Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Vol. 2

東京タラレバ娘 [Tōkyō Tarareba Musume] #2

by Akiko Higashimura

"What if I had done this..." "What if I could just.." After years spent spinning these what-if tales, Rinko woke up to find herself a 33-year-old woman with rusty romantic instincts. Even at that age, she doesn't know her next move. She doesn't even know what kinds of relationships are acceptable anymore. Strap in for this seriously real thirty-something fumbling-in-the-dark love(?) story!!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Comics, Josei, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Japan

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2015

About the author

See also 東村 アキコ

Reviews

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume was just as good as the first, I was waiting for the story to involve the other two girls as well and it didn't disappoint! I love how the author managed to give them all interesting backstories and different personalities!

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insanely depressing. I think the writer is severely depressed re: finding a good man for a real relationship when older than 30. All of the MCs have the most depressing love lives. Two of the three are side pieces, which I despise, and the other is so insecure she destroyed any chance of a relationship. If she had just spoken to him like an adult about her hopes and fears, it would have gone differently.

1, I have no hope for any of these ladies, star.

[Tomasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

To niesamowite, jak bardzo niesympatyczni są wszyscy bohaterowie w tej mandze, a jednak czytam dalej.

[Derryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s just something in this manga that I can’t relate to I don’t get the time limit in finding love .. I would understand If the characters were desperate for children but that hasn’t been approached so far

The characters are unlikable imo but it is addicting and I want to know how it ends .... but not sure if I can make it through 11 volumes 🖤

[marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol. 1 ★★★☆☆

This volume is focused on Rinko's friends Kaori and Koyuki. I can't stress the amount of second-hand embarrassment I feel reading this series. Akiko Higashimura is committed to putting her characters through the most humiliating situations ever. My jaw literally dropped at multiple points in this volume. And yet, I can't look away. It's messy yet realistic enough to not feel contrived. I cringe on these characters' behalf and empathize with them. A trainwreck I can't look away from.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any comparisons I might make here would put me firmly in the realm of the “getting real strong Boss Baby vibes from this” tweet. It’s a josei manga, it’s about three single Tokyo women who are (to say the least) jaded about their romantic prospects but who share a love of over-analysing them (“Tarareba” roughly means “What If?”). It’s deftly characterised, funny, and ladles on complications which kept me compulsively turning the pages. It’s also sympathetic, in that while almost everyone makes awful decisions you can understand why and like them anyway - I’m even warming to the terrible male model Key. An Eisner winner in translation and you can see why.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still like this manga a lot, just not as much as volume one. You get to learn more about Rinko's friends, Kaori and Koyuki, and that was interesting. But the draw of the first volume for me was Rinko and her situation, especially at the end of the volume. While it touched upon her situation a bit in this volume, it lacks the same draw by spending so much time with the other characters.

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series. It's probably the closest 1:1 comparison I can make between josei manga and some of the women's fiction-skewed-romance of authors like Mhairi McFarlane I've read in the past year or two. Something about this series is depressing and achy in a tangible but inexplicably lighthearted way.

[Estrella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50⭐
Este segundo vol me ha gustado mucho más que el primero, me ha echo reir, fruncir los labios me ha sorprendido. En este tomo conocemos de cerca a las dos amigas de la protagonista, un poco de su pasado, su situación actual. Deseando ponerme con el tercer tomo

[Isa González · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracias por tanto, Akiko Higashimura.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

what a whirlwind. The hallucinations are getting more annoying the more I see them. I don't get half of the metaphors they make and I just get irritated anytime they come up. But wow this story is chaotic. I'm invested now.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seguimos conociendo el historial romántico de Rinko, Kaori y Koyuki, tres amigas treintañeras que permanecen solteras y que están al borde de la desesperación para conseguir marido. Lo que más me ha gustado de este tomo ha sido conocer más a las amigas de Rinko.

Desde luego, si te tomas la serie como un análisis de la sociedad japonesa (que lo es) es bastante dramática la situación y, por tanto, es muy difícil que las protagonistas no caigan en el patetismo y deje de ser divertido. Sin embargo, la autora consigue combinar muy bien las reflexiones más serias y trascendentales con exageraciones y gags realmente buenos.

Aun así, poniéndolo todo sobre una balanza creo que este tomo ha salido algo más triste que el primero, y quizá por eso me ha gustado un pelín menos. Mientras lo leía, no lo notaba demasiado, pero al terminarlo la sensación ha sido de... Siento no saber definirlo mejor, pero la expresión que me sale es "todo mal". Seguramente por el final del tomo. Veremos cómo sigue.

Sobre la edición, quizá me estoy volviendo un poco exquisita, pero ¿en serio es necesario aumentar el tamaño de la letra para que ocupe todo el bocadillo, sin tener en cuenta la importancia de la frase? Es que me ha sacado bastante de la lectura... Mis ojos están acostumbrados a leer libros, donde el tamaño de la letra es siempre igual, pero nunca me había pasado con un manga notar tanto ese desajuste.

Y sobre el dibujo, creo que cada vez me está gustando más.

[Catalina ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay, so I am not sure if I want? to keep reading this series? It's just not living up to my expectations.
First of all, and most glaringly, I think that the inner conflict of the MC and her friends are all super immature and insecure in a way that isn't very charming or engaging. I, for one, love stories about adult women who go through some kind of self-discovery coming of age journey, but this is just not hitting. Like these women are grown acting like insecure teens most of the time, I can't see myself rooting for them? Also, Key still sucks.
The one saving grace of this manga is really the female friendships, thats genuinely the best part of this manga along with the art style.
I think I'll make up my opinion if I read another installment of this series, but at this time, I don't really see myself finishing this series
3 stars 🌟🌟🌟

[Alba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je me suis pas mal marrée en lisant ce deuxième tome et j'aime bien que les personnages des deux amies de la protagoniste commencent à être développées aussi ! Ces soirées entre filles me donnent envie de sortir davantage 😁🤣

[fonz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madredelamorhermoso que jartón de reír, lo siento por el resto de viajeros del ALSA Madrid - León de las 17:45

[Ehlana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again, Great volume!

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the discussion that the author is having in this series. It's about growing up, defining love, and finding your place in the world. I am here for this series! Give it all to me!

[joanna ☻ · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!! so excited with how kaori & koyuki’s situations are getting grown & sexy! ryo is fine for nooooo reason! key is frustrating as ever! ahhhh i love!!!

[J.D. Holman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am feeling very lukewarm about this series, having read the second volume now. I like parts of it, but I don't think I like it overall enough to continue reading more.

The art is good. The examination of single life for 30-something women in Japan is something that needs to be there, but I don't know if it actually offers any progress.

I might also be feeling a little judgey about their choices in this volume.

[LALa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't think I'm going to review these individually just rate, and then maybe review for the last volume ;) This was more of a 3.5 for me.

[Cynthia Bolduc Morissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75⭐️

[♱ℭybill♱ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*se frotte les mains car y'a mon trope préféré*

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas
Han mejorado un poco, pero tampoco mucho.

[Teragon Bearyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 1 was good but volume 2 is flat out hilarious

[Heido · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je me suis fait avoir avec les trois protagonistes à chaque fois bahaha

[Samy Sanzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

La autora al final del tomo dice que sus amigas le dicen que esta serie parece una historia de terror. Y si, lo es, siempre termino derrotado con un solo tomo, pero vale totalmente la pena

[Marta Cava]

Són un desastre amb els homes com jo. Com no m'ha d'agradar.

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm liking it ok. The premise is off for me, so I'm starting from a difficult place with this series. This one did a little better than the first to keep me interested, but... it's still a struggle. Art is great, I like the characters more. We'll see how it goes in future volumes!