Apr 21, 2020
If I had to pick out something that Adachi to Shimamura does really well, that would be making me smile basically all the way through. This is a Manga which is endearing and relaxing, but not all that much more, so keep that in mind when considering to read it.
As this is a romance story, its enjoyability is largely dictated by the chemistry between the main characters, and that is exactly what I loved most about it. The relationship between Adachi and Shimamura is really well handled, as you get to see it developing from a still awkward acquaintanceship rather naturally throughout the manga. Both
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of them have their own unique impression of their relationship and this in turn makes it really interesting to see how their perceptions play off of each other, as the manga switches perspectives from time to time. Especially Adachi struggling with her own feelings, her own character growth and the seeming ignorance of Shimamura makes for a lot of cute and sometimes even relatable moments, which is great as it makes up a decent chunk of what you might call the 'story' of this manga.
Adachi in general is probably a highlight for me, as the story mainly seems to focus on her, making it possible to experience many sides of her personality. She discovers and struggles with her feelings in a not so unrealistic way and even her more weird, direct tendencies don't become overwhelming because of Shimamura being the one on the receiving end, them constantly being questioned by both of them internally and them fitting into the logic of her general shift in demeanor.
While Shimamura doesn't get nearly as much focus, similar levels of development and struggles are at least hinted at though left mostly unresolved, which is a shame, but also fits into the focus on Adachi.
Besides those two there are of course also side characters who fulfil their roles well (with one exception) and are fun even if they aren't necessarily all that interesting.
On top of this, the art really reinforces this feeling of chemistry greatly. While it is nothing amazing, with the backgrounds ranging from fine to non-existent and the character art in general being pretty simple, it does convey a wide range of expressions, no matter how unfazed the character in question is as a whole. It also is once again cute and endearing in its simplicity, with a couple of moments standing out as being particularly effective in this regard.
At the end I do find it important to mention some negatives as well.
First of all, if you are looking for closure this is most definitely not the manga for you as it ends long before any real progress is made in the romance between the characters. There is also a plot thread focusing on a side character which doesn't serve much of a purpose at all, is sort of uncomfortable, and is probably left over from adapting a longer story. It's not bad, as it's still the same characters (for the most part) interacting in fun ways, but it could be cut or reworked into other characters and still affect the main focus of the story (at least in the extent of this adaptation) in the same way.
Other than that, I greatly enjoyed the experience of reading this manga. It is short and not challenging in any regard, so there isn't much of a time investment and in the end maybe this is what keeps it from becoming boring with constant backpedaling from the romantic aspect. So if you are just looking for a fun, cute manga, this is a great place to find it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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