After Hours, Vol. 3

After Hours #3

by Yuhta Nishio

There’s always something going on at night. Sooner or later, you’ll find your scene.

Emi Asahina is 24, unemployed and not really sure what she wants to do with her life. When a friend invites her to a dance club, Emi doesn’t expect much. But what she finds will change her world!

Emi, Kei and their friends have successfully planned the rave of their dreams, and the experience has filled Emi with an electric need to keep striving. But will Emi’s newfound focus and determination falter when Kei, her mentor and girlfriend, goes AWOL?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Yuri, LGBT, Graphic Novels, Comics, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2018

About the author

NISHIO Yuhta
Name (in native language): 西尾雄太

Tumblr: snobby-snob

Pixiv: 西尾雄太

Reviews

[Jhosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this volume, but I wish there was a volume 4. Or at least one special, just to kill our desire to see these two women after new experiences together again.
But oh well ... It was nice to see Emi finally thinking about her own life outside the relationship.

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

God I wish this had another volumeeee. This series is so cute, the romance isn't very forefront which is sad but I really like the plot and the 2 main characters a lot! It makes a change reading about adults as well, it's refreshing.

[Frank Van Meer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I consider Vol. 1 and 2 classics in the yuri genre, I can't say the same about this volume. The reason is that the narrative took such a weird turn after the conclusion of the event. Kei just disappears without telling Emi or their friends where she's gone. The later part of this volume has Emi searching for Kei.

Now, I know very little about Japanese culture, but surely it is ok to tell your girlfriend that a relative has died? . I did not understand why Kei had to keep that a secret.

The ending was very unsatisfactory for me. I have the feeling that the later parts of the story were originally meant as a sequel or even a 4th volume, but it was cancelled and the author had to wrap things up to fit in this volume. It would explain the rather sudden ending with things unresolved.

Still, Emi's journey from a lost soul to someone with goal in life is still a great story.

[Aisling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated everything except Blythe my king

[Bingus Boingus · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 was kinda doodoo ass but got an extra .5 for the aquarium scene

[Ashly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was way longer than it needed to be. The event they was planning was only a few pages, maybe 20 or 30. Something happened at the event. Then after that Kei disappears, tells no one, not even Emi. She goes looking for her and it turns out she had to go back home because of family. She's staying because of family business. I feel like that whole thing came out of nowhere. Just to add drama when everything was going great. It was boring.

I didn't like the art in some parts. The scenery panels was so shaded I didn't know what I was looking at. It wasn't beautiful to me. The covers to this manga is more beautiful.

[ᗩᑎᗪᖇᗴᗯ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finishes with a bang!

This third (and final) book in the series is longer than the first two, and tighter in its composition. The romance takes a back seat to other events in Emi and Kei’s lives this time.

I’m still getting the feel for what manga has to offer so I don’t really know how this series compares to other Yuri manga, but for me it totally worked. Very recommended!

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet fun gentle yuri. Didn't blow my mind, but a quality adult level pick if you want some earnest low-key wlw drama.

[n [larrythelatypus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was kinda meh! I like the characters and their relationship but I think some of the plot was missing but well, it's a 3 volume series so it feels expected.
I bought the first volume from a nerd shop in Colorado and little did I know 1) that book was GAY and 2) that volume would kickstart my passion for manga. I had only ever consumed anime but I've been deep into manga and do not ever plan to back down. it's made my library double in size but it's fucking worth

[Matisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful.

Looking back at the adorable, well-written, thoughtful and insightful ride that is 'After Hours', I can say that, despite its being collected in individual volumes, it's more in line with a one-volume graphic novel. The plot moves at a clip, the pacing is spot-on, the art style is that Asano-esque blend of hyperrealism in the backgrounds and cartoony anime for the protagonists.

I do get the vibe that 'After Hours' is a Rorschach test, up there with Bryan Lee O'Malley's 'Lost At Sea', in that you as a person determine what you get out of it. I'm in love with it, but I'm a young professional like the characters in the book. When I'm a bit older, will I see it differently? Would a younger kid like it at all?

Now, for a yuri title that goes for twentysomething angst, and therefore doesn't have to keep things light for the teenyboppers, you'd think it would go into LGBT themes. 'After Hours' doesn't make an effort. Looking at the story structure, I'm not sure adding any LGBT commentary would improve it. Emi's being attracted to a woman for the first time pops up in a few subplots, but only as a stepping stone to the next story beat. There's not commentary on society or whatever. I didn't mind this, but it's just something to note.

But yeah. I'm glad I took a risk on buying the first volume. = )

[Kim Novice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and has a good bit of drama this volume. Satisfying ending and character growth. Maybe should have been a bit longer, maybe a couple more volumes, to allow us to get more attached to the characters.

[Ruthsic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rep: sapphic romance

3.5 stars

The first part of this volume was all about the rave they organized, how it goes, etc, and then it drops a new plotline out of nowhere in the second part. Like, I enjoyed the first part, and the ending, because Asahina gets to a point where she can be independently thinking about her future, but what the heck was that whole subplot dropped in the middle? And towards the ending, no less! Firstly, why would Kei go missing without telling Asahina??? It is never explained properly why she couldn't just tell her she had family stuff? Kei may be impulsive but she isn't the sort to ghost someone (unlike someone else *sideyes Asahina*) so that whole subplot felt like it was shoved in just to manufacture some tension and have Asahina move fast towards the next phase in her character arc. Miscommunication is hardly ever a good plot point, and I will admit it pissed me off when it happened, especially when it was resolved so easily. Anyway, it ended, and honestly, it deserves a proper epilogue.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media LLC, via Edelweiss.

[Honey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I finished reading After Hours I couldn't help but think, 'this story is rather unremarkable'. And this is coming from someone who enjoys reading pure fluff (affectionate romances with little to no plot).

Despite their relationship being the focus of the story, it's underdeveloped, as important plot points are discarded way too quickly. Some poor writing choices lead me to wonder why the main characters even liked each other... they don't seem to know that much about each other and it just heavily focuses on their 'night club life'.

Now I know that most yuri manga is intended for young men and can tend to focus on the atmosphere rather than their relationship, but even then I find that this isn't a very enjoyable atmosphere. This is because everything after the introduction ultimately falls flat, nothing is well established enough for it to have any significant impact on the story yet alone the reader. I found that this series just screams unfinished despite being complete.

If you however don't mind that, then you might like it. I mean I thought it was okay, I just thought it could be a lot better than it was.

TL;DR: A seinen yuri love story that suffers from underdevelopment. Disappointing.

[Natalie Weizenbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm staying to think that the translation for this may not be... great. I'm really liking the characters and the way it captures a kind of early-adult career/interpersonal directionlessness, but there are just so many bits of dialog that feel just a skosh awkward or out of place it's hard to really lock in to what the book itself is doing.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein schöner abschlussband. Die vielen zeitsprunge fand ich nicht störend. Für mich hat dieses stilistische Mittel viel eher die Situation der Charaktere erklärt und das 'hin und hergerissen sein' wiedergespiegelt.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good finale, if a touch behind the heights of volumes 1 & 2.

Full review: https://derailmentsofthought.com/2018...

[Dumb popcorn's manga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está bien sin más. No sé, no he conseguido conectar con la historia en ningún momento, pero también es que todo eso de las fiestas el rave y todo eso no es mi rollo.
No está mal la historia, pero sin más.

[§ïå ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this was an ok series. Kind of boring if I'm being honest.

I didn't like the fact that Emi was technically still with her boyfriend when she got with Kei, and that kinda soured the series for me from then on. Then the stupid conflict that came out of nowhere in this last volume really did it for me. Emi and Kei really needed to work on their communication skills.

And finally, that ending. So disappointing.

[Judyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5 Stars

All of Emi and Kei's hard work is finally coming to a conclusion as the night is nearing. Their rave has some issues and a lot of work to be dealt with before it comes, and then it's finally here. And after their big party, what next?
I was happy with where they went after their big event. Kei had some family issues to deal with, which caused her and Emi to finally decide what to do with their relationship—whether it's real and they want to keep going or not.
I like how it all plays out. The rave is a new experience for Emi, and is a goal for them to work toward again. And they get to see whether they want to face that future together or not; none of it is too dramatic or life-ending, either, which I appreciate. They handle things relatively calmly and with patience, and it works for them that way.
This was a fun little yuri series. I appreciated that it handled the yuri aspect maturely, and had a real plot beside it, a sweeter take on yuri that we've started seeing more of.


A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

[Snail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started reading randomly at volume three. Didn't realize it was the last volume! Whoops. It was still really easy to jump right into, though, and the volume could stand pretty well on its own, though I assume the characters' development and some plot points would be more significant and meaningful to those who read the previous volumes.

When my brother picked this up off the library shelf, he said something to the effect of "the art's cute, but this may just be an even more dramatic Nana"--an observation that proved to be astute, though I'd say it's a little more chill and gentle than Nana, or perhaps watered down. Certainly shares some plot points. Enjoyable either way.

I really appreciate that one of the women in the relationship had also dated men before! I feel like the possibility of bi or pansexuality can be overlooked by manga, which often focus on a straight couple or a queer couple of a single, rather rigid, type. (Just gay men, or just gay women, in a monogamous relationship and only looking for one type of partner, for example.)

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm. I did give 4 stars but I wasn't entirely on board with the twist the story took even if it did give Emi a pretty great development arc. Or to be more specific, I didn't mind the twist itself but the fact we don't get to see Emi and Kei meet again after Kei's dealt with her family situation.

But what I did like this volume and the series as a whole is how Emi finds meaningful things in life, new friends, love and confidence in herself. I also like the friendship of the DJ gang and the music/DJ part of the story, it was a nice setting.
While Emi had a good story arc, Kei was given an odd and almost out of the blue turn in this volume. It served for Emi's growth yeah but the whole running off and not saying anything to Emi or anyone wasn't very elegant.

It's still manga worth checking out, especially if you want to read about a little older protagonists than teenagers and relationship between women that's handled just like any romance.

[Ariya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the most disappointing and disjointed ending to a series I’ve ever read. Grueling through this last volume was painful. I wish the series had ended in 2 volumes instead.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rave was a success.

The rain ebbed, the stars came out to dance, the music muscled its way through life and limb -- a good time was had by all.

But as is often the case with the ever-frazzled Emi and her too-cool girlfriend Kei, the only reason anything ever turns out okay is because they put in the effort to make it happen. This is a recurring theme of the manga: if you want something bad enough, you've gotta fight for it.

AFTER HOURS #3 is less about the playful exchange of young romance (first volume) and the frailties of disingenuous emotional conflict (volume two) than it is about growing up . . . and standing tall in front of a fount of adult responsibilities that may well tear one apart with a mere glance. AFTER HOURS #3 is still funny and entertaining but the book's closing chapters take a decidedly sharp turn toward an effectively realistic take on the sacrifices one must make as an adult.

After Hours was a charming little manga. A great deal of the title's charm came from the opposites-attract dynamic between Emi (organized but listless) and Kei (spontaneous but hardworking). In retrospect, it seems readers were shortchanged to have only encountered these characters in the context of DJing at nightclubs and knocking down shots of Jägermeister in dive bars . . . but alas, this is just a snapshot of two women inching toward their true selves.

In this third volume, a personal tragedy pushes the couple to the brink of debate concerning what is indeed an acceptable form of devotion. "I'm seriously trembling right now," one of them says, but not because she's afraid to suffer for their relationship, she's trembling because she realizes that if this thing called romance really does cut as deep as she believes it will, then she has no choice but to charge straight ahead, wounds and all.

Does it count as love if you never call it as such?

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having spent the course of 6 months over the previous two volumes (and the very beginning of this one) becoming closer, Emi and Kei must now learn how to be apart.
Midori brings up a good point in this volume. She supports the two of them, but not if they become too codependent. Emi has admitted multiple times that she’s weak and wimpy. She’s aware of it, but she struggles to change. In this volume, Kei’s absence and disappearance forces her to make brave and bold decisions, and her love and resolve force her to stick to them. By the end of it all, we don’t know about Kei, but Emi has grown tremendously in only a short span of time. She’s gone from a silly little girl at the very start, to something of a full fledged adult by the end of it.

After Hours was a fun ride with fun characters. I liked them all, though I feel like we had a sore lack of interaction with most of them, save for Dan and maybe Midori. But it’s just that way sometimes, I suppose. Real life isn’t necessarily the same as a manga, where we get to know each character one by one. Sometimes, some people in a group don’t know each other outside of the group for years, or ever. Especially if there is no drive for either of them to learn about each other.
After Hours was a fun story that I hope gets an anime someday. And I hope to see more work like this in the future from this mangaka.

[Airin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un final bonito y sin demasiadas complicaciones para estas dos chicas.

Ha sido una historia tierna, sin sorpresas y sin sobresaltos que se ha ido forjando a fuego lento. En estos tres tomos se han ido conociendo los personajes principales entre ellas y también yo. A medida que han ido pasando las páginas su relación se ha ido forjando poco a poco.

La parte que más me ha gustado es conocer más el mundo de lo DJ's, de cómo funciona la noche y ver cómo las protagonistas han ido cambiando sus planes de futuro y se han ido amoldando a lo que se les iba presentando.

Son tres tomos ligeros, que se leen bastante rápido con un dibujo muy bonito y delicado que acompaña a la trama fluida y lenta que forma esta historia.

Es un yuri (historia de amor entre dos chicas) tranquilo que permite conocer a los personajes que van a conformar esta historia, ir a su lado para saber más sobre ellas y llegar hasta este último tomo donde todas las puertas que se habían abierto se vayan cerrando poco a poco.

Este tomo es un poco más gordo que los dos anteriores, imagino que para dejar todo cerrado para que no quede ningún cabo suelto.

Para quienes queráis leer un yuri divertido, tranquilo y con un dibujo bonito, este puede ser una buena opción para comenzar a leer yuri.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out the lackluster reviews for this series, and its conclusion in particular, are well earned. I do think the first half of this volume is pretty good, with some nice flirty date scenes between Emi and Kei, and a cute scene of Emi visiting home and dealing with her family a bit. But then we get into the sort of clumsy second half when Kei disappears without explanation, and you can't help but think that the author, or their editor was just like, "we need to inject some drama into this story." There are some cute moments in their reunion, but ultimately the story ends rather inconclusively and is mildly disappointing. And the pacing feels a bit off, with sudden character development and backstories revealed of their DJing friends and associates late in the volume. I would speculate that the serialization of the manga was pulled early, leaving just enough space to add in some details that had been developed for use later in the story. As further evidence, this volume is not quite twice as long as the previous two, like it was cut short of having enough material for two final volumes so all that was left was just crammed into one.

[Ciaran Zagami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not typically the kind of person who reads romance novels. I find them very cliched and formulaic.

Which is exactly what After Hours is.

The thing that sold it to me is the chemistry between the characters, I found them very enjoyable and they felt human. At least to me.

The rest is okay, the plot is formulaic girl meets girl they fall head over heals for silly reasons, contrivance happens and they nearly break up but blondy's conviction results in her patching things up with her girlfriend and everyone doesn't live happily ever after.

I think more than the characters, the thing that stuck with me with After Hours was the ending.
Things don't turn out perfectly okay, we don't return to our established status quo but they also don't flop miserably. It felt like a bitter dose of realism in an otherwise silly romance story. A feeling I found deeply relatable and one that moved me to consider After Hours among my favourite manga series.

[Ayxan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main "event" of this volume was rather unnecessary. I feel like the author only put this in because he wanted to have more excitement, but in my opinion, that totally backfired. I didn't mind the chillness of the other two volumes at all, quite the opposite, so having this suddenly dramatic and "exciting" plot felt off. Not only was it unnecessary but also a bit toxic.
Up until now, they're relationship was realistically mature, but this event totally threw them off the track... Good for them to resolving it, but it's a meh for me. It really wasn't needed to turn the table this much, to get the path the author had planned for the characters, especially the protagonist.

Also, is it just me or did the drawing style slightly change? Not sure, but it seemed more detailed and more "serious", if you can say that. Kinda to match the vibe of the story more.
Isn't necessarily a bad thing; the details were amazing. But I did like the "simpleness" of the drawing style more.

[Gwyn Vanoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems a shame that you can't hear this manga... Emi Ashiana is immediately attracted to Kei when they meet at a nightclub, and Kei feels the same. Kei, a DJ, draws Emi into the club scene, helping her become a VJ and rave planner.

The third and final installment of this series is the best, with a new obstacle for the After Hours gang, their relationship, and Kei's family. I liked this volume the best because of the growth it allowed for Emi amidst the turmoil. Seeing her character evolve is very satisfying.

This story must sound amazing, with a soundtrack that is rocking and soul-stirring, but there'sn't actually a single song title mentioned. I loved the character designs of Kei and Emi, as well as all the After Hours friends. The attraction and romantic tension between these two is convincing and heartfelt. There are non-graphic intimate scenes, which convey the connection more than the sex.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh.....

I really like that this is a "Yuri" series in which the two main characters are not high schoolers and are adults...aged 24 and 30. I also really like the two main characters.

However, this volume is almost twice the size of the previous two volumes, but nothing really happens and one of the characters goes missing for a large portion of the story.

It's a bummer that this is the final volume of this series as I felt right at the end is when I'd like to start following the adventures these two would have together during their relationship.

Much focus of this series was on the planning and preparation of the events they'd be performing and I personally wanted more "hang-out" time with the two leads. Those moments were my favorite and the series doesn't devote much time to that.