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おとなになっても [Otona ni Natte mo] #5
Even Though We're Adults, Vol. 5
Ayano leaves her husband Wataru and moves back into her parents’ home. She’s determined to use this time to really think about what she wants out of life, but Wataru is unwilling to back off and is dead set on fixing their marriage. Akari, meanwhile, can’t help but wonder if she and Ayano might have a future together after all.
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2021
About the author
Takako Shimura
174 books212 followersTakako Shimura (native name: 志村貴子) is a manga artist primarily known for her manga works published in Japan which feature LGBT (especially about lesbian and transgender) topics. Originally from Kanagawa, she now resides in Tokyo.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 4, 2023
Wataru's mother is simultaneously a marker of how real this series is and the one person who nearly ruins it. She's so blinded by her own ideas of what a relationship "should" or "has to" look like that she's actively making her son's life more difficult. He should be allowed to acknowledge Ayano's feelings and preferences, but his mother keeps bulldozing him into compliance with how she thinks he ought to act as a man. She stands to sabotage Eri's growing comfort with herself as well, and that makes her harder to deal with than anyone else in the story, because at least Ayano and Akari are making choices themselves, even if they aren't always good ones.
November 22, 2022
When we last left things, Ayano had moved back in with her parents, but they didn’t know why. Which makes for some very awkward house visits this time out. Eri gets her moment to shine and then her moment for reality to reassert itself. And Akari remains much more put together than anybody else.
A quieter volume than usual for the series, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we get some small shifts in the status quo, but nothing so brutal that it upsets the apple cart in any meaningful way (don’t worry, next volume promises the apple cart having high explosives strapped to it while being shoved over a cliff).
If anything, this is very much Eri’s volume, as she comes out of her shell for the first time in a long time and finds a guy she gets along really well with. Now, it’s not quite that simple and it does feel a little quick for her turnaround from shut-in to somewhat functional, but on the whole it’s pretty strong and having insight into her thoughts is solid.
Especially because she keeps going to Akari for advice and that keeps proving to be not the easiest for Akari. As things become more clear with what Eri is pursuing and how attainable it might be it becomes pretty thorny for Akari to advise her when the latter can’t take her own advice. Life is never as simple as we would like it to be.
There’s a similar situation at the school, where Ayano really comes through for one of her students, and the resolution of that arc is a lot more grounded and smart than it has any right to be. But Ayano doesn’t feel at all accomplished for it. Whether a touch of impostor syndrome or low self-worth, well, probably both.
Her home situation with her parents is compounded by the unending hounding of her husband, whose refusal to maintain boundaries is mostly infuriating, but at one point becomes positively threatening. There’s one point where this nearly crosses a line and it’s tense as heck. Combined with the awkward reveal of how much her dad loves her estranged husband, Ayano has some rough seas this time out.
As always, the bright spot for Ayano and Akari is each other. Even if they’re trying to maintain a friendship instead of a relationship, and failing, the story is noticeably lighter and more buoyant when the two of them are interacting. And I’m positive that’s not by chance.
For those two, they are more than a refuge, there’s a joy to their interactions that you don’t see amongst anybody else in the cast. It’s more than just simple chemistry, there’s a bond here that they want to explore but are struggling to realize. And it doesn’t promise to come true just yet.
Another strong volume. There’s a lot more to this than just being a story about adults, but it uses the less often explored post-education setting to really dig into the complications that adulthood brings and how you can’t always get what you want in life just because you’ve reached a certain age. Ages change, but problems never go away, they just come back in different forms.
4 stars - not because it’s especially lower quality, I think this volume is quite excellent, but it’s definitely moving things into place for the next volume’s big moments and there’s a downshift in momentum and the narrative moments here are slightly more muted as a consequence.
A quieter volume than usual for the series, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we get some small shifts in the status quo, but nothing so brutal that it upsets the apple cart in any meaningful way (don’t worry, next volume promises the apple cart having high explosives strapped to it while being shoved over a cliff).
If anything, this is very much Eri’s volume, as she comes out of her shell for the first time in a long time and finds a guy she gets along really well with. Now, it’s not quite that simple and it does feel a little quick for her turnaround from shut-in to somewhat functional, but on the whole it’s pretty strong and having insight into her thoughts is solid.
Especially because she keeps going to Akari for advice and that keeps proving to be not the easiest for Akari. As things become more clear with what Eri is pursuing and how attainable it might be it becomes pretty thorny for Akari to advise her when the latter can’t take her own advice. Life is never as simple as we would like it to be.
There’s a similar situation at the school, where Ayano really comes through for one of her students, and the resolution of that arc is a lot more grounded and smart than it has any right to be. But Ayano doesn’t feel at all accomplished for it. Whether a touch of impostor syndrome or low self-worth, well, probably both.
Her home situation with her parents is compounded by the unending hounding of her husband, whose refusal to maintain boundaries is mostly infuriating, but at one point becomes positively threatening. There’s one point where this nearly crosses a line and it’s tense as heck. Combined with the awkward reveal of how much her dad loves her estranged husband, Ayano has some rough seas this time out.
As always, the bright spot for Ayano and Akari is each other. Even if they’re trying to maintain a friendship instead of a relationship, and failing, the story is noticeably lighter and more buoyant when the two of them are interacting. And I’m positive that’s not by chance.
For those two, they are more than a refuge, there’s a joy to their interactions that you don’t see amongst anybody else in the cast. It’s more than just simple chemistry, there’s a bond here that they want to explore but are struggling to realize. And it doesn’t promise to come true just yet.
Another strong volume. There’s a lot more to this than just being a story about adults, but it uses the less often explored post-education setting to really dig into the complications that adulthood brings and how you can’t always get what you want in life just because you’ve reached a certain age. Ages change, but problems never go away, they just come back in different forms.
4 stars - not because it’s especially lower quality, I think this volume is quite excellent, but it’s definitely moving things into place for the next volume’s big moments and there’s a downshift in momentum and the narrative moments here are slightly more muted as a consequence.
February 18, 2025
can we please stop falling for married people?
December 17, 2022
ohlalalala je VEUX la suite je ne tiens plus
March 4, 2025
*this review is for the series - not just vol 1.*
So a lot of people seemed to have some really negative things to say about the first volume... so let's address it.
Yes - There is cheating. It comes up a lot through out the entire series.
Yes - There is what could be considered biphobia.
There is also gossip, minor bullying, dysfunctional family dynamics and talks of abusive relationships ( nothing shown ).
There were also people complaining about the troupe of a woman who marries and then finds out later she is into women.
If the above listed things are hard 'no's for you then I recommend simply not picking this read up. But if those things are grey areas for you and you are open to experiencing a story that is culturally different and addresses many things from parental relationships and expectations, personal acceptance and ownership, a variant of agoraphobia and dips it's toes into a number of other things... then maybe give it a try.
That said - this was an interesting read. The way the initial cheating situation is handled is different than most stories I've come across. I'm not sure if it's due to culture differences and expectations or if everyone was just real chill cause there's only ever like... one big freak out in the series and it's not from one of the people you would expect it from. There are some very sweet moments sprinkled in and around this series.
I give it a 8/10 simply because there is a bit of lull in the story at times as the pace of it has been rather slow for me. But I think that overall this story achieves what it set out to do which is that life is messy and no one ever really knows what their future holds. So be true to you and make your choices to live a happy life even if it's not the easy path.
So a lot of people seemed to have some really negative things to say about the first volume... so let's address it.
Yes - There is cheating. It comes up a lot through out the entire series.
Yes - There is what could be considered biphobia.
There is also gossip, minor bullying, dysfunctional family dynamics and talks of abusive relationships ( nothing shown ).
There were also people complaining about the troupe of a woman who marries and then finds out later she is into women.
If the above listed things are hard 'no's for you then I recommend simply not picking this read up. But if those things are grey areas for you and you are open to experiencing a story that is culturally different and addresses many things from parental relationships and expectations, personal acceptance and ownership, a variant of agoraphobia and dips it's toes into a number of other things... then maybe give it a try.
That said - this was an interesting read. The way the initial cheating situation is handled is different than most stories I've come across. I'm not sure if it's due to culture differences and expectations or if everyone was just real chill cause there's only ever like... one big freak out in the series and it's not from one of the people you would expect it from. There are some very sweet moments sprinkled in and around this series.
I give it a 8/10 simply because there is a bit of lull in the story at times as the pace of it has been rather slow for me. But I think that overall this story achieves what it set out to do which is that life is messy and no one ever really knows what their future holds. So be true to you and make your choices to live a happy life even if it's not the easy path.
April 11, 2023
J'apprends beaucoup grâce à ce manga. J'ai découvert que le divorce était beaucoup plus compliqué à obtenir au Japon, s'il n'y a pas d'accord des deux époux (Ayano parle de 3 à 5 ans). Je suis allé fouiller sur le sujet, car je n'avais pas tout à fait saisi toutes les subtilités du "type de divorce" (il y a trois types: par entente, par conciliation, par jugement). Le type de divorce sera visible pendant dix ans sur le registre de famille (koseki), et je sais que les enfants peuvent souffrir de discrimination à l'école si les parents sont divorcés par conciliation ou jugement (car on croit qu'il sera perturbé émotionnellement, car le divorce fut plus difficile). Bref, c'était ma parenthèse (mon côté chercheuse qui ressort!)
Même si Ayano est clairement prête à divorcer, se séparant même de son mari, il refuse toujours. Quel malaise quand ils doivent dormir dans la même chambre... Toutes les nuances et complications des relations interpersonnelles sont remarquablement bien représentées dans ce manga. Que ce soit entre ce couple, la pression des familles, les amis qui hésitent, le ressenti des deux héroïnes entre leurs sentiments, leurs actions et leur travail... Wow.
Je mentionne également que la réflexion d'Éri, qui se terre à l'intérieur de la maison familiale depuis dix ans, est également très riche. On explore un peu la situation complexe des hikikomori (ceux qui s'enferment dans leur chambre) de façon réaliste.
Cette série est l'oeuvre d'une mangaka expérimentée, capable de raconter son histoire, et qui envoie à l'occasion quelques critiques...
Même si Ayano est clairement prête à divorcer, se séparant même de son mari, il refuse toujours. Quel malaise quand ils doivent dormir dans la même chambre... Toutes les nuances et complications des relations interpersonnelles sont remarquablement bien représentées dans ce manga. Que ce soit entre ce couple, la pression des familles, les amis qui hésitent, le ressenti des deux héroïnes entre leurs sentiments, leurs actions et leur travail... Wow.
Je mentionne également que la réflexion d'Éri, qui se terre à l'intérieur de la maison familiale depuis dix ans, est également très riche. On explore un peu la situation complexe des hikikomori (ceux qui s'enferment dans leur chambre) de façon réaliste.
Cette série est l'oeuvre d'une mangaka expérimentée, capable de raconter son histoire, et qui envoie à l'occasion quelques critiques...
February 23, 2026
As Ayano and Akari continue living at their respective parents’ homes, they maintain a relationship where they occasionally stop for tea on their way home, even without making any explicit promises. Their distance neither fully closes nor completely fades, leaving them in a somewhat suspended state.
The volume mainly focuses on surrounding episodes, such as Eri, Ayano’s husband’s sister, falling in love with a married coworker at the beauty salon where Akari works, and the resolution of conflicts between Ayano’s students. The story takes on the feel of an ensemble drama, and the careful portrayal of the emotions of these supporting characters is engaging in its own right.
At the same time, however, the two protagonists remain rather stoic, continuing to keep their distance. This development leaves me feeling a certain frustration, wondering whether things can really remain this way.
The volume mainly focuses on surrounding episodes, such as Eri, Ayano’s husband’s sister, falling in love with a married coworker at the beauty salon where Akari works, and the resolution of conflicts between Ayano’s students. The story takes on the feel of an ensemble drama, and the careful portrayal of the emotions of these supporting characters is engaging in its own right.
At the same time, however, the two protagonists remain rather stoic, continuing to keep their distance. This development leaves me feeling a certain frustration, wondering whether things can really remain this way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2022
I found some chapters of this volume confusing, I think maybe because it's been a while since I've read the previous volumes? Anyways, I still like the MCs together, I truly appreciate their genuineness and honesty and communication. Meanwhile the rest of the cast is infuriatingly realistic lol. The husband's sister is especially problematic, and as much as this volume's backstory made me empathize a little more with their mom, it didn't manage to make me empathize with her (the sister). Pity her at best, because as soon as we're shown something supposed to make us understand her better, she just turns around and does some other creepy thing. The kids were cute though, even though we see so little of them in this one, and I hope they've made up.
March 12, 2023
Excellent. Definitely my top-favorite Shimura Takako so far. I love how peaceful and sweet each volume feels despite all the drama going on constantly… it feels like real life, with people just trying to find their way.
(I’m really glad this volume focused more on the sister. I think she’s one of the most interesting characters. The mother-in-law getting back-burnered a bit was welcome, too.)
I’d like to purchase and own this series… though I’ve got to see how it ends, first, I think, before my heart can really commit. Fingers crossed for a happy ending!!! And for the story to continue awhile AFTER the happy ending - for example, if our two main characters move in with each other (or even if they get married), don’t stop there! Become grannies together!!!
(I’m really glad this volume focused more on the sister. I think she’s one of the most interesting characters. The mother-in-law getting back-burnered a bit was welcome, too.)
I’d like to purchase and own this series… though I’ve got to see how it ends, first, I think, before my heart can really commit. Fingers crossed for a happy ending!!! And for the story to continue awhile AFTER the happy ending - for example, if our two main characters move in with each other (or even if they get married), don’t stop there! Become grannies together!!!
April 13, 2023
This particular volume feels like the overarching story does not benefit from it at all. As in, we probably could have skipped straight to whatever volume 6 will be, and we wouldn't be missing any information at all. Except for Eri's new crush, which seemed to have happened far too quickly and too weirdly mirroring the relationship between Ayano and Akari. It just felt very forced, as if the author couldn't think of any other way to get the plot moving again.
Then there was that weird scene where Wataru tries to force himself into Ayano's bed?? (Not sexual. Just wanting to share the bed with her.) After she told him no twice?? Like, I don't care if y'all are married. You do not have automatic permission to be in her space when she does not want you there. Stop it!
Then there was that weird scene where Wataru tries to force himself into Ayano's bed?? (Not sexual. Just wanting to share the bed with her.) After she told him no twice?? Like, I don't care if y'all are married. You do not have automatic permission to be in her space when she does not want you there. Stop it!
September 16, 2024
i am rooting for them but i kind of get why so many people said they couldn’t get past the cheating plot. (besides the obvious…) i was really hoping that the cheating would be like a side thing that’s not really mentioned but i cannot wrap my head around how ayano is literally talking to every single person in her life about how she’s having an affair and then all of her family is talking to all of their friends about how she’s a cheater and like the part in 2 or 3 when ayano and her husband and her mother in law are all having a breakfast chat about her affair like actually what is going on. it’s just moving sooo slowly and i feel like ayano and akari need to be spending a lot more time together or something because we are in volume 5 like chop chop! i hope ayano comes out as a lesbian instead of being bisexual but who knows. this one is just soooo… interesting…….. maybe the last 3 volumes will slay or something
January 1, 2023
Okay, we're not going to get the poly ending that I was imagining (but not really expecting), but there's still a lot of good adult relationship drama here, and even as they start to get used to their messy situation things get even more complicated anyway. I want them to be happy together, but also the rest of their lives are going to make that so difficult. :)
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January 7, 2024I do think that this manga has a lot of interesting things to say about marriage as the goal of womanhood as determined by society and how every generation is dealing with that. The moms are stuck in this idea that their daughters need to be married. Ayano is realizing comphet is a thing. Eri is dating a married man. It’s interesting. I like it. This is a good series!
March 23, 2025
4 stars. Eri falling for a married man is NOT something I saw coming holy hell! This series gets better and better with each volume. I’m so glad that I stuck it out. The ending pissed me off something serious though because Eri tried it and I’m tired of everyone getting in Ayano’s business. Let her divorce her shitty husband so she can go live her lesbian dreams PLEASE!
November 30, 2022
A bit too much going on at the same time, but the core story is still good.
January 15, 2023
( 4 stars )
i used to not mind wataru but he officially sucks…akari is so smitten it’s adorable and i just want her and ayano to be happy already!
i used to not mind wataru but he officially sucks…akari is so smitten it’s adorable and i just want her and ayano to be happy already!
February 23, 2023
The pacing remains dreadfully slow. I didn't hate this volume, but I'd like some actual plot development. A crumb, please.
March 3, 2023
Ahhhhh won't the universe just leave them alone and let them be together?? Why are heteros in the way??
March 9, 2023
It's a gentle queer soap opera and I'm enjoying it
July 5, 2023
DRAMA
July 26, 2023
men are garbage
April 4, 2023
I was enjoying the stories about the younger sister and the school kids but now the younger sister is possibly getting involved with a married man/at least said she's in love with him and has to promise to stop seeing him. I was disappointed in that. I thought that the fact that the wife was trying to get a divorce from her husband was a sign the manga wasn't going to stay in the, cheating wife subplot but it seems to be adding more cheating subplots as they try to work out the first one? Why more? Is cheating in general supposed to be the theme of this manga?
Well the next volume doesn't come out for a while so maybe it'll get better than or maybe I'll just not read it. It's very pretty but I'm not sure if I like where it's going.
Well the next volume doesn't come out for a while so maybe it'll get better than or maybe I'll just not read it. It's very pretty but I'm not sure if I like where it's going.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
He parat de fer ressenyes volum a volum perquè el ritme és rematadament lent i em fa la sensació que s'està estirant el xiclet sense cap necessitat... Segueixo intrigada amb l'Eri i espero que elles acabin bé i juntes perquè l'espera s'està fent una tortura!
May 13, 2025
I mowed thru this series so fast. Book 6 in june??oy
Reread 2024
Reread 2024
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews