Harumatsu Bokura
Waiting for Spring

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Story:

Harumatsu Bokura is your typical school romance. I wouldn't say it's the most original out there nor the most exciting, since from the very beginning you already know how it's going to finish. Besides, the ending wasn't that satisfactory, since in the last 2-3 episodes the author rushes all the characters to end up paired with someone else and it doesn't give time for the relationships to develop. However, there are some other aspects that make it worthreading.

Art:

The drawing style is really beautiful, all the characters are really pretty.

Character:

... There are 3 main characters and the story revolves mainly around them.

The main girl, Mitsuki, is your typical protagonist, she doesn't have a very strong personality and she's basically a goody two-shoes. This, although makes the story a bit boring it allows to avoid useless drama.

The main love interest is a very polite and sincere guy. He's very conscious about the situation Mitsuki finds herself in and acts very respectfully. I didn't find him particularly interesting but it was a nice change from the typical love interest.

Aya, the love rival, is, in my opinion one of the most interesting characters of the story. He is a complex character, very passionate and goal-driven, and this makes him stand out.

The rest of the characters are there for comedic relief, which is a pity because they are very well written and I think they could have appeared more in the story, or at least have a more prominent role.

Overall:

Although it may not be the most innovative story, the drawing style and the characters make this story a nice read.

This manga has great art, and physically attractive characters, but it is too realistic for me. What do I mean by realistic? The characters are mostly self-absorbed or downright narcissistic. Towa, the main male character, is overly concerned for others, to the point that he is a doormat. Mitsuki, the female main character, strings along the male characters, refusing to make a decision because all that matters is her ego. And the love polygon story is kept going because the editor and author are trying to meet a quota of chapters.

If MAL had a category for most hated characters, I might put a couple ... from this manga in that list. Like all the male characters, I fell for Mitsuki early on. I didn't make it to the end. But even if she "redeems herself", her bad behavior made me sick, and I couldn't keep going.

If you like love polygons, where the main characters don't want to commit to one person but want to string everyone along for 60 long chapters, and generally are total jerks to one another, then you might like this. The art is good. The characters are well drawn. But if you prefer neat and tidy escapist romances with happy endings and everyone behaving themselves, give this one a pass.

Coming here after Unmei no Hito ni Deau Hanashi, I guess one might expect the same level of writing, but no, Harumatsu Bokura is nothing but a snoozefest. While the art is gorgeous and stylish, this is the only strong point of the entire series. The story lacks depth and the characters are either boring or annoying. The only good character is the second male lead, but he is the second male lead and of course he doesn't get what he wants in the end. It's quite weird how the author chose to focus on this particular character instead of the two protagonists who actually ... fall in love. The problem might be with the fact that they were boring from the start and one simply cannot care about what they do and what they want. Funny fact how the manga ends with a chapter about the second male lead as well. That says a lot about the manga altogether.