"Devoting time... Getting to know their behaviours, voices, unconscious habits, would you not say that is love?" -Quintuplets' Grandfather
This has been a ride. Gotoubun no Hanayome, a.k.a The Quintessential Quintuplets, has and is an truly unique take on the harem romance genre. Does it revolutionise the harem genre? Probably not, but it sure does bring some breath of fresh air into this stacked genre. The very first chapter I've read this manga, I knew it was going to be something, and with this review, I'll tell you my thoughts as to why, I think this is a manga series that YOU, should not pass out on, albeit with a small caveat that I'll talk about in the finishing thoughts.
Story / Character -9-
The absolute reason why Gotoubun no Hanayome is this fantastic. Full of turns and twist, the story revolve around our male protagonist, Fuutarou tutoring the newly acquainted quintuplets, and as the story goes on, each quint starts to fall in love with Fuutarou. Unlike most harem, we have been told in the very start that the MC will choose one quint as the bride, and us readers are to figure out the identity of the bride. And the fun part of the story? Each quint is so well developed that you will find yourself scratching your head, constantly figuring out who might she be, and with the subtle hints Haruba Negi brilliantly put around the story as the icing on top of the cake.
As for the characters, they're also what contributes to such a dynamic story. Fuutarou, whom seems dense, actually picks up on things considerably well, he pays attention to the smallest details even though he doesn't show them, pours his heart out to help out the quints even though it may mean that his grades will worsen. Now to the quints, Ichika, the eldest sister is your 'Ara Ara' nee-san who constantly teases Fuutarou, which often times brings us the most interactive and engaging conversations. Nino, your classic yet unique tsundere, she is bold, she is always in your face, whatever she wants she will go out her way and get it. Miku, she's shy, she's subtle, she's also one of the best. The silent killer, she doesn't do much on the outside, but she puts all her efforts in the background that makes you uncontrollably cherish her hard work. Yotsuba, your 'Genki' outgoing girl, all she wants is everyone to be happy, and that includes you too, her action throughout the manga can never fail to make you 'aww'. Itsuki, the youngest sister, but she acts as though she is the most mature, and she is! As one who looks to become a teacher in the future, she does pour in extra effort to ensure she becomes one.
Art - 9.5-
Haruba Negi’s art is nothing less than phenomenal, and in Gotoubun, it very much shows. Each quint is drawn distinctly beautiful with an unique accessory to help us readers identify them. All characters look clean, the flow of the panels are well drawn out and are very easy to your eyes. Nothing much to say about the art honestly, the work proves itself.
Caveat
I’ve given the series a 8.5/10 as a whole, and most of the points come from the start of the manga till the very end of it, which is the last arc. (Mild spoilers ahead so do beware) The choosing of the quint and basically the entire arc felt very lackluster, as compared to the previous arcs. Where the previous arcs thoroughly developed all quints equally, this arc essentially destroyed the development and foundation of each quint to give way for the winner. What does that mean in one word? Rushed. The ending was inevitably rushed, despite the fact that the last 100 chapters were so well done I would’ve rated it a perfect 10/10 score, the ending arc was a hit in the gut. Not to mention the very last chapter of the series as well, nothing in the chapter was coherent, the ideas were painfully obvious that it was all over the place. Had this series been given another volume, it could’ve gone down as IMO the best harem series of all time, but as the fact stays, this ending is nothing but disappointing.
Conclusion
For someone who has literally followed the series from the very beginning, it has been one hell of a ride. Every week I would look forward to the release of the new chapter and keep thinking of different theories on who would be the winner, discussing it with friends and stuff. This manga had me so invested into the series that I could feel in on a personal level, and I’m sure many will feel that way when reading this manga, and that unfortunately will also mean that many will too, be disappointed in the series when it comes to the ending. Here comes the question, do I recommend this for people looking to read a Harem/ Romance manga? By all means yes, the development of this story for the grand scheme of things has been fantastic, terrific even. I do want to emphasize that, despite the lackluster ending, the reason I still think it's worthy of a 8.5/10 is because a few bad chapters does not and should not overshadow the great work that is the majority of the manga. It has been such a great read, and I will wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good manga to watch.