Jan 23, 2024
It's hard to say what character archetypes I dislike the most, but my most often complaint comes when a character feels too "manufactured." Like they were written specifically to be charming, likeable, with just a hint of flaw and a central quirk that usually drives the plot of the manga, or solely exists for comedic effect. I don't hate these types of characters on principle, I'm just more likely to pass over them for others that I think are more interesting.
Shiroyama and Mita-san are maybe the furthest thing from this archetype. And honestly, I don't think it even exists in this manga at all.
When I
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was introduced to these two titular characters, I thought "Oh alright this is gonna be a goof manga, I understand." And it is absolutely a goof manga, at least at the start. Shiroyama is kinda just disgusting, both in personality and behavior. He's not a bad guy, just a bit of an outcast with some strong resentment for his hometown. On the other hand, Mita-san is very proper and elegant on the surface, except for the fact that you can tell she's an odd choice for the female lead. I'd also like to mention that neither MC is conventionally attractive by both manga and in-universe standards; there are plenty of characters that look far more "normal" than either of them. Even in a gag manga like this, they stand out clear as day.
They don't just stand out looks-wise; everything they do is ridiculous. Neither can help but being the center of attention in some way or another. And even though they have to be the center of attention, otherwise it'd be impossible to call them MCs, it doesn't feel forced like I often dislike. Rather than crafting a character that "should" be popular, the mangaka here chose to write two absolute oddball characters that stand out purely because each is unabashedly living their life. And wouldn't you know it, this is a romance too, because they immediately enter into a relationship within the first 2 chapters.
Obviously these two are made for each other. They literally were written to be a couple. But never in my life have I seen a more natural growth of romance in a manga. Once the manga gets into full swing, between every comedic moment (90% of the manga, I'd say) you can really tangibly feel these two getting closer. Every little bit, like Mita-san's obsession with Golgo 13 and Shiroyama's confusing obsession with random Tokyo-adjacent prefectures, opens up a new venue for the two to understand each other more. Every joke is another opportunity for the two to form a stronger relationship, even though it started out so coldly.
They grow so much that it's hard to grasp the weight of it. If you told me after chapter 1 that Shiroyama was going to turn out to be the single greatest boyfriend in manga history I would have said "hahahehe. no." But now... I feel silly that I judged him so harshly. The absolute natural love I feel from these two characters to each other is refreshing. It's heartwarming. It's the ideal written love, if I can go that far. And the comedy! I laughed almost every chapter, this shit is just too funny. All the deadpan expressions and ridiculous reactions, never going so far as to feel like it has overdone something, always understanding that sometimes, the best joke is one stated once and left alone.
I wish it could have been longer, not because I'm unsatisfied, but because I don't want to lose these characters I've grown to love. I want to see more situations, I want to see more reactions, I want to see their love. But I adore what I did see, and I will adore it for the rest of time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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