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Golden Time Vol. 1
Based on the popular light novel series of the same name, Golden Time is a hilarious coming-of-age romance, by Yuyuko Takemiya, the bestselling author of Toradora!.
Life, love, and education! College Freshman Tada Banri is looking forward to a new lease on life, starting with his ambitious journey and entry into a private law school in Tokyo. As luck would have it, during the opening ceremony for the freshman class, he happens across an unfortunate person from his past.
Her name is Mitsuo Yanagisawa, a buxom-beauty who slaps Banri across the face with a bouquet of roses. Just who is she and what's her beef with Banri?
Life, love, and education! College Freshman Tada Banri is looking forward to a new lease on life, starting with his ambitious journey and entry into a private law school in Tokyo. As luck would have it, during the opening ceremony for the freshman class, he happens across an unfortunate person from his past.
Her name is Mitsuo Yanagisawa, a buxom-beauty who slaps Banri across the face with a bouquet of roses. Just who is she and what's her beef with Banri?
180 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Yuyuko Takemiya
90 books156 followersYuyuko Takemiya (竹宮 ゆゆこ Takemiya Yuyuko) is a Japanese writer of light novels. Takemiya debuted in September 2004 with her light novel series Watashitachi no Tamura-kun (Our Tamura-kun) which first appeared in the autumn 2004 issue of Dengeki hp Special, a special edition version of Dengeki hp. That same month, Takemiya worked on the scenario for the bishōjo game Noel by FlyingShine (also known for creating Cross Channel).
Following the completion of Watashitachi no Tamura-kun, Takemiya began her best-known series, Toradora!, which she declared to be complete in April 2010 after ten volumes and three spin-off books. The first book of her next series, Golden Time, was Dengeki Bunko's 2000th published light novel. Takemiya launched the manga series Evergreen with artist Akira Kasukabe on July 19, 2011 in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh Genesis quarterly magazine.
Following the completion of Watashitachi no Tamura-kun, Takemiya began her best-known series, Toradora!, which she declared to be complete in April 2010 after ten volumes and three spin-off books. The first book of her next series, Golden Time, was Dengeki Bunko's 2000th published light novel. Takemiya launched the manga series Evergreen with artist Akira Kasukabe on July 19, 2011 in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh Genesis quarterly magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 30, 2017
Fell in love with the anime and just had to get the manga and it's just as good this is the first ever manga book I read and I'm glad it's Golden Time just love it.
April 29, 2019
Den Manga hatte ich mir gekauft, weil er von der selben Mangaka wie „Toradora!“ ist und das ja eine meiner absoluten Lieblingsreihen ist. „Golden Times“ hat mich allerdings sehr enttäuscht. Hier fehlte mir dieses süße, witzige und abgefahrene.
Die Story war einfach nur merkwürdig, belanglos und langweilig. Zwei Jungen treffen sich am College, einer wird von einer Frau verfolgt, die ihn anhimmelt und ihn ständig bedrängt. Der andere findet diese Frau toll. Dann buhlen mehrere alberne Clubs um die Mitgliedschaft der Jungen. Alles wird mega albern und abgehakt herübergebracht und sprach mich überhaupt nicht an. Das was hier an echter Handlung bzw. Spannung aufgebaut wird, zerstören die langweiligen Dialoge. Das einzige was mir wieder sehr, sehr gut gefallen hat, war der Zeichenstil. Da kann man wirklich nichts sagen. Den liebe ich einfach. Süß, witzig und abwechslungsreich.
Die Reihe werde ich definitiv nicht weiterlesen und wohl auch aussortieren.
Story 2/5
(langweilig, belanglose Dialoge)
Charaktere 3/5
(waren ganz interessant)
Zeichenstil 5+/5
(voll und ganz mein Ding)
Gesamt 2/5
(eine große Enttäuschung für mich)
Die Story war einfach nur merkwürdig, belanglos und langweilig. Zwei Jungen treffen sich am College, einer wird von einer Frau verfolgt, die ihn anhimmelt und ihn ständig bedrängt. Der andere findet diese Frau toll. Dann buhlen mehrere alberne Clubs um die Mitgliedschaft der Jungen. Alles wird mega albern und abgehakt herübergebracht und sprach mich überhaupt nicht an. Das was hier an echter Handlung bzw. Spannung aufgebaut wird, zerstören die langweiligen Dialoge. Das einzige was mir wieder sehr, sehr gut gefallen hat, war der Zeichenstil. Da kann man wirklich nichts sagen. Den liebe ich einfach. Süß, witzig und abwechslungsreich.
Die Reihe werde ich definitiv nicht weiterlesen und wohl auch aussortieren.
Story 2/5
(langweilig, belanglose Dialoge)
Charaktere 3/5
(waren ganz interessant)
Zeichenstil 5+/5
(voll und ganz mein Ding)
Gesamt 2/5
(eine große Enttäuschung für mich)
December 15, 2025
So I got recommended this series for years by a friend cause I find amnesia just fascinating. He said this is his favorite story about someone with amnesia which might have set expectations a bit too high for me. Don't get me wrong I'm enjoying what I'm reading, but man did it take a very long time to get to that stuff. It's basically not a thing till the final chapter of this volume. I'm hoping to see more of it, especially something like someone from his past life trying to reconnect with him. The only person we've "met" so far are his parents which was just in a note.
March 27, 2022
Hmmm…
Great art… Interesting characters…Interesting storyline… well written and written by the author of Toradora? Yeah, I think I’m going to love this series!
Such a wild ride for a first volume! But I love it! Banri is so quirky. He’s too cute. Yes, Kaga is hella annoying when it comes to Mitsuo but I don’t see that lasting much longer…
Now Banri and Kaga… I can feel it in my bones and I’m shipping it hard! They would be so good for each other…
Great art… Interesting characters…Interesting storyline… well written and written by the author of Toradora? Yeah, I think I’m going to love this series!
Such a wild ride for a first volume! But I love it! Banri is so quirky. He’s too cute. Yes, Kaga is hella annoying when it comes to Mitsuo but I don’t see that lasting much longer…
Now Banri and Kaga… I can feel it in my bones and I’m shipping it hard! They would be so good for each other…
November 1, 2018
This is a manga about awful people. There's a girl who's a stalker and a guy who is willing to 100% forgive the stalking of his friend because she's hot. There's also a cult, which was kind of weird, but somehow not surprising.
It's a toned down sort of crazy that makes all these crazy people seem realistic and the bizarre events perfectly normal. I'm kind of surprised how much I liked it.
It's a toned down sort of crazy that makes all these crazy people seem realistic and the bizarre events perfectly normal. I'm kind of surprised how much I liked it.
January 5, 2022
Overall I have mixed emotions about this first volume and genuinely don’t know if I feel more negatively or positively about it. I’ll read the next volume before putting an actual review for this.
What I will say though, is that I really don’t like how the young woman is absolutely fine with stalking her childhood friend and so self-absorbed.
What I will say though, is that I really don’t like how the young woman is absolutely fine with stalking her childhood friend and so self-absorbed.
September 11, 2017
Kolejny mangowy średniak.Pierwszy dzień na uniwersytecie,spotkanie pewnej dwójki i dosyć przeciętna historia.P.S.Dlaczego w każdej mandze dziewczyny są takie mocne,twarde i niezależne,a chłopcy tacy skryci,nieśmiali i zdominowani aż do przesady ? 😂
January 26, 2020
This is a very humorous manga about starting college and falling in love. Tada Banri falls in love with the perfect girl. But Banri has some dark secrets from his past that he can't remember due to a mysterious accident. And, of course, there's a girl from his past that he just can't remember.
March 29, 2019
Watched the anime and now read the manga. It was heart wrenching but with a well written ending. I'd hate to spoil it, just read it or watch it.
May 17, 2022
I love the anime and its great to relive this story years later through manga. The first volume was just as hilarious as I remember the anime was. And I can't wait to read more.
January 21, 2024
sweet sweet & sweet cherry czy jakoś tak to szło oglądałam anime z tego ale manga też jest niczego sobie 😘
November 3, 2015
The artist is way overplaying the silly aspects of the novel with chibi/super deformed scenes and characters acting far too antic, which makes it difficult to take the dramatic parts of the story seriously.
November 20, 2015
a humorous take on the weirdness of moving out and going to college for the first time. very much takes on all the manga tropes.
December 9, 2015
I enjoyed this! The cult part tripped me out!!
April 13, 2017
Cute with some twists at the end.
March 8, 2018
I read this book five years ago, apparently, and completely forgot about it, which is funny, because I don’t agree with my previous review in many ways, so I deleted it. I read a scanlation before. This time, I read an official translation. What a vast difference a professional and skilled translation makes. I almost didn’t recognize the story!
Now that I understand light novels a bit better than I did years ago, I recognize their pulp fiction aspects are part of the genre. Aside from the sexed up covers, the outlandish and improbable storylines are what help each book stand out from the crowd. Curiously, having the freshman recruited by a cult doesn’t seem so improbable to me anymore. Banri doesn’t seem like a milksop, either, as I was of the opinion in 2013. He is the captain of his life, making choices and directing the plot. Even his crush on the Mitsuo-obsessed Kouko is an informed choice as he pursues it in full knowledge that she likes somebody else, but he’s still drawn to her. I believe my first impressions in 2013 were colored by the anime which lacked depth, comparatively.
I noticed this second time through that the series’ underlying psychological elements are being laid from the beginning. Banri’s amnesia and new personality plotpoint are established. In addition, Kouko’s childish and empty dedication to Mitsuo is revealing itself as the cause of her deep dissatisfaction with herself. The characters begin as two-dimensional satires, but flesh out as the book moves along. Raucous aspects of college life are celebrated, but are not integral to the plot.
The art is pleasant. The faces are expressive, which elevated the story for me. There are many aspect-to-aspect panel transitions here and there that I found impressive. Overall, very competent art, but not elaborate or groundbreaking.
If you are a fan of Toradora (by the same author), and are looking for something a bit more mature and soul-searching than the typical high school fare of the light novel/manga industry, I’d recommend this book. I look forward to reading volume two.
Now that I understand light novels a bit better than I did years ago, I recognize their pulp fiction aspects are part of the genre. Aside from the sexed up covers, the outlandish and improbable storylines are what help each book stand out from the crowd. Curiously, having the freshman recruited by a cult doesn’t seem so improbable to me anymore. Banri doesn’t seem like a milksop, either, as I was of the opinion in 2013. He is the captain of his life, making choices and directing the plot. Even his crush on the Mitsuo-obsessed Kouko is an informed choice as he pursues it in full knowledge that she likes somebody else, but he’s still drawn to her. I believe my first impressions in 2013 were colored by the anime which lacked depth, comparatively.
I noticed this second time through that the series’ underlying psychological elements are being laid from the beginning. Banri’s amnesia and new personality plotpoint are established. In addition, Kouko’s childish and empty dedication to Mitsuo is revealing itself as the cause of her deep dissatisfaction with herself. The characters begin as two-dimensional satires, but flesh out as the book moves along. Raucous aspects of college life are celebrated, but are not integral to the plot.
The art is pleasant. The faces are expressive, which elevated the story for me. There are many aspect-to-aspect panel transitions here and there that I found impressive. Overall, very competent art, but not elaborate or groundbreaking.
If you are a fan of Toradora (by the same author), and are looking for something a bit more mature and soul-searching than the typical high school fare of the light novel/manga industry, I’d recommend this book. I look forward to reading volume two.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews