shokiyo's manga / #high school(8)

☆ 3 very nice art. delves mostly into hayakawa’s past concerning music and friendship, which may be relatable. konno doesn’t receive as much focus besides present-life characterization. story follows them through parts of their lives in high school, then time jump to adulthood in the present. the ending is happy but not necessarily a solid conclusion, more of a slice-of-life romance (vol2 ch5). assuming vol2 ch5.5 is an extra. ☆ 4.5 for art the art is clean and beautiful, although it doesn’t stand out in particular. ☆ 3.5 for characters hayakawa has an understandable history and mindset, though his behaviour isn’t relatable in some parts, like being quite s*xual. konno feels very static (although dependable), very forgettable. side characters aren’t very memorable besides the ones from hayakawa’s past. ☆ 3 for story the story makes sense. it could have been ended on early volume two. remaining story-line becomes slice of life with some development, showcasing character relationship. ☆ 3.5 stars overall enjoyment the story is short and sweet but doesn’t go into enough depth to have lasting impact or lovable characters. lots of smut scenes (which i don’t particularly read). most of the rating is for the art and hayakawa’s past.

☆ 2.7 love the premise. the plot is pretty predictable but it’s meaningful to me. very short. skipped over nsfw as usual. the one thing that bothered me was the p*do s/a scene (and the p*do in general). it was very disgusting to read. i’m not 100% sure if it was s/a because i skipped the scene; however, it was definitely nsfw and noncon. i think they glossed over what happened to mc way too much because a day or so after, he tells the ml and neither really react. they don’t attempt to report the p*do. his existence and actions are used as a plot device to get the mc to confess to the ml and i’m not okay with that. i find it hard to believe mc’s thought focus would shift from “this is uncomfortable; i’m being violated,” to solely “i ONLY love the ml and want him to do that to me ONLY.” i don’t know if i’m being oversensitive but it’s gross. other than that, i adore the manga’s theme and how thoughtful the ml is. it was unclear-ish to me about how ml could become so enraptured and devoted to watching mc from afar to the point of following schools for him. the explanation scene is too brief. back to the positives, it made me really happy seeing ml subtly help mc build his confidence in cross dressing. the misunderstandings were minor in this short work. i wish he could have been more straightforward from the beginning about his love but i’m just nitpicking. ml comes off a bit as being very horny. some parts where he is commanding are uncomfortable, just the tiniest bit though. wonderful story without the diminished dark aspect. it would have been better if it wasn’t included. would not reread because the characters are also a bit shallow (high school students after all) but the ml’s kindness, his genuine expressions, and mc’s character development brought me many joyful emotions.

☆ 4.5 Wonderful characters, clean art, touching story. Massive TW (S.A.) for a character’s past.

☆ 3.8 it feels incomplete and scattered but it is relatively wholesome and lighthearted, minus nakamura’s pervy imagination. i really wish there was more character development, as mc and “ml” were relatively 3D. i would love to see them become closer friends and for mc to step outside of his shell to become confident in himself (as well as hirose), because i saw a lot of potential there. they’re ‘ordinary’ high schoolers exploring who they are, with nakamura also being gay. again, so much potential and relatability. i appreciate the clean art too, very striking.

☆ 3.48 mostly wholesome compilation of short stories, varying themes and degrees of quality. my biggest gripe is that the main characters across the stories, despite their more distinctive personalities, tend to look too similar. i enjoyed the bicycle and clover stories, especially the bicycle one’s ending. the strawberry one was cute but kind of weird and vague. remaining stories are a little forgettable but the running metaphors are creative. i understand the sentiment. if i were to choose to recommend any of them, i would say read the clover story because of the more poignant characters and dynamics! in itself, it could be a heartwarming and unlikely friendship, regardless of romance. ^^

☆ 4 i cant find a fault with it for what it is. im happy they can be themselves around each other and hope theyll be able to grow and share this side of them with others. cute concept and short one shot done well.

☆ 4 Wholesome with a neatly tied in backstory. I wish there was more characterisation but the manga did well with its length, and both characters do have personality. The extras were the cherries on top. Overall a relaxing and slightly melancholy summer story.

☆ 3.35 consent! gorgeous art and cute characters, especially sumire. too bad the author didn't include sumire grown up in the extras. the age gap is a little uncomfortable; however, i assume it is legal. there are sex scenes, yet not too explicit. suguru has a dark past that is slightly glossed over, including some transactions with a teacher i don’t understand completely, so warning for that. it isn’t delved into deeply. also, the dialogue or monologue gets confusingly vague at times. luckily, it doesn’t detract from the story much. points for the characters and beautiful art. other than that, the story is relatively unremarkable.