No. 6

For other uses, see Number Six (disambiguation).

No. 6
First novel volume cover
Genre	Dystopian Mystery Science fiction
Novel series
Written by	Atsuko Asano
Published by	Kodansha
Imprint	Ya!Entertainment
Original run	October 10, 2003 – June 14, 2011
Volumes	9
Manga
Written by	Atsuko Asano
Illustrated by	Hinoki Kino
Published by	Kodansha
English publisher	NA: Kodansha USA
Magazine	Aria
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	January 28, 2011 – November 28, 2013
Volumes	9
Anime television series
Directed by	Kenji Nagasaki
Written by	Seishi Minakami
Music by	Keiichi Suzuki
Studio	Bones
Licensed by	AUS: Siren Visual NA: Sentai Filmworks (expired)
Original network	Fuji TV (Noitamina)
Original run	July 8, 2011 – September 16, 2011
Episodes	11
Novel series
No. 6 Reunited
Written by	Atsuko Asano
Published by	Kodansha
Original run	May 28, 2025 – present
Volumes	1

No. 6 is a Japanese novel series written by Atsuko Asano and published by Kodansha in nine volumes between October 2003 and June 2011. A manga adaptation drawn by Hinoki Kino was serialized in Kodansha's Aria magazine from January 2011 to November 2013. An 11-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Bones, was broadcast on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from July to September 2011.

Plot

The story takes place in a dystopian city known as "No.6". Shion, a boy raised in the elite and privileged environment of his home, gives shelter to another boy, who only gives his name as "Nezumi" (or "Rat") on the former's twelfth birthday. What Shion soon discovers is how drastically life will change after meeting with the mysterious Nezumi, with whom he had shared one unforgettable, stormy night.

Characters

Shion (紫苑)

Voiced by: Yuki Kaji (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)

Shion is an intelligent and idealistic boy living in the dystopian city of No. 6. At age 12, he shelters Nezumi, a fugitive, and is subsequently stripped of his elite status, forced to relocate to the impoverished Lost Town. Four years later, while working in park maintenance, he uncovers a government cover-up involving parasitic wasps that kill his coworker. Arrested, he is rescued by Nezumi and taken to West Block. After surviving infection—which leaves him with white hair and a serpentine scar—he grapples with the harsh realities of his world. Over time, his bond with Nezumi deepens into romantic love, culminating in a farewell kiss before Nezumi departs.

Nezumi (ネズミ) (Rat)

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese); Kalob Martinez (English)

Nezumi is a cynical and resourceful 16-year-old living in West Block after fleeing No. 6’s authorities. Four years earlier, wounded and on the run, he encountered Shion, who sheltered him despite the risks. Now a skilled fighter and performer under the stage name Eve, Nezumi harbors deep resentment toward No. 6, which destroyed his village. When Shion is arrested, Nezumi rescues him, and the two take refuge in West Block. Though initially aloof, Nezumi grows deeply attached to Shion, his feelings evolving into love. After a near-fatal confrontation, he shares a passionate farewell kiss with Shion before departing, leaving their future uncertain.

Dogkeeper (イヌカシ, Inukashi)

Voiced by: Kei Shindō (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)

Dogkeeper is a brash but resourceful resident of West Block who operates a rundown hotel and rents out dogs as living heaters during winter. Running various underground trades, including dealing in goods smuggled from No. 6’s Correctional Facility, they share a contentious yet cooperative relationship with Nezumi, often exchanging information. Raised by a dog they call "Mother", Dogkeeper deeply cares for canines and sometimes requests Nezumi to sing for deceased ones. Their gender remains ambiguous—while referred to with masculine pronouns in English translations, the novels suggest they may have been assigned female at birth.

Safu (沙布)

Voiced by: Kiyono Yasuno (Japanese); Hilary Haag (English)

Safu is Shion's childhood friend and a neurobiology prodigy in No. 6. Before leaving to study in No. 5, she confesses her feelings to Shion, who gently rejects her, valuing their friendship instead. Her time abroad alters her perception of No. 6, making her question its supposed utopian ideals. After her grandmother's death, she returns, only to be captured by No. 6's authorities and imprisoned in the Correctional Facility, where she becomes a test subject for inhumane experiments. Her ordeal highlights the city's hidden brutality.

Karan (火藍)

Voiced by: Rei Sakuma (Japanese); Lesley Pedersen (English)

Shion's mother runs a bakery in Lost Town after being exiled from Kronos alongside her son. When authorities falsely accuse Shion of murder and imprison him, she despairs until Nezumi covertly informs her of Shion's escape to West Block using messenger mice that evade city surveillance. Though deeply concerned for her son's safety, she resolves to persevere, maintaining hope for their eventual reunion. Her resilience reflects quiet defiance against No. 6's oppressive system.

Rikiga (力河)

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); Chris Hutchison (English)

A West Block resident and former journalist, he operates a pornographic magazine while secretly managing a prostitution ring serving No. 6's officials, funding his luxurious lifestyle. Though an admirer of Nezumi's theatrical persona Eve, he receives only contempt from Nezumi himself. His past romantic feelings for Karan result in occasional kindness toward her son Shion, contrasting with his otherwise self-serving behavior.

Development

The concept of No.6 was inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Atsuko Asano watched the attack on television, causing her to ponder the nature of conflicts between an individual and the state, and wrote No.6 based around those themes. She has also described being influenced by the manga Banana Fish; highlighting the action elements, love between boys, and the relationship between a country and an individual as examples.

Media

Novels

The No.6 novel series by Atsuko Asano was released in nine volumes by Kodansha between October 10, 2003, and June 14, 2011. A special volume called No.6 Beyond, which features stories from the lives of the characters before or after the main story, was published on November 22, 2012. Kodansha published nine bunkobon volumes from October 13, 2006, to July 15, 2014.

A sequel novel series, No.6 Reunited (No.6 再会, Nanbā Shikkusu Saikai), debuted with its first volume, published by Kodansha on May 28, 2025. The sequel picks up the story two years after the events from the ending of No.6.

No. 6

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	October 10, 2003	978-4-06-212065-4
2	February 10, 2004	978-4-06-212229-0
3	October 8, 2004	978-4-06-212585-7
4	August 22, 2005	978-4-06-269358-5
5	September 11, 2006	978-4-06-269371-4
6	September 21, 2007	978-4-06-269384-4
7	October 10, 2008	978-4-06-269397-4
8	July 21, 2009	978-4-06-269421-6
9	June 14, 2011	978-4-06-269443-8
Beyond	November 22, 2012	978-4-06-269463-6

No. 6 Reunited

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	May 28, 2025	978-4-06-538987-4

Manga

A manga adaptation, illustrated by Hinoki Kino, was serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo manga magazine Aria from January 28, 2011, to November 28, 2013. Kodansha USA licensed the series in North America, and released the first volume in June 2013.

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	June 7, 2011	978-4-06-380518-5	July 16, 2013	978-1-61262-355-9
2	September 7, 2011	978-4-06-380533-8	August 13, 2013	978-1-61262-356-6
3	January 6, 2012	978-4-06-380556-7 978-4-06-362205-8 (LE)	October 22, 2013	978-1-61262-357-3
4	June 7, 2012	978-4-06-380575-8	December 17, 2013	978-1-61262-358-0
5	October 5, 2012	978-4-06-380593-2 978-4-06-362233-1 (LE)	February 18, 2014	978-1-61262-359-7
6	March 7, 2013	978-4-06-380617-5	April 15, 2014	978-1-61262-360-3
7	August 7, 2013	978-4-06-380642-7 978-4-06-380642-7 (LE)	April 15, 2014	978-1-61262-553-9
8	December 6, 2013	978-4-06-380660-1 978-4-06-362265-2 (LE)	August 19, 2014	978-1-61262-578-2
9	March 7, 2014	978-4-06-380680-9	October 21, 2014	978-1-61262-811-0

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Bones and directed by Kenji Nagasaki, aired in Japan on Fuji TV's noitamina programming block from July 8 to September 16, 2011. The opening theme is "Spell" by Lama while the ending theme is "Rokutōsei no Yoru" (六等星の夜) by Aimer. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the anime for American audiences and it was released on both DVD and Blu-ray on August 21, 2012. Rights to the series expired in 2018.

Episodes

No.	Title	Original release date	Ref.
1	"Drowned Rat" Transliteration: "Bishonure Nezumi" (Japanese: びしょぬれネズミ)	July 8, 2011 (2011-07-08)
The episode starts with 12-year-old Shion day dreaming and not paying attention during class. It is his birthday today, so after school he heads over to his friend Safu's house to have a party with her and her grandmother. The storm outside starts to turn into a typhoon, so Shion heads home. Once home, he goes out on his balcony and screams. An alarm goes off inside so he heads back in. When he looks back at his window, a strange boy is standing there, who seems to be injured. After gaining the boy's trust, Shion proceeds to treat his wounds. We find out the boy's name is Nezumi ("Rat"). Shion discovers that Nezumi is a wanted fugitive - a VC - but he still aids Nezumi by giving him food and letting him sleep in his bed. The next day, Nezumi is gone and the Security Bureau arrive at Shion's home to question him about the situation.
2	"City Adorned in Light" Transliteration: "Hikari Matou Machi" (Japanese: 光まとう街)	July 15, 2011 (2011-07-15)
After harboring a VC, Shion is stripped of his elite citizen privileges and forced to live in the suburbs with his mother. Four years later, Safu leaves him to go study abroad in No.5. While being with Safu, Shion comes in contact with a rat that had Nezumi's voice. While working at the park security, Shion learns of a mysterious parasite that makes people grow old and die in seconds before a wasp emerges from their necks. Shion questions the authority of the city once again after one of the deaths is not shown on the news. Shion's co-worker also dies from the parasite shortly after and Shion is arrested. While being taken to the correctional facility, Shion is rescued by Nezumi and has to throw away his ID bracelet. After the duo escape from the city's limits, Nezumi shows Shion what really lies beyond the walls of No. 6.
3	"Life and Death" Transliteration: "Sei to Shi to" (Japanese: 生と死と)	July 22, 2011 (2011-07-22)
Soon after escaping from No.6, Shion finds that he is also infected by a parasitic wasp. However, his reaction is much slower than the others, and he screams for Nezumi to remove it from his neck. The parasite is extracted by Nezumi and he survives, but not without taking its toll on his body: his hair is white, his eyes are red, and he has a red, snakelike scar coiling around his body. After recovering, Shion is taken by Nezumi to a hotel whose owner, Dogkeeper, rents dogs to keep the guests warm while sleeping. Shion finds that Nezumi contacted his mother and she sent a message to him. By analyzing the parasite, Shion concludes that when spring comes, a large number of them will emerge and kill their hosts, causing turmoil in the city. He predicts that the Holy Day will be the day all the parasites become active. By learning that such great tragedy will befall the place he loathes, Nezumi rejoices. When Shion states that the inhabitants of No.6 must be warned, Nezumi claims that if he insists in helping them even after he learns the truth, the two will become enemies.
4	"Good and Evil" Transliteration: "Ma to Sei" (Japanese: 魔と聖)	July 29, 2011 (2011-07-29)
Following Shion's mother's instruction, Shion and Nezumi pay a visit to Rikiga, an old friend of hers. When asked how he knew Shion's mother, Rikiga states that Karan had turned him down when he asked her out. Rikiga offers himself to take care of Shion, but Shion himself gets angry at him when he asks Nezumi to work for him as a male prostitute and the two leave. While cleaning Dogkeeper's dogs, Shion inquires about their relationship with Nezumi, and when Nezumi appears and gets angry at Shion, Dogkeeper realizes he became attached to Shion. Believing Nezumi became soft because of Shion, Dogkeeper attacks Nezumi with their dogs, but their fight is interrupted when Shion arrives. Shion confesses to Nezumi that despite caring for his mother, he decides to live in the West Block with him, and has one of Nezumi's rats send a farewell message to his mother.
5	"Angel of Death" Transliteration: "Meifu no Tenshi" (Japanese: 冥府の天使)	August 5, 2011 (2011-08-05)
Another person in No.6 has suddenly aged and died, this time a woman who worked at the Twilight House that Safu's grandmother is staying in. Shion hears about this from Rikiga and races to the theater where Nezumi is performing to inform him of the news. But during the play, Nezumi has a vision of a strange wind and song and he faints on stage. Meanwhile, in an art museum in No.5, Safu is looking at a work which displays three wasps when she, like Nezumi, is visited by a strange wind and song, and she also faints. When Safu wakes up, she is told she must immediately return to No.6 because her grandmother has died.
6	"Hidden Dangers" Transliteration: "Hisoyakana Kiki" (Japanese: 密やかな危機)	August 12, 2011 (2011-08-12)
Safu has returned to No.6 because of her grandmothers' death. After she collects the last of her grandmother's things, she realizes that something is odd when her grandmother's knitting needles are missing. She also observes that the clothes left by her grandmother do not smell like her. While back in No.6, she visits Karan and learns of what has happened to Shion. After leaving Karan's bakery, Safu is abducted by the security bureau. Meanwhile, Shion and Nezumi continue their discussion over the future of No.6 and the parasite wasps. Nezumi receives a notice from Shion's mother informing him that Safu was taken by city officials. Nezumi contemplates whether or not to tell Shion as he would die trying to save her, but in the end, he decides to keep it a secret from Shion.
7	"True Lies, False Truths" Transliteration: "Shinjitsu no Uso Kyokō no Shinjitsu" (Japanese: 真実の嘘・虚構の真実)	August 19, 2011 (2011-08-19)
Nezumi secretly requests that Inukashi obtain information on the correctional facility, giving a large sum of money as payment along with the promise to sing if Dogkeeper were to die. However, unbeknownst to Nezumi, Shion and Rikiga are visiting a used clothing store where Shion discovers Safu's coat that was smuggled from the correctional facility. Meanwhile, Safu is being treated as a "sample" by the researchers at the facility where she was taken. That night when Nezumi comes home, he sees that Shion has made a large supper. The two eat and Shion says he was happy to have met Nezumi before giving him a "goodnight kiss", his way of saying goodbye. The next morning, Shion tries to leave to go to the correctional facility, but Nezumi catches up to him. The two fight before they promise not to lie to each other anymore. Nezumi tells Shion that there's something he needs to show him.
8	"The reason for that is..." Transliteration: "Sono Wake wa..." (Japanese: そのわけは...)	August 26, 2011 (2011-08-26)
In order to save Safu, Shion and Nezumi head to the edges of the Western District. There, they meet a legless old man who leads a large group of men. The old man, the person who named Nezumi, is actually one of the researchers with the young Karan in Rikiga's picture. The man tells Shion that he was the real first survivor of the parasitic wasps. He also states that Nezumi is the last survivor of the forest folk who were wiped out by No.6. After Nezumi has another vision with the winds and the singing like he had before while he was performing in his play, he repeats the song to the legless man and the water around them begins to glow. The legless man tells them about Elyurias, the reason No.6 destroyed the forest folk.
9	"Stage of Disaster" Transliteration: "Saiyaku no Butai" (Japanese: 災厄の舞台)	September 2, 2011 (2011-09-02)
Rikiga leads a client of his to a young girl, whom he has solicited to the client. The girl is really Inukashi in disguise, as this was a part of a plan devised by Shion, Nezumi, Dogkeeper and Rikiga. Inukashi, unable to deal with the man's advances, disrupts the facade in outrage. Nezumi and Rikiga bind and gag the man in order to get information from him, while Shion consoles Inukashi. The information they receive entails a map of the correctional facility in No.6, as well as word of a "pre-Holy Day cleaning operation." Back at their underground hideout, Shion discusses potential plans of their living conditions when the summer comes, idealizing that his mother and Safu live here together with him and Nezumi. Meanwhile, Karan walks through a festive No.6, as the inhabitants are preparing for the Holy Day. Back in the outskirts of the city, Shion asks Nezumi if he sent a message to his mother because he had finally come up with a plan. Suddenly, the town is attacked by No.6 military tanks, which Shion discovers were part of the "cleaning operation" he had asked Nezumi about earlier. The two flee to seek shelter from the raid, and in an alley, Shion finds an infant whose mother was killed by the blasts. He sends their guard dog off with the baby to Dogkeeper. The army then rounds up all the town's survivors, telling them they will be taken to the correctional facility--which had been Nezumi's plan all along. Meanwhile, Karan frets about Shion's safety, but Yoming assures her that Shion is fighting back and not to worry. He also informs her that the Twilight House was established to kill off all unneeded people of the city's elderly population, and that he will be sending out a message to his comrades to fight back against No.6. Karan then receives a message from one of Nezumi's rats, telling her that she will be reunited with Shion. In the transport trucks, Nezumi sings an old song to raise the hopes of the captured townsfolk, but tells Shion that a song will never save anyone. Meanwhile, Safu is mysteriously contacted by Elyurias right before she wakes up. Shion, Nezumi, and all the townsfolk are then loaded into the facility.
10	"What Lies in the Abyss" Transliteration: "Naraku ni aru mono" (Japanese: 奈落にあるもの)	September 9, 2011 (2011-09-09)
Shion and Nezumi climb the huge pile of bodies where they were dropped in and infiltrate the facility searching for Safu. Meanwhile, Rikiga and Dogkeeper leave the baby Shion saved to one of the dogs and gain entry into the facility by themselves to clear a path for Shion and Nezumi. Somehow, Shion knows exactly where to go and where all the cameras are, and this makes Nezumi a bit suspicious. He and Shion fight their way through the complex until Nezumi is wounded by a security guard. Shion kills him in retaliation, much to Nezumi's grief. When the duo manage to get through Safu's location, they find that she broke herself free and the researchers around her are lying dead on the ground.
11	"Tell Me The Truth" Transliteration: "Tsutaetekure, arinomama wo" (Japanese: 伝えてくれ、ありのままを)	September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16)
While Dogkeeper and Rikiga wait for Nezumi and Shion meet back up with them, Shion and Nezumi meet Safu. Meanwhile, as the Holy Day begins, Yoming prepares to unleash a rebellion on No. 6, but is killed as the parasites become active and people start dying very rapidly. Nezumi realizes Safu is being controlled by Elyurias. Safu reveals the truth behind Elyurias' power and its wish to revive the land No. 6 destroyed. Confessing her love to Shion, Safu asks Nezumi to destroy Mother. After having to fight back against a hysterical Shion, Nezumi puts an explosive on Mother and the two escape, leaving Safu behind to die. While trying to leave the facility, Nezumi is shot and Shion has to bandage him up in an infirmary and has to carry him. They try to escape through a garbage chute, but Shion is shot in the heart and dies. Dogkeeper and Rikiga find the two and informs Nezumi that entire building is collapsing, but Nezumi refuses to leave Shion. Nezumi starts to sing to Shion, while outside the cyclones are starting to destroy the wall around No. 6. As Nezumi lays next to Shion, when a glowing, ghost-like version of Safu appears and starts to sing to Shion. Safu then disappears and the true form of Elyurias appears. Elyurias disappears in a large explosion of light and Shion is revived. The wall that was once surrounding No. 6 is completely gone, allowing the citizens of No. 6 and the West Block to gather. Nezumi bids farewell to Shion with a kiss, choosing to leave No. 6. A dog comes to Shion carrying the baby he had rescued earlier. Shion destroys the chip that the legless man gave him and takes the baby, the dog, and Hamlet and walks back towards the city, telling himself that he'll meet Nezumi again someday.

Musical

A stage musical adaptation ran in Tokyo from November 8–17, 2024, and in Osaka from November 22–24. Sayaka Asai was in charge of direction, writing, and composing, while Satomi Taima was in charge of staging and choreography. The musical starred Hikaru Imamaki as Shion, Kazuki Furuta as Nezumi, Iroha Kumagai as Safu, Seishiro Higurashi as Dogkeeper, Kazuaki Yasue as Yoming, Yūki Fujiwara as White-Clothed Man, Kanako Irie as Karan, and Keigo Yoshino as Rikiga.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• No. 6 at Aniplex (in Japanese)
• No. 6 (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia