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Jan 10, 2025
Now that's a seinen - straight to the point, zero filler, emotionally turbulent.
'Nora to Zassou' doesn't skirt around uncomfortable societal issues: underage prostitution, child abuse, understaffed child service institutions, and police corruption. At the same time, the series doesn't explore these lines too deeply to drag on. It gives us a brief view of these facets and yet paints a comprehensive picture of what it is to be a 'lost' child...or the person who wants to help it.
The story is packed with emotions too. Slipping through the societal cracks, Shiori is self-destructive, angry, and prickly reactive. Her only salvation is a grieving, haunted by
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his past man who shouldn't be involved in this due to procedural/institutional rules.
It's easy to sugarcoat such a story in sweet optimism or send it into the deep abyss of despair. 'Nora to Zassou' does neither. It's realistic and bittersweet from start to finish. Some readers will be disappointed, but to me, this was the right approach.
All in all, 'Nora to Zassou' is a series that speaks volumes in only 26 chapters. It's an absolute must for anyone who's into well-grounded drama and manga focused on socio-economic issues. My only nitpicky sentiment is that towards the middle there were several two abrupt jumps in the story. Two to three extra chapters would have made the plot transition smoother.
Definitely give this a read. I'm still torn whether the manga is 8/10 or 8.5/10. In any case, it's one of the better seinen series I've read recently.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 2, 2025
Very cozy and gentle family josei. Judging by the synopsis, I expected a bit lengthier, multi-generational story. I'd lie if I said this series wouldn't have benefitted from an additional volume or two. Each character deserved a few more chapters so we can get a deeper perspective into their personal matters.
Even in its current short format, however, it's a soothing read. 'Josei' can be a sliding scale - some series are quite feminine; others can include some traces of shoujo (more often) or seinen (for more mature drama) in them. 'Soshite, Hare ni Naru' is 100% josei - in fact, one of the most purely
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josei works I've read. It maintains a quiet type of drama that stirs something inside you, yet doesn't go overboard. Self-contained, if you'd call it.
The series gets a 7/10 exactly because it's too short for my taste. The middle chapters could have been slightly better thought out/ordered, too. Nevertheless, 'Soshite, Hare ni Naru' will take you an hour or two to go through it. I'd say give it a shot, it will sate your cravings for a slightly iyashi-kei emotional story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 30, 2024
I'm surprised by the low score here.
Sure, the MC is a deadly combo of being a total wimp + an unapologetic simp. That's like 80%+ of shounen (and quite often, seinen too), though. What matters is how the author approaches developing this pathetic shell of a character.
Believe it or not, halfway through its current 16 chapters, 'Peep' provides decent context and picks up. This is why I generally give a series at least 7-8 chapters before I rate it.
So, we have a domination/humiliation fetish traumatized MC, a childhood friend kind/pure FMC 1, and a manic-but-maybe-not-too-out-there FMC 2. Not a bad trio to conjure up some
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drama between. After a few initial chapters that were incoherent and made this look like a quasi-incel circus, things are falling into place. The art is also pretty darn good, the nose contouring is kinda cute.
I've seen people pile on this author for his other series. I haven't read his works - and judging by the synopsis (and length), I sure won't. However, I believe the low score of 'Peep' can partially be attributed to a) people carrying over their dissatisfaction with the author to this series and b) rating only the first few chapters.
Is it a great work? Nah, far from that. Considering its premise and the niche it occupies in the ecchi manga world, though, 'Peep' is a pretty decent 6.5/10 so far. I hope the author ramps up the psychological aspect.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 15, 2024
This series is an absolute vibe! 37 chapters in, it hasn't gotten stale even for a moment. The balance between slice-of-life (at work or in the characters' private time), steamy scenes, and awesome food is impeccable.
The biggest selling point of 'Kouiu no ga Ii' lies in the conversations. Tomoka and Murata have been fantastic straight from their first meeting. Their dialogues are authentic and fresh. Their style effortlessly ranges from easy-going to banter to giga horny. We all know how rare it is to have characters who replicate real-life in terms of communication and reactions. These two make it seem easy as pie.
(Also, thank god
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my man Murata freed himself from the shackles of obsessive love. I got some PTSD flashbacks from two of my exes who were extra controlling and jealous. Same for Tomoka's case, but I really resonated with the MC there.)
The second thing I love is that there's zero needless drama. And I mean it. NONE. Despite this, the series doesn't fall flat or bland. It moves forward pleasantly.
Oh, yeah - and FINALLY there's a manga where adults behave like...well, adults, you know. Instead of looking at teenagers confined in adult bodies just for the sake of hitting a demographic.
What is murky is the distinction the author tries to make between FWB (セフレ) and フリフレ (which is how the duo labels their relationship). Comparing it to the difference between hard rock and heavy metal is a bit iffy. I'm interested in how the distinction plays out as the series (and the characters' motivations) progress. On paper, I don't see much difference.
All in all, this is a hearty recommendation from me. It has absolutely everything - entertaining convos, adults properly interacting with each other and sharing experiences, and plenty of spicy sex. The side cast isn't too shabby, either.
8/10 with the potential to go even higher.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 23, 2024
This is quite possibly the cutest series I've read in a while. I mean, sure, I wish the age gap was way smaller. The MC being in his mid-20s would have fit the plot still. Women mangaka sure love drastic age gaps.
The main heroine is the undisputed highlight of 'Sensei, Kongetsu Dou Desu Ka?'. She's feisty, unapologetically straightforward, and complex. It's so refreshing to have such an FMC and witness how she bulldozes her way through interacting with the cast.
The landlord setting is quite novel too. It allows for an intriguing, diverse cast to pop up. The MC aside, we have a fashion student, a
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nightclub hostess, a (former) Yakuza grandpa, and several other quirky characters. None of them is a cardboard cutout, they all have a particular air to the way they think, talk, and slide into the main plot.
The male main character starts off being a total slob. Thankfully, the author slowly distances themselves from making him an 'I'll fix him!' archetype for the main heroine to deal with. I still wish he could pick up his slack a bit more.
The art is glorious. 'Sensei, Kongetsu...' is serialized as a seinen in Harta magazine. However, there's a lot of shoujo and josei to character designs and the overall style. This manga has one of the BEST outfits and overall fashion sense I've ever seen. They're mindblowing, for real. The characters themselves are also very distinctive. In parts, I get some 'After the Rain' vibes due to the art/gap.
My score so far would be:
PLOT/SETTING - 8/10
CHARACTERS - 8/10
ART - 9/10
A must-read. Would be great if the male lead was slightly younger, though.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 23, 2024
Fumiaki Maruto did it. He baited a legion of romcom expecting readers just to dump trauma on their heads...and get his most recent work review bombed.
Was it inevitable?
Well, kinda. If you've read any of Maruto's works, you'd know there's no way he'd go for a pure romcom. Perhaps some people came across 'Imasara desu ga...' by the line of the manga's illustrator - he seems to be known for lighter, fluffier serializations. The plot expectations never lie on the artist, though - it's all on the writer. And Maruto's always been obsessed with drama queening through his storytelling.
If you felt betrayed by the tonal shift,
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that's fair. It IS a bit too drastic, a bit too heavy-handed.
Does it mean the series is trash?
Well, it depends on how the shift is handled, right?
After the failure (early axe) of Maruto's latest 'Media Mix Maiden', I was curious to see what's up with him. He's been in a definitive slump for quite some time already.
So far, 'Imasara desu ga...' shows a glimmer of hope. The 'light' and 'dark' arcs (corresponding to the main heroines' names) are handled decently. Cute and fluff, conflict and dread are weaved together for a whiplash-inducing switch to a more psychological, gloomier narrative. One of Maruto's strong points has always been stellar dialogue. It's the same here - conversations flow well, feel organic, and the character interactions simply 'click'. The tension is also present in both conceptual 'halves' of the story so far.
Where will the series go from now on?
For some people - nowhere, as they've already dropped it. For others, it'll be a scrutinizing journey to evaluate whether Maruto can handle the tonal shift in a logical, coherent manner.
For me? I'd like to see Maruto's still got it. So far he's doing well, but still far away from his potential. The series gets a 7/10 and I can easily see it go higher or lower from here on, depending on what happens.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 19, 2024
Fantastic manga. Some people will be put off by its premise and rather controversial nature.
While I don't fault them, I do want to note they're missing out. The longer the series goes on, the more apparent it becomes that the focus in 'Asako' lies way beyond the taboo/immorality. In fact, the controversial aspect eventually gets shoved off to uncover the real depth of the story.
This is a tale of identity, grief and longing, of maturing. And ultimately - of closure. Because every human being yearns for closure and the heaviness of this concept only piles on as time passes. I'd say it's exactly 'closure' that
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establishes itself as THE keyword to describe the manga and the process through which its cast goes through.
From naive child-like adoration to matured sentiments in retrospect; from juvenile delinquency to moral ambiguity; from domestic violence to the hierarchy of bullying, 'Asako' tackles a lot of themes. And, to the reader's satisfaction, it explores them rather well.
'Melancholic' or 'nostalgic' are words we throw out rather easily. I know I'm fond of overusing them. Yet both truly fit what 'Asako' stands for. To a great extent, the emotional impact comes from to series' apt structure - rotating between the viewpoints of Masashi 'then' and Masashi 'now'. Side characters are approached intelligently and may (or may not) go through self-reflection, outlining their differences now, as adults, from then, as children. Asako's enigmatic influence is the uniting factor of their process of growing up; their buoy so to speak.
With how it's layered, the manga beautifully explores the process of aging and changing, of past reminiscences and threads that were buried, yet never let go. It's a mystery, a drama, an eerie love-but-not-exactly-love story. A heartfelt work of art.
Extremely solid 8/10. I would've gone as far as 8.5/10, but I had some nitpicks with the series' last third.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 18, 2024
'Shounen wo Kau' is one of those lukewarm age gap series that skirts around taboos by not being TOO controversial in its approach.
If you wanted spice, you won't find it here. If you wanted something more gradual, fluffier, more roundabout - the series will fit your preferences.
A 30-year-old OL takes in her sister's 16-year-old stepson because his parents are, frankly, irresponsible as fuck. From there on, the series follows how the duo cohabitates over a year and a half (roughly).
'Shounen wo Kau' has it all - some rivalry, some drama, decent conflict, and plenty of struggles for both FMC and MC. All of these, however,
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are dialed down by a LOT. So don't expect some high-tension fireworks and the like, the conflict -> resolution chain of events here is rather mellow throughout.
But you know what - I enjoyed it. Not all drama (including age gap stories) has to be about emotional supernovas and life-or-death melodramatics. 'Shounen wo Kau' sets a more relaxed, day-by-day tone and stays true to its nature until the very end.
The art is not bad, either. The attention to detail in some outfits was awesome. Thank god women mangaka focus on this aspect properly!
Sure, the series could've been better. It also could've been way worse. We end up with a solid 7/10; an enjoyable read over a day or two. I wish some of the side-character threads could have been explored a bit more, but oh well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 8, 2024
I have absolutely no idea why this manga has a relatively low score. The series is easily one of the best I've read throughout the last two years. In fact, I'd put it straight into my top 10.
Are you ready to face a rather harsh reality?
No?
Neither are the students entering a meeting with the 'Dream Crusher'—an incredibly unorthodox guidance counselor. His stern advice meets the rose-colored glasses of juvenile years. On a case-by-case basis, the manga follows what happens with the students' lives post-graduation.
Three words to describe 'Yumenashi-sensei': mature, realistic, and insightful. It peeks at adult life in contemporary Japan in a way
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not many series do. A pure work of seinen art, it spares no sordid details - but it also gives salvation to those whose hopes were scarred by everyday life.
It's not a 100% fitting comparison, but imagine if 'Great Teacher Onizuka' was set in a university, there were no comedy bits, and the life advice (and lessons) were on the bleaker side of things. That's what this manga is essentially, and it works superbly well.
If you want a well-structured, mature read - look no further. This one's a treat.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 29, 2024
If I were to describe this manga in a sentence, it would be the following:
Bleak and devoid of any light or hope, the ouroboros of the downtrodden bites its tail.
'Zankyou' is a pit of despair that introduces quite a few social themes despite its shortness. It's violent, sometimes rash in how it paces the events unfolding, and utterly captivating in its grim nature. Quite a few episodes in the series will be controversial for a lot of people.
However, this edgier/more scandalous spin isn't there just for the sake of it. Everything fits, everything weaves a truly depressing narrative to an equally tragic, yet somewhat
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bittersweet end.
If you're in for something darker and haunting, read this. The 19 chapters are quick enough to sate your hunger for gruesome art. And while 'Zankyou' isn't philosophical or profound, it achieves its purpose: to unsettle the reader and give us a glimpse into the life of a society's underbelly.
Solid 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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