Neighborhood Story (ご近所物語 Gokinjo Monogatari) is a seven-volume Slice of Life manga by Ai Yazawa that ran in Shueisha's Ribon magazine from 1995 to 1998. It tells the story of Mikako Koda, a teenager who dreams of becoming a fashion designer, her childhood friend Tsutomu Yamaguchi, and their other friends, all of them being students of the Yazawa Arts High School. Toei Animation would produce a 50-episode anime adaptation that would air on TV Asahi, comprising much of the staff of the Marmalade Boy anime, which led to the production of a short feature film, and a CD-drama.
Several characters would later make appearances in Paradise Kiss, which despite being its own story, has been confirmed to be a part of the same universe.
After 28 years, it was released in the US by Viz Media in 2023 under the company's "Shojo Beat" imprint.
Gokinjo Monogatari provides examples of:
- All of the Other Reindeer: Mikako in her past. Miwako later repeats the story.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Shintaro to Mariko. He's far less troublesome than her, in fact.
- Author Appeal: lampshaded in the end of course ceremony, where Principal Yazawa explains the reason the alumni of Yazagaku compete to achieve the most outlandish look is that she enjoys extravagant fashion.
- Beauty Contest: Mariko won the annual Yazagaku beauty contest, and they mention a new edition taking place during the School Festival, but nobody pays much attention to it.
- Be Yourself: Even if it takes being bullied by your classmates and expelled from your school.
- Betty and Veronica: Ayumi and Mariko really are on two opposite extremes of the scale.
- Bishie Sparkle: Seiji's sparkles are visible not only to the readers, but to the cast too, earning him a nickname 'The Sparkling Alien'. (Once he jokingly tells Mikako he comes from another planet and has special powers. She believes him.)
- Bland-Name Product: Mariko loves Chanyel.
- The Cameo: Midori and Akira from Ai Yazawa's previous manga Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai, show up in the street market. Mamirin appears in the final chapter in the background while Mikako is in London. Takigawa appears as a tutor in a side story chapter
- Catchphrase: Mikako says Waaaarp!! before speeding off whenever she wants to make a quick exit.
- Deconstruction: Not so much as Nana or Paradise Kiss, but still deals with some issues rather seriously for a shoujo manga.
- Delinquent: Jirô. The cast sometimes start talking in delinquent slang, and he calls them off on it believing they are mocking him.
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: Less emphasis on the "gothic", but Pii-chan's outfits are generally in keeping with the sweeter side of Lolita fashion.
- Extreme Doormat: Ayumi, Ayumi, and Ayumi. When she's chosen as the receptionist at the fashion contest and can't move from the hall, she even gets a comment from Yuusuke, that it suits her just perfectly.
- Flash Step: Mikako's "Warrrrp!", which is just her running really fast.
- Gratuitous English: All the time. Mikako is particularly fond of it.
- Gyaru Girl: Mariko is on the milder end, but she's labelled a Kogal by her female peers for her love of makeup and general focus on appearance.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Tsutomu is very tall, Mikako is basically a shrimp.
- Identical Stranger: Tsutomu and a pop-idol Nakamura Ken.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: A sparkling foreign gay alien prince? Pii-chan loves it!
- Nosebleed: Common female reaction to Seiji's beauty.
- Not What It Looks Like: Ruriko misunderstand a passing comment by Miwako and gets all paranoid about her daughter spending all that time alone with Tsutomu.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Mariko may have a reputation of a easy lay, before hanging out with the cast but she is really one of these.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Tsutomu wonders if he's the main male character, or Yuusuke. He has every reason to.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: And how. Well, the heroine is a fashion designer in training.
- Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: Subverted, Yuusuke doesn't acknowledge that he's the princess in this case ... and it causes a problem.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Poor Yuusuke was wrong, he never got to star in his own manga. To be fair, he was pretty close to being one in this very series, while Jirô, Shintaro and Noriji had similar delusions. Noriji, though, gets a cameo in the continuation, where he's briefly presented as "some random ojii-san".
