Why You Should Read 'Orange' by Ichigo Takano

On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she receives a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the letter’s predictions come true one by one Naho realises that the letter might be the real deal. Her future self tells Naho that a new transfer student, a boy names Kakeru, will soon join her class. The letter begs Naho to watch over him, saying that only Naho can save Kakeru from a terrible future. Who is this mystery boy, and can Naho save him from his destiny?

Over the last decade, the topic of mental health has become ever present in society, people are able to talk more openly about such issues and others are more willing to listen. A conversation has been started, but there is still so much more to discuss, especially in respects to male mental health. Although more films, TV programmes and books are representing the battles of mental health than ever before, this isn’t to say they do it well. The Netflix series 13 Reasons Why for example, which has received a huge amount of backlash over its three seasons, prides itself on the fact that it doesn’t shy away from displaying the real, traumatic experiences American teenagers can face, such as suicide, bullying, and rape. However, the execution makes it appear more like a money-grabbing melodrama, glamorizing suicide as an act of revenge, and the characters only interesting because of the trauma they have suffered, rather than being complex characters in their own right. When looking at how much attention this series and the book received, whether good or bad, I couldn’t help but think of other works so much more deserving and who should also be credited with having stimulated a conversation about mental health, a more progressive and helpful one no doubt. Ichigo Takano’s manga Orange was first serialized in 2012 and has been majorly overlooked, especially in the West, as a great work tackling complex and difficult topics such as regret, depression, and suicide. Like all works of literature, it most definitely has its flaws, but it has been a long time since I’ve read something that has truly had such an emotional impact on me, leaving me sobbing by the end. I will be focusing mainly on the first volume collection of Orange, so I will do my best to keep this as spoiler free as possible. But before I talk more about how Ichigo represents the important themes in this manga, let me touch on some other great aspects of the series:

Firstly, the characters. Takamiya Naho is the protagonist of the manga; she is shy, caring, and intelligent, though she tends to excessively worry and overthink, qualities readers might find frustrating at times. However, as someone who does this myself, I was able to relate to her and it gave me satisfaction to see her character develop and become more confident. Even if some readers may not be able to empathise with her anxious and introverted traits, the likelihood is that they will know someone or have a friend similar to Naho, this manga supporting in better understanding them. She isn’t a strong, outgoing heroine with all the answers, but someone who needs support, as we all do, to develop her individual confidence and self-belief. It’s real and beautiful to see her growth throughout the series, her friends helping to build the courage and determination they have always seen in her.

Kakeru is the new transfer student from Tokyo; he’s sweet, quiet, mysterious, and similar to Naho in many ways, which causes them trouble when it comes to confronting how they truly feel for one another. He is the missing puzzle piece to the friendship group, though he resists fitting so easily, hiding his unhappiness behind what appears to be such a sincere smile. The rest of the group consists of Suwa, a popular, tall, outgoing football player with a heart of gold; Azu, a cute, loud, and talkative girl who constantly winds the boys up for her own amusement; Hagita, Azu’s main target for her jokes, a blunt, comical guy with no filter and a constant stern look on his face; and Takako, a beautiful, fiercely loyal, protective, and straight-talking character, who deserved to be featured a lot more in the manga if you ask me… The dynamic of their group, with such a range of personalities, is unique and works well to make the reader feel like another member, becoming invested in their stories and the true friendship and love they have for one another.

Humour and emotion are perfectly balanced in the series, reflecting the ups and downs of life, as well as supplying some much-needed comic relief at times. As the panels below demonstrate, the mood and tone can quickly change, the reader experiencing a mix of emotions all at once. Hagita’s blunt announcement of Suwa’s love for Naho is hilarious and unexpected, but only a few pages later Suwa’s sad yet content expression reminds us of the implications; it doesn’t matter that Naho finally knows his true feelings, he is not able to pursue it. Instead he hopes to give Kakeru a chance at happiness with Naho, a chance to live.

If I’m completely honest, Orange’s cover art is not a favourite of mine; the colours and illustration appear too childish and the characters are depicted as over-simplified versions of themselves. However, the art in the manga itself is beautiful, and arguably why I prefer it to the anime. As the last panel above presents, Ichigo is able to capture the hidden emotions of the characters, the combination of disappointment and happiness in Suwa’s expression truly heart-breaking. The structure of panels creates a dramatic but simultaneously relaxing pace, lingering on important and emotional moments, creating the impression of silence, things left unsaid.

The mix of genres, a slice-of-life romance with a sci-fi twist, allows the manga to be relatable and deal with real and pressing issues, yet keeps it interesting with the ‘race against time’ aspect that quickens the pace and forces you to keep reading. Although involving time travel always risks readers becoming confused, I think Ichigo explains it well, better than some other works anyway *cough* EndGame *cough*. The concept, essentially, that they have the opportunity to save Kakeru in a parallel reality, one guided by the letters of their future selves who are living with insurmountable regrets that have divided their friendship group. Their present will not be changed, but they attempt to be comforted by the fact that there exists a different future, one that involves Kakeru.

Ichigo avoids stereotypical gender representation of her characters. On the surface, you have a timid, reliant Naho and the popular, confident, athletic Suwa…not so progressive. However, as you come to know the characters you see the bravery and dedication of Naho, dealing with various obstacles on her own in fear of burdening those she loves, and the sensitive and selfless Suwa, who encourages her to share what she is feeling and support her without expecting anything in return. Also, if you are an avid reader of manga, then you will be all too familiar with fan service in series like Fairy Tail and One Piece, which share the similar theme of the importance of friendship while presenting ridiculous body proportions of the female characters, all to attract a larger male readership. However, Ichigo refuses to feature such exploitation and instead pokes fun at the idea when Naho refuses to wear the new shorts she bought with Azu and Takako:

Lastly, Orange includes a lot of important messages and themes; friendship is at the heart of this manga and, in particular, I felt it was the bond between Kakeru and Suwa that truly gave the series its depth, triumphing over toxic masculinity and addressing male mental health. Considering 71% of suicides in Japan are committed by men and is the leading cause of death for men ages 20 to 44, this is definitely a conversation that needs to be had, and not just in Japan, but all over the world. Society expects men to be strong and stable, never showing their emotions in fear of looking weak, to never cry or ask for help. It is this stigma that is taking lives. Even when Kakeru is shown getting up the courage to confide in his friend from Tokyo, he is laughed at and taken as a joke. In the parallel reality created by the letters, Suwa and Naho are able to prevent Kakeru from meeting his friend and instead reassure him that they are there to listen, to confide in. This, for me, was the most powerful moment in the manga series.

Though Naho is called the ‘mother hen’ of the group and is exceptionally sensitive and caring, she repetitively struggles to find the right words to say to Kakeru. It is Suwa who finds them for her. He encourages not only Kakeru to open up about how he truly feels, but Naho too, his strength inspiring her to confess her love for Kakeru. Instead of presenting a typical love triangle, the boys automatically enemies fighting for a girl who has no say in the matter, Ichigo presents a positive male friendship based on love and support, willing to sacrifice their happiness if it means saving the other. The representation of a deep, emotional, open male friendship in a manga directed at a wide readership is inspiring and something that should most definitely be depicted more.

Kakeru’s struggle with mental health is complicated, blaming himself for his mother’s death and spiralling into the contemplation of suicide. Though he is often depicted smiling throughout the manga, many panels dedicated to a grin that appears so genuine, the reality is that he is tormented by regrets and suffering deeply from depression. Ichigo highlights an important message that sometimes it is those who smile the most, those that seem completely fine, that are hurting the most on the inside.

Some have argued that the manga’s depiction of mental health is problematic, sending the message that ‘all you need is friends to overcome depression’ and placing too much responsibility for someone’s life on others. Although I won’t go into much depth about the second volume collection or the ending in fear of spoiling it, I agree that the ending could have been better and developed further. However, claiming that all the manga boils down to is ‘be a good friend’ I think misses the point of the whole series; the characters aren’t great mental health experts or necessarily pride themselves on knowing what is best to do, if they were this would be unrealistic and a very short series. They do their utmost to support Kakeru as a unit, to listen to him, to notice when he is feeling upset or quiet, and paint a future together. People think they do this all the time, but sometimes we get so caught up in our own worlds that we can forget to notice when someone is in pain right in front of us. Yes, there are definitely things the characters should have encouraged Kakeru to do, such as speak to a counsellor or his grandmother, but sometimes it is the small things that we take for granted that make a difference, that can change a person’s life. A couple of my friends have helped me immensely throughout my life when help wasn’t available to me, giving me confidence I lacked massively and aiding me to overcome insecurities developed from past events. A small thing like a friendship really can make a huge difference to someone’s life. Just the reassurance that you are there for them, that they are heard, that they mean something…it matters.

Side note: Suwa is a cinnamon roll, deserves the world, and must be protected at all costs.

All images featured in this article are from ‘Orange: The Complete Collection 1’ (Volumes 1-3), Story and Art by Ichigo Takano.

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