Manga / GE - Good Ending

GE - Good Ending (GE~グッドエンディング~) (no, not the trope) begins with high school student Utsumi spying on the captain of the tennis club, Iketani Shou. Fortunately, Utsumi is noticed by Yuki Kurokawa, who confronts him about it and decides to help get him together with Shou. From there, the story takes off with Yuki teaching Utsumi the ins and out of girls, going on dates, and love.

GE - Good Ending is a shonen manga by Sasuga Kei, which ran in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 2009 to January 2013 for a total of 156 chapters.

As of April 2021, all 16 volumes are published in English digitally by Kodansha for the US market.

---

This series contains examples of:

• A-Cup Angst: Shou is jealous of her more endowed friends, specially during a trip to an onsen.

• All Love Is Unrequited: Utsumi's initial growth to improve himself was for naught when Shou ended up picking Kento.
• Anguished Declaration of Love:
  • Utsumi to Yuki, thrice at one point. Shou to Utsumi in a latter arc as well.
  • Kouno to Eri in chapter 124. He wanted to go with Eri to a baseball game as a date, but Shou and Utsumi tagged along, ruining the moment; at the end of the match, as they head home, Kouno start to confess his feelings to Eri, and they're interrupted by a train that got in between them.
• Art Evolution: Yuki gets progressively drawn to seem more girly and vulnerable as her character becomes less guarded. For example, her lips were consistently drawn out at the beginning, giving her a voluptuous, mature look, whereas now it's usually just a single line. Her eyes have also gotten bigger and rounder. The character's proportions also get less cartoonish as the series goes on.
• Author Appeal: Seems Sasuga Kei loves to draw the girls in various states of undress for the chapter covers.
• Balcony Escape: Yuki jumps off and falls into Utsumi's arms because she wants to escape her family's Christmas dinner. Bonus points for doing so in a formal dress.
• Babies Ever After: In the Distant Finale for Yuki and Utsumi, and Shou and Kento. Eri and Kouno would like to and not for lack of trying.
• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Used in place of Censor Steam whenever there's nudity.

• Beautiful Dreamer: Yuki almost leads to a Dude, She's Like in a Coma moment. Then again, she did grab him. Again in Chapter 35, which actually leads to First Kiss.
• Beta Couple:
  • Kouno and Eri. And still are in the Distant Finale
  • Izumi and Oonuma in the Distant Finale, although it's not really clear.
• Betty and Veronica: Shou and Yuki are these for Utsumi, in that order.
• Big Damn Hero:
  • Izumi rescuing Risa from being raped.
  • Utsumi climbing into a dilapidated warehouse to save Yuki from Tohru.
• Boy Meets Girl: Basically how the plot starts: Girl tries to get boy together with another girl. You can guess how that turns out. Or not.
• Break His Heart to Save Him:
  • During the breakup arc, Yuki dumps Utsumi because she can't deal with her Broken Bird issues, especially with him continuing to be nice to her, despite everything, so her logic is to dump him so he can find someone better.
  • It turns out Izumi is doing this to Oonuma, so as she doesn't fall to despair and commit suicide, like his cousin did.

• Break the Cutie: The manga has Shou, Oonuma and Yuki go thru rather painful experiences. Utsumi, being the POV character, actually suffer the most when it comes to number, but the girls have the most traumatic experiences.
• Broken Bird: Yuki. This is more poignant after learning her backstory. Especially considering she comes from a rather traditional family. And the issues are still going as strong as ever.

• Character Development: One of the things that draws you into the series. Especially with Utsumi, who is changes mostly for the better virtually every two chapters.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Riko, a middle-schooler Seiji met at photography course. She is Tooru's sister.
• The Chikan:
  • In Chapter 80, Oonuma gets groped by a pervy convenience store clerk, and quite possibly would've been raped in the store's back room if Yuki hadn't shown up and threatened to call the cops and testify as to the groping.
  • Shou also gets groped on her train to college, which is part of the reason why she decides to rent an apartment near her college.
• The Confidant: Eri is this to Yuki, who is the only one that knows that Yuki still likes Utsumi, even after dumping him.

• Covert Pervert: Utsumi can have some interesting thoughts. The same goes for Shou. And then you have a drunken Eri and Kouno imagining Utsumi getting into interesting situations with Yuki, Shou and Oonuma during the x-mas break.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Izumi, and while clearly not a moron (see Hidden Depths), no one expected him to be good in physical fights as well, which come handy when he has to fight some assholes to defend his friends.

• Cute Sports Club Manager: Eri becomes one for Kouno's baseball team.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Mika's suicide is this for Izumi

• Darker and Edgier: The story, gradually. Goes hand-in-hand with Art Evolution above. Earlier, the characters are cartoony and overblown, and the story more often than not causes laugh, chuckle, and light mood. Now, though, as the characters are shaped more realistically, the story is definitely somber.
• Date Peepers: Happens very often actually, regardless of who's on a date, to the point of almost being a Running Gag

• Distant Finale: The last chapter takes place 10 years later.
• Dogged Nice Guy: Utsumi. Originally a Type 1, but quickly grew out of it, became a Type 2, thanks to all the misunderstandings with Yuki. He's get better tho.
• Dope Slap: Utsumi to Yuki, with an ice cream spoon, when she brings the subject that he might have been happier with Oonuma rather than herself.
• Doppelgänger Replacement Love Interest:
  • In a twisted way. In chapter 87, Yuki takes Utsumi to her hometown, and they visit the places she went with Tohru. She hopes to "overwrite" her previous memory with her ex. The day ends up with her asking him to basically rape her in the old school library. Utsumi doesn't take it well.
  • Utsumi's was staying at Yuasa's apartment and she conveniently looks a lot like Shou.
  • Oonuma not only looks like Mika, Izumi's older cousin, but also has a very similar personality. But rather than being attracted to her, he acts disdainful towards her, so Oonuma doesn't follow Mika's path.

• Epiphany Therapy: Utsumi he has a real talent of fixing others problems by giving a short speech about how they should deal with their problems instead of going down more self-destructive routes.
• Et Tu, Brute?: Yuki and Tohru used to have a friend in middle school named Yuji. Yuji has a crush on Yuki and is supremely pissed that Tohru has her. So he pressures Touru to having sex with Yuki, records them, and then tells Yuki that Touru has a bet with him. Two birds in one stone, he blows Yuki and Tohru's relationship to smithereens, as well as their good names in school.
• Exact Eavesdropping: Yuki and Utsumi happen to walk by the club room at the time Shou confesses to another club member that she loves Utsumi.
• Failed a Spot Check: Shou, asking Utsumi, right in front of a love motel.
• False Start: When the series starts, you'd think Yuki's advice would help Utsumi hook-up with Shou, and it certainly feels its gonna work, until it doesn't.
• Fanservice: Not too prevalent in the manga itself, despite the occasional nudity, but certainly in the chapter covers.
• The First Cut Is the Deepest: Yuki's disastrous first relationship. It's one of the reasons why she's a Broken Bird.
• First Girl Wins: Sorta. Kurokawa asserts that's the reason why she didn't reciprocate Utsumi's feelings. And lampshaded by Eri in chapter 32, but with the gender roles reversed for Utsumi and Oonuma.

• First-Name Basis: It takes 70 chapters for Yuki to call Utsumi by his first name, Seiji. Utsumi tries to call her Yuki, and he stutters it somehow.
• First-Person Snapshooter: Utsumi. People have started to notice that he's actually really good at it.
• Foreshadowing: Izumi commenting that Oonuma reminds him of someone. It's her older cousin that committed suicide/
• Girl of the Week: Yuasa, who is Utsumi's senpai at the photography academy and predicted Utsumi and Yuki's breakup due to Yuki's Broken Bird issues and Utsumi controlling his impulses perhaps all too well. There is no romance involved, instead acting more like Therapist of the Week instead.

• Gyaru Girl: Eri, of the Kogal variety. She specifically mentions she was reading a lot of fashion and teen magazines and changed her looks because she wanted to be trendy.

• Harsh Word Impact:
  • Close enough. Utsumi got hammered so bad by Yuki's words that Ryou actually took pity on him. He even remarked that he thought Utsumi was going to die of sadness.
  • Yuki got this from both Izumi and Oonuma, over her treatment of Utsumi, although Oonuma's came with a slap bonus.
• Heel Realization: Toru. It finally dawns on him all the damage he has done very late in the manga.

• Hidden Depths:
  • Izumi. While he comes off as a Handsome Lech and a jerkass, he really cares for his friends and will help them out whenever they're in need, and will often give some of the most sensible advice depending on the situation. It's also hard to notice at first but he's the smartest of the trio, and knows karate as well.
  • Eri as well. An energetic Tsundere, who tried to pass herself as a Good Bad Girl, while always caring for her friends, and providing comfort to them.
• Home Porn Movie: Yuki appears in one, and it's the reason for her Broken Bird status.

• I Have to Wash My Hair: Shou says she is sick to get out of her date with Utsumi. She isn't. Utsumi turns it back on Shou when he makes excuses not to go to morning practices anymore.

Yuki: Tohru, all you do is give me demands... the person I want beside is always concerned about me. Even if I gave in and said 'yes' to your request, my heart would not be in it. You've even ignored my feelings and locked me in here... just what did you hope would happen?

• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
  • As of Chapter 80, Oonuma takes this approach when she admits to Yuki that she's giving up on Utsumi. Yuki is touched by Oonuma's obvious sincere feelings for Utsumi, and worried that Utsumi is suffering in their relationship because of Yuki's Broken Bird issues — causing Yuki to invoke this trope herself the next time she's alone with Utsumi, and says outright that he might be happier if he were to date Oonuma instead. Utsumi quickly tells her that if that was the case, he would not have worked so hard to become her boyfriend.
  • Yuki does this again in perfect tandem with the Idiot Ball when she breaks up with Utsumi because she loves him so much that it hurts to see him being so kind to her despite all her issues. She's also afraid she'll never recover from her Broken Bird issues and because she believes he won't ever be truly happy if they're unable to have sex, or eventually children, because of her fear of intimacy. Of course, this happened after she tried to get over her issues by asking Utsumi to pretty much rape her, after reliving one of the dates she had with Tohru, her old flame.

• Jerk With A Heartof Gold:
  • Izumi. He might be somewhat lazy, he might be somewhat of a lech, he might be too blunt with his words, but he always stands by his friends — and even he appears overly harsh towards Oonuma, he doesn't want to her to go down the same path as Mika, his deceased cousin.
  • Ryou. He is just overly protective of his cousin, Yuki.
• Karma Houdini: Tohru. While it was made clear that Yuki's family decided not to involve the police, it's hard to believe that all the former classmates he beat up to recover copies of the Home Porn Movie with Yuki did not press charges either. He gets to be a lawyer in the Distant Finale.
• Kissing Cousins: Ryo, at least in his mind, towards Yuki. He feels no other man is worthy of her or able to handle her due to her Broken Bird issues.

• Lethal Chef: Yuki is maybe a new form of the trope, as Shou is only lethal to herself (through assorted burns and cuts). Nobody else seems to complain about her cooking. More of a Lethal Chef of Iron? It's played more straight later on, with Shou's own family gasping at her cooking.
• Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: Shou's family, much to her embarrassment. Although, on prior occasions, they were eavesdropping on them instead, also, much to her embarrassment.
• Love Hotels: Utsumi ends up checking into one when Yuki accidentally gets drunk on a practice date.
• Love Hurts: Brought up when Yuki actually wonders if it was right for her to try to help Utsumi hook-up with Shou following his rejection.
• Love Makes You Crazy: Tohru. To the point he kidnaps Yuki.

• Man of Wealth and Taste: Izumi, especially after becoming the heir to the fashion company his dad owns.
• Master of the Mixed Message:
  • Yuki for Utsumi when he starts liking her, due to her issues and his inexperience with girls. Utsumi for the girls who become attracted to him because of his excessive niceness inadvertently sending mixed signals. This is lampshaded much later in the series by Izumi after Risa tells him he's really mean whereas Utsumi is always kind, to which Izumi replies that he's actually the kinder of the two.
  • Yuki later sends a different kind of mixed message to Utsumi, making him feel that while they do love each other, they won't end up together, and that Yuki actually wants Utsumi to move on and date someone else.
• Matchmaker Crush: Yuki. Most notably in the one-shot/pilot.
• Maybe Ever After:
  • Shou and Kento. Confirmed in the Distant Finale.
  • Izumi and Oonuma in the Distant Finale. This is lampshaded by Utsumi in the last chapter.
    Utsumi:For those two, it's a mystery whether or not there are any romantic feelings...
  • The Later Life Omake implies they're a couple.

• Nice Guy: Utsumi. Way too nice actually, which often leads to him holding an Idiot Ball because he just can't bring himself to hurt anyone, just making things worse. Eri even tells him that being excessively nice and tip-toeing around as to not hurt people's feelings will get him in trouble, and he admits as much. And Yuki breaks up with him because him being so nice with her is just too painful for her. The whole thing is lampshaded again by Yuasa.

• Non-Action Guy: Utsumi. Even if he grew up as a character, grew a backbone and tried to fight Tohru, he still lost in spite of his Big Damn Hero moment.
• Nose Bleed: Utsumi ends up with one after a dream involving Yuki.
• Not Distracted by the Sexy: A variant in that Yuasa flashes before Utsumi to get a reaction out of him during his stay in her apartment when he's going through his post-breakup Heroic BSoD. No dice.
• Not What It Looks Like:
  • Subverted at one point with rather interesting consequences, when Eri sees Kurokawa and Utsumi coming out of a love hotel. The resulting behavior was actually a result of inferring completely accurate conclusions. The one that happened as a result of that, meanwhile, was a straight version, except that it actually made the romance progress when Shou realized that she shouldn't be as upset as she was, unless she was falling for Utsumi.

• In Chapter 90, when all his friends, including Yuki, force their way into Yuasa's apartment and find them eating some Yakiniku together. Just the sight of Utsumi and Yuasa together is enough to make Yuki run away and in tears even though it was Yuki who dumped Utsumi in the first place. Lampshaded by Izumi later and lets the others know that they really don't know Utsumi's side of the story and thus shouldn't pass judgement so hastily. However, should be noted that since then, neither Yuki nor Utsumi have told anyone what exactly happened, and why.

• Once More, with Clarity: What really happened to Yuki and Toru. Although it's hinted several times early in the story. Toru pressured Yuki into having sex, at the behest of his friends; same friends filmed them having sex and spread the video all over school.
• Open-Minded Parent: Yuki's Mom, which is a big contrast vis a vis her Dad, who is way more rigid and traditional.

• Pilot Episode: The oneshot special.

• Psychopathic Manchild: Tohru. With a healthy dose of Yandere to boot.
• Puppy Love: Izumi had a crush on his older cousin, Mika, and was devastated when she committed suicide over a failed relationship. It's a reason why he's harsh on Oonuma, because Oonuma reminds him of his late cousin.
• Rape as Drama:
  • Yuki. The sex was consensual, but the Home Porn Movie, and it being passed around the school, were not.
  • Oonuma's close call backroom Casting Couch incident, but Izumi prevented it from being actual rape.
• Relationship Upgrade: Yuki finally confessing her love to Utsumi, declaring that as long as they're together, that will be her Good Ending.
• The Reveal: What Toru did ^note Doing a Home Porn Movie and showing it to a bunch of guys at their school, as a bet. Although it had been hinted earlier in the story.

• The Runaway: Yuki. She left her hometown because a Home Porn Video of her and her boyfriend was spread around school, bringing shame to her very conservative dad.

• Sex as Rite-of-Passage: A female version with Eri, as she wants to not be a virgin in order to be seen as more mature. She gets better before she can do something she will regret.

• Shipper on Deck:
  • Yuki plays one between Utsumi and Shou, largely to convince herself to believe in love again. She tries again with Utsumi and Oonuma. Then Eri jumps on the UtsumixYuki ship.
  • Shou later asked Yuki to ship her and Utsumi together. Yuki told her No.
• Ship Sinking: An in-universe example when Eri is distraught, and verbally lashing at Utsumi, when he states that he's dating Shou.

• Shōnen Demographic: Despite being a romance/comedy, it's pretty obvious it's a shonen manga. The Fanservice and being published in Weekly Shonen Magazine being dead giveaways.

• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Why the girls, at one point or another, seem to have set their eyes on Utsumi.
• Skinship Grope: Shou to Yuki, during the bath house scene. This was actually triggered by Shou's A-Cup Angst.
• Stalker with a Crush:
  • Utsumi starts as one, spying on Shou, until he gets caught.
  • Tohru is coming off as one. 32 calls in a single night? Not to mention misinterpreting everything Utsumi said to him regarding Yuki.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Izumi. No, really. Although this is only around Oonuma.

• Thanks for the Mammary: Utsumi to Shou, when trying to keep her from falling from the second floor of her house.
• There Are No Therapists:
  • This series took its Darker and Edgier turn based on this. Almost every main character has their share of psychological issues.
  • Utsumi is prone to depression and cannot accurately distinguish when an expectation is unrealistic.
  • Yuki was pressured into sex with Toru, and was publicly humiliated when they were filmed having sex, and the video was spread around school.
  • Shou was used as a sexfriend and then discarded when the guy found another girl to play with.
  • Oonuma has serious self-esteem issues; she was rather chubby before knowing Utsumi and she's not good at talking with men.

• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Izumi to Oonuma, after he saves her from being raped.
  • Yuki to Toru, as she tells him he's incredibly selfish.

• Tiger Versus Dragon: Izumi and Yuki, in their circle of friends, but even then they're still friends, even if slightly antagonistic at times.
• Title Drop:
  • From Kouno to Utsumi in the first chapter: "Remember that girl character game that you got hooked on in Junior High? You had to have the right responses and interaction in order to get a good ending."
  • Also, in Chapter 155, the 2nd to last chapter in the series, by Yuki herself
    Yuki:As long as I'm together with you, that will be a Good Ending.
• Took a Level in Badass: Pretty much the premise of the series is how Utsumi grows as a person. Even if he got beat up to a pulp by Toru in the fight near the climax. He still got the girl just by sheer determination alone and for being genuinely a nice guy.

• The Unfair Sex:
  • Averted for the most part. Although Utsumi gets called out when he messes up, it should be noted that most of the time they are aware he's not doing things out of maliciousness. The times he actually does things with malice, he does get called out, appropriately, and has to work hard to deal with the consequences.
  • Subverted when Yuki gets called out as well by Eri, Izumi and Oonuma.
  • Played straight in the break-up mini-arc. Yes, Utsumi ran away, and all his friends are worried about him, but Yuki has neglected telling them that she dumped him: and thus, the first thing his friends do when they finally find him at Yuasa's apartment eating Yakiniku, which makes Yuki run away in tears, is to punch him around for being selfish. Eri apologizes to Utsumi for this a day after though.
• Unlucky Everydude: Utsumi pretty much embodies this trope.

• What Beautiful Eyes!: Sasuga Kei puts a lot of effort in the eyes of the girls, especially for the covers.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Utsumi calling Yuki out when she asks him to basically rape her.
  • Izumi calling Oonuma out on her attempt to make Utsumi feel guilty about her.

• Wrong Guy First: Early in the manga, when it appeared that all of Yuki and Utsumi's work was gonna pay off, Shou ended up hooking up with Kento instead.
• Yandere: Tohru. Full blown — as seen in chapters 148-150. Perhaps the most telltale signs being his Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Yuji and his cronies, who were shown in flashbacks to have beaten to bloody pulps and looking like they're begging for mercy.

---