Yuuyake Trip
Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints

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First Review! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )
It is frankly criminal that a review hasn't been written for this series, it doesn't have any major twists (like the ghosts being real or scary or anythin' like series like Toilet Bound Hanako-kun) in the first volume I've read but the art and character interaction between the two more than make up for it. Having an art style both very Moe for its characters and stunning in its watercolor backgrounds. The color chapter especially is an absolute treat. This manga is perfect for something to relax to on a lazy day with some mild Yuri-isms for those into it like ... I am.

Yuuyake Trip is a very simple low-stakes slice of life mystery story with a lot going for it.

The art is wonderful, and the setting feels perfect for the art style - a town absolutely painted over with hills, houses on houses, winding, weird roads, and plenty of dark corners to shove secrets in to. The artstyle is very painterly, which is unusual in manga, and it makes for some beautiful panels. The author plays around with lighting and level of detail a lot for emphasis. There are a few color pages in volume 1 that are straight up breathtaking.

The story mainly revolves ... around two middle schoolers, Akane and Fujino, going out to investigate rumors of supernatural activity around town so they can write about them for their school newspaper. There are some tense or scary moments here and there, but generally, with their rational approach and upbeat attitude, the mood remains jovial throughout their adventures, sometimes dipping down to a somewhat melancholic introspective feel. There's no drastic progression in their relationship, but as time goes on you can see that they're much more comfortable opening up to each other, and they become noticeably more casual with each other. While their personalities aren't particularly pronounced, they have great contrast and play off of each other very well. Lots of genuinely heartwarming and sweet moments here.

The highlight of Yuuyake Trip for me is that while it's a very simple story that seems to explain everything rationally, it sets up a very casual mystery early on that can REALLY suck you in. While Akane and Fujino calmly and rationally explain away every ghost story they come across, the story itself seems to build it's own ghost story that isn't as simple for the reader to explain. This overarching mystery provides a great contrast to the casual tone of the story, leaving many moments that seem innocuous on surface level feeling tense and worrying instead.

Overall, it's a wonderful series so far, and has me begging for more. A very easy series to recommend.