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Jan 17, 2018
Saturn Apartments is a delightful slice of life set in space. It delves into many topics such as equality, class systems, chasing after the unknown, family values, finding yourself and many more. It's about life and how a young boy finds his value in this strange world. The cast are fun and colourful and support his journey as a window washer.
What I enjoyed about this series was how they all live in their world and how there was a class system. How everyone lives for different reasons and they are all trying to find why they are here and what they need to do. It's
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particularly interesting because we have a young main character but one of the recurring characters is near retirement and has a wife that is sick and it's nice to see his story as well. There are around 8 characters that all grow and find their purpose in the strange world by the end.
What I wished for more is more of a resolution. Maybe more stories between the window washers and their clients. I thought it could have been a bit more but they hurried into the 'main plot' later on and it became very focused on that. I thought there could have been more to the mystery of the main character's father but they didn't really explain that in the end.
Overall, this is a really cool series and I would recommend it for anyone who likes space, sci-fi, slice of life or someone who just wants something new for a change!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 5, 2017
Before you read this, know that I am very biased to Ninomiya's works as Nodame Cantabile is my number 1 favourite Anime & Manga... But this was a disappointment.
At first, I quite liked this series a lot. I was in a computer science program at school at the time when this manga first came out [in English] so I was excited to learn about overclocking! Ninomiya really expresses this hobby nicely as she didn't make it too confusing and everything was presented well so anyone reading would understand what it was. The overclocking matches were presented well. They were thrilling and fun. As usual, the
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"opponents" in the series were amusing to watch like they are in Nodame. The main character is very different from Nodame and Chiaki which is refreshing. He's very level headed and intelligent. I loved watching him grow while he learned the basics of overclocking. However, he and the other main characters were all so one dimensional. There was not much to them.
The story - It's rushed and it lacked impact. With only 53 chapters, it felt like half of the story was pushed into a few chapters at the end. I felt so sad, because I wanted to see this series prosper the way Nodame did. There was some travel aspect in this but it was still so, so rushed.
Let's talk about the art! It was good as usual. I wished the recurring and main characters didn't look so much like Nodame and Chiaki though, that was a bit weird especially when their personalities lined up as well. I wish Hana was more decisive rather than ditzy.
Overall, it's an okay series. Be sure to check it out if you want to learn about overclocking but don't expect a "wowzer" because it's just too short to be enjoyed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 5, 2017
Makimura Satoru is a mangaka that is well known for writing Josei stories that are based around the industry, the real world. I had read Oishi Kankei before this and I knew what I was getting myself into. That series focused on the food and restaurant industry while this one was focused on clothing and department store industry - retail, basically. I learned so much.
I had expected more romance out of it but it was presented in a very refreshing and different way overall. I liked how the main character evolved here. She starts off as a very weak, average character but grows into a
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strong woman by the end of the series.
This series talks a lot about independence and character. Kinue gains a personality and learns how to love herself rather than becoming the traditional woman who stays at home, bears children and cooks all the meals. This series is about her falling in love... with her work. I really liked this aspect. In most Shoujo/Josei, it revolves around the girl loving some guy and the guy doing something and then the girl following whatever the guy does. No, this series is rather the opposite. Kinue's work controls her life and she very much loves it.
She makes lots of friends at work, all very different people. The coworkers were pretty interesting as well like Nico and Mami. It's unfortunate that the character designs and personalities were not as strong for them. Art overall is a bit inconsistent but it works for me still.
Why is it just a 7/10 from me? I felt that something was lacking. It's just about work and in the end, that's it. There is not much else to it after a big event that happens earlier when she makes a big decision. I wished there was a bit more to it other than "let's make our department store the best!".
Overall, this is good manga if you want to learn a lot about retail and fashion. Not only that but watch a character grow into a working woman. I wouldn't recommend it if you want to see something different with unique characters with cool backstories because most of the characters do not get to shine.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 11, 2016
When people say "cooking anime/manga", the first thing people think of is Shokugeki no Souma. And for most, that's the best cooking series that they've watched/read. I also thought that way until I read this series, Bambino!. Don't get me wrong! I like Shokugeki. But... This isn't just a cooking battle shounen series like Shokugeki.
It's about life, motivations, dreams and how to overcome hurdles.
I would compare this series to Tetsuwan Girl (a sports seinen about freedom, virtue and liberation; one character in Bambino reminds me of the MC in Tetsuwan) and Honey & Clover (a slice of life josei about finding your raison
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d'etre). I, myself, am struggling to find where I should go in life and reading this series was something I really needed. Now, for the actual review...
I think that one of the strongest things about this series are the distinct, real characters. Usually, side/recurring characters in fiction are just one-dimensional stereotypes that are used to make the main character look better but in this manga, they're real people with struggles, hopes and dreams just like our main character. They all get a time to shine some time in the series and the thing I really like is that the arcs feel very natural! In a lot of Anime/Manga, when they try and squeeze in a lot of side characters' arcs, sometimes, it can be a hit and miss. Like, one person's arc may be super boring while another's is very interesting. In this manga, all the arcs were interesting and captivating. I wanted to cheer all of them on.
I finished this manga in two days because of how good it is. It makes me want to keep reading because I want to know what will happen next. Everything feels like real life. Another Anime/Manga that do this well are Space Brothers and Major. They're all about adults doing real things. It's not idealistic or wish fulfillment at all.
Another thing I really like is that that main character, Ban, is talented and hardworking but he doesn't get all the spotlight and still has to work hard to get where he is at the end. In Shokugeki, the main character is basically the best cook in the entire series right from the start and keeps on "pwning" everyone in every single battle. Ban in Bambino! has lots of flaws and struggles a lot which is why I enjoy reading his story. He feels real. When a character starts out weak, it makes it easier to cheer them on because it's like putting yourself into their shoes.
Other aspects: The art is very rich, exaggerated, detailed and realistic which is fitting for this series. The pacing is done exceptionally well as I finished this in two days. Chapters are typical 20-page length which is perfect if you want to take a breather in between although, it's such an intense manga that you won't want to put it down. Despite being a prequel, the ending wasn't too rushed and still felt like a solid ending, even though it was an open ending.
If you want something life changing, exciting, fresh or just want to learn more about food/cooking (Italian dishes!), I really recommend this series. It's very fun, refreshing, and powerful to read especially if you're bored of the typical high school LN magic harem bullshit.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 26, 2016
I usually don't write reviews on MAL but I feel like this series is under-appreciated and overshadowed by other sports series. My review will not be very structured but I'll try my best to write about it in an unbiased way. Firstly, this resembles Holyland if I were to pick any sports series. It's about a main character trying to find freedom and strength.
I really liked this series and it moved me. I cried several scenes. It's such a powerful series and our MC, Tome is a really fun character to follow.
Let me go over the flaws. The romance is very strange. I never felt
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any romance out of Tome and her love interest. If you read it, it progresses very quickly and has no development and buildup. If the writer really wanted a strong romance between them, we need more development. I normally wouldn't have minded a random love interest pushed in but it ended up driving her existence and her motives where she did everything for that love interest which was out of character for her. She is a woman who is depicted as a soloist or a leader. I honestly don't think she needs a man to live.
It's a bit rushed at times. I feel that the pacing in the beginning worked better than the one it ended off with. The build up was excellent though.
The strong point of this series was the build up, as I've said before. How everything rolled down, how Tome was shown as. She's so fearless and liberated. This series is truly a good read for a feminist, at least. I'm not speaking about 3rd wave feminism but actual feminism back in the older days. Women in Anime/Manga are usually depicted as as weak, powerless, and submissive but she is rather the opposite of all those things. She's an actual role model.
The art is well done and matches the story. The art makes you want to cry for the characters because they do a lot and suffer but they still try their best. It's kind of detailed for art but it's an older series so that's as expected.
The sports aspect was pretty good. I mean, it's not really a sports manga as baseball was just the theme they picked. Anything else could have been used in place as long. Overall, this was a really great series and more people should check it out if they want something that impacts.
8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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