Play It Cool, Guys (Japanese: クールドジ男子, Hepburn: Kūru Doji Danshi, lit.'Cool Clumsy Guys') is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Kokone Nata. It has been serialized on the Pixiv website since February 2019, with its chapters collected into five tankōbon volumes as of October 2022. An anime television series adaptation produced by Pierrot aired from October 2022 to March 2023. A television drama adaptation aired from April to July 2023.
Shun is a 17-year-old high school student who is athletic. He tends to pretend whatever clumsy action he has done was made on purpose. He enjoys playing sports.
Mima is a 27-year-old salaryman who is seen as a mascot by his co-workers. He tends to be unfazed and oblivious whenever he becomes clumsy. He is childhood friends with Motoharu.
While the manga series is in full color, Kokone Nata can color one page in about 30 minutes so she can finish the coloring work of 19 pages within one day.[9]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Kokone Nata, Play It Cool, Guys started as a series of illustrations published on the author's Twitter account since May 11, 2018,[10] before being serialized as a web manga on Pixiv on February 23, 2019.[11] The manga has also been serialized on Pixiv's Pixiv Comic service.[12] As of October 2022, five tankōbon volumes have been released by Square Enix under its Gangan Comics Pixiv imprint.[13] In September 2020, Yen Press announced that it had licensed the series for English publication.[14]
A novel adaptation written by Shino Kaida, titled Cool Doji Danshi: Connect It Cool, Guys, was published by Square Enix on March 21, 2020.[24]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on April 22, 2022. It is produced by Pierrot and directed by Chiaki Kon, with scripts written by Makoto Uezu, and music composed by Masato Nakayama. Eri Taguchi is handling the character designs and serving as chief animation director.[3][1] The series aired from October 11, 2022, to March 28, 2023, on TV Tokyo, AT-X, and BS11.[a] It ran for two cours, and consisted of 15-minute episodes.[25] The opening theme songs are "Seishun Kippu" (青春切符, "Youth Ticket") by Mafumafu and "Warau na!" (笑うな！, "Don't Laugh!") by Syudou.[8] The ending theme songs are "Flash!" and "Taisetsu" (たいせつ, "Precious"), both performed by PICG, a unit composed of Chiaki Kobayashi, Koki Uchiyama, Yūichirō Umehara, and Shōya Chiba.[6][5][26]Crunchyroll licensed the series.[27]
A two-episode spin-off anime, titled Petit Cool Doji Danshi no Hitokoma, premiered on NTT Docomo's dTV [ja] streaming service on March 21 and March 28, 2023. It is produced by Aqua Aris, with Yū Hayata directing and providing the character designs, and Mao Emura writing the screenplay.[28]
In 2019, the manga was ranked 16th in Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook for best manga series in 2019 for female readers,[33] placed 7th in Pixiv and Nippon Shuppan Hanbai's Web Manga General Election,[34] and was placed 16th in the Next Manga Awards.[35]
Notes
^TV Tokyo lists the series premiere at 25:30 on October 10, 2022, which is effectively 1:30 a.m. JST on October 11.
^ abThis episode aired at 1:40 a.m. JST, 10 minutes after the original air time on TV Tokyo.
^This episode aired at 2:19 a.m. JST, 49 minutes after the original air time on TV Tokyo.
^This episode aired at 2:00 a.m. JST, 30 minutes after the original air time on TV Tokyo.
