Snow Angel, Vol. 3

by Haruka Chizu

Muku Shiroshika’s happy and carefree childhood comes to an abrupt end after her father’s tragic death. In the ten years since, she’s worked a thankless job as a caregiver for her dementia-suffering grandfather. Between taking care of her family, searching for a job, and enduring her grandmother’s constant criticism, Muku finds herself drowning. She’s desperate to escape, but with nowhere to go, Muku loses hope. That is, until her childhood friend Yuto appears on her doorstep one snowy day and inspires her to live for herself.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

To draw upon one of my favourite phrases in reviewing shorthand… well, that happened. It’s hard to believe that this started as a wholly gripping portrait of caregiver burnout and somebody being crushed beneath unreasonable expectations.

Turns out, maybe I was the one with unreasonable expectations the whole time. It’s a short series, Muku is free to live her life, she’s off to Tokyo with Yuto, sparks can fly with aplomb. Perfect ending and a welcome release from the first two volumes.

Hold my Asahi Super Dry, intones the mangaka.

At first things are pretty great - Yuto’s avoidant personality has him running like hell from his meet and greet, but Muku pushes him towards it and her expressions are so good that it’s hard to describe. The art here is so excellently done.

She sees him in a whole new light and it’s clear that his prickly personality has made Yuto stupid popular with a certain subset of consumer. Muku helps out, she is believably guileless in Tokyo because of how sheltered she’s been, it’s all going well. The seeds of romance are thoroughly sown.

Then Yuto turns out to be incredibly manipulative and that’s a weird way to go with this, as he tries to nudge Muku’s feelings towards being more than friends. Seeing him trying to game her into liking him is a bit of a less than ideal direction.

Oh, but he has his reasons. And if I thought he was being a little too pushy during the overnight bits - who can say if a hotel really wasn’t available - the two of them do manage to sort of come together and it doesn’t seem terrible, maybe regrettable.

[Spoiler for us heading into wacky town.]

Unless you count the revelation that Yuto is the one who killed Muku’s father when they were young.

There is a time and a place for this sort of goof-ass stuff and it’s really not in the middle of a story that had, to this point, felt relatively grounded and believable. It’s so over the top and feels like the most arbitrary obstacle.

Doubly so since we see this from such oblique angles that it’s all open to interpretation, which is storytelling code that it either isn’t what we think or it is, but in such a way that it absolves Yuto of his guilt.

Why, why, why was any of this necessary? They go to Tokyo, Muku is culture shocked, Yuto is reserved, they feel out their burgeoning attraction to one another while on this trip. That’s all we needed and those parts are so fun.

I really felt that two volumes of victory lap would have been quite sufficient. There was just no reason to go for more stuff on top of the other stuff. It kind of diminishes what came before, which is a bummer.

Especially since I really like Muku and Yuto together. They have a really sweet dynamic to their interactions and Yuto has it so bad for her that all the choices for his character aren’t needed. He apologizes and doesn’t push too hard, it all works, until it doesn’t.

Anyway, I will finish this out, and I definitely think it’s worth a read for the first two volumes in particular. I’m just not that sure if there’s a need to keep going beyond that based on this. Yes, Yuto decides to (sort of) do the right thing and come clean, but it’s still in service to a bad idea.

3 stars - boy, that really did happen (told you. I really think this could have spent its time better doing other things, genuinely, and all its big reveals here obscure what it actually does best.

[Heather’s Reading Bubble · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m probably going to sound like a ranting lunatic but this volume of Snow Angel really irritated me. I’ll start with the positive. It’s beautiful. Every page is beautiful. Like I will never part with this volume because I can see myself looking at the art. That is how beautiful it is. Now onto what I did not like. I stated in a prior review that I felt the storyline was going to shift to being all about the romance of Muku and Yuto and boy was I ever right. However that is not what annoyed me. I admit I was more interested in the dynamics of Muku and her family but I’ve read far worse romances. The thing that I found to be completely unnecessary and ridiculous was the plot twist of Mukus father not only being a drunken violent scumbag but that Yuto “killed” him. Just why? This is not needed nor does it do anything to help with the story which by the way has 1 volume left. The twist was stupid and just pissed me off. I actually loudly said this is bullshit that’s how pointless I found it. Anyways buy this for the art not the story.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series can be so cute but also so dark at times.
Poor Yuto. He clearly defended himself.
Can’t wait to see how this all plays out in the final volume!

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the twist. I think that it felt kind of silly like something a kid thinks is their fault but ultimately isn't. But who knows I could be wrong. hmmmm I hope the last volume makes up for this. This story has so much it could still be dealing with regarding her family this twist felt unnecessary.

[Cheyenne Davey · Rating 5 out of 5]

dang that's crazy.

spoilers for sure

I don't blame the kid. it looked like the dad was hurting him and kiddo responded to protect himself. sounds like he got rid of the trash 🤷‍♀️

I hope that they can recover from this and she can forgive him.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still like it but it's different story than the first two volumes. I wish this stuff had been woven into the previous events but I guess the mangaka got a chance to continue the series after she had already planned/written most of the vol 1 & 2 story, so it took a little bit different direction.

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars — this series goes from being wholesome to sinister in the blink of an eye

[Kimi Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLY WHAT 🤯🤯

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that took a toxic turn.

[Mersi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM DEVASTATED AND TORN!!!!! WHAT!? WHY?!!!

THEIR LOVE IS PURE!!!!!!!!!! IT HAS TO BE!!!!!!

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT A TWIST

[Maude · Rating 2 out of 5]

what the hell was that

[cheekybee07 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuto’s childhood memories are heartbreaking 😭