Having previously read Shuninta-sensei’s sexy titles namely “Sweet Guilty Love Bites” and “Watashi no Sekai wo Kousei suru Chiri no You na Nani ka,” I was settled to give this manga a try with a preconceived notion of delicious playfulness as content. However, reading “Philosophia” has caught me off-guard. I should have known better with such a sober-sounding title! “Philosophia” is serious in theme, mature in story, cryptic in characterization, dark in twists, depressing in secrets, while bitter-sweet in the end.
The story is nothing new, Girl A meets Girl B. Girl A is diligent and Girl B is unreliable. Like in most stories, the question of “What will happen to them?” is what will drive one to continue reading. I must say the pacing is firm and steady. And to think this is only 6 chapters! Furthermore, the great thing about this, which is common in Shuninta-sensei’s work, is that she doesn’t use the common tropes. However, for yuri fans looking for deviant and sexy stories: Alas, there are no sexy encounters, nor amusing squabbles here. In fact, this manga is very dialogue-driven and full of Ai-chan’s inner thoughts. There is barely anything that is service-y, save for one scene. Nonetheless, I must say that despite all this, I have found this astonishingly novel and fresh.
The art is, well, very Shuninta. As a mangaka, she has established a very distinct art style and thus her lovely sketchy art is recognizable to many of her readers. However, this was one of her earlier works and was originally a doujinshi, thus it’s not that polished in details like backgrounds and seasons. There were even two or three pages that have empty panels; however, some empty spaces are there for dramatization. Perhaps the art may seem lacking for first time readers of Shuninta-sensei’s work, the story and pace will compensate such inadequacy.
The driving factor to read this work is the characters. There are two protagonists are university students: Ai (Love=Sophia), the stubborn and studious beauty, and Tomo (Wisdom=Philo), the coffee-loving apathetic bookworm. Ai-chan, who grew nonchalant to people’s compliments of her beauty, decided to dedicate in her studies so she can be independent. To tell the truth, she was a bit boring to me at first, but later on turned out to be the character that underwent the most and drastic change in a very satisfying pace. Her growing affection for Tomo-san was nothing fluffy, but steady, genuine, and realistic.
On the other hand, Tomo-san is a mystery; she is emancipated at best, self-destructive at worst. A self-proclaimed seeker of knowledge, she holds dark secrets. These secrets, a sudden twist in the story, are the reasons of her actions and demeanour. Tomo-san is a riddle and naturally focused my attention to her, but I was disappointed; there is not enough depth into her character although she was presented as such. I have felt that her secrets, while apprehensible, are insufficient reasons for her outlook and indifferent and bored temperament; I expected more. Or perhaps the author wanted her to be that—an enigma. Nevertheless, she is a realistic character that reminds readers that we can never know someone fully.
Overall, “Philosophia” is a pleasant read: a sober-yet-memorable gem of a story. Traditional yuri fans of lovey-dovey or fluffy stories may be sorely disappointed or even back away, but those who tire from the predictable path of GL stories, or even those from the non-yuri genre, then this manga might offer one a balanced indulgence of drama, maturity and mystery.
