A Channel (manga)

A Channel (Aチャンネル), is a Japanese four-panel comic strip by bb Kuroda. It was serialized from 2008 to 2021 in the seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara Carat, published by Houbunsha. A prequel manga series, also by Kuroda, launched in Manga Time Kirara Carino from January 2012. An anime adaptation by Studio Gokumi aired in Japan between April 8, 2011, and June 24, 2011. An original video animation, A Channel +smile, was released on March 21, 2012.

Plot
Adolescent girls Tooru Ichii and Run Momoki have been best friends since childhood. After passing her entrance exams, Tooru manages to enroll in the high school that Run is attending. Tooru decides to tell Run the news, only to come at a bad time and find her and her new classmate Yuko Nishi involved in an embarrassing situation, which makes things a bit awkward but funny on their first day of school, as Tooru begins fending off others who might show interest in Run while Yuko and another friend, Nagi Tennoji, start dealing with Run's own penchant for drama. As Run, Nagi and Yuuko begin their sophomore year while Tooru begins her freshman year, their high school life filled with drama, humor and adventure begins.

Main characters

 * Tōru Ichii (一井 透 (トオル))
 * A short first year student who often has overly long sleeves. Due to her short and skinny stature, she often has trouble finding clothes that fit her. She has been friends with Run since kindergarten, often getting lonely when separated from her and threatening anyone who tries to make a move on her. She disliked Yūko at first, since her first impression of her was seeing her in a compromising situation with Run, and since then constantly teases her at every opportunity. She has a pet cat named Tansan (炭酸). Tooru is very fond of sweets, which her friends bribe her with.
 * A short first year student who often has overly long sleeves. Due to her short and skinny stature, she often has trouble finding clothes that fit her. She has been friends with Run since kindergarten, often getting lonely when separated from her and threatening anyone who tries to make a move on her. She disliked Yūko at first, since her first impression of her was seeing her in a compromising situation with Run, and since then constantly teases her at every opportunity. She has a pet cat named Tansan (炭酸). Tooru is very fond of sweets, which her friends bribe her with.


 * Run Momoki (百木 るん)
 * A blonde second year student with a parakeet like hairstyle and Tōru's best friend. She is incredibly ditsy to the point that her friends often have to stop her from hurting herself in the process. She is very forgetful, even forgetting to wear her panties and bring her school stuff. Despite her qualities, she is very caring for Tooru and will try to help her when she's somewhat troubled.
 * A blonde second year student with a parakeet like hairstyle and Tōru's best friend. She is incredibly ditsy to the point that her friends often have to stop her from hurting herself in the process. She is very forgetful, even forgetting to wear her panties and bring her school stuff. Despite her qualities, she is very caring for Tooru and will try to help her when she's somewhat troubled.


 * Nagisa "Nagi" Tennōji (天王寺 渚 (ナギ))
 * She is a second year student and Run's classmate who sports pig-tails and glasses. She is often called by Run, Yūko, and Tōru by her nickname, Nagi. She is pretty intelligent and often makes quip remarks to her friends. She is sometimes conscious about her weight and hates extreme temperatures. She looks completely different when she lets her hair down and removes her glasses.
 * She is a second year student and Run's classmate who sports pig-tails and glasses. She is often called by Run, Yūko, and Tōru by her nickname, Nagi. She is pretty intelligent and often makes quip remarks to her friends. She is sometimes conscious about her weight and hates extreme temperatures. She looks completely different when she lets her hair down and removes her glasses.


 * Yūko Nishi (西 由宇子 (ユー子))
 * A long haired second year student and Run's classmate. She is something of a scaredy-cat who often finds herself at the mercy of Tōru's teasing, usually because she is envious of her tall and well endowed figure. She speaks with a prominent Kansai accent.
 * A long haired second year student and Run's classmate. She is something of a scaredy-cat who often finds herself at the mercy of Tōru's teasing, usually because she is envious of her tall and well endowed figure. She speaks with a prominent Kansai accent.

Other characters

 * Yutaka Imai (今井 豊 (ユタカ))
 * A first year student and Tōru's classmate. She is a fan of Tōru and constantly tries to get friendly with her, much to Tōru's despair. She is very talkative and always takes the chance to get close to Tooru, but is always stopped by Miho.
 * A first year student and Tōru's classmate. She is a fan of Tōru and constantly tries to get friendly with her, much to Tōru's despair. She is very talkative and always takes the chance to get close to Tooru, but is always stopped by Miho.


 * Miho Noyama (野山 美歩 (ミホ))
 * A first year student and Yutaka's friend and classmate, who Yutaka affectionally calls Mipo-rin. She is also a fan of Tōru, though not quite to the extremes of Yutaka, and constantly tries to keep Yutaka from bothering Tōru too much. She works part-time as a maid in a cafe.
 * A first year student and Yutaka's friend and classmate, who Yutaka affectionally calls Mipo-rin. She is also a fan of Tōru, though not quite to the extremes of Yutaka, and constantly tries to keep Yutaka from bothering Tōru too much. She works part-time as a maid in a cafe.


 * Kimiko Kitō (鬼頭 紀美子)
 * Tōru's homeroom teacher, who is obsessed with poetry. She is often quite motivated in the mornings, much to the dismay of the students, and doesn't get along too well with Satō.
 * Tōru's homeroom teacher, who is obsessed with poetry. She is often quite motivated in the mornings, much to the dismay of the students, and doesn't get along too well with Satō.


 * Taki Kamate (鎌手 多季)
 * Run, Yūko and Nagi's homeroom teacher, who has a rather laid back attitude. She is often seen teaching sports classes.
 * Run, Yūko and Nagi's homeroom teacher, who has a rather laid back attitude. She is often seen teaching sports classes.


 * Sachiyo Satō (佐藤 幸世)
 * The school's health teacher, who is actually rather weak himself. He appears to have a crush on Run and has an infatuation with her forehead.
 * The school's health teacher, who is actually rather weak himself. He appears to have a crush on Run and has an infatuation with her forehead.


 * Keiko (ケイ子)
 * Yūko's younger sister who is quite dedicated to her sister.
 * Yūko's younger sister who is quite dedicated to her sister.

Manga
The manga by bb Kuroda began serialization in Manga Time Kirara Carat from October 28, 2008. Eleven tankōbon volumes have been released as of November 25, 2020. An anthology comic featuring guest authors was released on June 27, 2011. A prequel manga series, A Channel ~days in junior high school~ began serialization in Manga Time Kirara Carino magazine from January 27, 2012.

Anime
An anime adaptation produced by Studio Gokumi aired in Japan between April 8, 2011, and June 24, 2011. The series began release on Blu-ray Disc and DVD from May 25, 2011, with each volume containing two short +A Channel mini-episodes. Sentai Filmworks released the series on DVD in North America on February 28, 2012, with a Blu-ray release followed on January 27, 2015. An OVA, titled A Channel + smile, was released on March 21, 2012. Another OVA episode was included with a Blu-ray Disc Box released on September 27, 2017. Sentai Filmworks's license for A Channel expired on April 30, 2019.

Music

 * Opening Theme
 * "Morning Arch" by Marina Kawano (TV)
 * "Balloon Theatre" (バルーンシアター) by Marina Kawano (OVA)
 * Ending Theme
 * "Humming Girl" (ハミングガール) by Aoi Yūki, Kaori Fukuhara, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (TV)
 * "Smile Equation" (スマイル方程式) by Aoi Yūki, Kaori Fukuhara, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (OVA)
 * Insert Songs
 * "Chemistry of a Spring Breeze" (はるかぜの化学) by Kaori Fukuhara, Aoi Yūki, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 1; ep. 12)
 * "Start" by Kaori Fukuhara, Aoi Yūki, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 2)
 * "I Want to Hold You Tight" (ぎゅっとして欲しいんだ) by Aoi Yūki (ep. 3)
 * "Summer Dream Syndrome" by Kaori Fukuhara (ep. 4)
 * "Mermaid Sisters" by Minako Kotobuki (ep. 5)
 * "Let's Explore!" (たんけんのススメ) by Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 6)
 * "Summer Breeze" by Minako Kotobuki (ep. 7)
 * "Tea's Melodical Beauty Bang Bang" (オチャメロディカルビューティーバンバン) by Kaori Fukuhara (ep. 7)
 * "One Night's Love, One Night's Dream" (恋一夜夢一夜) by Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 7)
 * "Friends" (ともだち) by Kaori Fukuhara and Aoi Yūki (ep. 7)
 * "Your Hand" (君の手) by Daisuke Ono (ep. 7)
 * "We Don't Have Wings" (翼はないけど) by Kaori Fukuhara and Aoi Yūki (ep. 8)
 * "Sweets Time" (オカシナ時間) by Kaori Fukuhara, Aoi Yūki, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 9)
 * "Happy Snow" by Kaori Fukuhara, Aoi Yūki, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 10)
 * "Surely, Always, More" (きっと ずっと もっと) by Aoi Yūki (ep. 11)
 * "Unidentified Flying Girl" (未確認飛行ガール) by Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (ep. 12)
 * "A Special Place" (大切な場所) by Aoi Yūki, Ai Matayoshi and Momoko Saitō (OVA ep. 1)
 * "Happy New Days" by Aoi Yūki, Kaori Fukuhara, Minako Kotobuki and Yumi Uchiyama (OVA ep. 2)

Appearances in other media
Characters from the series appear alongside other Manga Time Kirara characters in the 2017 mobile RPG, Kirara Fantasia.