I'm feeling generous and biased towards this manga because it is basically exploiting my fantasies lol.
As a highschooler I was too introverted and sheltered to ever go out with a guy or even my friends and reading this manga is letting me vicariously experience my lost youth so yeah, I'm enjoying this a lot.
That being said, the translation is a bit wonky which made it a little difficult to be completely engrossed. Otherwise though, this is really sweet, fun, lighthearted manga.
Thank you to Kodansha Comics for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Hitting Rewind With You, Vol. 1 opens with a line that perfectly frames its premise: there are two kinds of people in the world, those who went on dates in their school uniforms, and those who didn’t.
(This is a japanese story, so most students in school wear uniforms unlike not always in USA, but even tho school uniforms is important to the plot it just represents a previous time in life.)
The narrative flashes forward to the female lead in her 20s whose in college, now more attractive appearing than her nerdy high school self. On a whim, she decides to wear her high school uniform for Halloween, which sets the story in motion. What initially feels risky and uncomfortable, especially when she attracts the wrong kind of attention, quickly shifts when a kind, attractive young man intervenes and helps her out. She impulsively asks him to spend the day with her, hoping to recreate the high school memories she never had.
At first, the setup can feel questionable, and I’ll be honest, this is a story you have to read fully before judging.
The reveal in the story is crucial, and once that happens tension is resolved, the story becomes far easier to engage with. We get to see a couple spend slice of life days together: novelty drinks, photo booths, staged poses that feel intimate without crossing into sexualization. The male lead stands out in particular, he’s honest, respectful and caring which helps ground the story.
The art is clean and expressive, and the pacing flows naturally, allowing moments to breathe instead of rushing emotional beats. What ultimately makes this volume work is its theme: the quiet wish many people carry to redo parts of their youth, to experience moments they feel they missed. In this story, the main character gets that do-over, not to erase the past, but to add to it.
Vist a Twitter, plantejament interessant, però ritme un pèl lent i pueril per al meu gust. Dos universitaris de 20 anys es coneixen vestits amb l'uniforme escolar i s'adonen que comparteixen el sentiment de no haver aprofitat al màxim l'adolescència. Així doncs, decideixen quedar i fer plans típics del jovent d'institut vestits per a l'ocasió. Està claríssim que es comencen a agradar en aquest primer volum, però tot avança massa a poc a poc... Tocs d'humor, protagonista femenina carismàtica, però noi massa peix bullit. Veurem com avança!
This was a very cute story!! While the romance is there, the foundation is what’s being set right now. There are two scenes in particular that I found to be really romantic, and I’m hoping there will be more in the next volume!
Read my full review of this volume on my blog here!