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Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible #4
Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible Vol. 4
Masa remaja tumbuh perlahan, waktu berjalan tumpang tindih. cewek heroine dan cowok figuran mulai menapaki musim yang berseri-seri Musim semi kelas 2 SMA. Setelah melewati pergantian kelas, Shiraishi-kun dan Kubo-san sama-sama menjadi anggota pengurus, (rasanya) hubungan keduanya menjadi makin dekat. Tak disangka, malah tiba-tiba jadi kencan nonton film di bioskop…? Dengan terkumpulnya kepingan waktu yang berkilauan, masa remaja perlahan-lahan mulai merebak. Inilah vol.4 komedi manis remaja, alunan musim yang berjalan lambat dan indah!
172 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2021
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November 17, 2022
Y'know, I was starting to feel like this little candy-floss series was wearing out its welcome. "What's actually changed?" I thought. I don't much care for the "perpetual present" so common in sitcoms or cartoons where everything resets to the status quo at the end of the episode no matter what happens, so I was getting weary here.
And then I actually thought about what HAD changed. And I realized that the growth & development may be slow, but it is there, and it's mirroring the nature of a real life adolescent relationship.
Over the course of 4 volumes it's gone from Shiraishi resenting Kubo's intrusions into his quiet solitude, with neither he nor the audience knowing whether it's flirtation or mockery, to Shiraishi welcoming her presence in his life and accepting that she means well. We've seen their occasional interactions in school graduate to occasional "outings" (neither one can admit they're dates yet). We have learned that Kubo isn't just teasing him to amuse herself, but is attempting to form a genuine connection because she has genuine feelings for him. We have learned (alongside Shiraishi) that Shiraishi really does have feelings for her too but is afraid to accept that anyone can really "see" him. We've learned that, far from being a manic pixie dream-girl who just exists to pull him out of his shell, Kubo actually has a rich inner life, deep friendships outside of Shiraishi, a supportive home-life, etc. We've learned that Kubo is actually deeply insecure about her appearance, her identity, her place in the world...but pretends to be confident and assertive because she thinks she has to be (e.g.: insisting on drinking black coffee even though she finds it disgusting because she wants to be more "grown up"). We've seen more and more people start to notice and remember Shiraishi due to Kubo's influence on his life, and we've seen Shiraishi alternately recoil from and welcome that unexpected scrutiny.
Most notably, in this volume we actually learn WHY Kubo takes an interest in Shiraishi! And far from being the typical manga/anime tropes of lifelong childhood adoration or love at first sight or the magical power of fate or whatever, it turns out her interest just developed normally and naturally over a long period of time. She started out merely intrigued by the fact that most people didn't notice him, making him into a sort of "private secret" for her; she entertained herself by trying to pick him out of a crowd at school, amused herself by startling him & teasing him (since he was so used to being ignored), then slowly got to know him and appreciate who he was. It turns out that, effectively, the series we've been reading up to this point has been Shiraishi catching up to where Kubo had finally gotten at the start of the series. And now that they're at the same stage, the dynamic between them is beginning to change.
Which again, pretty accurately mirrors adolescent life -- girls tend to gain emotional maturity more quickly than boys, and boys tend to be resistant to change when they're comfortable. It reminds me of the old adage that women love the man they want their man to be ("I can change him!"), while men want their woman to stay exactly the way she was when they fell for her ("Never change, babe!"). Kubo's disruptive influence comes from the fact that she wants things to change between them, wants him to catch up to her, while Shiraishi fears any change to his comfortable status quo...and fears that such change might actually ruin the relationship they already have. It all feels very adolescent and very human.
And just like the covers, just like Shiraishi in the narrative, unless you follow Kubo's example and make a point of looking at what you might otherwise ignore, you aren't going to notice the surprising amount of depth and "reality" in what seems like a bit of silly fluff.
And then I actually thought about what HAD changed. And I realized that the growth & development may be slow, but it is there, and it's mirroring the nature of a real life adolescent relationship.
Over the course of 4 volumes it's gone from Shiraishi resenting Kubo's intrusions into his quiet solitude, with neither he nor the audience knowing whether it's flirtation or mockery, to Shiraishi welcoming her presence in his life and accepting that she means well. We've seen their occasional interactions in school graduate to occasional "outings" (neither one can admit they're dates yet). We have learned that Kubo isn't just teasing him to amuse herself, but is attempting to form a genuine connection because she has genuine feelings for him. We have learned (alongside Shiraishi) that Shiraishi really does have feelings for her too but is afraid to accept that anyone can really "see" him. We've learned that, far from being a manic pixie dream-girl who just exists to pull him out of his shell, Kubo actually has a rich inner life, deep friendships outside of Shiraishi, a supportive home-life, etc. We've learned that Kubo is actually deeply insecure about her appearance, her identity, her place in the world...but pretends to be confident and assertive because she thinks she has to be (e.g.: insisting on drinking black coffee even though she finds it disgusting because she wants to be more "grown up"). We've seen more and more people start to notice and remember Shiraishi due to Kubo's influence on his life, and we've seen Shiraishi alternately recoil from and welcome that unexpected scrutiny.
Most notably, in this volume we actually learn WHY Kubo takes an interest in Shiraishi! And far from being the typical manga/anime tropes of lifelong childhood adoration or love at first sight or the magical power of fate or whatever, it turns out her interest just developed normally and naturally over a long period of time. She started out merely intrigued by the fact that most people didn't notice him, making him into a sort of "private secret" for her; she entertained herself by trying to pick him out of a crowd at school, amused herself by startling him & teasing him (since he was so used to being ignored), then slowly got to know him and appreciate who he was. It turns out that, effectively, the series we've been reading up to this point has been Shiraishi catching up to where Kubo had finally gotten at the start of the series. And now that they're at the same stage, the dynamic between them is beginning to change.
Which again, pretty accurately mirrors adolescent life -- girls tend to gain emotional maturity more quickly than boys, and boys tend to be resistant to change when they're comfortable. It reminds me of the old adage that women love the man they want their man to be ("I can change him!"), while men want their woman to stay exactly the way she was when they fell for her ("Never change, babe!"). Kubo's disruptive influence comes from the fact that she wants things to change between them, wants him to catch up to her, while Shiraishi fears any change to his comfortable status quo...and fears that such change might actually ruin the relationship they already have. It all feels very adolescent and very human.
And just like the covers, just like Shiraishi in the narrative, unless you follow Kubo's example and make a point of looking at what you might otherwise ignore, you aren't going to notice the surprising amount of depth and "reality" in what seems like a bit of silly fluff.
December 27, 2022
Oops. I wasn't paying attention and read this out of order because my local library somehow got Vol. 4 into circulation before Vol. 3. Maybe that's why I suddenly found this series boring?
The main couple is de facto dating now after officially admitting they are friends. There is no conflict or tension. It's cute, yeah, but I'm not sure how this just keeps ambling along for another seven plus volumes with this rate of diminishing returns.
Not that I'm going to stop reading yet, mind you . . .
The main couple is de facto dating now after officially admitting they are friends. There is no conflict or tension. It's cute, yeah, but I'm not sure how this just keeps ambling along for another seven plus volumes with this rate of diminishing returns.
Not that I'm going to stop reading yet, mind you . . .
November 3, 2022
With Kubo’s presence in his life, Shiraishi has achieved some measure of opacity compared to before, but he’s still not exactly noticeable. Well, except to Kubo, of course, and that might, perhaps, just be enough…
I do love a good fluffy manga and this one is mostly fluffy good times. Shiraishi tries to climb back into his mope-hole, Kubo won’t let him (title alert), she continues to spend oodles of time with him. He might get the hint at some point, probably several volumes hence.
At least this premise is funny because it hinges on the fact that all the male leads in this genre of story might as well not be there, so having Shiraishi be so mundane he fades into the background is clever. But then leaning into it so hard that it circles right back around to make him more interesting than normal? Genius!
Kubo needs no such help, as she continues to nurse her crush, both figuratively and literally, and they get up to all kinds of mischief together. Accidental wall slams, compliments from nowhere, the glacial thaw of Shiraishi’s notion that Kubo could never be interested in him…
Big shout-out to the gardening committee segment, which you wouldn’t expect to be that amusing, but when the story leans into Shiraishi’s schtick and we get the revelation of how the school’s (ahem) ‘self-tending flower beds’ were one of the school’s “Seven Wonders”, well, that’s a fantastic touch. The rest of it is pretty cute and heartwarming too.
No, this isn’t exactly high concept manga, but I’ve read enough of these sorts of stories to know both quality and what I like and this volume has plenty of both. There are a lot of good segments here.
And you could do a lot worse in this space than diving into the why of a relationship - there’s an excellently done flashback that shows that Kubo has “seen” Shiraishi for a very long time and hasn’t wavered in noticing him since.
I don’t expect too much from these stories, so seeing those little tidbits show up both here and in Sakurai-san Wants To Be Noticed! really gives them a boost within their niche for my money (literal and figurative).
Are we looking for resonant themes and deep symbolism? I hope not and this isn’t where you’d want to be looking anyway. Come for the cute, stay for the cute.
3.5 stars - rounded up because it might be a tale of a very specific type, but it is innovating within that space and all the more interesting because of it.
I do love a good fluffy manga and this one is mostly fluffy good times. Shiraishi tries to climb back into his mope-hole, Kubo won’t let him (title alert), she continues to spend oodles of time with him. He might get the hint at some point, probably several volumes hence.
At least this premise is funny because it hinges on the fact that all the male leads in this genre of story might as well not be there, so having Shiraishi be so mundane he fades into the background is clever. But then leaning into it so hard that it circles right back around to make him more interesting than normal? Genius!
Kubo needs no such help, as she continues to nurse her crush, both figuratively and literally, and they get up to all kinds of mischief together. Accidental wall slams, compliments from nowhere, the glacial thaw of Shiraishi’s notion that Kubo could never be interested in him…
Big shout-out to the gardening committee segment, which you wouldn’t expect to be that amusing, but when the story leans into Shiraishi’s schtick and we get the revelation of how the school’s (ahem) ‘self-tending flower beds’ were one of the school’s “Seven Wonders”, well, that’s a fantastic touch. The rest of it is pretty cute and heartwarming too.
No, this isn’t exactly high concept manga, but I’ve read enough of these sorts of stories to know both quality and what I like and this volume has plenty of both. There are a lot of good segments here.
And you could do a lot worse in this space than diving into the why of a relationship - there’s an excellently done flashback that shows that Kubo has “seen” Shiraishi for a very long time and hasn’t wavered in noticing him since.
I don’t expect too much from these stories, so seeing those little tidbits show up both here and in Sakurai-san Wants To Be Noticed! really gives them a boost within their niche for my money (literal and figurative).
Are we looking for resonant themes and deep symbolism? I hope not and this isn’t where you’d want to be looking anyway. Come for the cute, stay for the cute.
3.5 stars - rounded up because it might be a tale of a very specific type, but it is innovating within that space and all the more interesting because of it.
April 14, 2023
This is the cutest manga I have ever read
September 17, 2024
First date time!
This was a cute chapter. Kubo tricks the boy she likes into taking her on a date. Which by the end we finally see some of his REAL reaction to the things happening since he hides it so well. And let's just say it's adorable. Also I love Kubo's sister, she's the best.
A 4 out of 5.
This was a cute chapter. Kubo tricks the boy she likes into taking her on a date. Which by the end we finally see some of his REAL reaction to the things happening since he hides it so well. And let's just say it's adorable. Also I love Kubo's sister, she's the best.
A 4 out of 5.
November 5, 2023
Sigh... this feels like it is going along the same strand as 'Komi Can't Communicate. Kubo is a lot more straightforward though. At this point, I am more of a fan of the characters' outfits than anything else 🤔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2023
Still really cute.
November 5, 2022
My coworker and I have been trying to do a buddy read for a long time. This just so happens to be the one that we read at the same time XD
Kubo wearing Shiraishi track suit was just funny and cute. And them seeing the movie too.
Also, we get a glimpse of Kubo first noticed him. Shiraishi also speaks to another classmate during a group project. Although the classmates looks for him, they unfortunately don't speak again for the rest of the school year.
Kubo wearing Shiraishi track suit was just funny and cute. And them seeing the movie too.
Also, we get a glimpse of Kubo first noticed him. Shiraishi also speaks to another classmate during a group project. Although the classmates looks for him, they unfortunately don't speak again for the rest of the school year.
December 22, 2022
Baby Nagisa is so cute! (Technically she was a little kid in the flashback, but it's cuter to say baby Nagisa then it is to say little kid/girl Nagisa).
Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
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Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazishreads, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
November 30, 2023
This is a really cute and sweet volume. Nothing earth shattering happens in this one but we get a lot of sweet moments and a date towards the end. The art is nothing spectacular but the artist makes the most of the moments that are meant to stand out.
July 24, 2022
3.5 maybe
I love these kind of peaceful romance stories.
I love these kind of peaceful romance stories.
November 6, 2022
I love this series a lot💕 Shirashi is precious and Kubo cracks me up sometimes. I love reading these soft stories of their daily lives.
December 6, 2022
This series is starting to grow on me.
January 11, 2023
The last of the volumes I have physically and still such a peaceful read.
The pages flow nice and easy so I feel so relaxed when reading it, can't wait to get more!
The pages flow nice and easy so I feel so relaxed when reading it, can't wait to get more!
April 12, 2023
3.75/5 Stars
August 20, 2023
3.5/★★★★★
November 19, 2023
ok it’s getting much better
February 14, 2024
Little by little Shiraishi starts to break the shell. Their date let him show more expressions.
March 31, 2025
I'm probably not going to finish this series. It's kind of boring
April 23, 2025
ugh its so cute
July 4, 2025
This series is so damn adorable I love it…
July 13, 2025
She get cuter and cheekyier in this volume
May 19, 2023
These two are so freakin' cute~ He's awkward because he's not used to people and she's teasing him, but gets flustered at times too. Then they go on dates outings together and the flow of this series is actually really good for an episodic rom-com.
I also really loved the bit about "When you can't grow up all at once...it's okay to take it slow and steady." Growing up is tough when you see it as an on/off switch instead of a setting slider.
Honestly, didn't expect to enjoy this series as much as I am. I'm a sucker for fluffy stuff.
This series has 12 volumes.
I also really loved the bit about "When you can't grow up all at once...it's okay to take it slow and steady." Growing up is tough when you see it as an on/off switch instead of a setting slider.
Honestly, didn't expect to enjoy this series as much as I am. I'm a sucker for fluffy stuff.
This series has 12 volumes.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews