Hybrid Child is a Boys' Love manga by Junjou Romantica's creator Shungiku Nakamura. It is consisted of three interrelated oneshots revolving around the eponymous Hybrid Child, dolls that can gain emotions and grow when given human affections. The first story is about a good-natured but lazy young man with the abandoned Hybrid Child he adopted, the second is about a former soldier, and the last covers the backstory of the creator of the Hybrid Children.
This manga is licensed and available in English.
An anime adaptation was announced in 2011. The anime cast differs from the drama cd cast. The first episode is released on October 29, 2014. The second OVA will be released on November 26, 2014. The third OVA will be released on December 24, 2014 and the fourth and final OVA will be released on January 28, 2014.
Hybrid Child presents examples of:
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Yuzu originally had brown hair and eyes in Nakamura's older art for Hybrid Child but was later given orange-brown hair and blue eyes to show that he is not a human. In the DVD cover for the second OVA, it seems that Nakamura now gives Yuzu those hair and eye colors.
- Seya had brown eyes in the older official art, he now has purple eyes.
- Tsukishima originally had light gray hair and brown eyes, but the OVA gave him a light brown hair and green eyes.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Kuroda always teased and put down his love interest Tsukishima, to which the latter responded violently.
- Bridal Carry: Hazuki carried the sleeping Koutarou this way.
- Broken Bird: Kuroda seems to become this when he loses Tsukishima.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Kuroda and Tsukishima clearly loved each other but they never seemed able to express their feelings directly until their final moments together.
- Childhood Friends: Kuroda, Tsukishima, and Seya have all known each other since youth. Hazuki and Koutarou have been together since their youth as well.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Hazuki and Koutarou, Kuroda and Tsukishima.
- Declaration of Protection: Kotaro to Hazuki, somewhat Yuzu to Seya, and both Kuroda and Tsukishima to each other (no matter how much they don't want to admit it).
- Downer Ending: Only in Kuroda's story. Kotaro and Yuzu's story both have happy endings.
- Flower Motif: Cherry blossoms represents short, fleeting life. Tsukishima is equivalent to cherry blossoms since he died young.
- The crimson flowers in Seya's garden most likely represent the blood of the people who died by his hands during the war.
- Good Old Robot: Kotaro's family often throws Hazuki because hes an older model but Kotaro always finds him, brings him home, and doesn't want a newer model.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Tsukishima took the responsibility and committed seppuku to save his clan after they lost the war.
- He's All Grown Up: Yuzu wants nothing more than to grow up, he finally does when he starts experiencing more than kindness.
- Magical Realism: The setting is reminiscent of Meiji era but nothing less than magic can explain the existence of the Hybrid Children.
- My Greatest Failure: Kuroda seems to view not confessing to Tsukishima properly as this, as he never outright told him how he felt and will never get the chance to because Tsukishima committed seppuku years before the first one-shot.
- One Head Taller: In Shungiku fashion, most couples are at least half a head apart in height; Yuzu at the start of his story is half of Seya, but he seems to be about this far apart from Seya when he ages.
- Only One Name: Hazuki and Yuzu only have one name since they are artificially created. Also, we never know what Kuroda and Tsukishima's given names are. Only Kotaro and Seya avert this trope since they are given both a surname and a given name.
- Replacement Goldfish: The prototype Hybrid Child created by Kuroda looked just like his dead lover. His friend Seya was justifiably disturbed.
- Scenery Porn: With the release of the first OVA, it's safe to say that Studio DEEN really stepped up their game this time. Every scene is beautiful.
- Seppuku: Tsukishima dies this way.
- Single-Target Sexuality:Kuroda only has eyes on Tsukishima. After Tsukishima's death, Kuroda never felt love with anyone.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Seya is tormented by what he saw and did in the war.
- Starcrossed Lovers: Kuroda and Tsukishima.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: All the couples really, there's no clear line drawn and the endings are pretty much left open except Kuroda and Tsukishima at the end of the third oneshot.
