A review by joelevard
Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Vol. 3 by Akiko Higashimura
3.0
I've been half enjoying this series and half reading it from behind my hands, as the manga-ka heaps one indignity after another upon her hapless lead characters. The series doesn't seem to interrogate much the central trio's obsession with being married, and only attacks them for failing at finding suitable men. There seems to be no suggestion that they should find happiness within themselves first. There's one particular antagonist character who is needlessly, senselessly cruel, and I have no idea what purpose he is supposed to serve.
I'm not sure if I'm going to go on, because after this downer of a volume, I read spoilers and it sounds like I won't like where everything wraps up. Maybe I can chalk this one up to cultural differences—I sure don't know what it's like to be an unmarried mid-30s career woman in Japan—but I'd rather read a story in which the author doesn't seem to hate her characters.
I'm not sure if I'm going to go on, because after this downer of a volume, I read spoilers and it sounds like I won't like where everything wraps up. Maybe I can chalk this one up to cultural differences—I sure don't know what it's like to be an unmarried mid-30s career woman in Japan—but I'd rather read a story in which the author doesn't seem to hate her characters.