Mar 14, 2023
Yamada to Sensei is hands down the worst manga I have read in a long time. A very, very long time.
For a story that is labeled a "drama romance", this manga would be better suited to be called a psychological horror. For any that are still curious about this manga by the end of this review, I would go as far as label this with warnings of abuse and coercion.
In an attempt to fully articulate my dislike for this manga, I am breaking the review between the characters (spoilers ahead).
First, the main characters. Our story centers around the characters of Takahashi and Yamada. Takahashi
...
is a 32 year old teacher, and Yamada is a 16 year old student attending the school where he teaches. Takahashi is our protagonist, and the majority of the manga is spent viewing the world through his eyes. He is harsh, rough, and aggressive from start to finish. I have my own theories about his unstable emotional state, including bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. I bring this up because, as I stated at the beginning of this review, I believe that this could have been marketed as psychological story as opposed to a romance. Perhaps if the mangaka had honed in solely on Takahashi's obvious crumbling mental state, this story could have felt a little less horrific. But, unfortunately, there are continual hints at a romance between him and Yamada, despite his abusing of his title as a teacher and an authority figure. In several cases, he even justifies his physical and mental abuse towards Yamada as being due to her own actions. By the end of the manga, he does turn these accusations inwardly as he struggles with his "emptiness within", but it is too little, too late.
Yamada as a character is a bit more difficult to pin down. As a young high school student, it is abundantly clear she is inexperienced in relationships, and absolutely carries no fault for Takahashi's actions. She sets out on a mission to "spoil" Takahashi as a way of soothing his troubles. They begin to spend much of their free time away in the forest, just the two of them. Time and time again, Yamada endures his verbal abuse and erratic behavior without much complaint. I was relieved when she gradually began putting distance between them, though it is short lived. There is a moment when it is obvious she is coming to the realization of the nature of their relationship and seeks to set some boundaries. It is made clear she is uncomfortable with his various advances, and admits halfway through that she admits to him; "I just don't think I ever saw you that way". It is this interaction that really stumped me, and acted as a reminder that it was all one sided for Takahashi. He has misinterpreted their relationship from the start, perhaps as a projection of his own desires and hopes.
As for the side characters of this story...there's not much to say. I am appalled by Yamada's so called "friends", and their advice to her despite knowing of her deeply inappropriate relationship with Takahashi. Advice like "rely on your breasts" and the sort are super misleading and detrimental for young girls to hear when exploring the world of relationships. And the other teachers and their out-of-left-field intimate relationships with one another speaks to the corruption of this entire fictional world. Truly, I am not sure there is a single redeemable quality that I've seen in the whole of 10 chapters.
Overall, this story is wildly misleading and not suited to being called a "romance" by any means. It is a disgusting presentation of abuse of power and abuse. It is NOT the redeeming story of a man who is struggling...but it very much could have been, given a different marketing strategy and a more introspective exploration of his mental state. I can only give this manga a 1/10 for its terrible approach to an "age-gap" story and interpersonal relationship dynamics.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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