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ひとりで生きるはままならぬ [Hitori de Ikiru wa Mamanaranu] #3
You Can't Live All on Your Own!, Vol. 3
Shuuko, Eika, Misaki, and Shio are roommates and friends making their way in the busy world of Tokyo, Japan!
Though they share an apartment and a friendship, each faces her own unique problems. Shuuko is feeling the pressure of those around her getting married and has no idea whether she'll truly be happy on her own for the rest of her life. Eika, a hardworking career woman, wants to prove herself to the judgmental men in her office. Romantic and idealistic Misaki is spurred into action when it turns out her "boyfriend" of two years didn't know she thought they were dating. Nurturing and good-spirited Shio struggles to set a work–life balance while paying her many bills.
Join these four roommates as they navigate the biggest question of their late twenties: What does happiness really mean?
Though they share an apartment and a friendship, each faces her own unique problems. Shuuko is feeling the pressure of those around her getting married and has no idea whether she'll truly be happy on her own for the rest of her life. Eika, a hardworking career woman, wants to prove herself to the judgmental men in her office. Romantic and idealistic Misaki is spurred into action when it turns out her "boyfriend" of two years didn't know she thought they were dating. Nurturing and good-spirited Shio struggles to set a work–life balance while paying her many bills.
Join these four roommates as they navigate the biggest question of their late twenties: What does happiness really mean?
178 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2023
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 18, 2025
The manga series that wraps up well in three volumes is rarer than hen’s teeth it feels at times, so I was thrilled that this not only ended, but ended well. It never budged from its intentions and did a lot with its premise.
Growing old often means growing apart, but it did sort of look like we were going to pair off every woman in the household and that would be the end of them all living together. Mercifully, that is not exactly what happens.
No, this is actually a series about finding your own happiness and answers in the world. It has a lot more to say than I even suspected originally. It’s a quiet yet powerful examination of getting older and figuring things out. Or not, and having that still be okay.
I loved how these four ended up following very different dreams in very different directions and appreciate the way it tackles these sorts of options. So many romance manga beat the drum of having kids and let’s go, but this is not primarily a romance story.
Misaki has the most traditional story as described above, but the way it tackled her ex-boyfriend and its study of two people on very different pages was really well done. It isn’t like her outcome wasn’t what she wanted either.
Eika remains unsatisfied at work and ignorant of the clear signals her coworker is shooting her way, but, refreshingly, she ends up finding a true passion for herself and arguably sets the entire climax in motion.
It’s not explicitly stated and seems to get poo-poo’d in the brief epilogue, but there’s a real queer coding of Eika towards the end of this such that you could totally take her as being a lesbian the whole time. Her relationship with Misaki and where she ends up both hint at it.
The arc that I really loved, however, was Shuu’s story and her relationship with the guy she keeps eating dango with (not just because dango is one of my favourite Japanese foods). It’s an especially great take on an unconventional relationship.
It eschews sexual desire in terms of being with somebody who just makes you happy. There are all sorts of loves in the world and watching them come to desire one another’s company so much, yet be fully invested in the companionship, was such a refreshing change from the normal.
Shio is probably the weakest of the four, very content with nothing changing, but also buried under her work and her finances. Things nudge her in a new direction and at least illustrate that sometimes a change is as good as a rest.
In these four women we see very different approaches to adulthood and the quiet message that your way isn’t wrong if it works for you. That’s something a lot of people could stand to hear more often when they feel they’re not fitting into society’s usual holes.
It’s not perfect, of course, dropping a couple of its balls with not addressing Shio’s excessive spending habits and her editor who seemed to be into her, but it’s both fun and poignant the whole way, which I enjoyed.
4 stars - my ideal manga series tends to go for 8-10 volumes, I think, but this one really showed that my generalizations about three volume ones are, in fact, generalizations and not absolutes. An enjoyable slice of life.
Growing old often means growing apart, but it did sort of look like we were going to pair off every woman in the household and that would be the end of them all living together. Mercifully, that is not exactly what happens.
No, this is actually a series about finding your own happiness and answers in the world. It has a lot more to say than I even suspected originally. It’s a quiet yet powerful examination of getting older and figuring things out. Or not, and having that still be okay.
I loved how these four ended up following very different dreams in very different directions and appreciate the way it tackles these sorts of options. So many romance manga beat the drum of having kids and let’s go, but this is not primarily a romance story.
Misaki has the most traditional story as described above, but the way it tackled her ex-boyfriend and its study of two people on very different pages was really well done. It isn’t like her outcome wasn’t what she wanted either.
Eika remains unsatisfied at work and ignorant of the clear signals her coworker is shooting her way, but, refreshingly, she ends up finding a true passion for herself and arguably sets the entire climax in motion.
It’s not explicitly stated and seems to get poo-poo’d in the brief epilogue, but there’s a real queer coding of Eika towards the end of this such that you could totally take her as being a lesbian the whole time. Her relationship with Misaki and where she ends up both hint at it.
The arc that I really loved, however, was Shuu’s story and her relationship with the guy she keeps eating dango with (not just because dango is one of my favourite Japanese foods). It’s an especially great take on an unconventional relationship.
It eschews sexual desire in terms of being with somebody who just makes you happy. There are all sorts of loves in the world and watching them come to desire one another’s company so much, yet be fully invested in the companionship, was such a refreshing change from the normal.
Shio is probably the weakest of the four, very content with nothing changing, but also buried under her work and her finances. Things nudge her in a new direction and at least illustrate that sometimes a change is as good as a rest.
In these four women we see very different approaches to adulthood and the quiet message that your way isn’t wrong if it works for you. That’s something a lot of people could stand to hear more often when they feel they’re not fitting into society’s usual holes.
It’s not perfect, of course, dropping a couple of its balls with not addressing Shio’s excessive spending habits and her editor who seemed to be into her, but it’s both fun and poignant the whole way, which I enjoyed.
4 stars - my ideal manga series tends to go for 8-10 volumes, I think, but this one really showed that my generalizations about three volume ones are, in fact, generalizations and not absolutes. An enjoyable slice of life.
December 2, 2025
The entire series was SO CUTE !!
I truly wish there were more of it, not to say I disliked the ending but it did feel a little rushed to me. For sursies could have used some filler in between, that would have been truly delicious.
I truly wish there were more of it, not to say I disliked the ending but it did feel a little rushed to me. For sursies could have used some filler in between, that would have been truly delicious.
December 18, 2025
The ending was bittersweet ngl.
January 11, 2026
This was a really sweet series and one that I didn't want to end. I like how each story concludes with respecting who each character is, not aligning them with expectations. Or, to put it differently, each woman either accepts or rejects societal expectations as they align with who they are as people. One person gets married, another doesn't, each to their own. This respects the characters and, I think, is a healthy way to live.
January 10, 2026
Awww, it is the final volume! I had fun reading and had a few emotional moments while reading! I loved following each of the girls and see their friendship, their lives, their romances, and more. It was a great manga and I am happy I discovered it through an ARC.
January 25, 2026
A really cute and simple story about the different ways people can find happiness in their lives. I love that all the characters had such different paths.
February 3, 2026
adored this one 🥺 i am truly so thankful for this book (along with its series) and its lesson to stay open minded, not only towards others, but also towards yourself. taking the time to think about what you really want in your life, for one, or spending time with those close to you in a meaningful way, even if not for very often or for very long. the characters and their development spoke to me, as did their individual and shared stories.
December 1, 2025
Not bad but I was expecting more from this story
January 16, 2026
3.3-3.5 stars or thereabouts, rounded up to 4 stars.
A nice cozy story about four female friends nearing 30 living together. They deal with work, overworked, boyfriends, social expectations to get get married but not wanting to define their relationships as such, climbing the corporate ladder.
Not a huge fan of how abrupt the ending is (spoiler alert: ); it's kind of contrived and seems more of a way to wrap up the series than a natural progression.
A nice cozy story about four female friends nearing 30 living together. They deal with work, overworked, boyfriends, social expectations to get get married but not wanting to define their relationships as such, climbing the corporate ladder.
Not a huge fan of how abrupt the ending is (spoiler alert: ); it's kind of contrived and seems more of a way to wrap up the series than a natural progression.
December 1, 2025
Nooo, I didn't realize it'd end so soon.
Although it was a bit fast, I liked where everyone ended up and that not everyone followed the "traditional" path.
The person who stood out to me the most in this story was Shuko. The concept of being with someone because they make you feel good without the love/relationship part sounds amazing. I think it's pretty cool to live with someone you can be yourself with.
Overall, this was a cute series that highlighted four women on the verge of turning 30 and wanting some type of change or development in their life.
Thanks so much to TokyoPop for the DRC! I really enjoyed this series.
Although it was a bit fast, I liked where everyone ended up and that not everyone followed the "traditional" path.
The person who stood out to me the most in this story was Shuko. The concept of being with someone because they make you feel good without the love/relationship part sounds amazing. I think it's pretty cool to live with someone you can be yourself with.
Overall, this was a cute series that highlighted four women on the verge of turning 30 and wanting some type of change or development in their life.
Thanks so much to TokyoPop for the DRC! I really enjoyed this series.
November 11, 2025
More of a 3.5 star rating;
I really love that all of the women got their happy endings and managed to stay friends despite their very different paths in life. However, I am a bit sad that this manga was first advertised as a story about independent women but is read morphed into women looking for love while still being independent.
It was still a lovely story to read though, and I wish each woman got an entire volume to themselves to show off their lives after everyone moved out.
I really love that all of the women got their happy endings and managed to stay friends despite their very different paths in life. However, I am a bit sad that this manga was first advertised as a story about independent women but is read morphed into women looking for love while still being independent.
It was still a lovely story to read though, and I wish each woman got an entire volume to themselves to show off their lives after everyone moved out.
November 30, 2025
While I enjoyed the series as a whole, I was disappointed by how rushed the ending felt in this volume. The story really needed a few more volumes to properly flesh out the new love interests. That said, I loved that all four characters remained close friends and carved out their own paths not all of which were tied to men. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but the pacing made the conclusion feel a bit lackluster
December 1, 2025
i wish i was able to get more of their stories but i am so happy with how all of them ended up. they all seem so happy living their vastily different lives. some get married while others travel while others work hard like. it seems like all of these ladies are fulfilling what they want to. SO WHOLESOME. PLEASE READ.
December 10, 2025
I feel like this could've gone on for one more volume, just to flesh out the relationships. The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall it was such a lovely way to wrap up the series. I'm glad I stuck with it after feeling underwhelmed with the first volume.
December 12, 2025
3.5/4 stars. This was a nice wrap-up for a slice of life that is also a turning point for these friends in their lives. It's the disbanding of their house while they stretch and grow--each in their own way.
December 6, 2025
Kind of a disappointing ending . . . was hoping to learn more about the inner lives of all these girls and their relationships to one another.
December 28, 2025
See book 1
January 5, 2026
3.5 stars. The discussions here were important and lovely to witness but the whole volume felt a bit rushed. Maybe one more volume could have helped us explore each girl’s perspective a little bit more before the ending and epilogue kicked in so abruptly.
January 8, 2026
This was a sweet short 3 volume story about 4 friends figuring out life at their own pace and taking different paths. I enjoyed reading and read all 3 volumes right away. Last volume was so cute <3
January 25, 2026
This was the exact ending I wanted. Everyone had a happy ending that suited them. I'm only sad there isn't more to read!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews