✾ a3! reading list / canon guide

so you, too, want to learn about mankai company and its actors!

there's several ways to go about this!


one! watch the anime!
the a3 anime is 2 seasons long, split between spring/summer and autumn/winter, with a total of 24 episodes covering happenings from "the show must go on" to "once more, with feeling". overall, it's a solid watch with a lot of charm (it's so fun seeing their plays in motion), and surprise cameos from characters that don't get formally introduced until act 2. you do miss out on some stuff, though, especially in the autumn/winter season, which can be disappointing if you happen to be interested in the characters that content was cut for.


two! download the game!
A3 is available in japanese and english on the apple and google play stores. the gameplay is very minimal, so it's great if you're looking for something really casual! 

the japanese version is ongoing, but as of november 1, 2021, the english version is no longer receiving content updates. at the time of writing this, it is still downloadable and playable, but no content beyond "i come with the night" (localized as "a two-faced teacher") is expected to be localized.

while the episodes are unlockable through ranking up in game, the plays that debuted as events are harder to access due to the need of a rarer item to unlock them. however, they are fairly easy to find on youtube: i have a list here of english videos and playlists that i've found for the 2nd and 3rd plays.


three! read the fan-translated story!
below is what is considered to be the main canon, centering around all the plays the company puts on. the A3 wiki is the main hub for fan-translated content, though some links will lead to individual translators.

the prologue is 7 parts, the episodes range from 35 to 42 parts (with episode 12 as an outlier), and everything else is 11.

[last edited: 11/1/2021]

act 1

• prologue - mankai company
• episode 1 - the show must go on
• episode 2 - summertime survival
• episode 3 - portrait of a punk
• episode 4 - once more, with feeling
• spring's 2nd play - alex in wonderland
• summer's 2nd play - the great sardine search
• autumn's 2nd play - the stranger
• winter's 2nd play - my master's mesmerized by mystery
• spring's 3rd play - a clockwork heart
• summer's 3rd play - captain sky's pirates
• autumn's 3rd play - ginji the wanderer
• winter's 3rd play - nocturnality

act 2

• episode 5 - awakening moon
• episode 6 - summertime survival ...strikes back!
• episode 7 - boyhood collage
• episode 8 - the greatest journey
• spring's 5th play - knights of the round iv: on stage
• summer's 5th play - shinobi adventures!
• autumn's 5th play - fiery mantou fist!
• winter's 5th play - die by the sword
• 1st mixed play - i come with the night
• spring's 6th play - harugaoka quartet
• summer's 6th play - the floral prince
• autumn's 6th play - fallen blood
• winter's 6th play - risky game
• 2nd mixed play - run around the field
• 3rd mixed play - the luminous circus
• 4th mixed play - the last runway
• 5th mixed play - yin yang midnight
• 6th mixed play - scarlet mirror

act 3 (1/2 "EVER LASTING")

• episode 9 - longing for the days we lost
• episode 10 - traces of a dream
• spring's 7th play - magicians' pure love
• summer's 7th play - +3ghosts!
• autumn's 7th play - welcome to akebono-so!
• winter's 7th play - hotel compass
• mankai x god troupe play - twin kingdoms
• spring x winter troupe play - senribana monogatari
• summer x autumn troupe play - trump the phantom thief

act 3 (2/2 "FULL BLOOMING")

• episode 11 - acting on my own (currently incomplete)
• episode 12 - eternal moment
• spring's 8th play - ssr family
• summer's 8th play - wonder rush
• autumn's 8th play - south. hill. prison.