ニジとクロ 3 [Niji to Kuro 3]

Rainbow and Black #3

by Eri Takenashi

流暢に話せるようになり、歌まで歌い始めたニジに感動するクロ。コミュニケーションが取れるようになったことで、クロ自身の考え方や生活も目まぐるしく変わっていく。へんな生き物のニジと白黒つけたいクロの、ちょっと変わった共同生活。二人が行きついた先に新しい形を見つけた最終巻!!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Paperback

First published January 27, 2021

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kuro and Niji have been together for a while and it has really opened up Kuro’s eyes to the world and shown her new things. But is there a ‘too far’ with a feathered head that can speak? Animal husbandry is one thing, but animal wifery is a whole other entirely…

If you said I had taken several sharp blows to the head and this volume was the result of my concussion I could 100% believe it. There are books that whiff it in their final volume, but it’s truly rare that I see one that whiffs it and then decides to club the umpire dead for good measure.

I guess, fair warning, I will be spoiling the hell out of this book, though I would argue it spoils itself and I am actually doing you a public service.

The first sections are actually pretty decent - the initial story is a relatable treatise on the horror of losing an indoor pet to the outside world that shows the bond between pet and owner (would that it had stayed this way). You know, one toe still in reality.

Kuro and her friend Hana get to bond and they make a fun pair - Hana gets that Kuro isn’t the best at talking to people and is quite accepting of that. If this story had any concept of what ‘black and white’ actually meant in terms of Kuro it would have been a lot better, but it apparently just translates to ‘bad communicator’.

They visit the zoo to get a little more history of the “parrots” and how incredibly rare they are, plus a cute little throwback to the very first chapters. It’s a nice little bit of business before this turns into a horror story.

I suspected we were in trouble when the grumpy male parrot owner, Daidai, offered his thoughts on marriage, saying that if he got married it would probably kill his parrot, but if he loved somebody enough he’d do it anyway. It’s like, okay, bold choice, but sure. This feels like the money paw version of a wish from when I said too many manga focus on traditional marriage.

Then we get a truly odd chapter where Kuro goes to a kabuki show and develops a crush on an actor and Niji goes berserk and starts pulling out his feathers from stress. Keep in mind that this creepy-ass thing is talking all the time now and starts making Kuro promise that she won’t think about men.

I swear this happens.

Then the book gets weird. Niji starts singing full songs that Kuro is posting to Twitter, she begins to get royalties after a music producer releases the song, Niji becomes famous and records an anime OP and Kuro retires to a condo to live out her days on said royalties, possibly with Hana and her husband, while resolving to only love Niji and never find human love (I mean when you have a feathered face that can stand on hind legs what else do you need, I guess?)

Again, I swear this all happens.

I don’t even understand the writing in the book any more, which can get esoteric as hell when it should be totally straightforward - the chapter where Kuro discovers music is written so bizarrely I still don’t know what happened.

I feel like Niji is actually an invasive parasite whose dander infects human minds and causes their owner to become subservient to them. You might think I’m the one who’s gone crazy, but that’s just because you haven’t seen all the drawings of Niji standing next to Kuro, who’s wearing a wedding dress. Yeah, it went there.

1.5 star - I cannot bring myself to let the good parts nudge it to two. There is not meeting the reader’s expectations and then there is stabbing them in the back while laughing about it. This is a dire end for a series that was kind of cute and it’s fair to say I hated the way this resolved itself.

[Taylor Alice Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2 1/2 stars.
There’s many things that made me feel uncomfortable in this, but I think my biggest issue is the ending. A new character is introduced at the second to last chapter, and the last chapter was a sudden time jump. It was kind of jarring. In fact, there were time skips all over in earlier chapters as well. I honestly wish this series had more of a plot, more character development, and took its time. It’s definitely strange.

[Krystal Caloia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was weird. It went from cute pet to in a relationship.....it's great that Niji was so central in Kuro's life and impacted it in such a positive way but the relationship thing was a bit....strange. Not necessarily her never being in a relationship because of Niji but the fact that she viewed herself as in a relationship with him and even said she would marry him. Most people view pets as children....not spouses.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

And off the rails it went…

[Elizabeth]

this is such a weird series omg

[Aurora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t get over how this series is really like “bestiality! the happy ending!” At least it’s over now. 😅

[Rebecca Dawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was a bit strange, but overall it was a cute series.

[Preethi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The relationship between this girl and her happy mouse is forever straddling the line between cute and uncomfortable lollll. I block out the uncomfy though so what a sweet end (I'm talking the success & riches & communicative development and not the NIJI CHOSE KURO and the KURO CAN NEVER GET MARRIED OR LOOK AT OTHER MEN things 🥴) to a cute manga!

[Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series started out with so much potential and came across as a very interesting and comforting read. I have no idea wtf happened. I read this third volume without knowing that it’s apparently the finale, and having learned that after finishing it made me lose respect for it even more. This manga turned out to be one of the most disappointing reads I’ve experienced in a while.

[Chamera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off as cute as the other volumes but got pseudo-weird and then the end was just all out weird to leave out the spoilers. Overall still cute and it didn’t totally jump over the line but it waded in a weird murky area between cute but weird and weird weird.

This is the most incoherent albeit spoiler free review I have ever written but if you read the volume you will understand.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuro's pet, Niji, starts to talk more and eventually sing songs and then there's the entirely bizarre ending.

2.5 stars: I didn't realize this was the last volume of the story when I read it so that made me the ending just crazy. I enjoyed the first two books with Kuro learning about her strange new pet but it nose dived as a finale.

[Nicholas Palmieri]

There have been some uncomfortable implications since volume 1 if you take things literally, and that's even more true here. But damn if I didn't find it cute and heart-warming anyways. Just take it as a comedy and enjoy the pet-ownership commentary and frequently stunning/hilarious art.

[Charlise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this genre of mange, it’s light and airy. I feel as though I never get that anywhere else, there’s some hardships and tough decisions, but nothing’s irreparable. I thoroughly enjoy every time that I read it.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute conclusion to the three book series, and I enjoyed this one more than the second volume. Kuro really comes into her own in this installment. I love the peek into the future in the epilogue at the end!

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked books 1 and 2, you'll love this one!

[Charlie Bartlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh. That was an… ending. Lmao.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

Weird ending…

[Sina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sie hat einfach das Tier geheiratet 🙃

[flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

cutest little manga! i love this manga series. this is first manga series i've purchased and i absolutely adore the art. however, i'm wondering what comes in the next volume because it seems like it's hinting at romance? i can't wait! anyway, it was not as good as the previous volumes, and i feel like it was a filler for something else.

[Victoria Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting weirder

[Carrie King · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars. Absolutely loved this series and the art style, definitely will reread again one day.