Aug 22, 2023
Asaga Iori remains one of the most underrated mangaka for me. "Inu To Kuzu" is a hidden gem that's pinned to the wall of my "Best short manga" collection. "Sacchan, Boku wa." was a downgrade, but still quite enjoyable and chaotic.
With "Hijiri-kun...", Asaga-sensei steers away from their trademark style - suspense-filled drama that explores the darker undertones of human emotions and relationships. Sure, "Hijiri-kun..." has the 'darker' side of BDSM and various fetishes, buts it employs a light-hearted, easy-going comedy take on its plot and characters.
It both works alright and doesn't, depending on the chapter. I'm giving Asaga-sensei some leeway: it's their first work of
...
such a tonal shift. Nevertheless, as it stands in its first 15ish chapters, this manga is a 50/50 hit or miss.
It's not the art for sure - once again, Asaga splashes their easily recognizable, vibrant style across the series. The quality is slightly inferior to "Inu To Kuzu", but still gets the point across very well and fits the ecchi tone.
The characters themselves aren't that bad either. We have a full spectrum of kinks centered around our MC, who, just as the title says, is just trying to do his best to navigate what the girls around throw at him. The cast has enough quirks to make them feel like real human beings; slightly less characterization than what's needed to make you connect/get excited about what happens with them.
What irks me and feels slightly out of place is the overall tone/interactions, to be honest. Maybe I was spoiled by "Tsumi to Kai" which is a more mature, more dramatic take on BDSM/kinks - while it had its own issues, it felt more 'right' and fully fleshed-out. Maybe I'm still not used to Asaga-sensei throwing comedy at us, instead of their usual mix of psychological trauma and scumbaggy side of human nature.
Whatever it is, "Hijiri-kun..." feels slightly juvenile and off-the-mark far too often to me. It feels like an alright series to read, but nothing that stands out too much. I'm fine with following along the journey, but there's not much anticipation or thrill; more of a filler/placeholder experience. Hopefully, things pick up eventually.
A solid 6/10 and mixed feelings, but nothing more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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