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花は咲くか [Hana wa Saku ka] #1
花は咲くか 1
広告代理店勤務の桜井は、帰途、ある青年とぶつかって仕事の資料をダメにされてしまうが、その相手が同じ資料を持っているとのことで家に招かれた。彼はその古くて広い一軒家で下宿を営む家主だという。水川蓉一と名乗るその青年は大学生で、桜井に対してひたすら無愛想。そっけない態度と不躾な眼差しを苦手に思いながらも桜井は、「家が気に入った」とたびたび蓉一のもとを訪れるようになり……。
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 24, 2009
8 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Shoko Hidaka
47 books115 followersShoko Hidaka (native name: 日高ショーコ) is a Japanese mangaka unit.
The drawings are by Shoko Hidaka, and the stories are by Takie (タキエ) but the author name is always "Shoko Hidaka".
Dōjinshi Circle: speaker
The drawings are by Shoko Hidaka, and the stories are by Takie (タキエ) but the author name is always "Shoko Hidaka".
Dōjinshi Circle: speaker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 31, 2016
[This review covers all 5 volumes]
Hana wa Saku ka or Does the Flower Bloom is definitely one of the more mature and reflective yaoi mangas out there, and one I was very happy to encounter. Spanning for over five volumes, the story tackles not only a relationship between two men but also that of two people with differences in experience because of a twenty-year age gap.
It opens with a man named Sakurai who is a thirty-seven year old senior manager at an advertisement agency who seemed burned out by a career he used to have so much passion for in his younger years. He has also gone through the motions of a few uninteresting relationships with women, and had for a time believed he could never find fulfillment in his personal life. One night he crossed paths with a college student named Youichi Minagawa whom he had what seemed to be a humdrum interaction with at first while both on their way home. Two more encounters later and Sakurai was intrigued though initially uncomfortable with Youichi especially since Sakurai perceived him as rather dismissive and rude, typical of a privileged nineteen-year-old student.
The realization that they are attracted to each other was not nearly as momentous as one might hope; it didn't take a while at all for Sakurai to acknowledge that he might be interested in Youichi romantically which had shocked him since he had only been with women before meeting the younger man. Youichi, meanwhile, is a closed-off, tortured artist who could not flourish under the shadow of his late father who was a renowned painter. He lived with cousins in an old yet elegant house which was located in the outskirts of town, and has never had friends let alone romantic relationships before, given that he was only nineteen, and a very peculiar person who doesn't express himself outside of his art.
It was only by hanging around with Sakurai that he realized that he was actually interested in getting to know someone, and since he was naive in a lot of ways, he couldn't understand why he was drawn to the older man, other than he thought Sakurai was not like most adults that surrounded him, who all cling to the ghost of his late father and therefore expect so much from Youichi. The moments leading for both men to recognize that there is a strong attraction shared between them was nerve-wracking yet ultimately sweet and hot especially whenever they can't help themselves and just start making out!
For all you fujoshis out there, here is a sample of such a scene:
[CLICK HERE TO VIEW LARGER IMAGES]
Ovary-melting make-out sessions between two cute men aside, Does the Flower Bloom does have a wonderful plot in itself, and the characterizations for both Sakurai and Youichi were layered and meaningful. After all, the more serious conflict about their relationship has less to do with the fact that they are of the same sex but more about the fact that Sakurai is twenty years older than Youichi. That age gap is definitely something much more worth discussing and exploring especially in the context of a romantic relationship. Mangaka Hidaka does a terrific job examining the repercussions and obstacles to overcome.
The most notable of which had to be their reticent personalities. Sakurai is withdrawn due to his passivity on things but after meeting Youichi, he started showing more interest and dedication to his work again, much to the joy of his co-workers who had so much respect for him. Meanwhile, Youichi learned that people do genuinely want to get to know him and not just because he was his father's son, and it's up to him to open up and communicate his feelings to other people especially those who already care about him.
This is a highly recommended yaoi manga because it has depth and real character development but not at the expense of some really sensual moments that do happen with the couple, or vice-versa. It has the perfect balance of substance and showmanship if you're both into great storytelling and really sexy-hot moments. The simplicity of Hidaka's writing is a good foundation for genuinely poignant moments in between, where Sakurai does care about how their age gap could be detrimental to Youichi's future, and where Youichi does grow up and acknowledge that his cold ambivalence has to change if he ever hoped to become more than just friends with his first love. There are other important events that transpired in this manga, particularly Youichi having to deal with his parents' death, and his friendship with a certain classmate from the university whose intentions are not as innocent after the first glance.
And don't worry, hardcore fujoshi fans! The build-up and drama would definitely reward you with hot action at the last volume when Sakurai and Youichi finally do consummate their love affair. It was made all the more intense by the fact that you see them truly falling in love and finding a way to make it work in spite of the initial struggles. There is a lot of grueling conversations about the difficulty in their communication styles, but with Sakurai's patience and Youichi's openness, they both do decide together that they are willing to endure a lot for each other if it meant staying together. It's not going to be easy, however, because Youichi still had decades of his life ahead of him while Sakurai doesn't and that experience gap is a challenge they're going to have to keep weathering together as their relationship hopefully continues thriving. Unfortunately, Hidaka only kept the story to a minimum of five volumes and I would definitely like to see this get picked up again.
Does the Flower Bloom by Shoko Hidaka is a true gem and one that you must read if you ever claimed to be a fujoshi. And if you are a hardcore one, chances are you have already encountered this and loved it to pieces. I can say that there is a slow burn aspect to this manga series that proves to ignite very hot once you get the engines running! Sakurai and Youichi's chemistry is undeniable, and it shows whenever Hidaka gets them in a scene or in a secluded room together. Her depictions of their amorous scenes are just so wickedly sexy! But the selling point for me, really, is that these scenes are not just there for fanservice.
These love scenes were always pivotal for the progress in their relationship, and as a reader I really did feel like I was falling in love alongside them!
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
Hana wa Saku ka or Does the Flower Bloom is definitely one of the more mature and reflective yaoi mangas out there, and one I was very happy to encounter. Spanning for over five volumes, the story tackles not only a relationship between two men but also that of two people with differences in experience because of a twenty-year age gap.
It opens with a man named Sakurai who is a thirty-seven year old senior manager at an advertisement agency who seemed burned out by a career he used to have so much passion for in his younger years. He has also gone through the motions of a few uninteresting relationships with women, and had for a time believed he could never find fulfillment in his personal life. One night he crossed paths with a college student named Youichi Minagawa whom he had what seemed to be a humdrum interaction with at first while both on their way home. Two more encounters later and Sakurai was intrigued though initially uncomfortable with Youichi especially since Sakurai perceived him as rather dismissive and rude, typical of a privileged nineteen-year-old student.
The realization that they are attracted to each other was not nearly as momentous as one might hope; it didn't take a while at all for Sakurai to acknowledge that he might be interested in Youichi romantically which had shocked him since he had only been with women before meeting the younger man. Youichi, meanwhile, is a closed-off, tortured artist who could not flourish under the shadow of his late father who was a renowned painter. He lived with cousins in an old yet elegant house which was located in the outskirts of town, and has never had friends let alone romantic relationships before, given that he was only nineteen, and a very peculiar person who doesn't express himself outside of his art.
It was only by hanging around with Sakurai that he realized that he was actually interested in getting to know someone, and since he was naive in a lot of ways, he couldn't understand why he was drawn to the older man, other than he thought Sakurai was not like most adults that surrounded him, who all cling to the ghost of his late father and therefore expect so much from Youichi. The moments leading for both men to recognize that there is a strong attraction shared between them was nerve-wracking yet ultimately sweet and hot especially whenever they can't help themselves and just start making out!
For all you fujoshis out there, here is a sample of such a scene:
[CLICK HERE TO VIEW LARGER IMAGES]
Ovary-melting make-out sessions between two cute men aside, Does the Flower Bloom does have a wonderful plot in itself, and the characterizations for both Sakurai and Youichi were layered and meaningful. After all, the more serious conflict about their relationship has less to do with the fact that they are of the same sex but more about the fact that Sakurai is twenty years older than Youichi. That age gap is definitely something much more worth discussing and exploring especially in the context of a romantic relationship. Mangaka Hidaka does a terrific job examining the repercussions and obstacles to overcome.
The most notable of which had to be their reticent personalities. Sakurai is withdrawn due to his passivity on things but after meeting Youichi, he started showing more interest and dedication to his work again, much to the joy of his co-workers who had so much respect for him. Meanwhile, Youichi learned that people do genuinely want to get to know him and not just because he was his father's son, and it's up to him to open up and communicate his feelings to other people especially those who already care about him.
This is a highly recommended yaoi manga because it has depth and real character development but not at the expense of some really sensual moments that do happen with the couple, or vice-versa. It has the perfect balance of substance and showmanship if you're both into great storytelling and really sexy-hot moments. The simplicity of Hidaka's writing is a good foundation for genuinely poignant moments in between, where Sakurai does care about how their age gap could be detrimental to Youichi's future, and where Youichi does grow up and acknowledge that his cold ambivalence has to change if he ever hoped to become more than just friends with his first love. There are other important events that transpired in this manga, particularly Youichi having to deal with his parents' death, and his friendship with a certain classmate from the university whose intentions are not as innocent after the first glance.
And don't worry, hardcore fujoshi fans! The build-up and drama would definitely reward you with hot action at the last volume when Sakurai and Youichi finally do consummate their love affair. It was made all the more intense by the fact that you see them truly falling in love and finding a way to make it work in spite of the initial struggles. There is a lot of grueling conversations about the difficulty in their communication styles, but with Sakurai's patience and Youichi's openness, they both do decide together that they are willing to endure a lot for each other if it meant staying together. It's not going to be easy, however, because Youichi still had decades of his life ahead of him while Sakurai doesn't and that experience gap is a challenge they're going to have to keep weathering together as their relationship hopefully continues thriving. Unfortunately, Hidaka only kept the story to a minimum of five volumes and I would definitely like to see this get picked up again.
Does the Flower Bloom by Shoko Hidaka is a true gem and one that you must read if you ever claimed to be a fujoshi. And if you are a hardcore one, chances are you have already encountered this and loved it to pieces. I can say that there is a slow burn aspect to this manga series that proves to ignite very hot once you get the engines running! Sakurai and Youichi's chemistry is undeniable, and it shows whenever Hidaka gets them in a scene or in a secluded room together. Her depictions of their amorous scenes are just so wickedly sexy! But the selling point for me, really, is that these scenes are not just there for fanservice.
These love scenes were always pivotal for the progress in their relationship, and as a reader I really did feel like I was falling in love alongside them!
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
September 3, 2017
Reseña para la serie completa
Does the Flower Blossom? se ha revelado como uno de mis favoritos, ya la tengo en mi wishlist y en cuanto la editen completa en inglés (que la saquen en español ni me lo planteo, así está el mercado del BL en este país), compra obligada.
Es una historia pausada y muy de sentimientos, muy adulta, nada de despliegues sexuales, el acercamiento cuesta y sabe a victoria, he disfrutado sobre todo los 3 últimos volúmenes, y el final... bueno, se me queda corto, pero me encanta como la mangaka ha sido realista y no ha edulcorado todo.
Un aplauso para Hidaka Shoko, a la que empiezo a seguirle la pista desde ya
Does the Flower Blossom? se ha revelado como uno de mis favoritos, ya la tengo en mi wishlist y en cuanto la editen completa en inglés (que la saquen en español ni me lo planteo, así está el mercado del BL en este país), compra obligada.
Es una historia pausada y muy de sentimientos, muy adulta, nada de despliegues sexuales, el acercamiento cuesta y sabe a victoria, he disfrutado sobre todo los 3 últimos volúmenes, y el final... bueno, se me queda corto, pero me encanta como la mangaka ha sido realista y no ha edulcorado todo.
Un aplauso para Hidaka Shoko, a la que empiezo a seguirle la pista desde ya
November 9, 2019
TL;DR: 3.25 has plenty of issues, but I kind of like something about it and would like to read more of the series.
First, a rant.
Dear publishers, you suck. This series ran to 5 volumes in Japan and as far as I can tell is completed. To date only 3 volumes have been released in english (over 5 years). I can understand that, translation takes time and money and sales are going to dictate what gets worked on. What I absolutely can not understand or forgive is the fact that volumes 1 and 3 are in print and for sale and volume 2 is out of print. Used copies of volume 2 are going for 4 times the cover price. I can buy the entire 5 volume set used from Japan for less than that. WTF! The work is done, call the damn printer and have more printed. Or look into print-on-demand it's quite good quality these days. It's like free money, just waiting for you to open your hand and take it. If for some reason the rights holder doesn't want to allow another printing, drop the whole series and return all rights to them. This kind of stupid BS just hurts everyone. Now if I want to read the rest of it in English, I have to resort to pirate sites, and I absolutely loath reading on the computer. This kind of crap is why legacy publishing deserves to go extinct.
Now, on to the actual story...
To be honest, I'm not really sure what it is about this manga that makes me want to keep reading the series. I'd can't even do a pros and cons list as I can't quite put my finger on the pros
The art is not bad, but not really my favorite style.
The translation is kind of awkward, it's always difficult to know how much of that is down to the translator and how much due to the source material. I get the very distinct sense with this particular book that stuff is being lost both through the source's use of idiomatic language that loses too much in translation, and cultural tendency toward understatement and indirect communication that I lack sufficient knowledge to parse with any confidence.
There's a huge age gap, which I never like. The older guy, Sakurai, who I'm going to say is the MC as we never really get into Youichi's head at all, has only ever dated women and takes forever to recognize his own attraction, so there's a bit of a GFY vibe.
It's pretty much instant dislike, though there are some hints of awkward half-assed overtures, but they're overpowered by the squabling. It's like the grown up version of primary school attraction.
I guess the prickly, awkward aspects of the MCs are what's appealing though, if that's the one thing I can name. I can relate to, and am attracted to some aspects of their personalities.
Also on the plus side, there's no sex, and based on this volume I wouldn't expect any for the next several, if ever. I've read other stuff by this author, but I don't recall if that's typical. It also makes it hard to know what to label this. It's got a big "yaoi manga" on the cover, but my brain still rebels against using that term for this sort of thing as "yaoi" was generally reserved for the super porny pwp stuff when I first learned the term.
!Also, did you notice the name? Sakurai. Blossom, gardening... could the symbolism possibly be more heavy handed? No. The answer is no. :(
First, a rant.
Dear publishers, you suck. This series ran to 5 volumes in Japan and as far as I can tell is completed. To date only 3 volumes have been released in english (over 5 years). I can understand that, translation takes time and money and sales are going to dictate what gets worked on. What I absolutely can not understand or forgive is the fact that volumes 1 and 3 are in print and for sale and volume 2 is out of print. Used copies of volume 2 are going for 4 times the cover price. I can buy the entire 5 volume set used from Japan for less than that. WTF! The work is done, call the damn printer and have more printed. Or look into print-on-demand it's quite good quality these days. It's like free money, just waiting for you to open your hand and take it. If for some reason the rights holder doesn't want to allow another printing, drop the whole series and return all rights to them. This kind of stupid BS just hurts everyone. Now if I want to read the rest of it in English, I have to resort to pirate sites, and I absolutely loath reading on the computer. This kind of crap is why legacy publishing deserves to go extinct.
Now, on to the actual story...
To be honest, I'm not really sure what it is about this manga that makes me want to keep reading the series. I'd can't even do a pros and cons list as I can't quite put my finger on the pros
The art is not bad, but not really my favorite style.
The translation is kind of awkward, it's always difficult to know how much of that is down to the translator and how much due to the source material. I get the very distinct sense with this particular book that stuff is being lost both through the source's use of idiomatic language that loses too much in translation, and cultural tendency toward understatement and indirect communication that I lack sufficient knowledge to parse with any confidence.
There's a huge age gap, which I never like. The older guy, Sakurai, who I'm going to say is the MC as we never really get into Youichi's head at all, has only ever dated women and takes forever to recognize his own attraction, so there's a bit of a GFY vibe.
It's pretty much instant dislike, though there are some hints of awkward half-assed overtures, but they're overpowered by the squabling. It's like the grown up version of primary school attraction.
I guess the prickly, awkward aspects of the MCs are what's appealing though, if that's the one thing I can name. I can relate to, and am attracted to some aspects of their personalities.
Also on the plus side, there's no sex, and based on this volume I wouldn't expect any for the next several, if ever. I've read other stuff by this author, but I don't recall if that's typical. It also makes it hard to know what to label this. It's got a big "yaoi manga" on the cover, but my brain still rebels against using that term for this sort of thing as "yaoi" was generally reserved for the super porny pwp stuff when I first learned the term.
!Also, did you notice the name? Sakurai. Blossom, gardening... could the symbolism possibly be more heavy handed? No. The answer is no. :(
August 31, 2016
It's not so heart-wrenching neither heart-warming... but it's simple and direct.. and good in its own way.
The author showed how Sakurai and Youchi's relationship grew and not the usual or cliche we are used to see in this type of story.
And I like the way she put two people who are totally alike. Two loners who don't know how to be around people. How they are both loners in different ways.. One is someone who's alone by being completely unsocial while the other is alone by being social with everyone but never really friends with anyone. They are so similar yet different as well.
The author showed how Sakurai and Youchi's relationship grew and not the usual or cliche we are used to see in this type of story.
And I like the way she put two people who are totally alike. Two loners who don't know how to be around people. How they are both loners in different ways.. One is someone who's alone by being completely unsocial while the other is alone by being social with everyone but never really friends with anyone. They are so similar yet different as well.
April 27, 2021
Este manga me hizo creer en el amor necesito leer más como esto :))))))) 💕💕
March 29, 2021
[ tag: age-gap (19 and 37 y.o.) ]
Hnnngh—
This is it! The kind of story I'm craving for!
So far, I love all of their characterization. The age-gap doesn't really bother me. The plot was good. The storylines was great. And it got a snail-pace ((which i love shshshsh—)). Usually, a snail-pace equals a compelling and heart-clenching story ✨
The artstyle was splendid. It really draws me in. It was poetic and beautiful.
Augh— I'm craving for more~ ♡
Hnnngh—
This is it! The kind of story I'm craving for!
So far, I love all of their characterization. The age-gap doesn't really bother me. The plot was good. The storylines was great. And it got a snail-pace ((which i love shshshsh—)). Usually, a snail-pace equals a compelling and heart-clenching story ✨
The artstyle was splendid. It really draws me in. It was poetic and beautiful.
Augh— I'm craving for more~ ♡
January 19, 2020
Hana wa Saku ka is an intriguing slow burn romance between two people with very different backgrounds. There's also a huge age gap of at least ten years between the two main characters. I hope I see it affect the story and their relationship, but so far, the younger guy seems very mature and quiet, brooding like Mr. Darcy.
April 24, 2017
This is actually a reread for me but I love these two doofuses a lot????? especially reading about how "irritated" the other person makes them feel, I'm just here cackling to myself and being all like, you are gonna love the heck out of that irritating face kekekeke
in which hidaka shouko goes about telling a story about a relationship with a 20 yr age Gap and it's so sweet and giddy making and she makes me accept this somehow through magic
in which hidaka shouko goes about telling a story about a relationship with a 20 yr age Gap and it's so sweet and giddy making and she makes me accept this somehow through magic
August 14, 2012
I love this manga so much. Everything is just so beautiful and *right* - the artwork is gorgeous, and the pacing wonderfully slow and believable.This is one of my favourite ongoing series, mostly because it feels so grown up. Love this.
March 21, 2023
Shoko Hidaka hat es bereits mit ‚Ein melancholischer Morgen‘ geschafft mich in ihren Bann zu ziehen. Ihre Charaktere entwickeln sich langsam, genauso wie die Beziehungen untereinander. Etwas, was ich sehr an ihr schätze. Sie schafft es den Protagonisten einen Alltag zu geben und mehr als nur das miteinander zu betrachten. Vielleicht ist dieser Erzählstil auch der Grund, warum mich ihre One Shots bisher nicht abholen konnten.
Hidden Flower hat mich schon mit diesem ersten Band in die Geschichte gezogen. Ich liebe den unnahbar wirkenden Youichi und seine direkt Art. Ein wunderbarer Gegensatz zu Sakurai san, der irgendwie vergessen hat, dass ein Leben mehr als Arbeit beinhalten kann.
Die Erzählung ist ruhig, sehr alltäglich. Lesende verfolgen Sakurais Gedanken- und Gefühlswelten. Wodurch sein Gegenüber auch für uns vorerst ein Mysterium ist. Im Verlauf werden mehr und mehr Hintergrundinformationen über Youichi offenbart. Auch, wenn diese teilweise herzzerreißend sind, werden sie den Lesenden eher emotionsneutral übermittelt.
Wirklich Schade, dass die Reihe vergriffen ist und Carlsen wahrscheinlich keine Lizenz mehr innehält. Ich glaube, dass sie heute, 11 Jahre nach ihrem erscheinen, einige Leser:innen finden würde.
Hidden Flower hat mich schon mit diesem ersten Band in die Geschichte gezogen. Ich liebe den unnahbar wirkenden Youichi und seine direkt Art. Ein wunderbarer Gegensatz zu Sakurai san, der irgendwie vergessen hat, dass ein Leben mehr als Arbeit beinhalten kann.
Die Erzählung ist ruhig, sehr alltäglich. Lesende verfolgen Sakurais Gedanken- und Gefühlswelten. Wodurch sein Gegenüber auch für uns vorerst ein Mysterium ist. Im Verlauf werden mehr und mehr Hintergrundinformationen über Youichi offenbart. Auch, wenn diese teilweise herzzerreißend sind, werden sie den Lesenden eher emotionsneutral übermittelt.
Wirklich Schade, dass die Reihe vergriffen ist und Carlsen wahrscheinlich keine Lizenz mehr innehält. Ich glaube, dass sie heute, 11 Jahre nach ihrem erscheinen, einige Leser:innen finden würde.
July 8, 2022
Esta mangaka es de las mejores🧎🏻♀️
February 26, 2013
I'd read and quite liked the one-volume male romance After a Storm, and remembered Sho saying that Hidaka generally had quite good manga in the genre, so I bought the first of a multi-volume romance. I wouldn't call (at least this volume) yaoi or boy's love - because it's more about a middle-aged man and a university student getting to know each other.
We do get the hints of dark past in the case of the university student, but marketing guru (and we see a lot of his work in his daily job and how much his colleagues look up to him and enjoy the fact that he's become more creative again recently) Kazuaki is a great viewpoint character to explore the various facets of abrasive, taciturn Youichi, who lost his parents early and only inherited the old feudal house.
There's a fascinating reflection of Youichi's situation in the bonus chapter which explores the other two distant family relatives living in the house. What they are to each other and Youichi (and of course there might be another love story in the offing, although there is really no hint given of that in the actual art work).
This volume has the stuck-in-a-rut Kazuaki finally taking an interest in another person apart from himself, to the extent that he wants what is best for that person instead of what he himself wants (which is a total emotional catharsis for him). Unfortunately it's not quite clear to me why it is Youichi who brings these emotions out in him. And he certainly doesn't confess yet, even though he suffers from jealousy something fierce, heh. (Age =|= emotional maturity)
On Youichi's side there is certainly a lot of tolerance for the erratic appearances of Kazuaki, who is so tsundere that he needs the excuse of visiting fellow lodgers Shouta and Take to explain his repeated visits.
We do get the hints of dark past in the case of the university student, but marketing guru (and we see a lot of his work in his daily job and how much his colleagues look up to him and enjoy the fact that he's become more creative again recently) Kazuaki is a great viewpoint character to explore the various facets of abrasive, taciturn Youichi, who lost his parents early and only inherited the old feudal house.
There's a fascinating reflection of Youichi's situation in the bonus chapter which explores the other two distant family relatives living in the house. What they are to each other and Youichi (and of course there might be another love story in the offing, although there is really no hint given of that in the actual art work).
This volume has the stuck-in-a-rut Kazuaki finally taking an interest in another person apart from himself, to the extent that he wants what is best for that person instead of what he himself wants (which is a total emotional catharsis for him). Unfortunately it's not quite clear to me why it is Youichi who brings these emotions out in him. And he certainly doesn't confess yet, even though he suffers from jealousy something fierce, heh. (Age =|= emotional maturity)
On Youichi's side there is certainly a lot of tolerance for the erratic appearances of Kazuaki, who is so tsundere that he needs the excuse of visiting fellow lodgers Shouta and Take to explain his repeated visits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2021
The first vol was ok, I can see the potential but the pace sometimes felt a little of for me or the change of scenarios; about the characters Shouta was my favorite, he is a smol child and must be protected. About Sakurai I don't know how to feel...I mean it's a nice character but I feel to related to him in the bad way mostly for the kind of life he was living before meeting Youichi and I'm 9 years younger than him and I was like damn bitch, we live like this?...It was so weird and honestly gave me a life crisis...but I glad that things are improving for him now. I'll start the next vol because the ending was very promising so see you in the next review!
November 23, 2015
i lost count on how many times i've re-read this.
the art is beyond amazing and the dialogue is well delivered.
my only problem with this manga is that I'm unable to read Japanese and appreciate the words to their fullest
the art is beyond amazing and the dialogue is well delivered.
my only problem with this manga is that I'm unable to read Japanese and appreciate the words to their fullest
April 6, 2018
This manga was a gift from an old friend. I tough there was going to be more action, I mean, more movement and flow in the history. I like the characters in a very low so-so way. I see no...emotion in them. By the other hand, I like the principal character that is an artist. But just that.
July 20, 2016
1st read : 7 Dec 2013
2nd read : 4 Feb 2015
Woohoo!! XDD My own copy finally arrived today!! XDDD
2nd read : 4 Feb 2015
Woohoo!! XDD My own copy finally arrived today!! XDDD
December 16, 2019
Kind of cute.
January 1, 2020
Story was hard to follow and very slow, which is a shame because I'm really into this age gap. I'd consider reading on anyway, but apparently the rest of the series is near impossible to find...
May 30, 2019
Mi segundo manga favorito de Hidaka después de Yuuutsu na asa (Blue Morning), un slice of life precioso donde se nos explica la historia de amor entre un hombre adulto, Sakurai de 37 años y un chico universitario llamado Yoichi de 19 años.
Sakurai trabaja en una empresa de publicidad y, aunque tiene un buen puesto de trabajo, vive soltero y siente que algo le falta en la vida. Cansado del trabajo y bastante distraído, se choca en la estación con Yoichi que, sin querer, derrama la botella de agua de la cual estaba bebiendo y le mancha la revista de jardinería que había comprado. Para compensarle, Yoichi le dice que lo acompañe a su casa que se la cambiará por la suya ya que tiene esa misma revista.
El primer encuentro no podría haber sido peor entre los dos ya que Yoichi es inexpresivo y seco al hablar, algo que saca de quicio a Sakurai. Pero el destino no parece querer que dejen de verse y siempre ocurre algo que les hace coincidir. Y es que, aunque lo quiera negar, Sakurai está interesado en Yoichi de un modo que, al principio, es incapaz de comprender.
En este primer tomo Hidaka nos introduce muy bien la trama de los personajes principales y nos va mostrando los secundarios y otras subtramas que se irán desarrollando en los siguientes cuatro tomos. Es una historia bien contada, como todo lo que ella hace, con mucho diálogo los capítulos bien estructurado y su dibujo tan suyo y tan precioso.
Esta es una de esas historias que se cuecen a fuego lento con una gran delicadeza y un gran realismo a la hora de reflejar la conducta humana.
Sakurai trabaja en una empresa de publicidad y, aunque tiene un buen puesto de trabajo, vive soltero y siente que algo le falta en la vida. Cansado del trabajo y bastante distraído, se choca en la estación con Yoichi que, sin querer, derrama la botella de agua de la cual estaba bebiendo y le mancha la revista de jardinería que había comprado. Para compensarle, Yoichi le dice que lo acompañe a su casa que se la cambiará por la suya ya que tiene esa misma revista.
El primer encuentro no podría haber sido peor entre los dos ya que Yoichi es inexpresivo y seco al hablar, algo que saca de quicio a Sakurai. Pero el destino no parece querer que dejen de verse y siempre ocurre algo que les hace coincidir. Y es que, aunque lo quiera negar, Sakurai está interesado en Yoichi de un modo que, al principio, es incapaz de comprender.
En este primer tomo Hidaka nos introduce muy bien la trama de los personajes principales y nos va mostrando los secundarios y otras subtramas que se irán desarrollando en los siguientes cuatro tomos. Es una historia bien contada, como todo lo que ella hace, con mucho diálogo los capítulos bien estructurado y su dibujo tan suyo y tan precioso.
Esta es una de esas historias que se cuecen a fuego lento con una gran delicadeza y un gran realismo a la hora de reflejar la conducta humana.
May 3, 2020
3,5
Uno scontro fortuito alla stazione segna l'inizio del rapporto tra Sakurai e Yoichi: 37 anni e grafico pubblicitario il primo, studente universitario e pittore il secondo. Diciamo che all'inizio non è proprio tutto rose e fiori visto anche il carattere un po' difficile del giovane che, oltre a studiare, è anche, almeno formalmente, il proprietario di una pensione in cui vive insieme ai cugini Shota e Takeo. Tuttavia, questo incontro sembra segnare anche l'inizio di un cambiamento per entrambi: Sakurai da qualche anno non riesce più ad appassionarsi a nulla, cosa che si riflette in relazioni fallimentari, in hobby abbandonati, in progetti meno creativi rispetto al passato e in una vita dedicata solamente al lavoro; Yoichi, d'altro canto, pare addirittura non provare alcun tipo di interesse e di emozione, freddo e inavvicinabile, evidentemente segnato anche dalla morte dei genitori.
I due finiranno per incontrarsi in più occasioni - la casa di Yoichi verrà pure usata come set per un progetto pubblicitario seguito dall'agenzia di Sakurai e da quella di un vecchio amico di suo padre - e le cose sembrano migliorare. Di sicuro Sakurai ha già capito che strada hanno preso i suoi sentimenti.
Il volume si chiude con il possibile arrivo di un nuovo pensionante e voci di corridoio riguardanti un futuro trasferimento per Sakurai.
Uno scontro fortuito alla stazione segna l'inizio del rapporto tra Sakurai e Yoichi: 37 anni e grafico pubblicitario il primo, studente universitario e pittore il secondo. Diciamo che all'inizio non è proprio tutto rose e fiori visto anche il carattere un po' difficile del giovane che, oltre a studiare, è anche, almeno formalmente, il proprietario di una pensione in cui vive insieme ai cugini Shota e Takeo. Tuttavia, questo incontro sembra segnare anche l'inizio di un cambiamento per entrambi: Sakurai da qualche anno non riesce più ad appassionarsi a nulla, cosa che si riflette in relazioni fallimentari, in hobby abbandonati, in progetti meno creativi rispetto al passato e in una vita dedicata solamente al lavoro; Yoichi, d'altro canto, pare addirittura non provare alcun tipo di interesse e di emozione, freddo e inavvicinabile, evidentemente segnato anche dalla morte dei genitori.
I due finiranno per incontrarsi in più occasioni - la casa di Yoichi verrà pure usata come set per un progetto pubblicitario seguito dall'agenzia di Sakurai e da quella di un vecchio amico di suo padre - e le cose sembrano migliorare. Di sicuro Sakurai ha già capito che strada hanno preso i suoi sentimenti.
Il volume si chiude con il possibile arrivo di un nuovo pensionante e voci di corridoio riguardanti un futuro trasferimento per Sakurai.
November 6, 2017
Volumes: 5/ Chapters read: 34
It felt sometimes like I was reading a josei. An older man, of 37-years-old, befriends a trio of cousins who live in a sharehouse. A quiet, beautiful sharehouse in the middle of the town. Sakurai-san is specially interested in quiet You-chan. They seem to be very different, but they are drawn to each other, and finally, Sakurai-san realizes he has fallen in love for a guy, and a younger one!, for the first time in his life. There is a huge age gap (20-years) but since You is serious and mature, and Sakurai-san is more jovial, it doesn't feel that way. It takes a long time for them to realize their feelings, and even a longer time to have their first kiss (in Vol. 3 I think). Still, it was lovely because they take their time, and there is lots of sexual tension.
Besides their love story, it is also the story about You's parents, who died when he was a little boy, and his 2 cousins, and You's classmate who also happens to be in love with him.
It felt sometimes like I was reading a josei. An older man, of 37-years-old, befriends a trio of cousins who live in a sharehouse. A quiet, beautiful sharehouse in the middle of the town. Sakurai-san is specially interested in quiet You-chan. They seem to be very different, but they are drawn to each other, and finally, Sakurai-san realizes he has fallen in love for a guy, and a younger one!, for the first time in his life. There is a huge age gap (20-years) but since You is serious and mature, and Sakurai-san is more jovial, it doesn't feel that way. It takes a long time for them to realize their feelings, and even a longer time to have their first kiss (in Vol. 3 I think). Still, it was lovely because they take their time, and there is lots of sexual tension.
Besides their love story, it is also the story about You's parents, who died when he was a little boy, and his 2 cousins, and You's classmate who also happens to be in love with him.
August 24, 2024
Una obra intensa amb un protagonista que arrossega uns vincles familiars complexos i carregats de trauma, amb la pressió de viure a l'ombra del seu pare artista, incapaç de mostrar els seus sentiments ni interessar-se per res de cop i volta s'enamora d'un home 20 anys més gran i que té un context familiar semblant. M'ha agradat molt més aquesta obra que no pas Blue Morning, però el final m'ha semblat poc satisfactori i mancat d'un clímax a l'altura de tanta intensitat i introspecció... Tan difícil era mostrar la seva vida passats els 3 anys, si finalment fan públics la relació i què carai acaba passant amb la casa???? :/ els tres primers volums són els millors, un crescendo d'emocions en què la relació evoluciona del rebuig a l'atracció total. 3 estrelles l'últim volum pel final .
June 16, 2023
2.85!
age gap did take me slightly aback (i was expecting him to be in his early 20’s at least) but im still interested in how the story and their relationship will proceed. and the art—no words i just love this style sm i want to eat it
“You’re friendly to everybody, but the truth is, you’re not interested in anybody.”
real
age gap did take me slightly aback (i was expecting him to be in his early 20’s at least) but im still interested in how the story and their relationship will proceed. and the art—no words i just love this style sm i want to eat it
“You’re friendly to everybody, but the truth is, you’re not interested in anybody.”
real
July 12, 2017
Video review here~~ https://youtu.be/RXKO8eBYZPw
nice manga that is slower in pace like the rest of the Shoko's work. Really good art work and a nice plot~ (no sexy time in case you were curious)
nice manga that is slower in pace like the rest of the Shoko's work. Really good art work and a nice plot~ (no sexy time in case you were curious)
November 17, 2017
I love this book!! And to discover it will be a live-action movie soon is even better!
Only volumes 1 and 2 are published in English so far. Vol 3 for early 2018. I know fan-scans are not the same, but I cannot wait to read this whole story!
Only volumes 1 and 2 are published in English so far. Vol 3 for early 2018. I know fan-scans are not the same, but I cannot wait to read this whole story!
November 27, 2018
this volume is a bit slow (iirc all my favorite parts come in the later volumes when they’re already together), but the scene where sakurai realizes he’s in love is still one of the best romantic scenes in all fiction imho
January 21, 2018
I LOVED THIS! I READ THE 5 VOLUMES IN ONE SITTING! Just beautiful.
October 14, 2018
It's really cute.
April 9, 2019
the right reading at the right moment
April 16, 2019
Sweet as live action.
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