Kou Fumizuki - Ai Yori Yoshi Manga

Kaoru Hanabishi walked away from the powerful Hanabishi family years ago, leaving behind a life of wealth, rigid expectations, and emotional pain. Now living quietly as a college student, he unexpectedly crosses paths with a beautiful, traditional young woman named Aoi Sakuraba, who has traveled a long distance to find him.

Aoi reveals the truth Kaoru never expected: she was his childhood fiancée, promised to him in an arranged marriage between their families. Even after the engagement was annulled due to Kaoru’s departure, Aoi has remained devoted to him, determined to reunite with the man she has loved since childhood.

Cut off from their families, the two begin building a new life together. But complications arise when Tina Foster, Taeko Minazuki, and various friends and housemates enter their quiet home, turning it into a lively, chaotic, and sometimes romantic environment. Through heartfelt challenges, misunderstandings, and gentle emotional moments, Kaoru and Aoi navigate adulthood, identity, and the love they have chosen for themselves.

Ai Yori Aoshi blends romantic comedy, slice-of-life warmth, traditional Japanese aesthetics, and tender relationship drama, offering a soft, character-driven love story centered on devotion and emotional healing.

Notes About Kou Fumizuki

Story Origin: Fumizuki has stated in early interviews that Ai Yori Aoshi grew from his interest in depicting “old-fashioned Japanese femininity” clashing with modern independence, which directly inspired Aoi’s character concept.

Workstyle Connections: Before serializing this series, Fumizuki spent time assisting various seinen and shōnen artists at Hakusensha, which shaped his clean character-first storytelling approach—especially visible in the quiet emotional pacing of Aoi and Kaoru’s relationship.

Other Notable Works

Umi no Misaki — A romance wrapped in island folklore and community traditions.
Boku to Rune to Aoarashi — A shorter fantasy-flavored emotional drama.

Japanese Name: 藍より青し
English Title: Ai Yori Aoshi
Story & Art: Kou Fumizuki
Original Publisher: Hakusensha (Young Animal)
English Publisher: Tokyopop
Release Years: 1998–2005
Volumes: 17 (completed)
Age Rating: Teen (T)
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama

Comics & manga are assumed VG+ or better unless otherwise noted. No broken spines, no writing, no stickers, and may have light shelf wear. Mid-2000s or earlier manga may have slight yellowing due to the age of the paper. All manga and comics are assumed to be pre-owned.