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A review by lastblossom
My Lovesick Life as a '90s Otaku, Vol. 1 by Nico Nicholson, Nico Nicholson
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A slice of life packed with nostalgia that should sit will with manga fans, no matter what age.
Thoughts
It's a good time to be an otaku. Anime and manga get theatrical releases, place of pride on shelves at big name bookstores, and Netflix adaptations. So it's weird to think that less than a generation ago, liking anime officially made you persona non grata in society. Single mother Megumi is working through these weird feelings as she reminisces on her high school years and her first crush. It's a bittersweet story tinged with nostalgia. Classic series, otaku penpals, and other fandom essentials from the 90s feature heavily. Older readers will reminisce. Newer readers will probably find parallels between current fandom practices. But at its core, everyone will understand. Public opinion on anime might be different these days, but the ache of trying to fit in in high school never changes. And that's where the heart of this lies. It's a sweet high school slice of life, with a hint of romance, and a heap of self discovery. Tying it in with her current day helps keep the story in focus, and I'm really curious to see if her past and future will ever line up - especially given some of the threads that are in here. Art is bold and expressive, with plenty of energy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy. All thoughts in this are my own!
A slice of life packed with nostalgia that should sit will with manga fans, no matter what age.
Thoughts
It's a good time to be an otaku. Anime and manga get theatrical releases, place of pride on shelves at big name bookstores, and Netflix adaptations. So it's weird to think that less than a generation ago, liking anime officially made you persona non grata in society. Single mother Megumi is working through these weird feelings as she reminisces on her high school years and her first crush. It's a bittersweet story tinged with nostalgia. Classic series, otaku penpals, and other fandom essentials from the 90s feature heavily. Older readers will reminisce. Newer readers will probably find parallels between current fandom practices. But at its core, everyone will understand. Public opinion on anime might be different these days, but the ache of trying to fit in in high school never changes. And that's where the heart of this lies. It's a sweet high school slice of life, with a hint of romance, and a heap of self discovery. Tying it in with her current day helps keep the story in focus, and I'm really curious to see if her past and future will ever line up - especially given some of the threads that are in here. Art is bold and expressive, with plenty of energy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy. All thoughts in this are my own!