Feb 12, 2025
It is honestly amazing to see Shuninta Amano, who created some of the most emotionally and intellectually complex yuri manga, just saying, "To hell with all this high-brow and sensual crap, I'm doing absurdist and lewd coming-of-age comedy now." That is exactly what this manga is.
It's funny, dirty, and, at some points, just ridiculous. Yet, with all that in mind, there is more to it. What makes it stand out among many other ecchi yuri comedies is the profound honesty. With all its absurdity, this manga is a ruthlessly accurate snapshot of what it feels like to be a 14-year-old girl among other 14-year-old girls,
...
especially in the boonies.
I guess Shuninta Amano wouldn't be Shuninta Amano without hiding a second layer under the plot.
At times, this manga rejects realism with abandon, only to show something terribly realistic and awkward the next moment. Dirty jokes are interspersed with quite subtle and astute observations. And, towering above it all like the castle of a demon lord, is lewdness—something that has driven many a girl insane during those formative years. As I was reading it for the first time, scenes from my adolescence stood up before my mind's eye as a cruel reminder that your cringe will never leave you alone.
Ayame 14 essentially has no pronounced beginning or ending. It abruptly starts and abruptly ends, providing exactly what I mentioned above: a snapshot. Well, in the end, it takes Shuninta Amano to give conceptual depth even to a silly and dirty comedy.
Highly recommended, then. But honestly, be ready.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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