Working!! / Wagnaria!!

About

Working!!, known in America under the title Wagnaria is a Japanese 4-panel comedy manga written by Karino Takatsu, and later adapted into an anime by animation studio A-1 Pictures. The series has garnered a significant online fandom, particularly surrounding the show’s anime adaptation, spawning a number of fan works and sub-memes.

Premise

Working!! follows the story of Sōta Takanashi, a 16 year old High school student who gains a new job working for local family restaurant Wagnaria, after being recruited by fellow student Popura Taneshima. While there, he meets a number of equally eccentric colleagues, including the androphobic waitress Mahiru Inami, Katana-wielding Chief of staff Yachiyo Todoroki, stoic chef Jun Satō and lazy manager Kyōko Shirafuji.

History

Working!! first began as a 4-panel comedy manga written by Karino Takatsu and serialized in Square Enix’s Young Gangan manga magazine, first beginning in January 2005 before ending in November 2014, lasting for 13 volumes. An anime adaptation produced by A-1 pictures, also known for their work on shows such as Sword Art Online, also aired, running from April 4 to June 26, 2010 and lasting for 13 episodes. A second season was also created, running from October 1 to December 24, 2011, also lasting for 13 episodes. A third season has also been announced, and is planned to begin airing starting in July 2015.

Reception

The manga received much popularity after it’s orginal creation, especially in Japan, where the fourth manga volume of was the seventh highest selling manga volume in Japan for the week of October 23 and October 29, 2007.^[1] The sixth manga volume was also the sixth highest selling manga volume in Japan for the week of March 24 and March 30, 2009, selling over 73,000 volumes^[2].

Online Relevance

In America, Working!! is licensed by NIS America, with the second season available for streaming on Crunchyroll^[3]. The series has gained a large online following on many sites, including on Tumblr^[4], 4chan’s /a/ (Anime and Manga) board^[5], Facebook^[6], Fanpop^[7], My Anime List^[8], and DeviantART^[9]. There are numerous sites that provide episodic information about the series, such as the Working!! wiki^[10], TV Tropes^[11] and Anime News Network^[12]

Fandom

The Working!! series has spawned a significant online fanbase since it’s creation, which has created much fanart and fanfiction. On the Japanese fanart site Pixiv, there are over 23,000 images tagged under “化物語”^[13], as well as over 6,000 videos on the video sharing website Nico Nico Douga^[14]. On DeviantART, there are also over 300 images tagged related to the series^[15].

Notable Sub-Memes

X Plays The Tambourine

X Plays The Tambourine refers to a series of MADs based on a scene from the ending sequence of the second season of the Wagnaria anime, featuring the characters of Yamada & Souma playing the tambourine while a confused Takanashi stands in the foreground. The scene garnered many parodies, featuring different characters from a number of other franchises.

Someone Else / Working!! Season 1 Opening Parodies

Working!! Season 1 Opening Parodies refers to a series of Anime Opening Parodies based around the opening to the first season of the Working!! anime, titled Someone Else. The parodies garnered popularity on sites such as Nico Nico, spawning many derivatives.

Coolish Walk / Wagnaria Season 2 Opening Parodies

Working!! Season 2 Opening Parodies refers to a series of Anime Opening Parodies based around the opening to the second season of the Working!!anime, titled Coolish Walk. The parodies garnered popularity on sites such as Nico Nico, spawning many derivatives.

Am I Poplar Yet

Am I Poplar Yet refers to a phrase which has gained popularity within the Working!! fandom, in reference to the character of Popura Taneshima, who was named after the Poplar tree in hopes she would grow up to be tall, ironically contradicting her short height. Because of this, the phrase gained popularity, with much fanart being created featuring the character with Poplar plants. The phrase also gained popularity among the “Katawa Shoujo”: fandom, due to the character of Emi, who at the time was considered the least popular character, often being associated with the phrase “Am I popular yet”, which was often mistyped as “Am I poplar yet”.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References