Sekitou Elegy

Warning: Spoilers contained….It’s a romance series..What do you expect?? This is my very first review. Please be kind to me. While browsing the endless depths of MAL, I came across this intriguing series and was compelled to check MU (mangadates.com) to find out more information and much to my pleasant surprise Sekitou Elegy received positive feedback. Thus, prompting me to read this refreshing addictive series that strays from the typical seinen romance. The story follows the life of Yanagawa, Satoshi, a fresh-out-of high school blue collar worker, who drudges through his life working as a traffic control personnel for a construction site.His unenviable days of receiving verbal lashings from disgruntled drivers are made more pleasant with the introduction of Chiiko, a foul-mouthed and violent part-timer who is a stark contrast to Yanagawa’s timid nature. The well-paced series shows our lovable pair traverse the murky waters of young adulthood as they grow closer to one another. The story handles the romance very well and feels quite real, as Chiiko and Yanagawa realize their feelings for one another without any of the typical plot devices that plague the romance genre such as the persistent childhood friend or never-ending misunderstandings. I suppose my biggest gripe against this series’ story is that it is a bit too slice-of-life at some points during the story. There are not many long-spanning arcs within this series but this can be due to the fact that series has yet to be fully translated. However, this is only a minor complaint in an otherwise enjoyable series because the two main characters make this series lack of a definitive story incredibly addictive to read. In terms of characters, this is the series’ strongest point, even though the story revolves around two characters without a strong supporting cast. Yanagawa is a refreshing and realistic character that any guy in their twenties can identify with as he deals with finding his place in society. He may not be that handsome or not really smart but his earnest kind-hearted nature shine through and is highlighted through his interactions with Chiiko. She has a strong influence on his characterization as he inches out of his weak personality mainly for her sake. Much of the series’ comedy stems from him being weak but never to the point of ostracizing him. Chiiko is an odd and incredibly likable female lead that offers a great balance to Yanagawa’s personality as she is more blunt and confrontational. However, with Yanagawa in her life she slowly realizes how important he is as he has a positive influence on her hellacious life that the series briefly reveals in fragmented flashbacks. Overall, Yanagawa and Chiiko’s steady development is the strongest element in the series that will definitely keep the reader hooked throughout the entire series. The art is the series’ weak point but this is only a minor concern and it will only take a little getting used to in order to appreciate the blue collared nature that the series conveys. However, backgrounds are one of the strong points of the art as well as Yanagawa and Chiiko’s most poignant moments in their relationship. WARNING: There are some sex scenes in the series but it’s nothing too graphic and it advances the plot. In conclusion, I will give Sekitou Elegy an 8 for its strong character development between the odd yet likable Yanagawa and Chiiko even though the story feels a little too slice-of-life. If you’re looking for a good romance series that does resort to the run-of-the-mill story elements such as persistent childhood friends as well as troublesome love triangles and focuses purely on the couple then I highly recommend this series.