slice of life

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Lenni Reviews: “Hirayasumi” Vol. 6, by Keigo Shinzō

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

After collapsing due to overwork, Hiroto decides to fulfill an old childhood dream with his friend Hideki. Meanwhile, Akarin and Yamada are having relationship issues, Yomogi is also pushing herself too hard, and Natsumi is in a drawing slump.

This volume is a whirlwind. There are a lot of plot threads going on with all the different characters working through their personal lives. Hiroto did find the resolve to do something with his life, but he’s still the easy-going guy we’ve enjoyed so far in this series. He’s so into his passion project, and it’s as inspiring in the comic as out; even got my dead heart rooting for him. Every so often, I have something on my radar get me to keep going with my own dreams. And Granny makes another appearance in some flashbacks. Never stop that. I love her. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tokyo Alien Bros.” Vol. 3 Keigo Shinzō

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

Fuyunosuke and Natsutaro are still studying humanity when their command suddenly cancels the plan to colonize Earth. Now, they need to decide if they will leave for another assignment or remain on our planet.

This is my favorite volume in the series. It hits some emotional beats and has some humor along with the mature bits (trigger warning for attempted rape when they try being women for a day). This really shows the connection between the brothers better than previous volumes. They actually seem like family here. I think this is the last volume so, way to end this on a high note! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Hirayasumi” Vol. 5, by Keigo Shinzō

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

It’s been a year since Natsumi moved in with her cousin, Hiroto and since funds are running low, Hiroto is picking up a lot of odd jobs. His friend Hideki is worried he’s overworking himself. Meanwhile, Ishikawa gives some cleaning tips to Tachibana.

The ending story about Hanae is so bittersweet. I love how Shinzō keeps bringing her back because she’s amazing. I am worried about Hiroto because I enjoy his ease as he goes through his life with his simple pleasures. I don’t want reality to beat him down. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 1, by Miyu Morishita

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

Mythical creatures are now mainstream and integrated with human society. Yutaka Shinso wants to get to know more of them so, he transfers to a more mixed school where he meets Tsumiki Ogami, a werewolf who inspires him to become as confident as she is.

This is a fun little high school fantasy. We don’t go into many different creatures as the main focus is on Tsumiki and her friendship with Yutaka. It’s still just the first volume so, it’s very slice of life but it’s very sweet. A light read with some comedy and heartfelt moments that made me smile. 3.7 out of 5 for the good start.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 34, by Tomohito Oda

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

Rumiko still hasn’t responded to Wakai’s confession and Komi gets accepted to her first-choice school. Their class is gearing up for another festival and decides to do a ramen stand.

The ramen stand was a funny event. Komi’s come a long way from not speaking at all to leading the class to play for an event and having a great time. I like that this volume keeps most of the focus on this event with only a couple side stories like Rumiko and Wakai. The volumes with a ton of different little stories have been hit or miss but this volume was just some cozy fun. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Concierge At Hokkyoku Department Store” Vol. 1, by Tsuchika Nishimura

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

Akino is starting her new job at the Hokkyoku Department Store, where some of the guests are animals. Since each animal is so different, Akino must navigate their unique needs and wants.

While personally having someone constantly trying to help me in a store is a fucking nightmare (just let me get my stuff and leave with as little human interaction as possible) this comic is a cozy read with low stakes and an earnest main character. She reminds me of Suma from “Dinosaur Sanctuary” with how hard she’s trying and how much doing a good job means to her. How Akino solves each issue can mean some mild info-dump situations talking about the animal species in detail, but these parts aren’t too long and do factor into how events play out. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Cat + Gamer” Volume 7 , by Wataru Nadatani

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As her office experiments with remote work, Riko is dealing with the challenge of trying to get things done while dealing with two energetic cats.

While it is still cute that Riko likens gaming to learning about her cats, I am also loving how wide her gaming interests are. She plays EVERYTHING. Mobile, RPG, shooters, slots, rhythm; it’s so cool! I wish I had time for that. I don’t even wanna think about how many games I own that I don’t have time to play. Of course, the cats are adorable as usual, getting into all kinds of trouble. Plus my own cat rubbed her face all over this book, so it’s clearly great. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Hirayasumi” Vol. 4, by Keigo Shinzō

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

With Christmas on the way, Natsumi wants to throw a party, but drama ensues when Yamada brings others from their art school. Meanwhile, Yomogi has to deal with sexism at work and continues to run into Hiroto.

What I really love about this is how, whenever something comes along to harsh the good vibe, it’s dealt with quickly. A girl in Natsumi’s class starts to give her shit for drawing manga? She gets called out right away. Hiroto needs to knuckle down and work harder to get the funds for a repair? He does so with his usual positive attitude. The light tone is welcome. I’m also curious about Yomogi and her budding relationship. They’re so awkward, it’s adorable. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 33, by Tomohito Oda

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

Tadano is encouraging Komi to try more things, so she tries winning the sports festival and becoming class president. Meanwhile, Manbagi is still grappling with a response for the boy who confessed to her.

The story of Komi befriending the nice older lady, Tazumi Michita, was absolutely adorable. It’s great to include other than teenagers in her possible friendships. It’s also good to see Komi branching out to things that don’t include Tadano. No offense to that precious bean but sometimes when a couple gets together in stories liked this, the individual characters vanish and it’s just all about their relationship. I became invested not just for them, but to see Komi blossom into her own person and reach her goal of making friends. The sports day stuff did feel like it ran a little long, though. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Cat + Gamer” Vol. 5, by Wataru Nadatani

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

In this volume, Riko:

  • Tries out an automatic cat feeder
  • Has a photo of her cats go viral
  • The cats destroy the toilet paper
  • Learns what “chattering” is
  • Has her cats racing around just like in one of her games
  • Forgets her birthday because of a game release
  • Deals with heavy shedding

There are of course fun antics in this volume but the one thing that stood out to me is when Riko realizes it’s her 30th birthday. There’s no freakout, no meltdown about not being married yet or having kids; it just adds to the enjoyment of her new game and she’s fine! She spent her birthday exactly how she’d enjoy it the most and that’s so damn wholesome. Riko is just precious and her adventures with her pets are fun and calming to read. 4 out of 5.

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