"A Lonely Life in XX" is a four-panel manga currently being serialized in "Dengeki Comics NEXT." It's written by Katsuwo, known for "Mitsuboshi Colors." It's also set to be adapted into an anime with the same title in 2019, and is currently garnering a lot of attention. The protagonist, Ichiri Bocchi (Hitori Bocchi), is extremely shy and only made one friend in elementary school: Kai Yahara (Yawaraka Kai). Kai and I were separated after graduating from elementary school. So, Kai and I made a promise: "If I don't make friends with everyone in my class by the time we graduate from middle school, we'll break up." Will Bocchi be able to make friends in middle school? This time, we'd like to introduce the charm of Sunao Nako, a friend of Ichiri Bocchi, the protagonist of "A Lonely Life in XX."
① The Lonely Classmate!
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A classmate of Ichiri Bocchi, the protagonist of "A lonely life in XX." Bocchi's first friend since entering junior high school. She has a slightly sullen look in her eyes, and her charming feature is her teardrop mole. She has blonde hair, is often seen sucking on candy, and apparently doesn't wear the designated ribbon ties, giving her a delinquent-like impression. She prefers long sleeves on her clothes, which she often considers cute sleeves. She seems to be bad at studying and sports, but is good at cooking. She is actually ambidextrous. She doesn't like getting up early. Sunao Nako's weakness is water. She is afraid of water, and when she goes to the pool alone or with her friends, she has to train hard to get used to it.
② Contrary to her appearance, she has a kind personality
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Nako Sunao may look like a typical yankee, but contrary to her appearance, she has a kind personality. It's the first day of junior high school. Ichiri Bocchi musters up the courage to talk to the person sitting in front of him. Nako was sitting in the seat in front of Bocchi. Bocchi tried to talk to her, but she became so nervous she suddenly slumped over to the desk, suddenly bought a drink, and displayed other mysterious behavior. Nako misunderstood that Bocchi wanted to be her errand boy and asked her to ask another girl to do it. On the way home that day, Nako looked out the window and saw that it was raining. Nako complained that she had forgotten her umbrella, but Bocchi, hearing this, handed her his folding umbrella and ran off. Nako chased after Bocchi and offered to join her on the way home. In return for Bocchi's drink, Nako gave him a delicious candy and said, "Don't call me Nako." She also added, "It's nice when someone says they want to be friends." She's a kind girl who is tolerant of Bocchi, even though he threw up in the seat behind her on the first day and displayed some suspicious behavior.
③ Do people change when they text?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Nako Sunao has a cool, yankee-like appearance. But her demeanor seems to change when she emails. It was just after she exchanged email addresses with Ichiri Bocchi. Bocchi was touched by the exchange and savoring the feeling, when she received an email from Nao with an emoticon. She continues to email him, asking "What's your favorite food?", to which he replies "Sweet things (>ω<) I don't like spicy things (>ω<) =3", something you'd never imagine coming from the normal Nako. It seems that she sounds even more feminine when she emails him.
④ Teasing Master Nako
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One day, Sunao Nako, sensing that Ichiri Bocchi was overthinking something, invited him to explore the school. Since there were still many places they hadn't visited since enrolling, the two immediately set off on their exploration. So Nako seems to tap Bocchi on the shoulder every now and then without him noticing. The important thing is that Bocchi doesn't seem to notice that Nako is tapping him, and he turns around curiously every time she taps him on the shoulder, which leaves Nako trying to hold back her laughter.
⑤She also has a cute side
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One day, Ichiri Bocchi and Sunao Nako were talking. The conversation turned to Bocchi's friend-making. When Bocchi said he was friends with everyone in his class, Nao asked him why. So Bocchi tells Nako that he promised his childhood friend (Yahara Kai) that he would break up with her if he didn't become friends with everyone in his class. "Kai said that because he thought it was for my own good," Bocchi says tearfully, but Nako seems to be thinking something. Nako asks, "So that means the reason you first approached me was because of your promise to her?" Bocchi answers with a smile, "Yes." However, Nako sulks and says, "I was angry." Furthermore, when they make up, she's happy that he said he wanted to be friends, but then she realizes it could have been anyone, and is shocked, and wants to bully him. She does have a cute side to her.
⑥ Worrying?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
After hearing about Ichiri Bocchi's promise to Kai Yahara, Bocchi's only friend from elementary school, Nako Sunao appears to be thinking of various ways to help Bocchi make friends. When Honjo Al talks to Bocchi, she makes a lot of comments and reveals that Al is actually a pathetic kid in many ways. However, after Al is called a pathetic kid and runs away, Bocchi looks worried that he may have made him angry, to which Nako apologizes, saying, "I thought maybe he was mean... See, Bocchi seems like he's easily deceived..." Nako is a kind friend who cares about Bocchi, but there are times when she seems to be a worrier.
⑦ She can be harsh on some people
Source: A lonely life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
Nako Sunao is Ichiri Bocchi's first friend since entering junior high school. While she shows a caring and anxious side to Bocchi, she can also be harsh on some people. One day, Bocchi wanted to walk home with Honjo Al. Bocchi repeatedly tried to invite Al to join him, but since Al was the class vice-president, his classmates kept calling out to him. Because of this, Bocchi, who was timid, found it difficult to approach him and was in a difficult position. At this point, Bocchi burst into tears. Instead, Nako went over to Al and chopped him, shouting, "You bastard!" Al, shocked, exclaimed, "Why!?" When Nako asked why she chopped him, she vaguely replied, "Just because." Then, Al said, "You're the only ones who know I'm a loser," to which Nako replied, "You're definitely a loser."
⑧ Are you giving off a "don't talk to me" aura?
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
One day, on her way to school, Nako Sunao calls out to her homeroom teacher, Teruyo Oshie, as she passes by, to let her know that Ichiri Bocchi is on holiday. However, Teruyo appears somewhat frightened, bowing deeply and saying, "Oh, good morning, Sunao-san!" When he calls her teacher, she hides her bag, saying, "S-teacher?! It's okay! S-teacher sounds arrogant, so it's okay to just use your last name!" Teruyo then runs off, saying, "I don't like scary people." Worried about this, Nako consults Honjo Aru, who tells her that she gives off too much of a "don't talk to me" vibe. He also advises that speaking in a forceful tone and having a sullen expression is not good either. Nako gives off an air of being a little difficult to approach, but Aru says, "She's caring and kind, I found out after we became friends." Appearances can often lead to misunderstandings, but the more you get to know her, the more you realize what an attractive girl she is.
⑨ A stylish middle school student
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Nao Sunao, who looks like a delinquent, seems to be very fashion-conscious. When she visits Ichiri Bocchi's house, she even wears fake glasses, showing her concern for fashion. Although Nao often wears cool clothing, she also wears cute things like one-piece dresses and swimsuits with ribbons and frills.
⑩ The voice actor for Sunao Nako in the anime version is Minami Tanaka.
Source: Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
"Lonely Life" is scheduled to be adapted into an anime series with the same title as the original manga starting in spring 2019. In this series, the voice actress for Nako Sunao, the protagonist Ichiri Bocchi's first friend after entering junior high school, is Minami Tanaka. Previously, she voiced Manaka Non in "PriPara."
A Summary of Nako Sunao's Charms!
Source: A Lonely Life ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION
What did you think? This time, we introduced the charm of Sunao Nako, a friend of Ichiri Bocchi, the protagonist of "A Lonely Life" (Hitoribottinomarumaruseikatu). While she looks like a delinquent, she also has a kind and anxious side, and seems to have become an indispensable presence for Bocchi. Although she is calm, you should also check out her sweet side that she sometimes shows. Please pay attention to that side of her. Thank you for reading to the end.
