Kowloon Generic Romance, vol. 1

九龍ジェネリックロマンス [Kowloon Generic Romance] #1

by Jun Mayuzuki, Laura García Alarcón (Translator)

Tratar la soltería y el enamoramiento desde un punto de vista adulto, pero divertido, y hacerlo sin perder una perspectiva real, no es fácil de lograr. Si además le añadimos que todo esto se enmarca en la ciudad amurallada de Kowloon y que sus protagonistas esconden algunos misterios que poco a poco se irán desvelando, obtenemos como resultado este adictivo romance para adultos que no te sacarás de la cabeza.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Mystery, Seinen, Comics

212 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2020

About the author

See also: 眉月じゅん

Reviews

[MargReadsManga · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a word: perfection. This was another one of my most anticipated releases of this year! I loved everything about this first volume. Especially that ending. I’m gonna need that next one ASAP! This will be a series I will be reading as soon as I get a new volume.

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[M. J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kowloon Generic Romance is a slice of life story set in the dystopic city of Kowloon, the Hong Kong slum known for its high population density and criminality in the 1980s. However, in this fictional and a romanticized version of Kowloon we see a place full of color, delicious food and interesting, kind people; the objects of the characters' affection are tinged with hues of nostalgia - a very prominent feeling in the book. Jun Mayuzuki elegantly builds a sensuous world in the midst of chaos, with a soothing pace the plot is subtle, often humorous and emotionally engaging. The daily routine of two realty company workers is the focal point of the story, a slow-burn romantic tension arises, similar in feel to Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express (also set in Kowloon). This love story blooms between the distant promises of the future, represented by the construction of a space colony orbiting Earth (we see ocasional glimpses of this sci-fi element) and the bittersweet memories of the past, represented by Kowloon itself. In a way this clash between past and future is the recurring background theme of the book. Kowloon Generic Romance is a slow and captivating story, preoccupied in creating a mood, a lighthearted environment with some healthy amount of reverie, sensuality and a plot twist. Recommended for the nostalgic ones.

[Donatella Principi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoro i disegni di Jun Mayuzuki, li trovo estremamente eleganti e comunicativi. In questo nuovo fumetto torna a parlare di amore in una città decadente ispirata a Hong Kong e che ben si presta a risvolti sci-fi. I protagonisti sono due trentenni qualunque che lavorano come agenti immobiliari e poco alla volta finiscono per innamorarsi. Un manga per tutte le anime nostalgiche e romantiche. Io personalmente non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo numero perché questo finisce col botto!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jun Mayuzuki stuns me again with her phenomenal artwork and beautiful storytelling in this first in, what I anticipate to be, a solid series.

This manga feels like one that should be paired with a glass of wine. It has a ~classy~ sort of quality to it. Or. A watermelon. It really made me want a watermelon and a cigarette despite the fact I have never smoked in my life. 😂

The twist at the end also really solidified my interest in this series so I’m anticipating the next volume for sure! I’ll have my glass of wine ready for that one!

(Sorry my thoughts are all over the place for this. I don’t want to talk too much about it for fear of lessening your experience reading it. Plus, lack of sleep. 🥲 Just give it a read!)

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ver, a ver, a ver.... Dos partes. Primera: me ha encantado. El dibujo, ese ritmo a lo peli de Wong Kar Wai, lo caótico de Hong Kong, los cigarrillos presentes en tantas escenas...

Segunda parte: Pero... QUÉ?!!! Mi amiga al prestármelo me dijo que lo leyera del principio al final, sin hojear lo que venía después, que no quería explicarme nada... Si podéis hacedlo así.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have here a case of style over substance, but that term implies the substance is tepid. That is most assuredly not the case here, it just so happens that this oozes style from its pores.

A lot of that is focused on our lead, Kujirai, who is that most rare of manga heroines - a 30-something with sex appeal. It’s nice to have an older protagonist and the art is on fire when it comes to her actions and design. I like neither watermelon nor cigarettes, but Kujirai makes a case for both at once (the second time she indulges, with the smoke gorgeous curling around her? Yowza).

She works as a real estate agent in Kowloon, which has sci-fi leanings, a modern bent, but otherwise feels like it could have come from seventy years ago. It is both timeless and unmoored in time. But a lot of things in Kowloon are like that.

Kujirai is both picked on and flirted with by her coworker, Kudou, at the real estate office they work at. Kudou is a big fan of tradition and the past, very in love with nostalgia, while Kujirai is enamoured of the new. She learns to appreciate what he sees in the traditional and things go from there.

Which is the generic part of the title, except it’s deliberately generic to draw attention to how utterly not generic this all is. A giant thing hovers next to the moon, promising a new, better life. Kujirai reminds Kudou of somebody else that he used to know.

You can see where this is going long before it gets there, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The general day to day and interactions between our leads are bolstered by that delicious art, which makes it easy to wait for the shoe to drop.

And, when it does drop, it does so with an elegance that really drives home how good manga can be when in the hands of a skilled creator. It leaves things on a wicked note that makes the next volume an easy draw.

Mostly the biggest thing against is that Kudou is of a type that I find a lot, but that’s my most salient complaint. And that could easily be by design in something like this. The narrative moves with purpose and I can handle being left with tantalizing questions.

4 stars - very strong start, almost worth reading for the art alone, but it has a great lead and a compelling central mystery to bolster it as well.

[Psicologorroico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho letto il primo volume di Kowloon Generic Romance su suggerimento di un amico. La prima cosa che mi ha colpito sicuramente è stata il setting: un agglomerato urbano incredibile, soffocante, pieno di vicoli e palazzoni altissimi; Kowloon era un quartiere di Hong Kong, adesso distrutto. Anche la storia è interessante: la protagonista Kujirai è una trentenne che lavora in una agenzia immobiliare e si innamora del collega Kudo; tuttavia, non è affatto chiaro come la cosa possa evolversi. La curiosità che mi ha destato mi spinge ad andare avanti subito!

[Santiago Sotoca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandonado en el primer tomo. Ni el dibujo ni la historia son nada del otro mundo. Me esperaba algo más costumbrista, sin pretensiones, que aprovechase la riqueza estética de Kowloon, y me encontré un low fantasy que podría pasar en Kowloon o en cualquier otra parte. No sé si es más "Lost", "La Isla", "el Show de Truman" o todas al mismo tiempo. Se salvan las portadas, que casi como en los últimos mangas actuales, dicen más que las doscientas páginas interiores. Olvidable.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dystopian romance manga where things are not what they seem.
It's both a painful and sweet romance story for older readers.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing is ever what it seems in the labyrinth.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent start to the series. It feels like so much is being set-up. The art is stunning and immersive, the characters are interesting, and there’s a general strangeness to the whole thing that makes me want to keep reading.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мина много, много време, откакто за последно започнах нещо (в случая беше анимето, то винаги е анимето при мен) и веднага си казах "Майчице, толкова е сладка!". Мина и известно време, откакто герой от типа на Кудо само след няколко кадъра ме накара да си кажа "Обичам го тоя бе!" (Отнася се и до Миюки и Гуен, но те не присъстват истински в том 1.)
Естетиката на тази история, носталгичната красота, комбинирана с едва загатната съвременна красота, чаровните герои и шантавата оплетена мистерия ме спечелиха от раз. До степен понякога да си мисля "Ей сега да имах една картинчица на Кудо, ще се почувствам триста пъти по-добре".
Видях оплаквания за това, че историята нарочно се разтяга, нарочно се увърта, за да не се каже направо каква е тайната, какво знае този или онзи... но, честно казано, абсолютно не ми пука. Създаденият в тази история свят е толкова комфортен, някак толкова шантаво близък до светоусещането ми. Разхождали ли сте се из някой Чайнатаун или азиатски град с чувството, че атмосферата ви зарежда? Това е именно атмосферата тук (и много повече). Зарядът радост е това, което получавам от тази история. Ще счупя нещо, ако онзи тип русото докторче наистина реши да прецака нещо, сериозно го казвам :D Точно и ясно си признавам - обичам тукашния Коулун. Просто го обичам.
Благодарна съм от сърце за това, че тази идея я има и е споделена с всички нас. Благодарна съм и на Сугита Томоказу между другото, който играе изключително тук, толкова одухотворено и истински, толкова топло. Няма как да знаем това, но си мисля, че ролята му харесва, наистина му харесва и си е същински подарък за нас, зрителите. Предвид наложената му дистанцираност в Sakamoto Days, тук просто е Сугита на макс :D

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgia and the future on a collision course in swarming Kowloon as perceived by 2 real estate agents with opposite personalities. And yet...

Quite an original romance manga. Almost silent, it subtly lingers on habits and details, silhouetting the characters and their personalities on a pleasant background of diffuse melancholy. Recommended.

[lysareading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything in this first volume.

I found the drawing is quite similar to Akie Irie which is plus points for me. But, the last chapter, plot twist betul 😭 I'm shocked whenever I think about it.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

I'm not a tremendous fan of romance stories, but this was an adorable manga, and a great palette cleanser after all my usual stories.
Excellent art and story.

[Met · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jun Mayuzuki colpisce ancora. Questo primo volumetto di Kowloon, la sua nuova storia, è già da 5 stelle. Character design di un anime anni 90, luoghi e ambienti che emergono prepotenti dallo sfondo, tantissime vignette mute, ma soprattutto quelle sequenze dal taglio cinematografico che ADORO alla follia. Un’artista che non ha pura di impegnare pagine intere per raccontare pochi minuti, perché per sentire le emozioni non c’è alcuna fretta. E ci piace così.

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only just recently realised young people are obsessed with the long-disappeared Kowloon Walled City and here it is as the setting for a hauntological manga!

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art, great atmosphere, intriguing mystery. I really liked this one.

[Taiga · Rating 4 out of 5]

kurde chce kolejne tomy

klimat tej mangi totalnie mnie kupił, a jeszcze ta końcówka, potrzebuje kolejnych tomów jam najszybciej

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storia particolare , disegni fotonici!
Aspetto il secondo volume con ansia

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was quite a slow burner, but ended in a big "what the heck" moment. So guess I'll be preordering book 2. 😂

[A Thousand Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

[Enairolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce titre, je l’avais fortement repéré lors de sa sortie. Sa couverture avec ce violet et rose fluo avait beaucoup attiré mon regard. Et surtout ma curiosité. Ce premier tome m’a vraiment beaucoup donné envie. J’ai fini par me laisser tenter et je dois bien avouer que ce premier tome m’a absolument conquise!! J’ai adoré lire ce manga et j’ai hâte de découvrir la suite. Si le début nous offre une histoire de romance tout ce qui a de plus banal, la fin nous fait voir l’histoire tout autrement. Et lorsque j’ai découvert cette fin, clairement j’étais sur le cul tant c’était inattendu! Mais cette révélation va tout remettre en question et surtout va soulever un bon nombre de questions. Je me demande vraiment ce que la suite va nous donner! J’ai déjà beaucoup trop hâte.

On va suivre le personnage de Reiko, elle travaille dans une agence immobilière dans la ville de Kowloon. Cette ville est particulière. En effet l’ambiance à Kowloon est nostalgique et cette cité particulière est vouée à disparaitre… Reiko fait donc sa vie dans cette ville et plus le temps passe plus elle se rapproche de son collègue; Hajime. Mais plus elle le côtoie, plus elle ressent des émotions qui lui sont inconnues.. Serait ce l’amour qui vient de frapper à sa porte??

J’ai adoré cette histoire! Je ne suis pas la plus grande fan des histoires de romance dans les mangas mais je trouve que là elle est parfaite. C’est surtout le fait qu’elle se mette en place doucement. Je n’aime pas quand c’est beaucoup trop rapide, je trouve que ça gâche tout.. Alors que là pas de ça ici. J’ai adoré le personnage de Reiko. Elle est tellement touchante et on s’identifie facilement à elle. J’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé voir la relation entre Reiko et Hajime évoluer au fil des pages. Au début c’est une relation de haine/amour mais au fur et à mesure que l’on avance, on voit qu’elle évolue de plus en plus vers l’amitié/amour.

Bien que je ne sois pas la plus grande fan de romances dans les mangas, je dois dire que celle ci m’a convaincu. Elle est vraiment sympa à découvrir et surtout elle prend son temps, ce n’est pas une romance qui met deux pages à se mettre en place. Au contraire, les deux protagonistes s’entendent sans s’entendre et ça met un peu de piment. Mais c’est surtout la fin que je retiens! Mais quelle fin cruelle! Elle vous tombe dessus comme ça sans jamais s’y attendre! En tout cas cette fin nous promet une suite hyper intéressante!

[LaPommequirougit · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://lapommequirougit.com/2021/06/...

Wow, ce titre est complètement fou. L’histoire est sympa et on se laisse porter par le récit, mais la fin nous retourne complètement la tête !

Reiko travaille dans une agence immobilière de Kowloon. C’est une ville à l’ambiance nostalgique. Pourtant, cette citadelle est vouée à disparaître devant les édifices futuristes en construction de Generic Terra.

Mais la vie se poursuit malgré tout et plus le temps passe, plus Reiko est proche de son collègue Hajime. Elle éprouve une étrange nostalgie quand elle se trouve en sa présence. Serais ce ça l’amour ?

OH MON DIEU ! Ce titre est complètement inattendu et m’a bouleversé. Quand j’ai fermé la dernière page du tome, je ne savais plus quoi penser, que faire, trop de questions me venaient en tête et je n’avais qu’une envie : connaitre la suite !

Au début, nous nous laissons transporter par l’atmosphère particulière qui émerge de ce manga. Un sentiment de nostalgie s’empare également de nous, tout comme le personnage principal.

J’ai aimé voir la relation entre Reiko et Hajime évoluer. Une forme de relation haine/amour, comme les aime.

De plus les dessins sont atypiques et pour ma part, me plaise beaucoup. Ils ont un charme bien à eux.

Par contre, il devrait être interdit d’écrire une fin de tome pareil ! Non mais sérieusement ? Je me pose tellement de questions, j’ai tant envie de connaître la suite. J’avais déjà beaucoup aimé ma lecture, mais clairement la fin du tome qui a fait basculer cette histoire en coup de cœur pour ma part !

En bref, c’est un titre que j’ai adoré ! Je vous l’ai déjà dit, mais je vous le répète, préparez-vous bien pour la fin, vous n’êtes vraiment pas prêt ! Je suis déjà tellement impatiente de pouvoir avoir la suite entre les mains !

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So sexualized and horny on main, what the hell was that panel of her overheated and covered in white paint???

August 2023.
A really interesting mix of nostalgia versus encroaching change in the name of progress, almost like Blade Runner x In the Mood for Love 1950’s Hong Kong.
It’s interesting, intriguing, a slow burn with little hints about the sci fi elements behind the slice of life vibes, barely present in volume 1 but taking more of a role in volume 2.

A huge criticism for volume 1 that thankfully did not occur in volume 2: volume 1 will go from charming throwback art to hyper-sexualized borderline hentai in some panels and it’s so jarring and it really took away from it for me. Sometimes it’s needless shots of nipples or bending over in a way no other characters are sexualized (e.g., the male love interest isn’t shown sweaty with bulging muscles).
In one incredibly unnecessary scene it was her panting on her knees with her face flushed, covered in seat, and a puddle of white goo in her hands. The context was her painting an apartment white and overheating from no air conditioning 🙄
I’m someone who has read and enjoyed mature manga but it’s just so incredibly jarring and so only focused one on character only, it really bothered me.

I had borrowed volume 1 and 2 at once and didn’t see anything like that in volume 2, so I kept reading and enjoyed volume 2 much more. Since that sexualized art doesn’t continue and the sci fi part plays a bigger element, along with some more character development, I’m interested in checking out more volumes in the future.

“Kowloon Generic Romance” vol 1-2 by Jun Mayuzuki.

[Anli Tamaribuchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hyper sexualization of the mc took me out of the narrative (no thanks!), but the themes along with the mystery shrouding the story and setting drove home for me. Somehow it seems the story of “Kowloon” is linked to the girl’s history and there is an increasing feeling of a missing link behind the “generic romance” as they put it. It’s relatable if you’ve ever liked someone who doesn’t like you, ie a good way to revisit those feelings in a melancholic, sweet character and her friendship with her boneheaded colleague. The way he was introduced was great! It was so infuriating!! There is something about a character who hates the new tech, buys lottery tickets, and insults our mc for putting on eye cream because she’s apparently aiming too high…yet we know he loves shabby back allies as well as the lines under her eyes. Its hard to not be insulted when someone comments on your appearance unasked but here i interpreted it as a familiarity and closeness. Kowloon was a real city, which only adds intrigue. I must do more research on it, but in the context of the book, it represents a romantic spirit of nostalgia? There is a sci-fi element that’s painted in a hostile light, the enemy of the nostalgic, all that is bad about modernization and consumerism culture. These ideas very much intrigued me. Also, the ending will leave you confused but caught in the story’s elaborate fish net, although most of it focuses on the mundane.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being surprised by how good After the Rain was, I eagerly awaited the release of Mayuzuki’s follow-up work, Kowloon Generic Romance. And now that I’ve read it, I am eagerly awaiting the release of volume 2!!!

Two real estate workers in the walled city of Kowloon hang out, smoke cigarettes, and eat watermelon while discussing nostalgia. Also there’s like a satellite earth that people live on? So I guess it’s the future, or an alternate timeline, maybe? I don’t know. The world building is kind of like, the reader learns through the way the characters interact with their environment. It’s done well, and makes the world feel very authentic and lived-in. Like I don’t understand everything, but I feel confident more will be revealed as the narrative unfolds.

Mayuzuki continues to excel at the art of communicating feeling purely through art and the progression of panels, rather than text. Her art is very charming, the world of Kowloon is very gorgeous and gritty, feels very in line with Dorohedoro’s The Hole (which was also likely inspired by the real life Kowloon)

Anyway, this book is just firing on all cylinders for me, and I am very excited to see where it goes from here.

[AsianMerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I was going into this knowing there was a twist at the end. But as I kept reading I forgot about it and tbh the volume was just meh, it was “generic” pun intended. It was so middle of the road I forgot about the twist. The fan service was shrug worthy cause it felt forced and tbh I thought it was gonna go one way and then the twist happened and it stumped me. So good job on getting me there. I wonder what’s going on now so I will keep reading. Also art is very nice! Beautiful to look out, especially the spreads of the world.

[Zelawola · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Lo he disfrutado mucho! La estética retro y la ambientación en la ciudad de Kowloon le da muchos puntos por ser tan peculiar y porque parece estar bien documentado. Conforme avanzas se ve que no es un romance cualquiera y no tarda mucho en dejarlo claro. ¿Será ciencia ficción? ¿Horror? ¿Misterio? Quién sabe...

[Josée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trait de crayon ultra nostalgique et histoire qui se déplie tranquillement ; j'aime quand le mangaka rend crédible les réactions et comportements des personnages, en prenant le temps de raconter l'histoire, doucement, case par case. Lumineux. Très intéressant. Je vais poursuivre la lecture de la série.