Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms (Japanese: 黒岩メダカに私の可愛いが通じない, Hepburn: Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsūjinai) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ran Kuze. The series began serialization in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in May 2021, with its chapters collected in 17 tankōbon volumes as of December 2024. The series is licensed in English by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation produced by SynergySP premiered in January 2025.
Plot
Mona Kawai, a popular queen bee, is happy that everyone at her high school adores her, except for the new transfer student Medaka Kuroiwa, who looks angry all the time, and will not even look at her. Mona then makes it her mission to make him fall in love with her, but the more she tries, and the more Medaka resists, the more she finds herself falling in love with him. It turns out that Medaka is a monk-in-training who is forbidden by his temple masters from falling in love, but he finds it difficult to resist Mona's advances. Other girls join in either as Mona's rivals or supportive friends.
The titular protagonist of the series. Medaka is a second-year high school boy who is a monk-in-training at his family's temple. He is instructed not to fall in love with any girls, so he finds it rather frustrating that these city girls give him so much attention.Vol. 1 At the start of the series, he is the only one in school who does not fall for Mona. However, his frustrations only grows more as he realizes he is genuinely in love with her.
The main heroine of the series. Mona is a beautiful and friendly second-year high school girl who is originally from Osaka Prefecture and had only moved to Tokyo the year prior. She prides herself on being the queen bee of the school, charming all the boys, until she meets Medaka. She then tries to win him over but ends up falling in love with him, although she denies the latter part. She occasionally reverts to her Kansai dialect when flustered. She is easily jealous of other girls who vie for Medaka's attention. Most of the story is told from her perspective.Vol. 1 Issue 2021 No. 29 of Weekly Shonen Magazine has pictures of Enako cosplaying Mona as well as characters in other series.[4]
Medaka and Mona's classmate greatly admires Mona, and has a collection of phone photos of her. Mona initially thinks of her as her love rival. After seeing Mona's interacting with Medaka, Tsubomi easily figures out that Mona likes him, and tries to push Mona towards the relationship.Vol. 1
Mona's childhood friend from Osaka who transfers to her class. She is outwardly friendly and flirtatious.Vol. 4 She later feels conflicted for also developing a romantic interest in Medaka. She is from a single-parent household and moved to Tokyo to be with her father, who works as a writer.
Medaka's classmate and friend with light-colored short hair.
Anri Sunigawa (品川 杏莉, Shinagawa Anri)
A girl who takes an interest in Medaka. She plays guitar.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Ran Kuze, Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms was originally published as a one-shot in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine on December 23, 2020,[10][11] before beginning serialization in the same magazine on May 26, 2021.[12][13] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on August 17, 2021.[14] As of December 17, 2024, seventeen volumes have been released.[15]
The series is licensed in English by Kodansha USA; the first English volume was released in digital on March 8, 2022.[16] During their panel at Anime Expo 2022, Kodnasha USA announced that they would begin publishing the manga in print in Q2 2023.[17]
An anime television series adaptation was announced on May 13, 2024. It will be produced by SynergySP and directed by Yoshiaki Okumura, with scripts written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, characters designed by Mayumi Watanabe, and music composed by Akiyuki Tateyama.[50][51] It premiered on January 6, 2025 on TV Tokyo and other networks.[a][2][53] The opening theme song is "Ame Tokimeki Koi Moyō" (雨トキメキ恋模様, lit.'Heart-Fluttering Rainy Love Pattern') performed by AyaFubuMi (a VTuber subunit composed of Hololive talents Nakiri Ayame, Shirakami Fubuki, and Ookami Mio), while the ending theme song is "Kyunapi" (キュンアピ) performed by Kaori Maeda.[52]Crunchyroll licensed the series.[54]
Since birth Mona has been exceptionally beautiful and charming. Moving from Osaka to Tokyo for high school she establishes herself as Queen Bee, making friends of the girls whilst all the boys love her. The only exception is newly transferred classmate Medaka, who seems to actively dislike her. Unused to such treatment she devotes her time trying to get his attention, even flashing her underwear at him, but this just makes him angry. When she trips Medaka catches her and she is shocked to realise she might actually be falling in love with him instead. Infuriated by this she becomes determined to charm him but accidentally soaks herself in water. Medaka gives her his shirt to cover her exposed bra while Mona is entranced by his shirtless chest. The other boys confront him for being mean to Mona, causing Medaka to admit he is actually a monk in training forbidden from love. Far from disliking Mona he actually has a crush on her, and his angry glares are actually him resisting lustful thoughts. Unaware of this Mona remains determined to charm him whilst the boys, who now know the truth, find the situation unbearably funny.
2
"In Love with Him" Transliteration: "Aitsu to "Suki"" (Japanese: アイツと“好き”)
Yoshiaki Okumura
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Haruka Watanabe
January 13, 2025 (2025-01-13)
During art class Mona and Medaka are assigned to sketch each other. Mona notices their classmate Tsubomi keeps sneaking glances at her. Mona poses for the sketch, hoping to entice Medaka, only to be aroused by Medaka staring at her with such intensity. Later, she keeps noticing Tsubomi nearby. Fearing Tsubomi might be a love rival she assumes Medaka likes smart girls like Tsubomi, so she dons glasses whilst also deliberately brushing her leg against Medaka under the table. She is shocked when Medaka glares at her before leaving. Mona starts following Tsubomi, trying to determine what makes her special, but only finds Tsubomi is a normal girl. Changing tactics she decides to flirt with Medaka directly, but finds she cannot even say the word "love" around him. During selection for festival committee Tsubomi and Mona are chosen as representatives. Mona cannot understand why Tsubomi seems happy to be working alongside a rival. Mona sees Tsubomi's phone and realises she has hundreds of pictures of her, meaning Tsubomi was never interested in Medaka, it was Mona. Mona is horrified when Tsubomi reveals she has been watching Mona so closely she figured out she has a crush on Medaka, but not to worry, Tsubomi will help get her and Medaka together.
3
"School Festival With Him" Transliteration: "Aitsu to Bunkamatsuri" (Japanese: アイツと文化祭)
Matsui Hitoyuki
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Yoshiaki Okumura
January 20, 2025 (2025-01-20)
Tsubomi tells Mona about their schools Bridge of Love; anyone who crosses the glass bridge during the festival will fall in love. Mona considers seducing Medaka with an outfit but Medaka walks in while she is a sexy bunny girl. Embarrassed but desperate to avoid Tsubomi misunderstanding Mona pulls Medaka into a closet to hide. With their bodies pressed together Mona becomes aroused. Tsubomi leaves and Mona is disappointed he avoided becoming aroused with prayer. Medaka admits she looks cute. Mona is sure he has finally fallen for her, only the next morning his angry glares are worse than before. During the festival Mona and Medaka work in the Bunny Café but he refuses to spend time with her until Tsubomi orders him to go advertise the café with Mona. Mona takes the opportunity to make him visit the festival with her, but everything goes wrong. In the haunted house she gets her skirt stuck and flashes her underwear. At the crepe stall a crow steals her crepe. At the music concert she loses Medaka in the dark and flirts with the wrong guy. Mona has no idea what to do next but suddenly realises she and Medaka are stood at the entrance to the Bridge of Love.
4
"Legend with Him" Transliteration: "Aitsu to Densetsu" (Japanese: アイツと伝説)
Koichiro Kuroda
Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Hitoyuki Matsui
January 27, 2025 (2025-01-27)
To fulfill the legend of the bridge Mona needs to hold Medaka’s hand, so she fakes a fall hoping he will grab her hand. However, Medaka picks her up under her arms, embarrassing her. Tsubomi helps by asking Mona and Medaka to clear the cafe furniture together. Mona accidentally knocks over boxes on the bridge so Medaka grabs her hand to pull her away. Medaka quickly claims this does not count as the festival already ended but Mona considers it her victory. Unfortunately, Medaka seems unaffected the next day whilst she cannot look at him without blushing. Secretly, Medaka only keeps his composure through prayer. Their whole class goes bowling so Mona forces herself to sit next to him and steals his drink, hoping an indirect kiss will charm him. She is frustrated when Medaka resists, but only just. The boys Shou and Yuzuru, and Tsubomi, all tell Medaka that avoiding love is no excuse to hurt Mona’s feelings and he needs to be nicer to her. Realising they are right Medaka offers to share his textbook when Mona forgets her own. Mona is so happy Tsubomi gets a photo of her smiling that is her favourite one yet.
5
"Basketball Girl with Him" Transliteration: "Aitsu to Basuke Joshi" (Japanese: アイツとバスケ女子)
TBA
TBA
TBA
February 3, 2025 (2025-02-03)
Reception
In January 2022, Kodansha reported that the series had over 150,000 copies in circulation.[58] In August 2023, it was announced to have reached 1 million copies in circulation.[59]
Works cited
^ "Ch." and "Vol." is shortened form for chapter and volume of the Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms manga.
Notes
^ abTV Tokyo lists the series premiere on January 6, 2025, at 24:00, which is effectively January 7 at midnight JST.[52]
^ abcProduction staff information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.
