Miki Falls

High-schooler Miki Yoshida has made a vow: for her senior year at her Fukuyama high school, she has resolved to become a more assertive, decisive person. This new resolve is quickly put to the test when she meets Hiro Sakurai, who has just transferred into the school. Taciturn and more than a little weird—he can be seen secretly observing people and taking notes on them with some zeal—Hiro immediately gets Miki’s attention, and, despite Hiro’s protests, she resolves to befriend him and, if possible, figure him out.

With some work Miki eventually finds out that Hiro is actually a Deliverer, part of a group of quasi-celestial beings whose mission, as it turns out, is to save love. Love, it is revealed, is actually a finite force, and Deliverers, with the help of their hold spirits—quasi-sentient shape-shifters—make sure that it is transferred from bad couples to good ones before it is killed and depleted.

As Miki becomes more involved in Hiro’s life, and their friendship deepens, it brings about a score of challenges, which they must deal through in the most eventful year of Miki’s life.

Published as a series of four manga-sized volumes, one for each season of the year, Miki Falls was written and drawn by Mark Crilley, of Akiko fame. Some of its characters include:


 * Miki Yoshida: Protagonist. An ordinary high school girl.
 * Hiro Sakurai: Deliverer assigned to Fukushima. Has every intention of excelling at his job.
 * Anra: Hiro’s strangely independent hold spirit.
 * Yumi: Miki’s best friend.
 * Reika: Hiro’s old flame, a Deliverer who threatens to expose his and Miki’s budding relationship to her superiors.
 * Akuzu: A high-ranking Deliverer in charge of most of Japan. His influence and rigid approach to his work makes him the greatest threat to Miki and Hiro.
 * Toshiko Yamada: A former Deliverer who vows to protect Miki and Hiro from Akuzu’s wrath.
 * Mother Freya: Goddess of Love and supreme leader of the Deliverers.

""I like being alone. It's the way I am. The way I'll always be."
 * Arc Words: Wow, two of them in Hiro's gift basket scene in "Spring". These later are used in Miki's rejection of some love interest Yumi has set up for her in "Winter":

"I wish I could be friends with you. But I can't be. Not with you. Not with anyone.""


 * Bathroom Escape: Miki in the third book.
 * Batman Gambit: Executed by.
 * The Big Damn Kiss: Referred to by Crilley as the " -page kiss".
 * Break His Heart to Save Him: Miki attempts this.
 * The Chessmaster:.
 * Determinator: Miki.
 * Deus Ex Machina:
 * Heel Face Turn:.
 * How We Got Here
 * Immortality: Although Deliveres can die, they cannot be killed.
 * Laser-Guided Amnesia:
 * Loners Are Freaks: Invoked by Hiro when he first arrives at school so the other students will leave him be and he can get on with his job.
 * Love Potion:
 * Love Triangle: Between Miki, Hiro and Reika.
 * Masquerade: The Deliverers maintain one.
 * The Matchmaker: Part of the job description for Deliverers.
 * The Men in Black: The Deliverer rank and file.
 * New Old Flame: Reika.
 * New Transfer Student: Hiro.
 * Ordinary High School Student: Miki.
 * OEL Manga: Considered to be Mark Crilley's first.
 * Mark himself confirms this in an interview.
 * Plucky Girl: Miki.
 * Plot Hole: See Ass Pull above.
 * The Power of Love