Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This review is for the series as a whole, up through volume 13+.
I like the original concept of this story. The characters, and especially the guy, are really interesting at first. I love how he looks so different at school and out of school. But my enjoyment of this series really became less around volume 5, when the entire original concept was pretty much thrown out the window. He cuts his hair, gets rid of his glasses, and stops looking in any way different in school and out. His haircut makes him instantly popular, so he now has lots of friends and isn't the insecure loner he was at first. While in the beginning he doesn't hesitate at all to show his tattoos to people outside of school, later on he goes to extreme lengths to hide them even from his good friends in their own homes. The first time we see him wearing a lip ring with a chain to his ear is the ONLY TIME he ever wears this. He wears a normal lip ring once or twice, but that's gone forever pretty quickly, and he rarely even seems to be wearing many/any earrings. Also, as far as Hori, her whole thing of being a 'housewife' at home because her parents are gone and she has to take care of her brother disappears when her parents (most notably her dad) come back. Any nervousness she has about people at school finding out she knows how to do household stuff vanishes entirely like it was never there.
Also, things happen in their relationship which should be big moments, but they happen with zero lead-up, zip by extremely quickly (one page or less), and are either never mentioned again or only barely. At one point, it's very strongly implied they have sex. Out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. They are not at all closer because of this, and later on he explicitly tells his friends they don't do things like that, even when they're alone in her house. I've chosen to wipe this event from my view of the story entirely, since it appears that's what the author himself did. Another time, he asks her to marry him. This gets a single page. She never responds (that we see). This is never brought up again (except at one point where he thinks of it).
I'll also mention that later on, it's revealed that Hori has some kind of abuse fetish or something. She actively tries to get her boyfriend mad and wants him to verbally and physically abuse her, and this makes her happy. So, that might be an issue for some readers. (I know I didn't care for it very much.) It's one example, IMO, of this series showing that its intended audience is male. Other examples are the too-short skirts on the girls (even when it's snowing), the "girls grabbing other girls' boobs" trope that you only get in male-aimed manga, and the abrupt/unsatisfying/nonexistent developments in the romantic storylines. (Though it's definitely not as bad as a lot of male-aimed manga when it comes to treatment of female characters.)
This story is cute and often funny and has likable characters. But the fact that it so quickly utterly abandons its own premise and also often does things which end up going nowhere (including with relationship developments or non-developments in other couples) really sours the experience for me. If this were a complete story and I could read through to the end and see if anything actually went anywhere, I might have a slightly better opinion of it. I guess it depends on what you're looking for (and how much the original concept/hook of the story is your main reason for reading).
I like the original concept of this story. The characters, and especially the guy, are really interesting at first. I love how he looks so different at school and out of school. But my enjoyment of this series really became less around volume 5, when the entire original concept was pretty much thrown out the window.
Also, things happen in their relationship which should be big moments, but they happen with zero lead-up, zip by extremely quickly (one page or less), and are either never mentioned again or only barely.
I'll also mention that later on, it's revealed that Hori has some kind of abuse fetish or something. She actively tries to get her boyfriend mad and wants him to verbally and physically abuse her, and this makes her happy. So, that might be an issue for some readers. (I know I didn't care for it very much.) It's one example, IMO, of this series showing that its intended audience is male. Other examples are the too-short skirts on the girls (even when it's snowing), the "girls grabbing other girls' boobs" trope that you only get in male-aimed manga, and the abrupt/unsatisfying/nonexistent developments in the romantic storylines. (Though it's definitely not as bad as a lot of male-aimed manga when it comes to treatment of female characters.)
This story is cute and often funny and has likable characters. But the fact that it so quickly utterly abandons its own premise and also often does things which end up going nowhere (including with relationship developments or non-developments in other couples) really sours the experience for me. If this were a complete story and I could read through to the end and see if anything actually went anywhere, I might have a slightly better opinion of it. I guess it depends on what you're looking for (and how much the original concept/hook of the story is your main reason for reading).
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
*has died of fangirling*
This was the sweetest, cutest, and most freaking adorable thing EVER!!
This was the sweetest, cutest, and most freaking adorable thing EVER!!
This story starts off as cute and adorable and it only get's more of that from there.
This entire set up is entirely my jam and that they start of as friends? I cannot wait to read more.
This entire set up is entirely my jam and that they start of as friends? I cannot wait to read more.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced