Jul 5, 2014
Once in a while you stumble upon a story that hits home so hard on a certain period of your life, that you can't help but laugh and cry along.
At the time of writing of this review Tetsugaku Letra has not been completed. And since no one else has done so yet I decided to write a review in order to urge others to read, what I consider to be, one of the greatest slice of life stories of all time.
I'll start off by saying that Tetsugaku Letra is realistic. There are no fancy dreams to be achieved, no flashy goals and boisterous characters, and
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when there are they are realistically so. Problems encountered, such as bullying, are not exaggerated and I've found the author's approach to be rather tasteful. An exchange of shoes, and with them the discovery of a new hobby, is the premise of the story, and through it unfold the insecurities and troubles of its characters. The story is purely character driven, something I usually don't prefer, but Sahara Mizu does it masterfully so. Character interactions feel natural, if not slightly gloomy, and the humour is suiting of the general atmosphere of the story, which is a charming mix of both pessimism and optimism and a good dose of everyday life.
I personally adore the art, it looks clean and simple and character expressions are rich. I can see why some people might dislike it though. Backgrounds are minimal and Sahara draws ears strangely, though I never had any issues with it. To compensate for the thin linework tones are used generously, which complement the story and art greatly.
The characters are what make the story. None of them fall in any of the typical cliches and they're all flawed in one way or another, yet not in such a way that it becomes their main characteristic, instead only adding to the realism of the work. Tetsugaku Letra isn't the kind of work wherein you'll find your new favourite character, simply because the cast works dynamically together, instead of any individual standing out on their own too much. The protagonist, Ichinose Kimitaka, is slightly depressive, but that slowly changes as he decides to move on in his life. I greatly enjoyed his family's depiction, especially his interactions with his grandfather and sister. I found myself rooting for him on many occasions as his simple and naive approach to life was, if anything, heart warming. The cast is diverse and while not over the top, each character plays an important role in order to properly present the story.
I've greatly enjoyed Tetsugaku Letra so far, and certainly hope there will be some kind of update to the manga soon. As of now there are 12 translated chapters, the last of them having been released last November. I do however urge you to read it despite the bleak prospects of getting an update any time soon, as it truly is worth it.
Thank you for your time; feel free to contact me if you spot any errors or want to comment on anything mentioned above.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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