Insomniacs After School, Vol. 4

君は放課後インソムニア [Kimi wa Hōkago Insomnia] #4

by Makoto Ojiro

Unable to sleep at night, Ganta Nakami is cranky in class and unpopular with his classmates.

He discovers that the school observatory, once used by the now-defunct astronomy club, may be the perfect place for a nap—but he's not alone. Fellow insomniac Isaki Magari is willing to share the observatory with Nakami, and a friendship between the two begins as they bond over the most unlikely things.

After discovering the source of Magari’s insomnia, Nakami and Magari implement a new nighttime routine, hoping to improve their sleep. With the Perseid meteor shower viewing party and the national photo contest still to come, it’s shaping up to be a very eventful summer for this pair of insomniacs!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Slice Of Life, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Comics, Seinen

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2020

About the author

オジロマコト

Reviews

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“These days, when I can’t sleep, I open up my window and search for stars”.

Para ser sincera, este tomo me ha dado un poco de pena, incluso me sentí un poco identificada con el chico protagonista y sé que se pasa mal.

“We put so much into it. We did everything we could possibly think of, and yet...we get denied by a force that we can’t do a single thing about”.

Asimismo, la relación que se está forjando entre los protagonistas me está gustando mucho. No es de estás que a los pocos tomos ya están enamorados completamente, sino poco a poco con el paso del tiempo se va forjando esa serie de sentimientos hacia el otro y yo, al menos, lo siento real. Eso sí, tampoco siento que los personajes sean tan profundos como otros mangas-novelas que he leído, pero estoy bastante satisfecha con lo que me estoy encontrando.

“Ever since that day, Nakami, you’ve been special to me”.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was one moment where you'd thought that your could skip a beat, but overall, this volume continues the relaxing pace as it should be for a slice-of-life manga about two insomniacs looking for a safe place to take a nap.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

With summer vacation looming, the vaunted meteor shower viewing is nearly upon Magari and Nakami. In fact, they have a lot of plans. So many plans. Sure seems like they’re dating. But they aren’t. And what could possibly go wrong during the summer anyway?

The manga summer vacation carries certain expectations and beats you’re expecting, but the interesting stories do something with them and the most interesting do something else entirely.

This one has a combination of both, including the most vulnerable beach episode I’ve seen in a long, long time, where Magari is very self-conscious of wearing her bikini because of her surgery scars. So she covers up. It’s a smart balance of audience titillation with reality that I felt was beyond the usual tropes.

But there cannot be little swings without big ones and, as always, this art is just too good by half. The continued framing of Magari from Nakami’s perspective and his stolen glances say tons more than most shojo characters manage in eight volumes.

While Magari continues to be amazing, the way she’s also bringing Nakami out of his shell via her influence is really altogether charming. And they make such a solid pair together - the way they share secret conversations late into the night is such vintage high school for me.

And though there is one pretty straightforward declaration this time out, so much of their attraction is portrayed in the subtleties, like the way talking to Nakami is enough to calm Magari’s anxiety and let her actually sleep.

Nagani continues to struggle, but he always has, and it’s a brutal moment where what he’s been so excited for this entire time just gets stolen from him and leaves him in so much turmoil that he just has to act without really processing it.

Of course, that leads to THAT moment, so it all works out, I’d say.

I love this series and these characters so much. Even when I read it and think ‘yeah, that was good’ I realize how fast I consumed the whole thing and how many moments just got stuck in my head from it. It leaves an impression no matter what it’s doing.

There’s a lot less of the typical summer antics, actually, minus that beach stuff. But there’s a lot more hanging out with friends that was kind of great to see. It feels less rote and ‘check off the boxes’ than many stories do, which makes it better, in my opinion.

On the downside, some of the panel composition and dialogue kind of left me at a loss as to what was going on. It’s infrequent, but whenever the rest of the volume is so incredible it does cause the small rough bits to show more.

4.5 stars - still, I can say one thing, and that’s that this is quickly angling for a spot on my short list of ‘series I will reread one day and enjoy all over again’. It is a treasure I look forward to each time it comes out.

[Gabe Mellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is so beautiful 😩🌸 such a comfort story 🥺

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was super cute.

You get to really feel the pressure of both characters, there hopes, there dreams, and a really cute almost kiss scene during a rainstorm. I like how cozy this one is. A 4.5 out of 5.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this series!

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the minimalist feel of this manga, but I will admit that some things are not addressed- was Nakami jealous? Are they together? I also like the organic way that they are drawn to each other 🥰

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been such a pleasant surprise. Honestly I'm getting more and more invested as it goes along. I'm looking forward to reading volume 5.

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué lectura más bonica! Este manga siempre es agradable de leer. Son estudiantes normales a los que no les pasa nada extraordinario y no lo necesitan, su día a día es de lo más interesante.

[Yunebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

<>

Leído el tomo 4 de este manga tan adorable que contiene a los protagonistas más cuquis del mundo. No por nada se ha convertido en uno de mis mangas favoritos del año.

Me encanta ver cómo Isaki y Ganta siguen con su podcast nocturno para apoyarse y ayudarse con el insomnio. Al final les está sirviendo para conocerse mejor.

Los chicos están cerca de conseguir que se reconozca su club pero necesitan llevar a cabo toda la programación de actividades del verano y para ello cuentan con la ayuda de sus amigos. Pero no todo sale cómo esperan.

Este cuarto tomo me ha encantado, no sólo por cómo se va afianzando el grupo de amigos, si no por qué conocemos mejor a los chicos y su familia. Sobretodo la de Genta. Además , ¡nuestros insomnies comparten momentos muy bonitos y tiernos! Estoy deseando leer el siguiente tomo.

[k · Rating 5 out of 5]

first read of the year from one of my favorite mangas? the stars say yes!

ganta just wants everything to go right and i know how this manga ends but seeing him so bummed out about the rain and not coming through made my heart hurt but then isaki finding him and doing their little radio show play ahhhhhhhh!! i adore that and then so so much

i adore everyone in this book and the art in the panels and double spread pages is SO pretty and picturesque even with it being in black and white.

5 stars for being so cute and heartwarming and for all the plans to fall into place and my boy nakami ganta to take the absolute best night sky photos he wins a space photography nobel prize

[Kayt O'Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of volumes 1-4

Unable to sleep at night, Nakami is always tired and dragging during the school day, which his classmates interpret as standoffishness. When he discovers the unused astronomy room, its quiet, peaceful vibe gives him a great place to hide away and get some sleep. The only problem is, a schoolmate with similar problems is already using it.

As Nakami and his classmate Magari get to know each other, this story follows their blossoming friendship as well as the reestablishment of the school's astronomy club in a bid to keep their nap room from being commandeered for storage that would push them out.

At its core, this is the story of how two students who are isolated from their community are able to gently become friends, and through that, find a way to begin reconnecting socially in ways that felt unachievable before.

[nellylvsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Son demasiado lindos <3 me encanta como va avanzando lo suyo 😭❤️‍🩹

[khaz. · Rating 4 out of 5]

could-
could it be
gasp
angst?

[MargReadsManga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our two innocent insomniacs get a lot closer in this volume!! Plus we get a little peek into something we haven’t known about Magari. This series is so endearing. I just can’t get enough!! It’s become such a comfort read.

[Lucía · Rating 5 out of 5]

Los amo 😭

[Piotrek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jak zawsze super na poprawę humoru🫰

[Ale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que bello todooo ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

La parte de la lluvia fue súper linda

[stay gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rain, rain, go awayyyyyyyy

I’ll be waiting for their next meteor shower party 💫

[apilune · Rating 5 out of 5]

C’est trop mimi !!!! J’adore !!! Et en plus c’est beau

[pnep · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Książkowa.Aleja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Słodcy są

[Adam M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magari's sister is home from college, so she has to be quiet as she puts on her half of their "radio" show for one another. Nakami wants to raise the money for their big trip to take photos in a different town. We see family dynamics play out in both houses, friendship dynamics as both kids deal with the end of the school year and the start of summer break and Shiromaru finds them in a very intimate moment.

Big feelings are everywhere in this volume and I can't recommend this series enough. I love it as much as anything I've read, ever.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in love with this manga series and I can’t wait for more volumes! There’s just so much heart and humor that makes my chest feel full and can’t stop making me smile.

[ceelie❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much happens in this volume. This is the beginning of their summer vacation as high school students.

The meteor shower viewing party got cancelled because of the unexpected heavy rainfall. Nakami feels bad since all their efforts were in vain. He was consoled by Magari, sharing a brief intimate moment with her in the bus waiting shed just to be interrupted by Shiromaru-senpai.
Ukegawa, Nakami's childhood friend and classmate, talks about how Nakami was like when he was younger to Magari and her friends.
Nakami also shares with Shiromaru-senpai how he doesn't like talking about money with his father, who he says feels guilty about the divorce with his mom and goes all out when giving him presents to compensate for his shortcomings.

[B3kjw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuuuute

[Benjamin Frediani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have blasted through all the available books in this series in two days so this is a generic, overall (spoiler free) review of the series.

I have never really enjoyed manga preferring books, light novels and anime but the first 2 episodes of this show caught my eye so I decided to try it and I am very glad I did.

I have found the manga to be easy to follow and enjoyable so far (up to book 9).

I was worried this was going to be another story that goes no where and stagnates but I feel fairly confident now in saying this series has a set plot path and destination and there was more story development in the first 4 books than most Japanese media I have read/ seen have in their entire series.
The two MCs are interesting with you learning about them as they learn about each other - what feels mostly natural and a good pace. The story has been really good - exactly what I was hoping for more. The side characters feel like they're actually there and real people and also have their own small plots going on (I find some stories have side characters because they have to but with minimal effort put into them where this is not the case here). The art work is really nice and I've never had an interest in photography before but all of a sudden I find myself wishing my camera phone was a lot more camera: The story draws you in and makes you interested.

There's no fan service, no repetition or bad jokes, the story doesn't feel forced or slowed down (to please the readers or the publishers), the scenes, settings relationships and plot feels realistic and it's all well told and well drawn.
If this series keeps going as well as it is then it could take over as my favourite story in the light novel, anime, manga area for me.
All in all I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in slice of life/ romance.

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

Iniziano le vacanze estive e si avvicina la serata di osservazione dello sciame delle Perseidi - l'attività che garantirebbe la sopravvivenza del piccolo club di astronomia. Purtroppo, a dispetto di tutto l'impegno profuso dai ragazzi e dai loro amici, l'evento viene cancellato per pioggia, un duro colpo soprattutto per Ganta che non la prende bene. Dopotutto, il ragazzo sta seriamente iniziando ad appassionarsi al mondo dell'astronomia e dell'astrofotografia. Continua a non dormire la notte - confortato dalle trasmissioni radio di Magari -, però è pieno di idee. Infatti, la pausa estiva diventa l'occasione giusta per trovarsi un lavoretto e mettere da parte i soldi necessari per un ritiro che permetterebbe a lui e a Magari di visitare vari punti di osservazione e di scattare delle foto. In tutto questo entusiasmo, Magari si fa avanti con una prima confessione (sempre rigorosamente via radio). I due ragazzi si stanno avvicinando sempre di più, chissà se ci sarà qualche evoluzione durante il loro viaggetto...
Inoltre, in questo volume scopriamo qualcosa di più sulla situazione familiare di Ganta, che vive solo con il padre dopo il divorzio dei genitori. Un evento che potrebbe aver avuto un impatto piuttosto forte sul carattere del ragazzo. Spero sempre che ci vengano date più informazioni su questo argomento, così come sulle possibili cause dell'insonnia cronica che lo affligge. Comunque sia, rimane una storia molto carina e delicata, che è riuscita a fare colpo persino su un cuore di pietra come il mio. Almeno per ora, super promossa!

[♡ India ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌻🌻🌻

Ho detto nella mia recensione precedente di questa serie che non volevo Nakami e Isaki insieme... questo punto in tempo non so. Una parte di me pensa che sono davvero carini, e l'altre parte di me pensa che si sembrano troppo come sorella e fratello, o forse cugini. Nelle prossime volumi spero che arriverò a una conclusione di cosa penso.

Oltre di quello, volume 4 di Insomniacs After School non ha deluso come al solito. Ho detto questo un sacco di volte, pero l'arte e meraviglioso, quasi quasi non riesco a staccare qli occhi delle pagine perché e troppo bellissimo. I fondali specialmente?? Non posso mettere in parole come adoro. La storia anche mi interessa, nonostante il complotto tranquillo che a qualche gente non si piace.

La serie perfetta per ognuno che vuole rilassarsi e leggere qualcosa incoraggiante ❤️

🌻🌻🌻

Scusate se c’è stato un errore nella mia recensione. Ho dimenticato tanto del mio Italiano è sono più figa a leggere, piuttosto che scrivere

[Ophélie Regat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magari et Ganta continuent de s'envoyer des vocaux pendant leurs insomnies.

Ils préparent leur "nuit des étoiles", premier projet de leur club d'astronomie. Malheureusement, la pluie va tout gâcher. Ganta a l'impression de toujours tout gâcher, s'excuse et s'enfuit sous le déluge. Magari le trouve sous un abribus. Ils se rapprochent doucement.

Le futur de leur club d'astronomie tient maintenant à un fil. Ils doivent réussir à un bon résultat lors du concours photo. Pour ce faire, ils doivent réunir des fonds afin de préparer ce voyage. Ganta, en tant que président du club, cherche du travail mais rien ne fonctionne. Magari a l'idée de se rendre dans la maison de sa grand-mère qui se trouve proche du lieu qui les intéresse, les ruines de Mawaki.