No Bra


 * For the band, see No Bra (band)

No Bra (のーぶら) is a Japanese teenage boy's romance manga written and illustrated by Kenjiro Kawatsu that has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion since 2002.

No Bra tells the story of Masato Kataoka, a somewhat dimwitted high school student, whose childhood friend Yuki Nomura moves in with him one day. Because of Yuki's cute face, girlish clothing, and apparently feminine features, Masato is extremely happy with his new life—until Yuki's mother calls Masato, and tells him that Yuki is a boy. The story revolves around Masato's relationship with Yuki and his slowly disintegrating reluctance to develop romantic feelings for him.

Plot
Years before the start of No Bra, Masato Kataoka and Yuki Nomura were childhood friends, though they were later separated—with Masato soon forgetting anything about the friendship and Yuki still treasuring those memories. Masato grows to become a high school student enrolled in Meikyuu Private Academy, whereas Yuki moves from school to school, never quite fitting in because of his crossdressing and feminine features. One day, however, Yuki moves in with Masato and starts going to Meikyuu. Yuki soon becomes one of the most popular "girls" in the class, alongside Kaoru Oozora, whom Masato nurses a crush on. Meanwhile, Yuki continues to refuse all of Masato's pleas for him to act more manly, forcing Masato to stop any idea that Yuki and Masato live together, while also juggling his feelings for Yuki and Kaoru.

Characters

 * Masato Kataoka (片岡 正人)
 * Masato Kataoka is a freshman in Meikyuu Private Academy who lives by himself in Tokyo. He always wears Hawaiian shirts and is best friends with Hideki Nogami. Masato is often one to blend with the background, although he does stand up to what he deems unjust from time to time. Masato constantly daydreams about the opposite sex (or about Yuki with a female body), but also becomes confused when he sees Yuki as attractive, since he is biologically male. Masato and Yuki were also childhood friends, but Masato does not remember anything from that time period, much to Yuki's chagrin.


 * Yuki Nomura (野村 ユウキ)
 * Yuki is Masato's childhood friend, though unlike Masato, Yuki remembers and treasures the friendship. Ever since Yuki and Masato parted ways in their childhood, Yuki has been growing out his hair; when Masato finally convinces him to cut it, Yuki obliges because it represents a "memento of [their] meeting again" . Yuki is also a crossdresser, and this combined with his naturally feminine features causes everybody except Masato to believe Yuki is a girl; Masato's attempts to convince people otherwise usually result in them belittling Masato and insulting him. Therefore, Yuki is extremely popular with the rest of the boys in his class, although Yuki states the only person he loves is Masato. His family is fully aware that he is a "crossdresser", yet in later chapters, it is implied and acknowledged by most characters and Yuki that he has "the heart of a girl and the body of a boy"; thus, "he" is rather transgender than a cross-dresser.


 * Hideki Nogami (野上 秀樹)
 * Hideki is Masato's best friend. He is completely unaware that Yuki is male, and as such is constantly determined to make Masato fall in love with Yuki. Hideki is also very overweight, though he uses this trait to his advantage—at one point using his massive body as a human shield for Masato to carry away a drunken Yuki from would-be male admirers. Hideki is also nicknamed "Hidepon" in the manga.


 * Kaoru Oozora (大空 薫)
 * Kaoru is the most popular girl in Masato's class, having both athleticism and high grades . Masato is enamored with her, although he constantly berates himself for being too out of her league. However, Masato has helped Kaoru on many occasions—some of which Masato does not even remember—and this causes Kaoru to harbor some feelings for Masato, as well. Noticing this, Hideki becomes angry on Yuki's behalf, and often tries to keep the two apart. In chapter 18, it turns out "Maa-kun" is actually Kaoru. She was 'Masato Kaoru' until her mother remarried and changed her name from 'Masato' to 'Oozura'.


 * Mariko Mizutani (水谷 麻理子)
 * Mariko, also known as "Miss Mizutani" (水谷先生 Mizutani-sensei), is Masato, Yuki, Hideki, and Kaoru's homeroom teacher. She becomes suspicious when she discovers that Yuki and Masato have the same home address. She's quick to take advantage of their situation in order to keep herself from being fired and so she can pay her overdue loans, saying she doesn't have to pay rent while living with them. Mizutani is a rude, freeloading, drunkard. Extremely irresponsible, she has Yuki drink with her and spends all of her wages on expensive goods instead of paying off her loans. Caring only for her own wellbeing and comfort, she goes to extreme lengths to make her life easier even at the expense of others. She later offers Masato sexual experiences to continue living in his home.