東京タラレバ娘（７）

東京タラレバ娘 [Tōkyō Tarareba Musume] #7

by Akiko Higashimura

「ああだったら…」「こうなれれば…」と、タラレバばかりを繰り返していたけれど、ついに、ついに安息第一の大人の恋にたどり着いた!!と思ったけれど、まだまだタラレバ物語は終わらない…。累計２６０万部突破＆実写ドラマ化の超人気作、最新刊！

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

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2017

About the author

See also 東村 アキコ

Reviews

[Ashley N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As predicted, here is the back story for Key, whose actions will be suddenly excusable. I enjoy reading Rinko and the gang's hijinks, and I'm totally rooting for Rinko and Hayasaka... Key can just go on sulking in a corner.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

FUCK KEY.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume tugged at my heartstrings multiple times! I can't wait for the next one!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have the feeling that Akiko's relationship with Hayasaka isn't gonna last long, especially since the narrative starts focusing on Key again after a few pages of nicey-nice with the new couple.

As for Key: I didn't need to have that explained, and the explanation was kind of weak and trope-y. This volume loses a star for that. Manga doesn't always need a plot, and I suspect this one's coming to a head so that the story can come to a conclusion in the next couple of volumes. (Which it does, coincidentally enough.)

This manga is bringing across a number of ideas about relationships. That a perfect relationship is impossible; the usual means of hooking up are highly unlikely to work out long term; a perfect balance between an exciting relationship (sexual or otherwise) and a stable one is incredibly rare; and the balance between selfishness and selflessness is difficult, too. The "Tararebar" segments at the end of the book show real-life examples of these quandaries from readers who have written in to Higashimura for advice (or confirmation, as the case may be).

So far, TTG hasn't offered easy answers to the questions it's raised, and I hope, in the long run, that it doesn't.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really have enjoyed reading this series, but I hate where it’s going. This volume in particular was super disappointing and the revelation with Key and his late wife was so aggravating to me. Of COURSE she looks like Rinko. Gross. The ambush with the girls going to Rinko’s new apartment was ridiculous; what good friends would suddenly show up to be like, drop your new, stable life cause that asshole that has been verbally and emotionally abusing you for months is missing and maybe loves you? Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Hoping this doesn’t conclude the way I am anticipating.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

That cliffhanger ending! I must read the next volume pronto

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ayyy so just checking in to remind y'all that trauma isn't an excuse for the damage you do to other people, just an explanation.

This has been a PSA.

[marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol. 2 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 3 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 4 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 5 ★★☆☆☆
Vol. 6 ★★★☆☆

Rinko and Hayasaka's relationship is so obviously a detour that I spent the whole volume waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't get what Akiko Higashimura is trying to do with this reveal. Is that supposed to warm me up to Key? It's not working. If anything, it cheapens his feelings for Rinko. Now, I want them together even less than before.

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew. I’ve got a lot to say so buckle in. (Or don’t. I’m perfectly content with the fact that all the reviews I write are just me talking to myself. I mean that genuinely! I’m an extroverted person who’s spent the majority of her life by herself, against her will. I really adore quiet spaces where I can work out my feeling and opinions. It’s hard to get lonely when you have yourself as a conversation partner.)

Anyways! Something you should know about me is that I really enjoy spoilers. They very rarely impede my enjoyment and I really don’t see the point of every single piece of media relying on contrived suspense and shock value. That being said, as good as this volume of TTG was, knowing who Rinko ends up with made it less enjoyable. I loved seeing her settle into herself and I genuinely enjoyed seeing her find a comfortable, budding relationship with Hayasaka. I think it would be circular for her to end up with him.

But again. Knowing that Key is her endgame is so frustrating. He’s done nothing but degrade her, take advantage of her, and treat her and her friends like garbage since volume one. I wouldn’t have minded his backstory without the knowledge that the two of them link up at the end. Knowing that his backstory was meant to make him sympathetic makes it seem flat, whereas an honest look into why he is the way he is (with no emotional stakes other than simple explanation) would have been preferable. It just feels cheap, otherwise.

And on the subject of his backstory. Yeah, the dead wife thing sucks. And I get that they made it as chaste as possible, but you can’t escape the grooming thing. Like dude. You were 18 years old married to a 30 year old doctor who’d been treating you since you were 10 years old? You are not a brooding, romantic hero. You are a victim. And this might sound callous, but it definitely was too little, too late. Because while I do feel sympathetic for him from an objective, moral standpoint, the story isn’t treating him as a victim of grooming. TTG is still trying to convince us that Key is a man who has a tragic excuse for being misogynistic and cruel to a woman ten years older than him. So, no, I don’t think so. And like I said! I might have been able to accept this narrative crime if it wasn’t for the fact that Key is Rinko’s endgame. If I was going in blind, this might have been a four star review. But not only am I dissatisfied with the fact that Rinko is going to throw out all her progress with Hayasaka, I’m still sore over the fact that Key isn’t ever going to really apologize for all the awful shit he’s done and said.

Ugh. I have so many opinions. Anyways, two more volumes to go! Wish me luck.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

me, repeatedly: i don't think i like this series

also me: it's too much emotional effort to read things i like, i'll take the next volume

not digging recent developments, i don't think key having a sad backstory excuses him being an asshole and idk why her friends seem to think it does. if a guy treated one of my friends they way key has rinko i'd be team Bin Him Forever

3 stars

[Maddysbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne m’attendais pas à cette révélation. Il ne reste que deux tomes pour finir la saga je ne sais pas comment on va réussir à avoir un happy end.

[Eressea · Rating 3 out of 5]

虐早坂君一次還不夠
還要虐第二次
而且比日劇版還要狠虐
讓我想改給一星了...
不過這集只在結尾起個頭而已
下一集就知道厲害了

讀者來信篇有夠難撐
這兩集都是奇葩問題，讓我有點懷疑是假的...
感覺是為了充單行本版面用的= =

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

La verdad es que me gusta bastante la evolución de los personajes.

[Mads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm still on this ride until the end, but I'm starting to get fed-up with this love triangle situation. Key degrades Rinko and her friends at every opportunity. Why should she care if he loves her or not? Hayasaka is someone whom she feels comfortable with, and respects her decisions. I can't see why Hayasaka is the wrong choice, which is what the other characters seem to be hinting at.
I hope Rinko grabs Key, drops him off at his agency, then goes home to have some hotpot with Hayasaka, never sparing a thought to the pretty boy with baggage again.
I'm also getting a little fed-up with the milt and liver sections at the end of the volumes. It feels like there's a lot of blunt blame being forced around, rather than a genuine attempt to help. I'm beginning to think that the milt and liver mascots are the real villains here.

[Mars · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh nooo… Key has a sad backstory… I guess I should feel bad for him………..

I feel nothing for this man

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, we’re getting to the meat of this story. First: Rinko and Hayasaka. I actually don’t think there would be anything wrong with this relationship. Maybe it���s my cynicism or pragmatism, but if you can find someone you are comfortable with that you are glad to be around, why not try to make that work? Does life have to be full of crazy fireworks? I don’t think so. But the main problem here is that Rinko still has Key in my mind. Maybe that’s something she’d forget over time, but I think she owes it to herself and Hayasaka to take things a little slower, like he suggested.

Second: We finally know the bulk of Key’s story. 😭 Honestly, I’m not sure his wife/doctor was ever romantically in love with him, but I’m also not sure that matters. She was a significant figure in his life, and then she was gone, forever. It makes a little more sense why he would be so against people doing things just because they think they should. Life is too short, right? Not only did his wife die young, but he spent his childhood in and out of hospitals, not knowing if he would live another day. I’m not so sure he’s actually in love with Rinko, despite what Mami thinks. He was certainly drawn to her, perhaps because of her similarities to his wife, but love? He wants her to live her life boldly, on her own terms, and has helped her gain some of her confidence back, but he also seems to be always there second guessing her and driving home how pathetic she is. You can’t have it both ways!

Ultimately, I just want everyone to be happy, including Key, so it will be interesting to see where this goes. I could see Rinko ending up with either Key or Hayasaka at this point. Honestly, I wish her takeaway from this story was “I don’t need a man, I’m happy and confident on my own, and I’d rather be single than be with someone who is wrong for me.” But I think I need to give that up, haha.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

We finally get Key's backstory! Meanwhile, Rinko is going steady with- no... dating- no, that's not right either... moving forward with her relationship with Hayasaka. She seems happy, or is at least telling herself that she is, and her friends are all for it...

Until Key goes missing and Mami busts in and rallies the girls to action.

This series has 9 volumes.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, we get Key's backstory and we get to see Rinko and Hayasaka together. I can't tell if she's really happy or forcing herself... I hope if Rinko is forcing the happiness they wait to get married untill she really is happy... They do make a good couple so I really hope it works out! This was one of the quicker volumes for sure.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After glossing over the extra chapters, I decided to not read that outdated advice anymore. I'm sad for the people who took it seriously. So just the main story from now on, which is really heating up!

[David H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting Key's backstory is interesting, but also feels weird? I guess it's not technically grooming, but that age gap, oof.

The focus was more on Rinko, but I'm hoping Koyuki and Kaori get some luck soon.

[Rob Marney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still good but the pace has really slowed down and become more predictable. As the narrative speeds to its inevitable conclusion, I'm glad that at least the side stories are good and Hayasaka deserves better.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good volume. Rinko seems to have found her happiness but it is pretty clear that something will happen to say otherwise. Then we get the cliffhanger. This volume focused heavily on Key and his backstory. It does help shed some light on why he is the way that he is.

[Franchesca Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Omg, the climax and the end is near. I kinda can't wait for this series to end because it's too much of a slow burn. I like a good slow burn, but this one is too slow. Like, I'm dying kinda slow. I can't wait to move on to the next series.

[Sarah S · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was an opening to make this the end of the series, but it absolutely wasn't! Almost every single person could benefit from some serious therapy, but then we wouldn't have a story would we? I'm fully invested in finding out if everyone goes for a happy ever after or a massive train wreck.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well... That was unexpected

[Maija · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite volume so far!!! We get so much back story on key and so much character development. And that freaking cliffhanger I need the next volume now!!!!

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! Things are happening. The plot is moving and things are being revealed. I definitely can't wait for the next one, as things are getting interesting.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

That cliffhanger!

[Loz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best volume yet! Paced excellently, compelling plot. Art, as always, great.