Strobe Edge

 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka. It began serialization in 2007 in the shōjo manga magazine "Bessatsu Margaret" and ended in 2010. The chapters are collected and bound in tankōbon format by Shueisha under the Margaret Comics label. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media with its first volume released in November 2012. A live-action film adaptation had its theatrical release on March 14, 2015.
Plot.
First-year high school student Ninako Kinoshita has never been in love with anyone until she meets popular schoolmate Ren Ichinose while boarding the train for school. She gradually falls in love with him as she gets to know him, though she has to face the truth that Ren is already in a committed relationship with Mayuka Korenaga, a model and the older sister of her friend Daiki, whose love confession Ninako rejects and whose subsequent up-and-down relationship with Ninako's best friend Sayuri Uehara becomes the series' secondary plot. Through Ren, Ninako is also introduced to his friend Takumi Ando who, despite his womanizing tendency, genuinely falls in love with her.
Ninako and Ren are then thrown into situations that require them to be close together, such as working part-time at the same restaurant and being chosen to buy supplies for the summer festival. Gradually, Ren begins to develop feelings for Ninako, but he is adamant in his choice to stay with Mayuka. Realizing that this act is hurting the both of them, Mayuka chooses to break up with Ren. At the same time, Ando continues to urge Ninako to move on from Ren and be his girlfriend. Once while with Ninako, Ando is confronted by Mao Sugimoto, an ex-girlfriend who cheated him by kissing Ren, causing their breakup and Ando's friendship with Ren to grow strained.
In the next school year, Ninako gets to be in the same class as Ren and Ando, while Mao enrolls in the same school as them as a freshman, irritating Ando. Ninako and Ren continue to develop feelings for each other. Mao meets with Ninako and urges her to stop following Ren because she wants him and Ando reconcile. When Ando confronts Mao about this, she states that she wants Ninako and Ren to drift apart so "Ando" can pursue Ninako, to atone for what Mao (who still loves Ando) did to him before. Not knowing the reason, Ninako begins to avoid and ignore Ren, who has begun to pursue her so he can confess. When he does, Ninako declines without reason, and when he insists, she becomes upset and tells him to leave her alone. She is, however, encouraged by Ando to stop pitying him and instead follow her heart. Realizing that what she has done is selfish, Ninako goes after the dejected Ren and confesses to him, which he immediately accepts.
Media.
Manga.
A forty-three page bonus chapter, to commemorate the release of the live-action film, was printed in the April 2015 issue of "Betsuma".
Drama CDs.
"Strobe Edge" originally had a vomic (voiceover comic) produced by Shueisha, where voice actors provided voices to manga panels. Once plans for drama CDs were made, Shueisha closed down the vomic website. Two drama CDs were released, the first on August 25, 2010 and the second on September 22, 2010. The drama CDs used an entirely new voice cast with the exception of Yui Shōji, who was the only one to reprise her role as Mayuka Korenaga.
Live-action film.
A live-action film adaptation of "Strobe Edge" was announced to have been greenlit on the August 2014 issue of "Bessatsu Margaret". The adaptation had its theatrical release on March 14, 2015. The film was directed by Ryūichi Hiroki and stars Kasumi Arimura as Ninako Kinoshita and Sota Fukushi as Ren Ichinose. Japanese vocal group Greeeen provided a cover version of their hit song sung by a sister female vocalist group Whiteeeen.
Reception.
"Strobe Edge" received moderate success in Japan. The fourth volume charted at #29 on Oricon during the first week of sales, selling a total of 34,158 copies. The fifth volume ranked at #19 and sold 46,299 copies on its first week of sales. The release of the sixth volume peaked at #24 and sold 51,402 copies. The seventh volume charted at #9 and sold 82,575 copies on its first week and 109,758 in total. The eighth volume charted at #7 and sold 76,372 copies on its first week and 137,087 in total. The ninth volume charted at #4 and sold 152,907 copies on its first week and 211,188 in total. The final volume charted at #3 and sold 132,738 copies on its first week of sales. It became the 43rd best-selling volume of the first half of 2011, selling a total of 356,021 copies.
In a poll done by Escala Cafe in April 2011, out of 316 votes from women from the ages of 22 and 29, 2.5% were interested in a live-action adaptation of "Strobe Edge".
It was chosen as one of the Great Graphic Novels 2014 in the fiction section by the Young Adult Library Services Association and also as one of the 2014 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens in the fiction section.
The live-action film adaptation "earned $2.74 million in its opening frame for the number three spot" at the Japanese Box Office, according to Mark Schilling, writing for "Variety" after its opening weekend. Schilling noted that "distributor Toho expects the film to finish with JPY2.5 billion ($20.6 million)." The film grossed .