Senakagurashi

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So, The rooms with a glass separating them is kinda good concept. At the start the interactions between the two feels like how most of us go through during first or second grade at school with the opposite sex. At first the main character is comes off as very dense but soon we get to know why he is so. Due to him growing up in a house comprised only of women he is overwhelmed easily and develops kind of a phobia of women (gynophobia) and at school as well he acts kinda sus around women so he doesn't really have and experience with taking ... to girls of his own age. The girl also tells him that she goes to an all girls school since 7th grade, its not reveled if she went to an all girls school before but regardless even she doesn't have much experience with dealing with boys. When the main characters meet its like puberty smacked them in the face at the same time. The manga depicts the development of two people from neighbors to friends to lovers, who don't know anything not only about each other but also their opposite genders. It's short and beautiful and not to dragged out because it focuses only on the main characters and doesn't introduce any other characters other than family and two friends.

I think it's a crime how little this manga gets mentioned in conversation. I just heard of it for the first time yesterday and went and read it all in two sittings.

Despite what the premise might lead you to believe, this doesn't take the same route as Nozoki Ana or Nozo Kimi in terms of sexual or provocative content - it's a PG look at two youths that are learning what it means to be independent.

I would compare it to the aforementioned Nozoki Ana and Nozo Kimi if only in that the relationship of the main characters is very much one of struggling with ... the dissonance between how they feel and how they act. It's a fairly realistic portrayal of a simple (as they often are) love story, that takes its time in showing every bump along the way.

Are you looking for Drama? Are you looking for something to leave you sobbing? Something that will make you contemplate the entirety of your life leading up until now? Then maybe this one's not for you.

But if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy story about two kindred spirits that grow closer to one-another, despite - or perhaps because of their personal issues, I can whole-heartedly recommend this to you.

TL;DR
In a teenage love story, of course they are living together. At least the execution is good. On the bright side, you will forget about this story once you are done, so you can enjoy it a second time.

Story: 6
A young man moves out to live on his own for the summer, and ends up living with a cute girl. The only thing not cliche about the set up is the fact they basically share a room separated by frosted glass. The story is nothing new, going through the typical misunderstandings and falling in love. However, where this story excels is execution, which is what ... really matters.

Art: 6
The art is slightly above average. It is nothing to write home about, but it fits the narrative and has a few panels that do make you appreciate the art.

Characters: 8
While there is one annoying character, the meat and bones of the manga is with the two main characters. They are fun characters, even if they aren't really that deep. Most of the supporting cast are fun to watch as well. The gap between their characters and the "actors" who play them was interesting as well.

Enjoyment: 7
A cliche story is not necessarily a bad one. As long as the execution of the story is done well and the characters are fun even the most cliche story can be enjoyable.

On a personal level, I had a tons of fun reading this one.

Overall:7
Senakgurashi is a fun, snack-size manga to read when you aren't in the mood for anything amazing. It is something to read, have a good time with, put down, then rarely think about again.