My Clueless First Friend

My Clueless First Friend (Japanese: 事情を知らない転校生がグイグイくる。, Hepburn: Jijō o Shiranai Tenkōsei ga Guigui Kuru; lit. 'The Clueless Transfer Student Is Assertive') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taku Kawamura [ja]. It has been serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Gangan Joker since May 2018, with its chapters collected in 21 tankōbon volumes as of July 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by Studio Signpost aired from April to July 2023.

My Clueless First Friend
First tankōbon volume cover
事情を知らない転校生がグイグイくる。 (Jijō o Shiranai Tenkōsei ga Guigui Kuru)
Genre	Comedy, slice of life[1]
Manga
Written by	Taku Kawamura [ja]
Published by	Square Enix
English publisher	NA: Square Enix Manga & Books
Magazine	Monthly Gangan Joker
Original run	May 22, 2018 – present
Volumes	21
Anime television series
Directed by	Shigenori Kageyama
Produced by	Tomoko Fujimura Emiko Iijima Natsuko Kawasaki Youhei Kikuchi Atsushi Nagashima Katsunori Narumo Shinji Oomori Tomoko Shibuya Osamu Shimizu Yousuke Tamura
Written by	Takafumi Hoshikawa Shogo Yasukawa
Music by	Toshio Masuda
Studio	Studio Signpost
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	Tokyo MX, ytv, TVA, BS Fuji, Animax
Original run	April 9, 2023 – July 2, 2023
Episodes	13

Synopsis

Akane Nishimura is a quiet, almost goth-like, girl who everyone nicknames "Grim Reaper" due to the way she looks. When a boy named Taiyō Takada first enters the class, he obliviously chooses to become friends with Akane and together form a friendship that will forever change both of their lives.

Characters

Akane Nishimura (西村 茜, Nishimura Akane)

Voiced by: Konomi Kohara^[2] (Japanese); Molly Zhang^[3] (English)

Taiyō Takada (高田 太陽, Takada Taiyō)

Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami^[2] (Japanese); Madeleine Morris^[3] (English)

Daichi Hino (日野 大地, Hino Daichi)

Voiced by: Kengo Kawanishi^[4] (Japanese); Belsheber Rusape^[3] (English)

Umi Adachi (安達 海美, Adachi Umi)

Voiced by: Reina Kondō^[4] (Japanese); Dani Chambers^[3] (English)

Yukiko Takada (高田 雪子, Takada Yukiko)

Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki^[4] (Japanese); Marisa Duran^[5] (English)

Sumire Kasahara (笠原 すみれ, Kasahara Sumire)

Voiced by: Wakana Maruoka^[6] (Japanese); Lindsay Sheppard^[3] (English)

Kotarō Kitagawa (北川 虎太郎, Kitagawa Kotarō)

Voiced by: Kōhei Amasaki^[6] (Japanese); Kyle Igneczi^[3] (English)

Akane's Dad (茜の父, Akane no Chichi)

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama^[6] (Japanese); Alex Hom^[3] (English)

Media

Manga

My Clueless First Friend, written and illustrated by Taku Kawamura [ja], started in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Gangan Joker on May 22, 2018.^[7] Square Enix has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on October 22, 2018.^[8] As of July 22, 2025, 21 volumes have been released.^[9]

In July 2022, Square Enix Manga & Books announced that they had licensed the manga for English release in North America.^[10] The series is also published online on the English version of Square Enix's Manga Up! platform since July 2022.^[11]

Volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	October 22, 2018[12]	978-4-7575-5855-7	March 7, 2023[13]	978-1-6460-9204-8
2	February 22, 2019[14]	978-4-7575-6025-3	March 7, 2023[13]	978-1-6460-9204-8
3	June 22, 2019[15]	978-4-7575-6167-0	June 6, 2023[16]	978-1-6460-9205-5
4	October 21, 2019[17]	978-4-7575-6352-0	June 6, 2023[16]	978-1-6460-9205-5
5	February 22, 2020[18]	978-4-7575-6529-6	September 5, 2023[19]	978-1-6460-9207-9
6	June 22, 2020[20]	978-4-7575-6708-5	September 5, 2023[19]	978-1-6460-9207-9
7	November 21, 2020[21]	978-4-7575-6948-5	December 5, 2023[22]	978-1-6460-9208-6
8	March 22, 2021[23]	978-4-7575-7162-4	December 5, 2023[22]	978-1-6460-9208-6
9	July 20, 2021[24]	978-4-7575-7375-8	March 5, 2024[25]	978-1-6460-9209-3
10	November 22, 2021[26]	978-4-7575-7576-9	March 5, 2024[25]	978-1-6460-9209-3
11	March 22, 2022[27]	978-4-7575-7825-8	June 11, 2024[28]	978-1-6460-9227-7
12	July 22, 2022[29]	978-4-7575-8035-0	June 11, 2024[28]	978-1-6460-9227-7
13	November 22, 2022[30]	978-4-7575-8263-7	September 3, 2024[31]	978-1-6460-9260-4
14	March 22, 2023[32]	978-4-7575-8476-1	September 3, 2024[31]	978-1-6460-9260-4
15	July 22, 2023[33]	978-4-7575-8672-7	January 7, 2025[34]	978-1-6460-9314-4
16	November 21, 2023[35]	978-4-7575-8905-6	January 7, 2025[34]	978-1-6460-9314-4
17	March 22, 2024[36]	978-4-7575-9114-1	November 4, 2025[37]	978-1-6460-9431-8
18	July 22, 2024[38]	978-4-7575-9325-1	November 4, 2025[37]	978-1-6460-9431-8
19	November 21, 2024[39]	978-4-7575-9520-0	—	—
20	March 22, 2025[40]	978-4-7575-9759-4	—	—
21	July 22, 2025[9]	978-4-7575-9963-5	—	—

Anime

In November 2022, it was announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation. It is produced by Studio Signpost and directed by Shigenori Kageyama, with scripts written by Takafumi Hoshikawa and Shogo Yasukawa, character designs handled by Chikashi Kadekaru, and music composed by Toshio Masuda.^[2] The series aired from April 9 to July 2, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks.^[4][41] The opening theme song, "Alcor to Polaris" (アルコルとポラリス, Arukoru to Porarisu; lit. 'Alcor and Polaris'), is performed by Reina Kondō, while the ending theme song, "Kokorone" (ココロネ), is performed by Kitri.^[42][6] Crunchyroll streamed the series.^[43]

Episodes

No.	Title [44][45]	Directed by [44]	Written by [44]	Storyboarded by [44]	Original release date [46][a]
1	"The Grim Reaper and the Transfer Student" Transliteration: "Shinigami to Tenkōsei" (Japanese: 死神と転校生)	Taiji Kawanishi	Shogo Yasukawa	Mizuki Aoba	April 9, 2023 (2023-04-09)
2	"Lunch Duty and Ghost Photographs and Love Letters" Transliteration: "Kyūshoku Tōban to Shinrei Shashin to Rabu Retā" (Japanese: 給食当番と心霊写真とラブレター)	Yūki Morita	Tsuma Sawaki	Naotaka Hayashi	April 16, 2023 (2023-04-16)
3	"Summer Vacation Begins" Transliteration: "Natsuyasumi ga Hajimaru" (Japanese: 夏休みがはじまる)	Chika Nenbe	Masaya Honda	Meigo Naitō	April 23, 2023 (2023-04-23)
4	"Grandma's House" Transliteration: "Obāchan-chi" (Japanese: おばあちゃんち)	Hisanori Kobayashi, Kazuho Kunimoto	Shogo Yasukawa	Mizuki Aoba	April 30, 2023 (2023-04-30)
5	"Call Me the Grim Reaper" Transliteration: "Shinigami tte Yonde" (Japanese: 死神って呼んで)	Fumio Maezono	Tsuma Sawaki	Meigo Naitō	May 7, 2023 (2023-05-07)
6	"Changing Desks, Class Reps, and New Friends" Transliteration: "Sekigae to Kurasu Iin to Atarashii Tomodachi" (Japanese: 席替えとクラス委員と新しいともだち)	Masayuki Matsumoto	Yuki Tanihata	Mizuki Aoba	May 14, 2023 (2023-05-14)
7	"Field Trips and the Magic of Marinated Eggs" Transliteration: "Ensoku to Ajitama no Mahō" (Japanese: 遠足と味玉の魔法)	Taiji Kawanishi	Masaya Honda	Meigo Naitō	May 21, 2023 (2023-05-21)
8	"Yukata, Jungle Gyms, and Orthopedic Casts" Transliteration: "Yukata to Janguru Jimu to Gipusu" (Japanese: 浴衣とジャングルジムとギプス)	Chika Nenbe, Yoshitsugu Kimura, Takahiro Suzuura, Tsurugi Harada	Tsuma Sawaki	Toshihiko Masuda	May 28, 2023 (2023-05-28)
9	"Run! Shout! Field Day" Transliteration: "Hashire! Sakebe! Undōkai" (Japanese: 走れ！叫べ！運動会)	Natsumi Yasue	Shogo Yasukawa	Mizuki Aoba	June 4, 2023 (2023-06-04)
10	"My First Time Having Guests Over" Transliteration: "Hajimete no Omotenashi" (Japanese: 初めてのおもてなし)	Tsurugi Harada	Yuki Tanihata	Meigo Naitō	June 11, 2023 (2023-06-11)
11	"The Swift Reaper Alliance, the Cursed Song, and Christmas" Transliteration: "Fūjin Dōmei to Noroi no Uta to Kurisumasu" (Japanese: 風神同盟と呪いの歌とクリスマス)	Yūki Morita	Shogo Yasukawa, Tsuma Sawaki	Miyuki Fujimori	June 18, 2023 (2023-06-18)
12	"The Christmas Party Confession" Transliteration: "Kurisumasu Pātī no Kokuhaku" (Japanese: クリスマスパーティーの告白)	Taiji Kawanishi	Shogo Yasukawa	Mizuki Aoba	June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
13	"10 Years Later, the Same as Today" Transliteration: "Jūnengo mo, Kyō mo" (Japanese: 10年後も、今日も)	Maki Kamiya	Yuki Tanihata	Meigo Naitō	July 2, 2023 (2023-07-02)

Reception

The series was ranked thirteenth in the 2020 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of the best manga for male readers.^[48]

See also

• False Child, another manga series by Taku Kawamura

Notes

1. Episodes are released on select platforms (such as ABEMA and Crunchyroll) a week before their air dates on television.^[6][47]