tl;dr under "Overall", at the very end of this review if you want a quick review, but I'll try to be as detailed as I can.
Story - 6
Without revealing too much, all I can say is that the ENTIRE story between Chizuru and Kazuya kicked off from a completely avoidable situation, which is a huge minus point for this manga's story. The relationship between these two characters could've been handled with a lot more common sense. The two can still be invested in each other, and drama can still be created around the whole rental girlfriend gig, all without having to lie to their respective
...
families.
Another minus for this manga's story is Kazuya constantly digging his own grave in many social situations. I honestly can't fault the people who dropped the manga after only the first few chapters- Kazuya's antics are beyond UNBEARABLE. This has been a source of many complaints about the manga, and for good reason- of all stock romcom MCs I've seen, Kazuya is easily one of the worst to follow. An awkward MC is fine, desperation can be funny and understandable, trying to seek emotional support from a rental girlfriend is perfectly alright, having no indoor voice has its appeal I guess (though I'm personally not a fan of such characters). But in Kazuya's case, he puts himself in hot water so many times it's as if he is completely devoid of common sense. Sometimes these antics come at the expense of some people around him too, especially Chizuru. It is absolutely infuriating and unacceptable to see a male lead this pathetic. Even moreso when all of these borderline social suicides are what complicates the situation between Chizuru and Kazuya, so much that it's almost getting out of their hands.
The story does pick up later on near the end of the first half (of 148 chapters as of the time of this review's writing), and Kazuya eventually learns to have some backbone for once. As more and more characters enter the spotlight, Kazuya starts showing real commitment into whatever he does, and this nicely segues off into REAL drama being worth invested in. The current movie crowdfunding arc is a big plus point for this manga, it is worlds apart from all the preceding events in the story in terms of quality and impact.
There is real drama and real character development later in the story, however I still can't shake off the dread I had, going through the first couple of volumes of the manga. Also, pacing does not feel unnatural although the plot is mostly kept on edge, "downtimes" where the the characters just settle down and enjoy themselves are few and far between.
Art - 10
Art is very refined and high quality, art style is exactly what you'd expect from a popular romcom manga. There's a fair share of high-effort "beauty" panels, comedic reaction faces, and everything in between. Easily one of the manga's strongest points.
Characters - 7
All the leading girls are characters worth being invested in - the ideal girl Chizuru, the absurdly stubborn Ruka, the shy and quiet Sumi, Yaemori who's a huge breath of fresh air, and last but DEFINITELY not the least, Mami the spiteful ex-girlfriend who never appreciated what she had until she lost Kazuya. The fight for Kazuya's heart here is being played kinda straight here among some of these girls, which is good because many people are sick and tired of the whole "will he, won't she" shtick plaguing many romcoms of this generation, and for good reason. I don't think this manga is made with the intention of a harem ending because of the high stakes and the fierce competition between the girls, so if you're looking for a harem then this manga isn't for you.
Supporting cast also shines in their own way - Kibe and Kuri, bros for life who stick with Kazuya through thick and thin. Umi, whose role in the story can be spoiler territory but I'll say this much: he represents a very sad but real possibility that sometimes the ideal girl is indeed out of reach for an average person like Kazuya. It's good to see the author not messing around and having these "threatening" presence in the story, in both Mami and Umi.
Speaking of Kazuya, I would've given this manga's characters a better score if it wasn't for him. Most of the story's complications can be traced back to his flaws as a character - his awkwardness, desperation, brashness, how quick he is to misunderstand things, overall simp energy... to his credit, he does exhibit real character development later in the story, but his initial state as a character makes the beginning of the manga a huge huge HUGE slog to go through. There exist examples of well-written "loser" MCs in this media but even with his lategame character development I don't think I would consider Kazuya one of them, I'd probably say the opposite even. The embarrassments he continually forces himself into in the beginning of the story is a huge blight in an otherwise entertaining manga.
Overall - 7
Good manga, memorable waifus, popcorn worthy drama. The first few volumes are an entirely new circle of hell of its own though, so prepare yourself.
All (18)FriendsRSS Feeds |
Jul 18, 2020
Kanojo, Okarishimasu
(Manga)
add
tl;dr under "Overall", at the very end of this review if you want a quick review, but I'll try to be as detailed as I can.
Story - 6 Without revealing too much, all I can say is that the ENTIRE story between Chizuru and Kazuya kicked off from a completely avoidable situation, which is a huge minus point for this manga's story. The relationship between these two characters could've been handled with a lot more common sense. The two can still be invested in each other, and drama can still be created around the whole rental girlfriend gig, all without having to lie to their respective ... |
