Love and Romance in the workplace has never been so cute.
Ebisu-san and Hotei-san is a serialized manga by Akira Kizuki and Nanki Satou. It ran in the Yuri anthology magazine Tsubomi from 2009 to 2010.
Ebisu Mayo and Hotei Chizuru are both Office Ladies in the same company, but whilst Ebisu works at the head office in the city, Hotei is in a branch office in the suburbs. The two had met only once, when Hotei attended a meeting at the head office, during which Ebisu was highly critical of her work. After that, Hotei hoped never to have to see her again.
However as the story begins, Hotei discovers that Ebisu has been transferred to Hotei's branch. How will Hotei be able to work with this perfectionist workaholic?
Ebisu-san and Hotei-san provides examples of the following tropes:
- Being Personal Isn't Professional: Ebisu comes off as somewhat cold, and refuses to have private discussions with Hotei while on the clock.
- Corner of Woe: Hotei goes into this sometimes. Mostly over Ebisu.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Mayo's sister regards sleeping with Mayo's boyfriends as this, as she believes that anyone who would be seduced by her wouldn't be faithful to Mayo anyway.
- Cut Short: There may be a sequel but so far the series seems to end rather abruptly after the fifth chapter.
- Disappeared Dad: It's completely unknown who Hana's father is.
- Dude, She's Like in a Coma: Ebisu is passed out drunk, when Hotei moves in to kiss her but pulls back at the last second.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The Ebisu sisters have this dynamic. The elder sister is the foolish one, being quite lazy when it comes to cleaning and even forcing Mayo to take care of Hana. Mayo, on the other hand, is responsible, being a highly efficient worker who balances her job with caring for her niece.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Hotei is incredibly jealous of Ebisu although this eventually shifts to her being Tsundere for Ebisu.
- I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: There are a few times when Ebisu has this effect on Hotei.
- In-Series Nickname: Ebisu sometimes gets called "Shrimp Mayo."
- Intelligence Equals Isolation: Ebisu is the most competent Office Lady in her division, but gets bullied and gossiped about by the other workers due to their jealousy.
- Is That Cute Kid Yours?: Hotei initially thinks that Ebisu's niece is her secret daughter.
- Jerkass: Ebisu's sister is selfish, lazy and immature, not even caring for her own daughter and sleeping with Mayo's boyfriends.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Ebisu's sister is shown to be this near the end of the manga, where she reveals that many of her seemingly selfish actions, such as stealing Ebisu's boyfriends, were meant to help her sister. Still a jerk, though.
- Last-Name Basis: As the title implies, the two characters generally call each other by their last names and the "-san" honorific, due to starting out as acquaintances in a professional setting. Hotei does start off calling Ebisu "Shrimp Mayo" (a pun on the "Ebi" in "Ebisu"), and toward the end of the series, refers to Mayo by her first name in her thoughts. As for Hotei, even her friends at work and later, Hana, who considers her to be her third mother, call her by her surname.
- Lazy Bum: Again, Ebisu's sister, to the point where she can hardly be bothered to care for her own daughter.
- Limited Wardrobe: Averted as the characters wear different outfits each day.
- Luminescent Blush: Ebisu tends to cause Hotei to do this frequently.
- Maybe Ever After: An "epilogue" to the final chapter shows the two still living together years after the main story, technically this is only implied — nothing is actually confirmed. One hint that might suggest they're a couple is that Ebisu warns Hotei to reject any advances the former's sister might make toward the latter, implying that Ebisu loves Hotei and believes her sister will try to sleep with Hotei as she did with Mayo's ex-boyfriends.
- Milholland Relationship Moment: When Hotei tells Ebisu about the time she swiped her shoes as a prank.
- Oblivious to Love: Ebisu seems unaware of Hotei's feelings for her.
- Office Lady: Ebisu and Hotei as well a few others.
- Opposites Attract: Although Ebisu and Hotei are not as different as Hotei likes to imagine, the gap between their personalities is still large.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Ebisu. She seems totally cold and brusque, but it's a result of the stress of caring for her niece.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Ebisu's "ice" side manifests around most people, but she has a soft spot for her niece, and eventually, for Hotei.
- Thicker Than Water: Discussed between Hotei and Mayo's sister.Hotei: Oh. So you do love her.
Mayo's sister: (Beat) The feeling is far from mutual, though. But no matter what I do, she can't leave me. Because we're family. No matter how much she hates me. And that's fine with me. I'll keep on causing trouble for her.
(Beat Panel)
Hotei: I'm not so sure about that.
Ebisu: About what?
Hotei: Mayo probably loves you. And not just out of obligation because you're family. You're nothing like her. And because you're nothing like her, you irritate her. And that is precisely why she loves you. - Tsundere: Hotei often insists to herself that she hates Ebisu, even after doing something nice for her or coming to understand her a little better.
- Wham Line: This exchange in Chapter 5 reveals a detail that surprises Hotei.Mayo's sister: Tell me, why do you think she doesn't have a boyfriend?
Hotei: Huh? Well... Because she's busy with work...
Mayo's sister: (smiles) It's because I slept with all her boyfriends. Every last one.
Hotei: WHAT? - Will They or Won't They?: Ebisu and Hotei.
- Workaholic: Ebisu was like this in the past and still has elements of this. That said, she insists on not doing overtime if she can help it because she needs to care for her niece.
- Yuri Genre
