Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai

Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (天使なんかじゃない) is a shōjo and romance manga created by Ai Yazawa. It was serialized in Ribon and later in eight volumes of graphic novels. This series should not be confused with another similarly titled manga, Tenshi Ja Nai.

An OVA adaptation was released in 1994.

Synopsis
Midori Saejima is a first-year student at the newly established Hijiri Gakuen. Midori is persuaded by her classmates to run for student council. Although reluctant at first, once Midori realizes that Akira Sudō is also running for student council, she becomes eager to win the election. Ever since Midori had seen Akira during the beginning of the school year, she had felt an intense attraction to him. Akira and Midori are elected president and vice-president respectively for the student council. Thus begins their story that centers on their relationship and the many adventures of high school with their friends.

Midori and Akira quickly become close, and Midori eagerly seeks the opportunity to become Akira's girlfriend. Although Akira seems to have similar feelings for Midori, Midori eventually finds out about Akira's feelings toward Hiroko, who is Midori's favorite art teacher at their school. Akira explains his past with Hiroko and how he considers her to be an important person in his life. Midori is somewhat comforted by Akira's honesty and his explanation that his relationship with Hiroko is strictly platonic. Akira eventually comes to reciprocate Midori's feelings.

However, their relationship is troubled by Midori's increasing jealousy toward Hiroko and Akira's strong connection. They break up after months of awkwardness. Midori finds comfort in her long-time friend Ken Nakagawa, who has secretly loved Midori for years. Once Akira abruptly leaves the country to find Masashi Sakamoto, Hiroko's lover and Akira's half-brother, Midori realizes that she cannot be with anyone except Akira.

Midori and Akira rekindle their relationship after Akira comes back. The story ends their graduation from high school.

Characters

 * Midori Saejima (冴島翠)
 * The protagonist of the story. She is always happy and has many friends at school. Likes to draw and sing. She falls in love with Akira.


 * Akira Sudō (須藤晃)
 * A main character in the story. The guy who Midori falls in love with. He has a troubled past with an unhappy childhood, but eventually opens up to Midori.


 * Ken Nakagawa (中川ケン)
 * Midori's friend from junior-high. Ken is a musician who dreams of becoming a star. He first appears in volume 3, when Midori meets up with some of her old friends on her birthday. He is often mentioned in another of Yazawa's works, Gokinjo Monogatari, as the character Tsutomu bears an uncanny resemblance to him.


 * Hiroko Maki (牧博子)
 * Art teacher at Midori's school. She is popular among her students due to her beauty and kind personality. Struggles with her on and off relationship with Masashi. She knows Akira through Masashi.


 * Masashi Sakamoto (坂本将志)
 * Akira's tutor before high school. An avid artist, he leaves Hiroko in Japan and travels around the world (mostly France) for his art. It is revealed in the story that Masashi is Akira's half-brother.


 * Yuko Mamiya (麻宮裕子)
 * She joined student council and was elected secretary with Bunta Kouno. She became Midori's best friend. She longs to be Shūichi's girlfriend ever since they went to junior high together. At first glance she looks like a stuck up or cold person because of her attitude. But she really is nice.


 * Shūichi Takigawa (瀧川秀一)
 * He joined the student council at the beginning of the manga and was elected treasurer. He became Akira's best friend. He is very popular among the girls in his school because of his good looks.

Crossovers

 * In chapter 36, Akira is seen watching Suzu Sakuma, a character of Wataru Yoshizumi's manga Marmalade Boy, on a pizza commercial. Likewise in chapter 18, Akira is seen commenting on Ginta's behavior when he reads a chapter of the same manga in an issue of Ribon.


 * Takigawa, Mamirin, Midori and Akira are all seen in Ai Yazawa's other manga Gokinjo Monogatari