“Android Academy of Flowers Vol. 1,” a Comic About Personified Android Device Makers, Launches!

Serialized in Weekly ASCII, MacPeople, and on the website Weekly AS Plus, the first volume of Android Academy of Flowers from ASCII Media Works was released on June 27. This original full-color comic from Kifumi Kayama comically depicts smartphone industry goings-on by representing Android- and Google-connected device manufacturers as high school girls and handsome men.

The setting of the comic is a Japanese girls’ high school called Android Academy. Fifteen female pupils reflect the characteristics of various Android device makers and personify Sharp, Samsung, Sony Mobile, and more. Docomo, Au, and Softbank raise a smile with their “club activities,” their waterproof screens being represented by swimsuits, and so on. Furthermore, the girls’ rivals iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone will appear as the handsome male pupils from another school and exchange caricature-like dialogue with them.

Regarding Android Academy of Flowers, Android founder Andy Rubin went so far as comment, “Reading it, I unexpectedly burst out laughing.” This comic is attracting attention from smartphone industry members as well.

Android Academy of Flowers Character Reference (Updated May 28, 2013):
http://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/000/071/71299/#eid146673 (Japanese)

© 2013 Kifumi Kayama

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article