The Cherry Project

The Cherry Project is the Naoko Takeuchi manga that ran from 1990-1991. It spanned 3 volumes and was rereleased in 1992.

The story's main character is Asuka Chieri, a fourteen-year-old aspiring figure skater. One lucky day she meets her childhood inspiration and crush, professional figure skater Masanori Tsuzuki at the rink. He's looking for a partner, and once he transfers to her school they decide to team up. Chieri then needs to skate at the school's fundraiser, and finds love with Tsuzuki. Things reveal not to be so easy Chieri searches for the key that she is missing. Possibly exists in the same universe as Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V due to cameos.

Tropes used by The Cherry Project:
""You're Cherry but you like bananas? You're weird.""
 * Alpha Bitch: "Princess" Canty.
 * Betty and Veronica: Chieri and Canty
 * Big Fancy House: Tsuzuki has one despite his father having a normal job.
 * Bishonen All of the guys, even Chieri's father.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Canty
 * Contrived Coincidence
 * Crash Into Hello
 * Embarrassing Nickname: Cherry, at least to her.
 * Fatal Flaw
 * Genki Girl: Yuni
 * Gratuitous English: Chieri notes that Canty's English is show-offy and makes her feel stupid, but Canty's English is poor. Hiroshi also wears a New York Yankees hat.
 * Green-Eyed Monster: Canty
 * Hands-On Approach: Chieri gets embarrassed when Tsuzuki shows her how to do stunts this way.
 * Hot Dad: Chieri's Bishonen father
 * Ice Queen: "Princess" Canty
 * Instant Expert: Chieri is quick to go from prodigy to expert.
 * Karaoke Box
 * Love Bubbles
 * Magic Feather: Chieri's crystal necklace for luck.
 * Manipulative Bitch: Canty
 * Meet Cute
 * Missing Mom: Chieri's mom died in a plane crash.
 * New Transfer Students
 * Not a Morning Person: Chieri
 * Not So Stoic: Tsuzuki
 * Personality Blood Types: Chieri calls Tsuzuki a "Typical A" and he calls her a "Typical B" back.
 * Playing Hard to Get: Tsuzuki
 * Plucky Girl: Chieri
 * Punny Name: Chieri
 * Rich Bitch: Canty
 * Rise to the Challenge
 * Sarashi: Canty wears one for her practice outfit.
 * Serious Business: Princess Canty hates girls who "skate for fun".
 * Shown Their Work: Most of the figure skating stunts, while difficult for any amateur skater to do, have accurately drawn forms.
 * Significant Birth Date: Tsuzuki and Chieri share a birthday.
 * Spoiled Brat: "Princess"
 * Student Council President: Chieri
 * Sweet Tooth: Chieri
 * Teach Me How To Skate
 * Technician Versus Performer: This is oddly inverted. Chieri learns everything technically by copying other's techinical moves, but doesn't have the "artistic grace" that Canty has.
 * To Be a Master
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Chieri loves chocolate bananas.
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Chieri loves chocolate bananas.


 * Training From Hell
 * Transfer Student Uniforms
 * Wacky Guy: Kouichi
 * The White Prince: Tsuzuki
 * You Look Familiar: Miss Haruna is also Sailor Moon's teacher.