a version of Sherlock Holmes I can get behind. It’s a little fast-paced and predictable, but I don’t really mind. I’m hung up on the nickname Pieta, which means pity/compassion. I’m hoping there’s going to be some sort of reference to La Pietà by Michelangelo, maybe by the end when/if one of them dies. I feel like it would be more interesting if Transi is the “Mary” by the end, it would make a nice parallel and really well written execution of the ending. Just speculation, but I’d be so disappointed if that isn’t how it ends, lol
I normally find metacommentary to be redundant, but I feel like this is a refreshing way to point out overuse of cliches. It’s pretty funny and manages to comment on how ridiculous some plotlines can be, without taking itself too seriously.
reminds me of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I’m grateful it took a different direction, I’ve always liked the idea of a creator that loves his monster more than a creator that hates it. The ending is sad, but the parallel between this story’s and Frankenstein’s is too good for me not to be appreciative. I love how you get to experience the unwilling death of a ‘monster’ whose creator loves him, and the willing death of a monster whose creator hates him. Alternatively, Victor dies of illness and Mamiya appears to kill himself (if I interpreted it correctly). I like the comparison and the contrast, the story is really attentively written and you can really appreciate the development of its characters. I’m not sure if it was inspired by Frankenstein, but I’d be completely shocked if it wasn’t, lmao
It’s good, but there isn’t really a major conflict resolution. I feel like it would’ve really benefited from something to add a little bit more depth and development for both characters, cause by the end I just found myself a little bored and surprised that was all. Of course, there isn’t anything wrong with it per se, I just think it could use something to make the plot a little more interesting.
It’s so charming and deeply romantic I find it hard to criticize it for anything. I like that there is effort into all the right places - the attention to historical fashion, architecture, and interior design makes every scene that much more interesting. I also like how many characters that aren’t the main couple look very different from each other and aren’t the same carbon copy mob characters, yan chu’s father actually resembles an older person and I really like the way he’s designed. I think the chemistry between the main characters is definitely there and comes across really well, developing feelings feel so natural and really warms your heart instead of happening all at once. Have a lot of respect for the author and this work which clearly has a lot of time and care put into it
I’m not entirely sure why so many manga about high-school kids refuse to make their characters actually look like kids, but whatever. Apart from finding it hard to believe the protagonist isn’t in his (late) 20s, it’s fine. I like the art, and even though I don’t find the plot very compelling, it’s not something I’d necessarily call bad. I just find it uninteresting and doesn’t have anything that makes me care enough about the characters to keep reading. My complaint about characters in high-school not looking their age isn’t really specific to this manga, I just find it funny that a student is supposedly in peak physical form you’d see in a bodybuilder. Though it IS possible, I think it’s extremely uncommon, which is why I start getting bored when so many mangas about students have these absolutely jacked protagonists
not entirely specific to this manga, but I’m so sick of women being used as plot devices and possible sources of conflict in these type of romances. I can’t imagine feeling sympathetic for someone marrying a woman he doesn’t love entirely. A lot of romances between men can perpetuate some crazy misogynistic ideals. This is just me overthinking it because I’m certain the author didn’t intend anything beyond a conflict in the plot, but man. Justice for women in mlm mangas everywhere
To be honest, I don’t like it. The storytelling is fine, the pacing is pretty good, and I like chang-il as a character. It can be funny at some points, which I find out of place, because the plot is horrific. There is absolutely nothing appealing to me reading about a prostitute that hates his life - if that were the author’s intention (that is, showing the reality of being forced into prostitution), then I feel like this shouldn’t have elements of romance or humour at all. I think that if it were supposed to be a more serious-themed story, then the parts that are more “lighthearted” are out of place and diminishes it as a whole. I also don’t like romances where the relationship is sexual before it is romantic, and I especially don’t like it because chang-il says extremely often that he only likes women. For that reason the “developing relationship” feels unnatural to me, and I grow weary of seeing chang-il get assaulted every other chapter. I dropped it at the end of s1, so I’m unsure if my criticisms hold up afterwards; in any case, I’m disappointed in how the plot was executed. I find no enjoyment in watching a character I like be miserable with no resolution, and I resent the idea that the author suggests a romance would fix everything. That’s just my opinion, I won’t be reading any further but I hope for the sake of everyone else who will keep up with it that it gets better
I think it has the potential to live up to steel ball run, which is already a bold claim, but some of araki’s biggest successes were those with a physical journey involved. stardust crusaders, golden wind, and steel ball run are probably the best parts, both thematically and the way they were written - I personally find that I’m not as invested in the parts that take place in virtually one spot, such as morioh or the green dolphin prison. Though the theme of steel ball run is pretty much unmatched and I doubt there’s going to be something even better, I can see jojolands outshining the other parts that have a lack of diversity in setting already. The premise is already interesting and I’m looking forward to see more of Hawaii through this manga :)
really a rare find - it’s such a well written and beautiful story. It’s difficult to create believable characters while taking into consideration their flaws and past, as well as how it affects their words/actions. I feel like the author does this masterfully; Joe’s character isn’t exactly likeable to me, but she’s incredibly realistic and I find it hard to find fault in that. I may not like her personality all that much, but I understand how it’s shaped by her insecurities and past, and that’s really successfully shown and developed throughout the story. It’s heartfelt and hits close to home - the theme of a woman’s struggle in any industry, wanting to live up to a legacy, desperation for acknowledgment, it’s all very human. The artistic choices contribute really well to an already great storytelling. I love the attention to the psychology and internal struggles of the characters. It’s always nice to read something that clearly holds a lot of value to its author, and is made with such care.
I find it a little strange that so many people are complaining about Mamiya’s receding hairline. He is such a complex and dimensional character, really unique compared to the carbon copies of leads in stories nowadays - which are all based on one out of a handful of cliches and stereotypes. It’s not like his personality is entirely revolutionary, but it’s different. It’s generally disappointing to see so many people ignore how interesting he is just to complain about what he looks like. The plot is interesting, the atmosphere also feels new and it’s a cool combination of an unsettling sense of “wrongness” with a slice-of-life. I actually like that Mamiya doesn’t look like a perfect pretty anime boy, his character becomes a lot more believable that way. It’s kind of ridiculous and shallow to want him to look like a teenager, and does a disservice to him and the story itself. If you prefer to read about two perfectly attractive dudes in a relationship, it’s whatever and that’s your preference. I just feel like people aren’t acknowledging what’s actually good about the story, and how his appearance suits his character. To each their own!
The story is cute, the characters and dialogue are sweet. I find the plot itself is unsuited for the art style, however. I feel like all the women look like children, or at the very least underage - I don’t get the sense of maturity from people that look like schoolgirls, especially since in the past they look exactly the same (except for different hairstyles). For that reason the sexual aspect makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I totally understand that’s the authors art style, but I feel there’s a certain difference between having cutesy adult characters and adult characters that just look like children. I like it apart from that, but don’t think I’ll be able to look past the things I don’t like so much.
There are a lot of good things about it; I’m a personal fan of the theme, I like the fact that Calahan’s character design matches the type of person he’s supposed to embody. There’s often a lack of diversity in romances that include men, and it gets extremely old to see the same beardless pretty face over and over again - which is why I liked the novelty (the bar is low). There’s respect for and commitment to the setting, I feel like the “Wild West” atmosphere comes across well. The concept is pretty cool too, but I eventually find that I don’t like the romance well enough. I personally never seem to find a sexual relationship before a romantic one to be all that interesting. Sex that is just a product of physical attraction between two people doesn’t feel that special in a story that’s supposed to be more than that, if the sex is just a precursor to a romantic development. I might come across as old-fashioned or pearl-clutching but I just didn’t like how quickly the relationship developed. I don’t feel chemistry between the two all that much, either. I would’ve liked it a lot more if it were slower paced and developed the characters a little more as individuals before introducing a more personal relationship between them. The theme and the way it’s executed is still cool, though. I’m reminded a little bit of Steel Ball Run, which I like. I’m just not that interested in the romantic/sexual aspect between the characters as much as I am the characters themselves. It’s definitely not bad at all though.
it really took me several years of reading manga that made me realize there is such an aversion towards depicting the female experience. It took me aback to see the word period be mentioned, because I realized that a woman’s period had pretty much never been mentioned in all of the romances I’ve ever read. The only thing I can think of was in Berserk, which isn’t even a romance. There’s something so deeply misogynistic about the depiction of women across all genres, and I was just pleasantly surprised to see something so commonplace and normal being spoken of in a casual way. It’s a weird thing to be happy about, but I can’t believe it took me so long to realize how stigmatized a woman’s bodily functions are (so much so that they’re not even mentioned in mangas with female lead characters). I actually really like this, it’s heartwarming and I rarely see women get this kind of depth and development in fiction, even in yuri. Something so simple as a period makes me feel closer to these characters, seeing them as real individuals instead of the fantasized cute girl trope propagated throughout every romance.
There are just so many things that make it cliche, too convenient, or just uncomfortable. I find it hard to view their relationship as anything but familial, the characters lack a lot of depth apart from some trauma, and being fifteen years over the age of someone you practically raised and not completely shutting them down feels morally wrong. There are small things that make the story unnatural, I thought it was weird for se-hee to be too busy with work to attend her close friend’s grandma’s funeral (?), but that’s really just nitpicking. Overall it just feels fundamentally off; I don’t like the age gap, the characters seem very flat to me, and the plot is uninteresting to me. Just my two cents, I’d love to hear the opinion of anyone who disagrees and why.
I thought the art style was too simple and lacked effort at first, but the story itself is much more complex than I could’ve imagined. There’s so much focus on psychology and the effects of physical and mental illness that the characters feel very unique and well rounded. They each have their own ideologies and I like how that can be a source of conflict apart from external reasons. I ultimately don’t care about the result of the romance, I’m just looking forward to all the interesting developments in character and personality. I’m curious about the plot as well, I find it hard to imagine everybody can be saved after all.
It’s always disappointing to see something with such a unique concept and style start conforming to cliche and lose some of its artistic charm. I really liked it from the beginning, and it eventually just became boring and typical. There was some really good potential with the characters and could’ve had an interesting psychological development, but eventually just started focusing on the sexual relationship in a wildly unethical situation. It feels like both characters take advantage of each other nonstop, and I get that there’s a power imbalance and fucked up dynamic from the start, but instead of addressing that, they literally just have sex. It’s disappointing. I admit I’m unfamiliar with the story, since I read it a while back and haven’t been keeping up with it that much, so if someone disagrees with me I’d love to hear about why. I lost interest the moment they started having a sexual relationship, it felt awkward and kind of out of place to me. I get that there was sexual chemistry beforehand, but it didn’t feel like the characters themselves were in a place to act upon it. I could be wrong, though (like I said, I’m unfamiliar with it). I guess I’ve been gutted ever since the art style changed, it was one of my favourite things about it.
It’s very beautiful and combines a ‘steampunk’ aesthetic with some more ethereal and otherworldly elements. The art style reminds me of Witch Hat Atelier, which is also a manga I really like. I like the relationship between the main characters, there’s always something interesting in the concept of interaction between A.I and the human experience. I love the general atmosphere and such a good world building. There’s a lot of really cool directions this can go.
it’s one of my favourite romances ever (if not my absolute favourite). There’s so much care for the plot and the complexity of professional ballroom dancing, attention to the intensity of competition, and emotional tensions. It feels so much more than a romance as it developed, the characters are multifaceted and actually feel like people - their goals and aspirations come through instead of just being about the relationship, which I like. I wasn’t big on the art at first until it started to really grow on me, I have to appreciate how good the settings/backgrounds are. The characters are so expressive too, and they’re pretty visually unique; I’m a little tired of artstyles that make every character virtually the same. The romantic conflict itself is very interesting as well, I like how their personalities fundamentally oppose each other even though their chemistry is so natural. I’ve noticed that there are a lot of people impatient because it’s a slow-burn, but I feel like if either of them suddenly changed their minds in the chapters just released it would make no sense and be an insult to their characters. I don’t mind waiting if the story is written so carefully and methodically. I have faith in the author and I’m looking forward to the next volume. I’ll probably follow this manga to my deathbed if I have to.
can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s rare to see such a communicative and positive relationship in a manga. I get so weary of conflict from miscommunication, and it’s refreshing to see people actually talking to and understanding each other. The only thing not being communicated is their romantic feelings, and as this is a developing romance, that’s completely normal; I just like how it’s not brought down by stupid shit like misinterpretation of one another. It’s sweet and you get the feeling that they genuinely like each other as people instead of just having romantic chemistry. The dialogue is good without being too unrealistic, and the uncertainty/anxiety of falling for another person comes across well. Though the concept is not particularly unique, the way it’s executed is so charming I find it hard to fault it for that. It feels almost impossible to find a developing relationship written in this way, characters are nearly always immature and follow ridiculous tropes without given opportunity to feel like real and complex people. Like I said, it’s not conceptually anything out of the ordinary, but the author takes such great care of writing their characters I love it a lot anyway.