There’s no point in writing long reviews of this. Minus a few recurring characters, there is nothing to stop you from grabbing literally any volume of this series and just jumping into the mix.
Thus it comes down to whether the particular batch of chapters is funny or not. I can usually count on this for one good belly laugh per volume, but sadly that did not happen at all. Okay, the cat omake at the end was super close, but not quite enough.
There are some decent ones; the first chapter featuring the crepe truck is the kind of ridiculous escalation the series is best at, for example. There’s a haunted picnic that also takes a similarly wacky turn and becomes really wild.
But nothing especially tickled my funny bone, if we’re being honest. The over-reliance on the same gags does hurt it a bit, although the one about the lettuce where a normal housewife gets corrupted by Tatsu’s nonsense was a fun tweak to the norm.
As always, I was especially pleased that Miku got her own chapter. She never gets enough to do and her insane thought processes taking centre stage made for a nice diversion from the usual stuff.
Then the volume was over. There’s nothing here that I can directly point at and claim was crazy good, which is my yardstick for the series. Still, I have often thought this would never be good again and then it goes on to kill it the next volume, so we’ll see.
3 stars - still here, doing its thing, just without the zest it needs this many volumes on to stay fresh and interesting beyond a chuckle or two.
My favorite parts of this volume were the ones with An and Toma. They’re so adorable! Toma wants to have an aloof and independent persona so bad, but he’s really a soft cutie patootie. The way he negotiates with An to get her to confirm they’re friends is TOO CUTE! My heart is melting 💖😩💖
I also found the chapter where Tatsu and the others are by the cemetery hilarious. The way they take a group pic, and part of the spirits that were fighting are visible 😂 Absolutely deranged. But you won’t hear me complaining about getting more pages with Tatsu’s formers boss 😏
The main reason this is down to 3.5 is because I didn’t like the character of the inner “chubster.” This mangaka occasionally throws in shit that is in poor taste, and it gets on my nerves. It never lasts long enough to feel worth dropping the series, but it does make me roll my eyes.
A lot of disconnected stories in volume 16, Tatsu helps out his minion to sell crepes with a costume, brings a girl to her favorite Policure cafe to score merch, and still has the signature pieces of his making food and helping others score the best kinds of food for cheap as well as the best crisp pickles from a grandma being protected by former rival yakuza.
My favorite scene (of course) was when the group was eating next to a cemetery to toast to a former colleague and (of course) all the delight of the food. I purposely saved this one for Valentine's Day because I heard Tatsu and his househusband ways!
If you’re sad and you know it, you gotta Gokushufudou! Always, a good time, enough to make you throw your head back and laugh. Tacchan is always my happy pill—I wouldn’t mind overdosing this year (reading a second volume of this series in one years feels illegal to me!)
Toma and An reminds me of Damian and Anya, haha! They’re the cutest! But if I could ask of more Miku and Tacchan scenes, please! Takeyama’s scenes are funny as hell too. Patiently waiting for the next volume (that I’ll probably get next year!)
Ah, der Band war wieder super witzig, da alles wieder super random war und eben die Kurzgeschichten, die nicht aufeinander aufbauen. Besonders klasse waren die Geschichten mit der Nichte von dem Ex-Boss und dem Sohn von einem der jetzigen Bosse - beide irgendwo unter 10 Jahre alt, die aufeinander treffen. Es ist so witzig, weil sie sich so bescheuert verhalten und die ganzen erwachsenen Yakuza ihnen nachlaufen :D vorallem weil das Mädel ist aggressiv und der Junge nicht. Ich hab ziemlich viel gelacht.
Lots of fun stories. I like the inclusion of more of Tatsu’s Yakuza compatriots and them doing intensely wholesome things like attempting to house train a cat. 😹
The story with Miku’s devil and angel fighting through all her decisions all day was fun too. We don’t often see scenes of her at work so that was a nice change.
All in all, the expansion of adding more side characters has worked well to keep it fun and funny. It’s a super fast read, as always, too which is a selling point if you just want something silly and quick.
It is always a good feeling to see a series I have followed for so long to have a mini renaissance in the quality of stories of its recent volume release. Ironically, it has less of its famous househusband domestic tips and more of it embracing its Yakuza comedy roots.
It also introduced a new character with new laughs from a different approach. I also like it keeping tabs on the Yakuza lady character who recently got a feral cat. In this volume, Tatsu and friends get the call to help her house break it.
Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.
Tatsu makes crepes in a mascot suit, has a picnic next to a graveyard, helps make a snack for mother's day, introduces a friend to a vegetable stand, digs for clams, searches for pickles, looks for Policure collectables, and tries to train a cat. Miku has a hard day at work. #Edelweiss+
For the last couple volumes I keep thinking "will this be the one?" "Will this be the volume where it feels like this series has run its course?" Then I finally take the time to read the volume and I end up laughing out loud at a chapter or two because it hits just right and I realize the author still has it a few great jokes left to tell. I need to learn to stop doubting Oono and his work.
This series is still so much fun. My favorite chapters this time around were the cemetery-side picnic, Miku's father trying to explain churros and soft pretzels to Tatsu but absolutely failing at it, and the Policure restaurant. I can't wait for volume 16!
It's not bad, it's just a collection of stories that don't follow a plot like I'm used to in other stories. I will probably keep reading but not top priority for me right now.