Tying the Knot With an Amagami Sister 6

甘神さんちの縁結び [Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi] #6

by Marcey Naitō

7月7日、短冊に願いを込めて甘神神社の七夕まつりが始まる!
ワクワクが高まる中、朝姫だけ陸上の大会に出場することになり
お祭りに参加したい気持ちを抑えて走り出す。しかし、お祭りと
大会を終えて迎えた次の日のはずが朝姫と瓜生だけ日付は7月7日
のまま…。終わりの見えないループの中で大人になりたい少女の
天秤が揺れ動く。 乗せきれない願いを背負い、少女は七夕の環を
巡る!! 巫女×三姉妹×一つ屋根の下のSF(すこし不思議)ラブコメ!!

Genres: Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2022

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asahi is forced to choose between an important race and a shrine festival. Uryu comes through for the race, hero that he is, but the next day it’s… a week before the race and Asahi and Uryu are the only ones who realize. Can Uryu get them out of this mess?

Yes, it’s Groundhog Day for the little harem manga that could and, while it doesn’t do the usual schtick with that premise, it uses it to really good effect to help Asahi figure herself out and teach Uryu a lesson or two at the same time.

In fact, Asahi is the main focus as she wrestles with her growing skill and joy in competitive running versus her duties to the shrine. It seems obvious to Uryu that making both of them happen is the way to get out of the loop, but this story has smarter fish to fry.

It’s a nice, weighty storyline, but it also gets some genuine laughs out of the equation. Uryu trying to Google his way out of the loop and the results he gets made me laugh and his frustration feels hilariously genuine. His overheard declaration might be a bit obvious, but it’s also pretty funny. Asahi’s attempts to take advantage of the loop for her own devices is also a good time.

Asahi is the youngest sister who seems the most confident, but she won’t be the first person who projected bravado to cover up for their insecurities. The story is all about her finding the balance.

What I really love is when Uryu gets called out hard for trying to be the hero of a story that isn’t, strictly speaking, any of his business. He keeps trying to fix things in the way that he thinks is right, but this loop isn’t about him and when he finally learns to accept that is when things change.

Even more smartly, this still comes around to let Uryu have a hero moment, but he stays behind the scenes to do so. As I have mentioned, and probably mentioned mentioning, Uryu is one of my favourite harem protagonists because he’s actually interesting and his fight between his scientific side and the weird goings-on is great (there are at least two very fun revelations in the aftermath of the story).

There’s a lot here that works. Asahi’s rival is doggedly determined and the story knows you think you know where it’s going and veers away after sneaking its fanservice in. The way this is a whole frenemies thing is much more interesting anyway.

Asahi being the youngest, although she’s at the end of junior high at least, has been a bit of a collar tug with regards to her designs on Uryu, but she’s not as oblivious to that as it has seemed. The moment at the ending is as surprising as it is funny as she just goes for it, but accidentally shouts out her youth at the last second.

There’s a lot of the usual hi-jinx and regular nonsense, but most of this turns into a really interesting focus on one character and her own struggles. I wasn’t expecting that from this series, nor how thoughtful it would end up being.

3.5 stars - I think I will end up rounding up because this might be my favourite volume yet of a series that isn’t especially flashy, but keeps on trucking and doing more than it necessarily needs to for its genre, yet I always appreciate when it does.

[Zygis Kacerauskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best volume to date. Loved how Asahi was given the chance to shine and the courage she had to do what she did. I liked everything how MC is also changing as tike goes on. Loved it.