Joshikausei

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This is a slice of life manga mainly revolving around a girl and her two friends, and their every day interactions. Although there are a few flashback scenes to help aid in understanding the characters, the majority takes place in the present.

As there is no dialogue and barely any text, this makes for an easy, fast, and relaxing read. At first, I was a little annoyed by all the upskirt shots/borderline sexual innuendos that came up, but after a while somehow, it seemed to sink in as just the manga style, and doesn't bother me anymore (i.e. doesn't feel like straight up fan service). In ... addition, I liked that the girls are drawn somewhat normally - that is, they have little fat rolls, regular busts, they look short, etc.

Anyway, the take away is that it's a glimpse of regular teen girl's life in Japan - it focuses on youth, curiosity, the ordinary and of friendship. I also found it to be a great palate cleanser between heavier manga. Recommended.

Joshikausei is a slice-of-life, school-centred, comedy manga by Ken Wakai. The manga is written and presented without dialogue, just pictures and sound effects. Its what has given Joshikausei some attention as the mangas quirky and sometimes surreal humour stands out among manga of the same genre and tone. The story of Jushikausei is centred around three high-school girls, their friendship and the adventures and the comedic situations they find themselves in. Seasoned manga readers may be put off by the initial concept of Joshikausei because, being honest, it's not exactly something all that original. However, what is original about this manga is its presentation and ... execution. It proves that unoriginal concepts can be done well, especially when given the freedom to try different ideas, like a 'silent-manga' even if some people will just write it off as a gimmick.

Let me be clear, the 'silent' and 'wordless' aspect of Joshikausei is a gimmick, there's no real reason for the story to be told that way. But it's like that regardless. And I like it that way, because of the comfy atmosphere and paced aesthetic it gives to the manga. Each chapter focuses on some small skit or gag that is relegated to a theme, and you'll find yourself reading through them in a blast. It's specifically because of its 'wordlessness' that you can absorb the pages at a flowing rate, with no need for complication, it's such an enjoyable read. In Joshikausei 'wordlessness' may be a gimmick, but it's not a fault. Ever since I read The Arrival by Shaun Tan, I have been craving silent comics, and this manga certainly fills the void.

(6/10) ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

For reference, I'm reading this on Crunchyrolls library as if you pay for CR, it's free there to read (I'm in the UK, not sure if this is a geo thing). That is worth noting as it makes the barrier for entry basically invisible.

Another note: If you've seen the anime, give this a shot. I really didn't like the sexual undertones in the anime and I never got that vibe from the manga. These are school kids ffs.

Once I read a few chapters I realised the charm and found it to be a really fun, simple, cute slice-of-life manga that's become something both entertaining and ... relaxing. There are very few mangas that actually relax me, but this is definitely one and it makes me laugh, too. The amount of charm created by these characters with little to no text is, frankly, astonishing. For that alone this deserves credit.

As noted elsewhere the art style is realistic, the girls are all somewhat realistic looking, not hyper-thin with massive busts. In fact very little here seems to be done to purely attract readers, there is a vibe this manga has and over the 91 chapters I've read it's only gotten more consistent.

All things considered this is worth a shot for anyone who likes SoL stuff.