Author: Yanagida Fumita
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shounen
Status: Ongoing
Introduction
It all began with mild, adorable snippets of the manga posted on Facebook by various anime pages. Now I’m absolutely hooked on it. A fluffy romcom manga with cute scenes and characters, seems pretty generic doesn’t it? Well, I think it’s quite the find and I’ll talk about why in this review article.
Storyline Premise
To be completely honest, I can’t seem to get what the plot of this manga is. It’s almost as if pure romance and comedy is the very substance of the manga itself with just enough storyline to keep it going.
The concept of the manga isn’t particularly unique. You’ll find plenty of shoujo and romance manga about rivals that eventually fall in love but what makes this manga special is how it manages to keep the readers entertained with occasional quality romantic content without much action in the main couple’s love life.
Despite that, there has undoubtedly been development albeit it being very slow. It really doesn’t rush into romance but when the scenes do come, it’s extremely cute but brief. Kinda makes you appreciate the adorableness a little bit more.
Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko seems to really rely on its comedy to attract the readers. There’s never a boring moment when it comes to this manga! Well, ignoring the fact you need to painfully wait for the next update.
Characterisation
There may not be much plot but there is a surprising amount of character development for a manga such as this. You’ll find characters that seem to be around merely for the sake of comedic relief but the development will progress at the perfect pace and the punch will hit you when you least expect it.
That’s something I can really appreciate coming from a lighthearted romcom. Something unpredictable.
With characters ranging from a crushing tomboy to a smug, sharp-tongued shortie, I find the interaction between the characters incredibly entertaining and sometimes even heartwarming.
Certain characters just burst with energy while some others are simply nonchalant and passive. The variety of personalities and the way they interact, be it romantically or platonically.
Art
The art is simple yet expressive. I personally love the variety of features in the character design, e.g. one can have thick blonde eyelashes and while another has constantly bored-looking eyes. It adds so much expression and personality to each character. The artstyle is also quite flattering and easily distinguishable.
Overall
It’s a very fluffy romcom manga that is a must read for all romance/comedy lovers out there. No distinguishable aspect in terms of the plot but undeniable major character developments take place, all at the right moments.
Great binge content for lazy days and just generally whenever you feel like it. Fall in love with the characters and keep up with their mischief in Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!
