Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet

I could not put this manga down! it was incredibly heartwarming and not as cliche as everyone is saying. I found the relationship in this story to be the most genuine and satisfying out of all the romance manga I've read. Story: There were a few weird unrealistic blips in the very beginning (which is what most people are commenting on), but after you pass the first few chapters it gets so much better. I never felt overtly annoyed by anything the characters did and I thought the progression of the story made a lot of sense. Nothing felt too rushed or too slow. [SPOILER: therewere plenty of romantic scenes between the two main characters, enough to keep an American reader satisfied lol] Art: Yamamori Mika is my favorite artist and I've been in love with her work since Hirunaka no Ryuusei. Everything about the manga is gorgeous. Facial expressions were realistic and intense scenes were perfectly conveyed through the art. I do think that she might have felt rushed in the beginning chapters i.e. backgrounds that should have been filled, characters faces that turned into chibi versions when I wanted them to be normally drawn. But that went away after a while. Characters: Fumi is my favorite female main character! She's strong, mature, caring, and most importantly NOT annoying. Akatsuki is super handsome and complements her well. Overall, you should definitely read this manga the whole way through. I got so attached to the characters in the end that I was genuinely depressed when I finished it, that's how amazing it is. :)

I actually finished it 2 days ago. Yet, I am writing this review today because these 2 days I was just making up my mind and sorting out my feelings about it. This manga is like a hurricane of my literary life which has wreaked havoc in my thoughts. Literally. It was this good. The aesthetic aspect of story-line, story-telling, character development, artwork...everything was well developed, planned and done. First of all, when I read its synopsis, it gave me the impression of Kore Wa Koi No Hanashi because both has male-leads who are successful writers. So, I thought it would have the same story-line, andI kept pushing it for reading another time. Oh boy! was I surprised once I started reading it. You bet because I was. It was like I have open a Pandora box. Everything was different. The story, the characters and their hardships/struggles all are so so different from Kore wa Koi no Hanashi. About age-gap between the lead characters, which I believe many readers want to know...that is something I can't reveal because it would be a direct spoiler for many readers. So, I am sorry for this. But its age-gap is in acceptable range for me to read stories. By the way, I am glad that I decided to give it a try. This is a masterpiece for me. Don't hesitate, just give it a try, guys! You won't regret it, believe me! Right now, I am re-reading Kore wa Koi no Hanashi. So, see you there! \_(^o^)_/

As somebody who does not read much shoujo manga this past few years, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet was a pretty huge shock for me, and it hooked me into reading more shoujo these days. Now, as a sucker for character back stories, this manga got me real good. I like how in-depth Akatsuki is as a character. Although, I personally think it would be better if his backstory was explained throughout the whole story instead of rushing everything at the end. I love how every little thing that he experienced, had a huge affect on his present life. The only thing that I wish was in themanga: other characters that are as polished as Akatsuki. The other was just, there, I honestly did not feel like the others were as significant as him. Even Fumi as the main character, I could not quite catch what type of character she was other than she was good at doing house chores. Fumi had her own backstory, but I felt like it was not delivered as good as Akatsuki's. It was tragic, but I did not feel the emotion that was supposed to be delivered. As for the art, hands down. It's so pretty. Fumi's outfits throughout the series, *chef's kiss*. Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable experience reading the manga. Sure, the story line is very cliché but the art makes up for it honestly.

All of the characters are great. There's not a long period of misunderstandings like how most shoujo mangas go. The love interests can communicate well and are very mature. There are very few stuff in the story that I question but it doesn't take away from how good the story is. Sure there may be a few cliche stuff but it's done is a very well way. This was the first shoujo that made me look up the author to check out her other works. I came into this with no expectations but ended up binging this whole story and the ending left me feelingnostalgic and sentimental. If you like light hearted stories that aren't angsty or full of drama, this is for you. I highly recommend this. With the art, Mika Yamamori never disappoints. Her art is very beautiful. Everything from the story, the characters, their communication, and the art is beautiful. The male protagonist made me become more interested in long-haired male characters.