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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
A 3.5-3.8 stars!!
I really enjoy reading this first volume since I finish the anime!!!
I really enjoy reading this first volume since I finish the anime!!!
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Cute wlw mamga
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Soft but angsty
I enjoyed this but it’s also not especially memorable feeling. The art style is very soft and I love Akira’s friendship with Fumi; she’s so caring and protective. I don’t think I like Sugimoto very much, and Kyoko is kinda mysterious and hard to keep track of. Curious to see how things will develop in the future, especially between Fumi and Akira.
Content notes:
I enjoyed this but it’s also not especially memorable feeling. The art style is very soft and I love Akira’s friendship with Fumi; she’s so caring and protective. I don’t think I like Sugimoto very much, and Kyoko is kinda mysterious and hard to keep track of. Curious to see how things will develop in the future, especially between Fumi and Akira.
Content notes:
slow-paced
Takako Shimura’s Sweet Blue Flowers is a series that has been a long time coming in English. The comic focusing on reunited childhood friends is part slice-of-life with daily activities of schoolgirls such as commuting, afterschool café visits along with school clubs and festivals, while also a drama in the form of disclosures, crushes, dating, and family dynamics.
See my blog for an in-depth review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship
I liked this, it was a bittersweet depiction of what it's like to love other girls. I loved what a good friend Aki is! The only thing was that it switched back and forth between the two storylines too quickly, so was confusing at times. Otherwise I liked it!
TW: groping, breakups, coming out, crushes on teachers, crushes on family members, mention of sex
3.5 stars | This was super beautiful as far as the art style went. All of the girls were illustrated so wonderfully and i loved just looking at all of the art.
I do think that people who are more well versed in reading manga would have a bigger appreciation than I did for this story. I found it rather difficult to keep track of what was going on and who was narrating and what characters had what relationships. But in the end I found my bearings and was able to understand the overall messy but quite realistic high school experience.
I will say that really, I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe Akira. Everyone else was either too bratty or annoying, but I’m sure that plenty of people will learn to appreciate every girl and her personality regardless of first impressions.
My conclusive thoughts are that the art style was my favorite part about what I read, and although I had a fun and cutesy time I’m unsure if I’ll continue with the series.
3.5 stars | This was super beautiful as far as the art style went. All of the girls were illustrated so wonderfully and i loved just looking at all of the art.
I do think that people who are more well versed in reading manga would have a bigger appreciation than I did for this story. I found it rather difficult to keep track of what was going on and who was narrating and what characters had what relationships. But in the end I found my bearings and was able to understand the overall messy but quite realistic high school experience.
I will say that really, I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe Akira. Everyone else was either too bratty or annoying, but I’m sure that plenty of people will learn to appreciate every girl and her personality regardless of first impressions.
My conclusive thoughts are that the art style was my favorite part about what I read, and although I had a fun and cutesy time I’m unsure if I’ll continue with the series.
Sweet Blue Flowers follows childhood friends Fumi and Akira as they reunite going into high school. Fast friends again, we follow them through navigating school, friendships, and crushes. Their story is told with tenderness and honesty. Akira strives to be a steadfast and supportive friend for Fumi, while Fumi struggles to come to terms with falling for a classmate. This is sure to be a lovely series.
Super cute! I love the characters & the art, but the story is a little weird? It's just slice o life, but the transitions to different scenes was confusing and some of the characters' motivations are unclear. It does have a dreamy nostalgic feel that reminds me of early adolescence, so some of the confusion seems warranted. Idk. It's cute and gay, so I'm gonna read more!
Sweet Blue Flowers is a contemporary romance manga with a strong focus on f/f relationships. Fumi, a lesbian, is starting to get over a long crush with a new relationship. The introduction of her childhood friend, Akira, back into her life marks a change for her. With new acquaintances, and new club activities, she meets another girl who is interested in her. But Yasuko has her own baggage when it comes to love, and though they like each other, her previous feelings start to drive a wedge in their relationship. Akira, meanwhile has a classmate who also likes Yasuko, but she is torn between which of her friends she is rooting for.
The plot is all about high school romances, and it leans more towards female relationships. Not that there are not men – Yasuko is mentioned explicitly as bisexual (can I get a hurray for that?) and there are other supporting characters around, but the focus is definitely on female friendships and relationships. It is a sweet story, and lots of feel-good and cute moments, but also allows characters to develop organically on page.
The artwork is not elaborate, and is more simplistic, but it is still pretty beautiful. It brings out the tense as well as tender moments, and is stylistically good. The world the author builds in is contemporary, but without the homophobia; not that non-heterosexual relationships are the norm, but it is not treated as something weird by the characters and it was refreshing to have one that doesn’t depend on that kind of arc. Also, it doesn’t have gay panic moments either, and Fumi’s coming out to Akira is treated with care. There is, however, a scene with sexual harassment on trains, and I would advise content warning for those who aren’t comfortable with it.
Overall, a manga I am really looking forward to read more of. (There’s also an anime of it, and I am so going to watch it!)
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media LLC, via Edelweiss.
The plot is all about high school romances, and it leans more towards female relationships. Not that there are not men – Yasuko is mentioned explicitly as bisexual (can I get a hurray for that?) and there are other supporting characters around, but the focus is definitely on female friendships and relationships. It is a sweet story, and lots of feel-good and cute moments, but also allows characters to develop organically on page.
The artwork is not elaborate, and is more simplistic, but it is still pretty beautiful. It brings out the tense as well as tender moments, and is stylistically good. The world the author builds in is contemporary, but without the homophobia; not that non-heterosexual relationships are the norm, but it is not treated as something weird by the characters and it was refreshing to have one that doesn’t depend on that kind of arc. Also, it doesn’t have gay panic moments either, and Fumi’s coming out to Akira is treated with care. There is, however, a scene with sexual harassment on trains, and I would advise content warning for those who aren’t comfortable with it.
Overall, a manga I am really looking forward to read more of. (There’s also an anime of it, and I am so going to watch it!)
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media LLC, via Edelweiss.