Takopi's Original Sin
| Takopi's Original Sin | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Shizuka Kuze | |
| タコピーの原罪 (Takopī no Genzai) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Taizan 5 |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Jump Comics+ |
| Magazine | Shōnen Jump+ |
| Original run | December 10, 2021 – March 25, 2022 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Original net animation | |
| Directed by | Shinya Iino |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Shinya Iino |
| Music by | Yoshiaki Fujisawa |
| Studio | Enishiya |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | June 28, 2025 – August 2, 2025 |
| Episodes | 6 |
Takopi's Original Sin (Japanese: タコピーの原罪, Hepburn: Takopī no Genzai) is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Taizan 5. It was published on Shueisha's web platform Shōnen Jump+ from December 2021 to March 2022, with its chapters collected in two tankōbon volumes. An original net animation (ONA) adaptation produced by Enishiya and TBS Television was released from June to August 2025.
Plot
In 2016, Nueinukf, an alien hailing from the Happy Planet, crash-lands on Earth on his mission to spread happiness to others. After evading capture, he comes across Shizuka Kuze, a 9-year-old girl who is bullied at school and only finds solace with her Border Collie, Chappy. Shizuka, noting that he resembles an octopus, names the alien Takopi. Takopi decides to use his planet's Happy Gadgets to help Shizuka, but after seeing her, face scratched and bruised all over while holding Chappy's leash, Shizuka asks for one of Takopi's gadgets and uses it to commit suicide. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Takopi uses a Happy Camera to travel back in time, hoping to prevent Shizuka's suicide.
In one of these loops, during a confrontation between Shizuka and her bully Marina Kirarazaka, whose father had an affair with Shizuka's mother, Takopi accidentally hurls the Camera at Marina, breaking it after failing to save Chappy in 101 attempts, killing her and preventing them from reversing time again. Desperate to conceal the crime, Takopi, with help of Shizuka's classmate, Naoki Azuma, buries Marina's body inside one of his gadgets before assuming her identity. The ruse quickly unravels: Takopi's imitation of Marina is unconvincing, and a group of workers soon stumbles upon the hidden corpse. Meanwhile, Shizuka exploits Naoki's deteriorating mental state—his spiral into paranoia over hiding the crime, his frantic attempts to save her dog, and the crushing weight of being compared to older brother Junya and condemnation after a poor grade. Ultimately, Takopi tries to reason with Shizuka, preventing her from making anymore mistakes, but Shizuka knocks him out with a rock.
An unconscious Takopi recalls his previously erased memories; he initially came to Earth in 2022 to spread joy. The first person he ran into however was not Shizuka but Marina who lived in an abusive household. With Takopi's help, Marina's life begins to improve and she starts dating Naoki. But when Naoki leaves Marina for Shizuka, Marina regrets not killing Shizuka in fourth grade. Later, Marina's mother finds out about the relationship, but she kills her in self-defense. This failed timeline leads Takopi to plot killing a 9-year-old Shizuka in the past, which caused the erasure of his memories as a violation of Planet Happy's law, making him forget his original plan upon traveling back in time.
Returning to where Marina and Shizuka met, Takopi is consoled by Naoki, who thanks him for their friendship and returns to him his Camera. Months later, Takopi finds Shizuka looking for Chappy, and apologizes for initially causing her pain. He ultimately sacrifices himself to reactivate the Camera, rewinding to 2016 back when Shizuka met Takopi. Afterward, Shizuka is able to tearfully reconcile with Marina, reminiscing of Takopi upon noticing her sketch of him, while Naoki reconciles with Junya and his friends as Takopi wishes them happiness before disappearing. Six years later in 2022, Shizuka and Marina remain best friends growing up together.
Characters
- Takopi (タコピー, Takopī) / Nueinukf (んうえいぬkf)
- Voiced by: Kurumi Mamiya (PV, voice comic, anime)[2][3][4]
- A Happian alien from the Happy Planet who resembles an octopus. Takopi's goal is to spread happiness to others through his various gadgets, though his innocent and simplistic worldview is challenged as he confronts the complex morality and nature of human beings. It is revealed later that Takopi had first met a teenage Marina. Marina revealed how she believed that Shizuka was responsible for all her misfortune and wanted her dead, prompting Takopi to go back in time to fulfill Marina's goal. Takopi lost his memories while enacting Marina's wish and forgot his objective, leading him to befriend Shizuka instead. After seeing his actions were doing more harm than good, Takopi sacrificed himself to reset the timeline and give both Shizuka and Marina a better future.
- Shizuka Kuze (久世 しずか, Kuze Shizuka)
- Voiced by: Reina Ueda (PV, voice comic, anime)[2][3][4]
- A young girl whom Takopi befriends upon his arrival on Earth. She is the subject of bullying in her school due to her mother's work as a hostess and only finds solace at home with her pet Border Collie Chappy. She commits suicide after Marina had Chappy taken away, only to be saved by Takopi turning back time. As time goes on, she slowly starts to unravel as she feels like she is alone. Eventually, she travels to where her biological father is but learns that he has a new family and decides to kidnap his daughters, which Takopi thwarts after seeing his actions did more harm than good. In the final timeline, Shizuka and Marina end up becoming best friends after subconsciously realizing that they are bonded together through their latent memories of Takopi.
- Marina Kirarazaka (雲母坂 まりな, Kirarazaka Marina)
- Voiced by: Honoka Kuroki (voice comic),[3] Konomi Kohara (anime)[5]
- Shizuka's classmate who is her bully, often mocking her family situation. It is later revealed that Marina is a victim of abuse from her mother, due to her father cheating on her with Shizuka's mother. Later on, Takopi remembers that they met Marina prior to the start of the series and had decided to kill Shizuka by sending themselves back in time as that is what Marina wanted. However, Takopi lost his memories and forgot his objective. Takopi then accidentally kills Marina with the Happy Camera and ends up taking her place. In the new timeline, Marina and Shizuka end up becoming best friends as they passively realize that they were bonded together through Takopi.
- Naoki Azuma (東 直樹, Azuma Naoki)
- Voiced by: Anna Nagase (anime)[5]
- Shizuka's classmate who tries to support her in any way he can, despite Shizuka repeatedly turning down his help. It is revealed later on that Naoki was being pressured by his mother as she compared him to his older brother Junya who was much more talented than him. Naoki was depressed due to his mother constantly calling him a failure and always expecting him to do just as well as Junya. Naoki eventually learns about Takopi and Marina's death and helps Shizuka by covering it up. Later on, Naoki and Junya reconcile, with Naoki confessing to killing Marina at Shizuka's persuasion. In the final timeline, Naoki is shown interacting more with his other friends and distancing himself from Shizuka and Marina.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Taizan 5, Takopi's Original Sin was published on Shueisha's web platform Shōnen Jump+ from December 10, 2021,[6] to March 25, 2022.[7] Shueisha collected its 16 chapters in two tankōbon volumes, released on March 4 and April 4, 2022.[2][8]
Shueisha's Manga Plus service published chapters of the series in English simultaneously with their Japanese release.[9] In February 2023, Viz Media announced that it licensed the manga for English publication;[10] the series was released as a single volume on November 21 of that same year.[11]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 4, 2022[12] | 978-4-08-883049-0 | November 21, 2023[11] | 978-1-9747-4034-5 | ||
| ||||||
| 2 | April 4, 2022[13] | 978-4-08-883104-6 | November 21, 2023[11] | 978-1-9747-4034-5 | ||
| ||||||
Anime
In December 2024, it was announced that the series would receive an anime adaptation.[14][15] It was later revealed to be an original net animation (ONA) produced by Enishiya, with TBS Television handling planning and production duties.[16] The six-episode miniseries was directed and written by Shinya Iino, with character designs and chief animation direction handled by Keita Nagahara, and music composed by Yoshiaki Fujisawa.[4][17] The series was released from June 28 to August 2, 2025, on various streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Abema, and U-Next.[a] The opening theme song is "Happy Lucky Chappy" (ハッピーラッキーチャッピー), performed by Ano, while the ending theme song is "Glass no Sen" (がらすの線), performed by Tele.[17] Crunchyroll streamed the series outside Asia.[19] Medialink licensed the series in the Asia-Pacific for streaming on Ani-One Asia's YouTube channel.[20]
Episodes
| No. | Title [21][22] | Directed by [b] | Written by [b] | Animation directed by [b] | Original release date [a] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "To You in 2016" Transliteration: "Nisenjūroku-nen no Kimi e" (Japanese: 2016年のきみへ) | Shinya Iino | Shinya Iino | Keita Nagahara | June 28, 2025 | |
|
In 2016, Shizuka Kuze encounters an octopus-like alien named Nueinukf, whom she nicknames Takopi. Expressing his mission to spread happiness, Takopi tries to befriend her but is ignored. After seeing Shizuka bloodied, Takopi offers her a friendship ribbon despite orders not to give his gadgets away. Shizuka takes the gift and leaves, but Takopi worries when she does not return and visits her home to find that Shizuka has hanged herself with the ribbon. Realizing that he failed to understand her pain, Takopi uses the Happy Camera to travel back in time and save her. At school, he learns that Shizuka is bullied by Marina Kirarazaka. Takopi disguises himself as Shizuka to reconcile with Marina, only to face Marina's cruelty firsthand, leaving him frightened. Learning the full extent of the girls' relationship, Takopi rewinds time again to stop a bullying incident between the two. This small intervention prompts Shizuka to thank Takopi, saying her life has slightly improved since his arrival, bringing Takopi some comfort. Marina grows angered at Shizuka's change in behavior and returns home, where she is forced to endure her mother's abuse due to her father's affair with Shizuka's mother. | ||||||
| 2 | "Takopi's Salvation" Transliteration: "Takopī no Kyūsai" (Japanese: タコピーの救済) | Moaang | Ko Nekota | Moaang | July 5, 2025 | |
|
Shizuka takes her pet dog Chappy out on a walk with Takopi. Marina suddenly confronts them and attacks Shizuka, causing Chappy to bite Marina back and be taken in by animal control. Realizing the altercation leads to Shizuka's suicide and is unavoidable despite numerous time loops, Takopi alters the outcome to inform a despondent Shizuka that Chappy will be in the care of her divorced father. Takopi urges her to attend school the next day, where she is still bullied by Marina, though Naoki Azuma intervenes on Shizuka's behalf. After school, Marina decides to meet with Shizuka at a forest, causing Takopi to believe they will now reconcile. However, Takopi finds Marina ruthlessly beating up Shizuka, blaming her for her family's problems and insisting that Chappy is dead. Unable to handle Shizuka's abuse anymore, Takopi accidentally murders Marina with the Happy Camera. Takopi attempts to turn back time to rectify the mistake, only to discover that the camera no longer works. Shizuka reacts with joy and thanks an unnerved Takopi for killing Marina, calming him. She and Takopi leave Marina's body behind, as Takopi remarks there is no going back. | ||||||
| 3 | "Takopi's Confession" Transliteration: "Takopī no Kokkai" (Japanese: タコピーの告解) | Rikka | Shinya Iino | Rikka, Hirotoshi Arai & Tsuyoshi Iida | July 12, 2025 | |
|
Naoki, worried for Shizuka's wellbeing, encounters her and Takopi before discovering Marina's corpse. Naoki demands that Shizuka turn herself in, but after she guilt trips him and he craves her affection, Naoki helps cover up Marina's murder using one of Takopi's gadgets. The trio bonds over time, with Naoki planning out their trip to Tokyo to visit Chappy. Takopi assists Naoki in stealing the ring of his older brother Junya when Shizuka encourages them, but they fail. Naoki is tearfully reminded of being deprived of affection by his mother, who constantly compares him to the more successful Junya. Meanwhile, Takopi is also tasked to mimic Marina at school and at home, allowing him to witness her parents arguing. As Takopi wonders about his inability to return to the Happy Planet, he agrees to join Marina's father to get closer to Shizuka and Naoki's objective. Marina's mother later lashes out and abuses the disguised Takopi for failing to take her side, demanding that the real Marina return. Takopi privately breaks down in tears and voices regret for killing Marina upon reflecting on his actions and experiencing Marina's life, as a group of workers uncover Marina's corpse the next day. | ||||||
| 4 | "Azuma-kun's Salvation" Transliteration: "Azuma-kun no Kyūsai" (Japanese: 東くんの救済) | Toya Ooshima | Ko Nekota | Hayate Nakamura | July 19, 2025 | |
|
With Marina's murder being made public, Naoki panics that he, Takopi, and Shizuka will be discovered by the police. He fast-tracks their trip to Tokyo and gradually breaks down from the stress, while also hiding it from Junya and their mother. Naoki recounts how he felt unloved by his family growing up, which is exacerbated by his failed attempts to protect Shizuka from Marina's bullying. After Shizuka starts giving him attention following their cover-up of Marina's murder, Naoki does everything he can to sustain this remaining affection. Shizuka later tells him to turn himself in to the police, absolving herself from blame while promising she will wait for him. Junya notices Naoki's stress and assures him he will listen to his concerns; Naoki, feeling affection from his family for the first time, cries and confesses his involvement in Marina's murder. The police believe Naoki was coerced, and they connect his involvement with testimonies of Marina's odd behavior in school courtesy of Takopi mimicking her from their classmates, which implicates Shizuka as the culprit. As Takopi suggests they also come clean, Shizuka instead tells Takopi they will be traveling to Tokyo without Naoki. | ||||||
| 5 | "To You in 2022" Transliteration: "Nisennijūni-nen no Kimi e" (Japanese: 2022年のきみへ) | Hirotaka Mori | Ko Nekota | Zi Yi Zhuo | July 26, 2025 | |
|
Takopi and Shizuka arrive in Tokyo, only to discover her father started a new family and Chappy was never there. Believing the family ate Chappy, Shizuka resolves to murder them to retrieve his remains. Takopi begs her to stop, but she sees this as betrayal and knocks Takopi unconscious. While unconscious, Takopi recalls his forgotten past: in 2022, he befriended a teenage Marina, who suffered severe abuse from her mother. Marina dated Naoki, but his attention shifted towards Shizuka after she reappeared, leaving Marina emotionally isolated. When Naoki did not show up one day, Marina's mother, suspecting their relationship, abused Marina again which prompts her to kill her mother in self-defense. Blaming Shizuka for everything, Takopi decided to kill her, while Marina committed suicide. To fix things, Takopi used the Big Happy Clock of the Happy Planet to travel back in time, while the planet's matriarch erased his memories of Marina. Regaining consciousness, Takopi is overwhelmed by confusion after remembering Marina's suffering and his past choices. Takopi returns to the spot where he first met Shizuka and Marina, reflecting on morality and the pain they all endured as Naoki stumbles upon him. | ||||||
| 6 | "To All of You in 2016" Transliteration: "Nisenjūroku-nen no Kimi-tachi e" (Japanese: 2016年のきみたちへ) | Directed by : Shinya Iino & Masayuki Sakoi Storyboarded by : Shinya Iino | Shinya Iino | Keita Nagahara, Hirotoshi Arai, Toya Ooshima & Moaang | August 2, 2025 | |
|
Takopi tells Naoki about Shizuka's suffering, but Naoki cannot help as his family is struggling after his confession. He nevertheless thanks Takopi for giving him and Shizuka moments of happiness and returns the Happy Camera. Several months later, Takopi finds Shizuka still searching for Chappy. Takopi pleads with her to stop and apologizes for not understanding her pain. Shizuka finally breaks down and cries. Comforting her, Takopi decides to use his lifeforce to power the Happy Camera and reset time, granting the children a second chance. Takopi thanks her before sacrificing himself. The timeline rewinds to Shizuka's first meeting with Takopi, though Takopi is no longer physically present. Still, faint memories linger as Shizuka and Marina are able to face their trauma and reconcile tearfully after finding a sketch of Takopi. Naoki also feels drawn towards Junya and joins his friends to play games with them. As he fades away, Takopi hopes the trio will grow up to be happy adults despite their difficult childhoods. Six years later, in 2022, Shizuka and Marina are best friends, teasing each other about their dysfunctional families while shopping for stationery. There, they notice a pen set resembling one of Takopi's gadgets. | ||||||
Reception
Takopi's Original Sin won the Excellence Prize at the 51st Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2022.[23] The series ranked third in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers.[24] The series ranked ninth on "The Best Manga 2023 Kono Manga wo Yome!" ranking by Freestyle magazine.[25] It was nominated for the 16th Manga Taishō in 2023, and ranked 10th out of 11 nominees;[26] it has been nominated for the 27th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in the same year.[27] The manga was nominated for the 54th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2023.[28]
In February 2022, it was reported that the series surpassed the 2 million views per day on the Shōnen Jump+ platform.[29] The first volume sold 41,277 copies in its first week,[30] and the second volume sold 198,505 copies in its first week.[31] By May 2022, the manga had over 1.2 million copies in circulation, including digital versions.[32]
See also
- The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins, another manga series by the same author
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "The Official Website for Takopi's Original Sin". Viz Media. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c 「タコピーの原罪」上巻発売で間宮くるみ、上田麗奈出演のPVを公開. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 4, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c Shōnen Jump Channel [@jumpch_youtube] (April 4, 2022). ✨『#タコピーの原罪』ボイコミちら見せ…✨ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 22, 2024). "Takopi's Original Sin Anime Reveals Main Cast, Staff in Promo Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Cayanan, Joanna (March 9, 2025). "Takopi's Original Sin Anime Casts Konomi Kohara, Anna Nagase". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ 「タコピーの原罪」ジャンプ+で話題沸騰!いじめ、毒親…小学生の“闇深”ドラマから目が離せない. AnimeAnime.jp (in Japanese). February 4, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ 『タコピーの原罪』最終回が25日0時より“ジャンプ+”にて公開。重い鬱展開で心えぐられる怪作の結末に注目. Famitsu (in Japanese). March 24, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ 「タコピーの原罪」下巻発売で手乗りタコピー当たる、LINEスタンプも登場. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 4, 2022. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ "Takopi's Original Sin". Manga Plus. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ Saabedra, Humberto (February 3, 2023). "More JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, SPY x FAMILY Guidebook Lead VIZ Media's Fall 2023 Slate". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Takopi's Original Sin". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ タコピーの原罪 上 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ タコピーの原罪 下 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ タイザン5「タコピーの原罪」アニメ化!ティザービジュアル&PV公開. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 10, 2024. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (December 9, 2024). "Takopi's Original Sin Manga Gets Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ 『タコピーの原罪』アニメ化決定でPV公開 人間社会の問題描いたジャンプ+衝撃作. Oricon News (in Japanese). December 10, 2024. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Mateo, Alex (May 20, 2025). "Takopi's Original Sin Anime's Promo Video Reveals Theme Songs, June 28 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ "Haishin Jōhō | Anime "Takopī no Genzai" Kōshiki Saito" 配信情報 | アニメ「タコピーの原罪」公式サイト [Streaming | Anime "Takopi's Original Sin" Official Site]. tbs.co.jp/anime/takopi_project (in Japanese). Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (June 18, 2025). "Crunchyroll Announces Release Schedule for Summer 2025 Season". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 1, 2025). "Ani-One Asia Licenses Takopi's Original Sin, Kowloon Generic Romance, Rock is a Lady's Modesty". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ "Arasuji | Anime "Takopī no Genzai" Kōshiki Saito" あらすじ | アニメ「タコピーの原罪」公式サイト [Synopsis | Anime "Takopi's Original Sin" Official Site]. tbs.co.jp/anime/takopi_project (in Japanese). Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ "Watch Takopi's Original Sin". Crunchyroll. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 20, 2022). "Golden Kamuy Manga Wins Japan Cartoonists Association Award". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 12, 2022). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil 2023 Rankings". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ 「このマンガを読め!」今年の1位はいしいひさいちのストーリーマンガ「ROCA」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Cayanan, Joanna (March 27, 2023). "Minoru Toyoda's Kore Kaite Shine Manga Wins 16th Manga Taisho Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 19, 2023). "SPY×FAMILY, Takopi's Original Sin Nominated for Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ 2023年第54回星雲賞参考候補作一覧. www.sf-fan.gr.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ 「タコピーの原罪」上巻、3月4日発売!ジャンプ+連載作で初の1日あたり200万閲覧突破. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 28, 2022. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ 週間 コミックランキング 2022年03月14日付. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ 週間 コミックランキング 2022年04月18日付. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ いじめや家庭崩壊描いた漫画『タコピーの原罪』大ヒットの理由. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
External links
- Official manga website at Shōnen Jump+ (in Japanese)
- Official anime website at TBS (in Japanese)
- Takopi's Original Sin (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Takopi's Original Sin at IMDb