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Feb 10, 2025
To start off, I'll say that I read the webtoon and watched the live action before the anime (I didn't like the live action) and I thought that I personally wouldn't like the True Beauty anime. Surprisingly... it turned out to be the opposite.
Don't get me wrong, all three mediums have a very similar premise regarding South Korea's obsession with beauty standards. However, one thing that differs from the live action is that the anime is, surprisingly, more faithful to the source material (and doesn't evangelize some characters like the live action did)
The plot follows the story of Lim Jugyeong, who is bullied for being
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'ugly' (something that doesn't surprise me about South Korea considering the bullying idols suffer) and is forced to change schools. During that time, she will learn how to apply makeup through YouTube tutorials. This may seem superficial at first, but it's very relatable to want to fit into the canons of beauty in order to be accepted. Especially at such a vulnerable age as adolescence. During that time, Jugyeong will meet two other characters: Suho (who in the live action feels like a robot) and Seojun (the classic tsundere). Not to mention Sujin (the new bully).
From here on there is a very important difference. In the live action, Jugyeong is VERY passive. And I'm not lying. In the anime, at least, she has more moments of determination regarding her desires (along with her constant setbacks). Also, the comedy is much better implemented (I always hated the scene of the noodles in the nose in chapter 2 of the live action or the various exaggerations). In some ways, True Beauty (anime) is not very different from Peach Girl or Hana Yori Dango (having more in common with Peach Girl in terms of manipulation, bullying, and some aspects, like the photography in a Love Hotel or Suho having to fake a romance with Sujin, something that also happened between Sae and Touji).
I've said a lot of positive things, but True Beauty is not free of negative things. An example is that the chapters, having a standard length of 18-19 minutes, are quite fast and the resolution of the conflict (chapter 12) was somewhat quick. Also, chapter 13 gives us a different perspective that can be somewhat questionable depending on how you look at it. But well, since they confirmed a season 2, it's possible that that ending was necessary.
True Beauty is a very entertaining anime that, despite its superficial message, is at the same time a fairly accurate reflection of beauty standards and the pressure that comes with it, especially in South Korea, a country that deals with problems due to aesthetic pressure and validation. It may not be the most original thing in the world, but it is an anime that will not leave anyone indifferent. If you liked Peach Girl, you will undoubtedly like True Beauty.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 23, 2024
Konna Mirai wa Kiitenai!! is, without a doubt, one of the most hilarious manga I've read in a long time. It has the unique ability to tell an interesting story while at the same time not taking itself too seriously, which is very refreshing in the shoujo.
The plot tells us the life of Kayo, a 17-year-old girl who, suddenly, receives a visit from her future self who says that she will be single, alone, and a virgin at 30... unless she falls in love with her childhood friend: Shinnosuke.
I think this plot could be considered the comedic version of Orange. Since they have somewhat similar
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elements, but with a different execution (Orange is tragedy, while Konna Mirai wa Kiitenai!! is comedy)
Although this story received criticism due to volume number 5, I have to say that those criticisms seem absurd to me. Kayo lives in constant stress (remember, she's only 17 years old) and taking into account that she receives orders from her future self in the middle of her academic life... let's admit it, if we were her we would also explode. Although that doesn't take away from the fact that she tries to be a better person.
This manga is very worthwhile and I think it's cruelly underrated. It's a short, enjoyable and very funny read, perfect to read in an afternoon.
It won't be the epitome of romantic comedies, but I think it's above average.
Very good manga, I invite everyone to read it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 17, 2024
Lately I've seen that Keiko Iwashita's works have gained quite a bit of notoriety. And while I must admit that she is a mangaka with an outstanding drawing style, the structure of her stories is, in my opinion, very weak (something that also happens with other mangakas such as Wataru Yoshizumi or Io Sakisaka)
Leaving that topic aside, let's analyze her most famous work: Living no Matsunaga-san. The story tells us about Miko, a 17-year-old teenager who, due to certain family circumstances, is forced to live in her uncle's boarding house. There she will meet several characters with whom she will relate and, little by little,
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fall in love.
The manga started off quite well, it had a very well-done balance between comedy and romance; however, from volume 4 onwards, the story loses a lot of strength. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that from that volume onwards, the author ran out of ideas to explore.
The relationship between Miko and Matsunaga is... peculiar. I don't mind the age difference as long as it's handled well (she's 17 and he's 28); what bothers me most about the main couple is the large amount of conflicts they have due to lack of communication (something that is more noticeable in the final volumes). As for the other characters, Ryou was interesting, as I think he complemented Miko more in several sentimental aspects compared to Matsunaga. As for the rest of the cast, I summarize them as follows: charismatic, but forgettable and lacking a good arc.
Living no Matsunaga-san is not a bad manga. However, it is a manga that goes from better to worse over time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 19, 2024
I'm not going to lie, My Sweet Girl is a manga which I started reading with high expectations due to its fairly similar theme to Hiyokoi; However, this manga is considerably worse executed.
Tsugumi is our protagonist: short (very short), insecure about her "bony body", she feels ugly and has serious trust issues. The truth is, when we are introduced to a protagonist like this I always look forward to seeing how she develops (her development of her, surprisingly, is somewhat rapid but, at the same time, inconsistent). She is nice most of the time, but on many occasions she tends to err on the side
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of hypocrisy.
Sena, on the other hand, is the male protagonist of this story: tall (on several covers they make him look like a giant), outgoing, kind, and seemingly perfect (prince charming of any shoujo). This character started off pretty well; Unfortunately, his jealousy problems regarding our protagonist's childhood friend began to displease me; At the same time, Sena was being too insistent.
The rest of the characters are uninteresting, the protagonist's childhood friend who was part of the "bone club" (and who is in love with Tsugumi) was moderately interesting, but is discarded too quickly. Tsumugi's best friend, a fan of "Honey Magic" (Mahou Shoujo) had perhaps the most boring arc in the entire story. Her drama and her regrets seemed forced and put into the story more than anything to fill out. Tsugumi's rival... we barely know about her during the story (she was overweight and the topic of her is very poorly treated). A forgettable rival in general.
The story itself begins with our protagonists at 15 years old, then they turn 16... so far so good. When they turn 17, the forced jumps begin, since out of nowhere we have the ending where they are 18 and, a couple of dialogues later, 27. The time jump is too abrupt and accelerated.
Even though I seem very negative about this manga, there is something good that I must admit: this manga does not demonize sexual activity in adolescence. We all know that adolescence is a stage of self-discovery and the fact that they have addressed this topic (surprisingly in a respectful way) is greatly appreciated.
Overall, this manga reads quickly and is very engaging for the first 15 to 20 chapters. Unfortunately, from there, it begins to decline in my personal opinion.
Anyway, I encourage anyone to read the manga and draw their own conclusions. Since I don't consider it to be a bad read, but rather that it has a mostly mediocre execution.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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