Hina-chan Change
Hina Change

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This manga was mentioned by Joey (The Anime Man) and realised this was on my “to read list” for a very long time so here we are lol!

I actually surprisingly thought that this manga was a pretty good read from what I was expecting! It’s about two highschoolers Ren and Hina who are known to have the power to swap bodies with the thanks of their pinkies. Hina is in love with Ren but in actual fact, Ren is more interested in Makoto. Then the messiness starts with them having funny business with others but I’m gonna stop there as it would spoil every ... single one of you from reading this manga lol..

Ngl it’s a pretty messed up read like this manga proves that it is a relief that the body swapping genre doesn’t exist in the real world. I would hate to find out I was with the wrong person all along XD

A body switching story that doesn't shy away from showing how people can use it for their own selfish purposes. The manga focuses on Hina and Ren, two childhood friends that figure out that they have the ability to change bodies. This happens to benefit them both in certain ways, but as some friendships do, they change and falter as they get older. Ren is now a popular student while Hina is ostracized and bullied. Ren has a secret, but he jokes around about it when he wishes he could be direct and honest. Hina is in love with Ren, but the feeling isn't reciprocated. ... Using this to his advantage, he exploits her infatuation with him and asks to swap bodies... and things start taking a turn for the worse.

The series deals with bullying, codependency, emotional manipulation, homosexuality, jealousy, sex and youthful ignorance. The series is a quick and engaging read. The artwork is fine for what it is, but the story more than makes up for that. We get to deal with two people who feed off of each other in an unhealthy way. The power dynamics change and the story ultimately comes to an end. There is a brief epilogue, but it leave you wanting more since it brings up some interesting questions. The manga isn't preachy and it deals with the consequences in a realistic manner, especially since not everyone reacts positively to the events that they went through. As of this writing, the manga is still available for free on the Manga Plus app. This is highly recommended and I'm looking forward to Gaku Kajikawa's next project.

Despite not being a fan of gender-bending stories, I gave this manga a chance due to my interest in bullying stories. It may not be categorized as a coming-of-age kind of story or slice of life, but Hina-chan change is a good representation of what growing up is.
The plot follows high schoolers and childhood friends Hina, who is the victim of harassment by her classmates, and Ren, a closeted gay student, who discovered as kids their ability to switch bodies by touching each other pinkies. At first, Ren used the ability to help Hina due to her shy and withdrawn personality; but after a while, ... he decided to stop after realizing he was only going to injure her.

One day Ren decided to confess his feelings to his friend Makoto, who rejected him for considering it a bad joke. Sooner, after a session of bullying by her female classmates, Hina finds Ren crying for his love not being reciprocated, and she convinces him of changing bodies. After that, Ren went after Makoto and had sex with him using Hina´s body.

The plot onwards revolves around the two childhood friends swapping bodies and doing what they usually cannot do.

The toxicity in the relationship of this manga can be compared to the ones of other well-known stories such as Scum´s wish and School days. By showing how despicable and abusive teenage relationships tend to be, and how impossible it is to fully accept you are not happy due to the innocent belief that things can get better.

There is, yet, a perfect character development during the climax of the story, which shows the growth of the main cast and how their actions helped them to understand they need to change and love themselves by who they are, instead of living in a fantasy or denial.

The drawing is neat, as well as the pacing. But, as I said in other reviews, what I like the most is when the characters resemble the age they are supposed to have instead of having a 17 years old protagonist looking like a 40 years old salaryman.

In conclusion, this manga may not be a gem or a work of art, not even utterly enjoyable, but it is interesting to read if you have free time and want to read something short and somehow catchy.