Time loop stories seem to be more in vogue lately, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They can be fun in the right hands and this one makes for a prTime loop stories seem to be more in vogue lately, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They can be fun in the right hands and this one makes for a pretty good time as Suzuki and Takagi try to escape an endless August day.
Starting this after a month of the loop has already passed by is smart because it lets the story jam in a few rules and just get on with it, rather than going through the laborious process of discovery.
Without knowing why this is happening, Suzuki makes the assumption that, like most stories of this nature, they have lingering regrets that have yet to be fulfilled. Except Takagi says she doesn’t and Suzuki only wants to get a girlfriend and get laid.
This doesn’t always nail awkward just right, Suzuki can be a little creepy with his cringe, but he’s also well aware of it and that does mean he’s trying his hardest to not seem like he comes from an all-guys school. Which he does. But, acknowledging you’re a problem and trying to be less of one is good character growth!
The mating dance between them is fun because there’s a clear attraction, yet they can’t quite make it work. Suzuki can be off-putting and is a little impulsive. Takagi, to use a term I’m not especially fond of, but is appropriate in this situation, gives off incredibly mixed signals at times.
But they just keep on going, drawn back to one another and, for all she’s shooting down the idea of sex, Takagi and Suzuki get pretty chummy over this volume. They move forward in fits and starts.
Like teenagers, basically. Suzuki is at least decent underneath it all, he’s just really damn awkward. When he manages to turn on the charm, however, he is clearly leaving an impression. Takagi shows more and more frequently in little ways that she’s trying to be a bit more than friends with him.
It’s a very cute story and by keeping that focus on the leads it manages to develop them fast enough to get past the rougher parts. They’re an attractive pair and watching them come together is breezy fun.
The art is really nice, again, attractive leads, and the dialogue is a cut above the usual. There are some good moments of banter and decent laughs. Plus, it’s clever in general. Suzuki’s way of broadcasting that he’s in a time loop to anybody else is super smart and pays off later on.
There’s a diner scene which basically encapsulates everything this story does well in a microcosm. Suzuki does something dumb, Tamaki is clearly trying to impress him yet not admitting it, they learn a funny lesson about cause and effect, and Suzuki also manages to be a decent guy who’s surprisingly thoughtful.
If you like rom-coms, this is a fun example that takes its premise and, if/once you adjust to Suzuki, turns out to be a surprisingly pleasant time. It would be one thing if Suzuki was just being awkward for laughs over and over, but with a partner willing to help him be the best version of himself it works much better about having a point.
4 stars - definite recommend. It might be as light as its setting, and you may have to take Suzuki with some salt, but when it works it works well. And it does so impressively often....more
Hey, credit where it’s due. This is unequivocally the best volume of Rainbow Days that has ever been/probably ever will be and it’s way stronger than Hey, credit where it’s due. This is unequivocally the best volume of Rainbow Days that has ever been/probably ever will be and it’s way stronger than its preceeding volumes by a wide, wide margin.
And it achieves its goals by not really trying to be all that funny. Instead, the focus is on Keiichi and his refusal to grow up. Which turns out to be a really good dilemma to centre the penultimate volume on.
Keiichi has had such a good time in high school that he’s reluctant to leave it. So reluctant, in fact, that he engages in massive acts of self-sabotage by lashing out and everybody trying to help him. It’s all a pointless attempt to make the passage of time inert as he rejects anything that feels like moving forward, including the very sweet Nozomi, who tries so hard to get through to him.
True friendship, as Mark Twain once said, is to stick with somebody when they’re being an utter dumbass (maybe paraphrased). And so, the guys work hard to get through to Keiichi that life has more to offer than just high school.
Even as someone who tore out of high school like their butt was on fire, I recognize the type of person who either peaked there or believed that it was the be all and end all of their life. Heck, look at how much manga we read that’s set there. That’s Keiichi’s current mindset and we see he was like this in junior high as well, but even moreso now.
It straight up dispenses with the lame S&M jokes and, well, all the other lame jokes. Instead the story zeroes in on the bonds of friendship and the sadness in saying goodbye mixed with hope for the future. It’s genuinely good. Keiichi has been one of my least favourite characters but he comes through in this one really well.
The graduation is quietly understated. There’s so little romance in this finale that it feels like it’s breaking some sort of Shojo Beat guideline. There’s a little, all our main couples get some moments, although this still doesn’t sell Mari and Tomoya really well as a couple.
We apparently have another volume of shorts, but this wraps the main storyline up and does it well by actually being about something. For all its faults, this leveraged its story very smartly at the end and I found this really engaging.
4 stars - hey, good job. No chance the last volume coming beats this, frankly, and I don’t know that I went through 15 volumes here and felt this last one was worth it, but it definitely justified my choice a little and for people who already liked this it’ll go down even better....more
Even subpar Julietta Suzuki is pretty good, but this is not a patch on Kamisama Kiss. Oh, did I mention that last volume and the one before that? Bet Even subpar Julietta Suzuki is pretty good, but this is not a patch on Kamisama Kiss. Oh, did I mention that last volume and the one before that? Bet I mention it next time too!
One thing I think the structure of the latter series gave to the manga was, well, structure. This is more of a series of misadventures and ones that are not, honestly, terribly exciting.
It does have whip smart comedic moments and some big laughs, Suzuki is gifted at pulling some fantastic gags out of this premise, but looking past them you find something woefully threadbare.
But the jokes are really good. The first story features Hoshino and Kyuta heading for a hot springs together, which Hoshino feels is the perfect time to come out as a vampire.
This quickly turns into some hysterical gay panic, mainly because the whole thing is the gay guy panicking. Hoshino’s imaginings of Kyuta being charming as hell are funny enough, but combined with Kyuta actually being pretty charming makes for an even better joke.
The other very gay joke comes when Kyuta is forced to meet up with annoying stalker Fujimiya. They wind up in a maid cafe and their misinterpreted conversation winds up driving the staff into a frenzy at the thought of boys love erupting nearby. It’s executed admirably.
That’s the only time I’ll say anything nice about Fujimiya, who shows up way too much and is obnoxiously creepy. It’s played broad, but I do not care for him at all. I will say that it allows for Kyuta to deliver a literal ass kicking that I felt was well earned.
Part of the problem here is that I think Suzuki is actually smarter than her own material. When Fujimiya threatens everybody to get Hina to obey him (have I mentioned I hate him yet?), the solution to his threat is kind of brilliant.
The slow simmering romance between Hina and Kyuta is terribly sweet, if understated. He kind of acts like a dick during the cosplay section and his motivation for his actions remains woefully opaque. The whole truck escapade is a dud of a thing. Yet they still make for an appealing couple, despite it all.
This doesn’t appear to have any big ideas or goal propelling it, minus a romance that is cute but not the focus. It just clunks along, occasionally having a great moment that reminds you why you bothered. Those moments really do make it worthwhile though; they’re really that good.
3 stars - I’m not expecting anything more out of this series at this stage than the couple gag moments that make me laugh, props to those, and some romance that may or may not make sense. Not the worst, but not the best either....more
I think my taste for this story withered a lot after last volume. It’s hard for me to see Oscar pushing himself towards Tinasha and not recall his stuI think my taste for this story withered a lot after last volume. It’s hard for me to see Oscar pushing himself towards Tinasha and not recall his stupid plan last time that couldn’t have gone any worse.
If you’re less affected by that, this is okay. Politics are at the fore along with the romance, tilting towards big story stuff instead of the fluffy bits. Some of it works, some of it not so much.
The unfortunate pacing of the adaptation also works against it, by which I mean it picks up right where we left off, which wasn’t especially a cliffhanger. It stopped at the end of the book, mid-story, now it continues. Fine for serialized, less so for collected.
Ergo, I couldn’t remember who the person Tinasha faced off with was before they were pretty much dead. It’s a bad showing for female characters when combined with another one who shows up for enough pages to be yelled at and then exit, presumably to never be seen again.
The big reveal of Tinasha’s backstory is okay, in the sense that it makes her actions at the end much clearer and I’m glad we got the context. But we’re quickly changing this up to be less about love and curses and more the big politics and magic action, which is a bummer.
Looking beyond my dislike of Oscar, they do still make a good pair when he’s not being a dink. Tinasha is consistently great and the art knows how to show her off without objectifying her. Nicely done.
There might be a little too much protesting from Tinasha, since she shows her feelings rather than speaks them, but that also means that Oscar is so up in her grill that it’s hard not to think his love language is persistence with a side of boundary violation.
The whole magic binding last time was a bad idea. I get why it happened with this volume; it was a narrative conceit to tie it into a previous trauma. But in so doing it really kneecapped the appeal of half the leads for me. Worth it? Eh, I say no.
So it goes. Part of me really liked this, but part of me also couldn’t see beyond the icky film the previous volume put on this for me. I’m not saying you should never imperil anybody ever, but what was being done required a little more elegance to do correctly.
3 stars - if you’re not bugged by these things like myself, easy 4 stars. I’m at the point where the caveats are something I’m not quite over and may not be before the series ends....more
Hey, I was kind of mean to this last volume, but I liked this one much more. It’s still entirely too whatever it is, and Ishihara is one of the lamestHey, I was kind of mean to this last volume, but I liked this one much more. It’s still entirely too whatever it is, and Ishihara is one of the lamest male leads I’ve read in a while, but it remains eminently readable.
The soft art style really makes this go down incredibly smooth. I may not think any of the romantic options for Tamaki are really good, Ishihara’s probably the best of a bad bunch, but it’s not hard to tell why they’d be interested. The art absolutely loves her.
This is adjacent to the fact that her true calling in life is as a food vacuum, which neatly comes to the fore as she gets the chance to do what she truly loves in life a bit more and share that joy with others.
One thing this story does right at times is land something rather brilliant. Would that it were consistently so, but even these brief moments of stirring excellence make it feel less of an obligatory read.
The whole thing about the bottle of sake starts off as a simple conversation with our leads and the chef at the restaurant who Ishihara is friends with. When it’s revealed that the label that Tamaki finds so appealing is not only done by Ishihara, but based on her looks? Her reaction is really sweet.
It’s nice to have reminders that overall this arrangement has been a positive one, because it does drop that ball at times. Ishihara is entirely too jealous when they’re not even dating and he’s clearly trying, but he’s also clearly trying, if you get my drift.
Sometimes the story does acknowledge that he’s really annoying - he mouths off to Tamaki’s concern at one point and rightfully has to work himself back to her good graces.
That brings Tamaki’s friend into the story, who has the good sense to blow her stack when she learns about the nature of her friend’s side hustle, but who also learns that Ishihara is bringing something into Tamaki’s life that wasn’t there before. Especially if she’s bothering to get mad at him.
The rival guy is a bit of a jerk and I actively dislike his meddling. That whole thing with the sneakers is nice because Tamaki’s so cool, but he just doesn’t do much as far as rivals go.
Really, this story works when it is focused on Tamaki and her growth. It occasionally works with Ishihara, who has his moments and also does not have his moments, and then the rest are okay to useless. It’s getting better as it goes, but it’s sure not perfect. Still, this volume has a slew of worthy moments and the art really grows on you.
3.5 stars - round up if you are fine with the guys and are a huge booster of Tamaki; it’s real close for me but not quite there. Still the top of its class in the genre of women who pose nude for an artist while draped in fish that they eat later on. Take that for everything it’s worth....more
Uh huh. Yep. Hmm. Okay. This is definitely yuri. And it’s good enough, but keep in mind that my threshold for good yuri is pretty low, provided you’reUh huh. Yep. Hmm. Okay. This is definitely yuri. And it’s good enough, but keep in mind that my threshold for good yuri is pretty low, provided you’re not on about twincest or chewing hair.
There are definitely things to like in this story. When the central romance between the rebellious (via her hair; she’s a model student otherwise) Nagisa and the frail Mashiro is developing, it’s got its moments.
Nagisa has a lot of jumbled thoughts about her feelings, since Mashiro was accidentally a source of major trauma for her. This goopy mess of feels bubbles up in some weird ways, but I don’t think they’re all intentional.
No, the storytelling here is a bit off and that’s partially down to Mashiro as a character and the general pacing, which feels fairly awkward. It gets the job done, but doesn’t necessarily get it done well.
I will say, I loved that digression by the mangaka about uniform design because it lets me get how passionate they are about this, which does make the rough spots easier to overlook, since they are trying hard. I did find it amusing that none of the characters we spend time with manages to wear their uniform in the exact same way, mind.
Okay, look, the problem here is freaking manga disease pathology. What does frail mean, precisely? Is Mashiro dying? Does she have anemia? Malaria? Is she prey to a psychic vampire on the regular? The vapours? Wealthy dowager syndrome?
It’s annoying. These sick girl stories (and this particular trope) are a genre unto themselves, but they tend to drive me bonkers. Especially when Nagisa’s solution to all this is an exercise regimen. Yeah, just jog off your low red blood cell count, that’s how it works.
Nagisa’s whole deal is strange beyond that. Sometimes I think this story is a bit of an excuse to just cram in everything the mangaka thought would be fun. Her trauma over her initial encounter with Mashiro is one thing, but why can’t she lock eyes precisely?
I mean, some of it is down to her confused feelings, but the whole eye mask thing and the sunglasses seem like big reaches. Her whole plan is either to like Mashiro or set her up with friends or something and, again, it doesn’t seem to make sense if you look at it on any level.
Which leaves the feelings thing and the power of hugs. And that part is pretty cute. As somebody whose marriage resulted from a hug that lasted longer than expected, I can buy the way this shakes out. Sometimes the good bits manage to break through.
Still, neither of our leads is especially interesting. Nagisa gets the win because she’s desperately trying to deal with the cards she’s been dealt in what she thinks is a pretty crappy hand. She’s changed herself in a minor bit of rebellion, but she has plans.
Mashiro just wants to be normal, which, again, would be more resonant if we had any idea what’s wrong with her. She’s an ‘I wish� song away from being an old school Disney heroine and roughly as interesting (sorry Cinderella).
This manga has the misfortune of going up against two other similar books that do this way better. The Summer You Were There played the sick card way harder and it went to some real dark places and pulled it off.
The Moon On A Rainy Night actually did some research and had a realistic deaf character who struggles for legitimate reasons. Mashiro is closer to being a Manga Pixie Dream Girl and less interesting as a result.
Still, it’s not so bad I won’t read more. It takes a lot for me and yuri though, so be aware if you’re considering it yourself. The other two aforementioned titles handle thus far more adroitly.
3 stars - a couple of times the art and the feels shine through and threaten to bump it up, but this has problems with its story that it can’t quite overcome. Maybe it should try some light jogging....more
In a modern world, albeit one where people are born with mystical powers, Nagi is not one of the special ones. That doesn’t stop her from ending up atIn a modern world, albeit one where people are born with mystical powers, Nagi is not one of the special ones. That doesn’t stop her from ending up at god school, mind you, and also from likely being the most special one of them all.
Even writing that last paragraph threatened to put my brain into a coma. Nothing especially new, is what I am trying to say with as little subtlety as I can courageously muster. Yet I clearly liked this, so why becomes the question.
And the first answer is its pedigree. I was absolutely not particularly interested in reading this until I saw ‘original story by Natsu Hyuuga�. They are the esteemed author of The Apothecary Diaries, which maintains a chokehold on second spot in my current ranking of favourite manga (behind Frieren, in case you wondered).
That was a good start and better than this story gets, honestly. Nagi is a kind character with inferiority issues, but we’re introduced to her along with her brother, who’s a shut-in with minor powers who communicates with Nagi via a doll. Unless something gets done with this character later, he apparently exists to justify a mascot character and little else.
Once Nagi gets to school, however, things really get jumping. A core group of friends (and less so) are introduced and they really work well bouncing off one another, minus that one guy who just sort of ends up tagging along.
It’s great the way it balances Nagi’s inferiority with her drive to push herself way too hard to compensate. That her nature is both a strength and a weakness is a clever idea. She’s really strong, but an unkind word can take her down pretty fast.
As far as the supporting cast goes, special mention must be made of the aloof Miruru, whose power of telepathy has made her an outcast because� she has the power of telepathy. She’s also suffering from her parents� beliefs that have kept her from learning about her true nature.
Nagi making friends with her and Miruru’s sudden transformation into an incredibly huggable smol floof that basically acts as Nagi’s pet is adorable. There are lots of ways to handle shy and distant characters, but this is one of the best.
There are a lot of Iruma-kun vibes to this story - fish out of water at a school discovers friends along the way and her own brand of special. Like that one, the aforementioned core group is strong and a lot of fun.
Even the big class trip arc we close with is very clever, with some fun use of powers. It is basically a shonen style story, but having a female lead and some interesting characters makes it a lot more enjoyable so far. It’s got a balance that, annoying brothers aside, it strikes quite well.
4 stars - I definitely have room in my heart (and reading pile) for more series like this and was impressed by how good it got once it got to the real meat of the story. An uneven start that finds its footing impressively fast....more
The question of the moment is� will the series end once the characters graduate? It seems likely, but I think the Kouka Troupe could easily carry on wThe question of the moment is� will the series end once the characters graduate? It seems likely, but I think the Kouka Troupe could easily carry on with the same cast. A testament to its strengths.
There’s a lot of growing up in this volume, which sees our leads on the cusp of graduation and slowly morphing into responsible adults. Even Sarasa, which is saying something.
The change in them is subtle, but noticeable and the maturity is reflected both in the art and their actions. It’s really well done and it’s clear that they’ve actually been working hard in amidst all the drama.
That plays out with Ai and Sarasa’s juniors, who are having troubles very reminiscent of themselves when they were new. The circumstances are different enough that it feels better than a mere retread, which is a nice choice.
The big moment in this one is a very heartfelt history class about the school and troupe from a professor emeritus that starts off pretty much as you’d expect but then goes into some heart wrenching details. The message in this one about bringing together light to shine no matter how dark the world gets is well presented and timely as heck.
Much of the other plotting involves Sarasa and her upbringing, as Ai tries to figure out her deal while also being a good friend and what that all entails. Some of this has been very spelled out before, but it finally gets pulled into the light here.
And it’s good. The emotion is raw and real, but it doesn’t devolve into hysteria or shouting. Sometimes, the more quiet the words the more damning the effect anyway. Sarasa is brutally honest here.
There’s so much change in this volume, some more obvious than others, and you can see the ending of this story slowly coming together with an eye on the future. It’s going to be sad to see it go, but it remains a belter.
5 stars - moving, funny, just generally well-written, and a great look at this art form and the people who choose to pursue it....more
The rare three volume series that acquits itself relatively well; it got in, got its job done, then wrapped up. It’s definitely not perfect, but it doThe rare three volume series that acquits itself relatively well; it got in, got its job done, then wrapped up. It’s definitely not perfect, but it doesn’t leave me with any lingering regret.
The other review for this I read really nailed it - this is a satisfactorily unsatisfactory ending. I guarantee that almost everybody who comes into this looking for the resolution to that love triangle is going to be miffed, but it’s not a big old let-down.
This is especially true of the climax, which I have to say is a very solid piece of action. By the point where we’ve given way to unabashed moustache-twirling villainy you’re primed and ready for a classic throwndown and this one’s nice and dramatic even with the brevity.
This story never wavered from what was most important - Jo. She’s the beating heart of the narrative and a fantastic character; seeing her do the right thing by her friends while it’s killing her inside is really expressed well.
Jo’s desire to be there for the people she cares about and the importance of standing up against people who just want to get revenge under the guise of survival are front and centre throughout. Plus some general ecological handwringing, which is also an important topic.
I really liked that they kind of throw in some whatever powers here, but a lot of them are based on actual marine life and their traits. That might not help the grand scheme make a lot more sense, but it smooths it over just enough.
It does suffer a bit from the usual three volume structure - there’s so much going on in this volume that it’s overstuffed at times. Here come the elite guards and the high council and a whole other character who’s got to get a bunch of page time (although said character really works with the narrative and I liked their addition).
Things that would be stretched out, probably too much so, in a longer manga get dealt with lickety split. I think the one place this really lets the story down is with the character of Maya, whose detestable ass deserved a more satisfying comeuppance.
Still, the fact that I’m not yelling about what a waste of time it was is a big step forward for something like this. It’s a good little series that did a solid job with what it was trying to do.
4 stars - somewhere between that and 3.5, really, but I think this got the job done and with minimal flaws compared to the usual failings of this type of short series. That’s worth the full 4 on its own....more
Oh, this was good. It was so freaking good. This was one of the best pure shojo manga I’ve read in a while. If last volume really set the jump up, thiOh, this was good. It was so freaking good. This was one of the best pure shojo manga I’ve read in a while. If last volume really set the jump up, this one goes flying off it into horizon on its back.
The simple reason is this - they don’t wait. They do not prolong. They do not just brush it under the rug. Things happened last time. Important things.
Now? Even more important things happen. Chiaki has resolved to herself that being friends was more important than her love and made up with Subaru. It took effort, but the baseline has been restored. For about ten pages.
When she finds out that she was spotted with him by social media, courtesy of another appearance by Ha-chan, Chiaki decides that it’s time to cut back on her relationship even further and support Subaru as a fan and nothing more. For his own good, of course.
And if you read the last part of the last volume? You know how well that’s going to go over with our boy.
Look, spoilers, I guess, but there’s a confession in thirty pages (and it’s a really great scene, like so good) and they’re dating by the end of the book and it’s amazing. After realizing just how badly hurt everybody was by everything last time, it’s cathartic to see these two get together.
Oh, the road ahead is not going to be easy. That dang rival who wasn’t is clearly about to go for it anyway, curse you, trope that the story already called out! Not to mention the hardships of Subaru’s job, plus how ridiculously hard on herself Chiaki is, are also going to be a hurdle.
But that’s a problem for another tankobon, frankly. This one is too busy being so flipping romantic and warmhearted; enough to let those concerns simmer until they crop up. They even deal with his being an idol and how that might be a problem with his agency. It deftly skips through all the things you’re thinking will crop up with laser focus.
In their place we have lots of good stuff to enjoy. That stupid shampoo ad that pays off in the most delicious fashion. Subaru’s very cute date idea, plus all the things that involves. Especially Chiaki’s demand for him to get things right.
I also enjoyed pretty much every second Ha-chan is anywhere to be seen. She steals every scene she shows up in and is the perfect type of best friend. She could not hold down a series as a lead, but she is perfect at her role.
Or maybe I just wanted somebody to call Subaru out for being a moron last time. Maybe both.
This is the sort of volume that adheres to the basic rules of shojo while being so wildly enjoyable that it reminds you of why those rules exist in the first place. It executes every single thing it’s trying to do this volume and it does it without a single misstep. Not one.
5 stars - perfect shojo mush in a single volume. It is a shockingly good payoff for everything in the series so far and it could have ended this volume and it would have felt entirely worthwhile....more
A good volume. Not flashy, but filled with solid human drama and a reasonably portioned amount of heart.
Asako and Miyako are in the fluffiest phase ofA good volume. Not flashy, but filled with solid human drama and a reasonably portioned amount of heart.
Asako and Miyako are in the fluffiest phase of their relationship, which is driving Miyako nuts because while Asako can be a bit of a scold she never gets really mad. This is a cute little moment that shows their differences and introduces Chekhov’s socks into the equation.
The other notable arc with them comes in at the end, when they go home to meet Asako’s parents. This isn’t astonishing - Asako’s mom and dad are so incredibly normal that it’s entirely believable - but it makes for a strong note to end the volume on.
All the drama is focused on Miyako’s old group, ELM, who have a new single coming. Ruri is working herself to the bone for this, not only for its success, but also to get out from under the rumours that she got rid of Miyako to get the leader role.
Ruri’s real role has actually been to fuel the potential second coupling in the manga, between herself and Hato, who is forced to get to know the real Ruri instead of her idol persona.
Ruri is always at Hato’s place, but their relationship is moving at a glacial pace, particularly with Hato having an idol fan’s mindset she’s not super good at shaking. She clearly cares for Ruri in her way, but figuring out that way is her issue.
When ELM’s meddlesome manager inserts herself into the midst of Ruri’s extracurriculars, it all spills over into their professional relationship and makes things awkward as all get out.
It might resolve a little quickly, I think this could have been mined for more dramatics, but it’s a good lesson on believing in people and supporting them. And more than one person learns that. I loved the way that it all closed out.
This isn’t a wow-factor story, but I do think it’s well-written with a good heart and some more tender moments than you’d expect given the subject matter. Nothing you’d immediately recommend, but wouldn’t regret reading.
4 stars - good, workmanlike, yuri that gets done what it wants and expresses what it’s trying to get across. A rarer beast than you’d think....more
Boy, this took a while to get through, which can sometimes mean that I’m not vibing with a story. But this horny mess has a vibe like nothing else I’vBoy, this took a while to get through, which can sometimes mean that I’m not vibing with a story. But this horny mess has a vibe like nothing else I’ve read in a while.
Take the cosplay affinity of My Dress-Up Darling and 2.5 Dimensional Seduction, mix in the general horniness of the two, especially the latter, now make it about two polar opposite college girls and turn it into a yuri. Now that’s a recipe for manga!
Stories like this where nothing should really work, yet somehow most things do, are pretty enjoyable. Shiho is our lead, whose prickly obsession with cosplaying hardcore has scared off her few friends. She’s unapologetically a lot to take and occasionally not the most enjoyable character to be around, but she is very honest about wanting to both make excellent cosplay and have friends who get her passion.
Yotogi, meanwhile, is less about character purity or any kind of purity, and is a much more softcore cosplayer. A chance encounter and some bunny costumes later and a couple of weirdos become fast frenemies who can’t stop hanging out together.
This builds on itself to get really good by the end. After Yotogi and Shiho start bouncing off one another, it becomes clear that the whole book is going to be about them finding a middle ground between their two extremes. And I do love a good story about finding your people.
Yotogi is unflappable and blasé about showing skin, while Shiho won’t unless it makes sense for her character. And the way Yotogi just throws staying in character out the window to accommodate her burgeoning social media account riles Shiho up something fierce.
Of course, they learn as they go that both their styles have merits. Shiho turns out to be easily addicted to fame and wants approval more than she lets on, while Yotogi learns to not just give herself up to anybody unless she really wants it. Role models they aren’t, but they do begin to work well together.
And the manga is having fun with itself anyway. When the second cosplay they do is based on a fictional adults-only yuri title about polar opposites who end up having hot and heavy encounters, you know the mangaka is just leaning way into it.
Oh, yes, and the president of the club they join looks way younger, yet just might be dating Shiho’s older sister (I actually loved this development, it was hilarious). There’s just a lot to this if you’re into these cosplay stories and like playful yuri. It probably dumps on Shiho a little too much at the start, but she does ride in on a pretty high horse.
For you smut aficionados, and I will first say it’s nice that they’re all in college, this is� okay. I think the other two cosplay series I mentioned do the sexy stuff better. This is not the book I’d go to for cosplay titillation, frankly, but I think it has merit beyond that.
Dubious merit, perhaps, but I have rarely read anything with such combative leads that I enjoyed this much. It’s worth wading through an alright start to reach the ending. Shiho might be a bit predictable being the hero, literally, but it suits her. And the last scene between her and Yotogi is very hot with just a word.
3.5 stars - 3 stars at the beginning, heading into 4 by the ending, and then rounded up for making something I wasn’t sure about into something I’m really looking forward to seeing more of....more
Mostly a silly volume of the usual caliber of giant cat styled antics, which continue to be of a higher quality than the premise might suggest.
Even unMostly a silly volume of the usual caliber of giant cat styled antics, which continue to be of a higher quality than the premise might suggest.
Even underneath somewhat mocking gags such as the revelation that Yukichi is incredibly prepared in the event that Saku should suddenly get fired from her job, there’s room for a very sweet declaration on Saku’s part about her love for her oversized pet.
That heart really makes for some super strong moments this volume. The cat cafe storyline is funny enough when Yukichi and Saku start acting like a couple where one spouse has been caught cheating, but it also serves as a love letter to the joy to be found in aging felines.
And the last one, involving the cranky landlord who taught Yukichi a lot of what he knows, is a sweet look at the sorts of people who have trouble expressing their emotions and also use constant bickering as their love language.
I mean, this is a short book, so that’s most of what you’re getting. Plus the usual cast and some check-ins and mentions of things already in the lore. It does a pretty great job at being the same thing, but without the ‘oh, this again?� feeling of repetition.
4 stars - short? Yes. Sweet? Also yes. Worthwhile for anybody who needs a warmhearted read....more
If you wanted to see Charlie Brown never manage to kick the football held by Lucy, but they started dating at some point, here is its manga equivalentIf you wanted to see Charlie Brown never manage to kick the football held by Lucy, but they started dating at some point, here is its manga equivalent.
It’s hard to believe they managed twenty volumes of this and the whole thing is� okay. Takagi and Nishikata are about to head to high school, but are still up to their usual bit.
What I do like is that, following on from last time, Nishikata is slowly realizing that he might be losing these challenges constantly, but he’s winning in the one place it counts. If he could decide to admit that to himself, of course.
I’d call his realization a little slow, but, again, twenty volumes of this have passed us by and, between this and When Will Ayumu Make His Move?, Soichiro Yamamoto has form by this point.
I will say that this one ends better than that series does, which was a bit of a whimper. Here, things do get forced to a conclusion a little awkwardly, but they make sense and you can see Nishikata realizing what he needs to do.
Their final moments and the epilogue are a good summation of things and their relationship happily ambles along as it was. They were practically dating this entire time, now they can hold hands too.
Some volumes were better than others, but overall this was a good series. It had enough creativity to make me not roll my eyes at every permutation it kept throwing out there, plus it was sweet when it needed to be. It didn’t evolve much, but it makes a pretty good argument that it didn’t need to.
3.5 stars - rounded up for a good wrap-up for these two, at least until we get the sequel series translated. Very cute and breezy....more
While a truly excellent volume of this series brings the house down, there’s a ton of merit to be found in quieter volumes like this one. There aren’tWhile a truly excellent volume of this series brings the house down, there’s a ton of merit to be found in quieter volumes like this one. There aren’t as many of the big moments this instalment, but I love the quiet in this story so very much.
The ending chapters in particular, when Magari has had another prolonged absence from school because of her heart, are incredibly well done. They manage to be fun and poignant and romantic in a single go.
I adored the storytelling in this section, which frames her long absence as a series of vignettes as Ganta comes to visit her every day. This is very similar to the vignettes I like so much in Frieren, although they talk more here.
They flirt, they goof off, they fight after Ganta says something especially thoughtless in a moment of teenage boy stupidity. It’s a fantastic segment, capped off by a birthday celebration that carries a hint of melancholy underneath it all.
Between the moment where they plan for an event 14 years from now and the latest bout of absenteeism, you can see the writing on the wall all over the place. Yet, like Ganta, there’s something that keeps me hopeful (or, possibly, in denial of reality).
That image of Magari sleeping with her head in his lap while he reads a book on cardiology won’t leave me any time soon.
This is such a lovingly visual story - it gets a lot of mileage from silence and some of the ways it frames Ganta’s photography or the adventures of our two leads are stunning. That train car just makes that one scene come to life.
The other storylines are also pretty good - somebody gets their heart trampled on in one and in another a boy is very stupid about being nice to a girl he likes. They’re fine; not why I am here, but they make a welcome break now and then.
4.5 stars - probably not a full five, but the endless creativity at play in that last part just won me over. Not that I needed it; I have such a soft spot for this series....more
An elf sets out on a quest to release spirits left over from an old war. Action ensues.
Eh, this is not for me. So, do keep that in mind, but it doesn�An elf sets out on a quest to release spirits left over from an old war. Action ensues.
Eh, this is not for me. So, do keep that in mind, but it doesn’t feel like much of a standout as far as action series or pensive studies of the ramifications of war either.
Humans used spirits to do their dirty work and then abandoned them as science took over. Those spirits still roam the land and Aharu, our titular elf, is on a solitary mission to seek out these spirits and release them to the spirit realm.
It’s the predictability that sinks this one. There’s a lot of time spent with this just waiting for what you know is going to happen to actually happen and Aharu is not compelling enough to make the story worth following otherwise.
I don’t think I could tell you a thing about her, minus the fact that this steampunk-era universe with magic had apparently also managed to perfect sports bra technology at the same time.
The story picks up a bit towards the end when it introduces a government agency out to hunt down spirits and who are peddling an alternate history of how the elves and spirits met their fate. Otherwise? It’s a blend of old ingredients with nothing by way of new spice.
It’s nothing that made me terribly excited to read more, which is where I’ll leave it off. The characters and world just don’t do it for me. The world feels a lot like something Fullmetal Alchemist adjacent, but not as good.
It doesn’t help that as soon as you mention an elf on a journey my immediate thought is Frieren and this sure isn’t that story by a mile. This is content to be fairly generic fantasy.
3 stars - I could see this having an audience for people who like elves and magic and are happy to pick up what it’s putting down. Just not to my own tastes....more
Ayaka hasn’t been saying no to Sora for ages now, but their relationship sure has changed as this volume closes out their adventures together.
It certaAyaka hasn’t been saying no to Sora for ages now, but their relationship sure has changed as this volume closes out their adventures together.
It certainly took some weird turns at the start, but this really mellowed out, perhaps a little too much so, as it went. I’ve been calling this froth for several volumes now and I won’t be changing that description here at the end.
Things might just be a little too straightforward. There’s no conflict here, honestly, or any amazing relationship on the page that makes you invested to read more. It’s just two girls dating. Which is fine, but a little banal.
If you just want cute moments, sure, it’s full of them. Sora baking cookies for Ayaka is terribly charming, they go on their school trip, they sneak little moments together, they plan their future.
It’s very frictionless entertainment. The writing is competent, the art is pretty okay, and it has a good ending that wraps everything up in a reasonably enjoyable package. Sora is now less lonely and Ayaka learns to pursue her own dreams for herself.
Even coming out to their friends is incredibly painless, although bonus points for not having every pairing of females hook up at the end. Our dear side couple steals a lot of their scenes, as they have a lot more passion than our leads.
It’s not a bad read and if you like Ayaka and Sora together you’ll really enjoy this as they progress their relationship. It’s just nothing special in terms of yuri or romance, for my money, and I don’t know that I’ll ever pull this off the shelf and re-read it.
3.5 stars - round up if you were really into these two, round down if you found it a bit wanting. A competent and decently done series that quickly filed off all its edges along the way....more
There’s no deeper meaning to this series, so any volume will live or die by how well it iterates on the same jokes it’s been doing since it started.
ThThere’s no deeper meaning to this series, so any volume will live or die by how well it iterates on the same jokes it’s been doing since it started.
This one? Shockingly good. Oh, it starts out pretty wobbly - the opening chapter features a boar and precious little else except the usual ‘read this dialogue as either innocent or very not innocent� gag that doesn’t work at all as a joke by this stage.
Thankfully, it decides to really push for the absurd as it motors along. The next story involves Miku grappling with her conscience and some special guest stars. It gets very silly, in a good way.
Subsequent chapters involve the most ridiculous police dog, ice skating follies, and a guy who is definitely, 100%, not a bear. The series has gotten far better at landing an ending too - the pollen chapter is a snoozer, but the ending makes it almost worthwhile.
I always like when Miku gets to be a bit more involved and she has some of the best chapters. The one where she decides to see what Tatsu likes to read is hilarious because it goes exactly where you know it will until it goes exactly where it normally would not. It is a hysterical flip of the premise.
And the good police magical girls of PoliCure manage to show up a couple of times. At least once in the presence of a guy who knows a little too much about everything (his introduction still leaves me wondering if he’s hero� or villain�).
So, strong volume. It gets way more right than it does wrong and has a lot of fun subverting its own tropes to excellent effect. The quality is uneven, but when it’s on, it is on.
4 stars - solid work, no notes. It was a really good volume and a fun read....more
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
Makoto likes to be his true self at school, which for h[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
Makoto likes to be his true self at school, which for him means cross-dressing. Despite the target this puts on him, he has a very good friend and a very insistent potential love interest who both want to be his friend (or more).
This is my third encounter with this series; I’ve read part of the webtoon, watched a chunk of the anime, now here we are with a collected manga format. I’m not sure that third time will be the charm, but it’s a good story no matter its format (I just gave the attention span of a goldfish).
The three leads interact in such a way that this feels more than the sum of its parts. Makoto has mostly hardened his skin against the jabs and teasing from his schoolmates, though that doesn’t stop him from realizing Aoi will be subject to the same if she dates him.
Aoi, meanwhile, is wonderfully over-enthusiastic and without guile. She just accepts Makoto so completely that when she finds out he’s actually a guy she considers it a bonus if they were to date. She’s completely unflappable and unphased.
And then there’s Ryuji, whose clear homophobia is getting in the way of his equally clear Makoto-philia. He’s clearly feeling a lot more for Makoto than he’s saying and most of the grief he gives Aoi over her crush feels a lot like projecting.
One thing this manga delivers on with aplomb is genuine moments that just kill. The scene where Makoto reveals himself to Aoi for the first time, Aoi jumping from the tree, and Makoto saying goodnight to himself as he changes before going home. They’re all so well done.
It’s a great take on this subject matter. Makoto is not left alone, certainly, but he’s not so explicitly bullied that it needs a warning on it either. You can see his coping mechanisms all over the place, both at school and at home.
Still, having a friend group of one is a bit of a small number and the way Aoi expands Makoto’s world as she quietly wins over Ryuji is really something special. There’s a quiet message about the power of friendship, love, and being a good ally amidst everything.
Oh, it still has its sad moments. Everything involving Makoto’s mother is just heartbreaking, as he desperately contorts himself to be the boy that she wants him to be while he secretly embraces his true self at school. It’s a forced duality that will almost certainly come into conflict eventually.
The art is mostly okay, tending to really go for it when it counts the most. It’s a smart way to emphasize the important things while also not breaking your artist. You’d never call this the most striking manga, but it has it where it counts.
Strong stories about gender identity and acceptance are always welcome and this one is really well done. It could stand to be a bit more well drawn in the overall, but the content and characters make up for it.
4 stars - a really strong start to a very good look at people trying to find both themselves and one another. Highly recommended....more
There is apparently a spate of books that I’m reading right now where they keep doing the same thing over and over. This time it’s Last Game, which� yThere is apparently a spate of books that I’m reading right now where they keep doing the same thing over and over. This time it’s Last Game, which� yep, does the same thing over and over.
Well, Kujou admits she has feelings for Yanagi, which would be amazing except she only admits it to herself and nobody else. Even then, this still somehow morphs into her having a date with Souma after the fact.
Look, the moment she realizes she’s in love with Yanagi is pretty sweet, actually. And their date-not-a-date is also fairly amusing, but only if you are thoroughly into this style of ‘you know, if we actually said anything to one another the series would end and we’d be happy� manga.
It is of a specific type, basically, and it’s one that I can take or leave. In this particular instance, it reads easy and requires little, but the reward is pretty commensurate with the work asked of the reader. I don’t mind this series (that first volume is a stone cold classic), but I don’t love it.
3 stars - it’s fine, occasionally worth a chuckle. I doubt I’d miss it if it was gone, but it’s pretty cheap and that combines with the occasional chuckles to keep it on my reading pile....more
![The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today Vol. 9 [Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu 9] (The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, #9)](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1740168968l/228248479._SX50_.jpg)
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