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May 16, 2017
I am mostly writing this review, because I for one, have enjoyed this series greatly and it pains me to see such a damning review at the top of the page currently.
For some barebones background, I have at this point in time read all 6 released volumes in Japanese.
Koiiji's unique achievement, personally, is it's ability to take what is traditionally a tragic and often frustrating series of tropes, and imbue them with a humanity and warmness. Nothing is as simple as it may initially seem, and even 6 volumes in I often don't know what to think about many of the characters.
For example, the
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daughter of the deceased mother immediately after the funeral asking the protagonist to become her new Mother might seem callous, as I've seen it described by other reviewers, but it is clear it comes from a place of worrying for her own Father and because it never occurs to her that this is disrespecting her Mother. In fact, insinuations that she is doing just that by another character later in the series leads to her changing her initial opinion, though how firmly remains to be seen.
Mame's character could easily be pathetic, as unmarried female protagonists in josei manga are often at risk of, but she is self-aware, and is striving to improve herself no matter how circumstances impede her.
In fact, the entire cast is. What truly endears me to this series is that everyone has a three-dimensionality and everyone is struggling to reach their own happiness without hurting those around them.
It still remains to be seen whether this series ends happily or as a tragedy, but I care enough about their fates to see them through.
Content Warning: There is an adulterous relationship between a high school girl and an adult man within the series. Which is unfortunately rather typical for Shimura's work. It is not a major couple, they have already ended the relationship when the series begins, and it appears around 3 to 4 volumes in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 16, 2016
Overall, a nice story about the romance between a man and a trans woman.
Story:
The major issue I had with this story is that it decides to tell the story from the point of view of the man, and thus gives equal weight to his storyline, when it really should have been her story. The love triangle between an indecisive college student, his female classmate who is master of the mixed message, and the trans woman is given equal attention compared to the trans woman's storyline, if not more. This was disappointing, since the trans woman, who was previously a husband and a father,
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and is now working through the transition and what that means for her ex-wife and child is infinitely more interesting than an overdone love triangle that ultimately goes nowhere. To be honest, the female classmate could have been cut out of the story with very little consequence.
The romance between the two is cute enough to sustain two volumes and the happy ending is refreshing, so I was satisfied.
Art:
The art was not amazing but it is competent and never detracted from the story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 16, 2016
I started reading this series to fill the gaping void in my heart left by “Ballroom e Youkoso”’s indefinite hiatus, and that might be the problem.
This series isn’t bad, it’s actually quite good. Asakura is an experienced manga artist and so visually I have no complaints. But I feel like I’m less tolerant of its faults because I kept comparing it to Ballroom e Youkoso.
The protagonist is, in my opinion, just not a very likable character. While Asakura seems to be going for a commentary on how masculine men can do ballet too!! it never quite hits the mark for me.
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In an early scene, you have an adult man telling the protagonist (a young boy at the time, not even a teenager) that since his dad is gone, he’ll have to protect and take care of the family now. NEVER MIND THAT HE HAS NOT ONLY HIS MOM BUT HIS OLDER SISTER. There is no critique of this scene, and fast forward to the protagonist as an aggressively rude MASCULINE type. He only joins ballet (after cutting ties as a young boy in order to be “masculine” ) because he saw the main girl’s underwear when she did a ballet jump in front of him in her school uniform. Like, that’s literally the reason why he goes, regardless of how he’s entranced by the dance itself when he gets to the studio. He still followed her there in the first place because of a shot at her underwear. For the rest of the volume, he basically gets free lessons from her mother, yet refuses to stop calling her “babaa” (extremely rude way of addressing an old lady), and is generally an unhelpful asshole the whole time.
Even though I’ve said all this, it’s still volume one so there is room for improvement. Although potential is not a promise, so I am wary of investing any further in this series. But what REALLY gets me is just that the whole time I was reading, I kept thinking “Tatara wouldn’t do this.”
Anyways, through this experience, I have gained even more respect and love than I knew was possible for Ballroom e Youkoso and the author Takeuchi Tomo. I’ll keep thinking over whether to continue reading this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 1, 2016
Read in: Japanese (Not Scanlated)
When I picked this volume up, all I knew was that a decent number of Japanese readers were describing it as "similar to Attack on Titan." This made me skeptical, because I loathe that series (but that's a story for another day) but I am so, so glad I decided to give it a try anyway.
The similarities to Attack on Titan thus far are extremely surface level (There is a wall surrounding a town keeping things out, outsiders who are not wanted, that's about it). If I were to make a comparison, I would say this series aesthetically has
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closer ties to Tegami Bachi mainly in the setting design and overall atmosphere of the story.
As there is only one volume out, it is difficult to say anything concrete. But the first volume shows promise. The character of Dorasena, an immortal who knows next to nothing about their own species, called the Tenamku, is an interesting lead whose mysterious origins form the central mystery of the story. Dorasena, and the characters that surround them are all likable and show potential for complexity in future volumes.
Overall, I am interested to see where the story goes in volume two.
The art is fantastic. The author has several yaoi and doujinshi published and you can get a feel for her art there to see if it suits you.
If you are interested in a beautifully drawn fantasy with a melancholy feeling akin to Tegami Bachi, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this series a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 19, 2016
Since no one has written a review for what has been one of my most enjoyable reads in recent years, I thought I'd give a stab at it.
To cover some surface points quickly, Ozaki Akira's art is visually pleasing and perfectly suited to the plot. Haru x Kiyo is a genuinely hilarious series, and Ozaki's art and paneling skillfully deliver the jokes.
And now to the main reason I wrote this:
The reason Haru x Kiyo holds a special place in my heart is because it has a solid center.
While I could nitpick and point out a couple of characters (the older brother and the chibi
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girl, for those who have read it) are drawn out needlessly for drama, I was hardly ever bothered by it because Koharu and Kiyoshiro handled their relationship so well.
To put it simply, Koharu and Kiyoshiro love, respect and trust each other. Which is an easy thing to say, but a much harder thing to stand by in a shoujo series. But Ozaki-sensei does it so skillfully you're left wondering why other series have such a difficult time of it. Not once does one accuse the other of cheating because of being caught in a bad situation, not once does one not apologize when a situation goes awry.
Through every conflict, Koharu and Kiyoshiro treasure each other and that holds the chaotic cast and plot together.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 19, 2016
As a disclaimer, I quit this series after only one volume. But I thought some people might be interested in knowing why, considering I don't do that very often.
Story:
I'm not necessarily adverse to political marriage plotlines if done well, or at least if it avoids sensationalizing it. Which is exactly what the author seemed keen on doing.
Caesar is verbally and physically abusive to Nakaba from first meeting, and by the end of the first volume there's a distressingly long forced kiss scene which is obviously meant to be ~sexy~ and if you're into that, perhaps you'll enjoy it. But for me,
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the sexualizing of the removal of agency to Nakaba's character was concerning at best. Caesar simply crosses too many lines with Nakaba before "becoming a better person," which is what I'm assuming is the inevitable conclusion of his character.
To add to the discomfort, there are elements of romanticizing slavery in Loki's plotline, so unless you're into that: AVOID AVOID AVOID.
As far as the protagonist herself, Nakaba, there's a reason I haven't really discussed her. She's utterly unremarkable and reads like a collection of tropes meant to illicit sympathy. Loki is possibly the best developed character, if you can get past the romanticizing of a master-slave relationship. And Caesar shows hints of complexity, but it's obscured by so much awfulness it was hard to appreciate.
Also, as a debatable nitpick, the world-building in this first volume is mediocre at best, completely awful at worst. The costume and setting designs are uninspired, which is passable in a modern school-set romance, but unforgivable in a fantasy.
And related to the world-building, the rules of her fantasy setting are just inconsistent? illogical? As an example, Nakaba comes from what is described as a cold country with very little farming, and yet when she wears what is apparently her cultural clothing, it is thin, loose material with sandals. SANDALS. Instances like that occur several times throughout the volume.
Art:
As the cover shows, Toma does know how to color. But covers can be deceiving.
The problem with Toma's art is that while it's put together enough to pass in a modern school-set romance, it is not sophisticated enough for creating completely new backgrounds or for displaying action scenes. And since this is a fantasy, THAT IS A BIG PROBLEM.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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