Minato's Laundromat, Vol. 4

みなと商事コインランドリー [Minato Shōji Coin Laundry] #4

by Sawa Kanzume (Artist), Yuzu Tsubaki (Story)

Akira Minato has maintained a friendship with high schooler Shin, avoiding reciprocating the boy’s passionate advances toward him. But one day, Akira unintentionally breaks a promise he made to Shin, hurting him deeply. Shin then stops visiting the laundromat, upsetting Akira. How will their relationship ever recover!?

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Fiction, Boys Love, Contemporary, Queer

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2023

Reviews

[L Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love age gaps and have no problem with there being a power imbalance in the relationships I read about. When I started this series, what intrigued me the most was that Shin, the teenager, was the one pursuing Minato, not the other way around. I'd be into this if Minato showed even an inkling of interest in Shin, but he doesn't.

He has repeatedly told him over and over again that he isn't interested and Shin won't back off. I hate how touchy and pushy he is. It didn't bother me in the beginning because I thought maybe Minato actually liked it, but now I see that it only makes him uncomfortable, so Shin needs to stop. It feels like Shin is going to eventually guilt Minato into dating him and that isn't something I'm interested in seeing. 2 stars

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My frustration with this manga series continues. And to think!! I almost really liked this volume. In fact, I did really like the first part of this volume. I really liked Minato's conversation with his past teacher, and I really like how everything building up to that point and around it was handled. Hell, I liked it so much I even liked the scene with Shintarou right afterward! And then when we got to see those other fragments of Minato's past?? I loved those too! This series is excellent at making me wish I was reading a manga about Minato in high school instead of this!

Just, urgh. I've said it all before. It's so hard for me to get into Shintarou and Minato's relationship. Considering I'm actually fairly okay with and often fond of age-gap stuff, I'm starting to think it's not even that part of their relationship that is hard for me. It's the fact that Minato is trying so, so, so hard to not date this high schooler. He is trying SO hard to have boundaries and say no and be clear that they are just friends and repeatedly tell Shintarou that they cannot be together (without putting down or dismissing his feelings), but nothing is working. Shintarou is just so persistent, and in a way that feels like Minato is not eventually going to fall in love with him because he actually does like him, but in a way that feels like Minato is just eventually going to give in and agree to date him out of exhaustion and the futility of the situation.

Which really annoys me! Because yes, their relationship IS growing on me, and there are aspects of it I really like. I think Shintarou meeting Minato when he was a kid and falling in love and being completely captivated still all these years later is actually pretty cute and endearing (I like borderline obsessive love what can I say).

As I said in my review of volume one, this mangaka has to work overtime to get me on board for these two. I need to see Minato starting to develop authentic feelings, independent of Shintarou's teasing and flirting and provoking. I really hope that now he's been formally rejected and can completely move past his last love that we will start to see this development. 'Cause I am really not going to feel great about him ending up in a relationship because he decided to just stop fighting it and go with the flow.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da sich Minato weiterhin überhaupt gar nicht seinem Alter entsprechend verhält, mir die jugendlich aussehenden 30iger Charaktere auf den Keks gehen, vorallem wo jetzt ein weiteres Age-Gap Pair auftaucht, und sonst auch storytechnisch kaum irgendwas passiert, geb ich den Manga jetzt auf :/

Er ist süß, ja, wären sie alle gleichalt, würden die Charaktere auch Sinn machen. Aber so stört mich das mega. Für Leute, die einfach einen schön gezeichneten Manga ohne tiefere Story und flache Chars mögen, ist der hier sicher super.

[Riki (˶˃⤙˂˶) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 💫

I absolutely love this manga! One of my big time favourite series, which there seems to be a lot of :D

╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

Al thing I really like in these, aside from the obvious (characters, story, relationships, drama…) is the short stories (from the novels? wish those were translated), they’re so cute! Like take this bit for example:
"He stared right through me with glistening eyes.
‘Don't hurt me, Shin... B-be gentle, okay?’
Those cloying words caught me completely off guard, filling my overactive imagination with unspeakable images of Minato-san doing the filthiest things.
And I'd say it was all his fault.
Really wish I'd recorded that"
Like Shin is so cute and SO in love! It hurts my heart, man! Wish I had someone like that… *the deepest sigh in the history of deep sighs*

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Okay!
So, this time, I find, there was good progress in the relationship between Minato and Shin. I can’t wait for Shin to get to do them squat thrusts in the cucumber patch with Minato!! I’m rootin for ya kid!
Over all there was a nice bit of backstory and some larger obstacles of past and present were cleared. At this point the characters have developed some depth, which I hope continues in a similar manner. Oh lord does this make me happy! And damn, what a high cliff was I left hanging on! Every time this happens and I’m left waiting for months for the release of the next volume.

(´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

Tsubaki Yuzu-sensei, no, Tsubaki Yuzu-sama thou art mine saviour, oh highly esteemed master. Thou hast taken mine person in thine strong arms, and in the great Heavens was I laid onto the mountains vast and barren. As this humble one gazes upon the boundless vistas, the beautiful blankness of the void, he recognises thusly: "One has been taken over the moon".
…haha, sorry, I’m done now.

Suuuper happy there’s going to be more of this series. Ah cannae wait fur th' neist pairt tae come oot!

Oh, and one last thing! About the power outage situation; wasn’t that just a little bit too convenient? XD

ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chibi Shin in the washer is kawaii! 🥹🥹

[Ariz]

I haven't read the original story this is based on, but I had watched the first season of the drama. I don't remember all the specifics, but was surprised at how well the drama handled the age gap. It will likely still not be for everyone, but now having been exposed to more of the story, I think the relationship between the two characters feels less appropriate in the manga story.

Minato knows there is a line to not cross and tries to put up those boundaries in words. He says things like ‘don’t get the wrong idea we’re just friends’. And Shin is the one getting too close. But at some point Minato has to be the adult and enforce that boundary.

Also this is the second time we get a stumble-and-fall as a pretext for characters getting close. What is this the new bend and snap? There are also short stories the author includes at the end which I find unique, but also some of the writing makes me realize maybe the story isn't my favorite part, and actually the live action drama is more my jam.

I want to keep reading bc I liked the characters, but maybe the source material is actually not better in this case. It's not awful by any means, just average. I think if I had no previous exposure to the story I would not have continued.

[ℂ ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amb aquesta sèrie sempre em debato perquè té aspectes que m'agraden, però d'altres molt problemàtics com són la relació entre estudiants d'institut i adults... En aquest volum sembla que la conversa entre els protagonistes és més madura i s'adreça el conflicte obert del passat amb el seu sensei, però al final anem a parar al mateix lloc. Per molt que s'intenti maquillar de destí (per la primera trobada fa 10 anys), el Minato, l'adult, no es comporta com a tal i és una cosa que no puc pair. Per si això no fos prou, tenim una bomba al final del llibre que va en la mateixa línia el germà del sensei, de qui la germana del Shin tenia un crush, resulta que està sortint amb l'amic de classe del Shin, que és qui va animar l'Akira a fer un pas endavant... molt rocambolesc tot plegat, ara amb dues relacions qüestionables :(

[Melanie Galsheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok spätestens JETZT hat mich der Manga und wird mich so schnell auch nicht mehr los. Irgendwie schaffen es Autor und Zeichner immer wieder aufs Neue eine Schippe draufzulegen und mich damit vollkommen zu überraschen. Auch in Band 4 der Reihe verfolgen wir die Slowburn Geschichte um Minato und Shin. Dabei lernen wir die Charaktere immer besser kennen und lieben. Sie sind so dermaßen vernarrt ineinander und füreinander gemacht, stellen sich dabei aber so schusselig an, dass es mir andauernd ein Schmunzeln aufs Gesicht zaubert. Diese „einseitige“ Liebe ist sowas von nicht einseitig und es gibt auch eindeutig nur ein Hindernis für diese Beziehung. Trotzdem schafft es der Manga einen ständig in Atem zu halten und die Spannung aufrecht zu erhalten. Ich bin schon richtig gespannt auf die Fortsetzung 😍

[Alicia ^^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cómo se quedó en una parte bastante tensa en el volumen 3, realmente este volumen se ha sentido con un suspiro. Menos mal que hay un desenlace rápido de todo y que se tocan ciertos matices del pasado, cerrándose situaciones como la del profesor.

Me ha gustado muchísimo la parte en la que Minato al fin ha recordado a Shintaro de pequeño.

Y EL FINAL DE ESTE VOLUMEN GRITA A QUE VAMOS A TENER HISTORIA DE ASUKA Y SHUU😭. Me hace mucha ilusión porque normalmente las parejas secundarias siempre se desarrollan cuando la principal ya lleva un tiempo saliendo, pero en este caso va a ir bastante a la par, me temo.

Realmente no tengo mucho más que decir, pero me ha encantado el volumen 😭. Ahora toca esperar pacientemente al volumen 5, que saldrá en abril!

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I just love how Shin was by Minato’s side after his talk with Sakuma sensei. Such a sweet moment!!!!

Minato finally remembered his and Shin’s connection from the past but I had a hard time dealing with seeing the flashback. A little Shin and a teenage Minato… I wish age gap stories wouldn’t do this!!!! Don’t let them have met when one was a child and the other older!!! It weirds me out! ( But here I am, still reading age gap stories LOL). Anyway, I’ll tell myself, only in fiction. Never in real life …

My favorite part of this volume was the bonus story about Shin’s dream. Lol it was so funny!

[Katerine CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, mi reseña va a ser un poco express porque este ya es el 4to volumen, así que aquí va:

Primero, me encanta que Minato enfrentara sus sentimientos de hace diez años e hiciera paz con ellos, aunque eso signifique un corazón roto.

Segundo, me gusta que Shin tenga actitudes más sanas con respecto a Minato y también está cute su background. Nada traumático, más bien tierno.

Tercero, estamos desarrollando más drama con otros personajes. I love it!

All in all, según mi perspectiva, cada volumen va mejorando con respecto al anterior y mi cariño por los personajes también va aumentando.

Seguiré con el siguiente.

PS: Sakuma-Sensei, lo adoro un montón. ¡Qué hombre tan cute!

[Emily Cervellino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhh my goodness gracious! The snow storm? Sakuma sensei? The flashbacks? Really picking up the pace this volume-still a nice slow and cozy read but it was great to get a bunch of plot acceleration here. Is it wrong that my heart skips a beat for Sakuma sensei though? I feel like i'm betraying Shin.

[arian · Rating 4 out of 5]

yesterday was a good library day wherein i got the two books that i requested AND found out that the other two volumes of this manga series were already out and translated in english. oh how the world loves me.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I find the main couple just… so boring. 😅 Might try to stick it out for the next volume just to see what the side couple’s deal is, but I don’t know if I’ll make it much further in this series…

[Enid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Official version, yes!

[Zenobia Afeworki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still enjoying the story, just wanting something else to happen.

[somnus 🪴 · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally a little progress~

[Mari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute little Shin was cute. But still a hater. I need a life 😇😅🤣

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75☆

[Kayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Pata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ciertamente el "se conocieron de pequeños" tiene que acabar.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minato talks to his sensei; Shin continues to be a cute brat

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Elizabeth R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'M GONNA CRY.

[Danielle Hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This manga is just pure joy to me. It's so cute, sooo funny, the art is GORGEOUS, and I love these charming characters so much. I can't wait for the last volume (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ

[Virgínia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nota: esta resenha abarca todos os volumes do mangá publicados até ao momento.

Em Minato's laundromat acompanhamos a história de Minato e de Shin e o florescente romance entre os dois. Após Shin ter se confessado a Minato (e este o ter rejeitado com base na sua diferença de idades), o adolescente começa a ser mais evidente nas suas afeições por Minato, ao ponto de flertar descaradamente. Na verdade, as suas investidas românticas acabam por se tornar demasiado insistentes, por vezes ignorando os limites impostos por Minato. Por seu turno, Minato deixa-se levar pela conversa do adolescente demasiadas vezes, minando um pouco a sua suposta autoridade. Sinceramente, ao fim de uns quantos capítulos, esta dinâmica entre as duas personagens apenas me irritava ligeiramente. A meu ver, as autoras do mangá acabam por querer à viva força pintar Shin como adolescente demasiado maturo para a sua idade, colocando-o ao mesmo nível de Minato, a fim de omitir ou "apagar" a diferença de idades existente entre as duas personagens. Infelizmente, creio que o tiro lhes saiu pela culatra, uma vez que a única impressão que fiquei do adolescente é que este agia de uma bastante infantil no que tocava às suas afeições por Minato, inclusive passando a sensação de uma ténue toxicidade.

A certa altura, as autoras procuram também desenvolver a personagem de Minato ao explorarem mais o seu passado. Novamente, os resultados ficam aquém das promessas feitas. Das pistas que nos são deixadas, Minato parece enquadrar-se no estereótipo de gay sofrido, o que não abona para o mangá, dado repetir os mesmos padrões de outras histórias. Uma das minhas maiores críticas neste quesito é a forma como a antiga paixoneta de Minato foi resolvida. Logo no segundo volume descobrimos que Minato teve uma paixoneta por um dos seus professores durante o secundário, algo que nunca ficou muito bem resolvido. Quando tal é abordado, é feito de forma demasiado rápida e abrupta, o que me deixou bastante descontente.

A partir do segundo volume, novas personagens são introduzidas, sendo que uma em particular (Asuka) apresenta-se como uma lufada de ar fresco, servindo sobretudo como alívio cómico. No entanto, mesmo estas novas personagens pouco mais acrescentam à narrativa. Aliás, talvez o maior problema do mangá seja o facto das autoras não desenvolverem de forma significativa as suas personagens, criando este efeito de lapso - ou seja, a percepção de que falta algo.

Em suma, não desgostei de Minato's laundromat, porém, ao ler os restantes volumes praticamente seguidos, comecei a notar os problemas e o que eu considero como falhas anteriormente referidos. Pessoalmente, o mangá pode ser resumido à seguinte frase: «não é mau, mas com certeza há melhores».

[Tiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so cute I am rooting for them so hard!