Well… this manga started off promising. It starts with a little bait-and-switch where the cute Ayaka is flirting desperately with the cool Hiroko, and we are led to believe it’s one sided on her side, only for the end of the first chapter to reveal the feelings are mutual but Hiroko is holding back.
But then, Hiroko keeps holding back to the point of repeatedly hurting Ayaka… and I ended up being unable to root for their relationship. I do enjoy tropes about insecure love interests, but this manga infuriated me with how frequently Hiroko would hurt Ayaka (by acccident, but in ways she REALLY should
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Sep 8, 2022
Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu.
(Manga)
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Mixed feelings tag, how I love thee—it’s the perfect summary of my thoughts in this manga!
The start of this manga is extremely enjoyable, and I would give it an 8/10–up until around the time where Komi and Tadano get together. At this point of the manga, I’d actually give it a 6.5 but that isn’t an option, so a 6 it is! My first issue is with Komi herself. Unfortunately, due to being a character with a strong ‘schtick’ there is a cap on how much development Komi can have as a character. Whilst I do love her, I found myself rooting for the romance between ... 
Sep 8, 2022
The initial premise, as seen in the title, was very interesting—the wife trying to contain herself and the husband thinking he was doing something wrong. To me, the start of the manga was decently enjoyable and somewhat unique in concept.
However, I feel the manga eventually loses this initial premise—which can work, but was not done gradually and via character development—and it is replaced with the main couple being badass or adorable, and everyone else swooning over them. This style of manga, where the author wants to show us how amazing the protagonists are every turn, is just not my cup of tea; and so ... 
Aug 31, 2022
Kieta Hatsukoi
(Manga)
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[this review is partially copied over from my old account!]
I love this manga! It shares an artist with another amazing manga, Ore Monogatari, which is why I decided to read it. And certainly, the art is amazing. Like Monogatari, it uses really crazy and funny facial expressions but still retains a soft shoujo vibe. I feel it perfectly captures the awkward but sweet and fluffy feelings of a first real romance exceptionally well. Whilst still using the typical ‘misunderstanding style’ plot found in many romance manga, I feel like it’s still a largely refreshing take on the genre (one twist in particular) All of the characters are likeable, which ... 
Aug 31, 2022
Yuunagi ni Mae, Boku no Ribbon
(Manga)
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Set in 1984, Hiroshima, ‘Yuunagi’ is a powerful manga packed with emotion—a boy finds a new passion in Ribbon Gymnastics Dancing. However, it is a sport that was (and still is) seen as ‘for girls’; meaning he will face many hardships trying to persue this new passion.
Backdropping this story is a family life where the main characters mother has recently passed away, leaving his father harsher and colder than before; and his sister picking up the pieces. The dynamics between these three characters are very well established and I am excited to see them explored further into the story—already, the sister has surprised me with ... 
Jun 29, 2022
It’s somewhat hard to rate an anthology altogether, especially one like this with no interconnectivity between each story.
So, here’s a short review and scoring for each of the three stories! Kanini & Kanino—a cute fantasy family story. Lovely animation, and adorable characters, but very predictable and hits all the story beats that you would expect. I enjoyed the world and am sad that the short runtime meant we didn’t get to see much of it. Overall, whilst I wouldn’t say it did anything wrong, it wasn’t very impactful in the end. 7/10 Life Ain’t Gonna Lose—as a slice of life fan, I very much enjoyed this one. ... 
May 22, 2022
Zetsubou Funsai Shoujo ∞ Amida
(Anime)
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Another short animation that made me really want a full series.
Firstly, I really loved the song it’s an MV for. The characters designs were really nice, especially the main girls ‘magical girl’ forms and the ways the infinity symbol were incorporated into her outfits and hair was really cool and clever! The artstyle and animation were stunningly fluid, and I really enjoyed the fire effects. The story suffered a little from it being a dialogue free music video, but that’s to be expected. I could still tell what was going on, and it’s a story with the potential to be really powerful if fleshed out into a ... 
May 22, 2022
Cross Road
(Anime)
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It seems really inexplicable to give a two-minute advert a 9/10 but here I am!
This is just a two-minute ad, but it manages to pack an impressive amount of expression and personality into it, which is why I gave it such a high score. It really shows the importance of expressions and body language in characters; and highlights how much can be conveyed in short periods of time by a talented team. It speaks volumes to Shinkai’s skill when he could make me care about and ship two characters within two minutes, using their environments and expressions to very clearly express who they are. I found ... |
