Sono Koi wa Ichigo no You ni
Strawberry Love

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This is a masterpiece (at least to me) and let me tell you why.

As you may see, this manga is short, only 30 chapters and that's what makes it really enjoyable.
"Why ?" you might ask ?

Well, first of all, the characters are incredible. This story is about a strawberry farmer named Sugiura Minoru and Moriya Sara, a college student who aspires to become a teacher after graduating.

Minori is a 33-year-old strawberry farmer, scary but also good looking at first and the way he's unable to express his emotions will make you attach yourself to him.
On the other hand, Sara is lively, outgoing, energetic and also ... shy but that's what make her lovely !

After her grandpa broke his leg, she's going to work in his stead at the strawberry greenhouse and that's where the love story begins.

"What makes it great to have such characters ?", great question my fellow reader.
They have complete opposite personalities, different tastes and there's a big age difference but they assemble perfectly like Yin and Yang, it's a perfectly balanced romance story.
They quickly learn to know about each other while working at the greenhouse and that's where Sarah realises that Minori is a caring and charming man. ("Never judge a book by its cover" as they say)

While they both struggle to express their feelings towards each other, the story doesn't revolve around this, it actually evolves with a good rhythm and it's not like a high school lovey-dovey couple, it's a genuine mature relationship that will fill the void you had and didn't know about!

Secondly, the art is awesome. The story and art are Irono's own work !
This manga is filled with great drawings and a huge variety of face expressions, from cute "chibi" faces to detailed close-ups that will allow you to see their beauty from every angle !
You will also be able to learn how to to take care of strawberries and other growing methods alongside Sara !
(A little side note, on Irono's Twitter, he mentioned once that his parents work as farmers in a greenhouse as well, to show you that what he shares in his manga is probably genuine knowledge)

To conclude, we have here a short manga surely, but one that won't make your mind go crazy because it's cringy or because it has a really slow pace; a masterpiece that will fulfil the love story you ever wanted without wanting a sequel because it just has a perfect way of ending a story.
The 30 chapters may seem really little but the rhythm makes it the perfect length so you won't feel bored because it's too slow or annoyed because it's going too fast.

TL;DR : A good rhythm to the story, it's a mature relationship and the art is great. The characters have a great development and the story will leave you with a sense of serenity.

PS : This is my first review ever and English is not my first language, I apologise if the grammar or syntax is incorrect. I tried my best to sell you this manga without going too much into the details and express how I truly felt after finishing it. I appreciate feedbacks.

(TL notes : 杉浦実 (Sugiura Minoru) in the manga is translated as Sugiura Minori and 森谷サラ (Moriya Sara) is translated as Moritani Sarah. I know 谷 is more often translated as "tani" but I was unsure. There are different ways of translating and pronouncing names in Japanese so I don't know which one the author had in mind.)

This manga is extremely sweet and fluffy! The romance in this series will make you root for the characters ending up together because it's not a "12 misunderstandings per chapter and toxicity makes its home here" sort of story.

While Sarah and Minori struggle to say their feelings for each other, it's never aggravating. They go through the complications of dating as an adult and mixing it with work/school while also making sure the reader knows that they still care for each other despite not saying "Let's date" yet. Minori certainly never looks down upon Sarah (unless we're talking literally because of the height difference.) ... And every misunderstanding is cleared up by the next chapter because they're not afraid to talk to their partner about what's bothering them.

There are a few things that are just personal icks of mine. While the age difference is completely legal (thank god), the way Irono reminds you can be uncomfortable. Sarah has a habit of saying that Minori is a "real adult" and about how she feels like a child compared to him or that she herself is not a "real adult". Also, Minori's cousin Lynn pulls a stunt (under the guise of teasing him for finally getting a girlfriend) that could have literally landed him in jail if the wrong person overheard and it's just sort of swept under the rug.

Other than that, this story is very cute and fast to get through. It's very clear that these two love each other very much. Plus the art of the couple just adds to that sweetness!

It's a romance that doesn't get any simpler, and yet, sweeter than this.

This is what happens naturally when two emotionally and intellectually mature people meet, fall in love, and build a real relationship. Main guy is older though so he dominates the pace of things naturally, except when he gets an overdose of cuteness from the girl. The backdrop of the story is strawberry farming, and even offering some insights and outright lessons on doing it right. The amount of it though isn't out of control as is usually the case when theming is done in other mangas. The romance is front and center 95 ... percent of the time.

The story isn't only simple; it's also well paced and doesn't drag at all by using the typical tropes. Every chapter is a significant step forward not just in the story but in their bond from co-workers to becoming romantic partners. None of the funny or dramatic segments are cheap and are there usually for a special reason. The grandfather's dream in particular hit me with major feels. It's a missed opportunity though about the third pairing not being resolved, but then again, I didn't like the attitude of the guy in that pairing so screw him.

The artwork is just perfect. Not too sophisticated nor too simple as well. Both our main characters are real lookers.

All in all, I barely skimmed through this series from start to finish, though I did skip the "half" chapters and the bonus ones. Though the story feels slice of life, it doesn't drown you with filler dialogue and events. Everything is just perfectly balanced out. That's why it was a pleasurable read and it's definitely a recommend for anybody with a couple of hours to spare.