

Confident that she was the best in wrestling, young Hikari challenged Kei to a wrestling match only to be thoroughly defeated by him. When they were six years old, their pro-wrestling loving fathers introduced them to each other. Hikari Hanazono has always been second to Kei Takishima. The members of the SA have been close friends since elementary school. Their uniform is also different from the standard uniform. Class attendance is optional, but Hikari is the only one who chooses to attend classes. They also have a kitchen, where Akira makes her afternoon tea. The SA class has its own building, a 19th-century styled greenhouse dubbed "The School's Paradise".

The members of SA are highly respected and are often seen being elaborately greeted by other students with the exception of few that dislike the SA. The top seven within the A class, from first year to third year, are known as the Special A or SA class (hence the title). The A class is only open for the top students in each grade. The classes are separated into A–F based on grades. Hakusen Academy is the best school in the prefecture.

In 2013, Hana to Yume released a single volume sequel called Special A - Street Fight. It was animated by Gonzo and AIC and ran for 24 episodes, from Apto Septemin Japan. In 2007, Hana to Yume announced an anime adaptation of the manga. The series has also been licensed in Germany, Italy, Poland, France and Taiwan. Special A has been licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The series ended after 99 chapters on March 19, 2009. The series started serialization in the bimonthly magazine The Hana to Yume in 2003, and moved to the biweekly magazine Hana to Yume in 2004, after running for four chapters. S.A (stylized as S・A pronounced Special A) is a shōjo manga by Maki Minami.
