is a manga series about a young schoolgirl named Azusa Noyama, nicknamed Azuki-chan because when she was in first grade, Ken Takayanagi, a boy in her class, accidentally reads her name, "Azusa(あずさ)", as "Azuki(あずき)". Originally serialized in Nakayoshi magazine, later adapted into anime by Madhouse. Plot summary Azusa Noyama (野山 梓 Noyama Azusa) always hated her nickname, Azuki (小豆ちゃん Azuki-chan). She hates it until one day a new boy, Yūnosuke Ogasawara (小笠原 勇之助 Ogasawara Yūnosuke), starts in the same class as her on the first day of fifth grade. Earlier that day, Azuki is teased by Ken Takayanagi (高柳 健 Takayanagi Ken), or Ken-chan, about her nickname. Yūnosuke passes by and happily memorizes the name becoming the first girl he notices. Azuki is overjoyed, and instantly falls in love with him, loving both him and her nickname. However, Azuki gets jealous when she sees him closer to other girls. Azuki lives with her mother, Keiko (けい子), with her father, Tadashi (正), and with her little brother, Daizu (大豆) in an apartment. Azuki has three best friends, Kaoru Nishino (西野 薫 Nishino Kaoru), Midori Kodama (兒玉 持玉 翠 Kodama Jidama Midori) and Tomomi Takahashi (高橋 朋美 Takahashi Tomomi). Kaoru has blonde hair, and she's calm and sensitive so she often cries. She lives with her mom, who owns a salon, near from Azuki's apartment. Kaoru secretly crushes on Ken but he doesn't accept her because he likes Azuki. Although in that situation, Kaoru still thinks Azuki is her best friend. Later, Ken starts to open up to Kaoru and gets closer to her. Midori Kodama is a tomboy and her close friends call her "Jidama". She lives with her grandmother. They seem to have a very close relationship except one episode when Jidama have gone out and sneaked in Azuki's bedroom because of an argument with her grandmother. She doesn't have a crush on anyone but in an episode, she falls for a police officer who helped her when her house was robbed. However, Jidama stops crushing on him when she realizes that the police officer is already married. Tomomi, whom her friends called her "Tomo-chan" or "Tomo" is the class president. She wears glasses and has her hair in a black bob. She really likes Makoto Sakaguchi (坂口 誠 Sakaguchi Makoto), a close friend of Yūnosuke. Makoto didn't notice her at first but at last he asks her to go