A review by reila
Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 1 by Mika Yamamori

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

(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).