May 6, 2017
Mint na Bokura is a short, but surprisingly sweet and light-hearted romance manga by Wataru Yoshizumi, who is best known for Marmalade Boy, the quintessential shoujo love dodecahedron. And aside from the obvious similarities in art style, it's not difficult to find parallels between the two series.
Both series involve teenagers who get caught up in absurd, implausible circumstances that ultimately cause them to mature and become better people. And both series revolve around tumultuous romances filled to the brim with scheming rivals and comic misunderstandings. But, there are a number of important differences as well.
For one thing, Mint na Bokura is predominantly told from a
...
male perspective. Not only is this a refreshing change of pace in what could have easily been a very stale, cliche story, but it works exceedingly well because Noel is such an instantly likable character. He's reckless and naive, to be sure, but he's equally boyish and charming in a way that makes it easy for the reader to become immediately absorbed in his adventure.
The series is also quite a bit less melodramatic than Marmalade Boy, and this certainly works in its favor. Now don't get me wrong, there's some drama to be had. There's at least enough to make sure you're rooting for the right couples at the end. But Yoshizumi paints these dramatic scenes with a light touch, and balances them with enough humor to prevent Mint na Bokura from becoming as emotionally burdensome as these types of stories tend to be.
But in the end, Mint na Bokura's true strength lies in its outstanding characterization. In a mere six volumes, we watch the main characters grow and change in ways that are both thoughtful and realistic. In the beginning, Noel is boisterous, controlling, and totally ignorant of his sister's emotions. Likewise, Maria is selfish, impulsive, and unaware of her ability to break hearts. But throughout Noel's misadventure, the two develop a new respect and understanding for one another that eventually extends to their relationships with their friends and love interests. And best of all, their growth feels organic; Yoshizumi chooses to show us rather than tell us.
Of course, I'd be lying if I said the story was perfect. It takes a few small missteps here and there. There's an incredibly convoluted and preposterous plot point dropped on us about halfway through regarding a connection between two of the supporting characters. In fact, in a clever moment of self-parody, Yoshizumi even breaks the fourth wall at this point to cheekily admit the absurdity of this particular revelation. Also, there are a few too many love rivals dropped in at the 11th hour, and their arrival feels too contrived to be sincere. But in a story like this that refuses to ever take itself too seriously, these are minor complaints, and none of them detract from the manga's airy, infectious charm.
At only thirty chapters, Mint na Bokura is a perfect quick read for a rainy day. And despite the fact that its target audience is pre-teen girls, it can and will easily appeal to any age or gender.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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