Tokidoki

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The only One-Shot that has made me cry...

No matter how many times I kept rereading it, I still cried every time.
From the man who created Nisekoi, brings us a heart-wrenching tragedy that will surely make you shed a tear once you have completed it

With only 52 pages Komi, Naoshi managed to come up with a story that makes you truly care about the two characters and what they are going through, and what happens to them in the end.

If you have 5 free minutes out of your day, then you should read Tokidoki. You won't regret it :)

One thing; This will hit you right in the feels.
I normally dont really get feels, and i am often seen as emotionless, but his one touched me.

Its a one-shot. Its not long, and because of that I did not expect much in the beginning, but oh boy i was wrong

But even though its not that long, you will get hit right in the feels in the end.
Its a small ride though a lot of emotions, Everything form Happiness, Sadness to fear and love.

I was left without words, when i finished it.

... The art was great, it somehow fit the story perfectly.
The story well, that was even greater.
The Characters, they fit the story perfectly, the main characters, we dont really got to know them, in a way concerning backstory, family and that stuff, but then in some way we really get to know them in a way that will hit you in the feels..

I some way i wish this would get a longer series, but in some way just that one chapter was satisfying enough.

Tokidoki is the latest One Shot by Naoshi Komi,despite the small length it has been better in many aspects than his previous work but this isn't the first time that someone came with a Melodramatic plot which portrays strong emotion and tragic in the expense of logic and character development, tbh, it relies heavily on getting the reader emotional to create a fake sense of attachment to the uninteresting and bland characters, the closest thing I can relate it with is Hollywood flick "The Fault in Our Stars"
In short,it follows a girl with fatal heart disease and got few countable years to live, until ... he meets a boy who changes her life over a short time but life isn't meant to be easy and the tragic plot twist happen.
It's just 49 pages with fine art,go check it out.

JUST READ THIS ONESHOT!!!!! ITS FRIGGIN BEAUTIFUL!!!!! (except if you plan to wait for more than a oneshot to enjoy this more, but this oneshot itself is magnificent)

Komi Naoshi is most famous for his work Nisekoi which I enjoyed myself since it was very light and just sparked the young romantic-comedy side in me, but Nisekoi was lacking deep emotions and the capacity to make the reader see relationships in a more sophisticated way since it is a harem which mostly focused on making the reader giggle and the characters funny. This work of his on the other hand still is very enjoyable though ... not a harem but its plot just hits deeper in the feels.

THE ONLY THING LACKING IS LENGTH TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE CHARACTERS AND TO LET THE READER BE ABLE TO ABSORB MORE EMOTIONS.
Im really hoping for more!!!

As I noted in a past review, author Naoshi Komi wrote my single favorite one-shot, "Island", when he was just 20 years old in 2006. However, his one-shot "E no Genten", written in 2018 when he was 31, was largely bland and uninspired. While Tokidoki is better than the latter, it's very far from the quality of his early work.

Tokidoki has a simple premise. High schooler Iijima discovers that his new classmate Takagi has only a few years to live and seeks to make her remaining time as joyous and exciting as possible. They go to the beach, attend a carnival together, eat ... ice crime, go on bike rides, and ultimately, practice music in a school band.

Here, we already run into a big problem. Takagi is able to determine how many beats her heart has left before she dies. Essentially, a death clock. However, such a device doesn't exist in the real world, even for the terminally ill. Not that the latter would even apply to Takagi, as she has at least 6 years of life left when the story begins.

Thus, the manga invents a magical MacGuffin that doesn't exist, but is a necessary plot device, central to the big twist at the end of the work.

This is painfully lazy, particularly in a one-shot. Sure, it makes the reality of a character's impending death more stark and emotional, but at the price of drawing many readers out of the work, as they realize how manipulative and artificial it is.

The rest of the plot is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the interactions between Takagi and Iijima are cute and innocent. Thus, they are realistic and relatable as one's first high school love. However, they're so generic that they don't distinguish either one as a unique character. At the end of the story, I still didn't know who Takagai and Iijima truly were. They could have been any high school boy and girl. That gives the story a universality, sure, but also weakens one's interest in their eventual fates. Takagi and Iijima are no one.

The twist at the end is also a mixed bag. It's mostly surprising, having been lightly telegraphed by the facial expressions of one member of the school band, and does present the story in a new light. Furthermore, it grants the one-shot a meaning, even if it's a simplistic, mundane one, namely to live and enjoy life to the fullest. However, the downside is that it's almost as contrived as the death clock earlier. Not only is it exceptionally unlikely, but it makes certain earlier scenes borderline impossible, or at least implausible.

Overall, this is a frustrating one-shot. It has competent and even good elements, but is dragged down by an awful MacGuffin and a number of decisions that had downsides as much as their benefit to the story.

As a manga artist, Naoshi Komi is best known for Nisekoi, a light harem with a plethora of humor and reaction images. Given the shift in premise from a comedy to a more dramatic work, my initial thoughts were whether or not Komi could really pull off the poignancy necessary for this type of one-shot to work. With the quality of the Nisekoi one-shot, I went in with relatively high expectations (even though I wasn't expecting the story to wow me given how Nisekoi ended).

Tokidoki is the story of young love covered by the shadow of health problems. Komi is clearly aware of the ... inherent cliches present in the genre, starting the story off as generically as possible. The characters are introduced very quickly (Tokidoki is 49 pages, and there are only two named characters), and the plot dives in immediately.

STORY:
The length does the story no justice here, but you get a good sense of the wonderment felt by Takagi as she discovers new things. Unfortunately, the whole basis of the disease is a little contrived, and again, although it was basically designed to fit the basis of the one-shot format, the true sadness in falling in love with someone that is ill comes from dealing not with the immediacy of the death, but the fact that illness is often protracted and drawn out. Dealing with the illness shouldn't be an afterthought to the fun, it should be a larger focus of the work, or it loses its impact. Thus, the actual plot points feel tacked on more than anything else. I would have loved the story even without the disease backbone just as a story of young love. Framed differently, Tokidoki could have easily lost the melodrama while retaining what makes it feel nice, the mutual development of feelings, discovery, and even something as trite as being in the light music club. The ending is the weakest part, with the melodrama played up to 11. I enjoyed Takagi's conclusion to an extent, although her meteoric rise seems like it was there just to throw the readers a bone. How Komi ends things with Iijima really didn't play off of the my emotions well and accomplishes about the same thing as him just getting hit by a bus.

4/10, easily the weakest part overall, and although constrained by the length, I point to one-shots by artists like Inio Asano to show that finality that feels out of the blue isn't really necessary to make the reader feel a connection to the characters.

ART:
Komi has always had a very clean, crisp art style that accentuates the characters while being simultaneously very cute. Tokidoki doesn't push any boundaries here, but retains his distinctive style of emotive faces and depicting the beauty of the characters well. Definitely some good reaction faces to be found. The art style fits the middle sections - which are far more Nisekoi like - perfectly, and even as the story gets sadder, has a way of showing emotion very well. Backgrounds and the like are also very high quality, no complaints whatsoever.

8/10, again, nothing out of the ordinary for Komi, but he sets a very high bar as far as character design and general art style goes.

CHARACTERS:
There are only two real characters to focus on, and without getting into spoilers for the (albeit) short story there is only so much to say. Iijima Hato is your generic anime protagonist (lampshaded slightly by his introduction as a normal teenage guy), that works hard to make a girl happy. This is really all there is to his character even with an "unexpected" plot twist attempting to add depth. Takagi Hatsu, the female protagonist is slightly more interesting, mostly because Komi is able to avoid some of quiet school girl tropes. Her character goes a little too far in the other direction, but it's mostly an attempt to add cuteness, so it's relatively acceptable. Both characters show their personalities mostly when interacting with each other, without the many of the constraints of the dramatic cloud that floats over them towards the conclusion

6/10, while not bad, the characters in the middle section are really what bring this one-shot together. Their personalities there shine through best when enjoying life as teenagers should, and not during what should be the dramatic climax of the story.

OVERALL:
Komi has a way of making characters that are fun to read, and Tokidoki presents no exception. It was a blast to read, and even with my complaints about the story, given its length, I have no real complaints about putting up 25 minutes of my time to read it. If nothing else, it brings up good points about the pros and cons of the "illness ridden" character that seems to be very popular in many more melodramatic works in a simple package. The light art and legitimately fun to read interactions was enough to carry the bad taste of the melodrama, and I recommend anyone that has even remotely enjoyed his previous works to read it.

6/10: FAIR

Story: Was interesting enough and touching enough to keep me reading but the plot twist at the end was so melodramatic and put such a bad taste in my mouth that I almost stopped reading. It was passable but would not reread. It brought back the bad memories I had from his previous many, Nisekoi, which I ended up hated for it’s extreme padding and reliance on harem tropes which I do not find appealing especially in a story that was supposed to be a Romcom.

Art: Pretty good, a little to glossy though. The same art style from his previous manga Nisekoi.

Characters: were okay until ... the end when the boy’s motivation seemed so unrealistic.

Since it’s only one chapter I’d recommend you read it any way but my enjoyment disappeared by the end.

I came to give this review because as a grown-up person, I cried reading this one-shot for the second time again.

Just as "Watashitachi no shiawase na jikan" is the perfect epitome of 'Forgiveness' theme.
Tokidoki is the perfect display of what "Charity" is. One can debate what he did was for his own sake. However, he did really mentioned to her he wanted to cheer her on with all his heart.
I can't find another best anime rivaling to this: a person who knows so little about the other (a stranger) to be able to give this much.
Tokidoki is again the best portrayal of ... charity, it is above kindness. I believe this manga will turnout to be at least be a surprise to you, the kindness is out of pure intent, not asking anything in return. 10/10

If you enjoy slice of life mangas, i would recommend:
Watashitachi no shiawase na jikan or Our Happy Hours.
After the Rain or Koi wa Ameagari no You ni
I sold my life for 10,000 yen a year.

Tokidoki is a very sweet one-shot were we follow two students Hato Iijima and Hatsu Takagi. Hatsu Takagi has a rare disease called Kokuhaku disease. It is where one is born with all of their heart beats and they usually pass early in their life. Takagi has a special device to measure her heartbeats.

When Hato finds out about Hatsu's disease Hato swears to help her enjoy life to the fullest and make her heart beat like crazy.

This is a short and sweet one-shot. With only 52 pages it is a real tear-jerker.

The art is beautifully drawn and is somewhat detailed: 9/10

The main characters are dynamic ... and very well done for the little time we share with them: 9/10

The story is absolutely wonderful and does a great job in the little time we have: 10/10

My enjoyment was really high; for a one-shot it is many times very difficult to present such a clean and enjoyable story and in my opinion this did a great job at that: 10/10

Overall this is a great one-shot and if you have a few minutes I highly recommend to read it. I promise you will not regret it. This will leave you speechless but in a good way.

Looking from a oneshot perspective, this is worth your 5 minutes.

I would recommend it to all of you who loves romcom and sometimes want an emotional story.

You would get introduced to 2 main characters which love and care for eachother. Furthermore, you would even see normal things from a different perspective - Seeing it for the first time, trying out things for the first time. And this could be your first time seeing a story like this.

I enjoyed every second reading this oneshot and even re-read it and really think how I've spent my time. If I were them what would I do? ... If you are limited by time, would you be yourself?

"Until death do us part"...

This is just a blown out of proportion one-shot.

To be fair, for a one-shot this is pretty good, but considering its acclamation, I went into this believing this would be able to fit in with general manga despite its length. I won't say that this then suddenly becomes worse because it wasn't what I expected, but I also won't say that this story isn't automatically better because of some handicap. It is merely the average that comes and goes really.

The narrative is already given in the synopsis, what I talk about is how the story goes around it. I think everything about the execution is ... fine really, with good pacing and it doesn't feel too dramatic, in fact, there is more fun and games throughout really, which just enforces the atmosphere that this one-shot tried to bring. It does well in that category. Characters are presented quite well too, they have their background and their development which does seem a little forced, but I can't say that isn't to be expected. Tagaki and Poppo's pairing feels well made too, both characters are made well for one another rather than existing for the sake of it. What really got me was the damn ending, and how that literally turns this story into something you could post onto r/thathappened. I know Komi Naoshi isn't supposed to be taken seriously (well actually I don't know if he should or shouldn't), but this man literally runs on only one idea with manga he makes, he just can't fit another plot device which isn't the main one.

Art is good. It has that slightly bubbly/sparkly feel to it you get from Shaft or what have you and the character designs are fine but tweaked in a way that makes this Komi's own style.

That ending really killed it for me. It might do the same for you. I won't lie, I didn't expect it, but that made it even worse in this case. Felt more like a "wtf!?" ending more than anything. For the most part, though this was quite average in terms of the norm with fun times that teenagers have. Nothing more to add to that matter really.

Overall - 6.25 (6)

I can't imagine where this would be if this ended up being serialized lol.

I wasn't actually planning on writing a review,
But this is one of the finest one-shots I've ever read.

Additionally, it was a fantastic quick read.

The plot is straightforward and was written by the same person who wrote "Nisekoi," yet it hurts harder than I anticipated.

Story was beautiful and fascinating.

And the artwork was lovely.
...
Also, the characters are perfectly integrated into the storyline.

I started crying when the plot took such a sharp turn.
Even though no one will read my review, I had to write about this one.
This one will really strike you.

I truly hope a short movie gets made eventually, but it probably won't.

I was surprised, never really thought that would happen.

For a one-shot manga, it's a one whole package of a story. I didn't expected anything because I thought it was going to be a love story, similar to Nisekoi's one-shot. In the end, it was satisfying yet unacceptable.

Story: Simple but great execution (and I can't move on about it.)
Art: For a one-shot, it really has a beautiful illustration.
Character: I must say unforgettable (cause its sure hit through the feels.)
Enjoyment: It's appreciative that I really want to see this as a manga series.

Overall: I do recommend this and your not gonna get disappointed.

I am going to keep this review short this one-shot is pretty alright. The idea for this story is pretty cool. Pretty much this girl Takagi has a heart condition where she only has a set number of heartbeats left before she dies. Takagi leads a boring life to avoid raising her heartbeat until she meets the male lead Iijima. Through meeting Iijima she decides to let loose and enjoy her life. The concept for this story is very cool. The problem is that the story is very short. Since the story is only 1 chapter long we have to cram in all this character ... development and plot into only 54 pages. I feel like this manga could have shined if it was instead made into a short series maybe 10-15 chapters long. With this length the author would have more time to flesh out the characters and make people really connect to the both of them and their romance. But, since it was only one chapter long they had to rush through and by the end you don't really feel anything as you haven't been given enough time to connect with the characters.

Overall this one-shot was a bit too ambitious and if it was a bit longer and fleshed the characters out a bit better I think this could have have been a bit more emotional and impactful.

It's hard to write reviews for oneshots like this one.
It hard because the stories are short, and giving away too much is too easy.
So to make this short and to avoid accidentally handing out the enjoyment of exploring and discovering every twist and turn of Komi Naoshi's latest brilliant one-shot...
Let me just say this.

Komi Naoshi is a sadistic man.
He's a genius.
And he will make you cry over and over again with his creative one-shots.
Toki Doki is no exception.
This one hurts.
This one hurts a lot, and you'll love the pain, 'cause it's so bitter-sweet and beautiful.

This is my first review, Nonetheless I will try to share my experience with reading this one-shot manga. This short story in my opinion shows the nerve wracking feeling of anticipation, The feeling that you know that someone or even your life will end at a point, and that not all fun memories last forever. The story is simple, but despite its simplicity it still finishes off with an unexpected turn which can lead to some readers feeling a sense of closure, or the feeling of emptiness.

In short, give this one shot manga a try for it is one that doesn't leave the readers ... a sense of incompletion, plus it is only 1 chapter which is only 49 slides long.

I'd rate this a very solid 7.5/10.

Tokidoki is a very short, yet pleasant One-shot with an incredibly clever twist waiting the readers at the end. On my first reading, I expected the story to be a straightforward one with the MC making the most of FMC's seconds until she left the world. Little did I know, not only did this story prove me wrong, but it also left quite an impression on me.

What I really liked about Tokidoki were its subtle hints scattered throughout the earlier parts which foreshadow the ending. At first glance, it is easy to miss due to how trivial it is. ... However, when pieced together, it truly gives the ending a much more meaningful impact, knowing that it has been built up at the first few pages of the story.

Overall, for the length of the One-shot, it does deliver quite a lasting impression and is certainly worth your time. It's just that I wish it wasn't a One-shot, especially with the unexpected twist combined with the cleverness and subtlety of the foreshadowing. It would've definitely made for one of the biggest plot-twist in an ongoing series.

Tear-jerker one-shot...

Do you know the feeling that you get when finishing a series that leaves you with a hole in the chest?... Well this one-shot is one of them!

Right from the start is a roller coaster of emotions. It´s a bitter sweet story that shows how fate can be so cruel even when you think you know what´s coming.
The main characters are very likeable and quircky, the pacing is well done to show the growth between characters.
The art and setting compliment the tone of the story so well and by the end you will want to re-read it.

When finished reading it, it gave me "I ... Want to eat your pancreas" vibes, which if you read or watch it you will know what I mean by the end.

Overall I´d love for a serialization but what we got was more than enough. it´s a great one-shot to read if you have a couple of minutes to spare. You won´t regret it :-)

How I rank (This is just my opinion):

(Inspired by Huang-Teizan)
10 - Bendicion de Dios
9 - Now this is Peak!!
8 - Bingeworthy!
7 - Good
6 - Enjoyable
5 - Either Echii or just enough to get by
4 - I´m just here to know how it ends.
3 - "Are you related to Rent a Girlfriend?"
2 - Que cojones
1 - My head doesn´t explode because it can´t.
0 - "Even a Hentai has a better story than you!"

*****Thematic Spoilers*****I wouldn’t even say that this was a romance, even though it was explicitly one. The reason I say this is because it’s a manga about getting past your fears. “One who is satisfied can never be deceived.”(not said in the manga, just a quote I keep to myself) Takagi, who learned to continue her passion regardless of death, realized that the idea of death is that it exists to kill our dreams, making us unaware of what we can achieve in a lifetime. We, as people, are highly limited and are forced to conform to societal standards, which is why we always worry ... about what we can do in a short period instead of a lifetime. Amusingly like the idea of turning in a project in one night giving us so much stress, instead of what job we may have in 15 years.

This manga serves to remind us that though we are finite beings, we’re definitely allowed to dream beyond who we are. This is shown through the interactions between Hatsu and Hato. It attacks the purpose of life, proposing that humans purely exist to ‘chase,’ not to arrive at some destination. ‘Live in the moment,’ is the encapsulation I’d give this one shot. Oh, it’s a 9/10 because it’s only a one shot and I’m left starving for more, but I guess hunger would be an effect from any good work. I wouldn’t be lying if I said that this is a 10/10 too. I’m just not used to reading one shots.

Honestly, just forget what I said and give this a read. I took a lot from it because I think about the themes mentioned quite a bit, so I have a bias. (Also I commented this on mangafire.to, just felt a need to place this here too.)

"I hope the author of this one-shot will turn it into an manga!!"


For me, the story of Tokidoki is different from the usual drama, romance, school genre that we always read or watched because as the story finishes at the end, you called it unexpected twist.
I liked the artwork on this one-shot. Expected from the author of Nisekoi, it also have some same artwork just like in Nisekoi, so maybe you will see some look-a-likes.
Overall, this kind of story is enjoyable to read so that is why I recommended this one-shot for you to read and also grabs some tissue along the way.


I ... hope you will like this review. :)