2.5-jigen Kareshi

This manga is SO. FLIPPING. CUTE!! Not only is it sweet and fluffy, but it also has a pretty good message about not hiding yourself and accepting others for who they are, so even though it's really short, I'd definitely recommend it! Story: 7/10 (good) The story is follows our heroine, Tsumugi, an otaku obsessed with her favorite otome game character, Tokki, and her developing relationship with a real-life Tokki lookalike named Tokio, who claims to be allergic to otaku. The premise of being an otaku with a passion is super relatable, and I loved seeing that represented. However, once Tokio confesses to Tsumugi,she feels the need to hide her true nerdy self from him in order to not make him mad at her, until the secret slips out... The story isn't as well-developed as it could be, but it definitely wasn't bad, even though some minor characters (like Renren) just come and go. The ending was sweet and heartwarming, too! Art: 7/10 (good) The art style for this manga was really cute! I loved how the mangaka drew the characters' eyes and the various outfits were drawn very cutely, too. Tsumugi was definitely drawn more expressive than Tokio, but his expressions were still done decently. The proportions weren't too exaggerated, like shoujo manga sometimes do, and the more active poses didn't look super stiff, which is always good to see. I did think the use of screentones could've been better (yes, Tokio is a sparkly guy, we get it), but overall the art was really cute and fit the vibe of the manga well. Character: 7/10 (good) When I say the characters were good, I'm talking about Tsumugi in particular, even though Tokio's development wasn't horrible. I liked seeing how Tsumugi coped with her first-ever 3D crush, eventually fought to stay true to herself, and learned a bit about love and honesty on the way. At first, she hid her otaku-ness from Tokio to not make him mad, but as the story goes on, she finds she cannot build a strong relationship with him or be happy about any of her own decisions if she continues to hide the truth, and eventually comes clean. I liked seeing her slowly gain the bravery to be proud of being an otaku. Tokio, the love interest of the story, starts off very prejudiced against otakus because of an experience from his childhood, and harbors many of the negative stereotypes held against otakus and anime/manga/game fans not only in Japan, but worldwide. However, as he falls in love with Tsumugi, he eventually comes to accept her for who she is and tries to learn more about the truth about otaku culture. Their romance was also cute, even though they're not one of my all-time favorite manga ships. Enjoyment: 8/10 (very good) This manga is really fun to read! It's short, so it's easy to finish in less than half an hour, and the story and art are fun and easy to understand. Overall: 7/10 (good) Overall, "2.5-jigen Kareshi" is not super deep, even though its messages are definitely meaningful, and the romance, despite its cuteness, isn't anything extremely unique, so if you just want a simple and fluffy romance, this is the manga for you! Don't expect too much from it, and it probably won't end up in your favorites list, but it's a good manga to pass the time with and make you want more husbandos (be they 2D or 3D). You can never have too many of those, right?