Houkago x Ponytail ("After-School Ponytail") is a short Romantic Comedy manga written by Teko Tanaka. It was serialized for six chapters in the shoujo magazine Bessatsu Margaret in 2012, which were later compiled into a single volume.
Natsuki, an otaku high-school girl who'd rather spend her money on manga than pretty dresses, accidentally injures a creepy-looking mangaka named Kiritani Taichi. To repay him, she agrees to be his character model until he fully heals. Kiritani turns out to be a popular shoujo mangaka under the name Ichijou Kiriko, who is also Natsuki's favorite author! Plus, underneath that disheveled hair Kiritani is actually a good-looking man! What will become of these two?
Official page
(Japanese).
Tropes:
- Action Girl: Natsuki has black belts in both karate and taekwondo.
- Adults Are Useless: The teachers doesn't stop Natsuki for going to an "old-man" after school, and her parents are never seen. One would worry about her visiting a stranger, a adult man, after school.
- Attempted Rape: Implied that was what the intent of the pervert at the end of the first chapter.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Natsuki doesn't like that Kiritani calls her "high-schooler".
- Like a Son to Me: Kiritani tries to see Natsuki as a daughter.
- Plain Jane: Natsuki feels really plain, it doesn't really help that is the reason why Kiritani noticed her.
- Romantic False Lead: Seto. Kyoko and Naho hopes that Natsuki ends up with him.
- Sailor Fuku: Natsuki's school's summer uniform, which Kiritani really likes.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: with help from her friends Natsuki puts on some pretty clothes and does her hair nicely and she looks really different. But sadly for her, Kiritani does not care.
- Shipper on Deck: Kyoko and Naho supports Natsuki x Seto, well until they meet Kiritani at least.
- Vague Age: Natsuki and her friends are around 17, while Kiritani looks about 20-25 but calls himself old man which would imply around 30-35.
