No. 6

Plot

The story takes place in a dystopian city known as No.6. Shion, a boy raised in an elite and privileged environment, gives shelter to another boy, who only gives his name as "Nezumi" (or "Rat") on Shion's twelfth birthday. What Shion soon discovers is how drastically life will change after meeting with the mysterious Nezumi, with whom he had shared one unforgettable, stormy night.

Characters

;Shion : :Shion is an intelligent and idealistic boy living in the dystopian city of No. 6. At age 12, he shelters Nezumi, a fugitive, and is subsequently stripped of his elite status, forced to relocate to the impoverished Lost Town. Four years later, while working in park maintenance, he uncovers a government cover-up involving parasitic wasps that kill his coworker. Arrested, he is rescued by Nezumi and taken to West Block. After surviving infection—which leaves him with white hair and a serpentine scar—he grapples with the harsh realities of his world. Over time, his bond with Nezumi deepens into romantic love, culminating in a farewell kiss before Nezumi departs. ;Nezumi (Rat) : :Nezumi is a cynical and resourceful 16-year-old living in West Block after fleeing No. 6’s authorities. Four years earlier, wounded and on the run, he encountered Shion, who sheltered him despite the risks. Now a skilled fighter and performer under the stage name Eve, Nezumi harbors deep resentment toward No. 6, which destroyed his village. When Shion is arrested, Nezumi rescues him, and the two take refuge in West Block. Though initially aloof, Nezumi grows deeply attached to Shion, his feelings evolving into love. After a near-fatal confrontation, he shares a passionate farewell kiss with Shion before departing, leaving their future uncertain. ;Dogkeeper : :Dogkeeper is a brash but resourceful resident of West Block who operates a rundown hotel and rents out dogs as living heaters during winter. Running various underground trades, including dealing in goods smuggled from No. 6’s Correctional Facility, they share a contentious yet cooperative relationship with Nezumi, often exchanging information. Raised by a dog they call "Mother", Dogkeeper deeply cares for canines and sometimes requests Nezumi to sing for deceased ones. Their gender remains ambiguous—while referred to with masculine pronouns in English translations, the novels suggest they may have been assigned female at birth. ;Safu : :Safu is Shion's childhood friend and a neurobiology prodigy in No. 6. Before leaving to study in No. 5, she confesses her feelings to Shion, who gently rejects her, valuing their friendship instead. Her time abroad alters her perception of No. 6, making her question its supposed utopian ideals. After her grandmother's death, she returns, only to be captured by No. 6's authorities and imprisoned in the Correctional Facility, where she becomes a test subject for inhumane experiments. Her ordeal highlights the city's hidden brutality. ;Karan : :Shion's mother runs a bakery in Lost Town after being exiled from Kronos alongside her son. When authorities falsely accuse Shion of murder and imprison him, she despairs until Nezumi covertly informs her of Shion's escape to West Block using messenger mice that evade city surveillance. Though deeply concerned for her son's safety, she resolves to persevere, maintaining hope for their eventual reunion. Her resilience reflects quiet defiance against No. 6's oppressive system. ;Rikiga : :A West Block resident and former journalist, he operates a pornographic magazine while secretly managing a prostitution ring serving No. 6's officials, funding his luxurious lifestyle. Though an admirer of Nezumi's theatrical persona Eve, he receives only contempt from Nezumi himself. His past romantic feelings for Karan result in occasional kindness toward her son Shion, contrasting with his otherwise self-serving behavior.

Development

The concept of No.6 was inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Atsuko Asano watched the attack on television, causing her to ponder the nature of conflicts between an individual and the state, and wrote No.6 based around those themes. She has also described being influenced by the manga Banana Fish; highlighting the action elements, love between boys, and the relationship between a country and an individual as examples.

Media

Novels

The No.6 novel series by Atsuko Asano was released in nine volumes by Kodansha between October 10, 2003, and June 14, 2011. A special volume called No.6 Beyond, which features stories from the lives of the characters before or after the main story, was published on November 22, 2012. Kodansha published nine ja volumes from October 13, 2006, to July 15, 2014.

A sequel novel series, No.6 Reunited, debuted with its first volume, published by Kodansha on May 28, 2025. The sequel picks up the story two years after the events from the ending of No.6.

''No. 6''

''No. 6 Reunited''

Manga

A manga adaptation, illustrated by Hinoki Kino, was serialized in Kodansha's ja manga magazine Aria from January 28, 2011, to November 28, 2013. Kodansha collected its chapters in nine ja volumes, released between June 7, 2011, and March 7, 2014.

Kodansha USA licensed the series in North America, and released the nine volume between July 16, 2013, and October 21, 2014.

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Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Bones and directed by Kenji Nagasaki, aired in Japan on Fuji TV's noitamina programming block from July 8 to September 16, 2011. The opening theme is "Spell" by Lama while the ending theme is "Rokutōsei no Yoru" by Aimer. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the anime for American audiences and it was released on both DVD and Blu-ray on August 21, 2012. Rights to the series expired in 2018.

Episodes

Musical

A stage musical adaptation ran in Tokyo from November 8–17, 2024, and in Osaka from November 22–24. Sayaka Asai was in charge of direction, writing, and composing, while Satomi Taima was in charge of staging and choreography. The musical starred Hikaru Imamaki as Shion, Kazuki Furuta as Nezumi, Iroha Kumagai as Safu, Seishiro Higurashi as Dogkeeper, Kazuaki Yasue as Yoming, Yūki Fujiwara as White-Clothed Man, Kanako Irie as Karan, and Keigo Yoshino as Rikiga.

Reception

Lara Adams of CBR praised the No. 6 anime series for its LGBTQ representation, stating, "[e]ven after 10 years, No. 6 is still one of the best examples of m/m relationships in anime, avoiding the worst of the usual tropes while telling the story of Rat and Shion's love with the care and respect that every LGBTQ narrative deserves."

References

References

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