Kageko Tadokoro is a second-year High School student. Shy and withdrawn, she spends her free time drawing manga away from the eyes of her classmates, who deem her to be gloomy and often make her the butt of the class' jokes. Enter Sakurako Nikaidou, the beautiful School Idol who is adored by everyone. Little to anyone's realization, she's been wanting to get to know the shy Tadokoro for some time, but never knew how to approach.
That is until, she gets a look at Tadokoro's artistry. More importantly, a sketch of her in Tadokoro's sketchbook.
Sakurako, now even more determined to get closer to the girl she's never had a chance to interact with, pursues her infatuation with great abandon.
Tadokoro-san is a Yuri webcomic created by Manga artist Tatsubon in 2018 with an official English translation available on LILYKA. Soon after, the manga, which has some Adaptation Expansion began its serialization in 2019 under Comic Valkyrie.
A Sequel Series titled Inko-Sensei premiered in 2022 focusing on the now-adult Tadokoro as a published manga author.
Note: Tropes pertain to both Manga & Webcomic versions of the series.
This series contains examples of:
- Almost Kiss: A running gag throughout the early chapters of the webcomic. Averted in the manga.
- Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: In Chapters 8-9, Tadokoro asks Nikaidou if she's going to kiss her. In the next chapter, right after tumbling onto a bed and a Held Gaze in the nurse's office, Tadokoro asks Nikaidou to be gentle.
- Artists Are Attractive: Sakurako is drawn to Kageko at first for her artistry. Secondarily, she's attracted to Tadokoro's hardboiled artistry in contrast to her lowkey, meek personality.
- Bathtub Bonding: The latter portion of the Sleepover Arc focuses on Kageko and Sakurako bathing together, suggested by Kageko's mother.
- Bridal Carry: Sakurako rushes into the street and saves a distracted Kageko from an oncoming truck in Chapter 14. While Sakurako is carrying Kageko, they also mutually confess their feelings for one another. Kageko lampshades this at the end of the manga chapter, asking if Sakurako is going to let her down anytime soon.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Same-sex variant. Tadokoro has been socially alienated by her peers throughout her school experience. Nikaidou has sought to protect her from negativity and inspire self-confidence in her.
- The Bully: Kirigaya is the first of several. She used to bully and tease Tadokoro throughout middle school and was poised to do it once more for two reasons; One, because she had nothing better to do, and the second, she saw how close that Nikaidou and Tadokoro are, the former whom she has a crush on.
- Cheeky Mouth: Surprisingly averted for the most part, as most drawings shown from the side show the mouth where it should be.
- Closet Key: Our Official Couple for each other. Tadokoro didn't have any thoughts of romance prior to Nikaidou's open interest in her. Nikaidou found Tadokoro adorable before she discovered her drawings. After which, well...
- Closet Shuffle: The two are forced to hide in a storage closet when a teacher checks their "secret room" in chapter 101. Naturally, they begin to lose control over their impulses during chapters 102 and 103, and start making out "to avoid making noise".
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Prior to Kageko and Sakurako's Relationship Upgrade.
- Cry into Chest: Four times!
- Chapter 6, when Nikaidou states that she loves Tadokoro's drawings and considers her to be a wonderful person who works hard at what she does. Seeing as how this was the nicest thing anyone has said to her, Tadokoro has this reaction. This leads to their first of many Almost Kisses.
- In Chapter 25, Kirigaya, under the weight of both Nikaidou's rejection of her and the sudden rush of guilt of her past treatment of Tadokoro apologizes in tears. Tadokoro gives her a cooldown hug and forgives her.
- Chapter 44 features Kageko having her manga manuscript coldly rejected by an editor. She attempts to keep it together in the face of an enraged Sakurako, but cannot.
- Chapter 67 of the webcomic mirrors Chapter 6, with Sakurako giving Kageko another pep talk about her artwork and to keep practicing at it even though her manuscript was rejected. Once more Kageko tearfully hugs Sakurako. However, instead of a Moment Killer, this leads to a Big Damn Kiss.
- Ear Cleaning: A manga-exclusive chapter features Kageko cleaning Sakurako's ears. Since it's known in Japan as an intimate activity, Sakurako takes it as you would expect her to.
- Eating the Eye Candy: After the third volume (Chapter 74), Sakurako has become Kageko's model for the main character in her manga (After all, the manga she's drawing is based on her in the first place.). She has Sakurako pose for her. In Chapter 112, she takes notice of Sakurako's skin and figure as she's drawing her and starts blushing. The chapter ends with them making out offscreen.
- Erotic Dream: Sakurako has several involving herself and Kageko. The first involves their incident at the nurse's office and Sakurako waking up before it gets to the good part. Another involves her being restrained by Kageko, and she ends up awakening short of breath, with beads of sweat pouring off of her face and drooling from each corner of her mouth.
- Expy: The Official Couple, Kageko Tadokoro and Sakurako Nikaidou visually resemble Tomoko and Asuka.
- Face Framed in Shadow: Nikaidou sports this image whenever someone is badmouthing Tadokoro.
- First-Name Basis: Nikaidou and Tadokoro attempt to do this in Chapter 21, but find it too embarrassing. Later in the series, they can comfortably state each other's first name with the honorific -san.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: The rare times she's seen at her house, Sakurako has a teddy bear. Kageko has a hugging pillow in the shape of an eel, which she got because eels are known as the gangsters of the sea.
- Give Geeks a Chance: Played with. It's the popular School Idol Nikaidou who falls head over heels for the introverted, shy Tadokoro who eventually reciprocates.
- The Glomp: Nikaidou often does this to Tadokoro.
- G-Rated Sex: In Chapter 39, Tadokoro and Nikaidou while sharing a bed, engage in such an intense hug that it leaves Nikaidou passed out and Tadokoro sweating profusely, gasping for breath. In the 57th chapter of the manga, they bring each other to bliss by massaging each other's hands, complete with loud moaning, heavy blushing and Sakurako urging Kageko to keep going.
- Hair Contrast Couple: Nikaidou and Tadokoro. Nikaidou is the outgoing, popular blonde to Tadokoro's heavily introverted, outcast brunette.
- Held Gaze: Constantly.
- Holding Hands: Kageko and Sakurako first do this in public during their first date.
- I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Poor Kageko has little idea that just about everything she does turns Sakurako on, particularly with some of her Innocent Innuendo. She invites Sakurako to their usual meeting place to give her Valentine's Chocolate. In Chapter 30, she invites Sakurako to her house because she wants her to see it... her manga manuscript, that is. Since Sakurako is a Chivalrous Pervert, she misinterprets these invitations for... other activities. Never mind the chapters where they're in the bathtub and Kageko washes her back and her hair.
- iPhony: Chapter 93 of the webcomic involves them shopping for a "MyPad."
- Intertwined Fingers: The cover of the manga's 15th Chapter shows the newly-minted Official Couple walking together with their hands and fingers intertwined.
- Kissing Discretion Shot: Another frequently occurring gag throughout the webcomic is that whenever they kiss, it's from behind. This changes later on as they share kisses more frequently.
- Chapter 19 features Tadokoro and Nikaidou sharing their last piece of Valentine's chocolate together, with the view being from behind Sakurako.
- At the end of the Sleepover Arc, they kiss underneath the covers.
- Subverted in the Date Arc's conclusion, where the camera in focused just above their lips while they're in a Photo Booth. However, the photos themselves show their lip-lock in all its glory.
- Averted in the manga version. Most of Kageko and Sakurako's kisses are on full display as Adaptation Expansion.
- Lap Pillow:
- Chapter 67. Kageko has Sakurako lay her head on her lap after the latter has another intimacy-induced blackout.
- Also in Chapter 100 where Kageko nestles herself in Sakurako's lap.
- Locker Mail: Even the Girls Want Sakurako to the point where she finds her shoe locker full of chocolates on Valentine's Day, which in Japan is a day when girls give chocolate to boys.
- Loners Are Freaks: The general attitude toward Kageko Tadokoro. The students find her to be gloomy.
- Love Confession: Tadokoro and Nikaidou mutually confess their feelings to each other in Chapter 14, leading to a Relationship Upgrade in the following chapter.
- Luminescent Blush: Our Official Couple constantly do this when they're alone together.
- Malicious Misnaming: Many of Kageko's bullies tend to call her 'inki-chan.' Inki meaning gloomy.
- Marshmallow Hell: Tadokoro has found herself in Nikaidou's chest more than a few times, involuntarily or otherwise. Sakurako asks Kageko to hug her like this in Chapter 16 seemingly for this purpose.
- Modesty Bedsheet: Due to what happens during the "Lewd Arc," they both wake up the next morning with this.
- Moment Killer: Another frequent running gag used throughout the webcomic.
- In Chapter 6, prior to their Relationship Upgrade, Tadokoro and Nikaidou are about to kiss, but are interrupted by the school bell.
- In Chapter 10, just as they're about to make out in the Nurse's office, they're interrupted by the school nurse barging in.
- In Chapter 30, they are interrupted by Tadokoro's mom.
- Monochrome to Color: The series starts off in black and white, but as they grow closer together, more and more colors have been added, starting with pink, and extending to blue and even two entire colored panels at the end of chapter 115.
- One Head Taller: Nikaidou (167cm or about 5'6") towers over Tadokoro (143cm or 4'8").
- Opposites Attract: One of the main plots of the series.
- Outhumbling Each Other: As Kageko and Sakurako bathe together, they spend most of their time complimenting each other's physical attractiveness to the point of an argument.
- Romantic Spoonfeeding: Tadokoro and Nikaidou feed each other Valentine's Chocolate in Chapter 19. Naturally, Sakurako doesn't miss the opportunity to lick Kageko's bare finger.
- Say It with Hearts: Frequently, but mostly used by Nikaidou.
- School Idol: Nikaidou, though she really wishes she weren't.
- Shout-Out: Several.
- Day Hard.
- Home of the Dead.
- 3 Piece.
- Kageko's bedroom floormat is a dead ringer for the logo of The Punisher.
- Kageko says that eating fast food at Sakurako's house reminds her of "that scene in Queengsman" (complete with a little picture of Samuel L. Jackson).
- Single-Target Sexuality: Kageko & Sakurako. Kageko didn't think of romance prior to her relationship with Sakurako and the latter, despite being widely admired through their school, has eyes for Kageko and her alone.
- Spit-Trail Kiss: As Kageko and Sakurako's relationship progresses, the grow more comfortable with being intimate with each other, which is illustrated by them exchanging increasingly wetter kisses with one another. Kageko plants a particularly sloppy one on Sakurako in Chapter 118.
- Sweetheart Sipping: In Chapter 13, Kageko and Sakurako go to a café after school. Since they were too busy staring at each other to take notice of their waitress, they hurriedly order a drink that's double-strawed that twists into a heart symbol. Since it looks like they're engaging in an indirect kiss, Sakurako is excited to do it. Kageko, on the other hand, is embarrassed after taking a few sips and runs out of the café in a panic.
- Their First Time: After several False Starts and unexpected Moment Killers, Kageko and Sakurako go all the way during their sleepover at Sakurako's house.
- There Is Only One Bed: The Sleepover Arc. (Chapter 30 through 39) and again in the aptly named Lewd Arc in Chapter 120 through 125.
- Uke: The Official Couple. Tadokoro is a straight example, what with her being innocent, easily embarrassed, and inexperienced in romance; Nikaidou, despite her eagerness, is given pause when the opportunity for intimacy presents itself and sometimes to extreme levels. In addition, Nikaidou's visions of intimate scenarios with Kageko usually end up with her on the receiving end.
- Uptown Girl: Same-sex version. Kageko has a humble background. Sakurako, on the other hand, comes from a family with considerable wealth. She's been seen to live in a Big Fancy House and shows up for their date in a stretch limousine.
- Valentine's Day Episode: Chapters 18-19 of the webcomic. Kageko invites Sakurako to go to their usual meeting place so they can be alone. She confuses the invitation of Kageko giving her chocolates for an intimate kind of invitation. Luckily enough for Sakurako, they share their last piece of chocolate between their lips.
- Wall Pin of Love: Sakurako pins Kageko to the wall of their usual meeting spot in Chapter 64 after she notices that Kageko has been avoiding her after she curb-stomped her would-be attacked a few chapters prior.
- You Just Told Me: When Sakurako correctly suspects that Kirigaya used to bully Kageko previously, Kirigaya immediately accuses Kageko that she had told Sakurako beforehand, which Kageko never did, nor did she ever mention her past bullies. This is all the evidence Sakurako needs to tell her off.
- Yuri Fan: Webcomic Chapter 52: Two gamers with mohawks who couldn't concentrate on the VR Game because the Official Couple were so cute together. One of them even rocks an 'I Love Yuri' tank top.
