Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible
	First tankōbon volume cover
久保さんは僕を許さない; (Kubo-san wa Mobu o Yurusanai)
Genre	Romantic comedy
Manga
Written by	Nene Yukimori
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Viz Media;
Imprint	Young Jump Comics
Magazine	Weekly Young Jump
Original run	October 24, 2019 – March 2, 2023
Volumes	12
Anime television series
Directed by	Kazuomi Koga [ja]
Written by	Yūya Takahashi [ja]
Music by	Kujira Yumemi
Studio	Pine Jam
Licensed by	Sentai Filmworks SA/SEA: Medialink;
Original network	AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS11, MBS
English network	SEA: Animax Asia;
Original run	January 10, 2023 – June 20, 2023
Episodes	12
	Anime and manga portal

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible (Japanese: 久保さんは僕（モブ）を許さない, Hepburn: Kubo-san wa Mobu o Yurusanai; Kubo Won't Give Up The Mob (Is Me))^[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nene Yukimori. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from October 2019 to March 2023, with its chapters collected in twelve tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Pine Jam aired from January to June 2023.

Quick Facts 久保さんは僕を許さない (), Genre ...

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No.	Title ^[40]^[41]	Directed by ^[40]	Storyboarded by ^[40]	Original release date ^[42]
1	"Heroine and Background Character" Transliteration: "Hiroin Joshi to Mobu Danshi" (Japanese: ヒロイン女子とモブ男子)	Kazuomi Koga	Kazuomi Koga	January 10, 2023 (2023-01-10)
Shiraishi is a teenager with such a low spiritual presence he is practically invisible, has to remind people he exists in case they bump into him while walking and generally accepts he is a background character in his own life story. The only people who can easily see him are his family and his beautiful, popular classmate Kubo. Kubo delights in teasing him but is fascinated by his invisibility and frequently tests just how invisible he can get, even discovering that not one person noticed her sitting on Shiraishi's lap in class. Shiraishi cannot decide if Kubo is a friend, a bully or just using him to amuse herself. Kubo tries to get Shiraishi's phone number but is prevented by her friends interrupting as they didn't see Shiraishi was there. Over the weekend Kubo spots Shiraishi in the park and tries to take a selfie together, but her camera can't recognise his face, so to take the picture she almost has to sit on him again. Afterward she finally gets his phone number. Unused to texting people Shiraishi is surprised when Kubo asks if they can hang out sometime. Kubo's older sister immediately knows Kubo is happy about something.
2	"Bad Luck and Home Visit" Transliteration: "Hādo Rakku to Jitaku Hōmon" (Japanese: ハードラックと自宅訪問)	Barusa Mikosukun	Kazuomi Koga	January 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)
After gym Kubo gives Shiraishi a scented towel and is secretly thrilled they now smell identical. Shiraishi goes shopping for manga, but the shop's automatic door can't detect him. The passing Kubo thinks his frustration is adorable and opens the door for him. Seeing his favourite manga series Kubo asks if she can borrow them. After fetching them Kubo realises their homes are only five minutes apart and decides to walk to school together. The next morning Kubo's sister, Akina, notices Kubo is wearing perfume, and teases her for having a crush but also wishes her luck. Kubo is mildly disappointed when Shiraishi doesn't notice the perfume. Meeting her friends Hazuki and Tama they don't notice Shiraishi until Kubo points him out. Shiraishi's invisibility causes a car to splash him from a puddle. Needing a shower he returns home but has lost his key so Kubo invites him to shower at her house and borrow her gym tracksuit. Shiraishi awkwardly agrees but Kubo is embarrassed when he sees her bra in the laundry. For his entire walk home Shiraishi is hyper aware he is wearing Kubo's clothes.
3	"The Nobody's Gift" Transliteration: "Bonja no Okurimono" (Japanese: 凡者の贈り物)	Yurika Fukaya	Yurika Fukaya	January 24, 2023 (2023-01-24)
Kubo learns Shiraishi is only one inch taller than her and teases him that in couples the boy is generally six inches taller. Kubo sees Shiraishi at the park with his much younger brother, Seita. Seita insists they all share a drink, though Kubo notices Shiraishi only pretends to drink and correctly guesses he was embarrassed by the "indirect kiss". Shiraishi wants to buy a manga poster but is embarrassed as the magazine containing the poster has a bikini model on the cover. Akina, an employee, sells it to him but has no idea he is Kubo's friend. Shiraishi is shocked Akina could see him. Akina notices he dropped his student ID and gives it to Kubo to return, commenting that he had bought a magazine of giant breasts. Having medium breasts herself Kubo asks Shiraishi if he prefers large breasts then covers her embarrassment by teasing him. Kubo arranges to spend Christmas Eve with Shiraishi shopping. Upon arriving Kubo reveals she bought him a gift so Shiraishi rushes to buy her one, picking gloves that match her outfit. Kubo is rather embarrassed by what she bought him, a bright yellow "main character" shirt to make him easier to see.
4	"Red Heart and Secret Admirer" Transliteration: "Akai Hāto to Okurinushi" (Japanese: 赤いハートと送り主)	Yoshinobu Tokumoto	Yoshinobu Tokumoto	January 31, 2023 (2023-01-31)
While playing with Seita Kubo gets a video of Shiraishi acting silly, mortifying him. Shiraishi accidentally wears odd socks to school but only Kubo notices. He in turn notices Kubo is wearing tights. Kubo teases him for staring at her legs. After school Kubo takes him to a store to try a complicated drink, insisting she needs Shiraishi to ensure she doesn't mess up the order. She offers to share the drink but Shiraishi declines due to the "indirect kiss"; instead Kubo deliberately takes a bite of his snack before leaving. Before Shiraishi can decide to accept the new "indirect kiss" someone bumps into him and he drops the snack. Valentine's Day arrives but Shiraishi is unconcerned since girls never remember he exists. However, he discovers a chocolate heart in his desk. His instinct is to assume it was put there by mistake. He briefly wonders if it was Kubo but Kubo claims it was a secret admirer, leaving Shiraishi wondering who it was. In reality Kubo, a notoriously bad cook, had spent all night baking the heart, even asking Akina for help despite knowing Akina would tease her for it. Shiraishi enjoys the heart but is genuinely confused who gave it to him.
5	"White Day and a Destination for Feelings" Transliteration: "Howaito Dē to Kanjō no Atesaki" (Japanese: ホワイトデーと感情の宛先)	Shintarō Itoga	Kumazō Morino	February 7, 2023 (2023-02-07)
Shiraishi usually eats lunch alone but Kubo joins him. Kubo suggests sharing lunches; Shiraishi avoids her attempt to hand feed him but cannot avoid having to hand feed her, to her obvious delight. She decides next time to cook something special to share with him. Hazuki and Tama are convinced Kubo has a crush on Shiraishi. Tama is disappointed since Shiraishi is so unimpressive but Kubo scolds her since she doesn't know the real Shiraishi behind his invisibility. The two realise the crush might just be full blown love, though Kubo hasn't realised it yet. The next day Shiraishi arrives to school early but finds Kubo still got there first so they share Shiraishi's chair while listening to each other's music. Seeing his obsession with manga Kubo watches Shiraishi's favourite anime movie. Akina is amused, knowing exactly what Kubo is doing and why. White Day arrives so Shiraishi buys chocolates but has no idea who to give them to since his "secret admirer" is still anonymous. He gives them to Kubo to pass on to his admirer, which Kubo teases him for, subtly hinting she is his admirer but also might not be, leaving Shiraishi even more confused than before.
6	"Nurse's Office and Main Character" Transliteration: "Hokenshitsu to Shujinkō" (Japanese: 保健室と主人公)	Barusa Mikosukun	Yasushi Muroya	February 14, 2023 (2023-02-14)
A young girl spots Shiraishi on the street, shocking him. She turns out to be Akina's cousin Saki, causing Shiraishi to realise that Akina, the shop assistant who sold him the bikini magazine, is Kubo's sister. Akina teases him a little then exchanges numbers. Shiraishi suspects Kubo's ability to see him might be in her family's genetics. Akina returns home with fresh material to tease Kubo with. With exams approaching Shiraishi's mother warns she will confiscate his games if he does badly. Kubo helps him study and turns out to be an excellent tutor. The next day Shiraishi has a fever, though Kubo is the only one to notice his absence. She texts him but Seita gets his phone and sends back an "I miss you" emoji. Shiraishi hurriedly explains so Kubo teases by sending him a "Lonely without you" emoji that she claims Akina sent. The next day Shiraishi is late to school but he meets Kubo in the hallway now with her own fever, so he helps her to the infirmary where she holds his hand until she falls asleep. Shiraishi realises for the first time he actually feels like the main character in his own life story.
7	"Sleepover and Next School Year" Transliteration: "Otomarikai to Tsugi no Gakunen" (Japanese: お泊まり会と次の学年)	Yū Yabūchi	Katsumi Terahigashi	May 16, 2023 (2023-05-16)
Shiraishi survives his exams thanks to Kubo's tutoring, but as classes will soon be switched as they become second years he and Kubo may no longer be in the same class. As it is raining Kubo manipulates him into sharing an umbrella to see if it makes him visible, though Shiraishi suspects she just wanted to walk together. They are seen by Akina who chooses not to tease Kubo this time. At the weekend Shiraishi spots Saki with heavy shopping and volunteers to help carry it as Saki is cooking dinner for Akina and Kubo. Wanting to know how close they are Saki has Shiraishi say Kubo's first name, Nagisa, and concludes from Kubo's reaction they are more than just classmates. While slacking in class Shiraishi loses the spring from his pen so Kubo deliberately gives him a rabbit toy pen that matches hers, making her smile when he uses it. At a sleepover Kubo, Tama and Hazuki discuss the class switch; if they end up separated they won't get to go on the same class trips or be together at school events, upsetting them. They notice Kubo is also upset at possibly losing Shiraishi.
8	"Picnic and Miscommunication" Transliteration: "Ohanami to Surechigai" (Japanese: お花見とすれ違い)	Shintarō Itoga	Kazuomi Koga	May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23)
Shiraishi and Seita encounter Kubo, Saki and Akina shopping. Seita is entranced by Saki. After teasing them Akina invites them to a flower viewing picnic the next day. Kubo feels compelled to feed Shiraishi something she made herself. Despite not liking Shiraishi Saki helps her make hamburg steak, since Kubo's cooking is still poisonously inedible. Saki takes over when Kubo cuts her finger but Akina convinces Kubo to learn from the mistake and try again, successfully making the steaks perfectly. At the picnic Seita tries all the food Saki made first. Kubo makes sure Shiraishi gets one of the steaks she made, which he finds delicious, making her happy. Akina quickly gets drunk, teases Shiraishi about marriage, and then pushes her breasts in his face. Kubo furiously leaves. Seita insists Shiraishi fix it so he apologises to her, but she remains upset. Kubo can't understand why she is mad at Shiraishi when it was Akina's fault. She recovers when Seita tells her to fix it and she sees how upset Shiraishi is, so she apologises too. Shiraishi admits Kubo confuses him all the time, making her happy. She then asks him if he would like being in her class next year, surprising him.
9	"New School Year and Class Change" Transliteration: "Shin Gakki to Kurasugae" (Japanese: 新学期とクラス替え)	Mamoru Kurata	Katsumi Terahigashi	May 30, 2023 (2023-05-30)
Second year begins and Shiraishi finds he and Kubo are once again in the same class and once again sat next to each other, as are Kubo's friends Hazuki and Tamao. Shiraishi finds he is actually looking forward to the coming year. Kubo joins the Environmental Committee with Shiraishi after he reveals he enjoyed people admiring the flowers he grew, even though no one ever saw him tending them. Kubo notices their new classmate Sudo can actually recall being with Shiraishi on Environmental Committee last year, so she arranges for the three of them to be in the same science group. Sudo had actually spent all first year trying to talk to Shiraishi about committee business but never saw him once. Now thanks to Kubo they manage to talk for the first time, which Shiraishi enjoys. He thanks Kubo for her help, flustering her unexpectedly. While walking home Shiraishi confirms that he and Kubo are now friends, annoying her a little that he didn’t consider them friends a long time ago.
10	"Comparing Heights and Wall Pin" Transliteration: "Seikurabe to Kabedon" (Japanese: 背比べと壁ドン)	Hidetoshi Watanabe	Yasushi Muroya	June 6, 2023 (2023-06-06)
Kubo wins a staring contest with Shiraishi and as his forfeit he must greet her first in the morning. After his classmates accidentally cover Shiraishi in chalk dust Kubo brushes it from his hair before pressuring him to reveal he likes girls with ponytails. Kubo notices Shiraishi has grown taller so she insists on comparing their height on a wall. This puts them in a wall slap position, embarrassing him so much he flees. Unknown to Shiraishi Kubo was so flustered she went weak at the knees. The next morning Shiraishi greets Kubo first, making her happy. Before their physical exams Kubo borrows Shiraishi's tracksuit jacket, confusing him, though it turns out to be a trend for girls to wear their boyfriend's jackets. Shiraishi has grown 3cm while Kubo hasn't grown at all. Akina encounters Shiraishi secretly following Seita who is buying eggs as his first errand by himself, reminding her of Kubo's first errand to buy eggs too. When Seita makes it home safely Akina remembers Kubo broke her eggs but stopped crying when Akina stroked her head. She also hints to Shiraishi Kubo still likes having her head stroked and is guaranteed to stop her crying if she’s upset.
11	"Movie Theater and Facial Muscles" Transliteration: "Eigakan to Hyōjōkin" (Japanese: 映画館と表情筋)	Hirofumi Okita	Hirofumi Okita	June 13, 2023 (2023-06-13)
Shiraishi is flummoxed when Kubo asks to see a movie with him, especially when she meets him with her hair in a ponytail. On the overcrowded train they are forced together and Shiraishi is forced into a painful position to avoid touching Kubo whilst being repeatedly hit by people who can't see him. Several guys try to flirt with Kubo, until she grabs Shiraishi and claims he is her boyfriend. Shiraishi notices Kubo holds his arm long after the guys leave. Due to not pre-booking tickets they must wait a few hours to get seats next to each other. At a café Kubo is amazed Shiraishi likes black coffee and stubbornly insists on trying it. When she cannot handle the bitter flavour he remakes it for her with milk and sugar, though he now finds it too sweet. During the movie Kubo notices more emotions on his face than normal. Shiraishi admits he usually hides his expressions from embarrassment, though Kubo still thinks he is easy to read. Walking home together Kubo makes him promise to go other places with her. Shiraishi worries what secret emotions Kubo might already have read on his face.
12	"Starring Role and Gift" Transliteration: "Shuyaku to Oiwai" (Japanese: 主役とお祝い)	Ryō Takei Kazuomi Koga	Kazuomi Koga	June 20, 2023 (2023-06-20)
After watching a popular personality test on television Kubo runs the test on Shiraishi and determines he will likely only love one woman his entire life. Shiraishi runs a different test on Kubo revealing she wants lots of children, causing her to leave early from embarrassment. Akina notices Kubo is growing up more everyday and feels nostalgic over her childhood memories. On his birthday, while daydreaming about cake, Shiraishi's stomach growls so loudly the entire class notices him. Amused, Kubo gives him birthday themed chocolate to settle his stomach, amazing him she remembered his birthday was in April. She also gives him a soft toy, so he awkwardly promises to buy her a gift for her birthday in August. That someone actually remembered his birthday makes him so happy he hides his face so she won't see him smiling. Shiraishi starts to really wonder why only Kubo can see him easily. Kubo reminisces she first learned of his invisibility after seeing him in Tama's middle school yearbook, after which she began seeing him all the time and found his invisibility funny. When she was assigned the seat beside him and actually spoke to him his reaction amused her so much she decided to do it every day from then on.

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible

Premise

Characters

Media

Manga

Volumes

Anime

Episodes

Reception

Explanatory notes

References

External links

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