“I came looking for copper and found gold!!!” Part 2

A continuation of Twilight Outfocus, this sequel swiftly advances the plot in a few chapters, building upon the excellent story development and introduction of compelling characters established in the first part. I would have liked to see a bit more content, but that's just a personal preference of mine. As I mentioned before, it really wasn't necessary to add much more; everything felt organic and had a very satisfying conclusion.

If you're interested in explicit content, be aware that there is a substantial amount of it in this volume, and it doesn't feel gratuitous at all because, even though it's a romance story, it portrays everyday moments so well that I personally would also categorize it as a slice of life.

While the plot of making a movie is something that is quite common in the world of manga/anime, here it is what opens up opportunities and drives the protagonists to make important decisions for the present and for their future. And speaking of the future, the insecurities we feel in adolescence due to the uncertainty of what we will do with our lives after graduation are portrayed very well here. This is not just a romance and sex manga; it's about the journey of two teenagers into adulthood. And, in general, the characters' characterization feels very authentic and age-appropriate. The only one that breaks with this is Ichikawa, but we'll talk about that later.

The protagonists undergo significant development, it’s something that had already started in the first volume and culminated wonderfully in this sequel. Their relationship is so sweet and wholesome. They are two people with their fears, insecurities, and emotional deficiencies (one of them even with quite strong traumas), but they complement, accept one another just as they are, and genuinely love each other.

And besides delighting us with their sweet relationship, seeing how the talents and ambitions of the main characters flourish, both together and separately, is wonderful, and it leaves us with the beautiful message that it's natural to seek support from your partner to move forward in life and desire to walk that path together.

As for the secondary characters, most of them are members of the film club, playing a supporting role, but there are three that we can highlight: Runa is the serious and calm guy who’s funny because of his sharp and direct way of speaking. Honjou is a living joke because his personality fits perfectly with that "divine" appearance he has (you'll have to see him to understand what I mean). And Ichikawa is one of those supporting characters who steal the show: he's a quirky, histrionic, childish, and endearing professor, and he surely represents to a great extent the spirit of fujoshi readers. Fortunately, he has his own spin-off because he's so charismatic that I wanted to read more about him!

Similar to its prequel, body proportions sometimes seem odd, but since it's not something that happens regularly, we can overlook it and appreciate the undeniable beauty of the entire cast.

Finally, there are details in the story that are beautiful and moving, like the fact that Mao was conscious that he had to improve as a person even though no one was pressuring him, that darkness took on a different meaning for Hisashi, the way they renew their three promises from the beginning, and THAT sign of destiny that they will be together for a long time…

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