Short Program (Japanese: ショート・プログラム, Hepburn: Shōto Puroguramu) is a Japanese manga anthology by Mitsuru Adachi. Four volumes compile stories selected from shōjo, shōnen, josei and seinen works released from 1985 until 2009.
Volumes
Short Program
The first collection, titled simply Short Program, collected stories published between 1985 and 1988. In Japan, Shogakukan published this in November 1988. In the United States, Viz Media published this collection in March 2000. The chapters are arranged differently from the Japanese release, for unknown reasons. As was customary with most manga published in the US at the time, the pages were 'flipped' so that they read left to right, rather than right to left as originally drawn. It is also printed at a larger paper size than the now-standard manga size.
Kazuhiko Sugii goes to his class reunion for fun, but once he meets Asako Takazawa and Toshio Higashi, it dawns on him how clueless he was about the three of them back in school.
2
6
At the Intersection
交差点前
Kōsaten Mae
Shōnen Big Comic
April 1986
Takechi goes to that intersection at around 5PM every day just to pass by a girl he crushes on, but never has the guts to confess to her or even knows her name, until a terrible misunderstanding results in her never coming again. But all this bad luck with her and his stupid friends may ultimately end up as good luck.
Shirimura's on a date with a cool neighbor who has helped her a lot. But as their conversations unfold, she realizes she's dating a creep.
4
2
Take Off
テイク・オフ
Teiku Ofu
Young Sunday
April 1988
Nagashima came to Nishizaki's to watch a sport show on which Nakata, a woman Nagashima knew in his hometown, is doing the high jump. After recounting stories about her peculiar trait with his friend, Nagashima realizes her sporting goal may have something to do with him, and she's about to do the ultimate jump.
Akatsuki has a crush on Etsuko who only has feelings for her boss at the coffee shop, while being rough on and unappreciative of Kei who's always enjoyed his company. Only when he finally realizes that Etsuko isn't meant for him and that Kei has changed only for him, Akatsuki changes too.
Chisato Ichinose and Ichirō Imai have feelings for each other but are too shy to profess them. It takes a jerk to step in and help change the status quo.
7
9
Purple
むらさき
Murasaki
Ciao
June 1985
Murasaki just doesn't want to pick any side in all the conflicts between the beautiful school council president Minako Seito or the delinquent girl gangs of Akashi and Aota in school. But neutral doesn't mean spineless, and when there's a bully, he will stand up to them, which explains the seemingly odd charm that he has over all the girls. Still, there's one side he may like to be on: the side of the awkward Haruna Komiya.
8
4-5
What's Going On!?
なにがなんだか
Nani ga Nanda ka
Shōnen Big Comic
January 1985
Keiichi is on the way to a ski resort to see the girl with whom he has been corresponding in person, at the same time remains cautious by using a fake name, so that he can bail in case her look turns out not as pleasant and encouraging as what he imagines she sounds through the letters. Unfortunately for him, everyone at that resort agrees to play a game in which they all also use fake names and fake identities as a means of escapism.
Short Program 2
The second collection, titled Short Program 2, collected stories published between 1988 and 1995. In Japan, Shogakukan published this in June 1996. In the United States, Viz Media published this collection in April 2004. Unlike the first volume, this collection was published right to left, in the now-standard paper size for manga.
Wakaba Moriyama gets a part-time assignment from her detective father: a spy mission that's unlike any of those intriguing stories in TV and movies. That is, she has to spy on a guy and that's all about it. As she yawns over her boring job, she discovers that what she's on gets intriguing all of a sudden and she may not even be the one who's doing the spying.
Detective Moriyama assigns his assistant to find out what Wakaba is up to lately. Apparently, she's been involving in some secret business with a married man. The evidence photos the assistant gets gives the detective a sigh of relief now that his potential son-in-law's powerful father's upset and doesn't approve of this prospect marriage with his daughter Wakaba, thinking this is a clever ruse his assistant has cooked up to scared off an unwanted suitor. The assistant refrains himself from reporting all of what he knows so far, only to find out that that's a right thing to do: not everything is as it seems.
3
A Stop on the Way
途中下車
Tochū Gesha
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
September 1994
16-year-old Wataru Matsumura is on his way to see the girl known as Akimi Sakura who was there to save his life, in order to profess his feelings for her. Unfortunately, he gets robbed right in the middle of the way. He's now stuck in a strange place, but fortunately, his classmate Keiko Komiya, who's working for her family's resort there, agrees to help him get a job so that he gets enough money to continue his travel to his true love. When he's done and starts boarding the next train, he chances on another classmate and finds out that he may not have to go anywhere else, after all.
A collection of 5 shorter stories: 1 お茶をにごす: Various people chats about various things in this small coffee shop. The shopkeeper also seems to have a thing for his beautiful, flirtatious waitress. 2 おかわりいかがですか？: A gold-digging woman thinks she can get away with bribing her ex in exchange for his silence in this coffee shop. Unfortunately there are speakers everywhere, and her next victim hears everything from the bathroom. 3 ちょっとお客さん: The shopkeeper speaks to his waitress about the struggles that that manga artist over there must be enduring. 4 クリームソーダ: A businesswoman misses one of the most important meetings of her life, with her ex-husband and her son. She decides to cancel all other meetings and just sit there at this coffee shop. But the pair of father and son also have to come back because they've dropped their precious family-photo key fob. 5 立つ鳥 お茶をにごす: The shopkeeper asks his beautiful, flirtatious waitress out, not knowing that the phone call to his wife was on the whole time.
5
4 on the Richter Scale
震度4
Shindo Yon
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
July 1988
When he can't muster enough courage to give her his love letter, an earthquake gives him some help.
Disgraced coach Kageyama now has to wear all black and tries his best to stop a boy from wanting to play baseball, all because of a psychic's prophecy that if that boy ever becomes a baseball player, it'll be the end of the Cats team. But Kageyama can't help being skeptical and keeps "accidentally" coaching that boy time and time again.
7
Spring Call
スプリング・コール
Supuringu Kōru
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
April 1993
Kōhei Shinjō the genuinely nice guy has an idea for a play titled Spring Call, with a subtle ending that his classmate Nao agrees would make a great play. But when the club president Akahori abuses his power for his own opportunistic and intelligence-insulting play, Kōhei can no longer stay a spineless nice guy.
As Kenji Uehara watches a rugby game at his old high school with Tomomi Sakamoto, he recalls memories of his best friend Takayama who, on this day four years ago, died happily thinking Tomomi said yes to him. No one could get over the loss of a rugby talent, and a very good friend.
The Road Home 1: While playing hide-and-seek with his friends in the country, a little boy somehow gets lost in a strange urban area. It appears that he has traveled to the future. He's only able to mysteriously get back home in the pitch dark night.
The Road Home 2: While on his way to cram school, a little boy finds himself stranded in the past. He manages to learn some cool things before getting back at class just in time.
Young crime drama writer Kōhei Taguchi has to finish a draft for his TV producer under the supervision of his sister, Chiaki Shinjō, who makes sure he finishes it in time instead of slacking off, even though Kōhei is facing a creative block in that he has to come up with some salacious moments for the show per the producer's request. While he stays with Chiaki, he also notices her two guy friends might be up to something suspicious for her. However, she insists that they are the best friends anyone could have, and it's unacceptable of him to badmouth them. And she's not wrong, they've been planning something for both of them.
2
Blowing Any Which Way
どこ吹く風
Doko Fuku Kaze
Big Comic Spirits
1992 issue 8
Shōhei has a crush on Michiko, but never has the courage to tell her, because he doesn't know for sure whether she's into him at all, or Shin. On the other hand, Shin is notorious for coming up with the most ridiculous excuses, which makes it hard for Shōhei to believe him at times. But sometimes, believing your best friend just might give you a chance with the girl you love.
3
Angel's Hammer
天使のハンマー
Tenshi no Hanmā
Big Comic
1998 issue 6
Years after leaving his hometown, Toshimichi hasn't achieved the success that he had hoped. For the last couple of days, he's been on his way for a reunion with his childhood friends, who he's always regretted leaving due to family circumstances. At the moment, he just starts talking to a stranger about how he used to have fun with his friends, but most of all how he misses the smallest, clingiest one of them, Shinta, who was devastated the day he left. All Toshimichi's hoping now is to come to the reunion and see Shinta. For some people, time only gives them old age. For others, time could make familiar faces hardly recognizable.
4
Memory Off
メモリーオフ
Memorī Ofu
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
2000 issues 6-7 (2 parts)
This New Year, Toshino can't afford to go on vacation with his family because he's very busy cramming for college. He figures he will be doing homework uneventfully for some time, until a mysterious girl shows up at his door asking who she is while pointing a gun at him.
5
White Summer
白い夏
Shiroi Natsu
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
2002 issues 36-37
(Original story by Buronson) Detective Gorō Mikami has shown that he's not afraid of standing up to powerful people. At the same time, his old friend Tetsu is on the run for murder. Gorō keeps blaming himself for the mistakes he made during that critical baseball game, and he thinks that if his school team had won that day, Tetsu wouldn't be the way he is now, which is probably true, but Tetsu never hated Gorō for that. He's on the run for him.
6
Square Sea
四角い海
Shikakui Umi
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
1998 30th Anniversary Special Issue,
Kenta's really mad at his doofus dad, whose recklessness resulted in him breaking his leg and having to stay indoors all day until it heals. With help from the tiny alien Colonel Doremi from planet Pampers, he discovers beautiful nature that can only be appreciated outdoors.
7
Idol A
アイドルA
Aidoru Ēsu
Young Sunday
2005 issue 36/37 - 2007 issue 5/6 (2 parts)
Azusa Satomi isn't only a beauty, but also a natural-born pitcher. Keita Hirayama is good at... impersonation (usually as a party trick). Both of them couldn't be more different in every way, yet somehow they look exactly, eerily alike. Since Azusa can't play all the way to professional baseball as a girl, she and her coaching father beg Keita to trade places with her on the team so that she can make use of her baseball talent, while also having to maintain her modeling career. Now that they have to literally impersonate each other and lead double lives, the mishaps come.
The Wilamette Week's Jamie Rich called the first volume of Short Program "solid, escapist entertainment" and "as irresistibly infatuating as comic books can get." He described the worlds created by Adachi as "ageless", describing his style as having "crisp, delicate [lines]" and having a "genuine sweetness".[1]
A live-action series with the same name based on the manga was announced on December 13, 2021. The adaptation is produced by Atmovie Inc. and Lapone Entertainment as an 11-episodes anthology television drama, with the members of boy group JO1 alternately playing the male protagonist in each episode. It was premiered on Amazon Prime Video starting March 1, 2022.[2][3]
