Ramen Ikaga!? Characters and Story

Shirafuji Sumire, the hero of this story, is a normal, sweet sixteen year old student. One ordinary day, he buys a bowl of ramen at a local supermarket. As usual with hungry folk (Team Bonet too often survives a day with a nice cup of ramen), he prepares it. Cup of hot water. Stir ingredients. Wait a few minutes to eat. To Sumire's surprise, when he pours hot water into the bowl, out pops a young man, the Prince Kanmen. This young man states, "You've just proposed to me. Let's get married." This event sets the entire story in motion. Now, Sumire must learn to live with Kanmen, who is desperately in love with him. Slowly, however, Sumire begins to fall in love with him also.
However, their lives are not totally at peace. Would we have a story if they spent their lives in harmony? Kanmen and Jii Jiiya, an old man who travels with Kanmen, are plagued by several enemies. Jii Jiiya is Kanmen's friend and is the one who raised the prince. He comes into the story when Sumire buys Kanmen's ramen packet, and Jii Jiiya flies after him, in his own ramen bowl. The ramen bowls where they live, you see, fly. Let us stop here for a second.

Kanmen and Jii Jiiya are from a faraway planet called Cup Ramen in the Andromeda Galaxy. In this planet, Kanmen was supposed to get married with the princess Reimen. However, he did not wish to marry her. So, he ran away. This is why he is so happy that Sumire 'proposed' to him. Cup Ramen is a strange planet. In Cup Ramen, men are regularly tiny versions of themselves. Only hot water enlarges them to fully human size. However, pouring hot water is also the traditional procedure for asking someone for marriage.
Reimen, who turns out to be the nemesis, is angry that Kanmen did not marry her. In the first part of the story, Ramen Ouji Toujou no Maki (The Scroll of the Ramen Prince), she sends a young woman, named Zaasai, to return her beloved and hurt Sumire. This lady, one of the princess's loyal guard, infiltrates Sumire's school as a nurse. She uses bombs in the shape of panda bears. She captures Sumire and plans to kill him, but she is beaten by Kanmen and Jii Jiiya, who send her -- with a huge fling -- all the way out into space to Cup Ramen.

The second story, Propose Daisakusen no Maki (The Scroll of the Proposal Battle), is slightly more complicated. Reimen sends her cousin, Karubonara Bongore, who is from the planet Spaghettina, to Earth. He is the traditional ham, who flings roses, recites bad poetry, and wears a dashing mask. His weapon is pasta, which he flings around menacingly. He is sent to capture Sumire, so that Reimen may marry Kanmen. Bongore, as expected, is very much stereotypically gay. His space ship is in the shape of Michealangelo's statue, the David, and it walks all over Japan, very much like Godzilla. As he captures Sumire, he becomes obsessed with him, calling him "mio amore." Once Bongore captures Sumire and flies away in a gondola, Kanmen stays with Reimen. She hits him with bloody maces and pours scalding water over him, but he stills owns feelings only for Sumire.

At this point enters Tanmen, who is Kanmen's younger brother. He wishes to figure out if Sumire is a good match for Kanmen, if his brother has found a decent, good person. Tanmen, you see, is deeply in love -- both in a brotherly and physical way -- with Kanmen. He even attempts to kiss him at one point. This aside, Tanmen is a nice young man, even if his looks are devious.

After much cajoling and mallet hits, the captured Kanmen will not go back to his planet with Reimen. She, in order to hurt Sumire, transforms herself into a playboy, lady killer version of Kanmen, who states he's been playing with Sumire's love. She also transforms Kanmen into herself; they switch bodies, in other words. Sumire is horribly hurt, but Tanmen knows Reimen's plan. Now, Sumire is confused. You can imagine Reimen's body, really Kanmen, is now telling Sumire he loves him. In the midsts of this confusion, Bongore returns with his gondola and his bad poetry.

Meanwhile, Tanmen, who has captured Reimen (Kanmen's body), composes a magical pellet in order to aid his brother. Sumire, in a kiss, puts this into his mouth. This, once Kanmen is back to being Kanmen, is their first real, love kiss. Seeing her plans ruined, and that she does not own the love of Kanmen, Reimen leaves unsatisfied, but she will return.
The next scroll, called Idol o Nerae no Maki, is the final installation. This story was written and illustrated two years later, but is still a continuation of the original story plot. Akusa, an idol group, is coming to town. The lead singer of the group, Kiryuu Takara, is travelling the town wearing a mask so that their lady fans will not find him. His one desire is to get a tiny picture in one of those booths you find in malls, a sheet of stickers with Hello Kitty. He looks just like Sumire, which confuses Reimen, who is back to town, hiding as a statue. When she finds him, she knocks him out with a mallet. His manager is incredibly upset, but decides to ask Sumire to take Takara's place in their upcoming concert. Sumire learns how to dance and sing, but the other two band members, Hiro and Sei, play mean tricks on him. Kanmen, meanwhile, fearful for Sumire's life and overly protective, threatens them. Sumire, even if he is hurt, asks him not to.

Reimen, however, is still trying to win over Kanmen's heart. She sends a gift basket to him, which is delivered by a flying saucer. Of course, imagine the flying saucer flying all over the place. Here, as people see it, they scream: "A flying saucer! Like in Independence Day?" I just cracked up at the reference to the film.
Jokes aside, the story continues. Although Sei is now content with Sumire, Hiro is still not convinced. Kanmen, who is trying to let Sumire have a life, finds out that a bomber will attack the Akusa concert. He warns Sumire and finds the bomber. However, the bomber's already placed the bomb in a lift the band will use. No one believes him, but he tries to help the band. The security guard, Sake Nomeru (Drinker of Rice Wine), turns out to be from the Shikaku Planet, a planet full of assassins. He is on Earth in order to kill Kanmen by using his bartender skills and fire spitting techniques.

As Kanmen battles Sake, Reimen comes to his rescue. Kanmen is then able to go help Sumire. Here, everyone, even Hiro, try to help Sumire. Kanmen pulls out the bomb, and waits until they blow up. Yet, he is ready for his death, now that he is with Sumire. In joy that they did not explode, they kiss. However, the platform where the band will perform rises on to the stage, completely safe from any bomb, but with a
kissing Sumire and Kanmen. The crowd, as expected, is horribly annoyed at the sight.
Back in the hospital, Takara is given the news that now he is a homosexual singer, which ruins his career. Kanmen and Sumire, however, remain together and enjoy their lives in happy love. So ends this terribly funny and romantic story.

Yes, this is [sadly] a rare image for this manga

Ramen Ikaga? includes a short story, Gold, first published in Gust Comics in 1995, and reprinted in 1997. It is a retelling of the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch. In this version, Miki and his lover Yan wander out of a theatre where they've just seen a film featuring the magic of the golden touch. Miki is quite captivated by the idea of turning everything he touches into gold, and longs to have this power.
So, one day, he finds himself possessing this power. He can now transform anything into gold, a fact that soon becomes a hazzle. Miki would be quite glad in his oblivion, if it wasn't for the fact that Yan and one of their friends, Suzu, are behaving quite mysteriously. Yan and the girl want to buy Miki a present, but Miki thinks Yan is cheating on him. So, in a rage, he touches Yan and transforms him into gold. Realizing his mistake, he cries and begs that he be restored. Luckily, the fates forgive his mistakes and Yan is freed from the spell.
All of them live happy from then on.

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