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A la vuelta de un viaje escolar que jamás olvidarán, arranca la temporada del festival cultural. ¡Será su último año como estudiantes de segundo y no quieren arrepentirse de absolutamente nada! Mitsumi disfruta plenamente del festival junto a su familia, que ha venido a visitarla, y Sôsuke se enfrenta a sí mismo encima del escenario. ¡La distancia entre ambos está a punto de...!

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2025

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About the author

Misaki Takamatsu

21 books137 followers
Name (in native Japanese): 高松美咲

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5 stars
262 (68%)
4 stars
104 (27%)
3 stars
16 (4%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Mark.
3,137 reviews306 followers
July 9, 2026
I don’t want every manga to be Skip & Loafer, but I do wish they could all be written with the same amount of skill and care.

This is a series that refuses to exist in black and white (you know what I mean) and instead recognizes that people often have a variety of shades of light and dark within them and the capacity to change from one to the other.

You could make a very reasonable case that Shima is running away with this series as its most interesting character at this point. He wouldn’t be there without Mitsumi’s impact on his life, but the poor guy just keeps going through it.

Or having gone through it. Post class trip arc, we see just how bad things got between Shima and his mom. There’s more to that story and it’s a fascinating look at showbiz moms and the destructive potential of drowning your kid in expectations.

This comes out during a discussion with Ririka and their mutual friend, when Shima also fleshes out the truth behind Taiga, who nearly derailed Ririka’s entire career due to the drinking scandal he inadvertently embroiled her in.

There’s an emotional honesty to this series that you don’t see pretty much anywhere else and the moment Shima ends up having is surprisingly heartfelt and feels like the sort of breakthrough you’d have at actual therapy.

Not surprisingly, it’s school festival time again, which means an excuse for Shima to act and Mitsumi to strut her stuff as the president. And they might get a moment or two together as well.

All of this section is great, from burgeoning romance for couples both old and new to the unleashing of Mitsumi’s family into the greater metropolitan Tokyo area to cause their own brand of chaos.

We also really get the hint that Kanechika, who dragged Shima into the drama club, is very likely neurodivergent. There’s definitely a lot to be inferred from his flashback, at least. Just another one of those quiet inclusive moments this does well.

But this does everything well, if I’m honest. It’s one of my top ten series ever and has not let me down once. This volume wraps up with two amazing moments, leaving us on a perfect final panel. No notes. Sometimes I struggle to say anything in a review - for this series I could go on for ages.

5 stars - we’re now waiting quite a while between volumes now, but they’re absolutely worth the wait. This is an impeccable high school story and just a great story in general.
Profile Image for Umairah (Sereadipity).
293 reviews132 followers
October 18, 2025
Sousuke Shima is such a well written character. I love watching him slowly work through his trauma and begin to heal and flourish little by little. And as always I love seeing Mitsumi and the girls they are so beloved to me.

Also... THE HUG!!! I actually screamed. Can you believe it took them 72 chapters to hug??
Profile Image for ren ☆.
118 reviews174 followers
Read
January 11, 2026
ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) started my year off right !! so freaking cute. 𝜗ৎ
Profile Image for Kel.
84 reviews10 followers
August 27, 2026
Every volume of this that comes out is so good ;u;
Profile Image for andréa.
71 reviews
August 16, 2026
j’ai tout lu en 2 jours et je peux dire que c’était un bonheur à chaque instant 😭

J’ai commencé l’anime sans m’attendre à grand chose, je pensais que ça allait être une petite romance classique très clichée avec les schémas et archétypes habituels… et pas du tout !

La romance est quasi inexistante, et le peu qu’on retrouve est lente, travaillée, justifiée et écrite de façon à ce que ça corresponde aux personnages et à leur façon de penser. Clairement pas tous les shojos qui peuvent se vanter de ça.

Les deux protagonistes sont adorables, rafraîchissants. Je n’ai pas eu une seule fois envie de baffer le mec, et c’est assez rare pour que je le souligne !! S’il est maladroit ou fait des erreurs il va tergiverser dessus, se remettre en question… qui aurait cru que ça pouvait être aussi facile finalement ? 🤪 et surtout c’est pas un fcking bad boy froid quoi.

Tous les personnages féminins sont absolument adorables et relatable, elles sont toutes intéressantes à leur façon et j’ai trouvé que ça abordait pas mal de petites thématiques assez rares et auxquelles je me suis ÉNORMÉMENT identifiée.

Bref c’est juste un condensé de girls girls, de sérotonine, de légèreté (pas de quiproquo ?????? omg merci dieu) et je suis trop contente d’être tombée dessus par hasard comme ça 🥹
Profile Image for Dreamoon.
52 reviews
April 9, 2026
YA ME LOS ACABÉ, Ahora voy a tener que esperar.
No se como voy aguantar así 😭💔
MUCHO MENOS ASÍ, de repente Shima se decide en que se va a declarar a Mitsumi y al día siguiente se arrepiente, AGARRENME, QUE ME VA A DAR 😞
Y luego son tan tiernitos, no puedo más. Pusieron a Shima de Frankenstein en su obra (que le quedaba muy bien el papel) y apenas vio a Mitsumi su impulso fue abrazarla, no se imaginan la emoción ✨️😭💐
En otra ocasion, él vio una bufanda y pensó en lo tierna que se le vería a ella.
Luego, en el santuario el pidió como deseo que todas sus metas (las de Mitsumi) se cumplieran y que fuera feliz.
A lo que voy es que, son todas esa pequeñas cosas que él hace por ella, sin el afán de ser egoísta y distraerla de sus objetivos, solo quiere estar ahí para ella, quiere apoyarla de todas las formas posibles y eso es taaaaan lindo, es el amor más puro que pueda existir 🥹✨️💖
COMO VOY A ESPERA TANTO PARA VER COMO CONTINUA???? Que triste estoy 😭😭😭
Profile Image for Shannon Leigh.
486 reviews14 followers
September 21, 2026
This volume is my favorite yet! It gets a little deeper, digging into Sousuke’s past as a child actor and how his mom treated him, but also adding nuance to his mom as a character at the same time. I really appreciate how this plot line is executed and how emotional it is while also being realistic and sensitive to people’s lived experiences. Also, the Frankenstein play and how it ties into Sousuke’s personal character journey is so well done.

We also get to see Mitsumi’s family come visit Tokyo, which is so much fun! I love that we get both friendship development and a sister moment with Maharu during this volume, and get to see the school festival in all its glory. On top of all that, the ending was absolutely adorable! Now I definitely need to watch the anime to tide me over while I endure the agonizing wait for individual volumes to be published and translated into English…
Profile Image for Cat.
17 reviews
July 12, 2026
One of my favorite manga series of all time hands down. Genuinely couldn’t wait to get my hands on this volume. Every character has such sincere development and genuine stories behind them and it’s just such a good read every single time. If someone asks me for a manga recommendation, Skip and Loafer is always an automatic go to!!!
Profile Image for Allie.
232 reviews2 followers
Read
October 2, 2026
It’s very important to me that Frankenstein has become integral to the plot of the story.
1,734 reviews64 followers
August 19, 2026
A bit of a frantic pace in this volume, although it's managed pretty well. There are a lot of montage-type transition pages, sometimes with characters I don't know or whose names/roles I don't really remember. In some ways, it's a little irritating because it feels like that space could be given to more of the main story. But the bustling cast and the world around them kind of is the story.

At this point, it genuinely feels like Mitsumi's over Shima, which is a little rough, too. The intensity of Shima's quiet longing is so intense everyone around him notices it - and sometimes comments on it, much to his embarrassment. But Mitsumi both has no clue and simply doesn't seem to be worrying about his feelings at all. She still sees him as a friend and makes time to cheer him on and be happy for the effort he's putting into things, but her priorities are her leadership role at school, her other friends, and her family.

The parallel between her family and Shima's is very strong in this volume, although still delicately handled. You don't get hammered over the head with it, but there's a very clear mirror image of Mitsumi's loving, supportive family encouraging her to leave time for fun...while we get flashbacks of Shima's childhood and the intense pressure his mother put on him. We learn more about that career-breaking incident, too, with the older, former castmate who'd actually been treating Shima like a beloved little brother - who even called out Shima's mom for her abusive treatment of him and made her finally face up to how awful she'd been.

It does explain a lot about Shima's personality and how much of his true self remains buried. And it fits really well with his emotionally intense portrayal of Frankenstein's monster, and all the agony he feels from his unquenchable loneliness and sense of abandonment from birth/creation.

We also get little glimpses of other characters, including a kind of unnecessary childhood montage of Kanechika - whom I do like, but it seemed odd to squeeze it in the middle of Shima's big family reunion. Still, I enjoy this series for what it is, which is kind of feeling less and less like a romance. I just want Shima to find his happiness and sense of self, which it seems like he's finally starting to recover - with the support of some really good friends. His former castmates hugging him while he hunched down in agony was the hardest-hitting page in this volume.
Profile Image for Luana.
1,704 reviews59 followers
August 13, 2026
4,5

Mamma mia, che gran bel volume!
Qui viene fatta luce sul passato di Sosuke, un passato segnato dal rapporto difficile con la madre - una donna che ha riversato sul figlio tutte le sue speranze di successo e di rivincita. Il problema è che tutto questo si è tradotto in un atteggiamento oppressivo e prevaricatore, a tratti anche violento, tanto che a) registi e direttori di casting evitavano accuratamente di scritturare Sosuke in modo da non dover avere a che fare con lei, e b) la recitazione era diventata una fonte di ansia per il bambino (sì, perché stiamo parlando di un bambino delle elementari). E così, per sfuggire a questa angoscia, Sosuke inizia a mentire, a saltare le lezioni e seguire un amico più grande (che spesso lo portava fuori con gente non proprio adatta, ecco). Quando la verità salta fuori, quello diventa il punto di rottura nel rapporto tra Sosuke e la madre: se la prima cerca di farsi aiutare e di ricucire il rapporto, il ragazzo mantiene una certa distanza. Di fatto, lei ha fatto pesare sulle spalle di questo bambino tutte le sue frustrazioni, rendendo la recitazione non un piacere, ma qualcosa di profondamente angosciante. Ora però Sosuke, forte anche del sostegno di Mitsumi e di tutti i compagni, sembra essere pronto a cambiare pagina (e magari anche riallacciare i rapporti con la madre). Diciamo che la recitazione non diventa più un'imposizione dall'alto, ma una scelta personale, un modo per affrontare le ferite del passato e per iniziare a guardare al futuro con più consapevolezza e meno indolenza (Mitsumi docet).
Di madri come quella di Sosuke è pieno il mondo, donne che finiscono per soffocare i figli sotto il peso delle loro aspirazioni e frustrazioni, donne che vedono nei figli una via verso il successo che loro non hanno mai conosciuto. Solo che così facendo non fanno altro che ottenere l'esatto contrario, rovinando la vita a questi poveri figli, spesso segnandoli a vita. Chissà se nei prossimi volumi vedremo questo riavvicinamento tra madre e figlio.

Piccola postilla per la nostra Mitsumi, sempre instancabile e sempre impegnata a fare mille cose insieme - e a questo giro c'è tutta la sua famiglia a darle sostegno, arrivata a Tokyo per partecipare al festival culturale (evento che non può mai mancare in qualsiasi manga di ambientazione scolastica).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
3,562 reviews35 followers
July 24, 2026
I love this series. I love every single character. The author has a way of making you have empathy and want the best even if the character isn't "perfect". This series allows characters to make mistakes and grow and learn from it which I think sometimes is something we forget in real life. That humans will human and it is okay. Mistakes and past should be something to grow and change from, not something that holds us from moving forward and finding love and acceptance. This my favorite boys romance/slice of life manga that I call "the big feels for boys". Some of the stories relies on too much dialogue or emotional maturity of its characters. This one feels just right. They have big conversations but sometimes the resolution isn't at the end of them, there is still growing to do. Dramatic things happen but they always feel grounded in reality. I love the art too.

Its school festival time again. Sousuke is given more back story and he is trying to grow as a person. He acknowledges that he has so much he needs to deal with before he can be the partner he wants and he has hard conversations in this volume. Mitsumi's family comes to town and helps show her growth as well cause our girl is doing the work on herself. She is triving and its nice to see her family appreciate and love her.

6/6 stars.
Profile Image for Mariel.
147 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy
July 6, 2026
Another incredible volume of Skip and Loafer! The character arcs and storytelling remain top-tier. It’s tough waiting a year between releases, but if that's the price for maintaining this level of quality, I'll happily pay it.

Volume 12 gives a lot of much-deserved focus to Sousuke, and the end of scene 68 was so devastatingly precious that I literally had to close the book to just sit with it for a minute. Mitsumi also continues to shine—her pure, cheerful energy and the way she genuinely celebrates her friends' happiness is just beautiful to read. An incredible read from start to finish! If you’ve loved the series so far, this volume will absolutely not disappoint.
Profile Image for ℂ ✧.
2,603 reviews
August 13, 2026
Després del viatge tenim la preparació del festival escolar amb l'obra de teatre de Frankenstein com eix principal. L'evolució del personatge del Shima i tot el rerefons de nen actor amb una relació turbulenta amb sa mare ha definit el seu tarannà en l'actualitat. Un bagatge emocional dur i sorprenent, sobretot en una sèrie slice of life d'adolescents d'institut, però això és el que fa tan especial aquesta història. L'aparença és de senzillesa, però s'hi amaga una complexitat psicològica molt ben plasmada en cadascuna de les vides, ja siguin protagonistes o secundaris. Amb ganes de continuar sempre ♥️
Profile Image for -moonprismpower-.
3,250 reviews19 followers
July 13, 2026
Finally, all of Shima’s past comes to light! His mother is not a bad person. I’m a parent, I get it. You want to give your baby everything. She made mistakes and she seems regretful. Shima knows that she has changed. It’s now time for him to let go of his resentment. Inviting her to the festival was a big step!
I loved seeing Mitsumi’s family come to Tokyo.
The Frankenstein play was great! The ending of this volume got me though! So cute that Shima just marched right over a hugged Mitsumi!!!!
Profile Image for Aisha (never learnt how to read).
169 reviews5 followers
April 16, 2026
a supremely well-rounded and heart wrenching story. it's extraordinarily ordinary but there's some magic caught in these pages. the characters are so alive and thoughtful! i want to root for them through their struggles! i see myself and my friends in them too.

i know it's not over, but i love the way the story is flowing and who these people are. have my whole entire heart <3
Profile Image for Meg.
166 reviews81 followers
July 25, 2026
Ahhhhh I'm ALWAYS so excited for a new Skip and Loafer volume!!

This was another gorgeous edition tot he series. This volume is mainly about Sousuke's background as a child actor and how that affected his relationship with his mum. Also how he's going through his own healing journey and rebuilding his relationship with acting.

Also that end scene 👀 Cannot wait for volume 13!!
Profile Image for Amy.
990 reviews44 followers
October 20, 2025
As an adult, I don't feel much connection to most of the shojo series recently, except this one. The mangaka(author) of this series really fleshes out all of the characters well, and I'm really invested in their character development.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
325 reviews
August 9, 2026
Oh Skip and Loafer, the one consistent in my life. The Frankenstein analogy was very very good, breaking cycles!! I will now need to reread the other volumes because Takamatsu is absolutely drawing parallels between Shimas roles he's playing and himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for nibha ⋆˚꩜。.
574 reviews5 followers
September 1, 2025
mukai being shocked at everything shima does is so funny to me 😭 mukai x mika nation we never die, yuzumako nation we ALSO never die. ALSO THE HUG AT THE END I DIEDDDDDDDD
Profile Image for Rachael.
262 reviews4 followers
September 18, 2025
You can’t just end on a cliffhanger like that?? When’s the next one coming out??
Profile Image for shin.
13 reviews
October 5, 2025
in which shima discovers his feelings for mitsumi 🤭 he gives her a hug!!!!! he & mama also start making up 🥹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews