Tsuiraku JK to Haijin Kyoushi

Now that the series is finally over, I can update my review. Sooo...first of all, what an unconventional shoujo series! While it shares a lot of tried-and-proven shoujo tropes, it doesn't shy away from breaking the mold and introducing some more somber, cynical themes. Its comedy is also quite diverse. We have some manzai takes, some meta-humor, and a healthy dose of sardonic quips & lighthearted banter in rapid succession. The series keeps a refreshing balance between being serious, humorous...and yes, quite romantic too. Wonderful cast. The female lead (JK) is a bit of an anti-thesis to the usual shoujo heroine but still retains some of thetropes. The ambivalence of her being cynical/of a darker mindset versus her cute/sensitive side works out flawlessly. The same applies to the male lead, Haijin. He's messy, chaotic, and gloomy. That he is, yet he shows fantastic awareness of the thoughts and emotions of everyone around him. 'Tsuiraku JK to Haijin Kyoushi' is a bit episodic/circular in its nature. The characters and plot progress, but there's a particular formula to how the arcs are structured. Sometimes the series reminded me of 'Boku to Kimi no Taisetsu na Hanashi' a bit - but a darker twist on how the two leads of 'Boku to...' communicate with each other. This formulaic approach to JK and Haijin got me worried at one point. What if the series gets a bit too...repetitive for my liking? Don't fret. The mangaka is amazing at breaking things up from time to time so the readers can get a 'reset'. The side character cast most of the time is the 'device' used to do this reset. Fortunately, the side characters and their interactions are added organically to the plot progression. Sure, some of them aren't the most fleshed out, but it works out well. Art-wise, 9/10 points. Beautiful art, rich expressions, crisp panels. This has all the ingredients of a great shoujo with some unique fragments thrown in. I swear at some times JK and the volume covers are drawn as if they'd fit right into xxxHOLIC, lol. I disliked some of the stalker/jealousy/restrictiveness sides to how the relationship takes shape. Then again, this - and the age gap, are built-in for a shoujo series like this one. A solid 8-8.5/10. Definitely a great take on what the shoujo world offers. A wonderfully closed story that will leave if not all, then MOST readers fully satisfied, in my opinion. Read it!