Life is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Keiko Suenobu. Life was serialized in Bessatsu Friend, a publication of Kodansha, and deals with many controversial topics such as self-harm, bullying, rape, attempted suicide, attempted murder, molestation, bondage, and manipulation. In 2006, it won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo. Suenobu created a sequel to the manga, titled Life 2: Giver Taker, which started serialization in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon on June 25, 2016. The English-language version of the manga, published by Tokyopop, was originally rated OT, but starting with the release of Volume 6 and carrying back over to future reprintings of the previous five, the rating was changed to M for extremely explicit content in that volume. As of June 2008, nine volumes have been released in the United States; Volume 10 was scheduled for a September 2008 release, but on August 31, 2009, Kodansha announced that they would drop their manga licensing contract with Tokyopop, leaving Life and other well-known series such as Rave Master unfinished, whether permanently or until picked up by other manga publishing companies. Kodansha also did not offer an explanation for their decision. The future of the English version of the manga is unknown, as Tokyopop itself shut down in May 2011 after they were faced with bankruptcy. A live-action drama series, produced by Fuji TV aired in Japan from June 30 to September 15, 2007. A single-volume drama novelization was also created. Like the manga, it was published by Bessatsu Friend and written by Keiko Suenobu; unlike the manga, however, it saw a limited run and is now out of print.
Characters
;Ayumu Shiiba ;Miki Hatori ;Yūki Sonoda ;Manami Anzai ;Katsumi Sako ;Wakae Toda ;Masako Hiraoka ;Akira Karino Manami's group: Girls in Ayumu's class at Nishikō. Their names are revealed only in Volume 9: Hirose, Emi, Chika and Iwamoto. They go in the same class as Manami, Ayumu, Miki and Yūki, and are Manami's friends. They are so manipulated by Manami's behavior and actions that they believe whatever Manami says, therefore, they'll do whatever it takes to protect Manami, e.g. bullying Miki or Ayumu. However, Hiro discovers Manami's plot against Katsumi and Ayumu but ends in hospital for attempted suicide and is forced to lie that she's the culprit of the bullying situation in exchange of being forgiven by Manami; due to this reason she's expelled. After Hiro's attempted suicide, Iwa gets scared so she decides to distance herself from Manami and transfer school to Kyushu. Emi and Chika also start to see Manami's true colors but they speak out only after the incident with Miki's cheat sheet, thus, they start to ignore Manami. After the stabbing incident, Emi is the only one who is brave enough to explain to the teachers and Manami's father about the whole bullying situation because she wants to redeem herself. ;Yūko "Shii-chan" Shinozuka
Television drama
Fuji TV began airing a television drama based on the Life manga on June 30, 2007 at 11:10 PM. The eleventh and final episode aired on September 15. The protagonist, Ayumu, was played by Kie Kitano. Popular singerMika Nakashima performed the theme song, also titled "Life", which was sold as a single starting August 22. The actual soundtrack is now available in Japan, as is a full-series DVD boxed set; the latter was released on December 19. The plotline for the drama is much more focused on bullying than is the original manga, and many changes were made, ranging from mild and hardly noteworthy to significant and highly noticeable.
Differences from the manga
Ayumu does not cut her arms in the drama.
Ayumu's family situation in the drama differs greatly from the manga: she has a little brother, Makoto, instead of her little sister, Akane; their mother, unnamed in the manga, is named Fumiko; and their father, whom "Fumiko" appears to be divorced from in the manga, is simply "always away on business" in the drama.
Shii-chan's first name is Yūko—it is unknown in the manga.
Right after breaking off her friendship with Ayumu, Shii-chan attempts suicide by running out in traffic and survives; Ayumu goes to visit her in the hospital with flowers but Shii-chan closes the door when she sees her. She is not seen again until Episode 10.
Katsumi went to the same cram school as Shii-chan; in the second episode, as a way to watch Ayumu squirm, he whispers Shii-chan's name in her ear, causing her to struggle harder to escape his machinations. In the drama this is supposedly used to replace the scene in the manga where Katsumi blackmails Ayumu after discovering that she cuts herself.
Hatori is a lot less wild than her manga counterpart. In the live action, she does not smoke, drink, or pull pranks.
One member of Manami's squadron, Nodoka Hirose,, has a slightly different role than that of her manga counterpart - throughout the drama, she alternates between being Manami's target and a member of her group. "Hiro" is portrayed by Nanase Hoshii.
