Marriage Royale

Marriage Royale (マリッジロワイヤル) is a series of illustrated Japanese fictional short stories written by Shingo Hifumi and illustrated by Aoi Nishimata and Hiro Suzuhira; both illustrators are from Navel. The short stories are a part of a reader-participation game in the Japanese bishōjo magazine Dengeki G's Magazine, published by ASCII Media Works, which started in the January 2006 issue. A manga based on the short stories, illustrated by Koko Natsuki from Lime, started serialization in the April 2007 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine.

Story
Marriage Royale's story revolves around the male protagonist, a high school student named Tsukasa Hinomoto, who is told one day by his parents that he was adopted. Furthermore, they tell him that his real father is a manager of a large company, meaning he is very rich and holds a lot of power. Tsukasa's real father wants his son to marry a good woman, so he sets up an event known as Marriage Royale where beautiful girls from all over Japan will come together at a school built especially for the event and vie to become Tsukasa's fiancée. The school is located on an isolated island near Japan, and Tsukasa himself is taken there to live in a mansion in the care of two twin maids: Miku, the elder sister, and Miu, the younger sister.

Main characters

 * Tsukasa Hinomoto (日乃本 司)
 * Tsukasa is the protagonist of the story. He is the one all the bride candidates are vying to marry once the "Marriage Royale" is finished.


 * Miku (美久)
 * Miku is one half of the maid twins, the other being her younger sister Miu. She works for Tsukasa's father, and takes care of the mansion where he lives.
 * Miku is one half of the maid twins, the other being her younger sister Miu. She works for Tsukasa's father, and takes care of the mansion where he lives.


 * Miu (美宇)
 * Miu is the younger sister of Miku, her twin sister, and fellow maid of the mansion where Tsukasa lives. She is in charge of educating Tsukasa in a more proper upbringing.
 * Miu is the younger sister of Miku, her twin sister, and fellow maid of the mansion where Tsukasa lives. She is in charge of educating Tsukasa in a more proper upbringing.

Bride candidates

 * Minato Daiba (大場 湊)
 * Minato is from Tokyo; her name comes from Minato, Tokyo, and Odaiba. She is Tsukasa's childhood friend, and since she is prone to making silly mistakes, she sometimes appears younger than she is. She has known Tsukasa since they were in kindergarten, and went to the same junior-high, and high schools, and plans to go to the same university as him too.
 * Minato is from Tokyo; her name comes from Minato, Tokyo, and Odaiba. She is Tsukasa's childhood friend, and since she is prone to making silly mistakes, she sometimes appears younger than she is. She has known Tsukasa since they were in kindergarten, and went to the same junior-high, and high schools, and plans to go to the same university as him too.


 * Minami Umeda (宇目田 深波)
 * Minami is from Osaka Prefecture; her name comes from Namba, which is also known as Minami, and Umeda. She and Tsukasa went to the same elementary school together, and Minami developed her first crush on him. Despite being from Osaka, she can speak both standard Japanese dialent, and Kansai dialect, which is the main dialect of the region in and around Osaka. She has a high interest in fashion and styles of clothing.
 * Minami is from Osaka Prefecture; her name comes from Namba, which is also known as Minami, and Umeda. She and Tsukasa went to the same elementary school together, and Minami developed her first crush on him. Despite being from Osaka, she can speak both standard Japanese dialent, and Kansai dialect, which is the main dialect of the region in and around Osaka. She has a high interest in fashion and styles of clothing.


 * Komachi Akita (秋田 小町)
 * Komachi is from Akita Prefecture; her name comes from a brand in rice in Japan known as Akitakomachi. Her family holds friendly relations with Tsukasa's birth-family and is a typical daughter of a distinguished family. She was originally brought up to become Tsukasa's fiancé.
 * Komachi is from Akita Prefecture; her name comes from a brand in rice in Japan known as Akitakomachi. Her family holds friendly relations with Tsukasa's birth-family and is a typical daughter of a distinguished family. She was originally brought up to become Tsukasa's fiancé.


 * Otoha Shinjo (新城 音羽)
 * Otoha is from Aichi Prefecture; her name comes from Otowa, Aichi, and Shinshiro, Aichi. She is the niece of Tsukasa's adoptive parents, making her his cousin, though she also seems like a younger sister to him. She is generally innocent, though is also selfish and has an evil-streak.
 * Otoha is from Aichi Prefecture; her name comes from Otowa, Aichi, and Shinshiro, Aichi. She is the niece of Tsukasa's adoptive parents, making her his cousin, though she also seems like a younger sister to him. She is generally innocent, though is also selfish and has an evil-streak.


 * Miyako Asakura (朝倉 美弥子)
 * Miyako is from Fukuoka Prefecture; her name comes from Miyako, Fukuoka, and Asakura, Fukuoka. She has a doting father, which humbles her view of male society. She hates to lose in anything, and when engaged in a challenge, she will stop at nothing to win. She typically has a cold attitude towards Tsukasa, giving her a tsundere personality.
 * Miyako is from Fukuoka Prefecture; her name comes from Miyako, Fukuoka, and Asakura, Fukuoka. She has a doting father, which humbles her view of male society. She hates to lose in anything, and when engaged in a challenge, she will stop at nothing to win. She typically has a cold attitude towards Tsukasa, giving her a tsundere personality.


 * Yakumo Hidaka (日高 八雲)
 * Yakumo is from Hokkaidō; her name comes from Yakumo, Hokkaidō, and Hidaka, Hokkaidō. She is a hard person to figure out, and others do not readily know her intentions; part of the reason for this is that she dresses in a Gothic Lolita style of clothing. She is generally indifferent about the world around her, and can be blunt.
 * Yakumo is from Hokkaidō; her name comes from Yakumo, Hokkaidō, and Hidaka, Hokkaidō. She is a hard person to figure out, and others do not readily know her intentions; part of the reason for this is that she dresses in a Gothic Lolita style of clothing. She is generally indifferent about the world around her, and can be blunt.


 * Sera Saeki (佐伯 世羅)
 * Sera is from Hiroshima Prefecture; her name comes from Sera, Hiroshima, and Saeki-ku, Hiroshima. Due to a traumatic event when she was a child, she has developed a fear of men. This fear is expressed especially in closed spaces near men, such as in elevators, or packed trains. She likes to collect stuffed toys and dolls, and generally likes things that are considered cute.
 * Sera is from Hiroshima Prefecture; her name comes from Sera, Hiroshima, and Saeki-ku, Hiroshima. Due to a traumatic event when she was a child, she has developed a fear of men. This fear is expressed especially in closed spaces near men, such as in elevators, or packed trains. She likes to collect stuffed toys and dolls, and generally likes things that are considered cute.


 * Asahi Sanjo (三条 朝日)
 * Asahi is from Niigata Prefecture; her name comes from Asahi, Niigata, and Sanjō, Niigata. She was raised by her father, and due to his influence, dresses and acts like a male, rarely wearing feminine attire.
 * Asahi is from Niigata Prefecture; her name comes from Asahi, Niigata, and Sanjō, Niigata. She was raised by her father, and due to his influence, dresses and acts like a male, rarely wearing feminine attire.


 * Ena Tenryū (天竜 江奈)
 * Ena is from Shizuoka Prefecture; her name comes from the Tenryū-ku ward of Hamamatsu. During her junior-high school years, she was a junior of Minami Umeda, but afterwards transferred to Shizuoka Prefecture. She is usually a cheerful girl who is frank and manages the soccer club.
 * Ena is from Shizuoka Prefecture; her name comes from the Tenryū-ku ward of Hamamatsu. During her junior-high school years, she was a junior of Minami Umeda, but afterwards transferred to Shizuoka Prefecture. She is usually a cheerful girl who is frank and manages the soccer club.


 * Iyo Uwajima (宇和島 伊予)
 * Iyo is from Ehime Prefecture; her name comes from Iyo, Ehime, and Uwajima, Ehime. Despite being eighteen-years-old, she comes off as an older gyaru-like girl. She is the eldest of four sisters and likes to look after her younger siblings. She has the tendency to get wild ideas and can be seen as unreliable.
 * Iyo is from Ehime Prefecture; her name comes from Iyo, Ehime, and Uwajima, Ehime. Despite being eighteen-years-old, she comes off as an older gyaru-like girl. She is the eldest of four sisters and likes to look after her younger siblings. She has the tendency to get wild ideas and can be seen as unreliable.


 * Ebino Hamayū (浜木綿 えびの)
 * Ebino is from Miyazaki Prefecture; her name comes from Ebino, Miyazaki, and the Japanese name for the Poisonbulb flower. She has a bit of an evil-streak and is maniacal about many hobbies. She likes to call Tsukasa "Darling", and is the shortest of the bride candidates.
 * Ebino is from Miyazaki Prefecture; her name comes from Ebino, Miyazaki, and the Japanese name for the Poisonbulb flower. She has a bit of an evil-streak and is maniacal about many hobbies. She likes to call Tsukasa "Darling", and is the shortest of the bride candidates.


 * Uruma Nago (名護 うるま)
 * Uruma is from Okinawa Prefecture; her name comes from Nago, Okinawa, and Uruma, Okinawa. She is the youngest child from a large, poor family. Due to a simplistic life with little to no luxuries, she was able to focus mainly on her school work and gets good grades because of it. She likes to refer to Tsukasa as "Onii-san", meaning "older brother".
 * Uruma is from Okinawa Prefecture; her name comes from Nago, Okinawa, and Uruma, Okinawa. She is the youngest child from a large, poor family. Due to a simplistic life with little to no luxuries, she was able to focus mainly on her school work and gets good grades because of it. She likes to refer to Tsukasa as "Onii-san", meaning "older brother".

Short stories
Marriage Royale began as a reader-participation game in the January 2006 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine sold on November 30, 2005, where the profiles of two girls, Minato Daiba and Minami Umeda, were supplied for the reader. After reading the profiles, the reader could illustrate what they wanted the girls to look like, and send it in; out of all the entries, two were chosen for each girl, and the attributes of both were combined to create a single character design illustrated by either Aoi Nishimata, or Hiro Suzuhira. Both illustrators are from Navel, which is also known for producing the visual novels Shuffle!, and Soul Link. Every three months, two new profiles were published, and this pattern continued until the fourth round with eight girls at the time. The second round introduced Komachi Akita, and Otoha Shinjo; the third round brought in Miyako Asakura, and Yamuko Hidaka; and the fourth round had Sera Saeki, and Asahi Sanjo. On July 30, 2007, four more profiles were published, with the same rules applying as with the previous rounds; the fifth round covered Ena Tenryū, Iyo Uwajima, Ebino Hamayū, and Uruma Nago. Aoi Nishimata has provided illustrations for Miku, Minami, Komachi, Yakumo, Sera, Iyo, and Ebino; Hiro Suzuhira drew Miu, Minato, Otoha, Miyako, Asahi, Ena, and Uruma.

The short stories themselves are more or less vignettes where each one gives a very brief glimpse of a scene between the protagonist, and the given heroine he is with in the story. The stories are accompanied by illustrations of the given heroine, and are drawn by either Aoi Nishimata, or Hiro Suzuhira depending on which artist originally drew which girl. The first batch of stories, serialized between the May 2006 and March 2007 issues, was under the collective title Girl's Heart, and contained eight chapters, one for each of the first eight heroines. A second batch under the general title Dearest Stories started serialization in the October 2007 issue.

Manga
The Marriage Royale manga, illustrated by Koko Natsuki of Lime, started serialization in the April 2007 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine sold on February 30, 2007, published by ASCII Media Works. The first bound volume was released on October 27, 2007 containing the first eight chapters, published under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics label; the fifth volume was released on October 27, 2009. The manga contains the eight girls from the first four rounds of the reader-participation game, and carries the same premise as with the game too.