Happy Cafe (幸福喫茶３丁目 Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume) is a manga series written and illustrated by Matsuzuki Kou. The series was serialized in Hakusensha Shōjo monthly magazine Hana To Yume and the serial chapters collected into fifteen Tankōbon released between July 2005 and November 2009. Publishing companies Tokyopop has licensed the manga for release in America and as well Sharp Point Press in Taiwan.
Plot[]
Takamura Uru is a naive and cheerful girl who is often mistaken as a middle school student because of her short height. After her mother got remarried, she took a part-time job at a small cafe called Cafe Bonheur. There she meets co-workers Satsuki Shindou a pâtissier who rarely smiles but is actually very kind and Ichirou Nishikawa who falls asleep instantly when he's hungry. Even though they're scary and weird at first glance, something inside them will change as they meet Uru and feelings of love will develop as Uru works hard to bring and show them happiness once again.
Characters[]
Uru Takamura[]
A 16 year-old, second year highschool student with childish looks and very short height but possessing superhuman strength. Working part-time as a waitress at Cafe Bonheur she went to live on her own after her mother got remarried in order to give the new couple some space. She is very naive and perky but always puts the happiness of others before her. Even though she is happy for her mother she actually wonders about and longs for her father, who died when she was young. She then finds out that she is the reason behind the death of her father. She is kind of a dense girl since it took her almost the whole series to realize her feelings for Satsuki, because both Ichirou and Mitsuka messed with her. In the final chapter she confessed that the person she loves is in front of her (which was Satsuki), and waited for him for three years (while he went to France).
Shindou Satsuki[]
A 20 year old patissier who graduated from school at the age of 15. He always has a displeased look on his face and easily loses temper. He was raised by the cafe manager Nankichi Matsumoto after being abandoned by his mother at a young age. He loves baking because he like to see the smiles from the faces of the customers. Even though he always scorns at Uru and Ichirou he is actually a very caring person. He realized his feeling for Uru after Sou confess to her, but still had to go to France to learn more about sweets and came back after three years. (Uru was in a university).
Ichirou Nishikawa[]
An 18 year old high school student who works as a waiter at Cafe Bonheur and the love rival of Shindou. He is often referred to as a weirdo and always seen dozing-off when hungry and the only way to wake him up is by giving him food. He is repeating his 3rd year in high school solely because he sleeps in most of his classes. He always shows zero interest in everything around him but he actually enjoys playing along with Uru. He loves Uru so much that he still sticks with her even after three years. (since they are in the same university).
Matsumoto Nankichi[]
The manager of Cafe Bonheur and the foster father of Shindou. Unlike Shindou, he is very perky and is fond of making jokes. He also has weak joints and has no sense of direction.
Abekawa Sou[]
Kashiwa's younger brother. He's a first year highschool student who helps run bohneur's rival shop, 'Abekawa Japanese Sweets' along with his brother. He's kind of shy, because of that he often behaves in a surly fashion. Originally, the Abekawa brothers didn't like Bonheur and it's staff because they feel their little sister likes the shop better than their own.[6] However, they eventually come to realize that the Bohneur staff (Uru in particular) aren't as bad as they seem. Sou also develops a crush on Uru.
Abekawa Kashiwa[]
Sou's older brother. He's a third year highschool student and has a huge sister complex on his sister Sakura . Kashiwa tends to be a little more laid back than his brother. A big flirt.
Sakura Abekawa[]
She is the youngest of the Abekawa siblings. Sakura is very cheerful and sweet. She often plays with Uru in the cafe and is also close friend with Ichirou's youger brother Jirou.
Jirou Nishikawa[]
The younger brother of Ichirou. He is classmates with Sakura and is good friends with her. His mother loves dressing him up as a girl. He is also very attached to his big brother but he doesn't like Uru as much, until later into the manga, where he "approves" Uru.