Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: February 26, 2020
Price: $9.99
Creator: Io Sakisaka (story and art)
Format: 184 pgs., Black & White, 5"x7.5", Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1309-7
Age Rating: Teen
ICv2 Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
This manga, while providing little really new or unusual, might prove to be of the "comfort food" variety of reading material as it develops. This first volume, though, shows that it has a little growing to do.
The main characters are two teen girls with very different personalities, and very different approaches to life. One is apparently active and outgoing, while the other is more withdrawn and willing to wait for events to come to her. Since this applies to their views on relationships, this does lead to some really interesting discussions, but the passive one may be just a little too passive for some American readers.
There are also two teen boys in the story, and the actual relationships between them and the two girls are less than obvious at the start of the story, but once a few things are cleared up by the author, the story becomes quite solid.
The real difficulty comes from the problem that the two girls have in communicating. This leads to things being hidden from the reader for a little too long in this first volume. Nothing that ruins the story, but things that should not be surprises are held back.
On the other hand, it’s a fun, light story for the most part, and the creator’s artwork has an interesting style. It is almost minimalist in many scenes, especially when one of the characters is thinking. That was a good artistic choice for this story.
The book’s central story, which is about teen relationships, means that it really is aimed at teens and up. Adults can read it with a certain sense of nostalgia. If the later volumes improve on the information flow to the readers, then it will be even better.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.