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水野と茶山 #1-2
Mizuno and Chayama
Mizuno, the daughter of a mayoral candidate, is desperate to escape the suffocating pressure and scrutiny of smalltown life. Chayama, the heiress of the tea company Chayama-en, is adamantly walking down the path laid out for her, despite being forced to atone for her family's apparent misdeeds. Yet in the bubble of the school's third floor guidance counseling room-away from rumors, watchful eyes, and their feuding families-they're simply Mizuno and Chayama, two teenagers who find comfort and hope in each other. But when the outside world tries to tear them apart, the two must find a way to protect their relationship and, more importantly, themselves...
430 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2022
22 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Yuhta Nishio
12 books23 followersNISHIO Yuhta
Name (in native language): 西尾雄太
Tumblr: snobby-snob
Pixiv: 西尾雄太
Name (in native language): 西尾雄太
Tumblr: snobby-snob
Pixiv: 西尾雄太
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 15, 2023
Ah, maybe the this just didn't translate well?
As it reads, the characters were bland, the progression of the story was confusing, and I just wasn't invested in the romance here. Mizuno was actually a creep. The way this "romance" starts out was not entirely consensual and Mizuno does some things that violate Chayama's privacy in a big way. Not only is the violation not really addressed, Chayama apologizes for reacting badly to it. Problematic to say the least.
This a story about 2 daughters of fathers that appear to be on opposite sides, Mizuno is the daughter of a mayoral candidate who's proposed policies would apparently negatively impact Chayama's father, who runs a tea company. Because of this, Chayama's father insists she not associate with Mizuno. As far as I could see, Mizuno's father didn't seem to care that much about Chayama's family.
Mizuno gets a lot of attention around the town because of her father. Chayama is bullied because... everyone in town hates her family? I wasn't clear on that. Anyway, the bullying seems to go unchecked and even her own father doesn't treat her much better.
The only aspect of this story that I felt somewhat worked was the way Chayama and Mizuno were dedicated to keeping the one connection they had in the town that was meaningful. They go through a lot trying to stay together, even in secret, and that was something. Overall, I would not recommend this story, though.
As it reads, the characters were bland, the progression of the story was confusing, and I just wasn't invested in the romance here. Mizuno was actually a creep. The way this "romance" starts out was not entirely consensual and Mizuno does some things that violate Chayama's privacy in a big way. Not only is the violation not really addressed, Chayama apologizes for reacting badly to it. Problematic to say the least.
This a story about 2 daughters of fathers that appear to be on opposite sides, Mizuno is the daughter of a mayoral candidate who's proposed policies would apparently negatively impact Chayama's father, who runs a tea company. Because of this, Chayama's father insists she not associate with Mizuno. As far as I could see, Mizuno's father didn't seem to care that much about Chayama's family.
Mizuno gets a lot of attention around the town because of her father. Chayama is bullied because... everyone in town hates her family? I wasn't clear on that. Anyway, the bullying seems to go unchecked and even her own father doesn't treat her much better.
The only aspect of this story that I felt somewhat worked was the way Chayama and Mizuno were dedicated to keeping the one connection they had in the town that was meaningful. They go through a lot trying to stay together, even in secret, and that was something. Overall, I would not recommend this story, though.
May 9, 2022
CW: bullying.
With a vague sense of Adachi and Shimamura, this book follows two high school third-years as they struggle against the expectations of their small town, their parents, and maybe even themselves. Both Mizuno and Chayama want out, but they have different senses of what that means. At times their relationship veers into the unhealthy, at times it's all that supports them, and there's just a sort of sense of being lost that permeates their story. It still manages to be ultimately hopeful, and that feels like a triumph - both for the creator and for the characters themselves.
With a vague sense of Adachi and Shimamura, this book follows two high school third-years as they struggle against the expectations of their small town, their parents, and maybe even themselves. Both Mizuno and Chayama want out, but they have different senses of what that means. At times their relationship veers into the unhealthy, at times it's all that supports them, and there's just a sort of sense of being lost that permeates their story. It still manages to be ultimately hopeful, and that feels like a triumph - both for the creator and for the characters themselves.
May 16, 2022
[Content warning: bullying]
Chayama is heiress to the tea concern that employs the majority of the small town she lives in. The town doesn’t care for the company and Mizuno’s dad is trying to become mayor to strike back at them. But Chayama and Mizuno don’t exactly see one another as enemies… far, far from it…
Oh, who doesn’t love a good old ‘small towns are hell’ story? Poor Chayama is singled out for ruthless bullying at school and nobody does anything because they figure she’s living the good life. As if it wasn’t enough that she’s got no real path in life except the one set out for her to take over her family business.
Her one bright spot is when she’s hiding out in an old school office and Mizuno comes calling and the two of them have their illicit meetings away from prying eyes, which are exactly as flirty and lust-filled (and, arguably, as unhealthy, in certain respects) as you’d expect. Of course, this needs to stay a secret…
Mizuno despises her small town life and wants something more, even if something more might be right in front of her. But is that enough to keep her trapped without ever spreading her wings?
So begins a single volume tale, albeit a hefty one, that intertwines the burgeoning romance amidst the physical relationship of these two girls, the ridiculous nature of adults, and the bullying storyline, which rightly shows that most bullies are losers trying to make themselves feel better.
And it’s pretty strong, bordering right on greatness. There are a few points where I think the story’s reach exceeds its grasp, especially as far as the art is concerned, which is occasionally too obtuse for its own good (I still couldn’t tell what happened in the final encounter at the school until it was literally explained to me).
Mizuno is the main character and she’s a good choice since she has an in-road to all three of the major plot lines, often via the periphery, but that makes sense for a character whose only desire is to get the hell out of there. Though, as her relationship deepens, is that really the best choice for her?
The town politics are probably the least interesting story, but I will say that I absolutely loved the way it ended. It has some ‘here’s how the other half lives’ for Mizuno, not that she needed it, but it reinforces her desire to escape.
There is also a great moral that just because you hate a thing for no good reason doesn’t mean it’s true, no matter how much you want it to be. Seeing people caught up in a loud populist movement based on hate ranting about things that might be false? Resonant.
Not to say that the tea company is blameless, Chayama’s dad is a real bastard, but he also has the grim reality that these people are ready to just blow their foot clean off over, economically speaking. He’s a man used to getting what he wants and that extends to places where he should mind his own business.
The bullying stuff is wedged into the middle ground, just because it certainly works in some sympathy for the devil, but also shows that some people are total sheep in these scenarios and others are, well, borderline fanatical.
Some of this stuff is a bit overboard - the cast bit is kind of a lame revelation by the time that part gets wrapped up, although that character’s home life is something else. The bizarre climax of the story is also practically a weird Terminator-style riff that didn’t land the way I think the author wanted it to.
It would be remiss not to broadly talk about the ending proper, which doesn’t go for the happiest outcome, instead opting for the more realistic one. Honestly, I think this was the better choice because it’s still very hopeful and stays true to the series’ point about finding those little moments of happiness wherever and however you can.
I’d say that none of these plots is necessarily dug into as deeply as it could be, but for a short book like this it definitely does enough to get its point across. If you’re looking for the next long series in your life, obviously this isn’t it, but you could do much worse than this for a short read, especially in the yuri space.
Mizuno and Chayama work as a pairing, even if they begin as a life preserver for the other to cling to. By the end we see the fruits of what they’ve sown slowly blossoming and it makes for a sweet progression, with some spice mixed in and all the ‘oh, no!’ and ‘woo!’ moments you’d expect - the scene at the fireworks festival is cheap as heck, but it works anyway and I totally adored it, even as I was shaking my head. That’s this story in a nutshell, more or less.
4 stars - strong one-and-done, very strong. Yeah, it goes too far sometimes and doesn’t quite get there, but I would infinitely prefer something trying with all its heart than something that sticks in its lane. Which, hey, I’m glad the mangaka took their own advice on that count.
Chayama is heiress to the tea concern that employs the majority of the small town she lives in. The town doesn’t care for the company and Mizuno’s dad is trying to become mayor to strike back at them. But Chayama and Mizuno don’t exactly see one another as enemies… far, far from it…
Oh, who doesn’t love a good old ‘small towns are hell’ story? Poor Chayama is singled out for ruthless bullying at school and nobody does anything because they figure she’s living the good life. As if it wasn’t enough that she’s got no real path in life except the one set out for her to take over her family business.
Her one bright spot is when she’s hiding out in an old school office and Mizuno comes calling and the two of them have their illicit meetings away from prying eyes, which are exactly as flirty and lust-filled (and, arguably, as unhealthy, in certain respects) as you’d expect. Of course, this needs to stay a secret…
Mizuno despises her small town life and wants something more, even if something more might be right in front of her. But is that enough to keep her trapped without ever spreading her wings?
So begins a single volume tale, albeit a hefty one, that intertwines the burgeoning romance amidst the physical relationship of these two girls, the ridiculous nature of adults, and the bullying storyline, which rightly shows that most bullies are losers trying to make themselves feel better.
And it’s pretty strong, bordering right on greatness. There are a few points where I think the story’s reach exceeds its grasp, especially as far as the art is concerned, which is occasionally too obtuse for its own good (I still couldn’t tell what happened in the final encounter at the school until it was literally explained to me).
Mizuno is the main character and she’s a good choice since she has an in-road to all three of the major plot lines, often via the periphery, but that makes sense for a character whose only desire is to get the hell out of there. Though, as her relationship deepens, is that really the best choice for her?
The town politics are probably the least interesting story, but I will say that I absolutely loved the way it ended. It has some ‘here’s how the other half lives’ for Mizuno, not that she needed it, but it reinforces her desire to escape.
There is also a great moral that just because you hate a thing for no good reason doesn’t mean it’s true, no matter how much you want it to be. Seeing people caught up in a loud populist movement based on hate ranting about things that might be false? Resonant.
Not to say that the tea company is blameless, Chayama’s dad is a real bastard, but he also has the grim reality that these people are ready to just blow their foot clean off over, economically speaking. He’s a man used to getting what he wants and that extends to places where he should mind his own business.
The bullying stuff is wedged into the middle ground, just because it certainly works in some sympathy for the devil, but also shows that some people are total sheep in these scenarios and others are, well, borderline fanatical.
Some of this stuff is a bit overboard - the cast bit is kind of a lame revelation by the time that part gets wrapped up, although that character’s home life is something else. The bizarre climax of the story is also practically a weird Terminator-style riff that didn’t land the way I think the author wanted it to.
It would be remiss not to broadly talk about the ending proper, which doesn’t go for the happiest outcome, instead opting for the more realistic one. Honestly, I think this was the better choice because it’s still very hopeful and stays true to the series’ point about finding those little moments of happiness wherever and however you can.
I’d say that none of these plots is necessarily dug into as deeply as it could be, but for a short book like this it definitely does enough to get its point across. If you’re looking for the next long series in your life, obviously this isn’t it, but you could do much worse than this for a short read, especially in the yuri space.
Mizuno and Chayama work as a pairing, even if they begin as a life preserver for the other to cling to. By the end we see the fruits of what they’ve sown slowly blossoming and it makes for a sweet progression, with some spice mixed in and all the ‘oh, no!’ and ‘woo!’ moments you’d expect - the scene at the fireworks festival is cheap as heck, but it works anyway and I totally adored it, even as I was shaking my head. That’s this story in a nutshell, more or less.
4 stars - strong one-and-done, very strong. Yeah, it goes too far sometimes and doesn’t quite get there, but I would infinitely prefer something trying with all its heart than something that sticks in its lane. Which, hey, I’m glad the mangaka took their own advice on that count.
October 13, 2022
It’s rare to find a sapphic manga about two teen girls in love that doesn’t involve fetishization. This story has some powerful imagery, especially regarding Chayama in the first half of the story when she was dealing with bullying and seeing Mizuro as her only “light”, there was this one panel where she said “don’t take my light away” that really made me feel for her. But overall the story was paneled in a way that is nonsensical, Chayama and Mizuro’s relationship, albeit sweet, was underdeveloped and rushed. Also the whole conflict regarding the town and the two girl’s rival families and their interests isn’t flashed out so well. The bully/antagonist character was meant to be sympathetic I think but just came across as a sociopath who changed their mind super quick in the end?? Like if not for Chayama and how uncomfortably relatable she reminds me of my personality when I was closeted queer and bullied in middle school, I think I would have dnfed this even tho it’s such a rare sapphic manga.
November 10, 2024
3.5
I'm going to be honest, I didn't get half of the book but that's alright I still liked it.
The book touches deep topics and some of the times not in the best way, I like the relationship between the main characters and the problems around them (is not that I literally like the problems
I HATE HATE CHAYAMAS DAD
I loved Mizuno and how she realized everything at one point (feelings-wise) they had an interesting relationship and really strong feelings are holding it up.
The last half had me going crazy but I liked the end, wish to put quotes but I don't remember enough to do so.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't get half of the book but that's alright I still liked it.
The book touches deep topics and some of the times not in the best way, I like the relationship between the main characters and the problems around them (is not that I literally like the problems
I HATE HATE CHAYAMAS DAD
I loved Mizuno and how she realized everything at one point (feelings-wise) they had an interesting relationship and really strong feelings are holding it up.
The last half had me going crazy but I liked the end, wish to put quotes but I don't remember enough to do so.
July 9, 2022
4.5 stars.
Although in this manga, the MCs are high school girls in a backwater small town, it, unlike the usual fluffy high-schooler, was full of the ugly grown-up reality and set to deal with the old conflict between one’s personal freedom and the burden inherited from family business. It was the kind of realistic story that the tone was sort of heavy and dark. That is, Mizuno and Chayama, the two girls charming and passionate with each other in their own unique way, in order to survive they had to endure the harassment & the bully, but still held firmly unto their own faith. There were bruises and unease through the story, girls beaten up by the real world but hang on. I was glad Nishio Yuhta sensei’s cooly whimsical style undoubtedly helped the readers to breathe quite a bit.
Even though it was far from the ideal, I couldn’t help but fall very much in love with Mizuno and Chayama,
Although in this manga, the MCs are high school girls in a backwater small town, it, unlike the usual fluffy high-schooler, was full of the ugly grown-up reality and set to deal with the old conflict between one’s personal freedom and the burden inherited from family business. It was the kind of realistic story that the tone was sort of heavy and dark. That is, Mizuno and Chayama, the two girls charming and passionate with each other in their own unique way, in order to survive they had to endure the harassment & the bully, but still held firmly unto their own faith. There were bruises and unease through the story, girls beaten up by the real world but hang on. I was glad Nishio Yuhta sensei’s cooly whimsical style undoubtedly helped the readers to breathe quite a bit.
Even though it was far from the ideal, I couldn’t help but fall very much in love with Mizuno and Chayama,
March 27, 2023
The story is interesting enough - a queer take on Romeo and Juliet with opposing political powers at the center. But at the end of the day there was too much going on, even for a manga with over 400 pages. I hardly knew what was happening because things moved at such a weird speed. However, they're such a cute couple and I would protect them with my life
January 30, 2024
What did I just read? Something must have gotten lost in translation because I swear none of that made sense to me. I tried to follow along, I really did, but I was just lost from beginning to end. Should have DNFed this one.
June 1, 2022
I really wanted to love this. So many yuri and shoujo ai manga use the characters’ sexualities as the main source of tension or conflict. I was interested in this manga specifically because the sexuality of these characters wasn’t the crux of the story. It was an aspect of their personalities, but there was a larger story to be told. Unfortunately, the storytelling in this felt very disjointed. Maybe a lot of the meaning was lost in translation? I felt like I had to try very hard to piece together a coherent scene or conversation. It almost felt like full panels had been removed to reduce the number of pages it was taking up. I wanted to love this a lot, but in the end it didn’t feel satisfying.
The art style is different from the very clean, detailed manga I’m used to reading, though, and I enjoyed seeing how the rough line work really enhanced scenes that felt chaotic. In some parts, it worked really well. But for the more mundane or cute scenes, it felt kind of meh. 3/5 happy I read it, kinda sad it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
The art style is different from the very clean, detailed manga I’m used to reading, though, and I enjoyed seeing how the rough line work really enhanced scenes that felt chaotic. In some parts, it worked really well. But for the more mundane or cute scenes, it felt kind of meh. 3/5 happy I read it, kinda sad it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
July 27, 2025
TW: Bullying, Harassment
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This manga gives off this calm destructive feel to me. Probably because of the storytelling and the voice of the Chayama and Mizuno which was kind of calm and I guess with an obvious resignation on them.
I was thinking that the whole family rivalry and secret relationship would play more in the story but I was wrong, the bullying plot was more prominent here.
I really did enjoy the dynamics between Chayama and Mizuno and was hoping for the rivalry and secret relationship to play more role in their relationship and of course in the story because I really think it would bring more impact to it.
The ending was kind of an open ending to me and I think it was rather suitable for the whole story considering the atmosphere it was giving. There's not much of a resolution for the bullying here, though.
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This manga gives off this calm destructive feel to me. Probably because of the storytelling and the voice of the Chayama and Mizuno which was kind of calm and I guess with an obvious resignation on them.
I was thinking that the whole family rivalry and secret relationship would play more in the story but I was wrong, the bullying plot was more prominent here.
I really did enjoy the dynamics between Chayama and Mizuno and was hoping for the rivalry and secret relationship to play more role in their relationship and of course in the story because I really think it would bring more impact to it.
The ending was kind of an open ending to me and I think it was rather suitable for the whole story considering the atmosphere it was giving. There's not much of a resolution for the bullying here, though.
October 31, 2022
I really liked this one, the art style was so interesting, the nuanced and quite dark take on teenage struggles, especially the bullying and the reasons for it, was all very engaging. Also, I liked that the focus weren't on them being queer but that their conflict as a couple was rooted in external circumstances. This story had layers.
January 4, 2024
Beautifully realized art and almost dreamlike non-plot, a story of two daughters of dubious, influential men, falling in love and facing the pressures of high school, severe bullying, and an impending graduation. I loved the way that lesbianism wasn’t the main point of conflict or discovery here — it’s simply a fact of their lives. I really wished for a meatier plot, though, rather than a fast-floating tour of a world that seemed to be far more complex than the readers got to know.
April 16, 2023
very very deep
September 9, 2025
I have no clue what this manga was about, like I didn't follow at all. Only thing I remeber is the weird denglish they used in the german translation I read. Also whats up with the weird lack of consent????
June 8, 2023
would be three stars but I'm knocking a star off for the super troubling relationship aspects which I'll discuss near the bottom in case people want to avoid spoilers
Mizuno and Chayama is a yuri about two star-crossed lovers, unable to be together b/c their fathers are running against each other in their towns election. it's also b/c they're both girls, but this reason is only briefly touched on and the main focus is how different the two girls are and how the town itself is keeping them apart due to social pressures
honestly this follows some pretty basic beats, especially for a Japanese high school romance drama. it has the same mood as many coming-of-age stories, a bittersweetness with flashes of extreme pain (due to bullying and/or abuse) or the lightness of puppy love (the two main girls relationship is hardly fleshed out). there's overdramatic scenes in the rain and during storms. throw in an occasional musing on homophobia and you've got a pretty good picture of how this whole thing will play out
the paneling and action can be confusing at times; I often found myself rereading multiple panels to try and understand what was being depicted, especially in scenes near the end. there's an entire subplot that is not given time to breathe (as it exists solely to inject high drama and stakes into the story) and is wrapped up extremely quickly in a very unsatisfying way. it also took me far too long to realize mizuno's dad was running an anti-pollution campaign and that chayama's dad's company was the alleged pollutant. I think this is more a translation issue than anything else.
as for the troubling relationship aspects... tw sexual assault + lack of consent
for the "start" of their relationship, mizuno basically assaults chayama, kissing her out of nowhere (they had barely ever spoken!) and getting a little physical in the process, then smugly proclaiming "you must have liked that" when she's pushed away. weeks later, mizuno takes an audio recording of the two of them going at it w/out chayama's consent or knowledge. she only confesses when she loses her phone, which causes chayama to become irate and throw a pair of scissors at mizuno (I honestly don't blame her!), which chayama apologizes for later (mizuno never gives an authentic apology for recording w/o consent, just seems embarrassed to be caught). afterwards, the two are depicted as blissfully in love, and none of these topics are really touched on again.
I don't think yuri needs to be light and fluffy to be good, but it is upsetting to see such blatant red flags shown as mere roadbumps in a relationship. instead of taking mizuno to task for her clear lack of concern for chayama's personal boundaries and agency, these incidents are played as sexy or as comedy. the part where chayama throws scissors at mizuno, nearly stabbing her in the face, is played as lighthearted slapstick instead of a girl violently responding to being sexually violated.
this would have been a pretty middle-of-the-road yuri except for everything stated above. nothing that exciting or different, overly melodramatic, and honestly could have had the main couple switched to m/f and been practically the same.
Mizuno and Chayama is a yuri about two star-crossed lovers, unable to be together b/c their fathers are running against each other in their towns election. it's also b/c they're both girls, but this reason is only briefly touched on and the main focus is how different the two girls are and how the town itself is keeping them apart due to social pressures
honestly this follows some pretty basic beats, especially for a Japanese high school romance drama. it has the same mood as many coming-of-age stories, a bittersweetness with flashes of extreme pain (due to bullying and/or abuse) or the lightness of puppy love (the two main girls relationship is hardly fleshed out). there's overdramatic scenes in the rain and during storms. throw in an occasional musing on homophobia and you've got a pretty good picture of how this whole thing will play out
the paneling and action can be confusing at times; I often found myself rereading multiple panels to try and understand what was being depicted, especially in scenes near the end. there's an entire subplot that is not given time to breathe (as it exists solely to inject high drama and stakes into the story) and is wrapped up extremely quickly in a very unsatisfying way. it also took me far too long to realize mizuno's dad was running an anti-pollution campaign and that chayama's dad's company was the alleged pollutant. I think this is more a translation issue than anything else.
as for the troubling relationship aspects... tw sexual assault + lack of consent
for the "start" of their relationship, mizuno basically assaults chayama, kissing her out of nowhere (they had barely ever spoken!) and getting a little physical in the process, then smugly proclaiming "you must have liked that" when she's pushed away. weeks later, mizuno takes an audio recording of the two of them going at it w/out chayama's consent or knowledge. she only confesses when she loses her phone, which causes chayama to become irate and throw a pair of scissors at mizuno (I honestly don't blame her!), which chayama apologizes for later (mizuno never gives an authentic apology for recording w/o consent, just seems embarrassed to be caught). afterwards, the two are depicted as blissfully in love, and none of these topics are really touched on again.
I don't think yuri needs to be light and fluffy to be good, but it is upsetting to see such blatant red flags shown as mere roadbumps in a relationship. instead of taking mizuno to task for her clear lack of concern for chayama's personal boundaries and agency, these incidents are played as sexy or as comedy. the part where chayama throws scissors at mizuno, nearly stabbing her in the face, is played as lighthearted slapstick instead of a girl violently responding to being sexually violated.
this would have been a pretty middle-of-the-road yuri except for everything stated above. nothing that exciting or different, overly melodramatic, and honestly could have had the main couple switched to m/f and been practically the same.
February 26, 2023
Disappointing because it could have been so poignant.
As the story of two girls expected to hate one another (who certainly do not), this manga attempts to tackle many things; bullying, social isolation, the pressure to conform to expectations, and the struggle to be oneself in a place where everyone knows you. It has nuance, it has darkness, it has hope and heaviness in equal measure in a way that feels quite real.
However.
This manga (in English at least) lacks coherency in either plot or pacing. While reading it I wondered more than once if something had been lost in translation, as scenes were sometimes disjointed and unclear in a way that made it very difficult to follow. I found the second half a slog because I spent so much time feeling as though I'd missed something. Which given the strength of the themes, really is a shame.
The art is gorgeous though.
As the story of two girls expected to hate one another (who certainly do not), this manga attempts to tackle many things; bullying, social isolation, the pressure to conform to expectations, and the struggle to be oneself in a place where everyone knows you. It has nuance, it has darkness, it has hope and heaviness in equal measure in a way that feels quite real.
However.
This manga (in English at least) lacks coherency in either plot or pacing. While reading it I wondered more than once if something had been lost in translation, as scenes were sometimes disjointed and unclear in a way that made it very difficult to follow. I found the second half a slog because I spent so much time feeling as though I'd missed something. Which given the strength of the themes, really is a shame.
The art is gorgeous though.
December 9, 2022
It was just ...ok? The story plot felt rushed at times and i didnt connect and love the characters as much as i wish i did.
July 4, 2023
Probably should have just DNFd this at chapter 3 when I was considering it. This didn't really resonate with me, and I found it a bit hard to follow though that could be my newness to manga.
May 12, 2022
'Mizuno and Chayama' is the story of two girls trying to escape the roles they've been unwillingly cast into, caught up in vicious small-town politics, one a popular girl on a pedestal, the other a scapegoat princess. Their only respite is a secret romance together, carrying on in abandoned schoolrooms where no one else can see them. An upcoming mayoral election mean that more eyes than ever are watching, but can they find a way to break free from the pressures of society? This is an excellent story about public and private faces, about social expectations and family legacy, about love that lives in small quiet moments, and the weird warping of reality when everyone else knows who you should be. The art is gorgeous and detailed, and I loved all the emotions is conveyed - you really got a good feeling of Mizuno and Chayama's attraction to each other, the ugly apathy of the people who see them only as proxies for their parents, and the vicious, confused school bully venting the formless anger that fills the town. It's all good and dramatic and builds to a climactic confrontation and an amazing resolution of all the emotions the story has been been playing with the whole time -- it's hard to recommend this enough, and also it's all contained in a single volume! So yeah, if you like forbidden romance, tense emotional stakes, and girls in love, you really should go read this!
July 31, 2022
Algo difícil de seguir en ciertos tramos, pero la historia central lo compensa. Es interesante que el tema de la sexualidad de las protagonistas no sea el centro de la trama, sino que una anecdota, que a pesar de ser un aspecto importante del conflicto, no es lo que las mantiene separadas ni lo que les impide aspirar a un futuro juntas. Más bien, lo que sí lo hace es el conflicto ambiental y político del pueblo que habitan, en el cual sus familias están a la cabeza de dos bandos contrarios. Lo primero que me llamó la atención, originalmente, es el arte que se ve en las primeras hojas de este manga, en el twitter del autor, y que a lo largo del tomo se mantiene constante, con ciertas elecciones bastante llamativas.
Algo más serio que el yuri habitual, quedé conforme con saber por fin el contexto y los detalles de la historia que une a las protagonistas de esos dibujos originales que vi hace tanto tiempo atrás.
Algo más serio que el yuri habitual, quedé conforme con saber por fin el contexto y los detalles de la historia que une a las protagonistas de esos dibujos originales que vi hace tanto tiempo atrás.
June 15, 2022
A bittersweet romance about two girls struggling under the weight of their families. Mizuno and Chayama are both only daughters to families battling for control of their small town, forced to bear the role of future successors. Mizuno rages against this behind sweet smiles, while Chayama has come to accept the inevitable in stoic silence. Seeing these two grow in their love for one another, realizing just how far they're willing to go, really makes this enemy hookup turned star-crossed love story worth the read. Fair warning, it's not light-hearted and definitely not something you can skim through. Reading it is a bit of a commitment, but I think the fact that I'm still picturing that final scene means it's worth it. (Also the art? Absolutely to die for)
June 20, 2022
This one shot covers the story of two girls from opposing political background who share a forbidden romance. The visuals and emotion were great, I was overly impressed. Where this manga fell short for me though is the story itself, it was hard to follow at times and I wish the conflict wasn’t so easily resolved. Especially with the parents, it would have been nice if we got to see the families clash. I expected a story where the main characters had to really fight more for their love. Overall it was a nice read, but could have been better in my opinion.
September 10, 2023
This one is a good read. It's about two girls from two families and those families hate each other but the two girls fall in love with each other and try to do anything they can to stay together.
I liked their relationship but there's one part that I didn't like at all (recording sounds when 'doing it' without the consent of the other person is a big red flag) but besides that, I loved them together.
I do wish the bullying plot was resolved better? The ending was kind off confusing.
Overall still a nice book. I enjoyed reading it.
I liked their relationship but there's one part that I didn't like at all (recording sounds when 'doing it' without the consent of the other person is a big red flag) but besides that, I loved them together.
I do wish the bullying plot was resolved better? The ending was kind off confusing.
Overall still a nice book. I enjoyed reading it.
November 18, 2025
It was a cute read, but the premise was just a little silly for me. I wasn't too interested in what was happening in their lives, since it seemed rather uninteresting for me but it's similar to a Romeo and Juliet situation, as they are from different 'rival' families. I do wish the author would dive more into the characters and fleshed them out a bit more. It seemed rather bare bones with surface problems. By the end of the book, I didn't feel much for the characters. Not a bad read, but it was just okay.
February 12, 2023
I feel bad rating this three stars because it was good and I recommend it!!
It's one of the hard to find wlw manga that doesn't feel fetishized, so it was delightful to read in that aspect
the two stars off was simply the fact the story just, didn't really impact me? the two main characters have cute moments that I found delightful, but despite things happening, it didn't actually feel like much happened.
tl;dr: I liked it but just wasnt as captivating as I hoped
It's one of the hard to find wlw manga that doesn't feel fetishized, so it was delightful to read in that aspect
the two stars off was simply the fact the story just, didn't really impact me? the two main characters have cute moments that I found delightful, but despite things happening, it didn't actually feel like much happened.
tl;dr: I liked it but just wasnt as captivating as I hoped
November 23, 2024
Normally a yuri love story would be one of my fave things to read, but this does not seem to have hit the mark for me. The pacing was a bit strange, the characters felt quite stale, the bullying wasn't properly addressed in my opinion, the weird behaviours by the girls was not recognised, and frankly I often couldn't understand exactly what was going on ... idk I hoped this would be more fun I guess.
June 4, 2022
I am not sure exactly what it is, but I had issues getting into the flow of the story as well as following along. That said, the art in this book is pretty spectacular and emotional. I may need to give it another go, but on visuals alone and the elements of the story that I did enjoy I was overly impressed with this omnibus release.
July 9, 2022
A sad story, but it ends on a good note.
Violence, fights, threats, vandalism, assaults, and more. It seems that everything is trying to come between these two young lovers. There's a lot of struggling, but in the end, the girls finally end up together. Just not exactly how you expect it. Overall, a good story. Definitely worth a read.
Violence, fights, threats, vandalism, assaults, and more. It seems that everything is trying to come between these two young lovers. There's a lot of struggling, but in the end, the girls finally end up together. Just not exactly how you expect it. Overall, a good story. Definitely worth a read.
July 19, 2024
2'5 ⭐
Se me ha hecho bastante aburrido, sobre todo la primera mitad. Creo que es por el autor, que sencillamente no conecto con su forma de narrar. Me leí también su manga After Hours y tampoco me gustó demasiado. Este ha estado un poco mejor, pero no es de mis yuris favoritos de entre los que he leído.
Se me ha hecho bastante aburrido, sobre todo la primera mitad. Creo que es por el autor, que sencillamente no conecto con su forma de narrar. Me leí también su manga After Hours y tampoco me gustó demasiado. Este ha estado un poco mejor, pero no es de mis yuris favoritos de entre los que he leído.
June 16, 2022
This was just okay, in my opinion. I really like the art style, but I felt like the story was a bit disjointed? I'm not sure if the problem there is with the writing itself or just the translation, though.
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