Jan 18, 2012
Before I read this manga, I wasn't into manga. Oh sure, I sporadically watched some anime, such as Fate Stay Night, Honey and Clover, but manga, not so muchl.
A friend of mine introduced me to Kimi No Iru Machi by chance. It was in the middle of exam week, I was borrowing his usb to pass on my work when I came upon the first volume of this manga. I decided to copy it into my laptop, thinking I would read it later that night.
Looking back, I didn't think I slept at all that night, and I had an exam at 7 a.m.
There's something about
...
the story, that makes it impossible for you to put down before you finish it. By the end of the night, I had read al 166 chapter of Kimi No Iru Machi, and I couldn't wait for the next chapter to come out.
I guess the reason for that is the female protagonist(which is somewhat debatable), Yuzuki Eba, who I felt really came alive in the story. Her characterization was so strong, so fantastic, it sucks you up into the story where you are taken on an emotional roller coaster with her, at first by falling in love with her, then by hating her, and at last, by accepting her for who she is (at least, at this point in time). The way Kouji Seo manages to portray her emotions throughout the chapters are amazing, and the artwork is very, very good. After reading this, she's definitely my favorite female character (though I haven't read that much manga to be such a good judge).
A special mention should also go out to Haruto Kirishima, who I feel is a character that many guys can relate to. He experienced it all, unrequited love, long distance relationship, rejections, heartbreaks, cheating, the works. But he does it all with such finesse that in the end, you can't help cheering him on throughout the story, even though you sometimes don't really feel comfortable with his actions. What a guy.
Still, this manga wouldn't be that great without the assortments of characters around Yuzuki and Haruto, and they too, managed to inject different colors into the subplots that makes it all the more interesting. Still, I feel that because of Yuzuki and her strong characterization, over time, the others kind of fade into the background. But that is to be expected.
All of the above was the recipe for an awesome, realistic story about love, thought it's not as straightforward as that, as you'll see when you read the manga. It portrays love in all of it's sides, the good, the bad, and the cold, harsh, reality. It's definitely one of those story that are just impossible to put down, so be prepared when you want to read it. And for me personally, Kimi No Iru Machi was what got me really interested in manga.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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