Medaka Box

Background

Medaka Box is a Japanese manga written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Akira Akatsuki. Medaka Box was serialized in the Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, published by Shueisha from May 2009 to May 2013.

The series follows the Student Council of Hakoniwa Academy, originally comprised of Medaka Kurokami and Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, during their various adventures to honor suggestions presented by fellow students in order to better the academy. These suggestions are received through a suggestion box Medaka institutes at the series start: the titular "Medaka Box" (a play on words with the Japanese term for suggestion box, meyasu box). As the series progresses, more characters join Medaka in her endeavors, and the Student Council face progressively more difficult requests, both absurd and dangerous.

Student Council Executive Arc
The series begins with the announcement of Medaka's election as Student Council President. She promptly strong-arms her childhood friend Zenkichi into helping her as the Student Council's General Affairs Manager. Together, the pair answers numerous requests, from finding lost dogs to cleaning up club buildings and even fixing personalities. Shortly, they are joined by Kouki Akune, formerly of the Judo Club, who becomes the Student Council Secretary and Zenkichi's rival for Medaka's affections, and later Mogana Kikaijima, a member of the Swimming Club who becomes the Student Council Treasurer. It is not long before the Student Council's unorthodox methods begin to garner the wrong kind of attention: that of the Public Morals Committee, and their leader, Myouri Unzen; considered a superhuman on the same level as Medaka.

Thirteen Party Arc
Hakama Shiranui, Hakoniwa Academy's chairman, reveals to the Student Council a government conspiracy to study and attempt to artificially recreate super-humans on the same level as Medaka. Formally called Abnormals, Medaka quickly discovers that she is not the only Abnormal in the academy, let alone the world. In fact, these abnormal children are intentionally being brought together as the academy's Class 13 in order to study them and attempt to recreate their abilities; the "Flask Plan". However, once such a method is found, the students of Hakoniwa Academy will be forced to endure the vicious trial experiments, which will result in the death of most of the students. Medaka resolves to oppose the Flask Plan, and she and the other members of the Student Council descend into the academy's underground facilities to challenge the Abnormals participating in the plan; the fearsome Thirteen Party. After a series of difficult battles in which Medaka's own Abnormality is finally identified, the Student Council is able to put an end to the Flask Plan. Their success is short-lived however, as the Chairman immediately falls back on a new method for the Flask Plan centered around Misogi Kumagawa, the one person even Medaka could not save.

Kumagawa Incident Arc
The new enemies are a subgroup of Abnormals known as Minuses; Abnormals that aren't merely unhinged due to the loneliness of being better than normal humans, but genuinely horrific, deranged people with powers that defy both logic and physics to match. These new enemies group together as Class -13, lead by Kumagawa, who, using a school rule, threatens to usurp Medaka's Student Council with one of his own, allowing him to achieve his ultimate goal of gathering the elite students of the academy together, and killing all of them. Medaka accepts his challenge, and the two Student Councils face off in a series of five battles to determine which council will take over control of the school. With allies old and new, the Student Council progresses through the challenges, with Medaka finally defeating Kumagawa in the last match, and successfully reforms him. Class -13 is formally accepted into the academy, and Medaka invites Kumagawa to become the Student Council vice-president, a position he accepts after encouragement from Zenkichi. As the Student Council celebrates their victory, the mysterious "Delayed Two", the remaining transfer students invited by the Chairman, arrive at the academy. Consisting of the mysterious Najimi Ajimu and Hanten Shiranui, the pair label themselves as Not Equals; those who stand above both Abnormals and Minuses.

Kurokami Medaka's Successor Arc
Ajimu introduces the Not Equals to the Student Council, making it clear her intent to restart the Flask Plan once Medaka graduates. Medaka and her Student Council, now with Kumagawa in its rankings, attempt to stop the plan's revival by training five middle school students to become their successors. However, Ajimu reveals one of the new recruits is actually a member of the Not Equals; though the Student Council ultimately discovers that all five are Not Equals, as well as Normal girls. Medaka arranges for the interns to go on a Treasure Hunt as part of their training, though the original members of the Student Council are soon roped in to participate as well. With the exception of Zenkichi, all of them make it through the Treasure Hunt, and with teamwork, manage to defeat Medaka, with Kikaijima claiming the prize. Upon discovering that Zenkichi never made it past the first trial however, Medaka turns her back on him. Ajimu reveals that her true plan was to break the bond between Medaka and Zenkichi; Zenkichi was the only Normal who could stay by Medaka's side, but with the introduction of the interns, Zenkichi has lost his value in her eyes. Ajimu offers to make Zenkichi a "main character" so that he can defeat Medaka and earn her respect…by becoming the new test subject for the Flask Plan. Zenkichi agrees and decides to oppose Medaka. The Flask Plan is ultimately successful, and Zenkichi defeats Medaka in the presidential election. As her last act as president, Medaka sanctifies the Flask Plan. However, the victorious Ajimu tries to commit suicide, only to be stopped by Medaka. Medaka reveals that Ajimu always wanted the Flask Plan to fail, as she had never found anything impossible in her infinite existence. Medaka reforms Ajimu, promising her that she will never let her die; therefore, Ajimu's death will become the impossibility she has been seeking. Kumagawa's seal fades away, Ajimu is accepted as a freshman of Class 13, and Medaka hands the president's armband over to Zenkichi. She then kisses him, telling him she has fallen for him.

Jet Black Bride Arc
Relieved from her duties as head of the Student Council, Medaka enjoys her days as a normal student until she is informed of the start of the "Jet Black Wedding Feast", a battle royale between representatives of the seven branch families of the Kurokami Group for the right to become Medaka's husband and the successor to the main family. By having contestant Kamome Tsurubami relinquish his invitation to her, Medaka joins the competition determined to defeat her suitors and earn the right to keep living her life freely. Upon learning of her situation, Zenkichi and his new Student Council start looking for her. As the suitors are eliminated from the Feast, they stay behind to confront the Student Council, trying to prevent Zenkichi from reuniting with Medaka. Ultimately, Zenkichi catches up to Medaka, but is taken hostage, forcing Medaka to compete with her final three suitors in a word game of "Delete Shiritori". The game concludes with Medaka forcing the last suitor to say "surrender", ending the Jet Black Wedding Feast. Together with Zenkichi and her friends, Medaka returns to Hakoniwa Academy.

Unknown Shiranui Arc
Now formally engaged to Zenkichi, Medaka intends to take a more traditional approach to their relationship. However, she soon discovers that Hansode Shiranui has disappeared from both the school and everyone's memories. A meeting with Ajimu reveals what has happened, and along with Zenkichi (the only other student who still remembers Shiranui), Medaka sets out to find her erstwhile double. Medaka and Zenkichi discover she is to become the next host for Iihiko Shishime, a 5000 year old being, and set out to defeat him. After learning the truth behind the styles and Medaka's other father, Fukurou Tsurubami, Iihiko is defeated and Shiranui is saved. However, Fukurou's final trump card brings the moon plummeting towards Earth. Medaka stops the moon and disappears, but returns in time for the academy graduation ceremony.

Boquet Toss to Future Arc
Now head of the Kurokami Group, Medaka withdraws from Hakoniwa Academy. After fourteen years together, the time has come for Medaka and Zenkichi to part ways. But first, a flower filled send-off party for the president who loved flowers! Zenkichi arranges a 100 Flowers Run for Medaka; a battle against one hundred opponents from her academic year. Medaka defeats Zenkichi first at the base of the clock tower, and after traversing the academy to collect flowers from her opponents, faces Kumagawa last at the top of the clock tower. He reveals that each flower includes a farewell message from each of her opponents. In April, at the beginning of the school year, Medaka returns to the academy as the new chairwoman.

Epilogue
Ten years have passed, and the golden generation of Hakoniwa Academy gather together on the anniversary of Ajimu's disappearance. Two members in particular have not seen each other for several years. Medaka and Zenkichi remember their past, discuss their present, and decide their future. Thank you for four years of affectionate reading!

Good Loser Kumagawa Gaiden
A sub-series of the Medaka Box main series, it features Kumagawa as the protagonist and main character. The sub-series takes place two months before Kumagawa transfers to Hakoniwa Academy, and details his time at Suisou Academy. This is the story of Kumagawa's one month-long battle with Saki Sukinasaki, a battle that ended with the closure of Suisou Academy and no winner.

Power of the Verse

The verse is powerful despite being mainly school students, with characters being superhuman in strength, speed, and durability and possessing cosmic abilities to create entire universes. Characters possess a large variety of abilities such as, Power Mimicry, Plot Manipulation, Causality Manipulation, Nothingness Manipulation, Irreversible Damage, Subjective Reality, etcetera.