“The Quintessential Quintuplets – Gotoubun no hanayome” is a Japanese manga series by Negi Haruba. It was first published as a one-shot in the 8th issue of Weekly Shōnen Magazine (published by Kodansha) in 2017. Based on the results of a reader survey, it was subsequently serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Magazine from the combined 36th and 37th issues of 2017 to the 12th issue of 2020. In the 25th issue of the same magazine in 2022, a one-shot chapter titled “122+1” was published.

The story is a romantic comedy about a high school boy who becomes a tutor for quintuplet sisters. The narrative is structured as a recollection of their high school days by the protagonist, who is set to marry one of the quintuplets. In May 2019, the manga won the 43rd Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category.As of December 2022, the cumulative number of copies in circulation has exceeded 20 million.

In both the original manga and the anime adaptation, the city of Tokai in Aichi Prefecture is used as a model.

Synopsis:

On his wedding day, the groom, Futaro Uesugi, dozes off in the bridal suite and recalls the day he first met his wife.

At that time, Futaro, a high school sophomore, was academically excellent but his family was burdened with debt, leading them to live a poor life. One day, Futaro met a transfer student named Itsuki Nakano, who pleaded with him to tutor her. However, Futaro declined her request, and his harsh words inadvertently provoked her anger. Immediately afterward, Futaro’s younger sister introduced him to a part-time job as a tutor for the daughter of a wealthy family. Desperate to pay off his family’s debt, he accepted the job.

Futaro’s task was to tutor a set of quintuplet sisters, including Itsuki, and guide them all to graduate from high school. Despite their failing grades and lack of motivation to study, Futaro began to win the trust of the quintuplets. Through various experiences, such as attending a summer festival, he succeeded in gaining the trust of Yotsuba, the fourth sister who was cooperative from the beginning, as well as Miku, the third sister, and Ichika, the eldest. However, Nino, the second sister, and Itsuki, the fifth, remained uncooperative as they approached their first midterm exam under Futaro’s guidance. Although their test scores had improved, they couldn’t avoid failing grades. Futaro, whose condition to continue as a tutor was that all five girls avoid failing grades, planned to leave them with some final advice. However, Nino, who had been uncooperative until then, reported that they had “avoided failing grades in at least one subject each” and stood up for Futaro. This allowed him to continue as their tutor, at least for the time being.

Characters:

Futaro Uesugi

（Voiced by – Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and by Mutsumi Tamura during his 6th grade years.）

The protagonist of the series, Futaro Uesugi, is a second to third year student at Asahi High School. He was born on April 15 and stands at 178cm tall.

Futaro is an honor student who consistently scores perfect on his tests. He is distinguished by his sharp ‘Sanpaku’ eyes and a distinctive sprout-like tuft of hair growing from the top of his head. While he is earnest and hardworking, he tends to be somewhat egocentric and argumentative, with virtually no sociability. He frequently assumes a high-handed attitude towards others, and often offends them by voicing his thoughts unfiltered.

As he interacts with the Nakano sisters, he gradually reveals his sincere side and grows significantly as an individual. While he is intellectually gifted, his physical abilities are considerably low, on par with Miku, the least athletically inclined of the quintuplets. However, his insight is sharp, noticing the sisters’ worries and personal issues, and he frequently leads them towards resolution. His actual personality is caring, striving hard to gain trust, and facing others earnestly. He has no apparent friends in his class, preferring to avoid contact with others as much as possible. Initially, there was a gap between him and the Nakano sisters, but due to his aforementioned qualities, he is now deeply trusted and liked by them. However, as he strictly views himself as their tutor, he is somewhat bewildered by their trust and affection. He is quite unfamiliar with matters of love, as he has never had any romantic experiences, but he has a faint awareness that his first love is among the sisters.

In fact, he has a past of being a delinquent during his elementary school days, during which he dyed his hair blonde. At that time, his personality was more of a mischievous ringleader, and he had friends. He has since reformed, but he keeps photos of his blond hair period tucked in his high school student handbook. He also had an unknowing acquaintance with the Nakano sisters during his childhood.

When he advanced to the third year, he ended up in the same class as the Nakano sisters due to their father’s machinations, and was appointed class representative on Yotsuba’s recommendation.

Quintuplets:

The heroines of the story are identical quintuplets, all born on May 5. However, it is mentioned in the character introduction in volume 14 that Itsuki Nakano was born “at the moment the day turned,” which technically makes her birthdate May 6. But it’s stated that “no one delves too deeply into this,” so for all intents and purposes, in events and such, all sisters share a May 5 birthday.

They used to attend the prestigious all-girls school, Black Rose Academy, but due to failing grades, they transferred to Asahi High School through their stepfather’s connections. They used to live in a high-rise luxury apartment, but later moved to a small apartment. From their third year, all the sisters share the same class with Futaro.

During their elementary school years, it was difficult to distinguish among them, both in terms of appearance and personality. However, after the death of their mother, their individual personalities began to emerge more strongly. Their hairstyle at that time was long hair with the forehead exposed, the remnants of which can be seen in Nino’s hairstyle in the first half of the story.

In the TV commercials and PVs produced to commemorate the release of the first volume of the comics, all five quintuplets were voiced by Ayane Sakura, who played Yotsuba. However, in the anime version, separate voice actors were cast for each sister.

Ichika Nakano

Voiced by – Kana Hanazawa

The eldest of the quintuplets. She is characterized by her asymmetrical short hair and the earring in her right ear. Her image color is yellow. She refers to Futaro as “Futarou-kun”. Among the quintuplets, she is good at mathematics.

She has a playful and teasing personality, but is also a caring and dependable elder sister. As the eldest, she is often concerned about her sisters, and she sometimes offers advice to Futaro, who is supposed to be the same age. However, she tends to care too much and often suppresses her own feelings. Despite these traits, her personal life is quite sloppy and lazy. Her room is a mess, and she has a habit of taking off everything except her shorts while sleeping.

She is a budding actress and has been secretly working on the side without her family’s knowledge. During this time, she develops feelings for Futaro, who supports her after learning about her dreams. While she is comfortable with the current relationship she has with Futaro, she also feels a dilemma with her own feelings of love. However, thanks to Yotsuba’s words, she becomes honest with her feelings.

Nino Nakano

Voiced by – Ayana Taketatsu

The second of the quintuplets. Her characteristic look is two-sided up hair tied with a black ribbon. Her image color is black. She refers to Futaro as “Uesugi”. Among the quintuplets, she is good at English.

She has a strong-willed, hysterical, and sharp-tongued personality, but is the most delicate among her sisters. She often shows a sisterly love, like opposing Futaro to protect her sisters or struggling to watch a fireworks festival with all her sisters. She loves cooking and pays attention to fashion, demonstrating high femininity, is sociable, and has many friends. According to Miku, she is a bit of a foodie.

Initially, her rough and aggressive behavior was prominent, but over time her language evolved to be more typically of a high school girl. She was the most resentful and hostile towards Futaro when he first started coming to the quintuplets’ home. However, as time went on, her attitude softened, and she gradually became more conscious of him as a man.

She seemed to like the face of Futaro when he dyed his hair blonde, and even confessed her feelings to him without initially knowing they were the same person. She had been attracted to the blonde-haired Futaro (nicknamed “Kintaro”) since the field trip and after learning he was Futaro, she sorted out her feelings and confessed to him. After confessing, she tries to make Futaro recognize her not just as a student but as a woman.

Upon advancing to their third year and deciding to divide the rent five ways among the sisters, she started working at the cake shop “REVIVAL” so she could spend more time with Futaro. She is more forward with her feelings towards Futaro, and like Ichika, doesn’t hold back because of her sisters, but she wants to win Futaro over fair and square. Also, initially she called Futaro “Uesugi”, but later started calling him “Fu-kun”.

Miku Nakano

Miku Nakano

Voiced by – Miku Itō

The third of the quintuplets. Her characteristic look is semi-long hair with a diagonal part that covers her right eye and headphones she always wears around her neck. Her image color is blue. She refers to Futaro as “Futarou”. Among the quintuplets, she excels in social studies.

She has a cool personality with few words, but she is very honest with people she trusts, acknowledging her feelings for Futaro. She actively tries to approach Futaro, but due to her shyness in romance, it doesn’t progress much. Like Futaro, she is very unathletic and not good at cooking, but she is the best at disguising herself as the other sisters. When she disguised herself as Itsuki to drive away Nino, she wasn’t satisfied at all, and according to Nino, some mysterious pride seems to have sprung up. Her grades are among the best of the sisters.

Triggered by games, she became a big Sengoku-era maniac, but she had been hiding it from her sisters because she knew it was an unusual hobby. She was the first among the quintuplets to open her heart to Futaro, who encouraged her to embrace her hobby, and she developed feelings for him. Initially, she was quite dry and lacked emotional expression, but over time, she started talking more, and her expressions became richer.

After advancing to the third year, she started working at a bakery to become the “woman who is good at cooking” that Futaro likes.

Yotsuba Nakano

Voiced by Ayane Sakura

The fourth of the quintuplets, Yotsuba is distinctive for her bob cut and rabbit-like ribbons. Her associated color is green, and she refers to Futaro as “Uesugi-san”. Yotsuba excels in language arts among her sisters. She is optimistic and helpful, and struggles to say no when asked for favors, making her a bit of a softy. However, she tends to hide her true feelings and lacks self-confidence, showing a less innocent side to her personality. She speaks politely to anyone outside her family. Despite being the most energetic, she is the worst in academics among the quintuplets. Futaro considers her “motivated and reliable, but the biggest problem child”. Her thinking and preferences are quite childish, according to Ichika, she still wears her elementary school underwear. Yotsuba is highly athletic, often being sought after by the girls’ basketball and track and field teams. However, this sometimes interferes with her studies. Among the sisters, she is the only one who has been friendly with Futaro from the beginning. After failing an exam during her time at the Black Rose Girls’ Academy and nearly transferring alone, she started to gain confidence in herself when Futaro told her that she also can be of help to her sisters. After advancing to the third year, she starts a part-time job in cleaning.

Itsuki Nakano

Voiced by Inori Minase

Itsuki is the fifth quintuplet. She has slightly wavy long hair and a cowlick, along with star-shaped hairpins. Her associated color is red, and she refers to Futaro as “Uesugi-kun”. Itsuki excels in science among her sisters. She is serious but clumsy and although motivated to study, she often struggles. She is very polite to everyone. Itsuki is a big foodie and often seen eating in the series. She is also easily scared, especially by ghosts and horror movies. Itsuki is the quintuplet who was most attached to their late mother, and she continues to visit her grave on the 14th of every month. Despite knowing Futaro’s family situation, she often helps herself to seconds of his food and even once barged into a mixed bath with Futaro out of sheer excitement. She was the first quintuplet Futaro met in high school and they became classmates. Initially, she asked Futaro to teach her, but his lack of tact caused tension between them. However, as time passed, they became more comfortable with each other and fought less. She later dreams of becoming a teacher like her mother. Itsuki also reviews sweets under the alias “M.A.Y”. After advancing to the third year, she starts a part-time job as a tutor.

The Girl in the Picture | Rena Nanano

Voiced by Yuki Kyoka

A key character in the series, she frequently appears in Futaro’s flashbacks and is one of the quintuplets. She met Futaro on a school trip in Kyoto during their elementary school days, providing the trigger for him to become serious about his studies. Futaro keeps a picture of them together from that time in his student handbook. She hadn’t met him again until after he became the quintuplets’ tutor, when she appeared before a demoralized Futaro and introduced herself as “Rena”. She encouraged Futaro, but left without revealing her true intentions.

Uesugi Family

Uesugi Raiha

Voice – Natsumi Takamori

Futaro’s younger sister. She’s in sixth grade and then progresses to seventh grade in middle school.

She has a cheerful, honest, and social personality, contrasting with her older brother. However, she occasionally throws some biting remarks at Futaro. She is in charge of household chores for the Uesugi family, even handling Futaro’s haircuts. Her tenaciousness is much loved by her brother and also well-liked by the quintuplets, particularly Yotsuba and Itsuki.

Uesugi Isanari

Voice – Satoshi Hino

Father of Futaro and Raiha. His blond hair and sunglasses are his distinctive features. He is Maruo’s longtime friend and a close associate. He was Rena’s former student.

After losing his wife, he has strived hard to raise his two children single-handedly. He has a wild and casual personality.

Futaro’s Mother

The mother of Futaro and Raiha, and wife of Isanari. She dreamed of opening her own shop but died in an accident more than ten years before Futaro’s wedding. In the first season of the anime and in the movie, she is depicted as a woman with blue hair.

Nakano Family

Nakano Maruo

Voice – Kuroda Takaya

The quintuplets’ stepfather. He is a wealthy man who runs a hospital. He’s an old friend and close associate of Isanari and is called by his first name. He was Rena’s former student.

During his student years, he was the top of his class, president of Rena’s fan club, and the student council president.

He remarried Rena a few years before the main story began. He is a realist who always keeps a poker face, although he can be emotional and easily provoked. He cares about the poor academic performance of his stepdaughters and while he possesses affection as a parent, he often keeps his distance at home due to his busy schedule. He treats his stepdaughters formally, addressing them with the honorific ‘-kun’.

Nakano Rena

Voice – Yuki Kyoka

The quintuplets’ biological mother. She passed away five years before the main story began. Her death anniversary is on August 14th.

Like Itsuki, she used formal language with everyone. During her life, she worked as a high school teacher and was a beauty capable of charming even her female students. Despite being unfriendly and not pandering to her students, she was tough enough to even physically discipline delinquents. As such, she was extremely popular, with a fan club formed by her students, including Maruo, and she is still revered after her death.

In her personal life, she raised the quintuplets as a single mother and was forced to live in extreme poverty, no different from the Uesugi family, until she remarried. Despite this, she never complained and always taught her children the importance of being together as five.

Quintuplets’ Grandfather

Voice – Yutaka Nakano

The quintuplets’ grandfather and Rena’s father. He manages the long-established inn, “Kumatora”.

He is a white-haired old man with not much time left to live. He is one of the few people who can distinguish the faces of the quintuplets. He passed away a few years before Futaro’s wedding.

Mudou Jin’nosuke

Voice – Jiro Saito

A middle-aged man with a shaved head and white beard. Like Rena, he was a former teacher and her ex-colleague.

The quintuplets’ biological father. The moment he found out that Rena was pregnant with quintuplets, he vanished and was said to have gone missing, but he was actually thinking about the quintuplets while traveling around the country as a lecturer.

At first glance, he seems like a gentle person, but he has made clearly insulting comments to his wife Rena, and claims that their stepfather Maruo is not fit to be a father, showing a highly self-centered personality.

As a result of his continuous avoidance of his responsibilities as a father, he was disowned by Itsuki and Maruo at the school festival and forced to leave.

Anime

The production of a TV anime adaptation was announced on August 8, 2018, and the first season was aired from January to March 2019 on the TBS “AnimeRico” slot and other platforms.

The second season, “The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬”, was announced on May 5, 2019, and similarly aired on the “AnimeRico” slot and other platforms from January to March 2021. The BS broadcast was changed from BS-TBS to BS11, where reruns of the first season started from October 2020. The initial plan was to broadcast the show from October 2020, but due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the broadcast was postponed.

The TV special “The Quintessential Quintuplets ∽” was announced on April 1, 2023, and is scheduled to be broadcast from the summer of 2023. Additionally, a limited advance screening is scheduled in theaters nationwide from July 14th of the same year for three weeks. The special will primarily adapt original manga episodes that have not been covered in the previous anime series.

The original manga of the anime “The Quintessential Quintuplets” concluded with a total of 14 volumes, which have been fully animated in the TV anime’s second season and the movie “The Quintessential Quintuplets,” released in 2022. A new anime production titled “The Quintessential Quintuplets ∽” will premiere as a TV special in theaters nationwide starting on July 14, 2023, and it will animate some original manga episodes that were not covered in the TV series.

Considering “The Quintessential Quintuplets ∽”, almost all of the original manga’s episodes will be animated, making it less likely that a third season of the TV series will be produced. However, given the popularity of the series, it is quite conceivable that one-off TV specials or OVAs could continue to be produced in the future.

As soon as we receive more specific information about the broadcast dates for the anime “The Quintessential Quintuplets ∽“, we will update this article accordingly.

Offical website:https://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/5hanayome/

(C)春場ねぎ・講談社／「五等分の花嫁」製作委員会

(C)春場ねぎ・講談社／「五等分の花嫁∬」製作委員会

(C)春場ねぎ・講談社／「五等分の花嫁∽」製作委員会