Today I read volume 6 out of 7 of the spinoff series Oainiku-sama Ninomiya-kun, and before I start writing individual posts on the remaining volumes, I thought I would make an overview post covering the series as a whole.
Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun (ご愁傷さま二ノ宮くん) is a light novel series written by Daisuke Suzuki (鈴木大輔) and illustrated by Kyourin Takanae (高苗京鈴). It spans 17 volumes published between 2004 and 2009, divided into 10 main story volumes and 7 spinoff volumes collected under the label Oainiku-sama Ninomiya-kun (おあいにくさま二ノ宮くん).
The story follows Shungo Ninomiya, a high school boy with strong morals, who becomes involved with the succubus Mayu Tsukimura and her brother, the incubus Mikihiro Tsukimura, after they begin living in his home. Mikihiro is a close friend of Shungo’s sister Ryoko, and together they hope that staying near Shungo will help Mayu overcome her fear of men.
This fear is a serious flaw for a succubus who needs male energy to survive and could spell her end long term. Shungo is never told why Mayu ended up like this, although the reader is aware from the start that Shungo and Mayu met in the past, even if he has forgotten.
Joining them is Reika Houjou, the student council president and heiress of a major conglomerate, who also ends up living in Shungo’s house as a maid. She too met him during childhood and fell in love with him, but like with Mayu, Shungo has no memory of their encounter.
Other minor characters are introduced along the way like Reika's assistant Mitsuru Hosaka or Shungo's classmate and best friend of Mayu Hinako Ayakawa, but most of the story revolves around the main three characters and their relationship developments.
As expected, the series leans heavily into comedy and ecchi antics, mostly involving Mayu and Reika and often triggered by Mikihiro, Ryoko, or even Shungo’s female classmates who enjoy teasing him. The situation is made even more chaotic by Mayu’s inability to control her powers. Whenever she gets flustered, the male students around her go into a ridiculous frenzy, which turns Shungo’s attempt to look after her into a constant struggle.
Despite all the comedy, the author never forgets the main plot. With every new volume, the story reveals more about why Shungo cannot remember Mayu or Reika and more about who Shungo is in the broader supernatural world of the series
Spoilers here
Shungo’s forgotten past is eventually explained. As a child, Mayu accidentally drained nearly all of his energy, bringing him to the brink of death until he was saved through extraordinary means. The incident wiped his memories of that period, including his encounters with Mayu and Reika. Later volumes also reveal that Shungo possesses a type of divine energy, which explains why so many factions are interested in him.
Reika is revealed to be a succubus herself, although she has no idea. Her meeting with Shungo in childhood changed her life and pushed her into becoming the driven, talented girl she is now. One of the side story chapters in this volume portrays her disappointment when she realizes Shungo does not remember her, but she refuses to give up and continues trying to stand by his side.
I am now only three volumes away from the end of the series (one side story volume and two main story volumes), and I am very curious to see what ending the author chose. I'm going to focus on reading the remaining volumes over the next week or so.
Given how things have progressed, I am hoping for a “both Reika and Mayu” ending. They both deserve happiness with Shungo, and they are, despite their claims, very close to one another as well. It would not even be unusual, considering the author has used similar endings in other works.
My favorite character of the series is definitely Reika, she's so hardworking and dedicated despite her inability to express her own feelings clearly. Mayu is not a bad girl (except when near Reika ahah), but feels a bit too plain and is hard to get too attached to her.
I really recommend giving this series a chance despite its age. Suzuki is a solid writer (I have read several of his other series and may cover them in future posts), and Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun is a fun and charming romcom with a surprisingly engaging overarching plot.
