THE WAY TO YOUR HEART
   Life. Love. Rock bands.  



Thank you for your support over the years!

Creating this comic has been a beautiful and fulfilling part of my life.
Please enjoy reading and rereading it, and may it always hold a special place in your heart.


Join me on my newest comic adventure! Please check out Unbreakable Bond.

COMIC ARCHIVE
Yumi, a book-smart girl with zero experience with boys, has just transferred to the prestigious St. Othello Academy. She quickly discovers the four attractive musicians of the aspiring visual kei rock band Orochi truly make it a unique place. As Yumi traverses her new school and literally bumps into Miyabi, Orochi's rather ill-tempered but supremely talented vocalist, a roller coaster of tension, angst, and passion sets off at full speed.

SEASON ONE

Here is Season One of The Way to Your Heart, Tracks 1 - 24 plus Bonus Tracks.


SEASON TWO

Here is Season Two of The Way to Your Heart, Tracks 25 - current.


CHARACTERS

MEET THE CAST

Main Female Characters:
Yumi   Miyoko   Nastasiya   Sayaka   Musashi   Ayane   Monique   Asami   Fumiko   Brigitte   Erika

Main Male Characters:
Miyabi   Toshio   Shuya   Akito   Haruki   Atsushi   Mitsuzuka-san   Eizo   Kazuki   Izumi   Sakuzo   Renji    Hayato   Klaus   Hugo  

Side Characters:
Arisa   Chie   Minako   Atsuko   Saeko   Olena   Naoto   Alex   Ryo   Jun   Katsumuras   Natsukawas   Takuya   Satomi   Yuuta   Kenji  

The Bands:
Orochi   ~PHANTASM~   Scarecrow

Takahashi Yumi  高橋 由美

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 16
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 162 cm
Birthday: July 14
Family: Arisa (mother), Naoto (father)
Love interests: Toshio, Miyabi
Yumi is a very kind and forgiving person, but also somewhat naive. She starts out shy with low self-esteem, but her strength and confidence grow as situations arise that force her to stretch herself. Yumi becomes a huge Orochi fan and always dresses up in her "Little Mouse" rocker persona at concerts.

Aikawa Miyoko  愛川 美夜子

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 16
Hair: Deep brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 163 cm
Birthday: September 2
Family: Kazuki (older brother)
Love interest: Eizo
Miyoko is spunky and confident--she was never afraid to confront Miyabi when he was being a jerk! She's very supportive of her friends (except for maybe Eizo's extreme Orochi fanboyism) and often helps Yumi sort things out whenever a drama bomb explodes. She loves Orochi and ~PHANTASM~ both, even when her brother Kazuki can't stand Miyabi or Orochi.

Mitsuzuka Nastasiya  三塚 ナスタシヤ

High school student with private tutors at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 17
Hair: Blonde, wavy
Eyes: Green
Height: 159 cm
Birthday: May 4
Family: Haruki (son), Mitsuzuka-san (father)
Love interest: Miyabi
Nastasiya is the embodiment of obsession. Born in Ukraine, she's lived a very sheltered life due to her severe epilepsy. She became infatuated with Miyabi before ever meeting him, which only escalated into complete devoted obsession once they did meet and began to date. Her willingness to change for him and hurt others who she feels interfere define who she is.

Otsuki Sayaka  大槻 さやか

University student
Age of debut: 23
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 165 cm
Birthday: January 28
Family: Miyabi (younger brother), Atsushi (father), Saeko (mother)
Love interests: Toshio, Kazuki
Sayaka is the kind of big sister everyone would want: caring, patient, kind, understanding. Her warm personality means she often puts others before herself and does what she can for Miyabi in the absense of a mother. Having no musical talent herself, she's supportive of her family's pursuits while trying to find her own niche.

Natsukawa Musashi  夏川 むさし

Orochi's rhythmn guitarist
Age of debut: 22
Hair: Dyed pink
Eyes: Brown
Height: 167 cm
Birthday: February 14
Family: Shuya (husband), Ayane (daughter), parents
Love interest: Shuya
Musashi is the total package: awesomely quick-witted personality, uniquely wicked fashion sense, umptuous curves, terrific musical talent. She's straightforward and not afraid to tell you how it is, but always in a loving manner. Her passion for life is vivid and apparent in all that she does.

Katsumura Ayane  勝村 彩音

Age of debut: Infant
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Birthday: January 23
Family: Musashi (mother), Shuya (father), Grandparents
Shuya and Musashi's adorable little girl! Ayane's lucky enough to get the best qualities from her daddy and her mommy... sure to become an amazing young lady!

Monique Taylor

Gamer, translator
Age of debut: 19
Hair: Auburn brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 171 cm
Birthday: April 17
Family: Parents
Love interest: Akito
Monique's father was stationed in Japan during his military tenure, which made Monique fall in love with the country. She also attended high school in Aomori. She is bilingual with English and Japanese and worked as Orochi's translator during Haru-Con. Monique is a huge gamer and hits it off with Akito right away.

Matsumoto Asami  松本 朝美

High school student
Age of debut: 16
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 164 cm
Birthday: November 22
Family: Toshio (older brother), Chie (mother)
Love interests: Miyabi, Hugo
Asami is a sweet girl with some tragedy in her past. Her abusive father drove her and her mother to a small town in Hokkaido where they lived until they got word he had been arrested. Upon moving back to Tokyo and reuniting with her brother Toshio, Asami met and became friends with Yumi and quickly adjusted to her new life.

Takeda Fumiko  武田 文子

Journalist
Age of debut: 20
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 165 cm
Birthday: December 2
Family: Father (mentioned in track 20)
Love interests: Toshio, Alex
Fumiko is a very level-headed young woman and was a writer/journalist at Music Minds magazine. She takes an assignment to write an article about Orochi and had quite a blast from the past upon seeing Toshihiko (her cheating ex-boyfriend) again. Fumiko gains another assignment to write an expose on Orochi after word gets out Toshio didn't play with the band in Seattle, being told by her boss to use "creative journalism." Feeling that was wrong, she quits and shortly after meets Alex and starts a new chapter in her life.

Brigitte Anne Müller

High school student at St. Othello Academy, Berlin
Age of debut: 17
Hair: Strawberry blonde
Eyes: Hazel green
Height: 166 cm
Birthday: January 8
Family: ???
Love interest: Klaus
Brigitte has loved music since she was little. She plays the bass in a band formed for fun with her boyfriend Klaus and friend Hugo and is seeking to become a music major in college. She hopes to be able to teach or play music abroad together with Klaus one day.

Oda Erika  織田 えりか

Stylist
Age of debut: 28
Hair: Bleached platinum blonde
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 162 cm
Birthday: May 7
Love interest: Toshio
Erika is a stylist who met Toshio when he was modeling. They soon begin dating, which becomes dangerous once her lunatic ex-husband Ryo finds out.

Otsuki Miyabi  大槻 雅

Orochi's vocalist
Age of debut: 18
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Height: 175 cm
Birthday: October 12
Family: Haruki (son), Sayaka (older sister), Atsushi (father), Saeko (mother)
Love interests: Nastasiya, Yumi
Miyabi is a musical genius, inheriting talent from both his mother and father. He had a very close relationship with his mother and attempted suicide after she died. That haze of depression lingered with him, often causing him to lash out in hostile ways. His friends stuck by him, however, as he was always fully dedicated to Orochi. As the story progresses, he begins to see the error of his ways and to regret very deeply.

Matsumoto Toshihiko (Toshio)  松本 利彦 (としお)

Orochi's drummer
Age of debut: 18
Hair: Dyed red
Eyes: Deep brown
Height: 182 cm
Birthday: August 22
Family: Chie (mother), Asami (younger sister)
Love interests: Fumiko, Yumi, Erika
Toshio is a gentleman, but holds some darker feelings within stemming from the abuse he witnessed from his father. These dark feelings sometimes surface, which causes heartache for himself and others. However, he is incredibly kind and supportive of others, especially of Yumi and her decision to wait until marriage for sex. He is also a phenomenal drummer and helps propel Orochi forward in the music world.

Katsumura Shuya  勝村 修也

Orochi's bassist
Age of debut: 20
Hair: Black with blue streaks
Eyes: Brown
Height: 176 cm
Birthday: December 6
Family: Musashi (wife), Ayane, (daughter), parents
Love interest: Musashi
Shuya is smart-witted, bold, and fiercely independent. His strong will is what led him to leave the life his parents wanted for him to pursue his passion for music, which he's valued above all else. He's had a close relationship with Musashi since before the story began, bonding with her through their shared passion for music.

Yamashita Akito  山下 秋人

Orochi's lead guitarist
Age of debut: 18
Hair: bleached blonde
Eyes: Brown
Height: 169 cm
Birthday: March 9
Family: Grandfather
Love interests: Nastasiya, Monique
Akito is bright, bubbly, and wonderfully cheerful. His kind nature and near constant smile always lighten the mood and often balance out Miyabi's negativity. He is a trustworthy and loyal friend, and incredibly skilled guitarist. Akito's optimism usually keeps him out of trouble, but when trouble does find him, he nearly folds under the pressure.

Otsuki Haruki  大槻 春希

Age of debut: Infant
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Birthday: April 17
Family: Nastasiya (mother), Miyabi (father), Mitsuzuka-san (grandfather), Atsushi (grandfather)
Miyabi's son, whom he didn't know about at first. Nastasiya's physical and mental condition both quickly deteriorated, and she died soon after giving birth to him. To this day Haruki does not know much about her. But he is a bright and happy child, and enjoys playing cello and watching his father perform with Orochi.

Otsuki Atsushi  大槻 敦司

Orochi's manager
Age of debut: 48
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 175 cm
Birthday: September 6
Family: Miyabi (son), Sayaka (daughter), Saeko (late wife), Haruki (grandson)
Love interest: Saeko
Atsushi was greatly hurt when Saeko died. He no longer wanted anything to do with music, something that he and Saeko shared every day they were together. He took an office job and dropped out of his childrens' lives, making Miyabi completely resent him. As events unfold, Atsushi comes little by little out of the fog of despair and begins again to embrace his family and music.

Mitsuzuka Tsuyoshi  三塚 剛史

Orochi's former manager
Age of debut: 51
Hair: Gray
Eyes: Gray
Height: 181 cm
Birthday: November 3
Family: Nastasiya (daughter), Haruki (grandson)
Love interest: His late wife
Mitsuzuka-san is an elegant and classy man with pure devotion to music. He's done very well for himself and has had a successful career in performing and teaching in several countries. Soon after his wife passed away, he took a teaching job at St. Othello Academy in Tokyo and moved there with his daughter. There he met Miyabi and the other members of Orochi, saw their bright talent, and took on the role of band manager.

Tachibana Eizo  立花 影蔵

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 16
Hair: Dyed reddish brown and naturally curly
Eyes: Brown
Height: 168 cm
Birthday: January 26
Family: Parents
Love interest: Miyoko
Eizo prides himself as being Orochi's number one fan! He is hopelessly, fanatically, obsessively dedicated to Orochi--a fact which he's not shy to let anyone know. Aside from Orochi, Eizo is dedicated to his friends and sticks up for them no matter what. He's also very studious and was able to follow Orochi on tour and stay on top of all of his schoolwork.

Aikawa Kazuki  愛川 和樹

~PHANTASM~'s drummer
Age of debut: 18
Hair: Dyed platinum blonde
Eyes: Brown
Height: 174 cm
Birthday: October 14
Family: Miyoko (younger sister)
Love interest: Sayaka
Kazuki is a very passionate person with huge dreams. He wanted to start a band with Miyabi after Saeko passed away because he wanted Miyabi to see he still had much to live for, thus Orochi was born. That passion became a bitter grudge once Miyabi replaced him with Toshio. Kazuki hated Miyabi after that, and was determined to create a new band to surpass Orochi. He established ~PHANTASM~ for that very purpose.

Abe Izumi  安倍 泉水

~PHANTASM~'s vocalist
Age of debut: 27
Hair: Dyed blonde with red tips
Eyes: Brown (always wears color contact lenses)
Height: 173 cm
Birthday: July 1
Family: ???
Love interest: Sakuzo
Izumi loves being a part of ~PHANTASM~, he's a natural confident performer. He can easily connect with others, whether they be his band mates or the audience. After revealing his feelings for Sakuzo, Izumi gains more confidence to not be ashamed of who he is.

Fujimoto Sakuzo  藤本 作蔵

~PHANTASM~'s lead guitarist
Age of debut: 27
Hair: Dyed purple
Eyes: Brown (always wears color contact lenses)
Height: 175 cm
Birthday: August 9
Family: ???
Love interests: Kazuki, Izumi
Sakuzo is extremely flamboyant, sometimes bordering on the dramatic. He's got a remarkable charm about him and carries himself with a smooth boldness and unmatched confidence. He's openly bisexual and wanted Kazuki ever since they met. Though he seems aloof, he can be very stable and mature, providing support to others when they need it most. He also claims to have an uncanny ability to sniff out pheromones, though he was unable to detect Izumi's feelings for him!

Sendo Renji  煽動 れんじ

~PHANTASM~'s rhythm guitarist
Age of debut: 25
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Height: 178 cm
Birthday: January 3
Family: ???
Love interest: Atsuko
Renji is quiet, reserved, and very serious about his work with ~PHANTASM~. He seems like a complete opposite from his girlfriend Atsuko, but they make a really great match.

Ishizawa Hayato  石沢 速人

~PHANTASM~'s bassist
Age of debut: 24
Hair: Dyed silver with black stripes
Eyes: Brown (sometimes wears color contact lenses)
Height: 179 cm
Birthday: May 13
Family: ???
Love interest: Minako
Hayato is outgoing and loves being on stage with his band. Before The Way to Your Heart, Hayato made his first appearance in a comic I drew in 2004 called Charmed Reality.

Klaus Albrecht

High school student at St. Othello Academy, Berlin
Age of debut: 18
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Height: 176 cm
Birthday: March 18
Family: ???
Love interest: Brigitte
Klaus is often seen at school toting his guitar around on his back, evidence of his lifelong love of music. He and his girlfriend Brigitte and friend Hugo jam together for fun, often covering songs from bands from around the world. Klaus loves visual kei bands and is a huge fan of Orochi, often trying to play their songs despite his less than stellar Japanese pronunciation.

Hugo Jaeger

High school student at St. Othello Academy, Berlin
Age of debut: 18
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Gray
Height: 194 cm
Birthday: September 3
Family: ???
Love interests: Yumi, Asami
Hugo plays the drums with his friends when they jam around after school, and is thrilled to have Yumi sing in her native language rather than Klaus. He is quite tall and often wears a stern intimidating expression, but is actually a tender-hearted softie. He has an interest in psychology, and uses it to give advice to others.

Takahashi Arisa  高橋 亜里沙

Receptionist
Age of debut: 31
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 165 cm
Birthday: June 2
Family: Yumi (daughter), Naoto (husband)
Love interest: Naoto
Being a young mother with a teenage daughter has been quite a ride for Arisa! She and Naoto had Yumi when they were just 15, and she wants what's best for her daughter. She is glad when Yumi transfers to St. Othello, where she feels she'll be able to use and expand her incredible mind. Yumi didn't inherit much of Arisa's personality, but they still have a good relationship, even though Arisa does embarrass Yumi from time to time!

Matsumoto Chie  松本 千恵

Age of debut: 48
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 167 cm
Birthday: July 30
Family: Toshio (son), Asami (daughter)
Love interest: ???
Chie divorced her husband after he began drinking heavily, abusing the family, and having affairs. She did what she could to protect her children from him, but was unable to gain custody of both Asami and Toshio. Seeing Toshio in Orochi gave her comfort that he was okay, and when they reunite, she becomes happier than she's ever been.

Tamatsukuri Minako  玉造 美奈子

Age of debut: 24
Hair: Dyed burgundy, mid-back length
Eyes: Brown
Height: 166 cm
Birthday: March 10
Family: ???
Love interest: Hayato
Minako is a fashion-loving beauty with a passion for visual kei bands, fashion, and music. She loves going to ~PHANTASM~ gigs and is very devoted to her boyfriend, Hayato. She also loves being a match-maker, helping to get Kazuki and Sayaka together!

Nakamura Atsuko  中村 篤子

Age of debut: 23
Hair: Bleached with black tips
Eyes: Brown
Height: 163 cm
Birthday: August 7
Family: ???
Love interest: Renji
Atsuko is very outgoing, energetic, and fun-loving (and also maybe a bit of a blabber mouth). She loves being at concerts, especially ~PHANTASM~ concerts where she can cheer on Renji. She was very enthusiastic with helping Sayaka and Kauzki get together.

Otsuki Saeko  大槻 佐恵子

Musician
Age: 44 when she died
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 168 cm
Birthday: May 18
Family: Atsushi (husband), Sayaka (daughter), Miyabi (son)
Love interest: Atsushi
The story begins on the third anniversary of Saeko's death from leukemia. In life, she was a legendary musician with incredible natural talent for singing and composing. She had a very successful music career and passed down her talent and passion to Miyabi, who was completely devastated after her death. Her influence is still bly felt in her family's lives as they're still coming to terms with her loss.

Olena Олена

Nastasiya's precious companion and best friend, Olena is a loyal and playful purebred Saluki specially trained to look after Nastasiya. Her name is Ukrainian and means "shining light" since she is a light in Nastasiya's life.

Takahashi Naoto  高橋 直人

Civil engineer
Age of debut: 31
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 172 cm
Birthday: February 27
Family: Yumi (daughter), Arisa (wife)
Love interest: Arisa
Naoto is a devoted young father, taking responsibility to raise and support his family. He doesn't much trust boys and lets Yumi know it, having become a father himself at 15. He's kind of the 'geeky intelligent' type, which Yumi takes after quite a bit.

Alex Peterson

Otaku extraordinaire
Age of debut: 30
Hair: Light brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 177 cm
Birthday: June 3
Family: ???
Love interest: Fumiko
Alex is a complete Otaku! He is obsessed with Japanese pop culture including anime, manga, J-pop, J-rock, and video games. He loves going to anime conventions and works to invite various guests from Japan to attend conventions in the United States. He is bilingual and invited Orochi to play at Haru-Con in Seattle.

Ryo 涼

Age: 31
Hair: Black
Eyes: Creepy ;3;
Height: 178 cm
Love interest: Erika
Ryo is Erika's deranged ex-husband. He never accepted their divorce, and gets angry and violent when he learns of Toshio's involvement with her.

Kobayashi Jun  小林 純

Lucidity Records President
Age of debut: 55
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 172 cm
Birthday: December 29
Family: ???
Love interest: ???
Jun used to be a talent scout and discovered Saeko. He is now the president of Lucidity Records and is thrilled to work with Saeko's son and his band.

Mr. & Mrs. Katsumura  勝村さん

Shuya's parents are no-nonsense and straight-laced. His father, an attorney, is especially strict and wanted more than anything for his son to follow the family legacy and study law. But when Shuya would have nothing to do with it, and then later when they learned their grandchild was conceived out of wedlock, their relationship with Shuya deteriorated. It wasn't until much later when they finally began to see that Shuya's true place really was in music, and in Ororchi.

Mr. & Mrs. Natsukawa  夏川さん

Musashi's parents are warm and fun-loving people. They own a beach house in Hawaii and held Shuya and Musashi's wedding there. They were so excited to hear that Musashi was expecting and are very doting grandparents. Mrs. Katsumura even purchased registration for Musashi to attend Haru-Con and flew herself, Ayane, and Musashi to Seattle so that Musashi could enjoy the convention with Shuya and see his first concert overseas.

Takuya  拓也

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 15
Hair: Brown with a pink streak
Eyes: Blue contacts
Height: 164 cm
Birthday: ???
Family: ???
Love interest: ???
Takuya is the charismatic guitarist and leader of high school band Scarecrow.

Satomi  里美

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 15
Hair: Dyed light blue
Eyes: Purple contacts
Height: 162 cm
Birthday: ???
Family: ???
Love interest: ???
Satomi is the vocalist of Scarecrow, and unfortunately suffers from stage fright.

Yuuta  優待

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 16
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green contacts
Height: 173 cm
Birthday: ???
Family: ???
Love interest: ???
Yuuta is the bassist of Scarecrow, and hopes to become rich and famous.

Kenji  賢治

High school student at St. Othello Academy
Age of debut: 17
Hair: Dyed pale green
Eyes: Orange contacts
Height: 178 cm
Birthday: ???
Family: ???
Love interest: ???
Kenji is the drummer of Scarecrow.

Orochi  大蛇

Orochi is a visual kei (visual style) Japanese rock band made up of five members: Miyabi on vocals, Akito on lead guitar, Musashi on rhythmn guitar, Shuya on bass and Toshio on drums, who replaced ex-member Kazuki (now in ~PHANTASM~). Their music is darkly heavy, wired with electronica. It is brimming with energy, pulsing to life with the emotions of Miyabi's sensual voice and lyrics. Each song, in its own way, is a masterpiece that keeps Orochi's growing fan base hooked and hungry for more.

Orochi's popularity and talent continues to grow as they perform before larger audiences, with each performance better than the last. They're signed to the major record label Lucidity Records and have released several albums and singles. They've toured throughout Japan, Asia, and Europe, and have performed at overseas conventions, like Haru-Con in Seattle, USA.

~PHANTASM~  ~ファンタズム~

~PHANTASM~ is a visual kei/oshare kei (visual style/fashionable style) Japanese rock band made up of five members: Izumi on vocals, Sakuzo on lead guitar, Renji on rhythm guitar, Hayato on bass, and Kazuki on drums (ex Orochi). ~PHANTASM~'s music is upbeat, energetic, and full of positive and fun-loving energy from Izumi's lighthearted vocals. Their flamboyant image explodes with vibrant colors, hairstyles, outfits, and wonderfully portrayed androgyny.

~PHANTASM~'s popularity has spread and they've been signed to a major record label.

Scarecrow  スケアークロー

Scarecrow is an amateur band of St. Othello students.

SOUNDTRACK

Since this is a music comic, real life bands have inspired me a lot!

D'espairsRay - "Forbidden" (This has always been one of my biggest influences for Orochi! Album version can be heard here.)
Débora · D'espairsRay - Forbidden (Live)

ギルガメッシュ - "Arrow" (Another big influence for Orochi, I've often daydreamed this song as the opening theme if TWTYH were animated.)
netprohd · ギルガメッシュ(girugamesh)- Arrow

ギルガメッシュ - "Crying Rain" (Orochi's song「時雨」("Drizzle") would have a similar feel to this.)
armotakus · Girugamesh-Crying rain

ギルガメッシュ - 「MONSTER」Full Album (Yeah, just enjoy imagining Orochi playing this music... :D)
Girugamesh Indo · ギルガメッシュ(girugamesh)「MONSTER」Full Album

Alice Nine (This band was my biggest influence for ~PHANTASM~)
Hei Lopez Sabado · Alice nine - Shunkashuutou