Senakagurashi

If you're looking for a cute romance manga, then you should read Senakagurashi.

The story has a clear destination, there's no beating around the bush of any sort.

The art is very good, I personally like the art style.

The Characters weren't generic and they weren't boring (especially the main guy).

I don't really have words to describe how good this manga was (without spoilers anyway), all I know is that when I saw the average rating of this manga a 7.6 here, I just knew that I had to step in and put a review. This manga made me grin a lot from the pure cute/romance that it delivered in the story. I would highly recommend this over a regular shoujo romance manga.

TL;DR
In a teenage love story, of course they are living together. At least the execution is good. On the bright side, you will forget about this story once you are done, so you can enjoy it a second time.

Story: 6
A young man moves out to live on his own for the summer, and ends up living with a cute girl. The only thing not cliche about the set up is the fact they basically share a room separated by frosted glass. The story is nothing new, going through the typical misunderstandings and falling in love. However, where this story excels is execution, which is what really matters.

Art: 6
The art is slightly above average. It is nothing to write home about, but it fits the narrative and has a few panels that do make you appreciate the art.

Characters: 8
While there is one annoying character, the meat and bones of the manga is with the two main characters. They are fun characters, even if they aren't really that deep. Most of the supporting cast are fun to watch as well. The gap between their characters and the "actors" who play them was interesting as well.

Enjoyment: 7
A cliche story is not necessarily a bad one. As long as the execution of the story is done well and the characters are fun even the most cliche story can be enjoyable.

On a personal level, I had a tons of fun reading this one.

Overall:7
Senakgurashi is a fun, snack-size manga to read when you aren't in the mood for anything amazing. It is something to read, have a good time with, put down, then rarely think about again.

A short and sweet romantic story that makes your jawbones hurt from smiling, what could possibly compare?

A very original twist to the "boy meets girl" template, this time with our protagonist living next to the heroine, with a glass window separating between them instead of a wall.

Have your curiosity peaked from this brief summary? or are you still skeptical? For those of you who are still with me, allow me to elaborate on some of this story's strong points:

The story: Is consistent, coherent, well-paced, well executed piece. No complaints whatsoever. No plot holes, no useless fan-service, no bullshit. Nothing too fast or too slow, just straight to the point. Exactly as it should be.

The art: is solid, and the character designs are cute. so that's some thing.

Sound: Ha, gotcha there didn't I? no? ok...

Characters: I want to commend the author on this one, the characters feels real. Really real. Really, you can easily trace ACTUAL LOGICAL REASON to the character's actions and reactions.

And finally, enjoyment: There is much.

And if that doesn't convince YOU to read this 21 chapter manga (of which only 20 were translated to the date i am writing these lines, which suck...), then i don't know, go watch another shonen, you heartless bastard.

signing off (until the next review-less manga I find).

I think it's a crime how little this manga gets mentioned in conversation. I just heard of it for the first time yesterday and went and read it all in two sittings.

Despite what the premise might lead you to believe, this doesn't take the same route as Nozoki Ana or Nozo Kimi in terms of sexual or provocative content - it's a PG look at two youths that are learning what it means to be independent.

I would compare it to the aforementioned Nozoki Ana and Nozo Kimi if only in that the relationship of the main characters is very much one of struggling with the dissonance between how they feel and how they act. It's a fairly realistic portrayal of a simple (as they often are) love story, that takes its time in showing every bump along the way.

Are you looking for Drama? Are you looking for something to leave you sobbing? Something that will make you contemplate the entirety of your life leading up until now? Then maybe this one's not for you.

But if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy story about two kindred spirits that grow closer to one-another, despite - or perhaps because of their personal issues, I can whole-heartedly recommend this to you.

Senakagurashi is great for anyone looking for a quick fix of sugar. The problem with a lot of romance manga nowadays is they tend to go on and on, to the point where you get sweetness overload and just wanting the manga to end (see: Kimi no Iru Machi)

However, Senakagurashi at only 3 volumes is a near perfect length for the story it wants to tell. It showcases the month they spent together and their eventual development in a well-paced and digestible manner. It's sweet and refreshing all through-out.

The two main characters play off of each other fantastically. The side characters, though not getting much time, are likable. It knew to keep its focus on the main characters and their development and I appreciate that.

As much as I've liked this manga, giving it anything more than an 8 is being unfair. The thing with sweet, sugary foods is they got one flaw: they don't have much substance.

As much as I love the story and characters, there's not really much to chew on. It's a very light read, finishing it in a few hours. Of course, you don't really eat dessert to fill yourself up, but when it comes to fluffy reads, few get anything more than an 8 from me (and this is from someone who rates Girlfriends as a perfect 10 and one of my all-time faves).

However, if you're looking for something to make you giddy for a bit, and enjoy decent romance, nice characters, and a fun scenario, then you will not regret picking up Senakagurashi.

So, The rooms with a glass separating them is kinda good concept. At the start the interactions between the two feels like how most of us go through during first or second grade at school with the opposite sex. At first the main character is comes off as very dense but soon we get to know why he is so. Due to him growing up in a house comprised only of women he is overwhelmed easily and develops kind of a phobia of women (gynophobia) and at school as well he acts kinda sus around women so he doesn't really have and experience with taking to girls of his own age. The girl also tells him that she goes to an all girls school since 7th grade, its not reveled if she went to an all girls school before but regardless even she doesn't have much experience with dealing with boys. When the main characters meet its like puberty smacked them in the face at the same time. The manga depicts the development of two people from neighbors to friends to lovers, who don't know anything not only about each other but also their opposite genders. It's short and beautiful and not to dragged out because it focuses only on the main characters and doesn't introduce any other characters other than family and two friends.