Mimi's manga / #friends to lovers(8)

I really liked the art style but the main couple were probably the least interesting characters out of the 3 stories. It wasn't a bad story to read and the characters weren't unlikable, but I felt the story that had the other two getting engaged was the best out of the 3. I also really wish the two delivery guys got either another chapter or more of a story in their chapter mainly because they were also likable but their story ended too quickly.

This has some cute moments. Nothing super important other than one of the main dudes getting sick, but it was handled more comedic than anything. It is one of the books from Junko that I hope gets a physical release in English. While I did like the main couple and their struggle to say how they felt, I was way more interested in the other two who got that small bit of story at the end. I would love to see them get a whole book because they seem like they're carrying baggage and I wanted some angst in this book.

... Almost. I almost got through without crying. But I'm saying this in a mid to negative way because I don't think this story deserved my tears. I was excited coming into this because of Bokura wa Nando mo Koi o suru and how I cried so hard at the end of that story that I thought this would have me laid out on the floor the same way. To start I think it was a little confusing in the beginning who was saying what, how Nagisa felt about Kaito separate from Minato, how Kaito felt about Nagisa separate from Minato, and I'm not a fan of hate sex. Even though early on I had a feeling that Nagisa felt more than jealousy and envy towards Kaito, it was a confusing road getting there even after the festival. I wanted them to really talk more about them. Whenever there was "talking about them" it felt more like they were talking about them related to Minato rather than them related to each other. And while I can understand the conversation of them + Minato, because this is a love triangle plot, I think when they finally started to focus on them as a couple it was a little too late to get to know them as a couple. There were points toward the end that I thought was very sweet, really cute. Backstory stuff was more my favorite to read because you got to know the characters and how they felt about each other that you didn't get from the present day with the only thing missing was how Minato felt. There was one part of the flashback stuff where I did almost cried but not for the character, more so for the context around sharing a part of yourself only to be put down felt. But what actually broke me was the end with Minato's mom and his journal because as the flashbacks happened you had a feeling. You always knew. But to actually know his wish really messed me up even though I knew what it was!

What happened with chapter three onward? I know a different scan group took over but are all of their scans written like this? Typos like "sau" and "onl" are everywhere, words aren't in sentences where they're supposed to be, and the weird way people talk. It's so off compared to the first two chapters. It got so bad in the final chapter that it hindered any emotions that chapter was trying to convey. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I felt this would've been a fine 6/10 for me and I wouldn’t’ve wanted to drop it after chapter three. I really hope a new group picks up volume two and comes back to retranslation volume one because it needs so much help. As for the story itself; it was just “fine”. I wasn't that invested in them but they also didn't bother me as much as the couple from Living With Him (mostly) and My Home, Your One-Room did. But the unnecessary conflict at the end was pretty dumb. I felt there could’ve been a buildup of them trying to be together and transitioning their friends-with-benefits relationship over to official couple status that Shunpie wanted. Instead, we got Shunpie being in his own head, not listening to Kota even when Kota said he wanted to go out with him, and lack of communication mainly from Shunpie. I wasn’t too in love with how standoff-ish Shunpie was, but also the possessive lover thing he showed towards Kota and Kota basically saying he'll give up his sense of self, his own person, to be with Shunpie. It's weird, I hate it... Maybe the couple from My Home, Your One-Room was better... I do plan on reading vol 2 as long as someone else picks this up <3.

Vol 1 - 3/5: I can't express to you how "no thoughts, head empty" this book left me. I mean, I guess it hasn’t done anything to piss me off but it also hasn’t done anything to make me care. Kind of like I was just moving with the pages mindlessly. Maybe the way Yuusei kept Itsuki at longer than arm's length for as long as he did got annoying pretty fast. But, like, I know Nagisa. She loves her some childhood friends to lovers slow burn yerning high school romance so I knew what I was getting into and I think that's why I'm not that pissed over it... Even though Itsuki's pretty fucking obvious with how he feels. Vol 2 - 2.75/5: Lol, so, like remember when I said in the first volume that nothing about this really pissed me off that much and that the only mildly annoying thing was how Yuusei refused to acknowledge that Itsuki likes him back? That is the only conflict in this book... It is the entire plot... of volume 2. Which means. It has gotten. 1,000% more annoying. I did like how it ended but having Yuusei be super oblivious to Itsuki literally holding up signs that say "I LIKE YOU, TOO! KISS ME YOU IDIOT" and then Yuusei seeing that and going "Interesting. I can't tell him I'm in love with him, though. Better keep my distance" made me so angry because I very much think that's a bad way to do a slow burn. Especially if you're gonna have it expand over two volumes. You’ve done this before, Nagisa. But better! Literally, My Summer of You’s slow burn was basically this BUT BETTER. Volume one could’ve ended the way volume two did but instead of them being all happy and dating and then it ends, volume two could’ve been about them dating but Yuusei’s still a bit insecure about things. He’s been in his head for so long that it’ll take a little while for him to see that Itsuki really does love him, has loved him for years with Itsuki’s help. But it had a pretty cute ending similar to Two Lions in a way so we’re all just buddy-buddy, aren’t we, Nagisa.

The relationship dynamic here is very similar to the couple in Long Period. Wataru has been in love with his friend for years but has kept it to himself despite all the obvious signs Minato was giving that he loved him back. It does feel a little different in that Minato is and has been even more oblivious about his feelings so now we're spending the whole book waiting for Wataru to stop being stubborn and see that. While I was annoyed by the obliviousness in Long Period, I think I'm less annoyed about it here because it only lasted a chapter and didn't string me along for two whole fucking books. There's still a hint of "are we really gonna have this song and dance?" because Minato was not subtle at all in high school about his interest. It's just not as bad here since it's we're not reading about Wataru being an idiot. We're reading about him being stubborn to preserve his friendship based on past romantic experiences. I love slow burns but ignoring the signs for two books and then act all surprised when you do find out they like you back was definitely my limit. So I'm glad this is more about seeing them be cute together and Wataru slowly taking Minato seriously after chapter three. Ya know what I did find much more annoying, though. Chapter two page 26. "I'm grown up now" "I'm the grown up Wataru" The hell are you, 15? What the fuck is this dialogue right now? Bonus points for Lil' Boss. We respect Lil' Boss in this house.

I felt like I had to reorganize my thoughts on this story. This was a less-than-average read for me sometimes. I really like the almost family-like dynamic between Maggie, Al, Ned, and Mary, they had this vibe of “we’ve been friends since first grade, we grew up together” and I loved that. I loved that Maggie knew about Ned’s feelings for Al and was here for them, I loved that they all were here for Maggie towards the end of the book. I loved the tension the book had at times! There are a lot of things about the stories and the characters and the backstory that interest me so much. But there was also something... something that held this back for me. I thought the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star bit was sweet in the context of what it was for until the author wanted me to take this song seriously and then it just felt corny. Even though I grew to enjoy their friendship, starting with Al flirting with both Maggie and Ned felt weird to me. It's just this "siblings who flirt with the same person and that person flirts with them both" is not my cup of coffee, to be honest. Chapter four felt kind of confusing to me the way it jumped around in the timeline. I just find it funny that some of the small things got to me enough because of how mundane and still this story was. There was this gloomy and heavy atmosphere that was almost perfect. I love the hurt. The comfort is cute. But some of the comedy made me roll my eyes and I will never get over how they tried to make Twinkle Twinkle Little Star important.

3.5 will add to this later