Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl
Love's in Sight!

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Yankee-kun to Hakujou Gaaru is one of those manga you check out in your relaxing times and smile occasionally at the wholesome events it puts together. I would consider this more of an impression than a review as forty chapters are not sufficient to form a complete review.

Story: This is basically the tale of a delinquent boy who, on one day meets a girl with blurry eyesight. The entire story revolves around their interactions, which are a delight to watch. Most of the chapters are crafted in a slice of life form, with some occasional drama and backstory (of both main characters and side characters) ... which are actually touching. There is a hint of seriousness within all the light-hearted events that takes place, which draws the reader in. The comedy does not feel forced, nor is it the main highlight of any chapter. The chemistry between our leads feels very natural and as of late, although there is no gigantic progress in romance, the reader won't feel too impatient.

Art: The artstyle is simplistic and the expressions are cute. It could have been a 4-koma format manga, if not for some deep character based drama. There is ample attention given to background only if the characters have something to do with it.

Character: This is, by far, the best aspect of the manga. The delinquent is a really likable lad, and his character is not defined solely by his delinquent nature; sufficient explanation has been given for his turning into one of them. Our main girl, besides being ridiculously adorable, is much more than just a moefication incarnate. She is quite strong-willed and empathetic. The story is often driven by the presentation of her own thought processes in daily life, and that is quite an enriching experience each time it happens. The side characters gradually become more two dimensional as the story unfolds. I was slightly surprised at the development of a certain character, which was a delicate affair handled maturely by the mangaka.
There are actually other visually impaired teenagers who have been introduced too, and they have been very likable characters so far.

Enjoyment: This is a manga for all to enjoy, if you are into slice of life and light-hearted romance with occasional depth. The cuteness factor is high and you'll find yourself chuckling during many interactions of our MCs.

The chapters are not that big, nor they are totally disconnected. One wouldn't get too restless if they catch up to the latest chapter. Those who enjoy casual reading and feel-good story will love it...

I'm a near blind person myself, with eyesight slightly better than that of the heroine of this manga (but really, our impairments are so different that it's pointless to compare.) I've been around a lot of other blind people with varying level of impairment when working with disability organisations and such, so my knowledge of visual impairment is pretty broad, and I'm writing this review to note that I was honestly floored with how much research the mangaka has clearly done- the accuracy of the visually impaired characters and the overall themes surrounding disability and the way Japanese society treats those who differ from the ... norm is really impressive for such a comfy read, especially considering it manages to stay so comfortable while realistically and delicately tackling topics that often lean to the heavier side.

I didn't go into it expecting much, I'll admit. You don't see a lot of manga featuring blind characters that could actually exist in real life and I picked it up for the cute style, not because I care if I'm well represented in a manga about a high school dropout trying to court himself a moeblob. But I found my expectations quickly subverted, because it nailed pretty much everything, from the accommodations a blind person might need and actual impairments themselves, to just the day-to-day of someone living with a disability, and the societal issues inherent to being disabled. I also really enjoy Yukiko as a character, independent of her disability- nobody in this manga exists solely as what holds them back, and the titular hakujou girl herself is no different. She's got a strong personality that makes her ooze with cuteness, and her fierce, often insistent independence is both very refreshing and more reflective of an actual blind person than the woobified white cane clad pitycripples you often see blind people (and disabled people in general, really,) represented as.

There are a million reviews singing the praises of the sugary sweet, light-hearted romance, so although I do love Morio and Yukiko's relationship I won't bore you to death rattling off specifics of my adoration. All the aspects of this manga that don't have to do with disability are just as splendid, as a matter of fact! But I rarely write reviews in earnest, or about media that deserves an earnest review, so I feel more qualified to simply discuss the bits that I know best. And something I know very well is that I think that this is a really fantastic social commentary and an educational, thoroughly enjoyable read. I hope my specialist input is of service to anyone wondering about the accuracy of information!

I'm a complete sucker for sweet fluffy romance stories. This, however, is absolutely glorious in my opinion and trumps many others. It's light-hearted, hilarious, and just lovely.

The interaction between their characters is awesome, every time they are with each other is just like a refreshing breeze. They are fun, they are both no pushovers, adorable together but still not cringy. At the same time, they both have their own stories and past to explore, with him about his scary looks and scar, and her about her visual impairment.

There's really nothing negative I can say about it. The progression feels awesome, not hasty nor forceful ... through some kind of weird drama, there is plot and development going on, and some new side-characters being added in over time, but overall keeping it's light-hearted style.

Girlfriend with an added element is probably a genre of its own at this point.

This is another one in my line of manga I began reading from a strange time. A cute story that doesn't do much to separate itself from the typical clichés of old times. Strange guy meets interesting girl, shenanigans ensue. However, the author was two steps ahead on this one. A story about a blind girl and a perceived delinquent can't just be carried about a will they / won't they. These are two different worlds, with clear problems on both sides, and the story doesn't try to ignore them. ... The story starts to head into real life much more than the usual romance deal, and it's delightful to find something like it.

Having a job while having a scar on your face, while being blind, the real life circumstances that come with those elements. Low wages, future opportunities, how to make a date captivating for somebody who can't see, how does a blind person move about in the world, work out? It asks the questions, and answers them with empathy, with love and care for the subject, and doesn't try to romanticize a disability for the sake of it. These are people with vastly different perspectives coming to terms with each other, and dating because they like slowly get to like each other. It goes beyond the simplicity of a relationship waiting to happen, and focuses on a world these characters might live in.

Not only are the protagonists great, but their friendships, and the hardships they experience because of whom the protagonists are. The main female lead's older sister being one of my favorite characters who's got a whole story for herself. The hardships of taking care of a sister who can't take complete care of herself for over a decade. The loneliness and lack of personal connections she sacrificed for something nobody asked of her. And characters being understanding of such situations feels so fresh and nuanced. Not all characters immediately enter conflicts, most resolve them because they communicate. It's just a nice level of positive realism.

I could keep praising for a while, but it isn't perfect. The art's pretty simple, repetitive, even if the story's enjoyable to go along with it. Some arcs drag, even if the message needs to be there, and others end too quickly to be as impactful as they could be. Specially the moments of unrequited love, and how to endure those relationships beyond the feelings they had. It's brushed aside for other little stories.

Overall, a good manga, with a great message and characters that aren't just cookie cutter tropes. Everybody has their life, aspirations, desires, problems, loves, rejections, experiences, and nobody exists for the sake of another. Sure, the manga uses the title as an interest piece, but it isn't all that's there. Beneath the superficial idea, there's a soul that I haven't found in all these kinds of romance manga.

7.3/10. A good, slice of life, with real life sprinkled in.

TL;DR: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl completely surprised me with a heartwarming story about a nearly-blind girl and a soft delinquent. It's a must-read for anyone with a hole in their heart who needs a pick-me-up every once in a while.

L;DR: In the middle of my delinquent-shojo-manga-kick, I stumbled across this manga, and decided to read it. And from the very first panel, I could tell that this was going to be a good one.

The premise is as simple as it gets. A tough-looking delinquent crosses paths with a near blind high school girl, and the rest is history... right?

First, Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl hits ... you with the romance. It's sweet, fluffy, and adorable, and you find yourself squealing in your heart as the characters develop. But what seriously surprised me after was when the manga began to take an almost social commentary standpoint. In a very real and human way, the manga respectfully discusses blindness, disability, and accessibility.

Not all blind people see nothing. Blindness is a spectrum of many different kinds, and I really enjoyed the little details that were put into building the blind characters without romanticizing or trivializing it. Everything feels raw and real, but it's not too serious, because, well, it's a fluff manga. It perfectly balances the line of fun rom com to drama.

The drama itself doesn't feel forced, and mainly deals with the emotions of the characters involved, rather than some random, forced narrative about misunderstandings and such.

There's no reason not to start reading this manga right now. The chapters fly by, and you'll soon find yourself immersed, trust me. I would recommend this to just about anyone who enjoys some fluff.

This series is an amazingly warmhearted read. If you just want a romcom to smile at and feel good about this is a great option. It obviously focuses on a blind girl and delinquent but it has a decently sized secondary line of characters and it spends time making each of them feel more realized and it is still below 50 chapters.

The one thing I'm not happy about is that it seems as though all but 2 of the characters introduced for longer than a brief mention appear to fall in love with the main character. Luckily the main character is completely straightforward about who ... he likes and isn't oblivious to everything around him to play up the harem angle but I've seen so many dumb harem shows/manga that the "mc is the greatest person to ever walk the earth and everyone wants his babies" troupe has long since made me groan in frustration whenever it appears.

Also there is a scene where someone with social anxiety is in disagreement with a blind person about their disability and it would have been nice if it had acknowledged that not all disabilities are ones people can tell by looking at a person even if the person with social anxiety was clearly wrong about blind people. Other than that though they do a great job at showing how there can be many things that make people be perceived negatively in society from having special needs because you are visually impaired/old/anxious or just not fitting in because you look scary or are an unusual sexuality.

This series is way more than just fluff even though it will make you smile reading it. So if you want to feel good but also understand a bit more about perspective shifts and societal bias and see how it pairs up against good-natured straightforwardness then this is a fantastic read.

Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl is a manga that completely surpassed my expectations. From the cover art, I expected a fluffy slice of life romcom, and could you really blame me? From the blatantly cheerful cover, to the brief and seemingly wholesome description, the pieces were already there for yet another forgettable time-passer to smile at. And then the genres cemented the deal for me as nothing to write home about, so I decided I'd give it a quick read as I was in the mood for some wholesome shenanigans. Little did I know the ride this manga would take me on.

From the first chapter, it ... really doesn't seem as though it's anything special. The delinquent who actually has a soft heart and meets a cute girl who he instantly falls in love with despite his seemingly unapproachable nature? Wow, haven't seen that one before! But really, though it does take a few chapters, the manga continues to introduce new characters, new dynamics, added themes, and actual conflict! I'd like to just do a quick overview of every element of the manga from this review out, to disclose every element, but trust me when I say it's strongest element is it's...

Characters: 10/10
With Romcom especially, a major gripe I have always had was stereotypes. The tsundere, kuudere, deredere, etc. I hate when authors get lazy, and simply turn to these tropes to rake in some easy character dynamic. Initially, this manga seems to be filled with them, but slowly every character, even the seemingly explicit, gain so much growth and depth. I was particularly impressed by Yukiko's character arc, as I simply expected her to stay a simple tsundere throughout. However, the way she so elegantly tackles the primary themes of the manga with such poise never failed to amaze me. And that goes for every character. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the dilemmas every single introduced character in this manga have are fresh, realistic, and nuanced. Not only that, but these characters in part bring up the other characters and bring further dynamics to their issues as well!

Story: 7/10
The story of the manga is well done, woven properly and never feels bumpy or disconnected. Though it does follow the usual romcom style, which is the arcs being finished individually within 7-10 chapters, every sequential arc does well at creating new concepts and doesn't feel like padding for chapters. I think this is because the manga releases the chapters in bunches rather than 1 at a time, so every arc feels like a very thought out narrative. It's not particularly great, but it doesn't pander, and that's impressive for a romcom. (I won't be talking much about it this review though but the themes present in every arc all connect well and it's gratifying to watch every story pan out thanks to it.)

Art: 5/10
The art is cute, and I personally liked it, but it's very, very amateurish. It can often hurt the more emotional scenes due to the lack of emotion on characters faces, and at times can kill the vibe the manga is going for. Male bodies are disproportionate and a bit stiff, and faces all look very, very similar, sometimes enough to confuse me who was who. However, one good point is that the mangaka draws Yukiko very well, and can make Morio extremely menacing (Like when he's about to beat up the bully.) With time the art has improved a little, but for now it's still a negative point.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall, Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl is a great read, and holds a suprisingly engrossing story within it's seemingly generic lens. I highly recommend anyone to read this manga, especially fans of the romcom genre who want a little more nuance to their stories.

Whilst it's fair to say Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl is a really wonderful romcom it's actually a fair bit more. For a light series, it really touches on some of the challenges and prejudices that exist within society particularly with regard those with disabilities. It's handled really well though without being preachy or getting too deep and you can't help but smile at the way the main cast react to the circumstances.

It's never heavy going either. As with good romcoms, the drama is relatively light, the sweet moments really endearing and the comedy well balanced. Both the story and romance itself progresses at a satisfying ... rate and you're never left ranting at any of the characters for being 'dense' or making stupid decisions. It's really very natural and the extended cast get some nice development as well.

Overall, a really great read for a light-hearted romcom with a bit more thought-provoking depth to separate it from the rest.

Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl is a fantastic manga that gives insight into the different lives that people live. To spreading awareness of disabilities, poverty, bullying, childhood trauma, and exploring LGBT themes, the story is not only showing a love story but also the struggles that many people face in life. It shows humans beings looking out for each other and what the readers can do to accommodate for other people's needs.

Not only does it show how people's perspectives differ through the literal display of impaired vision, but how others behave and react to situations due to traumatic experiences in their past.

Overall, this manga is a ... beautiful story about how individuals can significantly impact other lives with acts of kindness. Yankee-kun to Hakujou Girl is absolutely wholesome!