Ao-chan Can't Study! (Japanese: 淫らな青ちゃんは勉強ができない, Hepburn: Midara na Ao-chan wa Benkyō ga Dekinai; lit. "Lewd Ao-chan Can't Study") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ren Kawahara. The series was serialized in Kodansha's Shōnen Magazine Edge magazine from October 2015 to December 2018, and was compiled into eight tankōbon volumes. The manga is licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, who began releasing the manga digitally in English in September 2018. A sequel manga was launched in January 2019, and an anime television series adaptation by Silver Link aired from April 6 to June 22, 2019.
Contents
Plot
When she was in kindergarten, Ao Horie shared a short essay about herself, which she soon regrets, because of her father, Hanasaki Horie, who is an author of erotic novels. Ao aims to go to an elite university to finally leave her father, but she soon meets Takumi Kijima in their first year in high school. Ao cannot think of a way to avoid Takumi and constantly thinks of them as a couple. Ao believes her father has influenced her way of thinking, and is often disturbed by Takumi being in love with her.
Characters
Ao Horie (堀江 青, Horie Ao)
Voiced by: Azumi Waki (Japanese); Sarah Wiedenheft (English)
A high school girl who tries not to associate with any of her classmates, especially boys, because her father is an erotic novelist. She is a top student, and aspires to someday live far away. She has a negative view of boys and sex, thinking they are all perverts and wolves, even though she has boys often flirting with her due to her beauty. That is until Takumi Kijima, who is in love with her, wanted to be friends with her, leaving her baffled and emotionally confused. Ao cannot seem to avoid him and often gets into embarrassing situations with Takumi. Although she is initially annoyed and disturbed by Takumi's romantic advances towards her, she later develops feelings for him and becomes his girlfriend.
Takumi Kijima (木嶋 拓海, Kijima Takumi)
Voiced by: Junta Terashima (Japanese); Blake Jackson (English)
Ao's classmate in high school is popular and is in love with Ao and is thrilled when Ao inadvertently makes the first move in wanting to be friends with him. He occasionally points out embarrassing situations with Ao, even though she tries to ignore it and avoid him at first. He is desperate of wanting to win Ao's heart, so much so that he often gets jealous whenever other boys try to flirt with her. He later starts dating Ao when she finally reciprocates his feelings.
Hanasaki Horie (堀江 花咲, Horie Hanasaki)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); David Harbold (English)
Ao's father and a well-known erotic novelist. His major works are Promiscuous Lament and 100 Words of Significance in Bed. He likes to intervene in Ao's social life. His character resembles Happosai from the Ranma ½ manga.
Miyabi Takaoka (高岡 雅, Takaoka Miyabi)
Voiced by: Juri Kimura (Japanese); Natalie Rial (English)
An old classmate of Ao from kindergarten. She has a crush on Takumi, but she does not understand why he likes Ao. She and Ao do not get along very well.
Souichiro Yabe (矢部 総一郎, Yabe Sōuichirō)
Voiced by: Takashi Kondō (Japanese); Joe Daniels (English)
The editor for Hanasaki's novels.
Masaki Uehara (上原 将生, Uehara Masaki)
Voiced by: Yusuke Shirai (Japanese); Bryson Baugus (English)
One of Takumi's friends, who also likes Ao.
Shuhei Yonezuka (米塚 周平, Yonezuka Shūhei)
Voiced by: Toshinari Fukamachi (Japanese); Mike Haimoto (English)
One of Takumi's friends.
Media
Manga
Ao-chan Can't Study!, written and illustrated by Ren Kawahara, was serialized in Kodansha's Shōnen Magazine Edge magazine from October 2015 to December 2018. Kodansha USA has licensed the manga in North America, which has been releasing the manga digitally in English since September 2018. It was compiled into eight tankōbon volumes. A sequel manga began serialization in January 2019.
Ao-chan Can't Study!: Adult Arc (Japanese: 淫らな青ちゃんは勉強ができない オトナ編, Hepburn: Midara na Ao-chan wa Benkyō ga Dekinai Otona Hen; lit. "Lewd Ao-chan Can't Study: Adult Arc")
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on December 4, 2018. The series is animated by Silver Link and directed by Keisuke Inoue, with Michiko Yokote handled series composition, and Miwa Oshima designed the characters. It aired from April 6 to June 22, 2019, on the Animeism programming block on MBS, TBS, and BS-TBS. Edoga Sullivan performed the series' opening theme song "Wonderful Wonder", while Spira Spica performed the series' ending theme song "Koi wa Miracle" (恋はミラクル). Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for international regions, excluding Asia; an English dub was produced. In Southeast Asia and South Asia, Muse Communication streamed the series on its Muse Asia YouTube channel.