slice of life comics

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Lenni Reviews: “Hirayasumi” Vol. 9, by Keigo Shinzō

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After Natsumi’s call from the roof, she’s recovering from a broken wrist as the rest of our cast continues to make some progress in their relationships.

This series just keeps being awesome and wholesome. Shin and Yamada are hanging out, Hiroto actually makes friends with Ishikawa, the Art Festival takes place, and Yomogi finally takes a break. The series scared the crap outta me by ending the last volume with Nastumi falling off a fucking roof, but it made it up to me by being so cozy in this volume. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance” Vol. 3, by Shinnosuke Kanazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Amata knows he should reveal the truth, that he’s the Lolita Aki has been hanging out with, but he doesn’t want to lose this budding friendship.

Since this is a light-hearted slice of life, I doubt the outcome of this confession will be a shock to you if you’re familiar with the genre at all. I do, however, wish to spoil the fact that Mitsu, the local stray cat, is adorable, and I am totally okay with her not only having her dedicated moments but playing a role in Amata and Aki’s friendship, especially now that everything is out in the open. It’s just cute, wholesome, and fun to read. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 6, by Miyu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tsumiki and Yutaka start their student council duties, where they meet Student Council President: Raizen, a lightning dragon with a strict temperament. They prepare for the last event of the year – the Sports Festival – and then they head into the Christmas season.

We still get tiny glimpses of how lonely Yutaka’s past was, and while it does show how far he’s come, I feel like I need more. I’m so ready for a long flashback session where maybe Tsumiki meets more old classmates of his? Eh, even if we never get that, the slice of life with mythical creatures is still entertaining and heartwarming at times. I enjoy wondering what they’ll get up to next. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Spacewalking With You” Vol. 1, by Inuhiko Doronoda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Kobayashi is an underachiever, completely apathetic towards school, and can’t seem to focus. When a new student, Uno, arrives, Uno is overly enthusiastic and on the spectrum, opening Kobayashi’s eyes to different ways of thinking and doing things.

After so much yaoi and romance, I can’t express how refreshing this beautiful friendship is. I know what I pick to read, and I’m not ashamed of it, but I will say this is a breath of fresh air. I admit to tearing up. So far, the whole cast is fantastic and positive. Uno has his breakdowns, and the art represents this as well as a neurotypical person like me can say they do. Those are the most intense parts. It’s as if you took the romance (and possible death omens) out of Insomniacs After School and replaced it with mismatched friends. I love it! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Vampire in the Bathhouse” by Niko Izuki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

When Luka, a vampire, visits a bathhouse to recover from a hangover, he falls in love with the place. Now that it’s Luka’s regular spot, Sakura, the eldest son running the place, has his life turned upside down with supernatural shenanigans.

This is a fun comedy that features my favorite character type of “positive, good-natured, hard worker” in Sakura. The art style looks like it could handle some more serious supernatural elements, but overall, this stays light-hearted. There are the typical comedic tropes and some suggestive nudity (it is set in a bathhouse after all), but there is no smut. If you’re in the market for some goofy fun with a smattering of mostly naked pretty men, this is amusing. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate: Making Friends and Not Scaring People” by Tomohito Oda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a Komi-themed guide to opening up and making new friends.

This is really cute, and while it is absolutely idealistic, it’s very digestible. It’s a fun way to learn a bit and relive some classic moments from the manga series. If you are a huge fan, this may be a worthwhile addition to your collection or maybe a gift to a young fan who’s a bit shy. I think these types of books are fun! I wonder if Food Wars will come out with an official cookbook (one lazy search brought up some independently published ones). 4.7 out of 5 since it’s a fun little extra book for fans.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dogs and Punching Bags” by Kaori Ozaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Nichiko returns from a complicated life in the city to her small hometown to see her dying father and meets Chimaki, a strange yet chipper guy who is obsessed with saving and/or helping to make up for a tragic mistake in his past.

This is just beautiful. It’s funny, sad, poignant, and amazing to experience. It’s sad and melancholic in the beginning, but it’s a story about finding a place where you can be your best self and be happy despite a sad past. This would be a perfect 5 out of 5 for me if not for my admittedly personal opinion that cheaters fucking suck and don’t deserve a happy ending without seeing some kind of justice. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance” Vol. 2, by Shinnosuke Kanazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Aki and Kanade’s friendship is growing, unaware that they are coworkers. They run into Roku, an old friend of Aki’s who also leads a bit of a double life as a punk but a clean-cut teacher when he’s “off.” He gets a bit jealous of Aki’s new friend.

Most of this volume is just Aki and Kanade hanging out together, but Kanade is still hiding that not only is he a guy, but that he works with Aki. The secret is gonna have to come out at some point. While Aki can be brusque at work, I hope that doesn’t mean she’ll be cruel to Kanade. It’s nice to see them getting to be good friends and for Aki to loosen up a bit. I just like seeing them chilling. It’s so sweet. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 37, by Tomohito Oda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

It’s graduation time, and Komi reflects on how far she’s come and her plans for the future.

As a final volume, it encapsulates the tone of the entire series: wimsy, sweetness, comedy, and weird, quirky characters. I could have done without the Tadano and the boys in the bathhouse, and Yamai is still a fucking creep.

And of course, leave it to Tadano to deliver on the feels.

The end is so touching, gives positivity towards their future, and fits the journey we took. Congratulations Komi. It was so much fun to read your story. 4.5 out of 5.

 

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 5, by Miyu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In an attempt to be more involved, Yutaka is considering clubs to join, and Tsumiki decides to do the same. Meanwhile, a succubus named Ako sets her sights on Yutaka.

This volume is just Tsumiki and Yutaka being adorable. The introduction of Axo may seem like there’d be all this drama and angst, but we’re still in jovial slice of life territory. Tsumiki is her usual supportive, quirky bestie to Yutaka, who is trying his best. I’m enjoying the introductions of new types of mythical beings and, as these are teenagers, I’m relieved at the way Ako was handled. She’s not hyper sexualized, she just craves to be wanted and basks in the attention. It’s a cute volume. 3.7 out of 5.

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