Ranked #4602

Otona Ni Nuts (Manga)

I feel as if I needed to rewrite my review on this, so I'm starting over again. I'm not sure why.

Instant Teen: Just Add Nuts! is a sweet story about a young fifth grader named Natsumi Kawashima who wants to become a beautiful young woman, but unfortunately for her, she still looks (and acts) like a kid. On chance she finds these nuts, accidentally mixed in with nuts that were only supposed to be for adults, and they change her into a very well developed woman! She turns back not long after, but she soon discovers the source of the nuts: a genius doctor named Dr. Morinomiya, the creator of these miracle nuts. Dr. Morinomiya experiments with her and the nuts, so she gains more, and soon she is able to get herself into all sorts of trouble, not without dragging her neighbor and childhood friend Asuma along.

You may be thinking this series sounds kind of silly. Well, it is. It’s a ridiculous, fluffy romance of a young girl who wants to grow up too fast and her best friend. But I adore it. I’m not even sure why myself. The story lacks, obviously, in maturity, and the audience is targeted for young shoujo-lovers or kids. But it’s just so adorable, that I own all four volumes and have re-read it several times.

From the very beginning you get to see how Natsumi feels. She obviously desires more for her looks, and it very dissatisfied with her tomboyish appearance. All the characters are well thought out. Asuma, Natsumi’s childhood friend, is torn with his desire for her adult self and the comfort of his best friend, and also jealousy of the men Natsumi is able to encounter from her outrageous body. During the series it’s shown again and again how even though Natsumi is in an adult body, her mind is still the same. Her body may have grown but the maturity level of a kid is still present in her.

The art, though it is flawed, is actually really adorable. This is one of Haruka Fukushima’s earlier works, and she gets a better grasp of human anatomy in her works such as Cherry Juice and Kedamono Damono, so the amateur-style shines through Instant Teen. But despite the many mistakes in her work, her lines are neat and swift, and the eyes bright and lively, bringing out Instant Teen farther with likeable artwork. There’s just something I love about Haruka’s style. Everything she draws just looks so cute.

This is one of the sweetest shoujo you’ll get your hands on, a story of an impatient girl struggling to grow up before she’s ready.
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I really enjoyed this story and I've read it more than once. I'd recommend it more for girls but I've seen guys enjoy similar things. It's a good story with entertaining characters and good art.