slice of life

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 22, by Tomohito Oda

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

While in New York, Manbagi decides its time to tell Tadano about her feelings for him. We also get a story about Shosuke, who’s class is also going on a trip and he has to be persuaded to go.

While the field trip antics are fun to read, not much progress was made in the confession department. I am glad Shoko and Rumiko’s friendship is honest and strong; not falling into a typical trope to make them have a falling out. I want to rate this higher because of my personal affinity for this series, but this wasn’t as enjoyable as the other volumes. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible” Vol. 4, by Nene Yukimori

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Shiraishi and Kubo are in the same class again this year and Kubo won’t let Shiraishi just fade into the background; insisting he get involved with a school committee. Meanwhile, Kubo isn’t the only one who’s noticed Shiraishi as another classmate, Sudo has noticed him all this time.

We don’t get much of Sudo in this volume as it focuses on Shiraishi and Kubo spending more time together. They are so cute and it’s good to see someone appreciate Shiraishi and his interests. Clearly, he was more bothered by being invisible, as I’ve said before, and his relationship with Kubo is slowly unfolding. Shiraishi is actually enjoying Kubo’s little teasing and is having fun! It’s going bit by bit but progress is happening. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man and His Cat” Vol. 6, by Umi Sakurai

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Kanda is going out more and it invited by Moriyama only to find Moriyama has ditched him. Kanda has to overcome his panic attacks and fear in order to cope.

In this volume, we get to know more about Moriyama a lot more and it’s more of a music manga than a cat one. I’m completely fine with that since Kanda is healing from his past traumas and him adopting a cat was the catalyst for everything going on in is life now. It’s still very cute and Fukumaru has plenty of time to shine so you get your fix of adorable felines. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man and His Cat” Vol. 5, by Umi Sakurai

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In a change up from previous volumes, this one has more emphasis on the cats. Fukumaru recognizes an old neighbor from the pet shop wandering outside. This cat just runs off, prompting Fukumaru to run out and help him; only to get lost and Kanda rushes to find him.

I’m a wimp, I got misty eyed. I’m almost mad at how easily this volume made me cry but I’m an animal lover. One of my financial goals is to adopt another pet and pets are a big part of my retirement plan. I am a soft touch when it comes to all these feels. It’s also a testament to the art, which allows for all the emotions to come through. Very good volume. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man and His Cat” Vol. 4, by Umi Sakurai

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A rival of Kanda’s, Hibino, is determined to do whatever it takes to surpass Kanda’s incredible talent for the piano. But Hibino’s flighty mother suddenly decides she doesn’t want to bother with her cat anymore and dumps the cat on him. With no idea what to do, Hibino ends up asking Kanda for help.

Well, I wouldn’t expect a cute story about a guy adoring his pet cat to deal with all these types of human trauma but, here we are. At least it’s handled well, classy even considering this is marketed as a cozy read about an elderly man and his cat. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man and His Cat” Vol. 3, by Umi Sakurai

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After the time comes for Fukumaru to get neutered, we have a new character enter the cast named Moriyama; a young man who works with Kanda and greatly admires Kanda’s piano skills. Unfortunately, Moriyama is unaware of Kanda’s past and how traumatic it would be for him to attend a piano concert.

I like learning about these characters through the cats. We spend plenty of time with both the human characters and the felines so there’s a good balance. This series is getting a little more dramatic and very touching. 4.5 out of 5. 

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Lenni Reviews: “A Man and His Cat” Vol. 2, by Umi Sakurai

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Kanda has changed since adopting Fukumaru and the people in his life are starting to notice. He thinks back on his past, his now deceased wife, and how he used to devote so much time to his career, he realizes just how much happier he is having the cat in his life. Kanda smiles more and is opening up to the people around him. And of course, Fukumaru is happy having a nice home despite his own sad past.

This manga is still so sweet and filled with adorable cat moments. If you need slice-of-life manga that is light-hearted and comforting, this is perfect. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Cat + Gamer” Volume 2, by Wataru Nadatani

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In the continuing misadventures of Riko she runs afoul of the typical trap of attaining a new pet: spending way too much on toys.

In this volume, we also meet Riko’s sister, Mai, who is obsessed with social media so Riko gives her cat an account. Riko gets to meet other pet owners and gets to know her cat much better. Manga like these are the ultimate comfort read. Riko is just enjoying her companion and learning about what it’s like to care for a cat on a day to day basis. It’s just wholesome, cute, and fun to read. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 21, by Tomohito Oda

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

This volume brings us to Christmas and Komi’s birthday party. Komi also makes a visit to check in with her grandmother for New Years and Komi fills in as a shrine maiden again. Also, Komi’s class heads to the United States for a class trip.

This is a fun volume, especially when they all go on the trip to New York. It’s all slice of life goodness as the kids just have a good time. Although it doesn’t move much forward on the impending love triangle, it’s a calming read. This series isn’t really big on high angst or overblown drama; there are plenty of places to get that. If you want something chill, this is a stand out of the series. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Look Back” by Tatsuki Fujimoto

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

Fujino loves to draw manga and since she makes comics for the school newspaper, she’s popular. By chance she meets another girl in town who also loves drawing named Kyomoto, who’s a shut-in who doesn’t have other friends. They team up to make a manga for a contest but as they develop as artists, their lives take different paths.

This is beautifully done; showing the way people’s lives naturally come together and grow apart. It’s compact with plenty and the emotions and the art allows the expressions tell so much more than just the words on the page. I do think the tragic event is… Abrupt. It threw me off. Such things can happen but it blindsided me, which was likely the point. 4 out of 5.

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