Sumire 16 sai!! (スミレ16歳!!) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takeru Nagayoshi. A two-volume first manga series, titled Sumire 17 sai!!, was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazines Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Magazine Special from March 2005 to March 2006. Nagayoshi decided to reset the story's timeframe one year earlier and rewrite the story from scratch. Sumire 16 sai!! was serialized in the same magazines from May 2006 to January 2009, with its chapters collected in five tankōbon volumes. A 12-episode television drama adaptation was broadcast on BS Fuji from April to June 2008.

Synopsis

The series chronicles the days of Sumire, a lively 16-year-old girl. However, Sumire is not a common girl: she is a life-sized ventriloquist's dummy, controlled by an old man in black clothes. Sumire's character acts unaware of her puppet nature, or of the old man controlling her movements, although the rest of the cast are very aware that she is a puppet, but they become more or less accustomed to her weird nature.

Characters

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Takeru Nagayoshi, a first manga series titled Sumire 17 sai!! (スミレ 17歳!!) was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Magazine Special from March 23, 2005, to March 20, 2006. Kodansha collected its chapters in two tankōbon volumes, released on February 16 and June 16, 2006. Nagayoshi decided to reset the story's timeframe one year earlier and rewrite the story from scratch. Sumire 16 sai!! was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Magazine Special from May 10, 2006, to January 20, 2009. Kodansha collected its chapters in five tankōbon volumes, released from September 15, 2006, to February 17, 2009.

Drama

A 12-episode television drama adaptation was broadcast on BS Fuji from April 13 to June 29, 2008. The series' theme song is "Ceramic Girl" (セラミックガール) by Perfume.