Kimi to Pico-Pico

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At first glance, Kimi to Pico-Pico is a story about a video game otaku suddenly finding himself in the same gaming club as a gyaru brought up on classical NES titles. Looking at it from a broader perspective, it's a story that’s less about the video games themselves and more about the gamers. Old school gamers, competitive gamers, even gamers modding their peripherals or trying to make their own short works in the Game Maker. Of course, it’s also a rom-com filled with references to Japanese computer games.

At its core, Kimi to Pico-Pico is a comedy about video games first, even if Japanese peculiarities about ... effective lack of fair use force them to use very blatant ersatzes for many game titles. We get jokes about searching for easter eggs, trying to circumvent modesty shadows to peek under skirts of 3D models and people pointing out the inherent hilarity of the existence of a co-op video game wholly based around parodying stereotypical Japanese politeness. The games referenced are varied, though the series has clear bias towards both the older titles and the works seen as iconic or at least peculiar enough to warrant their mention. Overall, I’m pretty sure that the wide variety of game related topics and jokes will reach anybody with interest in them, even if some references will likely send you for a wiki crawl.

As for the second pillar of comedy in this series, our gamers, the series doesn’t disappoint either. Characters are both vivid enough to perform their comedic roles and down to earth enough to be relatable. Without spoiling the later developments, the main cast consists of four characters: our main duo of Taichi Oota, introverted gamer otaku and Ageha Onisaki, gyaru girl who got into gaming playing with her father on NES, and the secondary couple of their two seniors at club. The most important thing to know about them is that they have great chemistry, especially the main couple. It’s refreshing to see romantic leads of the series genuinely enjoy each other’s presence this much, especially since it makes their slow progress towards becoming a couple much more believable.

It’s worth pointing out that this comedy makes full use of both quid pro quo misunderstandings and dramatic exaggerations showing us games from the perspective of the already immersed characters. This gives this series decent levels of fanservice and innuendos, while usually keeping it from overtaking the plot. Though I personally felt like one fanservice arc in the middle was a bit too long and a bit too on the nose with suggestive, exaggerated expressions. I particularly enjoy the fact that Kimi to Pico-Pico occasionally ventures out with its jokes outside the realm of gaming, providing a pleasant and refreshing change of pace.

If I were to point out the series' main weak point, I’d say it’s the feeling that the ending felt a little compressed, like the series needed two more chapters to properly finish the denouncement. Still, I consider it as distinctly above average with how the series handles it, especially compared to the unfortunate tendency of rom-com manga series to end right at their emotional zenith. While this vague description doesn’t do the series justice, it’s the most detailed one I can give without revealing the key details of the plot.

Overall, I believe that Kimi to Pico-Pico is a masterpiece of a nerd culture rom-com manga. I can honestly rate it 10/10 and recommend it to others.

The manga starts out with 2 characters. Onisaki, Ageha and Oota, Taichi. He goes to the gaming club and find a Gyaru playing old school games, over the course of a few chapters and they play old-school and modern games together. So comparing old and new Puyo Puyo for example in one chapter. The Genesis and Switch iterations. A Gal that's used to older games and a typical stand in guy that's used to modern games and he reacts how you'd expect in certain situations.

It's different from say Gal Gamer ni Homeraretai being a more 'a Gal is training me on how to play Apex ... Legends and whatever mention of older games and his other friend'. It feels kind of like Game Yaru kara 100-en Kashite! in a way but highschool and in a clubroom then office employees and going to a cafe I guess in some aspects they play a new game or so every so often but have the other talking moments as well. Anyways on to hints at the story and other elements of what to expect in this manga.

The designs are pretty alright, the mention of actual game names and consoles surprised me at first but if their allowed to by all means I didn't mind fictional names used.

Later on it introduced 2 new characters the club president and another girl many chapters later. Currently just finished Ageha's birthday chapter. So far it's mostly just whatever they do together in the club room and how they feel internally or outwardly about certain situations besides gaming. Like the club leader and the new character, or what their experiences with games are.

Unlike Gamers that I feel was too much about the romance/slice of life aspects and I hated it I think this one balances it enough if you still want the gaming side of things and less using it too much as a backdrop and just making the title redundant later. Not that you really need stuff to be about the hobby but I find it more interesting or else I'd rather read any slice of life romance instead or else why would I bother. Besides that I just have no interest in the character from Gamers at all, while with the others I mentioned and Kimi to Pico Pico I find the ones here to be more engaging and better varied in personality and situations they are in is more compelling.

I feel similarly for New Game blended the game development and character moments well that I didn't mind it, but instead with this manga being just another highschool, they play games, they do or don't have romance/feeling moments and not as much dropping the 'gaming aspect' as to me Gamers was just boring. But anyways enough about comparisons time for some other story details without spoiling too much.

Can't say for more than 15 chapters and reading on and off but so far and to add on more than the prior reviewer's 2 chapters I just wanted to add that it does try to lean into the characters thoughts and reactions, it does showcase a fair amount of games in the first 3-4 from what I remember with the main two characters. Like she goes to his house in one of the chapters, like I said the birthday chapter, them using the male MC's Switch as Ageha hasn't used one and he loans it to her for a bit, but otherwise most are in the club room, classroom or outside like with the birthday chapter them going bowling and if they do or don't win a prize and it being his birthday present to her as he didn't get anything/know.

If you like gaming old and new and don't mind a bit of romcom elements I'd highly recommend it. If you have read the other manga I mentioned then hopefully this one gives you an idea of how similar or if it seems of interest to you. I got a lot of enjoyment from this one 15 chapters in and it's kind of my preferred gaming hobby slice of life bit of romcom manga right now.