There are three stories in this volume that are all... not connected at all, like, there is nothing that I can think of, at least. A bit on the bland side and most of the characters are unlikeable and frustrating to watch. The artwork at times is quite messy.
The first story is about two friends, both aspiring models, but one of them gets everything - from her model height to the interest of agencies, while the second is left behind. In her anger at the unfairness of the world, she starts disliking her once best friend. The main topic of the story is jealousy. The story is not bad per se, but a bit too... unrealistic? So many models in the same high school? Even the previously unnoticed girl gets an interview, like, why she cannot suddenly understand that her interest lies in designing clothes seeing that she is good at that? WARNING the story contains attempted sexual abuse.
The second story is, in my humble opinion, the shining one in this manga. A family is left devastated after the mother dies. The father succumbs to alcohol and violent tempers, the youngest son is a victim of apathy and the oldest daughter tries her best to be the peace-maker while juggling house chores, school work, and a stressful environment. Their life changes when the son brings home a school friend. The story has a plot revolving around domestic violence which is rare to find in mangas and one of the secondary characters is seemingly a person with autism, which is also quite rare. The story is left on a melancholic, but hopeful note. There is also no romantic relationship to which I am thankful as it would take away from the story.
The third story... gosh.. where I should start. The MC is a loving girlfriend to an asshole. After the boyfriend treats the MC like garbage, she still loves him. End of the story. But in all honesty, girl, dump his sorry ass. You are dating him for only a year and you are already getting wrinkles thanks to him. Not worth it.
To summarize, the story is progressive in many ways, depicting attempted sexual abuse (first story and third story), characters with an unspecified, but probable autism (second story), domestic violence (second story), etc. But often this is done in a bit of a childish, clumsy manner. Overall, not bad, but nothing to write home about.
Aramiya Satoshi is a friendly hermit, he lives a simple life, enjoying each and every day with a broad smile on his face. But his peace is always disrupted by armies that are trying to capture him due to his supernatural abilities of unknown origins and seemingly without any limits. Who is he and why a child genius named Grimm is so invested in him?
The story is simple, enjoyable, and uncomplicated. There is no real deep meaning behind the story so it reads easily and quickly. The main characters - Aramiya Satoshi and Grimm are both fairly engaging in their different approaches to life. Aramiya Satoshi had a turbulent past, but despite it, he is friendly, a bit naive, and he still finds joy in a simple, carefree life. Grimm is a young genius, at 10 years he published a scientific thesis that changed the world, he is arrogant, cocky and full of nervous energy. The dynamic between them is interesting and the story would only gain more if we saw more of it e.g. how their approaches to life and their life, in general, changed thanks to each other.
Nevertheless, I digress, the story is nice, the characters are cute and the manga panels are animated and bright.
Na-chan's father is an odd man, collecting things that many throw away, seeing beauty in what people find repulsive, refusing society as society refuses him. He lives under his own rules, speaks strange languages, and talks about things that are far from mundane or understandable to us, the common folk. When he dies, Na-chan is left alone, with people around her telling "good riddance" and "finally". And then, she seems to get it. But what exactly?
There is a certain tragedy in this story that is hard to define in simple, human words. Maybe the unknown language that the man has spoken would be able to do so. Was Na-chan's father a schizophrenic and if yes, was the trauma of his death and her forced relocation the push for Na-chan's schizophrenia to develop? Was it the "small stone" that forces "the world to collapse"? Or was he the holder of some truth that after his death was transferred to his daughter? Was it neglect the way of their living or a form of protection from the cruel, unbalanced world full of suffering? Why the death of this man, essentially a hermit in a city, was accepted with such happiness and relief? There are a lot of questions that cannot be answered, but the story made me reflect on how I treat this kind of people, people that I cannot understand or find repulsive or strange or bizarre due to their style of living. Do they maybe hold some secret of the universe that I will never get? Well, or maybe they are just simple lunatics trying to live day by day until the world is destroyed as "its collapse is only a question of time". Just like me.
A bit predictable, to be honest. The biggest twist would be if the blonde girl was the killer and she framed the dark-haired girl, but the latter, feeling still guilty over the accident, would take the blame for the killings, something like that. Not interesting.
I was sure that this would be your typical "big tits, wow, ecchi, sexy" story, but actually, it was sweet. Nothing to mull over, no deep thoughts needed, just a story on how physical attributes change depending on your insecurities and how sometimes overthinking is the worst.
Btw, the latest pages reminded me of "Akira" so... not nice.
As always, the stories by Kiriko Nananan are incredible to read.
The 8 pages are flawless in their execution, both in artwork and storyline. The sheer tragedy of the situation, the character of Yoko who knew from the start what this meeting was about, the loss of friendship, and the desperation that comes when you know that you destroyed something that will never be fixed. The situation seems so real, you are an unwilling witness, feeling almost uncomfortable and annoyed when the narrator shares her thoughts. But the real sadness lies in Yoko, this strong and kind individual, who until the end stands strong despite losing the two closest people to her to a terrible betrayal. She leaves, proud and beautiful, of course, hurt, but kindness is sometimes worse than anger.
And at the end, you know that the main character is right in thinking that it was their last meeting. And with that, their shared chapter of life is ended. Yoko left this all behind her, she will never again meet the narrator or her ex, moving forward with her life. The narrator though will always face the guilt and the thought of Yoko will consume her until she will, eventually, break up with her lover.
Simply beautiful, bravo, Kiriko Nananan.
.... such a meaningless story.
Firstly, so after completely changing herself (cutting her hair, changing her clothes, wearing make-up) she finally gets her happy ending? Wouldn't it have been better, if she did not change herself, but just got self-respect?
Secondly, the older sister never stands up for her younger sister, like, your friends call your family "ugly" and you just shrug it off? Then again, you are asked not to visit the place that she works, there should be a reason for that, and you should have respected her wish, like, please.
Thirdly, all the story about the make-up and everything else... I would have preferred if there was a supernatural explanation rather than "it was make-up", like was it a set for the Lord of the Rings? What is your budget, sis?
Fourthly, why so many girls in shoujo manga wish everyone around them to be as unhappy as they are? Why they are so egocentric?
Overall, the story is really illogical to me at least and I did not see the message that the author was trying to translate in the story.
Usually, I approach stories like that with a grain of salt, finding them pretentious and often banal. But this one, with its morbidness and gloomy art, the uniqueness of the story told in 8 pages.. it resonated with me.
In the afterworld, there is a bar. Nothing special, just a small and dingy bar at the crossroad between Heaven and Hell. A haven for those stuck in the in-between, waiting for their turn. A man comes in, so sure that he is destined for hell, but is that right? And why does he get the exclusive angel's share?
The story provides a lot of food for thought. Is the bartender in reality God or a higher angel who sees the remorse in the man? Is being the 10000th customer enough to get in Heaven? Does really a lucky number cleanse your sins and allows you to bypass Hell and a long wait in the Afterworld? Is really luck what gets in you Heaven? Why him and not the 10000th customers before him, was the number just made up as it is quite small? And will the next 10000th customer get its angel's share?
For those who do not know, "angel's share" is just a term referring to the whiskey that evaporates When the liquid is slowly maturing in its cask.
Despite me not being a fan of stories depicting relationships between older people in power and their students, this one is alright in my book.
The MC is a girl who finds everything boring, she is closed off and everything around her is mundane and tiresome. She has a liking for her professor (a liking that is akin to crossing an item in the to-do list). One day, she finds the prof's phone that contains a dirty secret... And the main protagonist is far from being an innocent and blushing maiden to not take advantage of the situation.
I am simply in awe of the characterization of the female lead. She is dimensional, has many sides of her, and is interesting to observe at any moment. Thanks to the amazing Yamashita Tomoko the face of the MC is animated, alive, you can read her emotions and thoughts on each and every panel. The male character is not discussed in detail as the focus is mainly on her. The power dynamic is, of course, twisted and off-balance and I am sure that the BDSM community has some valuable insights on the portrayal of their relationship, but still the story is... original and unexpected, which is rare to find. The story takes bold turns that you do not expect, surprising at each panel in order to deliver a peculiar ending.
I did enjoy this story, strangely enough. The story is not stale, the female character is a breath of fresh air, what with this cunning side of hers. There is a bit of silliness (like the male character's name, like, common) or female pheromones? The twist is unexpected and gives the readers a nice moment of "you got me". The artwork is pleasant and I greatly appreciate that the story is a one-shot rather than a long series as it gives the opportunity to fantasize about what happens next.
To be honest, the idea is more interesting than the realization itself. It was, in my opinion, a bit rushed and clumsily executed. Was the Earl the girl's brother? Did the coachman escape before or after the murder-suicide and was he in the knows of all the murders? The villagers knew about the murders but did not do anything? I mean, 100 girls are like a full village. Did they think they were trapped in a castle with a prince who was transformed into a beast and then there would be a happy ending? What about the rest of the servants? Where did the demon-girl go and did it really need all girls to be dead? I mean, the female lead was alive. What was the point of the transformation into the doll? The art was OK, the plot, as mentioned, a bit all over the place.
Overall, the story reminded me of "Duke Venomania's Madness" by the Vocaloids.
A beautiful story of a demon that collects body parts and a girl whose hands are so beautiful that he cannot resist.
The bizarre plot that hides behind a story about kindness, acceptance, generosity of the spirit, and love. The story itself is not sweet or sugary, the characters have depths and the artwork is enjoyable. What more to wish?
I actually shed some tears at the ending of this story so heartwarming it was. Strongly suggest reading it.
A really nice and well-made story. The art is cute and original, the plot is realistic and sweet. The characters have doubts, wishes, jobs, and friends, which make them a bit more real.
It all begins when two roommates start having a friends-with-benefits situation. After crossing the line, their thoughts are filled with fears of rejection and of the terror that their friendship will end. But mostly, they both are afraid of changes. The two characters make mistakes, make realizations, make decisions - all for their happy ending.
It was not as disgustingly sweet as the 90% of shoujo mangas, so I count it as a win. The male character is intriguing, he seems like a double-faced young man that has more darkness in him than the female lead had previously anticipated. It would have been interesting if, in the end, the warnings of the others had some truth in them and the male lead was indeed heading to a dark path (possibly yakuza?). A refreshing ending twist - the opinions of others were based on evidence and the female character was the one who was too naive and blind to see the truth.
The story itself has potential, the characters have glimpses of depth in them, the dialogues are a bit awkward and the plot seems to be left at a bit of a cliffhanger.
I think this is an exceptionally beautiful story. The artwork is a masterpiece, oh, how lovely the red of her hair is contrasted with the paleness of her skin.
The story itself is tragic. As I see it, the MC waited for her lover to come back from a long war, but her strength left her and Hypnos took her for an endless sleep. Roses, in accordance with Greek mythology, were made out of a lifeless body of a nymph. But the story is open to interpretation and someone can say that she simply fell asleep, knowing that he is safe and close. Still, the artwork is gorgeous.
Despite the story being only 4 pages long, it is able to tell a lot about the couple and the history behind them, which is an accomplishment, in my humble opinion.
Ok, everything was nice, until the ending. I really hoped that there would not be hints on the possible relationship between the two MCs (one of whom is a child), but, alas.
Wouldn't it be much nicer if the story would have ended with them bonding as father and daughter without the creepy vibes? Was it necessary to add the potential future that she will grow up and be in love with her... father? It is a huge possibility that the grandmother had an affair with him, had a daughter, then the daughter had an affair with him, hence, one of the MC. Sweet home Alabama, ya all.
A story that is equally cool and thoughtful, the main character is a strong female lead but is human, with feelings and sorrows, which is a pleasant change from the overall "heartless cold-hearted b*tches".
The MC is a stunt woman, who wishes to be a Hollywood actress. Her brother's wedding forces her to travel from the US to Japan. Forced to rent a room in a hotel, she is faced with a devastating fire that is ready to claim the lives of two frightened children.
The ending was a bit forced, but still, a welcomed change to the usual overboard sweetness.
...85% of these stories are perfect for a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Story 1 and 2. It is a doomed couple, they do not talk to each other at all.
Story 3 and 4. Deceiving your employees and having sex in the office? Yikes.
Story 5. A bit rushed, like, why the Big Boss suddenly caught the feels? And again with the sex in the office, please, goddamit, do not have sex in the office. It is awkward for everyone, the cleaning ladies, the secretaries, the colleagues, yourselves.
Story 6. The continuation of Story 5, but, finally, the guy has some sense! "This is the office!", thank you, you generic uke! No sex in the office, please. But at least the story included a preparation before sex, so, nice.
Story 7. The boy was so annoying. But I mean, it is a bit rape-y, the boy said several times "no". Yaoi logic, I guess.
Story 8. Traveling overseas for work and leaving your kid all alone? Strange. Inviting a person to live with you without asking your children? Strange. Not protecting your son when an older and clearly bigger guy hits him? Strange (I mean, he did not say anything bad, the mom was a bit naive). Having sex with your cousin? Yikes.
The characters are bland, the style is typical for Fujikawa Ruri, the stories are basic.
An egotistical girl prefers to wish the world away rather than face her feelings. The guy likes her. Yay. What an amazing and romantic story. How cute is it, to stay with your crush when all the world is frozen in time? Like, super cute, I guess. Reminds me of the story "Vacation" by Bradbury, would have been nice if there was a more thoughtful plot e.g. as the only survivors, after many years of wandering around the world, they are forced to work together and she understands that she does not really fancy him. Then everything turns back to real life and she sees another guy and the same thought, "I wish I was the only person alive with him" runs through her mind, and a continuous loop follows.
A bit pretentious, but with interesting artwork to back it up. The story feels a bit like it should be thought-provoking, but as there is no clear message at the end, it seems a bit rushed. The girl noticing the hungry stares of men that devour her mother's chest should lead to something. Maybe we see a grown-up girl with her daughter and the situation is the same, meaning that nothing changes no matter how many years pass. Or the girl wearing baggy clothes and still being catcalled showing that it was not the clothes that attract the attention, but just the sex. Or the grown-up girl checking another girls' breast and understanding that she is acting the same as the men she disliked in her childhood. Something to end the story. But alas, though the story has a lot of potential.