Reviews - Tsubaki-cho Lonely Planet, Vol. 1

101 reviews for:

Tsubaki-cho Lonely Planet, Vol. 1

Fumi Ohno is a wholesome character - she's passionate about domestic chores and maintaining a household though it's unclear whether this is out of necessity or a genuine interest. She finds herself in an unlikely predicament as a live-in housekeeper for a much older, surly novelist. Already the age gap thing is a total non-starter for me. I've seen other manga reviewers say the manga addresses the age gap in later volumes, though I'm not sure to what extent.

I loved the scene when Fumi is doing tasks around the house (laundry and replacing a ceiling bulb) while reflecting on her lack of interest in dating guys. She says "...There's nothing I can't do on my own, so it doesn't seem necessary." Then, in the very next panel, she's fighting off a panty thief in the backyard. I loved this scene and I thought it demonstrated how Fumi can find satisfaction in house chores (a "traditional" role for women) but isn't a wilting flower who is incapable of taking care of herself. Which is why I was so frustrated with the introduction of Isshin Imamura, who bullies Fumi for some perceived slight back when they were children, and she just rolls over and takes it for the sake of a dumb coupon book.

Beyond Fumi's sweet disposition and the stress involved in paying off her father's debt, there's nothing really compelling in this first volume. Kibikino is a flat character, a lifeless stand-in for the grumpy/sunshine trope. His overall character design doesn't appeal to me. Let's pretend for a second that there isn't a heinous 12-year age gap: I just can't root for male manga characters who are slobs or do the absolute bare minimum (e.g. like carry a grocery bag after they treated their love interest like shit) and we're supposed to swoon like these are grand gestures. It just feels lazy.

linluvsbooks's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

o1eander's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

(I'm writing this as of vol.6 -- I'll come back and change this review when I finish it for realsies)

My guilty pleasure shoujo manga pick, where our MC (16) ends up being a housekeeper for a young (28) socially awkward ('NYT best-selling' haha, just kidding) author. Maybe that's a tad harsh... Akatsuki writes historical fiction and vibes there. Interacting with people has never been his strong suit. Fumi is trying her best to keep it together. Living in a single-parent household that's in debt isn't ideal. Kids have no choice but to be responsible and take on the emotional labor ('you're so mature, you'll be fine' kinda deal). I appreciate the lightheartedness of the story and I feel the relationship progresses well with how the characters present themselves. It's still self-indulgent/wish fulfillment, but realistic enough. If romance wasn't the focus... This could have been a fine nice slice-of-life (After the Rain by Jun Mayuzuki comes to mind).

dynamicdylan's review against another edition

4.0

This was a great first volume! The main character reminds me of Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket. Her father goes into debt, and she moves into a man's apartment free of charge in order to save money. This man is an author and they get off to a rocky start. We also have another boy who makes her is lackey. I'm still not sure where this series will go.
There is a possible age gap in this series. I really like the main character and I'm curious to see where the story goes next.