I"s, Vol. 4

Shy Ichitaka has a crush on his high school classmate Iori, but ever since she posed for semi-provocative swimsuit photos in a magazine, she's had a lot of sleazy guys hitting on her. Ichitaka's afraid to make his feelings known for fear Iori will think he's just another creep.

Ichitaka's birthday is around the corner, and there's only one thing he wants: his beloved Iori--wearing nothing but a ribbon and a smile. Sadly, that won't be happening anytime soon. Barring his initial wish, Ichitaka will settle for a delightful evening on the town with Iori (most likely, with her clothes on), but his childhood friend Itsuki shows up and totally ruins the mood. Bummed out and bedraggled, Ichitaka manages to ask Iori out again, but she has already made other plans! Will Ichitaka let the b-day blues get the best of him, or will a kiss from Itsuki make him change his mind about his entire angst-addled existence?

Known among anime circles as the character designer for IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION, Katsura is also a popular manga artist. His works, from the story of an unlikely superhero in WINGMAN to the saga of a girl who gains powers from magic eyeshadow in SHADOW LADY, display a quirky sense of humor and a fondness for O. Henry-like plot twists. Katsura is also celebrated in fan circles as an artist with a hand for lush screen-tones and an unparalleled eye for nubile young ladies, best noted in the shapely Iria-like bounty hunter in his manga D.N.A.2 (D.N.A. "squared").