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85
14
Finished
May 20, 2015 to Aug 20, 2019
8.0/10
Average Review Score
67%
Recommend It
9
Reviews Worldwide
I first heard about Mika Yamamori because of Hirunaka no Ryuusei. While it was a manga I, overall, enjoyed, I couldn't help but feel that it could have been so much better had it not be rushed. When I started reading Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, I hoped she had improved by then. Somehow, her writing skills have worsened. It all starts when Fumi Ohno starts working as a live-in housekeeper to Akatsuki Kibikino, a writer. Not so different from Hirunaka no Ryuusei at this point, considering the main characters are around the same age gap, despite the men having completely opposite personalities. The beginning is just your averageshoujo cliche, but it's cool - that's coming from a shoujo fan at least. The problem starts with the characters' development, more precisely, the lack thereof. The first thing is Fumi's situation. The debt is not properly mentioned until later on. Actually, her father doesn't really appear until later on. Considering that it is the main point of conflict, it should have been handled better and with more frequency. The second problem is the side characters. Despite being supporting characters, for a manga of over 70 chapters, they are extremely underdeveloped. If Yoh Tobiume, Fumi's best friend, appears at basically two pages in every three chapters to give some advice, I can't even start on Isshin Aioi and Eito Kuratsuki. All three have their moments... which last about one chapter. Basically, they are pretty much useless. However, Gorou Kaneishi is a particular case, albeit not a good one. He works as Akatsuki's editor, so, supposedly, he should appear quite frequently on the manga, since Akatsuki is constantly working through the series. Let's say... Gorou has two "missions", as not to spoil it. The first one is in the beginning. He completes his mission. He starts appearing way less. The second one is in the middle of the series. He completes it once again. He suddenly vanishes. Yet, Akatsuki keeps working... without his editor. And the character who acts as Kaneishi's "substitute" kind of vanishes at the same time. Another reason I am not a fan of this manga is Akatsuki himself. It comes off as no surprise, as I'm not fond of characters with a personality similar to his. And while he improves at the end of the story, some of his actions in the way are way too much for me. That being said, the script is also to blame here, as his backstory is poorly explored. They try to do something in the end, but it seems rushed and dull. Despite all these negative aspects, TCLP has its positive traits. The first one is the art. Mika keeps being one of my favorite shoujo manga artists - if not the favorite! There is not a single chapter where it looks bad. It's simply perfection. The second one is Fumi. While she is not the best shoujo heroine I've seen, her plain backstory helps her at this point. She is working at such a young age to help her family, which makes her a somewhat mature character, despite her inexperience in love. She is a nice girl. In the end, my score would have been lower if I didn't have some sympathy with her work. While it's not an insufferable read, it doesn't really do much. Mika, please... focus on your story next time.
Due to her father's six million yen debt, sixteen-year-old high school student Fumi Oono and her father are evicted from their apartment. In need of a place to stay and a job to earn money, she starts to work as a live-in housekeeper for the young writer Akatsuki Kibikino. When they meet for the first time, the two start off on the wrong foot, with Akatsuki calling Fumi useless and treating her like a child. Determined to pay off her father's debt, Fumi works hard to prove him otherwise. However, despite Akatsuki's foul-mouthed and mysterious behavior, she begins to realize that he is not as despicable as she initially thought, gradually unravelling the passionate and caring person underneath. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Included one-shots: Volume 7: Hirunaka no Ryuusei Bangai-hen: Blue Volume 8: Hirunaka no Ryuusei Bangai-hen: Red
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 clichΓ© 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.