Jan 2, 2013
“You’re so narrow-minded!!”
“I’m broad-minded!!”
Life. What is its meaning? Why are we here? Why were we born? Depending on the one you ask these questions, the answers could be several, or none. However, someone will eventually reply: love. Life is nothing more than a quest for love.
Love is no trifling matter. Sometimes making a relationship work is tough. More common, however, is the problem of actually managing to establish a relationship with someone we love. The focus of this doujinshi is the latter. Our socially awkward main character, a guy in his 20’s with no friends or close ties to his family, boringly attending college every
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now and then for the credits, working part-time to survive and spending the remaining of his time in front of a computer screen, browsing 2ch and reading manga, has never been in a relationship. Actually, being loved by someone is nothing more than a dream to him. However, after being mistaken for a stalker, he meets a cute girl. A girl that was actually nice to him despite all the previous confusion. Excited with the sudden possibility of developing a romance and the chance to be a new Densha Otoko (the train man; for more information consult the manga of the same name, which I, by the way, recommend), he decides to share his story and ask for advice on 2-chan. We follow the curious twists of fate and the despair and inexperience of a boy in a world he has never lived in. Thus begins the story of Molester, Miss Understanding and her group of friends.
Characters - 10
As one would expect from the author, just like in Onani Master Kurosawa, the strongest point of this amazing doujin is the superb characters and their development. It is impossible not to “fall in love” with them as we read more and more, as we get to know them better and as we watch how everyone else develops their relationships with the main character. The dialogue is extremely well-written despite its simplicity, and it feels quite natural. The constant struggles of the main character and his attempts to look cool and manly after persistently asking for advice on the internet is not only hilarious but also shows us how indecisive and inexperienced Molester was at love matters, and how much a person can change without really changing.
Art – 9
Even though it looks sketchy, it was nothing new if you’ve read Onani Master. If you haven’t though, it may feel weird at first, but as you get used to it you really start to understand how well it fits the story. I’ve read somewhere that the art makes it look like a diary, and I couldn’t agree more. Thanks to the art, everything looks and seems a lot more personal, which really brings out the fondness for the characters, and the fact that the main character is the narrator really adds a lot to this comparison. Personally, I think it would be impossible to make such a story work this well with any different art style. So I give this a 9 not out of how good the art is, but of how well it suits the story.
Story – 9
The story is not complex at all, au contraire; it’s simple and feels realistic. Well, that’s to be expected, since it was based on real events posted on 2-chan by one of their anonymous visitors. Yet despite the realism, some events seem so out of the ordinary… The story has such an odd feeling, it’s hard to describe. But odd in a good way. Actually, throughout the story, there’s always a feeling of duality regarding several aspects of it – and that’s another brilliant point of this doujin.
There aren’t a lot of unexpected or unbelievable twists, but that doesn’t mean it gets boring. Quite the opposite, actually, it gets better and better. It proceeds smoothly, and as it unfolds we find ourselves being carried by the love Molester feels and tries to transmit, and the choices and difficulties he finds on the process and the repercussions of those factors on his personality and on his way of acting towards the world and people.
Enjoyment – 10
I had an amazing time reading this. Once you start, it’s almost impossible to stop. It’s so compelling and every little thing is so deliciously well orchestrated that you will often times find yourself amazed, laughing, feeling sad, cheering for Molester… It is truly an emotional rollercoaster. It’s one of those mangas that make you look at the ceiling and ponder about your life choices after finishing it. After spending some years reading manga, it gets harder and harder to find something that really touches you. This doujin, however, did it for me, and as I finished it with tears in my eyes, I simply laid back and realized that life really does have a meaning, and that maybe we should all just indeed be searching for the ones we love.
Overall – 9,5
So just sit down, put on some music and enjoy a wondrous journey through this simple yet mind-blowing tale of everyday relationships and heart-warming love.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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