consolidated format and received favorable critical reviews, while also addressing themes that some reviewers regarded as emotionally difficult.
Live-action film · 2015
Orange live-action film
Directed by Kojiro Hashimoto and written by Arisa Kaneko, the Japanese film adaptation stars Tao Tsuchiya as Naho and Kento Yamazaki as Kakeru. It adapts the manga's central relationship and the friends' attempt to prevent Kakeru's death.
Television anime · 2016
Orange television anime
Produced by Telecom Animation Film, the television adaptation aired from July 2016. Hiroshi Hamasaki and Naomi Nakayama directed, Yuko Kakihara handled series composition, Nobuteru Yuki designed the characters, and Hiroaki Tsutsumi composed the music.
Anime theatrical film · 2016
Orange: Future
Orange: Future retells the principal story partly from Hiroto Suwa's perspective and adds an original story written by Ichigo Takano. The film premiered in Japanese cinemas on November 18, 2016.
Spin-off manga · 2016
Orange: Suwa Hiroto
This spin-off explores Suwa's position in the story and his decision to support Naho and Kakeru despite the future relationship he expects to have with Naho. It began serialization in Monthly Action in March 2016.

Controversies

2022
Lonestar Cell MTN sues Orange over alleged cyber-attacks
Lonestar Cell MTN filed a lawsuit against Orange concerning Orange's alleged involvement in cyber-attacks in Liberia. Cellcom was named as a co-defendant in the case. Lonestar alleged that the attacks damaged its business between 2015 and 2017. The dispute was reported in February 2022.
Source

Brand decisions

2016
Television anime adaptationProduct launch
Background
The story was adapted for television after the live-action release.
Action taken
A thirteen-episode-style television anime project began airing in Japan in July 2016.
Aftermath
The anime expanded Orange's international audience through licensed streaming and English-language distribution.
Source
2016
Orange: Future theatrical expansionProduct launch
Background
The television anime concluded with an announcement of a related theatrical project.
Action taken
Orange: Future premiered in Japanese theaters, combining a Suwa-centered retelling with original material.
Aftermath
The film provided an additional perspective on the story and extended the franchise beyond the television adaptation.
Source
2015
Release of live-action adaptationProduct launch
Background
The manga's popularity led to a Japanese film adaptation.
Action taken
A live-action film directed by Kojiro Hashimoto was released on December 12.
Aftermath
The property expanded from manga into a broader screen franchise.
Source
2013
Move to a different manga magazineStrategy
Background
After beginning in Bessatsu Margaret, the series continued under Futabasha's Monthly Action.
Action taken
Publication was transferred to the new magazine, where the series continued through its conclusion.
Aftermath
The change enabled the manga to continue beyond its initial Shueisha publication, followed by later collected editions and adaptations.
Source

Recent events

2026.10.19
Reported2026.10.19
AST SpaceMobile and European operators sign letters of intent[3]AST SpaceMobile与欧洲运营商签署意向书morningstar.com
AST SpaceMobile said it signed letters of intent with Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone to explore a potential joint bid for Mobile Satellite Services spectrum and coordinate spectrum access and service deployment.
2022.03.09
Reported2022.03.09
Orange and Masmovil negotiate a proposed Spanish business merger[4]Orange与Masmovil就拟议的西班牙业务合并展开谈判finance.sina.com.cn
Orange confirmed it was negotiating with Masmovil to combine their Spanish businesses, with the stated aim of establishing a 50-50 joint venture.
2022.03.08
Reported2022.03.09
Software République launches startup incubator[5]Software République推出创业孵化器finanznachrichten.de
Atos, Dassault Systèmes, Orange, Renault Group, STMicroelectronics and Thales launched the Software République incubator in Paris. It provides selected startups with member resources and a tailored support program.
Unconfirmed
Reported2022.02.14
Lonestar Cell MTN sues Orange over alleged cyber-attacks[2]Lonestar Cell MTN sues Orange over alleged cyber-attacksmobileeurope.co.uk
Lonestar Cell MTN is taking Orange to court over Orange's alleged involvement in cyber-attacks in Liberia. Cellcom is also named as a co-defendant. Lonestar alleges the attacks damaged its business between 2015 and 2017.
2022.01.28
Reported2022.01.28
Orange appoints Christel Heydemann as CEO[6]Orange任命Christel Heydemann为首席执行官finanznachrichten.de
Orange announced that its Board of Directors appointed Christel Heydemann as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 4. Stéphane Richard was to continue as Chairman & CEO until she took up the role.
2021.12.09
Reported2021.12.09
Orange launches the Orange Nature carbon fund[7]Orange推出Orange Nature碳基金azocleantech.com
Orange launched Orange Nature, a €50 million fund that invests in carbon sequestration projects and provides returns exclusively in the form of carbon credits. The fund was launched with Mirova.
Unconfirmed
Reported2021.11.25
Orange CEO Stéphane Richard resigns[8]Orange首席执行官斯特凡·理查德辞职telecompaper.com
Orange CEO Stéphane Richard submitted his resignation after receiving a suspended prison sentence and a fine in the Tapie case. He was expected to leave the company by 31 January 2022.
2021.09.30
Reported2021.09.30
OTE announces sale of Telekom Romania stake[9]OTE宣布出售Telekom Romania股权ot.gr
OTE announced the sale of its 54% stake in Telekom Romania Communications to Orange Romania for a final equity consideration of 295.6 million euros.
2021.09.30
Reported2021.09.30
Orange Romania completes purchase of Telekom Romania Communications stake[10]Orange Romania 完成收购 Telekom Romania Communications 股权stiripesurse.ro
Orange Romania completed its purchase of a 54% majority stake in Telekom Romania Communications from OTE. The remaining 46% of the shares stayed with the Romanian state.
2021.09.20
Reported2021.09.20
Orange selects Ericsson for Orange Money platform partnership[11]Orange选择Ericsson合作升级Orange Money平台devdiscourse.com
Ericsson said it had been selected by Orange MEA as a strategic partner for Orange Money. Orange plans to deploy Ericsson's Mobile Financial Services solution across fourteen countries where Orange Money is available, starting with Senegal.