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ashleybergeronbb's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cupidcove's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was surprised by how much I liked the first volumes of this collection. I was expecting it to be kind of exploitative and lacking in depth but the depth in the emotions between Mari and Akiko was present and I got quite invested in their relationship. I liked how the author didn't shy away from portraying the less 'innocent' elements of older girlhood and Mari's introduction to her new friend group felt realistic to me, as did the development of her relationship with Akiko. Despite this, the fan service ramped up in the back half of this collection and really put me off of truly enjoying it. I think this is worth a read if you are interested but I would be aware that there are some dated elements that you will have to get through.
pennepasta's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lesbrary's review
3.0
Finally reading the yuri classic! It's sort of what I expected, but I'm enjoying the slow burn romance, blushes and all. This does have lots of "But girls can't date each other!!" and "What's wrong with me?" so be prepared for that.
raix's review
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
I've had this book for years and never managed to get into it... turns out my copy has a printing error that replaced the first two chapters with the last two! No wonder I felt lost!
Anyway, after getting over that hurdle, I enjoyed the story a lot. The art is really cute, especially the clothes and accessories. It's a very classic and heart-wrenching story about falling in love with your best friend (and you're both girls!). I'm a real sucker for shoujo manga, so even the plot points that stemmed from misunderstandings had me hooked.
I was surprised at the mature route that things took in the book (sexual content, underage drinking). I haven't read a LOT of yuri but it seems like those are unusual in a story like this! I'll admit they do add to the drama of it all. The main thing that put me off was the focus put on dieting (there's a whole chapter dedicated to it, which I mostly skipped). It's especially egregious given how the characters look.
Despite being spoilered by the misprint issue, after seeing everything that lead up to the ending, I'm desperate to find out what happens next! I want Mari and Akko to be together! I'm very glad past-me had the foresight to buy both collections at the same time!
Anyway, after getting over that hurdle, I enjoyed the story a lot. The art is really cute, especially the clothes and accessories. It's a very classic and heart-wrenching story about falling in love with your best friend (and you're both girls!). I'm a real sucker for shoujo manga, so even the plot points that stemmed from misunderstandings had me hooked.
I was surprised at the mature route that things took in the book (sexual content, underage drinking). I haven't read a LOT of yuri but it seems like those are unusual in a story like this! I'll admit they do add to the drama of it all. The main thing that put me off was the focus put on dieting (there's a whole chapter dedicated to it, which I mostly skipped). It's especially egregious given how the characters look.
Despite being spoilered by the misprint issue, after seeing everything that lead up to the ending, I'm desperate to find out what happens next! I want Mari and Akko to be together! I'm very glad past-me had the foresight to buy both collections at the same time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol
The girls go out drinking and on dates with college guys when they're still in high school. There's an entire chapter about dieting and specifically keeping each other accountable for what they eat.cyanide_latte's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Oof, talk about a punch right in the heart. I had a feeling that's what this would be, but it still hit hard as I've been going through this volume. TheStoryGraph has this listed as being lighthearted, but it's very much an emotionally-driven story the further into it you get. Be aware of that before going into this, as it's very much about questioning oneself when you first fall for someone and realize you're not straight. This volume also ends on a rather tense cliffhanger, so it'll be interesting to see how this resolves in the second omnibus!
lux's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
wolfgiselle's review
3.0
I'm not much of a Yuri manga reader. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to sit down and name even five. When I saw this one at the local used bookstore for cheap, I figured there was no time like the present to give one a shot.
The story starts with your typically smart but socially-awkward girl named Mariko. (Her introversion was relatable, at least.) She becomes best friends with a girl named Akiko. She's the more popular, more sociable girl who's into what you'd expect of your stereotypical teenage girl: fashion, makeup, boys, etc. I was never, personally, into all that stuff – despite being a girl myself. And I still lack an interest. Which means that whenever the story got to points that involved long detailed conversations about such things or shopping trips (can't forget all the shopping trips), my mind would glaze over a bit.
Now this manga is cute, don't get me wrong, but its biggest problem is nothing much happens in it. The premise, as I said, is simply one shy girl becoming friends with a not-quite-shy girl with whom she starts developing a bit of an obsessive crush. I say obsessive because this girl kisses her friend when she's drunk and unconscious, thinks about her nearly 24/7, gets jealous and upset over the slightest hint she's ever been with someone else, and even claims to have lost her virginity to her boyfriend at the time because her friend had lost hers to a boy the previous summer and she wanted to be like her. Like...WHAT?
Mariko's slight craziness aside, I can relate to having a crush on your best friend and being afraid to tell them or ruin your friendship. That was one of the plot points that kept me engaged and reading. I wanted to see where it went. The situation, of course, hasn't been resolved yet. I'll have to get the next omnibus to get the rest of the story, but I give the book kudos for at least making me invested enough to want to know what happens next in their relationship.
The other female character Akiko (the more outgoing one), was my favorite. This shocked me a little because I'm a lot more like Mariko in personality. She's so down to Earth, though - so likable. I feel bad for her because her friendship with Mariko is going through so much drama. And all because she's incapable of handling or dealing with her crush – or communicating to Akiko that she even has one. Akiko is just one of those genuinely nice people it's almost impossible to hate, even when they're sometimes a little pushy or clueless.
The artwork was pretty detailed for what it was and really fit into its cute vibe. I'd recommend this book to people who like Yuri and are curious about it but want something easy to digest with no overcomplicated plots.
The story starts with your typically smart but socially-awkward girl named Mariko. (Her introversion was relatable, at least.) She becomes best friends with a girl named Akiko. She's the more popular, more sociable girl who's into what you'd expect of your stereotypical teenage girl: fashion, makeup, boys, etc. I was never, personally, into all that stuff – despite being a girl myself. And I still lack an interest. Which means that whenever the story got to points that involved long detailed conversations about such things or shopping trips (can't forget all the shopping trips), my mind would glaze over a bit.
Now this manga is cute, don't get me wrong, but its biggest problem is nothing much happens in it. The premise, as I said, is simply one shy girl becoming friends with a not-quite-shy girl with whom she starts developing a bit of an obsessive crush. I say obsessive because this girl kisses her friend when she's drunk and unconscious, thinks about her nearly 24/7, gets jealous and upset over the slightest hint she's ever been with someone else, and even claims to have lost her virginity to her boyfriend at the time because her friend had lost hers to a boy the previous summer and she wanted to be like her. Like...WHAT?
Mariko's slight craziness aside, I can relate to having a crush on your best friend and being afraid to tell them or ruin your friendship. That was one of the plot points that kept me engaged and reading. I wanted to see where it went. The situation, of course, hasn't been resolved yet. I'll have to get the next omnibus to get the rest of the story, but I give the book kudos for at least making me invested enough to want to know what happens next in their relationship.
The other female character Akiko (the more outgoing one), was my favorite. This shocked me a little because I'm a lot more like Mariko in personality. She's so down to Earth, though - so likable. I feel bad for her because her friendship with Mariko is going through so much drama. And all because she's incapable of handling or dealing with her crush – or communicating to Akiko that she even has one. Akiko is just one of those genuinely nice people it's almost impossible to hate, even when they're sometimes a little pushy or clueless.
The artwork was pretty detailed for what it was and really fit into its cute vibe. I'd recommend this book to people who like Yuri and are curious about it but want something easy to digest with no overcomplicated plots.
lautir's review
3.0
This was cute. A pretty typical manga story but the pacing was good and the characters were fun. Even if the story did drag every now and then in it's missed communication plot beats.