document_title: The Jeffersons

question_text: who sang the theme song on the jeffersons

text: The Jeffersons

text: Show[edit]

text: The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple who have been able to move from Queens to Manhattan owing to the success of George's dry-cleaner chain. The show was launched as the second spin-off of All in the Family, on which the Jeffersons had been the neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker.[5][6] The show was the creation of Norman Lear.[5][7] The Jeffersons eventually evolved into more of a traditional sitcom but did reference such issues as alcoholism, racism, suicide, gun control, being transgender, and adult illiteracy. The epithets "nigger" and "honky" were used occasionally, especially during the earlier seasons.[2][4]

text: The Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence.[8] Checking In only lasted four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons.[9] The Jeffersons also shared continuity with the show E/R, which featured Lynne Moody, who made a guest appearance in one episode of The Jeffersons.[10] Sherman Hemsley guest-starred as George in two episodes of the series, which lasted for one season.[11]

text: The Jeffersons ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. The cast was not informed until after the July 2, 1985, episode "Red Robins", and actor Sherman Hemsley said he found out that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper.[12] Sanford, who heard about the cancellation through her cousin who read about it in the tabloids, has publicly stated that she found the cancellation with no proper finale to be disrespectful on the network's part.[13]

text: The cast reunited in a stage play based on the sitcom.[14] In the 1996 series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Jeffersons made a guest appearance and bought the house from the Banks family.[1] In an episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne in 2011, Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs reprised their roles of George Jefferson and Florence Johnston.[15]

text: In 1985, Hemsley and Sanford made a special joint guest appearance in the Canale 5 comedy show Grand Hotel, starring Italian actors Paolo Villaggio, Franco & Ciccio comic duo and Carmen Russo. They were guests in the fictional hotel, and appeared just twice during the show, for a total of five minutes. Their voices were dubbed by Italian actors Enzo Garinei (George) and Isa di Marzio (Louise), who also dubbed their characters for the full series.[citation needed]

text: Series development[edit]

text: Louise Jefferson, played by Isabel Sanford, first appeared in the All in the Family episode "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood", which was broadcast on March 2, 1971. The episode, the eighth of the series, centers on Louise, her son Lionel, and her husband George's moving next door to Archie and Edith Bunker in the working-class section of Queens.[2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]

text: Norman Lear created the character of George Jefferson specifically for Hemsley. Lear originally intended for George to appear in the first season of the series; however, Hemsley was starring in the Broadway musical Purlie at the time, and Lear decided to postpone introduction of the character until Hemsley was available. Lear created the character of Henry Jefferson, George's younger brother, and replaced George with Henry in the series's scripts until Purlie finished its run. Mel Stewart was cast as Henry.[2][3] George was introduced in the episode "Henry's Farewell", and Hemsley and Stewart share their only scene together in its final minutes. The episode marked the final appearance of Henry.

text: George, Louise, and Lionel continued to appear on All in the Family until 1975, when the spin-off The Jeffersons, also created by Lear, premiered.[8] The characters of Lionel's biracial fiancée, Jenny, and her family, all of whom first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement", were also written into the new series.[16] However, the roles were all recast, with Berlinda Tolbert taking over the role of Jenny, veteran actor Franklin Cover playing her father, Tom Willis, whose first name was changed from Louis, as it was in their first AITF appearance, and Roxie Roker as her mother, Helen.

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: During the January 11, 1975 episode of All in the Family, titled "The Jeffersons Move Up", Edith Bunker gave a tearful good-bye to her neighbor Louise Jefferson, as her husband George, their son Lionel, and she moved from a working-class section of Queens, New York into a luxury apartment in Manhattan.[17] The Jeffersons premiered the following week, on January 18, 1975.[8]

text: George's career as a dry-cleaner began in the first season of All in the Family, in the third episode, "Oh, My Aching Back" (though the character himself did not appear on-camera). After his car was rear-ended by a bus, he filed a civil action and won $3200, enough to open his first store in Queens.[3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons.

text: Louise made friends with Tom and Helen Willis, an interracial couple with two adult children of their own[8] (whom George insultingly called "zebras"):[1][18] son Allan (played by Andrew Rubin in the first-season finale, and by Jay Hammer throughout season 5), a white-passing college drop-out; and daughter Jenny, an aspiring fashion designer. Jenny and Lionel became a couple, were married on December 24, 1976, and later became the parents of a daughter, Jessica (played in later seasons by Ebonie Smith).[8][19] Lionel and Jenny experienced marital issues, and filed for divorce in 1985.[8]

text: Marla Gibbs portrayed the role of Florence Johnston, the Jeffersons' back-talking, wisecracking, and devoutly religious housekeeper. Florence often teased George, mostly about his short stature and receding hairline.[20] Paul Benedict arrived as Harry Bentley, a loyal, kind, friendly yet somewhat dimwitted British next-door neighbor,[8] who worked as an interpreter at the United Nations.[21]

text: A common sight-gag of the show was George slamming the door in Bentley's face mid-conversation.[21] Bentley also had a bad back, and frequently needed George to walk on his back.[22][23] He also became known for addressing the Jeffersons as "Mr. J" and "Mrs. J".[23] Zara Cully played George's mother, Olivia "Mother" Jefferson, who constantly disparaged her daughter-in-law.[6][18][19] Cully, who had first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode, "Lionel's Engagement", reprised her role.[24] She appeared regularly in the first two seasons, but made sporadic appearances over the next two years and was written out in the fifth season (Cully died in 1978, from lung cancer; no episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was mentioned that she had died in season 5). Ned Wertimer played the doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series,[25] along with Danny Wells who played Charlie the bartender.[26]

text: Cast changes[edit]

text: Mike Evans ("Lionel") left the show after the first season; his replacement was Damon Evans (no relation),[6] who took over the role until halfway through the fourth season.[8] Damon Evans's last episode was "Lionel Gets the Business".

text: Mike Evans and Tolbert returned in the 1979–1980 season, with Tolbert's character, Jenny, pregnant with a daughter named Jessica. However, Mike Evans appeared for only one more season, along with Tolbert.[8] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at #8 in the summer of 1980. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out by stating that they had marital problems, the result of which became a two-part episode storyline as the series' eighth-season premiere. The series' eighth season was the first African-American sitcom in years (since Sanford and Son) to peak in the top 5 (the series' eighth season debuted at #3).

text: Evans and Tolbert appeared in the two-part episode together; Evans also appeared in one episode during the series' ninth season in 1982, and made his final appearance in two episodes during the series' eleventh and final season. Tolbert became a regular guest star throughout the rest of the series. In the spring of 1981, Paul Benedict left the show for a season and a half, returning in the final two seasons of the series.[8] However, the ratings sank below the top 30, and The Jeffersons aired its last episode, "Red Robins", on July 2, 1985.[27]

text: Main cast[edit]

text:
Actor/Actress
Character
Seasons

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Isabel Sanford
Louise Jefferson
Main

Sherman Hemsley
George Jefferson
Main

Mike Evans
Lionel Jefferson
Main

Main
Recurring

Guest

Damon Evans

Main

Roxie Roker
Helen Willis
Main

Franklin Cover
Thomas "Tom" Willis
Main

Zara Cully
Olivia "Mother" Jefferson
Main

Berlinda Tolbert
Jenny Willis Jefferson
Main
Recurring

Paul Benedict
Harry Bentley
Main

Main

Marla Gibbs
Florence Johnston
Recurring
Main

Jay Hammer
Allan Willis

Main

Ned Wertimer
Ralph Hart
Recurring

Danny Wells
Charlie the bartender
Recurring

Ebonie Smith
Jessica Jefferson

Recurring

text: Notable guest appearances[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Frances Bay
Johnny Brown
Barbara Cason
Charo
Gary Coleman[1]
Andrae Crouch
Sammy Davis, Jr.[9]
Frank De Vol
Phyllis Diller (as herself)
David Dukes
Famous Amos
Bernard Fox
Joe Frazier
Susie Garrett
Louis Gossett, Jr.
Rosie Grier
Robert Guillaume[9]
Moses Gunn
Kene Holliday
Reggie Jackson
Victor Kilian
Lincoln Kilpatrick
Mabel King
Gladys Knight
Peter Lawford (voice)
Larry Linville
Carl Lumbly
Helen Martin
Edie McClurg
Garrett Morris
Greg Morris[9]
Josephine Premice[28]
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Thalmus Rasulala
Susan Ruttan
Sister Sledge[29]
Michael Spinks
Amzie Strickland
Ernest Lee Thomas
Liz Torres
Donald Trump
Vernee Watson
Jaleel White
Billy Dee Williams[9]
Hal Williams

tag: ul

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings[31]

First aired
Last aired
Rank
Rating
Tied with

1
13
January 18, 1975 (1975-01-18)
April 12, 1975 (1975-04-12)
4
27.6
N/A

2
24
September 13, 1975 (1975-09-13)
March 6, 1976 (1976-03-06)
21
21.5
N/A

3
24
September 25, 1976 (1976-09-25)
April 11, 1977 (1977-04-11)
24
21.0
N/A

4
26
September 24, 1977 (1977-09-24)
March 4, 1978 (1978-03-04)
N/A
N/A
N/A

5
24
September 20, 1978 (1978-09-20)
April 18, 1979 (1979-04-18)
N/A
N/A
N/A

6
24
September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23)
April 13, 1980 (1980-04-13)
8
24.3
N/A

7
20
November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02)
March 29, 1981 (1981-03-29)
6
23.5
N/A

8
25
October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04)
May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)
3
23.4
N/A

9
27
September 26, 1982 (1982-09-26)
May 1, 1983 (1983-05-01)
12
20.0
Newhart

10
22
October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02)
May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06)
19
16.6
N/A

11
24
October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14)
July 2, 1985 (1985-07-02)
N/A
N/A
N/A

text: The Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode.

text: Theme song[edit]

text: Ja'net Dubois (from Good Times) and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by Dubois with a gospel choir.[32] The song was covered by Sammy Davis, Jr., in 1978.[33]

text: Broadcast history and Nielsen ratings[edit]

text: The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series.[34] The most common time slot was on Sunday night.[7]

text: In its first season (1974–75), the show ranked at number four, surpassed by its parent series All in the Family (which landed at number one for the fifth year in a row).[35] The show's ratings for the following two seasons placed it in the Top 30, but during the 1977–78 and 1978–79 seasons (the show's fourth and fifth seasons), it fell out of the top 30.[19]

text: It returned to the Top 10 in 1979–80, and at the end of the 1981–82 season, The Jeffersons finished third overall, only surpassed by fellow CBS series Dallas and 60 Minutes. As a result, the series remained among the Top 20 for the next two seasons.[19]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: The Jeffersons received 14 Emmy Award nominations during its time on the air.[36] Marla Gibbs was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series each year from 1981-85. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for Best Actor in 1984. Larry M. Harris won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983.[36]

text: Isabel Sanford was nominated for seven consecutive Best Actress Emmys, from 1979 until 1985.[36] Her victory in 1981 made her the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series,[1][19][37] and the second to win any Emmy Award; Gail Fisher, who played Peggy on the TV show Mannix, preceded her in 1970. Sanford was also the recipient of five of the eight Golden Globe Awards nominations the program received.[38]

text: DVD and Internet releases[edit]

text: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first six seasons of The Jeffersons on DVD in Region 1 between 2002 and 2007.[39] These releases have been discontinued and are now out of print.

text: On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including The Jeffersons.[40] They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on May 20, 2014.[41]

text: On August 8, 2014, it was announced that Shout! Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the complete series on DVD in a 33-disc collection on December 9, 2014.[42][43]

text: On April 28, 2015, Shout! released season 7 on DVD in Region 1.[44] Season 8 was released on August 11, 2015.[45]

text: As of 2016, all eleven seasons of The Jeffersons are available for online streaming on the STARZ network.[46][47]

text:
DVD Name
Ep #
Release Date

The Complete First Season
13
August 6, 2002
May 20, 2014 (re-release)

The Complete Second Season
24
May 13, 2003
May 20, 2014 (re-release)

The Complete Third Season
24
April 12, 2005

The Complete Fourth Season
26
October 11, 2005

The Complete Fifth Season
24
August 15, 2006

The Complete Sixth Season
24
March 27, 2007

The Complete Seventh Season
20
April 28, 2015

The Complete Eighth Season
25
August 11, 2015

The Complete Series
253
December 9, 2014


document_title: Fremont Street Experience

question_text: how many computers control the freemont street lights

root

text: Fremont Street Experience

text: History[edit]

text: Fremont Street had Las Vegas' first hotel (the Hotel Nevada in 1906, present day Golden Gate), first telephone (1907),[1] first paved street (1925), first Nevada gaming license — issued to the Northern Club at 15 E. Fremont St, first traffic light, first elevator (the Apache Hotel in 1932), and the first high-rise (the Fremont Hotel in 1956). The Horseshoe was the first casino to install carpeting, while the Golden Nugget was the first structure designed from the ground up to be a casino.[2]

tag: p

text: For many years, the western end of Fremont Street was the area most commonly portrayed whenever producers wanted to display the lights of Las Vegas. The large number of neon signs earned the area the nickname "Glitter Gulch."

text: By 1992 80% of the Las Vegas casino market, however, was on the Strip. Downtown Las Vegas hotels and casinos sought to build an attraction that would lure more visitors to their businesses. After Paramount Pictures head Stanley Jaffe refused to approve a proposal to build a life-sized Starship Enterprise, the Fremont Street Experience was chosen as the project.[3] FSE, LLC is a cooperative venture, owned and operated by a group of downtown hotel/casino companies (comprising eight hotel/casinos) as a separate corporation, responsible for financing, developing, and managing the Fremont Street Experience.

text: It was the second Las Vegas project of architect Jon Jerde, whose firm was paid approximately $900,000 by the City of Las Vegas to create a show concept for the downtown area.[4] Jerde's design included a floating sky parade which was to be suspended from the canopy. The concept was accepted by the Fremont Street Experience as well as the City of Las Vegas. Ultimately Jon Jerde's sky parade concept was scrapped, but the architectural design for the canopy was carried through. [5]

text: The local Architect of Record, the firm of Mary Kozlowski Architect, Inc., cited the following as problems with Jon Jerde's sky parade concept:

text:
Perspective: The view of the parade from below made the concept unworkable — to properly view the project would require that visitors stand at a raised elevation such as a third or fourth floor vantage point.
Wind: The addition of the canopy over Fremont Street would create a wind tunnel causing a dangerous condition for people on the floats who would be trapped. Also the potential for harmonic motion as the floats swung back and forth in the wind potentially resulting in massive structural failure of the canopy and fatalities.
Sand: The combination of desert sand and the mechanical systems of the sky parade would make the attraction difficult to maintain.

tag: ol

text: A new concept for the show was necessary quickly as funds were already available and the overall schedule was set. The concept for the show as it now exists was conceived by architect Mary Kozlowski who had grown up in Las Vegas and knew and loved Fremont Street. It was a light show on the underside of the canopy — the world's largest and most spectacular. Peter Smith, executive vice-president of Atlandia Design, recognized the beauty and practicality of the concept. Jon Jerde, FSE and the City of Las Vegas embraced the show concept.[5]

text: Kozlowski's concept was to use a combination of four colored light bulbs per "light" which allowed a full spectrum of colors. The Young Electric Sign Company assisted in creating the test panels and in the final installation. After the Fremont Street Experience opened, the light bulbs were checked nightly to ensure that all were functioning properly. To accomplish this massive undertaking, the length of the canopy was divided into panels. Each panel was checked by separately turning on each of the four colored light bulbs. A maintenance worker on a lift would then replace any bulbs that were out. The most expensive bulb cost nearly $15 to replace.

text: On September 7, 1994, a five-block section of Fremont Street was closed to automobile traffic for good, and groundbreaking was held on September 16. After that, the digging up of the street and the installation of the support poles continued into December. On February 15, 1995, the space frames were brought in and the roof began to take shape. The last piece was installed in July 1995.

text: The official public preview was held in conjunction with the Nevada Symphony. The light show was opened on December 14, 1995. The first New Year's party was held on December 31, 1995.

text: The Neon Museum at the Fremont Street Experience opened in November 1996 with the Hacienda Horse & Rider sign being lit at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The museum features signs from old casinos and other businesses displayed outdoors. For many years, the Young Electric Sign Company stored many of these signs in their bone yard. The signs were slowly being destroyed by exposure to the elements. The museum is slowly restoring the signs and placing them around the FSE.

text: Permanent stages were added in the early 2000s, eliminating the need to bring in temporary stages for every event. The sound system was upgraded in June 2001.

text: On June 14, 2004, a $17 million upgrade was unveiled that would feature a 12.5-million LED display and more color combinations than the original display, which was composed of incandescent lighting.

text: The initial $70 million investment and the continued improvements have resulted in successful and ongoing downtown redevelopment. The City of Las Vegas and the downtown casinos have benefited as more than 60% of visitors to Downtown are lured by the Fremont Street Experience overhead light show and stage shows and stay to enjoy the attractions of some of the most famous casinos in the world.

text: Major features[edit]

text: Viva Vision[edit]

text: The LED display "canopy," runs along the Fremont Street Experience promenade from Main Street to Fourth Street. Holding the canopy aloft are 16 columns, each weighing 26,000 pounds and can hold up 400,000 pounds, and 43,000 struts.

text: A section comprising one fiftieth of the total canopy equals the size of the world’s current largest electric sign. Originally, nearly 2.1 million incandescent lights were housed in the canopy. With the completion of the $17 million upgrade, more than 12 million LED lamps illuminate the overhead canopy. The new LED upgrade was designed and engineered by LG Electronics, who is also the primary corporate sponsor of the canopy. Within the canopy itself are 220 speakers powered by 550,000 watts of amplification.

text: Light and sound shows are presented nightly beginning at dusk on the Viva Vision video screen.

text: SlotZilla Zip Line[edit]

text: SlotZilla at Fremont Street Experience is a 12-story, slot machine-inspired zip line attraction. SlotZilla offers "flyers" two levels of lines, the lower "Zipline" (77 feet up) and upper "Zoomline" (114 feet up). The lower lines travel halfway down the Fremont Street Experience pedestrian mall. The upper lines go the entire length of the mall (1,750 feet). Guests on the upper "Zoomline" travel prone, or "superhero-style." SlotZilla cost $17 million to construct and features a launch tower with over-sized dice, a martini glass, a pink flamingo, simulated video reels, a giant arm and two 37-foot-tall showgirls.[6] One of the towers also bears a "Welcome to Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas" sign.[7]

text: Pedestrian Mall[edit]

text: Created when Fremont Street was closed permanently to vehicular traffic in September 1994. When the light and sound shows are not being presented, music is played throughout the mall. Nightly free entertainment is also provided, on three stages throughout the mall.

text: The Parking Plaza[edit]

text: The parking plaza is located at the eastern end of Fremont Street, owned and operated by Fremont Street Experience. The parking structure has roughly 1,430 spaces.

text: Neonopolis[edit]

text: Neonopolis is a shopping complex which operates independently from Fremont Street Experience. It is located at the end of the FSE pedestrian mall, where Las Vegas Boulevard South meets Fremont Street.

text: Technical details[edit]

text: The initial display contained about 2.1 million lightbulbs controlled by 32 computers located in kiosks on the mall. The sound system, using speakers suspended over the mall, was rated at 350,000 watts.

text: Displaying images that looked "real" took some innovation. New techniques were developed to make these curved, low-resolution images viewable from the ground. One adjustment was to move images slowly across the display to prevent blurring.

text: The 2001 upgrade to the sound system raised the power to 555,000 watts.

text: The 2004 upgrade features a 12.5-million LED display and more color combinations than the original display. The old control system was replaced by a central control room using 10 computers.

text: Getting there[edit]

text: The city's SDX and Deuce buses stop here.[8]

text: FSE casino/hotels[edit]

text:
Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel
California Hotel and Casino
The D Las Vegas
Four Queens Hotel & Casino
Fremont Hotel and Casino
Golden Gate Hotel and Casino
Golden Nugget Las Vegas
Main Street Station Hotel and Casino and Brewery

text: Map[edit]

text:
Main Street
Main Street

Golden Gate
Las Vegas Club

La Bayou
Mermaids Casino

1st Street
1st Street

Pioneer Club
The Mint

Golden Nugget
Binion's Horseshoe

Casino Center Blvd.
Casino Center Blvd.

Four Queens
Fremont

3rd Street
3rd Street

D

4th Street
4th Street

Neonopolis

Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas Blvd.

tag: table


document_title: Haganai

question_text: boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai next who does kodaka end up with

text: Haganai

text: Conception[edit]

text:
Yomi Hirasaka had been working on Light Novel Club (ラノベ部, Ranobe-bu), which consisted of short stories about everyday life. In developing Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, or Haganai for short, Hirasaka contrasts the main characters as opposites of the ones in the Light Novel Club which had good relationships to begin with. Hirasaka drew influences from personal experience: "This novel is a story about myself who also had few friends, bad communication skills, negative thinking, lacking life experiences and useless delusional habits." Hirasaka also considers the setting of the stories to be less restrictive.
The anime was directed by Hisashi Saito, who had previously directed the fan service romantic comedy Heaven's Lost Property.[1] Hirasaka noted that the Itachi's portrayal of the characters in the manga are "all so cute" and "their faces are full of life", especially the expressions of the heroines Yozora and Sena.Vol. 1

text: Plot[edit]

text: Kodaka Hasegawa, a transfer student to St. Chronica's Academy, has found it difficult to make friends because of his mix of brown-blond hair[1] (inherited from his deceased English mother) and fierce-looking eyes that make him look like a delinquent. One day, he accidentally comes across the equally solitary and very abrasive Yozora Mikazuki as she converses with "Tomo", her "air" (imaginary) friend. Realizing that they lack social lives and skills, they decide that the best way to improve their situation is to form the Neighbors Club (隣人部, Rinjin-bu), "an after-school club for people with no friends like themselves".[1] Other students with various backgrounds join the club: Sena Kashiwazaki is an attractive but arrogant idol who has no female friends and treats the boys as her slaves; Yukimura Kusunoki is an effeminate underclassman who idolizes Kodaka and strives to become manly like him; Rika Shiguma is a genius scientist with a twisted and perverted mind; Kobato Hasegawa is Kodaka's little sister who generally cosplays as a vampire; and Maria Takayama, a ten-year-old foul-mouthed nun who serves as the club's advisor.[1] The story follows their adventures as the club tries out various school and outside social activities as practice for making friends.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Neighbors Club[edit]

text:
Kodaka Hasegawa (羽瀬川 小鷹, Hasegawa Kodaka) is the viewpoint character of the light novels; he is a transfer student who has been unable to make friends in his first month at St. Chronica's.LN 1 He and Yozora Mikazuki start the Neighbors Club with the purpose of learning how to make friends and how to act in social situations. He has a gentle and balanced personality; but his unusual spotty-blond hair color, inherited from his late English mother, leads classmates to assume he is a violent and abusive delinquent and to spread defamatory rumors about him.LN 1, Ch. 6, 10 Because of his reputation, Kodaka has become accustomed to conflicts and having to defend himself.LN 1 Prior to the series, Kodaka often had to move because of his father's work as an archeologist. He has few memories related to home life, and no friends besides a single childhood friend from ten years previous, whose name eludes him at first.LN 1 He later discovers that his friend 'Sora', whom he thought to be a boy, is in fact Yozora.Ch. 28, 29 He does not show any romantic intentions towards anyone in the club until Sena's confession, which prompts him to reveal that he has been in love with her since their first meeting.LN 9 Kodaka is voiced by Ryōhei Kimura , and by Jerry Jewell in English.[2] For the live-action film, he is portrayed by Kōji Seto.[3]
Yozora Mikazuki (三日月 夜空, Mikazuki Yozora) is a black-haired girl who is described as not having much going for her other than her looks.Vol. 3 She is a gifted student who often argues with Sena, who consistently scores better than she does on their exams. Yozora is verbally abusive towards people in general, not to mention the other members of the Neighbors Club,Ch. 12 especially Yukimura, whom she fools into working for the club as a crossdressing cosplay maid.Ch. 5[note 2] Ten years prior to the start of the series, she and Kodaka ("Taka") were childhood friends, but because she had short hair and wore a cap, Taka mistook her for a boy and called her "Sora".Ch. 28 The day before he moved away, she wore a skirt to reveal the fact that she was a girl, but was too embarrassed to meet with him.Ch. 29 Kodaka was going to tell her of his imminent departure at the meeting, but since it did not happen, it appeared to Yozora that she had been abandoned, thus exacerbating her distrust of others. At the start of the series, she recognizes Kodaka as her childhood friend. When Kodaka discovers her talking to her imaginary friend "Tomo-chan", she creates the Neighbors Club in order to renew their friendship.Vol. 7 Kodaka does not recognize her as Sora until later in the story after she cuts her hair short.Ch. 28 In the anime, Yozora is voiced by Marina Inoue in Japanese and by Whitney Rodgers in English.[2] In the live-action film, she is portrayed by Kie Kitano.[3]
Sena Kashiwazaki (柏崎 星奈, Kashiwazaki Sena) is a blonde-haired schoolmate who is described as "perfect in every way except for her personality."Vol. 3 The daughter of the school's chairman, Sena shows a dislike of all things "ordinary". She is both attractive and academically successful, but her arrogance precludes her from making female friends, and she treats her male classmates as slaves.[3], LN 1, Ch. 2 She enjoys playing video games,LN 1, Ch. 3, 4 particularly bishoujo (games where the main character tries to win over a girl) because they allow her to make female (if virtual) friends,Ch. 4 although some of the games have embarrassing adult content.Ch. 7, 15 She does not get along with Yozora, who calls her "Meat" (肉, Niku),[note 3]LN 1, Ch. 3 Although she originally joins the Neighbors Club to learn how to make friends, she develops feelings for Kodaka after he scolds her for inciting an incident during their trip to the swimming pool.LN 8 When it is revealed that, fourteen years previously, her father arranged a marriage between her and Kodaka (his best friend's son) LN 7, Ch. 52 Sena confesses her feelings and proposes to Kodaka.LN 8 In the anime, Sena is voiced by Kanae Itō in Japanese and by Jad Saxton in English.[2] In the live-action film, she is portrayed by Mio Otani.[3]
Kobato Hasegawa (羽瀬川 小鳩, Hasegawa Kobato) is a junior high student at St. Chronica's Academy. She is very close to her an-chan (older brother) Kodaka, and behaves in a jealous and clingy way whenever he does not give her attention. Kobato cosplays as "Reisys V. Felicity Sumeragi", an ancient vampire, her favourite character from the anime Iron Necromancer, by wearing gothic clothing and a red contact lens, drinking tomato juice (blood) and speaking in affected formal language,LN 1, Ch. 6 although Kodaka still treats her as a little sister by making her eat her vegetables and take a bath.LN 1, Ch. 6 When she gets emotionally worked up, she reverts to a strong Kyūshū accent.LN 1(p170, 174) She joins the Neighbors Club to spend more time with Kodaka, and develops a rivalry with Maria, who is closest to her in age.Ch. 15 When the club visit her school's festival to watch her class film, it is revealed that she is quite popular, but has refused to make friends with her classmates despite their efforts to befriend her.Ch. 55 In the anime, Kobato is voiced by Kana Hanazawa in Japanese and by Alison Viktorin in English.[2] In the live-action film, she is portrayed by Sayu Kubota.[3]
Yukimura Kusunoki (楠 幸村, Kusunoki Yukimura) is an effeminate schoolmate who is first introduced as Kodaka's stalker. A gullible student with low self-esteem, Yukimura believes Kodaka to be a romantic and masculine outlaw who lives life the way he wants to, and eagerly pledges to become his "underling" in order to learn how to become manlier.LN 1, Ch. 5 Despite claiming to be a boy,Ch. 15 Yukimura dresses in girls' clothes, as he takes to heart Yozora's flippant comments about masculinity and clothing.Ch. 15, 25 Later in the story, Kodaka discovers that Yukimura is actually a girl, even to Yukimura's own surprise.LN 5 ch 6-7, }Ch. 38, 39 In the anime, Yukimura is voiced by Nozomi Yamamoto in Japanese and by Ashleigh Domangue in English.[2] In the live-action film, Yukimura is portrayed by Sara Takatsuki, who has worked on live-action adaptations of Great Teacher Onizuka and Daily Lives of High School Boys.[3]
Rika Shiguma (志熊 理科, Shiguma Rika, lit. "sigma science"[note 4]) is a first-year genius-scientist student whom the school has given a special research room and excused from attending classes. She always addresses herself in third person, never in first person. She becomes interested in Kodaka after he rescues her from the lab after one of her experiments goes disastrously wrong. Although she wears glasses and seems serious,Ch. 27 she is the most sexually forward club member, and often converts innocent remarks into something perverted.Ch. 13, 26 She enjoys reading BL (Boys' love) dōjinshi (self-published magazines), and is especially aroused by stories that involve intercourse between mecha.Ch. 14 In the anime, Rika is voiced by Misato Fukuen in Japanese and by Alexis Tipton in English.[2] For the live-action film, Rika is portrayed by Mao Kanjō.[3]
Maria Takayama (高山 マリア, Takayama Maria) is a ten-year-old nun and the club's staff adviser. She is very rude and immature, and often uses a variety of expletives when annoyed.Ch. 12 After Kodaka starts making her packed lunches, she becomes very affectionate with her new-found onii-chan (big brother), much to Kobato's annoyance.Ch. 15 She is easily manipulated by Yozora, who gets her to perform menial tasks by framing them as things adults would do.Ch. 12 Volume 8 of the light novels has a story where her teaching position is challenged.LN 8, Ch. 59-60 In the anime series, Maria is voiced by Yuka Iguchi in Japanese and by Kristi Kang in English.[2] For the live-action film, Momoka Yamada portrays Maria.[3]

text: Supporting characters[edit]

text:
Pegasus Kashiwazaki (柏崎 天馬, Kashiwazaki Pegasasu) is Sena's father and the president of St. Chronica's. As a friend of Kodaka's father, he arranges for Kodaka and Kobato to attend the school.LN 1 He is embarrassed by the unusual pronunciation of his first name, which would normally be "Tenma". He often badmouths Kodaka's father, but only because he truly values him as his best (and more or less only) friend.Ch. 23 He seems intent to betroth Sena to Kodaka, often saying that he considers Kodaka to be "a man I can entrust Sena to", after misunderstanding Sena's intentions to make Kobato her younger sister.Ch. 52 In the anime series, he is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in Japanese and by Brandon Potter in English.[citation needed]
Stella Redfield (ステラ・レッドフィールド, Sutera Reddofīrudo) is the Kashiwazaki family butlerCh. 23 and Sena's older sister.LN C A blonde 22-year-old woman, she is a capable servant, though often surprisingly outspoken to her employer. She has a habit of making straight-faced jokes.[volume & issue needed] In the anime series, Stella is voiced by Ryōka Yuzuki in Japanese and by Caitlin Glass in English.[episode needed]
Kate Takayama (高山 ケイト, Takayama Keito), Ch. 32 is Maria's older sister who meets Kodaka and expresses her gratitude to him and the Neighbors Club for taking care of Maria and keeping Maria's ego in check. She has a largely nonchalant attitude, and sometimes inappropriately belches or farts in public. Despite being relatively mature, she eventually calls Kodaka onii-chan (big brother) as well, since she is only 15 years old.Ch. 32 In the English version of the manga, she goes by Keito. In the anime series, she is voiced by Emiri Katō in Japanese and by Brina Palencia in English.[episode needed]
Aoi Yusa (遊佐 葵, Yusa Aoi) is the student body treasurer at St. Chronica's. She is Sena's classmate and ranked second in the year-end exam. She competes with Sena in her studies and is also envious of her popularity and other excellent attributes.Ch. 48 She also attempted to disband the Neighbors Club twice due to the club's lax performance and unmet requirements, but failed nonetheless after being faced with Yozora's and Sena's harsh scolding.Ch. 59-60 She is first introduced in second season of the anime series, and is voiced by Mariya Ise in Japanese and by Felecia Angelle in English.[episode needed]
Hinata Hidaka (日高 日向, Hidaka Hinata) is the student council president in the anime series. She is very popular in school, having been elected twice, and is an athlete who helps out in all the sports clubs.Ch. 56. It is later revealed she is Yozora's older sister.[volume & issue needed] She is voiced by Yōko Hikasa in Japanese and by Brittney Karbowski in English.[episode needed]
Hayato Hasegawa (羽瀬川 隼人, Hasegawa Hayato) is Kodaka and Kobato's father. He is a renowned archaeologist. He is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in Japanese and by Bill Jenkins in English.
Saionji (西園寺) is the cold-hearted student council president who is an exclusive character to the live-action film adaptation. He is portrayed by Louis Kurihara.[3]

text: Media[edit]

text: Light novels[edit]

text:
The original light novel series, written by Yomi Hirasaka and illustrated by Buriki, began publication on Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint from August 31, 2009. Eleven volumes in the series have been published.[4] Hirasaka and Buriki also released the light novel Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Connect in December 2012.[5]
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Universe (僕は友達が少ない ゆにばーす) is a series of anthology stories by various guest authors, including Yomi Hirasaka, Yūji Yūji, Wataru Watari, Yū Shimizu, Sō Sagara, Asaura, Hajime Asano, Ryō Iwanami, Shirō Shiratori, Takaya Kagami and guest illustrators Buriki, Kantoku, Ruroo, Peco, QP:flapper, Miyama-Zero, Shunsaku Tomose, Yuu Kamiya, Koin, Ponkan8, Hanpen Sakura.

text: Two volumes were published on November 23, 2011,[6] and February 22, 2013.[7]

text:
No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1 August 25, 2009[8]ISBN 978-4-84-012879-7
2 November 25, 2009[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013095-0
3 March 25, 2010[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013252-7
4 July 23, 2010[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013457-6
5 November 25, 2010[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013589-4
6 May 25, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013881-9
7 September 22, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014222-9
8 June 25, 2012[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014598-5
9 August 23, 2013[8]ISBN 978-4-84-015129-0
10 June 6, 2014[8]ISBN 978-4-04-066392-0
11 August 25, 2015[8]ISBN 978-4-04-067751-4

text: Manga[edit]

text: The first Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai manga series, written and illustrated by Itachi, has been published in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine since its May 2010 issue, released on March 27, 2010.[9] Additionally, the series has been collected in 14 tankōbon volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the first manga series in North America under the title Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends.[10]

text: A remade manga series, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai+ (僕は友達が少ない+), written by Misaki Harukawa and illustrated by Shouichi Taguchi, was published in Jump SQ.19,[11] from the December 2010 to the July 2012 issues. Plus introduces the characters in a different order and goes through different adventures. The series was collected in two volumes, which were published on October 4, 2011, and August 3, 2012.[12][13]

text: Three volumes of short stories, titled Boku wa Tomdachi ga Sukunai: Kōshiki Anthology Comic (僕は友達が少ない 公式アンソロジーコミック), have been published by Media Factory since October 22, 2011.[14][15] Each chapter of them is written and illustrated by different authors.

text: The series of one-shot stories Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Now With 50% More Fail! (僕は友達が少ない ショボーン！, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Shobōn!) written by Chiruwo Kazehana and illustrated by Shirabii; and Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Club Minutes (僕は友達が少ない はがない日和, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Haganai Biyori) written by Kiurian and illustrated by Bomi, were serialized in Comic Alive in 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 respectively. Both series have been licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment; their volumes are scheduled for release on July 1, 2014 and December 16, 2014, respectively.[16][17]

text: In the English manga, each chapter is numbered as a Club Activity Log. Translation is done by Ryan Peterson, and adaptation is done by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.Vol. 1

text:
No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 July 20, 2010[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013346-3November 13, 2012[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-12-6
Club Preparations: Something Resembling a Prologue! (AKA: Presenting the Characters!)
1. "Hasegawa Kodaka"
2. "Yozora & Sena"
3. "The Hunt"
4. "The Wonderful World of Bishoujo Games"
5. "Little Brother"[note 5]
In the prologue, Kodaka Hasegawa enjoys a day at the beach, but it is just a dream as he is with a group of people called the Neighbors Club and they have been trying to eat some dark nabe.  Prior to the eating event, Kodaka is a transfer student who has had trouble making friends. He encounters a classmate, the normally cold Yozora Mikazuki talking happily with a classmate, but the latter is revealed to be an "air friend".  As they talk about their troubles in making friends, Yozora is inspired to make the Neighbors Club: dedicated to help people make friends, and recruits Kodaka as a charter member. She makes a poster that attracts Sena Kashiwazaki, a beautiful blonde who wishes to make female friends. Sena and Yozora do not get along, but they attempt their first activity: a cooperative monster role-playing game. However, Yozora and Sena end up attacking each other, causing the mission to fail. The next activity is a gal game. Kodaka questions Sena and Yozora's choice of responses. Suspecting that someone is stalking him, Kodaka searches the school, followed by Sena and Yozora, and eventually discover Yukimura Kusunoki, an effeminate boy who sees Kodaka as a role model. Yozora has him join the club.
2 May 23, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-84-013799-7February 5, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-17-1
6. "The State of Affairs in the Hasegawa Household"
7. "Soiled Sorrow"
8. "The Legend of Momotaro"
9. "The Pool (Part 1)"
10. "The Pool (Part 2)"
At home, Kodaka attends to his younger sister Kobato, who thinks she is a vampire. Kodaka and Yozora stumble upon Sena as she plays a hentai game. When Sena tries to defend it as art, Yozora challenges her to read some of the dialogue out loud. The Neighbors Club practices their acting skills in role-playing a version of Momotarō. Sena invites Kodaka to a water park so she can learn how to swim. When Sena is confronted by some guys, Kodaka defends her. He thinks about his childhood best friend and his words about how having a real friend is more valuable than having a hundred friends, but when he mumbles it while resting, he startles Yozora.  In the bonus chapter, Sena and Yozora engage in some non-verbal sparring as they wait in front of the school for Kodaka.
3 September 22, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014035-5June 4, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-30-0
11. "LOL"
12. "Takayama Maria"
13. "Shiguma Rika"
14. "Fangirl"
15. "Little Sister"
The Neighbors Club discuss how comedy could improve their social stature, and try out some wigs. Kodaka tries to tell some funny stories but falls flat. Kodaka discovers a ten-year-old girl in a nun’s habit, who turns out to be the club’s advisor Maria Takayama. Science girl Rika Shiguma joins the club after Kodaka rescues her from a lab accident. She shares her interest of robot manga with underlying sexual innuendos. When Kodaka offers to make lunches for Maria, Kobato becomes jealous and becomes the club's latest member.
4 December 22, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014076-8October 15, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-70-6
16. ”The Story of Saint Aniki-san"
17. ”Romancing Saga Prefecture (Part One)"
18. ”Romancing Saga Prefecture (Part Two)"
19. ”Karaoke"
20. ”The Unfortunate Club"
The Neighbors Club take turns writing a round-robin story. They don virtual-reality glasses and play a prototype role-playing video game called Romancing Saga Prefecture. They try to do karaoke as a group, but Yozora and Sena rent individual booths. They reflect on their inability to make friends, during which Sena invites Kodaka to her house.
5 April 23, 2012[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014438-4January 21, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-86-7
21. ”The Phone That Never Rings"
Side Story I: Binding Magic Release!
22. ”A Day at the Pool"
Side Story II: The Manifestation of the Demon Astaroth!!
23. ”A Visit to the Kashiwazaki Residence (Part 1)"
24. ”A Visit to the Kashiwazaki Residence (Part 2)"
The Neighbors Club decides to organize activities by communicating with cell phones; Sena scrambles to get one.  To beat the heat, Kobato is inspired to strip/dress down from her gothic lolita outfit. When the club goes to the pool, Kodaka gets embarrassed by Yukimura’s bikini outfit. When the club meets in swimming gear, Yozora sports a horse head with her outfit. Sena invites Kodaka and Kobato to her house, where they meet Sena’s father, Pegasus Kashiwazaki. After dinner, the Kashiwazakis have them stay over where Kobato takes a bath with Sena, and Kodaka shares conversation and a drink with Pegasus.
6 August 23, 2012[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014708-8March 4, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-11-8
25. ”The Beach"
26. "Ghost Stories"
27. "Summer Festival (Part One)"
28. "Summer Festival (Part Two)"
Ten years ago, Kodaka plans to tell his one-and-only friend that he has to move, but his friend does not show up. Back at present time, the Neighbors Club go to the beach and stay the night at Sena’s summer beach house, during which Yozora tells a ghost story about betraying friends that have many of the girls wanting Kodaka to escort them to the bathroom. Inspired to eat takoyaki, the club goes to the summer festival where everyone except Yozora wear  yukatas. After eating and playing games, they set off fireworks. Afterwards, Yozora’s hair accidentally catches fire and has to be doused. A week later, she shows up to school with her hair cut, but Kodaka recognizes she is his childhood friend.
7 December 22, 2012[8]ISBN 978-4-84-014767-5June 17, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-35-4
29. "Reunion"
30. "Pouf"
31. "Yaoi Game Club"
Haganai Connect. "Time Keeps Moving Again"
Kodaka learns that Yozora had known they were childhood friends all this time, and that she did not show up on the last day because she was too embarrassed to reveal that she was a girl. They agree to keep their childhood friendship a secret from the other club members and treat each other as they always have. Yozora and Rika style up Sena’s hair into an elaborate pouf. When Rika changes her own hairstyle and goes without glasses, Kodaka is attracted to her. The club screens an anime ‘’Yaoi Game Club’’, which Rika insists is not adult, and find it rather interesting until the last scene where the guys kiss, which raises some emotions and discussion regarding kissing among the members. In the Haganai Connect chapter, Yozora tells her side of the story of her seeing Kodaka for the first time in ten years, and the formation of the Neighbors Club.
8 April 23, 2013[8]ISBN 978-4-84-015047-7August 19, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-44-6
32. "The Sister"
33. "Fan Service Chapter! (Featuring Kashiwazaki Sena in a Nude Scene!"
34. "Sisters"
35. "Victory Party"
Kodaka and Yozora try the friends custom of comparing answers on their recent exams. Kodaka meets Keito, a nun at his school who turns out to be Maria's older sister, yet is only 15 years old (younger than Kodaka). Sena invites Kodaka to her bedroom to study, but Kodaka discovers Sena is stranger than he thinks. After an attempted study session, he stays over for a bath with Sena's father. Maria stays over at the Hasegawas. The Neighbors Club have a party to celebrate end of exams, and play the king game.
9 November 22, 2013[8]ISBN 978-4-04-066115-5October 21, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-77-4
36. "Amusement Park: The Invitation"
37. "Amusement Park: Black Dragon"
38. "Hot Springs"
39. "Haves and Have-Nots"
40. "Time Machine"
Sena invites Kobato to the Yokoshima Wonderland amusement park but it soon escalates to bringing the entire Neighbors Club. Kodaka's dad wonders if Kodaka and Sena are engaged but Kodaka denies it. At the park, the club tries the Black Dragon roller coaster but they get really sick. Kodaka, Sena, and Kobato attend the Iron Necromancer show where Sena gets mistaken for Kobato's mother. Yozora and Sena challenge each other to ride the Black Dragon again, while the others do milder rides. Yozora and Sena are so dizzy, they throw up on Kodaka. But in the men's bath, Kodaka discovers Yukimura is actually a girl after all, even to the latter's surprise. Later on, Kodaka remarks how Rika has changed her hairstyle. By Kodaka's request, Rika invents a time machine, where Kodaka experiences his last interaction with Yozora when he was a kid ten years ago. But the machine is actually a hypnosis gimmick and Kodaka was dreaming, but the club hears Kodaka mentioning Yozora's name. Yozora then admits that Kodaka and she used to be childhood friends.
10 March 22, 2014[8]ISBN 978-4-04-066505-4February 3, 2015[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-93-4
41. "A Birthday"
42. "No Two Ways About It: It's a Date! (Right?)"
43. "Birthday Party"
44. "The Truth Is, I'd Already Figured It Out"
Sena wants to have a birthday party for Kobato; and Kodaka agrees as it is good social practice. The girls join Kodaka in shopping for presents; on the way they discuss what everyone is wearing, which prompts some of them to change their attire. Sena asks Kodaka whether he wants a girlfriend. The party goes well. Afterwards, Maria and her sister Keito stay over. Kodaka has the club participate in the school festival. They ponder doing a maid cafe with the girls taking turns trying to serve Kodaka.
11 September 23, 2014[18]ISBN 978-4-04-066851-2June 16, 2015[19]ISBN 978-1-626921-54-2
45. "Fortune-telling"
46. "The Third Meeting to Choose What to Do for the School Festival"
47. "Is This a Date? No, It's the First Sign of the Bloody Battlefield to Come"
48. "Natural-Born Princess"
49. "We've Known Each Other Since We Were Kids"
50. "The Second Time"
While brainstorming what to do for the school festival, Yozora tricks Sena into thinking the former is a fortune teller by using the Forer effect. After Kobato reveals that her middle school class is doing a film for their festival, the Neighbors Club decide to make one of their own. Yozora takes Kodaka to research a theater film, but their random pick of a foreign romance movie ends up being an adult film. Afterwards, they visit a cat cafe where Kodaka realizes Yozora is fond of cats. When student council treasurer Yusa Aoi expresses her jealousy of her academic rival Sena and her cool boyfriend, Kodaka thinks more highly of himself, until Sena says she not even know her. Yozora produces a compelling script about friendship, but the club has conflicts in the casting. Following a popular vote that recasts everyone, Yozora rewrites the script, leading to a heated argument between her and Sena over whether Yozora is using her childhood friendship with Kodaka to bias the script. Yozora asks Kodaka which is more important: their memories from ten years ago or what they have now.
12 March 23, 2015[8]ISBN 978-4-04-067281-6September 22, 2015[17]ISBN 978-1-626921-74-0
51. How She Responded
52. Pegasus' Wild Fantasy
53. The Fall of Mikazuki Yozora
54. In the Science Room
55. Hasegawa Kobato
Yozora presents a new script for the Neighbors Club film, and it looks promising that they start filming on it. When Sena's father asks Kodaka how their  relationship is progressing, Kodaka discovers that he and Sena had pledged to be engaged when they were kids. The news shocks the other Neighbors Club members although they try to disclaim it.  When Keito learns about the plot and says it is similar to an old film, Kodaka rents it and discovers that Yozora had plagiarized it. Sena pushes her own backup script, and the club has to film that one. Kodaka observes Rika editing the film, and admires her dedication as well as her collection of pictures of the club members. The Neighbors Club visits Kobato's middle school festival and are impressed by her film acting. Kobato's classmates tell Kodaka how they try to be friends with Kobato but that she withdraws from them. Yusa Aoi appears and is jealous of Kodaka and Sena.
13 October 23, 2015[20]ISBN 978-4-04-067827-6April 5, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1-626922-22-8
56. King Lear
57. Warm-Up Act
58. Turning His Back on the Light
59. The Crescent Moon
60. Seeing Red
On the sports day of the festival, Kodaka sees Yozora with a sour attitude, bitter at student council president Hidaka Hinata for being popular and normal. He meets with Rika who asks him about what he thinks of Sena and about a situation of a struggling lonely person. However, Kodaka brushes off those ideas and thinks she means Kobato instead of Rika. Rika then tells Kodaka "Aren't we all already friends?" but Kodaka doesn't hear the last part because of the fireworks. Later, Kodaka and the gang share a meal but Rika is not present. Kodaka discovers that Rika has collapsed in exhaustion in editing the film, and rushes her to the infirmary. They cancel the screenings of their club film and end up watching it in private afterwards. Yusa Aoi of the student council interrupts the club and questions their purpose. Although Yozora and Sena defend the club, Yusa Aoi comes up with a problem: Maria is not a real nun and thus cannot be qualified to be the advisor; she had merely been hanging out with Keito who thought it was cute that she dressed up and played along. However, Sena gets her father to make Maria a staff member, frustrating Yusa  who vows revenge. Sena tells Kodaka in front of the gang that they should get married.
14 July 23, 2016[21]ISBN 978-4-04-068258-7November 29, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1-626922-5-01
15 April 22, 2017[22]ISBN 978-4-04-069044-5February 13, 2018[17]ISBN 978-1-626922-87-7
16 February 23, 2018[23]ISBN 978-4-04-069627-0December 18, 2018[17]ISBN 978-1-626928-48-0

text: Anime[edit]

text: In May 2011, an anime television series based on the light novels was announced on the wraparound jacket of the sixth light novel,[24]  with an original video animation bundled with the seventh light novel released on September 22, 2011.[25] Produced by AIC Build under the direction of Hisashi Saitō, the series aired in Japan between October 7 and December 23, 2011.[26] The opening theme is "Zannenkei Rinjinbu Hoshi Futatsuhan" (残念系隣人部★★☆, "The Regrettable Neighbours Club Two and a Half Stars") by Marina Inoue, Kanae Itō, Nozomi Yamamoto, Misato Fukuen, Kana Hanazawa, and Yuka Iguchi, while the ending theme is "Watashi no Ki-mo-chi" (私のキ・モ・チ, "My Feelings") by Marina Inoue. The anime is based on the first three volumes and the beginning of volume four. The anime was licensed for streaming by Funimation, who hosted the stream on the website and Nico Nico,[27] before licensing the series for home video release.[28]

text: A follow-up original video animation episode was released on September 26, 2012.[29] The ending theme is "Kimi wa Tomodachi" (君は友達, "You Are My Friend") by Inoue, Itō, Yamamoto, Fukuen, Hanazawa, Iguchi and Ryohei Kimura.[30]

text: A second season, titled Haganai NEXT, aired from January 11 - March 29, 2013.[31] It is based on the novels from volume four until the first few present in volume nine. The series is directed by Toru Kitahata whilst Hirasaka is in charge of the scripts.[32][33][34] The opening and ending themes respectively are "Be My Friend" and "Bokura no Tsubasa" (僕らの翼, "Our Wings"), both performed by Inoue, Itō, Yamamoto, Fukuen, Hanazawa and Iguchi.[35]

text: Game[edit]

text: A visual novel, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Portable, was developed by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable and released on February 23, 2012.[36]

text: Live-action film[edit]

text: On April 24, 2013, Ryukoku University posted a casting call for extras for a 2014 film adaptation of Haganai, to be distributed by Toei and produced by "I Don't Have Many Friends" Production Committee, consisting of Times-In, Kinoshita Group, Pony Canyon, Toei Video Company, Toei itself, Kadokawa, Dwango and Guild.[37] Hirasaka later confirmed the film's existence on May 2, 2013, stating that, whilst he initially didn't approve of the project, as he didn't feel the story was intended for live-action, he decided to approve it in light of a crisis in the light novel industry. Hirasaka will have a completely hands-off role in the film's production.[38][39] Takurō Oikawa, the film's director, chose not to watch the anime and told his cast members not to watch it either so that they can present a fresh interpretation of the light novels. The film was released on February 1, 2014.[3]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The second volume of the manga adaptation ranked seventh on the top 30 of Japanese Comic Ranking, for the week of May 23–29, 2011.[40]

text: Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network found the first graphic novel “fairly entertaining” with artist Itachi’s illustrations “between beautiful depictions of the girls and messy sketches, which actually works well for the series”. While the premise “retreads familiar ground”, she noted the girls’ reactions in the dating sim chapter as the highlight of the volume.[41]

text: Tim Jones of THEM Anime Reviews gave the anime series three of five stars. He grouped the social misfits show as a “raunchy romp filled with lots of cheesecake and hit-or-miss comedy”, with “great leads, okay side characters”, and didn’t “need to be reminded every episode how huge Sena’s breasts are, thanks”.[1]

text: Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network found the anime series interesting in that it starts with misfits finding friends and deferred the typical romantic comedy entanglements but was deflated that the series was “taking on harem baggage.”[42] The second half of series was "increasingly formulaic" and left him longing for a story. He found the episodes to have very little novelty: "Relationships change little, characters evolve not at all, and the message—that these outcasts have already found their friends and just refuse to acknowledge it—remains the same. We might as well be watching the first couple of episodes repeat ad infinitum."[43] Bamboo Dong found the series' strength to be in the character development, but its drawback was that such moments are far and few compared to the "recycled referential humor, like drawing the characters inside a video game, or drawing them inside a dating sim", and the same "bland paste of old jokes". She preferred the English dub as the characters insulting each other was better than the dull name-calling in Japanese.[44]

text: Andy Hanley of UK Anime.net gave the anime series a 6/10, and called the anime a series of two halves, where the first half contained “great and hugely funny episodes” but the second half was “increasingly tired and even unlikeable” where “sure-fire comedy concepts such as a visit to karaoke or the swimming pool fail to do anything noteworthy with their subject material.” He found that the main characters undermined the series later on with “Yozora's snarky, bossy attitude which works so well in early episodes turns to bitchiness and then downright bullying” as Sena’s obsessions to “become something of a dead horse which the series insists upon flogging.”[45] He later gave the first graphic novel a 4/10. With Yozora and Sena as "massive bitches" more so than in the anime, he wrote that "a better title for the series might be It's Probably For The Best That You Have No Friends."  He found the Seven Seas translation to be balanced and that its presentation was without complaint.[46]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ The abbreviation "Haganai" is defined in the author's afterword in the first light novel.[LN 1] Hirasaka noted starting to call it by that title, and that it has somehow become the official title.Vol. 1

Jump up ^ The only one spared this treatment is Rika, since Rika takes whatever insult she gives her and deflects it back with a dirty joke that leaves her tired.

Jump up ^ In the light novel, Yozora first calls Sena a cow due to her large breasts, but later nicknames her "Meat" (肉, Niku) when they play a monster hunting video game that has raw and cooked meat as items. Sena reveals she does not mind the insulting nickname because it is the first time she had ever received one.LN 1, Ch. 9

Jump up ^ According to the chapter footnotes regarding Rika Shiguma's name, "Shiguma" 志熊 translates to the greek letter "Sigma" and Rika, while being a typical girl's name when romanized, has a kanji 理科 that translates to "science" Ch. 13 translator's footnote

Jump up ^ At the end of the English version of manga volume 1 is a preview chapter for Mayo Chiki.

text: Works cited[edit]

text:
^  "LN" is shortened form for light novel and refers to a volume number of the Haganai light novels.
^  "Ch." and "Vol." is shortened form for chapter and refers to a chapter number of the Haganai manga.


document_title: General Certificate of Secondary Education

question_text: what grade is a pass in gcse english

question_tokens: what grade is a pass in gcse english

text: General Certificate of Secondary Education

text: History[edit]

text: Previous qualifications[edit]

text: Before the introduction of GCSEs, students took CSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) or the more academically challenging O-Level (General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level) exams, or a combination of the two, in various subjects. The CSE broadly covered GCSE grades C-G or 4-1, and the O-Level covered grades A*-C or 9-4, but the two were independent qualifications, with different grading systems. The separate qualifications were criticised for disadvantaging the bottom 42% of O-Level entrants who failed to receive a qualification, and the highest-achieving CSE entrants who had no opportunity to demonstrate their true ability.

text: In its later years, O-Levels were graded on a scale from A to E, with a U (ungraded) grade below that. Before 1975, the grading scheme varied between examination boards, but typically there were "pass" grades of 1 to 6 and "fail" grades of 7 to 9. However the grades were not displayed on certificates.

text: The CSE was graded on a numerical scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest, and 5 being the lowest passing grade. Below 5 there was a U (ungraded) grade. The highest grade, 1, was considered equivalent to an O-Level C grade or above, and achievement of this grade often indicated that the student could have taken an O-Level course in the subject to achieve a higher qualification. As the two were independent qualifications with separate syllabi, a separate course of study would have to be taken to "convert" a CSE to an O-Level in order to progress to A-Level.

text: There was a previous attempt to unite these two disparate qualifications in the 1980s, with a trial "16+" examination in some subjects, awarding both a CSE and an O-Level certificate, before the GCSE was introduced.

text: Introduction of the GCSE[edit]

text: GCSEs were introduced in 1988 [1] to establish a national qualification for those who decided to leave school at 16, without pursuing further academic study towards qualifications such as A-Levels or university degrees. They replaced the former CSE and O-Level qualifications, uniting the two qualifications to allow access to the full range of grades for more students. However the exam papers sometimes had a choice of questions designed for the more able and the less able candidates.

text: Upon introduction, the GCSEs were graded on a letter scale, from A to G, with a C being set as roughly equivalent to an O-Level Grade C, or a CSE Grade 1, and thus achievable by roughly the top 25% of each cohort.

text: Changes since initial introduction[edit]

text: Over time, the range of subjects offered, the format of the examinations, the regulations, the content, and the grading of GCSE examinations has altered considerably. Numerous subjects have been added and changed, and various new subjects are offered in the modern languages, ancient languages, vocational fields, and expressive arts, as well as Citizenship courses.[2]

text: Introduction of the A* grade[edit]

text: In 1994, the A* grade was added above the grade A, to further differentiate attainment at the very highest end of the qualification. This remained the highest grade available until 2017. The youngest pupil to gain an A* grade was Thomas Barnes, who earned an A* in GCSE Mathematics at the age of 7.[3]

text: 2000s reforms[edit]

text: Between 2005 and 2010, a variety of reforms were made to GCSE qualifications, including increasing modularity and a change to the administration of non-examination assessment.

text: From the first assessment series in 2010, controlled assessment replaced coursework in various subjects, requiring more rigorous exam-like conditions for much of the non-examination assessed work, and reducing the opportunity for outside help in coursework.

text: 2010s reforms[edit]

text: Under the Conservative government of David Cameron, and Education Secretary Michael Gove, various changes were made to GCSE qualifications. Before a wide range of reforms, interim changes were made to existing qualifications, removing the January series of examinations as an option in most subjects, and requiring that 100% of the assessment in subjects from the 2014 examination series is taken at the end of the course. These were a precursor to the later reforms.[4]

text: From 2015, a large-scale programme of reform began, changing the marking criteria and syllabi for most subjects, as well as the format of qualifications, and the grading system.[5][6]

text: Under the new scheme, all GCSE subjects were revised between 2015 and 2018, and all new awards will be on the new scheme by summer 2020. The new qualifications are designed such that most exams will be taken at the end of a full 2-year course, with no interim modular assessment, coursework, or controlled assessment, except where necessary (such as in the arts). Some subjects will retain coursework on a non-assessed basis, with the completion of certain experiments in science subjects being assumed in examinations, and teacher reporting of spoken language participation for English GCSEs as a separate report.

text: Other changes include the move to a numerical grading system, to differentiate the new qualifications from the old-style letter-graded GCSEs, publication of core content requirements for all subjects, and an increase in longer, essay-style questions to challenge students more. Alongside this, a variety of low-uptake qualifications and qualifications with significant overlap will cease, with their content being removed from the GCSE options, or incorporated into similar qualifications.

text: GCSE examinations in English and mathematics were reformed with the 2015 syllabus publications, with these first examinations taking places in 2017. The remainder will be reformed with the 2016 and 2017 syllabus publications, leading to first awards in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

text: Qualifications that are not reformed will cease to be available. The science reforms, in particular, mean that single-award "science" and "additional science" options are no longer available, being replaced with a double award "combined science" option (graded on the scale 9-9 to 1-1 and equivalent to 2 GCSEs). Alternatively, students can take separate qualifications in chemistry, biology, and physics. Other removed qualifications include a variety of design technology subjects, which are reformed into a single "design and technology" subject with multiple options, and various catering and nutrition qualifications, which are folded into "food technology". Finally, several "umbrella" GCSEs such as "humanities", "performing arts", and "expressive arts" are dissolved, with those wishing to study those subjects needing to take separate qualifications in the incorporated subjects.[7]

text: These reforms do not directly apply in Wales and Northern Ireland, where GCSEs will continue to be available on the A*-G grading system. However, due to legislative requirements for comparability between GCSEs in the three countries, and allowances for certain subjects and qualifications to be available in Wales and Northern Ireland, some 9-1 qualifications will be available, and the other changes are mostly adopted in these countries as well.[8]

text: Examination boards[edit]

text: Historically, there were a variety of regional examination boards, or awarding organisations (AOs), who set examinations in their area. Over time, as deregulation allowed schools to choose which boards to use, mergers and closures led to only 5 examination boards remaining today.

text:
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), which absorbed the following boards: AEB, JMB, NEAB, and SEG.
Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR), which absorbed the Oxford and Cambridge, MEG, and RSA exam boards.
Pearson Edexcel, which absorbed the LREB, BTEC, and ULEAC boards.
Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC or CBAC), the main examining board in Wales.
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA), the examining board and regulator in Northern Ireland.

text: The examination boards operate under the supervision of Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales, and the CCEA in Northern Ireland.

text: In England, AQA, OCR, and Pearson operate under their respective brands. Additionally, WJEC operate the brand Eduqas, which develops qualifications in England. CCEA qualifications are not available in England.

text: In Wales, WJEC is the only accredited awarding body for GCSEs in the public sector, and thus no other board formally operates in Wales. However, some qualifications from the English boards are available as designated qualifications in some circumstances, due to not being available from WJEC.

text: In Northern Ireland, CCEA operates as both a board and a regulator. Most qualifications from the English boards are also available, with the exception of English language and the sciences, due to requirements for speaking and practical assessment, respectively.[9]

text: Structure and format[edit]

text: Students usually take at least 5 GCSEs in Key Stage 4, in order to satisfy the long-standing headline measure of achieving 5 A*-C grades, including English and mathematics. The exact qualifications taken by students vary from school to school and student to student, but schools are encouraged to offer at least one pathway that leads to qualification for the English Baccalaureate, requiring GCSEs in English language, English literature, mathematics, 2 science GCSEs, a modern or ancient language, and either history or geography.

text: Subjects[edit]

text: The list of currently available GCSE subjects is much shorter than before the reforms, as the new qualifications in England all have core requirements set by the regulator, Ofqual, for each subject. In addition, there are several subjects where only one board offers qualifications, including some that are only available in one country of the UK for that reason. The following lists are sourced from the exam board websites.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

text: Core subjects[edit]

text: These are the requirements for achieving the English Baccalaureate headline measure in league tables, from 2017 onwards. The Baccalaureate itself does not garner a certificate for students. Other subjects, especially religious studies, computer science, or physical education, may be compulsory in some schools as these subjects form part of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 4.

text:
English: both English language and English literature
Mathematics
Science: either of these two options:
Combined Science (worth 2 GCSEs)
3 of the following: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Science
Languages: one GCSE in a modern or ancient language:
Modern languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Panjabi, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu
Ancient languages: Classical Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin
Humanities: History or Geography

text: Other subjects[edit]

text:
Sciences and Mathematics:
Astronomy
Geology
Psychology
Statistics
Humanities and Social Sciences:
Ancient History
Citizenship Studies
Classical Civilisation
Religious Studies
Sociology
Business and Enterprise:
Business
Economics
Design and Technology:
Design and Technology
Electronics
Engineering
Food Preparation & Nutrition
Arts:
Art and Design
Dance
Drama
Film Studies
Media Studies
Music
Other:
Physical Education
Northern Ireland (CCEA) only:
Agriculture and Land Use
Applied ICT
Business and Communication Systems
Child Development
Construction and the Built Environment
Contemporary Crafts
Digital Technology
Further Mathematics
Government and Politics
Health and Social Care
Home Economics
Hospitality
Irish
Irish
Gaeilge
Journalism in the Media and Communications Industry
Learning for Life and Work
Leisure, Travel and Tourism
Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies
Moving Image Arts
Wales (WJEC/CBAC) only:
Information and Communication Technology
Welsh (compulsory in Welsh schools):
Welsh Language (first language)
Welsh Literature (first language)
Welsh Second Language

text: Grades and tiering[edit]

text: GCSEs are awarded on a graded scale, and cross two levels of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF): Level 1 and Level 2. These two levels roughly correspond, respectively, to foundation and higher tier in tiered GCSE qualifications. Level 1 qualifications constitute GCSEs at grades G, F, E, and D or 1, 2, and 3. Level 2 qualifications are those at grades C, B, A, and A* or 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

text: The tiering of qualifications allows a subset of grades to be reached in a specific tier's paper. Formerly, many subjects were tiered, but with the mid-2010s reform, the number of tiered subjects reduced dramatically, including the removal of tiering from the GCSE English specifications. Untiered papers allow any grade to be achieved. Coursework and controlled assessment tasks are always untiered.

text: In the past, mathematics qualifications offered a different set of tiers, with three. These were foundation tier at grades G, F, E, and D; intermediate tier at grades E, D, C, and B; and higher tier at grades C, B, A, and A*. This eventually changed to match the tiers in all other GCSE qualifications.

text: The evolution of grades, and a rough comparison between them is as follows:

text:
Approximate equivalences for GCSE, O-Level and CSE grades

GCSE Grade
O-Level Grade
CSE Grade

Englandfrom 2017 a
Northern Irelandfrom 2019 b
Wales from 1994England, NI 1994–2019 c
1988–1993
1975–1987 d
1965–1987

9
A*
A*
A
A

8
A

A

7

6
B
B
B
B

5
C*

C
C
C
1

4
C

3
D
D
D
D
2

E
E
E
E
3

2

F
F
F
U
4

1

G
G
G
5

U
U
U
U
U

text:
Notes:
     GCSE grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) – Certificate and qualification awarded. At GCSE, considered a 'good pass', and awards a qualification at Level 2 of the RQF.
     GCSE grades 3 to 1 (D to G) – Certificate and qualification awarded. At GCSE, awards a qualification at Level 1 of the RQF.
     U: ungraded/unclassified – no certificate or qualification awarded
^a 9–1 grades phased in by subject between 2017 and 2019 in England
^b New A*–G grades in Northern Ireland from 2019[18]
^c A*–G grades as used in Wales since 1994, and in England and Northern Ireland between 1994 and 2019
^d Before 1975, each exam board had its own grading system (some used letters, others numbers). Grades were only given to schools and not recorded on students' certificates

text: Letter grades[edit]

text: When GCSEs were first introduced in 1988, they were graded on a letter scale in each subject: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G being pass grades, with a U (unclassified) grade below that which did not qualify the student for a certificate.

text: These grades were initially set such that a GCSE grade C was equivalent to an O-Level grade C or a CSE grade 1, though changes in marking criteria and boundaries over the years mean that this comparison is only approximate.

text: Infrequently, X and Q grades are awarded. X indicates that a course was not completed in full, and therefore an appropriate grade cannot be calculated. The Q (query) grade is a temporary grade that requires the school to contact the examining body. These latter two grades are both usually provisional, and are replaced with a regular grade once any issues have been resolved. X grades are also sometimes used for other purposes, on rare occasions, such as to indicate that an examiner found offensive material or hate speech within a student's responses. In some cases, this may lead to the student losing all marks for that paper or course. These grades are most common in subjects which discuss ethical issues, such as biology, religious studies, and citizenship.

text: In 1994, an A* grade was added above the initial A grade to indicate exceptional achievement, above the level required for the A grade.

text: Under the letter grade scheme, foundation tier papers assess content at grades C to G, while higher tier papers assess content at grades A* to C. In foundation tier papers, the student can obtain a maximum grade of a C, while in a higher tier paper, they can achieve a minimum grade of a D. If a higher tier candidate misses the D grade by a small margin, they are awarded an E. Otherwise, the grade below E in these papers is U. In untiered papers, students can achieve any grade in the scheme.

text: This scheme is being phased out in England, but remains in Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the A* grade has been adjusted upwards with the introduction of the numerical scheme in England, such that an A* is equivalent to a new English grade 9. They also added a C* grade to line up with the grade 5 in the English scheme, for comparison purposes.

text: Numerical grades (2017 onwards)[edit]

text: From 2017 in England (and in Wales and Northern Ireland on qualifications from the English boards), some GCSEs are now assessed on a 9-point scale, using numbers from 9 to 1, and, like before, a U (unclassified) grade for achievement below the minimum pass mark. Under this system, 9 is the highest grade, and is set above the former A* classification, equivalent to the new Northern Irish A* grade. The former C grade is set at grade 4 and the lower end of grade 5, with grade 5 being considered a "good pass" under the new scheme.

text: Although fewer qualifications have tiered examinations than before, the tiering system still exists. At foundation tier, the grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are available, while at higher tier, the grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are targeted. Once again, if a higher tier student misses the grade 4 mark by a small margin, they are awarded a grade 3, and controlled assessment and coursework tasks are untiered.

text: Results[edit]

text: GCSE results are published by the examination board in August, for the previous exam series in April to June of the same year. They are usually released one week after the A-Level results, in the fourth week of August, with CCEA results on Tuesday and the other boards' results on Thursday. Some boards and schools release results online, although many still require students to attend in person to collect their results from the centre they sat exams at.[19]

text: These results then go on to inform league tables published in the following academic year, with headline performance metrics for each school.

text:
UK GCSE Grades Awarded (%'age) (letter system)[20]

A*

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

U

A*+A

A*-C

entries

1988

N/A

8.4

12.8

20.7

19.3

16.6

12.5

6.3

3.4

8.4

41.9

5,230,047

1989

N/A

9.9

13.8

21.9

19

15.8

11.2

5.6

2.9

9.9

45.6

5,132,998

1990

N/A

10.8

14.4

22.5

18.7

15.3

10.6

5.2

2.5

10.8

47.7

5,016,547

1991

N/A

11.4

14.7

22.4

18.6

15

10.5

5.3

2.2

11.4

48.5

4,947,593

1992

N/A

12.3

15.3

22.9

18.6

14.7

9.9

4.7

1.6

12.3

50.5

5,028,554

1993

N/A

12.5

15.9

23.1

18.6

14.2

9.3

4.4

1.8

12.5

51.5

4,968,634

1994

2.8

10.2

18

21.8

18.7

13.7

9.3

4.1

1.5

13

52.8

5,029,599

1995

3.2

9.9

17.8

22.1

18.6

14

9

3.9

1.5

13.1

53

5,431,625

1996

3.4

10.3

18

22.3

18.6

13.4

8.7

3.8

1.5

13.7

54

5,475,872

1997

3.6

10.5

18.1

22.3

18.7

13.3

8.5

3.6

1.5

14.1

54.4

5,415,176

1998

4.1

10.6

16.5

23.6

18.6

13.2

7.6

3.5

2.3

14.7

54.8

5,353,095

1999

4.4

10.8

16.9

23.7

18.7

12.7

7.5

3.3

2

15.2

55.8

5,374,751

2000

4.6

11.2

17

23.8

18.4

12.5

7.2

3.2

2.1

15.8

56.6

5,481,920

2001

4.9

11.2

16.9

24.1

18.3

12.1

7.1

3.3

2.1

16.1

57.1

5,632,936

2002

5

11.4

17.4

24.1

18.1

12

6.7

3.2

2.1

16.4

57.9

5,662,382

2003

5.1

11.6

17.3

24.1

17.7

11.7

6.8

3.3

2.4

16.7

58.1

5,733,487

2004

5.6

11.8

17.3

24.5

17.3

11.3

6.6

3.2

2.4

17.4

59.2

5.875,373

2005

5.9

12.5

18

24.8

17.3

10.5

6

2.8

2.2

18.4

61.2

5,736,505

2006

6.3

12.8

18.3

25

17.3

10.2

5.6

2.6

1.9

19.1

62.4

5,752,152

2007

6.4

13.1

18.6

25.2

17.2

9.8

5.3

2.4

2

19.5

63.3

5,827,319

2008

6.8

13.9

19.8

25.2

16.6

9.1

4.7

2.3

1.6

20.7

65.7

5,669,077

2009

7.1

14.5

19.9

25.6

16.5

8.5

4.4

2.1

1.4

21.6

67.1

5,469,260

2010

7.5

15.1

20.6

25.9

15.9

7.8

4

1.9

1.3

22.6

69.1

5,374,490

2011

7.8

15.4

21.7

24.9

15.1

7.8

4.1

2

1.2

23.2

69.8

5,151,970

2012

7.3

15.1

21.7

25.3

15.9

7.7

4.1

1.9

1

22.4

69.4

5,225,288

2013

6.8

14.5

21.5

25.3

16.6

8

4.1

2

1.2

21.3

68.1

5,445,324

2014

6.7

14.6

21.9

25.6

16.3

7.6

3.8

2.0

1.5

21.3

68.8

5,217,573

2015

6.6

14.6

22.1

25.7

16.4

7.6

3.7

1.9

1.4

21.2

69

5,277,604

2016

6.5

14.0

21.4

25.0

16.9

8.3

4.2

2.1

1.6

20.5

66.9

5,240,796

2017

7.1

14.2

20.6

23.5

16.8

9.3

4.7

2.3

1.5

21.3

65.3

3,694,771

2018

7.0

14.7

21.8

23.4

15.2

8.5

4.5

2.7

2.2

21.7

66.9

860,246

text:
Source: Joint Council for General Qualifications via Brian Stubbs.

Note: In the final year DES statistics for O-Levels are available, and across all subjects, 6.8% of candidates obtained a grade A, and 39.8% achieved grades A to C.

text:
UK GCSE Grades Awarded (%'age) (numerical system)[21]

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

U

9-7

9-4

entries

2018

4.3

6.5

9.5

13.2

16.8

16.6

17.6

9.5

4.4

1.6

20.3

66.9

4,609,830

text: UK GCSE classifications (letter system)

text:
A*
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  G
  U

text: Assessment types[edit]

text: Modular and linear GCSEs[edit]

text: In the past, many GCSE qualifications used a modular system, where some assessment (up to 60% under the 'terminal rule') could be submitted prior to the final examination series. This allowed for students to take some units of a GCSE before the final examination series, and thus gave indication of progress and ability at various stages, as well as allowing for students to resit exams in which they did not score as highly, in order to boost their grade, before receiving the qualification.

text: Various qualifications were available as both modular and linear schemes, and schools could choose whichever fit best for them.

text: Under the Conservative government of David Cameron, and Education Secretary Michael Gove, reforms were initiated which converted all GCSEs from 2012 (for assessment from 2014) to de facto linear schemes, in advance of the introduction of new specifications between 2015 and 2018 (for first assessment from 2017 to 2020). These new rules required that 100% of the assessment in a GCSE be submitted in the final examination series, at the same time as applying for certification of the full qualification.[22][23][24] The examination boards complied by modifying the syllabi of the remaining GCSE qualifications to remove modular components.[22][24] subjects.[25]

text: Both modular and linear assessment have been politically contentious, and the opposition Labour Party UK, and particularly the former MP Tristram Hunt stated that it was their policy that such reforms be halted and reversed, maintaining modular assessment in both GCSEs and A-Levels.[26] The modular scheme is supported by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.[27][28][29]

text: Coursework and controlled assessment[edit]

text: In some subjects, one or more controlled assessment or coursework assignments may also be completed. These may contribute either a small or large proportion of the final grade. In practical and performance subjects, they generally have a heavier weighting to reflect the difficulty and potential unfairness of conducting examinations in these areas.

text: In the past, these were available in a variety of subjects, including extended writing in English, the sciences, business, and foreign languages; practical assessment in the sciences and technology subjects; and speaking assessments in languages. Since the 2010s reform, the availability has been cut back, with mostly only design and technology subjects and performing arts retaining their controlled assessment contributions. In English, the spoken language assessment has been downgraded to an endorsement which is reported separately on the English certificate, not contributing to the grade. In the sciences, practical exercises are a required part of the qualification, but are not directly assessed; they are only endorsed by a teacher's statement.

text: The balance between controlled assessment and examinations is contentious, with the time needing to be set aside for coursework sessions being seen as a burden on the school timetable. However, the use of controlled assessment allows for the marking of some work outside of examination season, and can ease the burden on students to perform well on the day of the examination.

text: Exceptional and mitigating circumstances[edit]

text: For pupils with learning difficulties, an injury/repetitive strain injury (RSI) or a disability, help is offered in these forms:

text:
Extra time (the amount depends on the severity of the learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, disability, injury or learning in English as a second language provided that the pupil has been studying in the UK for no more than 2 years)
Amanuensis (somebody types or handwrites as the pupil dictates; this is normally used when the pupil cannot write due to an injury or disability)
A word processor (without any spell-checking tools) can be used by pupils who have trouble writing legibly or who are unable to write quickly enough to complete the exam
A different format exam paper (large print, Braille, printed on coloured paper, etc.)
A 'reader' (a teacher or exam invigilator can read out the words in the exam paper, but they cannot explain their meaning)
A different room (sometimes due to a disability a pupil can be placed in a room by themselves or with selected others; this also happens when an amanuensis is used, so as not to disturb the other candidates. All exam rooms are covered by separate dedicated invigilators.)

text: Any of the above must be approved by the examination board. Other forms of help are available with the agreement of the examination board, but the above are the most common.

text: If a student is ill or an unforeseen circumstance occurs that may affect their performance in an examination, they can apply for special consideration from the examination board. The procedures vary depending on how much the student has completed[clarification needed], but in the case of sitting an examination, they may receive a percentage increase on their grade[clarification needed] to reflect this, or a consideration of their coursework and other assessment alongside their predicted grades, to calculate a fair grade based on their other attainment.

text: Progression[edit]

text: GCSEs, BTECs or other Level 2 qualifications are generally required in order to pursue Level 3 qualifications such as A-Levels or BTEC Extended Diplomas beyond the age of 16.

text: The requirement of 5 or more A*–C or 9-4 grades, including English and mathematics, is often a requirement for post-16 qualifications in sixth form colleges or further education colleges after leaving secondary school. Where the subject taken post-16 has also been taken at GCSE, it is often required that the student achieved a grade C, 4, or 5 as a minimum at GCSE.

text: Most universities, in addition to their post-16 requirements, seek that their candidates have grades of C or 4 or higher in GCSE English and mathematics. Many of those who achieve below this standard will later retake GCSE English and mathematics to improve their grade. The November examination series exists for this purpose, to allow a faster path to gain these grades than waiting until the following summer's main series. Leading universities often take into account performance at GCSE level, sometimes expecting applicants to have a high proportion of A and A* grades.[30][31][32][33]

text: Comparison with other qualifications[edit]

text: Within the UK[edit]

text: GCSEs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are part of the Regulated Qualifications Framework. A GCSE at grades G, F, E, D, 1, 2, or 3 is a Level 1 qualification. A GCSE at C, B, A, A*, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 is a Level 2 qualification. Qualifications are not awarded to grades U, X or Q. Level 2 qualifications are much more sought-after, and generally form minimum requirements for jobs and further study expectations.

text: The BTEC is another Level 1/2 qualification available in the same territories as the GCSE, and is graded at 5 levels. At Level 2, comparable to A*, A, B, and C respectively are the Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, and Pass. A BTEC at Level 1 is simply marked as "Level 1", with no subdivision. Below that level, a U is awarded, as in GCSEs.

text: Other qualifications at this level include Cambridge Nationals, Key Skills, and Functional Skills.

text: The comparable qualifications in Scotland are the National 4 and National 5 awards (formerly Standard Grades and/or Intermediates).

text: In other territories[edit]

text: Current and former British territories:

text: The education systems of current and former British territories, such as Gibraltar,[34] and Nigeria, also offer the qualification, as supplied by the same examination boards. Other former British colonies, such as Singapore and Zimbabwe, continue to use the O-Level qualification.[35] The international version of the GCSE is the IGCSE, which can be taken anywhere in the world and includes additional options relating to coursework and the language the qualification is pursued in. All subjects completed in the fifth of the European Baccalaureate are generally equivalent to the GCSEs subjects.

text: Ireland:

text: In the Republic of Ireland, the Junior Certificate is a comparable qualification.

text: United States

text: In the United States, the high school diploma is required for entry to college. In the UK, this is considered to be at the level of the GCSE, awarded at Year 11.[36][37] For college and university admissions, the high school diploma may be accepted in lieu of the GCSE if an average grade better than D+ is obtained in subjects with a GCSE counterpart.[36]

text: As A-Levels are generally expected for university admission, the high school diploma is not considered enough for university entry in the UK. Advanced Placement programmes or International Baccalaureate are considered equal to the A-Level, earn points on the UCAS tariff, and may therefore be accepted in lieu of A-Levels for university entry in the UK by US students. The SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests, or the ACT may also be considered in an offer for university entry.

text: Criticism and controversy[edit]

text: Grade disparity[edit]

text: Statistics released by London’s Poverty Profile found overall GCSE attainment in London to be greater than the rest of England. 39% of pupils in Inner London and 37% in Outer London did not get five GCSEs at A* to C, compared with 42% in the rest of England.[38] Also, according to an ITV News report, UK students tend to outperform Jersey students on GCSE examinations.[39]

text: Gender bias is another area of concern. Department of Education data shows that the relative performance gap between girls and boys widened significantly under GCSEs, compared with O-Levels.[40]

text: Subject decline[edit]

text: The declining number of pupils studying foreign languages in the UK has been a major concern of educational experts for many years. Paul Steer, the Exam Board Chief of the British exam board OCR recently expressed that "unless we act soon, even GCSE French and German could face the chop".[41]

text: Moreover, the publication of "soft" subjects (e.g. Critical Thinking, General Studies etc.) and "academic" subjects (e.g. Mathematics, Sciences, Languages) for GCSEs and A-Levels by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge has created an ongoing educational debate where, on the one hand, many educational experts would support this "division of importance" whereas, on the other hand, many head teachers would not only disagree but actually "oppose a move to solely traditional academic GCSE (and A-Level) subjects".[42]

text: Grade inflation[edit]

text: When the GCSE system was introduced, there were comments that it was a dumbing down from the previous GCE O-Level system (as it took the focus away from the theoretical side of many subjects, and taught pupils about real-world implications and issues relating to ICT and citizenship).[43]

text: In addition, the proportions of candidates awarded high grades at GCSE have been rising for many years, which critics attribute to grade inflation. By comparing pupils' scores in the YELLIS ability test with their GCSE results over a period of about 20 years, Robert Coe found a general improvement in grades awarded which ranges from 0.2 (science) to 0.8 (maths) of a GCSE grade.[44] Only slightly more than half of pupils sitting GCSE exams achieve the 5 A* to C grades required for most forms of academic further education.[45]

text: One of the important differences between previous educational qualifications (and the earlier grading of A-Levels) and the later GCSE qualifications was supposed to be a move from norm-referenced marking to criterion-referenced marking.[46] In a norm-referenced grading system, fixed percentages of candidates achieve each grade. With criterion-referenced grades, in theory, all candidates who achieve the criteria can achieve the grade. A comparison of a clearly norm-referenced assessment, such as the NFER Cognitive Ability Test or CAT, with GCSE grading seems to show an unexpected correlation, which challenges the idea that the GCSE is a properly criterion-based assessment.[47]

text: The incorporation of GCSE awards into school league tables, and the setting of targets at school level at above national average levels of attainment, has been criticised. At the time of introduction, the E grade was intended to be equivalent to the CSE grade 4, and so obtainable by a candidate of average/median ability.[48] Sir Keith Joseph set schools a target of 90% of their pupils obtaining at least a grade F (which was the "average" grade achieved in the past). This target was reached nationally about 20 years later. David Blunkett went further and set schools the goal of 50% of 16-year-olds gaining 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C and above, although these grades were previously only obtained by the top 30%. This was achieved with the help of equivalent and largely vocational qualifications.[clarification needed][49] Labelling schools as failing if 40% of their pupils do not achieve at least 5 Cs, including English and Maths at GCSE, has also been criticised, as it essentially requires 40% of each intake to achieve the grades only obtained by the top 20% when GCSE was introduced.[50][51]

text: In recent years, concerns about standards has led some public schools to complement GCSEs with IGCSEs within their curriculum, and to take their pupils straight[not in citation given] to A-Level or the BTEC.[52] Other schools, such as Manchester Grammar School, are replacing the GCSEs with IGCSEs in which there is an option to do no coursework.[53] The new science syllabus has led to many public schools switching to the IGCSE Double Award syllabus.[54]

text: Errors and mistakes[edit]

text: Teachers and pupils have the option to question exam results and have the scripts marked again if they feel the grade awarded does not reflect the pupil's ability and expectations; or if they review a copy of the script and notice a marking error. In recent years, there have been complaints that GCSEs and GCE A-Levels were marked unfairly. (In 2012, for the first time in the history of the exams, the proportion of all GCSEs awarded an A*-C grade fell.)[55]

text: In one incident, there were complaints about a question in a GCSE maths exam, which became known as the "Hannah's sweets" question. This question was said to be very difficult, and this was reported on several media websites. However several teachers, experts, and students posted the solution to the question on the media.[56]

text: In another case, concerning the 2016 GCSE biology exam, there were complaints about the apparent lack of biology content in the exam.[57][58][59][60]

text: The May 2017 English literature exam (under the regulation of OCR) wrongly implied that Tybalt, a character in Romeo and Juliet was not a Capulet. This serious flaw in the question confused many of the students. OCR accepted responsibility and claimed no pupil would be disadvantaged. The question was worth 40 marks.