Pâtissier-san to Ojousan

"The world of Patissier-san to Ojousan is kind, with no serious negative scenes. It's a story about characters who look onwards" - Author's afterword in Volume 2 Patissier-san to Ojousan starts as a fun gag romance manga, with simple 4-page chapters that show a handsome patissier who has developed an intense crush on one of his store's frequent customers, and yet his own shyness constantly renders him unable to ask for her name. Just when you start to fear the gag can't be stretched for much longer and the story will become repetitive, the formula changes into a much more standard romance story, with ourtwo characters establishing conversation and growing closer by the visit. Let's be clear from the start: This is by no means a profound, passionate romance story with characters who grow and develop alongside each other; instead, it's a fluffy will-they-wont-they whose appeal lies entirely in the main characters and their interactions. The titular "Patissier-san" and his adored "Headband-chan", as they get nicknamed through the series, are nothing but tooth-achingly adorable, and there wasn't a single chapter that didn't have me giddily hiding my face in my pillows. The art is also very enjoyable. All the characters have simple designs, combining more classic manga body proportions with silly round faces (especially chibi-looking in the case of the FL) but making these elements harmonize with each other instead of clash. This sillier, standard 'manga' look for the characters contrasts with the realistic style in which the pastries are drawn, making them stand out and seem super appetizing! That being said, the main flaw is that aside from Ryou (the ML's older brother and owner of the shop he works at), nothing is really ever done with the side characters. I understand that it's a limitation of the shorter format but I'd rather have little to no additional characters than have a decent sized cast and do nothing with most characters. This issue is particularly prominent in the last couple of chapters, with the introduction of a certain character in an attempt to add a bit of a classic 'we're ending soon so we gotta raise the stakes!' type finale, only for it to feel jammed in and not really go anywhere. Still, I absolutely loved this manga and can't recommend it enough to anyone who's looking for a light, feel-good read!