ReLIFE

ReLIFE was created by manga artist Yayoi Sou and first appeared in the comico mobile app in October 2013.

It became comico’s first manga to be released in print in 2014, quickly gaining popularity in Japan and across other Asian territories.

The story was inspired by the creator's own experiences as a student and young adult.

Yayoi Sou hoped both students and working adults would find the story relatable, reflecting her personal journey with job hunting and communication challenges.

ReLIFE introduces a world where an institute called the ReLIFE Laboratory selects socially withdrawn or struggling adults and offers them a mysterious chance to redo their youth.

Participants take a drug to physically revert to 17 and attend high school for one year.

Afterward, their existence during that year is erased from all their peers' memories—except their own.

The story’s high school setting, Aoba High School, is modeled on the creator’s alma mater in Oita Prefecture.

Characters’ surnames are all inspired by real train station names in the region, adding a fun meta twist to fans with local knowledge.

Arata Kaizaki, having failed at university entrance exams and subsequently at job hunting, drifts into unemployment.

One day, he meets Ryō Yoake, who offers him the ReLIFE experiment—a secret project promising him a year of student life, financial support, and a new job on the condition that he completes the experiment without revealing his situation.

Thrown back into high school, Arata faces the embarrassing reality of failing tests and being physically outpaced by younger classmates.

His journey leads to friendships with the socially awkward genius Chizuru Hishiro, the pure-hearted but oblivious "playboy" Kazuomi Ōga, the tough yet sensitive Rena Kariu, and the enigmatic An Onoya.

Through misunderstandings, school events, and emotional growth, Arata gradually helps heal his classmates’ wounds—and in the process, begins to heal himself.

Romantic feelings and personal struggles abound, especially as Arata and Hishiro both come to harbor feelings for each other, while grappling with the memory-erasing consequences of the experiment.

ReLIFE Experiment

A social rehabilitation program targeting adults who have failed to integrate into society.

Participants physically revert to high school age for a covert, one-year trial.

They must not reveal their true identity or the experiment itself is canceled, and their memories of the trial erased.

ReLIFE Laboratory

The secretive institute operating the ReLIFE project.

It has multiple branches across Japan and assigns “Support Division” staff to monitor and guide experiment subjects.

Support Division

Lab employees who go undercover as students to observe and support ReLIFE subjects.

Supporters like Ryō Yoake and An Onoya have their own complex backstories, often being socially isolated themselves.

Aoba High School

The fictionally depicted school setting, known for its competitive academics and unique student traditions.

Characters’ daily lives revolve around its classrooms, sports events, and extracurricular dramas.

ReLIFE’s runaway success inspired adaptations across several platforms:

• Manga: Serialized from 2013–2018 in comico, with 15 tankōbon volumes published.
• Anime: TV series aired July–September 2016, consisting of 13 episodes and a four-episode OVA conclusion in 2018, animated by TMS Entertainment.
• Stage Play: Produced in 2016 with a new cast bringing school life to the theatre.
• Live-Action Movie: Released in April 2017, starring Taishi Nakagawa and Yuna Taira. Some character backgrounds were changed for the film adaptation.
• Novels: Official prose adaptations and junior novelizations released in 2017–2020.
• Drama CDs and Character Song Albums further expanded the narrative beyond the original manga.

The anime’s production strategy was notable for leveraging both streaming and TV broadcast.

All episodes were released online before the television airing.

This approach contributed to worldwide fan engagement, and the anime’s ending themes paid homage to Japanese pop songs from the early 2000s, evoking the nostalgia of Arata’s own high school days.

The manga and anime gained traction across Asia, with official translations in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai, and English.

The opening theme, “Button,” is performed by PENGUIN RESEARCH and sets an upbeat, energetic tone for the series.

Distinctively, each anime episode’s ending theme is a different J-POP hit from the late 1990s and 2000s, reflecting the era in which Arata himself grew up.

These include beloved tracks by well-known artists such as T.M.Revolution, L’Arc~en~Ciel, PUFFY, and ORANGE RANGE.

The film’s theme song, “Message,” is by Sonoko Inoue.

ReLIFE was selected as the sixth most recommended comic by nationwide bookstore staff in 2015.

The series was also nominated for the 39th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category—a significant honor.

ReLIFE’s blend of school comedy, second-chance themes, and its fresh approach to adult regret struck a chord with both young readers and nostalgic adults.

The manga sold over 2 million copies, achieved high download numbers, and frequently topped digital comic rankings.

Unique character designs, the Oita train station naming motif, and memorable quotes (“It’s better to leave behind happy memories even if they’re erased”) further cemented its popularity.

The Oita JR railway collaborated with the manga for commemorative tickets named after the characters, underscoring the series’ local and national influence.

Official events, collaborations with schools, and extensive merchandise range from soundtracks to collectible goods.

Backgrounds and set pieces in the anime faithfully reflect the real high school in Oita, connecting the story to real-life locations and fans.

ReLIFE’s message of starting over and confronting past failures with courage continues to inspire many, and its multifaceted adaptations ensure its legacy lives on.