Fudatsuki no Kyouko-chan

I've read all chapters through...other means soooo yea lmao So the story is basically revolves around Kyoko and Kenji, a pair of siblings. Kenji is feared by other classmates due to his looks and his "siscon" attitude, which makes it hard for him to approach his crush, Hibino. As the story progresses, more characters are introduced and Kyoko gains a friend. And that's about it for story wise. Story: 9 A pretty solid slice of life, comedy with some romance packed here and there. Was really enjoyable. Art: 10 Let's be real here. If you enjoyed Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san's art style, then you will enjoy this. Kyoko's FOREHEAD LMAO.In all seriousness, I really liked the art style. Character: 9 The main characters are your classic "non-popular guy" and a "tsundere sister". But they aren't bland as bland as other series' characters. Also, the side characters are also quite interesting, especially the tomboy (forgot her name lmao). Enjoyment: 10 Heck yeah! I loved the Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san and it's spin-offs (Moto and Ashita wa Doyoubi), so I really loved this as well! Overall: 10 It has been implied that this series and Takagi-san's series are in the same universe, as suggested by a reccuring character (Sachi and her brother) being present in both series. But easter egg aside, if you really liked Takagi-san, give this a try! (Btw I was able to complete the series as I read the chinese translated version to complete the last 6 chapters lol, but I definately will buy all 7 volumes of this if they were ever licensed by Seven Seas etc.)

NO spoilers : ) Premise: Fudatsuki Kenji has to constantly care for his younger vampire-like sister, scaring away all people around her (protecting them from her), while also acting as her daily blood bank. During their time in high school they run into romantic hijinks (with other people of course) as well as realize their special familial bond. Fudatsuki no Kyouko-chan attempts to fit into a specific popular genre of "episodic, infinitely repeating, and comical expressions of love or understanding between people who will never admit their feelings until the last chapter," instead of something deeper and perhaps more controversial like what the premise promises.It rather successfully filled that genre. However, in my opinion, the premise had so much more potential, all of which was lost to what it is now. Now don't get me wrong, this manga is *cute as fuck*. But there was just as much wrong with it as went right. Story: 6/10 In pursuit of becoming an infinite slice of life/comedy/romance "wow that's super cute look how wholesome it is" it becomes a "you don't need plot or anything, that's too heavy, also throw out continuity too" because of how much promise it had in the beginning but had to shave off and how many possibly heavier themes it could have covered but would have not fit its designated cheery atmosphere. I know I keep talking about the premise but it is just that important. Many questions invariably arise... which would be VERY interesting to flesh out, but never are. What about his and her family? Can't she wear her hair in a more secure way? What is the origin of the ribbon as a talisman? How did they get by in the past as children? Why doesn't daily blood sucking result in any neck scarring? How does Kyouko cook great food if she can't consume human food without feeling sick? Instead we are treated to some 37 chapters of ribbon-on/ribbon-off tsundere act. Ad infinitum. The romance premises were extremely endearing, but all plot points met long-delayed yet abrupt and unsatisfactory resolutions. --> My biggest observation: this story was never about hiding her true identity as a vampire or protecting other people from her (like the premise would have you think). That would be too interesting. The "danger" or "jeopardy" is not placed on something like being discovered, it is placed on shallow romantic relations and misunderstandings. The story had a ridiculous amount of potential. Too bad it threw it all away. Art: 8/10 The art is great. All the character designs are endearing. Everyone's appearances are very distinct. Character: 5/10 The main sibling pair Kenji and Kyouko are very endearing. Kenji is the most fleshed out, and his personality is evidenced to be a product of the environment he's forced himself to mature quickly in. Kyouko has a nice character design, but her entire role in this story could be summed up with the ribbon-on/ribbon-off gag/act. A specific few side characters are evidenced to be incapable of human cognition and reasoning. The characters are all exactly what the author wants them to be: simple and distinct. There is no depth to any of the characters, since I infer they're not meant to be seen as three-dimensional people. However it could have been very different. By the author's vision though it serves its purpose well, so I won't stir anything more. Enjoyment: 6/10 What was VERY enjoyable: the setting-up of premises! The jeopardy of the situations the author puts these characters in are genius. It makes me look forward to what will happen next. What was NOT enjoyable: being strung along and bullshitted until the end of the manga because the author just had to have some limbo in place to keep things barely interesting. Overall: 6/10 This manga was the feeling of someone telling you about a great amusement park, then arriving to be met with a botanical park. It's a nice park with nice flowers, but it's not what you told me. This is NOT supernatural or drama or even comedy, it is tease escapism-romance which is concentrated on selling well to a large casual audience. I should not have expected so much out of Fudatsuki no Kyouko-chan. It became increasingly more difficult to read as time went on because I kept losing hope (and interest). If you like this genre I suggest you read it, but only until you feel numbed with disappointment.

Story 1/2 The story was really fun to read, and I didn't want to put it down. The idea for this story was interesting (though, nothing special when it comes to manga). The ending really weakens it, though. Art 1/2 You can clearly see everything that happens in each panel, and the art is really nice to look at, but over-all the manga doesn't stand out with its art. Characters 1/2 The characters are my favorite part of the entire manga. It was fun seeing their interactions, and it sucks we'll never see the characters develop the way the author was developing them since the manga ended the way itdid. But due to the ending, the things that these characters were going through will never be resolved. Ending 0/2 This has to be the worst ending in a manga I've ever come across. Why? Because there was no ending. It's like you're watching an anime instead of reading a manga. You'll never find out what happens next in the story. You'll never see the character development come to fruition that was being put in place. You'll never see subplots being resolved. You'll never see how Kyoko and Kenji's relationships are tested by their peculiar situation. You'll never learn if they choose to tell another person about their situation. Nothing that was being built up in this story has an ending, and it will leave you unsatisfied. Enjoyment (from the translation) 2/2 Since this was never officially translated to English, I ended up reading a fan translation (by the people at naabii.home.blog) and boy did they do a good job. Maybe the English translation of this manga is the reason I enjoyed it so much, I don't know, but it was obvious the translators knew what they were doing. There were minor spelling errors, but that's to be expected with someone translating this for free, and it personally didn't take away any enjoyment I had while reading this. Overall, Fudatsuki no Kyouko-chan gets a 5/10 from me. If the author chooses to pick it back up and continue making more, I'd be extremely excited to continue reading this. I want to know more. I want to enjoy more of this story, and yet I can't, and that's the biggest issue I have with this manga.

Fudatsuki no Kyouko-chan is a middle of the road slice of life rom-com with a disappointing ending. Story: 4 The pacing of the story is the worst aspect of this manga. The chapter to chapter flow is classic Yamamoto slice of life but the lifespan of the story creates a situation where progress needs to happen quickly and b-plots aren't able to be fully explored. And the jiangshi gimmick needed to be leaned into more or used less often for my tastes. Art: 9 Yamamoto's back in his bag with this one, read as clean linework and tones, easy to follow panel formatting, and characters with massive foreheads. Character: 5 TheCharacters are for the most part one-note, MC is a fake siscon, sister is a tsundere brocon, heroine is the japanese ideal woman, and everyone else is present. The characters have potential but again the lack of exploration due to chapter count doesn't do them any favors. Enjoyment: 6 I was able to read the entire plot in ~1.5 hours, so it's a quick read that's enjoyable but not very memorable. Overall: 6 Could have been good but delivered mid.