The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!

is a Japanese light novel series written by Shirow Shiratori and illustrated by Shirabi. SB Creative have released eighteen volumes since 2015 under their GA Bunko label. A manga adaptation with art by Kogetaokoge was serialized in Square Enix's seinen manga magazine Young Gangan from 2015 to 2019, and has been collected in ten tankōbon volumes. A 12-episode anime television series adaptation by Project No.9 aired from January to March 2018. Plot Yaichi Kuzuryū is a prodigy shogi player who won the title of Ryūō at the age of 16. Following his victory, he has been in a slump until he is approached by Ai Hinatsuru, a 9-year-old elementary school girl who begs him to make her his disciple. Astonished by Ai's potential, Yaichi agrees to become her master, and the two then brace themselves together in the world of shogi with their friends and rivals. However, this comes with the condition imposed by Ai's mother that Yaichi is to marry Ai if she does not become a major player before graduating middle school. Characters The main protagonist of the series. Yaichi is a sixteen-year-old who won the Ryūō title match at a young age. He is the current youngest Ryūō. Initially, he was overwhelmed by his title and perceived pressure to avoid playing in a "disgraceful" manner. He has a calm personality and often doesn't take things seriously unless they are related to shogi. He was taken aback by Ai's talent and determination, and the way she continues to fight and seek a way to victory has helped inspire him. Yaichi is often wrongly accused of being a lolicon due to the affection he gains from young girls like Ai and her friends Mio, Ayano, and Charlotte in her shogi training group. Despite their affections for him, he is oblivious to their true feelings for him. Yaichi tries to be a good master to his disciples and does his best to teach the easiest steps so that his disciples can catch on quickly. He seems to have feelings for Keika as seen in some episodes of the anime. His play style basically sticks with Static Rook, famous for using Sente's Double Wing Attack and Gote's Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange strategies. While sometimes it is misunderstood that his name "Yaichi" refers to the eighty-one koma on the shogi board, it actually refers to his birthday, August 1st. He is sometimes called as in the story.