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1[[quoteright:279:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz2p3qp9k_2986.jpg]]
2
3''A Channel'' is a Japanese {{Seinen}} {{yonkoma}} by bb Kuroda. This SchoolgirlSeries is about the [[SliceOfLife daily high school life]] of [[TheDitz Run]] and her violently-protective ChildhoodFriend, [[TheCaretaker Tooru]], who is acrimonious towards Run's friends [[ShrinkingViolet Yuuko]] and [[CuteGlassesGirl Nagi]].
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5The manga was serialized in ''Magazine/MangaTimeKirara Carat'' from 2008 to 2021, with eleven volumes released. An anime adaptation by Studio Gokumi (the first anime produced by the studio) started airing in April 2011, with two OriginalVideoAnimation episodes named ''A Channel +smile'' released on early 2012. There's also a prequel manga, ''A Channel ~days in junior high school~'', which is... well, the story of how Run and Tooru met and their life in junior high school. It started serializing in ''Manga Time Kirara Carino'' from January 2012.
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7Not to be confused with ''Manga/SpecialA'', ''Webcomic/AChanSotchiNiIkanaide'', or A-Channel (the former name of Canadian TV network [[Creator/{{CTV}} CTV Two]] or of fellow Canadian network Citytv in some areas of Western Canada).
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9!!''A Channel'' provides examples of the following tropes:
10
11%% * AdaptationExpansion
12%% * AlertnessBlink: For example, when Run tells the other girls that Tooru is an honor student.
13* BatterUp: Tooru deploys a baseball bat anytime boys get too friendly with Run.
14* BeachEpisode: Episode 5, when the girls head for [[RealPlaceBackground Kamakura]] and visit [[LighthousePoint the lighthouse there]].
15%% * BetweenMyLegs: This shot shows up in episode 2.
16* BittersweetEnding: There's a growing consensus that the anime ending qualifies. [[spoiler: Tooru realizes that there is going to be a time, coming very soon, that she will still be in High School but the other 3 will be either in the workforce or at College -- either way, not in her life anymore. She resolves to make the most of the last year they have together.]]
17* BlandNameProduct: The [[Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea Bonyo]] keychain Yuuko buys to forget a horror movie.
18** Paskin Robbins Ice Cream
19** iBod
20** Pocari Sweet & Coco-Cola
21** Geeple
22** A Hamaha speaker in episode 7.
23** Lawsom convenience stores.
24%% * BlueWithShock
25* ButtMonkey: Yuuko can't seem to catch a break, whether it's being tormented by her friends, teachers, dogs, her own misunderstandings, or pure bad luck. [[TheChewToy And it's hilarious!]]
26%% * CherryBlossoms
27%% * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Run. She even forgets her panties!
28%% * {{Drowning My Sorrows}}: Tooru does a version of this with juice in episode 8.
29%% * FestivalEpisode: The second half of episode 7.
30%% * FourGirlEnsemble
31%% * GenkiGirl: Yutaka.
32%% * GoingCommando: At one point Run forgets to put on her panties.
33%% * GratuitousEnglish: Run in episode 3. "No Music No Life" and "Mada (still) No Music Life"
34%% * Nagi and Tooru mentions Yuuko's "nice body" on several occasions.
35%% * Nagi mentions "nice shot" at Run being able to toss a soda can onto the trash barrel at school.
36* HappyRain: Kito-senser's sentimenal ImagineSpot of the protagonist quartet on a rainy day when they forgot to bring umbrellas. However reality isn't that kind - but looks [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]] nevertheless.
37* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming:
38** Every episode has a regular Japanese title and a [[EitherOrTitle secondary title]] in English that always starts with an "A".
39** All song titles on [[http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=SVWC-7770 the soundtrack]] are English words starting with the letter A.
40%% * ImageSong: At least one per episode, with one song for each of the main girls in episode 7 (half of which was a [[{{Karaoke Box}} Karaoke Episode]]).
41* ImagineSpot: On a rainy day Kito-sensei is brooding about the protagonist quarted [[HappyRain happily rushing outside without umbrellas]][[note]]they forgot them home[[/note]]. Then it cuts to actual scene of the girls in foul mood scampering home in a hilariously clumsy fashion.
42%% * {{Iyashikei}}
43%% * {{Joshikousei}}
44%% * KaraokeBox: The first half of episode 7. Even Satou-sensei gets in on it.
45%% * MagicSkirt: The girls frequently fall down or throw their legs in the air but no looky-loos. Tooru even sticks her bum in the air to put on her socks during one sequence but still no action.
46* MarshmallowHell: Yuuko does this to Tooru at one point to prevent her from intimidating a boy Run was talking to.
47* NonuniformUniform: Nagi and Tooru almost always wear their respective beige and purple cardigans over their school uniforms.
48%% * NotWhatItLooksLike: Tooru's first impression of Yuuko is seeing her in a compromising situation with Run.
49* OlderThanTheyLook: Run's mom looks exactly like her, so much so that she's often confused as Run's sister.
50* OnlyOneName: This is the case with all of the students. None of their last names have been mentioned, and even during class the teachers are on FirstNameBasis with them.
51* PetTheDog: Tooru is fond of small animals and children, often giving kids candy. Also she is a great help in the classroom.
52** She finds Yutaka annoying, but she's perfectly fine with showing the girl her notes or helping her with problems. She even feels lonely when Miho drags Yutaka away, which sends her into an impromptu identity crisis.
53** Shown more in the Manga, but Tooru is shown on a couple of occasions to like Yuuko.
54%% * PuniPlush
55%% * SailorFuku
56* SarcasmFailure: Nagi has no words when Run freaks out ("Who are you?") over Nagi's letting her hair down. This despite Nagi having jokingly done ''the same thing'' not one full minute before.
57%% * SchoolgirlSeries
58%% * SchoolSwimsuit: Tooru's had the same one since elementary school.
59%% * SeriousBusiness: Nagi takes the Ibod very seriously.
60* ShoutOut: In the third episode of the anime, Nagi shouts [[Anime/StrikeWitches "'They're not panties, so it's not embarrassing?'!]] It sure as heck is!"
61** In episode 8, when the girls talk about hiccups, Tooru states that [[Manga/AzumangaDaioh it takes a hit to the stomach to cure them]].
62*** And in the same episode, it's not hard to sense a connection between Kito's poem notebook and Yukari's love letter.
63** In episode 11, Nagi is suitably freaked out when she finds Run's [[Manga/DeathNote notebook full of names]].
64** Might be a coincidence, but after Run asks to use Nagi's glasses as a magnifying glass, Nagi (again) declares, [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann "What the hell do you think glasses are?!"]]
65** Nagi joking that her glasses are just for show, because if she takes them off she can see... [[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} death]]?
66** [[Manga/YuruYuri Rum Raisin ice cream]]!
67%% * SitcomArchNemesis: Tooru just doesn't like Yuuko, although she mellows out somewhat during the course of the series.
68%% * SneezeCut
69* SparklingStreamOfTears: Nagi and Yuuko try to sneak past an overenthusiastic teacher trying to get students hyped up for the school day, but Yuuko is caught and dragged into spirited shouting. Nagi continues on without her, silently apologizing for abandoning her and shedding some sparkling tears.
70%% * StrongFamilyResemblance: Run and Tooru look just like young versions of their respective mothers, except for very slightly different haircuts.
71* SuperDeformed: Not so noticeable at first, but the girls have a slightly simpler design for the more lighthearted moments.
72%% * ThoseTwoGirls: Yutaka and Miho.
73* TokenMiniMoe: Tooru, big time. She is only 141 cm (4'7") tall.
74* {{Tsundere}}: Nagi describes Tooru as this, Run forgets what one is and imagines Tooru with a spear.
75%% * TsurimeEyes: 75% of the main cast!
76%% * TwelveEpisodeAnime
77%% * [[TwoTeacherSchool Three-Teacher School]]
78* WikiWalk: When talking about schoolgirls running the possible risk of being abducted by strangers, Run ends up wondering if [[AliensSpeakingEnglish aliens are able to speak Japanese or not]].

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