Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible

High school student Junta Shiraishi is so ordinary and quiet that his classmates and teachers do not notice him at all, as if he were a mob character in a video game, that is, until his female classmate Nagisa Kubo pays attention to him and dares him to do things that would make him stand out. ==Characters==

; : :For no discernable reason, most people are unable to notice that Shiraishi is present unless he does something to stand out. He has accepted this condition and is self-conscious about making a scene. He is a member of the school's environmental committee, but because of his lack of presence, others do not notice him taking care of the school plants and thus believe that they mysteriously grow without anyone taking care of them. ; : :Junta's classmate and the only one who gives him attention. She is fond of teasing him. She is an intelligent student and ranked second during her first-year final exams. She has bad cooking skills. ; : :Nagisa's older sister who works at a bookstore. She can also see Junta. She is also fond of teasing just like Nagisa. ; : :Nagisa and Akina's younger cousin. Like the others in the family, she has no problem noticing Junta. She looks up to and emulates Nagisa and is slightly jealous of the attention that she gives Junta. ; : :Hazuki is a fellow classmate to Shiraishi, Kubo, Tama and later Sudo and also initially a friend to the latter three. She does eventually get to meet Shiraishi and quickly comes around to befriending him as well. She tends to be the straight man of the group, usually putting a stop to Tama and Sudo's shenanigans if they have gone too far. Despite that, she isn't a kill joy, and likes to partake in any activities that the friend group engages in, such as study groups, sport competitions and even teases Nagisa on occasions. ; : : A bubbly and energetic gal, Taira Tamao (usually referred to as Tama) tends to act and speak before thinking things through. This usually means that she tends to make comments that might be embarrassing or hurtful to others without realizing it. That said, her friends recognize this and have come to terms that she usually doesn't do it out of malice. She tends to come up with schemes and silly shenanigans anytime she meets up with her childhood friend Sudo, with which she shares rather poor grades in their school classes. ; :Sudo, a classmate of Shiraishi, befriends him after Kubo facilitates their conversation. Admiring Shiraishi's prior work on the Environmental Committee, Sudo expresses his desire to befriend him. Already friends with Tama, Hazuki, and Kubo, Sudo helps Shiraishi connect with the group. Upon learning of Shiraishi's feelings for Kubo, Sudo supports him as a devoted wingman. ; : ; : :Junta's preschool aged little brother. He adores his kind big brother. ; : ==Media==

Manga Written and illustrated by Nene Yukimori, ''Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible'' was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from October 24, 2019, to March 2, 2023. Shueisha has collected its chapters in 12 volumes, released from February 19, 2020, The series is simultaneously published in English and Spanish on Shueisha's Manga Plus service and Viz Media's Shonen Jump website. Viz Media licensed the series for print publication in North America. Volumes Anime An anime television series adaptation was announced on May 13, 2022. It is produced by Pine Jam and directed by , with scripts written by , characters designed by Yoshiko Saitō, and music composed by Kujira Yumemi. The series aired from January 10 to June 20, 2023, on AT-X and other networks. The opening theme song is performed by Kana Hanazawa, while the ending theme song is by Dialogue+. At Anime NYC 2022, Sentai Filmworks announced that they licensed the series and is streaming it on Hidive. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific, with Animax Asia to aired the anime in Southeast Asia. Episodes ==Reception==

In 2020, ''Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible'' was nominated in the sixth Next Manga Awards and placed 19th out of 50 nominees with 9,306 votes. In 2021, the series was again nominated in the seventh Next Manga Awards and placed 7th of 50 nominees. The anime adaptation received a mixed reception. Cy Catwell of Anime Feminist, reviewing the first episode, compared the series to ''Komi Can't Communicate and Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro'', saying that Kubo loves teasing Junta as a "form of mild bullying/flirting," noted the tender moments, nice simplicity, and called it cute romance between teenagers at its core, but expressed uneasiness with "Junta’s discomfort with Kubo’s actions" and did not recommend the series. In contrast, Nicholas Dupree of Anime News Network had a more positive take, reviewing all twelve episodes. He argued that the series does not challenge genre conventions, but is a "quiet comedy built entirely around the dialogue and chemistry of our two leads," with humble and casual ambitions, calling it "pure fluff," sweet, and funny, approaching the "realm of iyashikei in its most atmospheric moments," praised Shiraishi for becoming more relatable, and said the series was charming, craftful, and a "rewarding experience if you can vibe with its mellow energy." ==See also==