Inu x Boku SS

Inu × Boku SS
Cover from the first volume of the Japanese manga
妖狐×僕SS (Inu Boku Shīkuretto Sābisu)
Genre	Comedy, Romance, Supernatural, Drama
Manga
Written by	Cocoa Fujiwara
Published by	Square Enix
English publisher	Yen Press
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Gangan Joker
Original run	2009 – ongoing
Volumes	8
Anime television series
Directed by	Naokatsu Suda
Music by	Kōtarō Nakagawa
Studio	David Production
Licensed by	AUS Hanabee NA Sentai Filmworks UK MVM Films
Network	MBS, TBS, CBC
English network	US Anime Network
Original run	January 12, 2012 – March 29, 2012
Episodes	12 + OVA

Inu × Boku SS (妖狐×僕SS, Inu Boku Shīkuretto Sābisu, lit. The Dog and I Secret Service), also known as Youko x Boku, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Cocoa Fujiwara. An anime adaptation by David Production aired in Japan between January and March 2012. The anime has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks for streaming, and home video release in North America.

Plot

The Maison de Ayakashi (メゾン・ド・章樫, Mezon do Ayakashi), better known as the Ayakashikan (妖館), is a high security apartment building where humans with demon ancestors, or youkai, reside, each guarded by their own Secret Service bodyguard. A youkai girl named Ririchiyo Shirakiin moves into the Ayakashikan hoping for some peace and quiet. Instead, she finds herself with the service of the Secret Service agent, Sōshi Miketsukami.

The first four volumes of the manga are a prologue. At the end of volume four, a foe possesses Karuta, leaving her in a coma for several months, and uses other youkai to attack the other residents of Maison de Ayakashi. Due to this, nearly every member of the main cast is killed. Part 2 takes place 23 years later, when those killed are reincarnated.

Characters

Ririchiyo Shirakiin (白鬼院 凜々蝶, Shirakiin Ririchiyo)

Voiced by: Rina Hidaka (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)

A half-human, half-demon high school girl who transferred to Room 4 of the Ayakashi Mansion in order to live alone. She yearns to be independent and constantly worries about not being able to communicate with other people properly, one of her reasons for moving. Her SS agent and servant is Sōshi, a fox spirit. She finds out that it was Sōshi who wrote the letters to her (which were meant to be from her fiancé) in chapter 8. Ririchiyo confesses to Sōshi in chapter 10. Though she has characteristics of a tsundere, she is actually a tsunshun in terms of personality.

Ririchiyo was killed at the age of 16 after trying to stop the enemy youkai raid after they killed Sōshi. In Part 2, she is reincarnated, but has amnesia after the trauma of losing Sōshi after he protected her. Once she does remember, she gains a resolution to protect everyone. As gratitude for everything she makes Sōshi coffee, and then breaks up her contract with him.

Sōshi Miketsukami (御狐神 双熾, Miketsukami Sōshi)

Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura (Japanese), Chris Patton (English)

The assigned SS Agent to Ririchiyo and her servant, Sōshi is the reincarnation of the evil Nine-Tailed Fox. Ririchiyo helped him when she was little. Later on in the series, it is apparent that Ririchiyo had changed him in a way. Very calm, polite, and gentle to people, he has a soft spot for his mistress, blindly obeying her and protecting her with his life if the situation calls for it. He enters a relationship with her when he reads her letter she meant to put into the time capsule. What he wishes for is a family, which he never had. A notable feature is his Heterochromia: his right eye is blue, while the other is a dark gold.

He was killed in action at the end of Part 1 at age 23, protecting Ririchiyo from a band of evil youkai. He is reincarnated but does not remember his previous life. After learning from Kagerō's mother how important Ririchiyo was for the previous Sōshi, he researches about him and becomes Ririchiyo's SS agent. After Ririchiyo regains her memories, she breaks her contract with him, in an attempt to protect him and also because she realizes he is not the same Sōshi she fell in love with.

Renshō Sorinozuka (反ノ塚 連勝, Sorinozuka Renshō)

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese), David Wald (English)

An Ittan-momen demon with several tattoos on his tanned skin, he is the tenant of Room 3. He develops a brother-sister relationship with Ririchiyo, also earning Sōshi's trust in the process. His SS Agent is Nobara, who although bicker quite a bit have a close relationship. He has a very lazy personality. He has been confessed love to many times by girls, but always rejects them, because he knows he will have to separate from them anyway, and while he can reincarnate, humans cannot.

He was one of the only Maison de Ayakashi members not to die due to the enemy youkai raid. As such, he has aged normally, and is now 41 years old. He is currently living with Nobara, and laments over what she has become: A middle school student. He now has a goatee.

Nobara Yukinokōji (雪小路 野ばら, Yukinokōji Nobara)

Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa (Japanese), Shelley Calene-Black (English)

The SS Agent assigned to Renshō. She is a Yuki-onna and wears glasses in her human form. She is very interested in fashion and cute girls. Although she states she has no interest in men, she hugs Renshō from behind, and can be surprisingly caring for him.

She was killed at the age of 22 by an enemy band of youkai. She was reincarnated, and is currently a middle school student.

Kagerō Shōkiin (青鬼院 蜻蛉, Shōkiin Kagerō)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese), David Matranga (English)

Tenant of Room 2; Sōshi, Banri, and Natsume's former master, and Ririchiyo's fiancée. Kagerō is eccentric, straightforward, and a narcissist, calling the other tenants "pigs" or "animals". His SS agent is Karuta, who he keeps on a chain and in a maid outfit. He classes people in two different categories - "Sadist" or "Masochist". Ririchiyo used to write him letters when she was young, however, the letters' responses were in fact written by Sōshi.

He died and reincarnated along with the others, and now lives in Maison de Ayakashi in Room #07.

Karuta Roromiya (髏々宮 カルタ, Roromiya Karuta)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)

The assigned SS Agent to Kagerō, a Gashadokuro (large skeleton made from the bone of people dead from starvation) whose human form depicts her as a light brown haired (reddish pink in the anime) teenage girl. Though she appears to be "zoned out" most of the time, she's actually very clever, observant, and likes eating. Karuta shows special feelings for Watanuki, who is her childhood friend.

Near the end of Part 1, she was attacked and possessed by enemy youkai who began to use her for their own purposes. She asked Watanuki to kill her, as she could never return to human form. Watanuki yelled to her and told her that he would still be by her side, no matter if she couldn't return to human form. Although she was so happy to hear these sentiments, she was completely taken over by the enemy and was forced to be killed sometime after the raid. In Part 2, she has been reincarnated, and is currently 20-years old. She now has short hair, and her breasts are bigger than in her previous life.

Banri Watanuki (渡狸 卍里, Watanuki Banri)

Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi (Japanese), Greg Ayres (English)

Tenant of Room 1, Banri is a mixed blood Tanuki demon with an impulsive streak and is very outspoken. Labeling himself a "delinquent", he considers Sōshi his rival because he called him cute, causing Banri to resent him. His SS agent is Zange. He has strong feelings for Karuta Roromiya, who was the reason he decided he wanted to become strong. He deeply hates and is afraid of Kagerō because he was bullied by him as kids and the way he treats Karuta.

Near the end of Part 1, he tries to convince a possessed Karuta that he will be by her side, even if she can't turn back into human form. Although she cries in happiness, she is unable to override the enemy's control, and Karuta as a person is completely erased. He chased after her, but was killed in the battle between the Maison de Ayakashi and the enemy youkai at age 16. He has been reincarnated in Part 2 as a middle school student, but has no memories of Part 1, much like Ririchiyo and Sōshi. His SS is Karuta in Part 2, and is the youngest of all the residents.

Zange Natsume (夏目 残夏, Natsume Zange)

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Blake Shepard (English)

The assigned SS agent to Banri, Natsume is a half-human, half-demon wearing a set of black rabbit ears on his head. He claims to be able to "see" things because of his demon heritage. He is a very cheerful individual. He is childhood friends with Sōshi and is very fond of him, calling him "Sou-tan" because of this. Natsume is somewhat an anemic and meddlesome busybody. His motto is "everyone should get along." But he has shown a more sinister side on occasion.

Natsume died of illness at age 24 after Sōshi was killed in the enemy youkai's raid. He was reincarnated, and is currently 21.

Media

Manga

The manga is titled Youko x Boku SS, and it is serialized in Gangan Joker. Currently, 8 volumes have been published in Japan. At the 2013 Sakura-Con, Yen Press announced that they have licensed this series and will be publishing the first volume in English in October of 2013.

No.	Japan release date	Japan ISBN	North America release date	North America ISBN
01	April 22, 2010	ISBN 978-4757528512
02	April 22, 2010	ISBN 978-4757528529
03	July 22, 2010	ISBN 978-4757529403
04	February 22, 2011	ISBN 978-4757531468
05	July 22, 2011	ISBN 978-4757532908
06	December 22, 2011	ISBN 978-4757534483
07	June 22, 2012	ISBN 978-4757536302
08	November 22, 2012	ISBN 978-4757537941
09	May 22, 2013	ISBN 978-4757539709

Anime

An anime adaptation by David Production began airing in Japan from January 12, 2012 and is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. An original video animation episode was released with the 7th Blu-ray Disc volume on September 26, 2012. The series has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks, who will release the series on Bluray and DVD in April 2013. MVM Films have licensed the series in the United Kingdom.

Music

Opening Theme

"Nirvana" (ニルヴァーナ, Niruvāna) by Mucc

Ending Themes

1. "Rakuen no Photograph" (楽園のPhotograph) by Yuichi Nakamura

2. "Kimi wa" (君は) by Rina Hidaka

3. "One Way" by Takuya Eguchi and Mamoru Miyano

4. "SM Hantei Forum" (SM判定フォーラム, Esuemu Hantei Fōramu) by Tomokazu Sugita

5. "Sweets Parade" by Kana Hanazawa

6. "Taiyō to Tsuki" (太陽と月) by Yoshimasa Hosoya and Yōko Hikasa

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate
01	"The Dog and I" "Inu to Boku" (いぬとぼく)	January 12, 2012
Ririchiyo Shirakiin, a girl from a rich family, moves into the high security Maison de Ayakashi apartment complex, where she finds herself assigned a Secret Service agent named Sōshi Miketsukami. Ririchiyo is reluctant to have Sōshi as her Secret Service, particularly as she doesn't feel worth protecting as her family household has taken up much of her being. One night, a burglar breaks into the complex to try and rob Ririchiyo, only to learn that Sōshi, along with the other Secret Service agents in complex, have the power to channel the spirits of monsters. Having been protected from a gunshot by him, Ririchiyo accepts Sōshi as her bodyguard.
02	"The Lonely Dog" "Samishigariya no Inu" (淋しがり屋の犬)	January 19, 2012
Ririchiyo is out shopping and Sorinozuka goal is to keep her out the complex until 6. Upon their return, Karuta is missing, as they set out to find her Ririchiyo is forced to show her youkai side.
03	"The Real Contract" "Hontō no Keiyaku" (ほんとうの契約)	January 26, 2012
After dealing with the stress of making a good impression at her new school, Ririchiyo notices Sōshi turning down an admirer. After questioning him about it, her emotions get the best of her and this time, the contract has been terminated. But after A few conversation she asks him to be her bodyguard.
04	"Ayakashi Kan Walk Rally" "Ayakashi-kan Wōkurarī" (妖館ウォークラリー)	February 02, 2012
A former resident of the complex, Watanuki has returned from training with his SS, Natsume. Watanuki, Natsume, and Souishi have known each other since childhood, and Natsume hints that he knows secrets about Souishi’s past.
05	"Kagerō (Dragonfly) of the Spring" "Haru no Kagerō" (春の蜻蛉)	February 09, 2012
Ririchiyo has been getting disturbing text messages from a block number. Though she shrugs them off, the messages are becoming more frequent and threatening. Ririchiyo, while being used to stalkers, might not be as lucky as this stalker knows her secret.
06	"Don't Think" "Kangaeru yori mo" (考えるよりも)	February 16, 2012
Roromiya spends a lot of her time in her own world. Watanuki believes people don’t understand to her. And Ririchiyo wants to get closer to her, but doesn’t know how.
07	"The Couple's Night" "Futari no Yoru" (ふたりのよる)	February 23, 2012
A ghost has invaded the mansion and security measures have been activated. Nobara, Sorinozuka, and Chino are locked in the cafeteria, Watanuki and Natsume in the hallway, while Ririchiyo and Miketsukami are locked in her room. This is the perfect time for Ririchiyo to express her feelings, but she still can’t get the words out!!!
08	"Tea and Distance" "Ocha to Kyori" (お茶と距離)	March 1, 2012
Ririchiyo wants the type of friendship the others share with their SS Agent. But her inability to speak her true feelings and Miketsukami only able to talk in a formal matter doesn’t help. She desperately tires to find ways in breaking the barrier between them as master/servant.
09	"The Day of the Promise" "Yakusoku no Hi" (約束の日)	March 8, 2012
A series of commands have appeared in the mansion causing quite a stir. But that means nothing to Ririchiyo as she frets over her upcoming tea with Miketsukami. She constantly ask her self on what they will talk about, what kind of tea will they drink, and if she will be able to be true to her feelings.
10	"The Unfaithful Dog" "Uragiri no Yōko" (裏切りの妖狐)	March 15, 2012
The night in which Miketsukami and Ririchiyo are planned to drink tea together is cancelled by the unexpected return of Kagerō and her welcome party. When Miketsukami and Ririchiyo plan to drink tea together the very next day, this is cancelled by Kagerō when he decides to spend the rest of the day with Ririchiyo out on the town. Later that night Ririchiyo grows anxious by Miketsukami not responding to her apology text, so she decides to visit his room and offer him a melon of apology. When she does apologize, Mietsukami say's strange unusual things, causing her to get flustered and return to her room. It is then that Ririchiyo realizes she wants to be with Miketsukami. The very next morning, Miketsukami begs Kagerō in not telling Ririchiyo his hidden secret. Kagerō denies, leading to an intensive battle between the two. Ririchiyo finds the two fighting and orders them to stop at once, and asks them to explain what the problem is. It is then that Miketsukami admits he is hiding something from Ririchiyo.
11	"Kagerō" "Kagerō" (陽炎)	March 22, 2012
Miketsukami's history is exposed. While other families revel when a child with youkai blood is born, it is vastly different in his family. Kagerō tells Ririchiyo that he was not the one who wrote her letters back then and Ririchiyo exclaims that she already knew that. The truth of Miketsukami obsession with Ririchiyo is exposed. Kagerō is bored with the fact that Ririchiyo wasn't upset to an extent, therefore telling her that Mikestukami was the one who was writing her the letters in the past. With the realization concluded, she felt that is why Miketsukami noticed her. However, Mikestukami rushes to hug Ririchiyo and exclaims that it was her that noticed him.
12	"The Day We Came Together" "Futari ni natta Hi" (二人になった日)	March 29, 2012
Kotarou has a conversation with Sorinozuka about his worries on what might happen when his father reincarnates, but then Zange comes out of a bush and suggest making a time capsule so Kotarou can send a message to his father's reincarnation in the future. Zange invites Watanuki and Karuta to join and eventually everyone else joins in too, as well as Ririchiyo, who recounts how she was when she first arrived at Ayakashikan to how she is now. While Kotarou thinks of what to write, he is comforted by his father, who states that the him who has not met Kotarou or his mother is not him at all. As they bury the time capsule. Sorinozuka notices that Ririchiyo accidentally placed a letter written to Miketsukami into the time capsule. Realizing that she accidentally switched a letter to Miketsukami from the one meant for her future self, which stated she will not run away and stay by Miketsukami's side, she runs off to Seijou Park. After talking with Miketsukami over the phone, while he goes to fetch her, Ririchiyo realizes that Miketsukami hates himself like she was before, but she was able to overcome the ordeal because she fell in love with Miketsukami. Knowing she has hurt others to protect herself, she decided to use her courage to save Miketsukami by confessing to him and Miketsukami embraces Ririchiyo stating that he too loves her. The ending credits shows separate clips of certain scenes in the manga and ends with Miketsukami revealing that his only dream is to have a child and a family. Ririchiyo decides not to answer him because it is an important decision and that they have plenty of time to decide.
OVA	"Miketsukami-kun's Transformation" "Miketsukami-kun Henka" (御狐神くん変化)	September 26, 2012
	"Switch" "Suicchi" (スイッチ)
	"Playing House" "Omamagoto" (おままごと)
Noticing Ririchiyo's nervousness, Miketsukami tries to ease her by transformations into a young boy and then into a woman. Later, Natsume plays around with Renshō's various 'switches' which encourages Karuta to try and find other people's 'switches'. Afterwards, Kotarou's younger sister, Hana, comes to the mansion and decides to play House with the tenants, which takes many bizarre turns.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Inu x Boku SS (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Inu x Boku SS (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia