Mai Toudou

Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle is a youth romance about a boy at the top of the school social ladder. The light novels are written by Hiromu, with art by raemz, and published by Shogakukan under its Gagaga Bunko label since June 2019. The series was very popular with readers. It ranked number one in the paperback category of the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! guide, a well-known yearly ranking, for both 2021 and 2022. A manga version ran on Square Enix's Manga Up! service from 2020 to 2025. Studio Feel makes the anime. The first part aired from October 2025, and this second part begins on October 13, 2026. Most school romance stories are about shy, unpopular boys. This one is different. Saku Chitose is the kind of student others call "riaju," a Japanese internet word for someone who has a full and happy real life. He is good-looking, confident, good at sports, and always surrounded by friends. Some people online hate him for it. The story is set in Fukui, a quiet city in central Japan, and much of its charm comes from the everyday local places where the friends spend time. In the first part, a teacher asked Saku to help a classmate who had stopped coming to school and stayed shut in his room, a person known in Japan as a hikikomori. Saku and his friends took on the task, and it pulled them into their classmates' private problems. Saku often helps others in a cool, slightly showy way, but underneath he has his own worries and doubts. Several girls are close to Saku, and their feelings are a big part of the story. Yuuko Hiiragi is cheerful and openly likes him. Yuzuki Nanase is sharp and beautiful. Yua Uchida is kind and caring. Haru Aomi is a sporty, energetic girl. Asuka Nishino is an older student with a free spirit, whom Saku admires. Each of them has her own dreams and struggles. As Part 2 goes on, the ties within the group become more complicated, and not everyone's feelings can be returned in the way they hope. The series is known for its thoughtful look at popularity, image, and what people hide behind their confident faces. Its dialogue is witty, and it often touches on ideas about how to live a good life, which is why AniList tags it with philosophy. Watch Part 1 first, as this part continues straight from it.