#fireflowerworkreview

Basic Premise: Another isekai-cooking combo, with a focus on living out of a camper van.

My Review: This manga offers an interesting look at the rising popularity of camper vans and the concept of "glamping," but the plot is paper-thin. The main character doesn't demonstrate any unique character traits or any sort of individuality that distinguishes her from the thousands of other isekai protagonists in the market, and the side characters aren't much better than paper cutouts of tropes. The only part I can really say I enjoyed was how unique the recipes and cooking styles were, with the added comfort of the camper van and the expanded range of cooking techniques and options because of it.

Basic Premise: A punk bullies an otaku. Very simple, right? Nope--the otaku is a secret crossdresser who enjoys dressing up as the bright, refreshing, and sweet Hana who works at a maid cafe. The punk falls in love with this kind girl, but due to random circumstances, ends up crossdressing one day and saving Hana from some creeps. Hana proceeds to fall in love with the cool and slightly boyish (LOL) "Mei," who is really the punk that he insults daily. It's a classic case of mistaken identity, with plenty of shenanigans to match in this comedy-romance manga.

My Review: While it's not the most original plot, this manga is nice in that it both treats crossdressing seriously and manages to land most of its comedic beats while acknowledging the outlandish situation. Crossdressing is treated as a form of cosplay in this manga, with the accompanying level of difficulty and tools needed to "transform" oneself; while the whole "gloomy boy is magically an adorable girl when crossdressing" trope is still somewhat present, they delve into makeup tips, vocal training, clothing choices, etc. which shows that they've done some real research into how "crossdressing" works. I thought this was interesting and a refreshing depiction of crossdressing, especially as someone who does something similar for cosplay.

The two main characters are also quite fun. While they do come off a little one-note at first, both of them begin to branch out and show genuine growth as they grow more comfortable in their crossdressing personas--their "personas" aren't just out of nowhere, the otaku has a genuine passion and enjoyment of life that bleeds through as "Hana" and the punk is extremely loyal and enjoys feeling useful as both himself and "Mei". Their romance isn't terribly deep as "Hana" and "Mei," but they've been growing increasingly close as their ordinary selves too in a way that makes me have genuine hope for their eventual friendship.

Last note: Despite both of them enjoying crossdressing and putting hard work into their feminine appearances, there are not many transgender themes for the two MCs. Both of them are fairly explicit in that this is a hobby, and the author doesn't seem interested in exploring their gender identity beyond their nonchalance at being a "boy" or a "girl". However, one of the side characters has a backstory that could be read as transfem.

Basic Premise: A one-shot horror manga that explores an eerie concept: What if you were replaced by a doppleganger? Originally a winning submission in the "Horror Essay Awards" hosted by V Komi, which became serialized into this one-shot.

My Review: While this one-shot is fairly short (four quick chapters), it's extremely effective at conveying its tension-filled atmosphere. The main character, Lily, goes to a supermarket with her family but just as she gets in the car, she's suddenly in a world without any people or cars. As she makes her way through this world and frantically tries to reach her family, increasingly odd and eerie situations keep cropping up for both her and her family: Why is there a bus of people who look horrified at her very sight? Why is her family insisting that they didn't even go to that supermarket in the first place? Why are they asking her if it truly is "Lily" calling them?

These questions remain unanswered by the end of this manga. The manga doesn't look to craft a universe with concrete laws; instead, it asks questions that will leave you paranoid and looking over your shoulder. The atmosphere is impeccably built -- despite the rather simplistic style and short length, you truly feel the tension and uncomfortable horror of a "close call" once Lily's world is set "right".

I also enjoyed the way that there was no concrete resolution to this doppleganger situation. There isn't a guarantee that this will never happen again, nor is there any sort of explanation for what happened to her. Instead, there's a vague unease that both Lily and the reader feel. The horror and the awkwardly terrifying situation linger in the reader's mind.

Basic Premise: A "do-over" style reincarnation manhwa where she dies once, then mysteriously returns to life at a prior point in her timeline. Heavily romance-centric, as it largely focuses on how she bonds with her husband (from whom she was largely distant in her first life) and how said bond can be utilized to try to save them both from a doomed fate.

My Review: I did actually quite enjoy this manhwa. I can't say that the plot was amazing or intricately constructed, but that's not really the focus and the author seems to know it. The focus is, instead, on the relationship between go-getter Shurya and her husband, who she is determined to properly romance in her second chance at life. Shurya herself is not a character that I felt particularly on one way or another; she didn't fall into many of the lazy genre tropes that drive plot forward in what feel like cheap and contrived bursts of inspiration or stupidity, which I liked. She's naive, bright, dedicated, and absolutely interested in her husband, which are not particularly uncommon traits but which overall constructed a character that I felt fondly towards.

Her husband, Kardi, is both consistently respectful of her and similarly shows genuine interest. I actually did enjoy how the author portrayed him as hesitant, but not overly disinterested or frustratingly incompetent when it came to showing his interest in his wife. I like when love interests can be pathetic, but there's a line I draw...I was also surprised by how they allude to sexual interest alongside romantic interest multiple times. It's logical, as they are married nobles, but that topic is often "taboo" in these manhwas and it was honestly refreshing to see it discussed.

Their relationship is one which, overall, felt believable to me as "husband and wife," both in terms of mutual romantic interest and as a partnership.

Basic Premise: A simple 4-koma style gag manga about a "yankee" "dere-dere" girl and her nerdy boyfriend. (For clarification, "dere-dere" refers to a character that is overly loving and profusely expresses their love.)

My Review: This is not a gripping or an interesting manga. There's nothing particularly offensive about it, but there is absolutely zero characterization beyond the most basic character tropes and their interactions are so flat that I genuinely could not keep reading. I don't want to deem it as completely awful, but I frankly could not ever find any sort of interest in the plotlines.

As a 4-koma gag manga, much of its appeal lies in its ability to make quick and snappy jokes that can resonate with its audience. I admit that I'm not the best with 4-koma style of pacing or humor, but the lack of punchlines and coherency in character felt particularly egregious in this.

Basic Premise: The exciting daily life of Yotsuba, a creative and energetic child, and her community. A feel-good slice of life story with a rotating cast, particularly featuring her adoptive guardian, where a young girl learns more about herself and the world.

My Review: Yotsuba to! is a classic for a reason. This award-winning manga manages to straddle the line between heartwarming and genuine as easily as it depicts a naive child's enthusiasm for the world, crafting a rich universe with plenty of side characters that feel like their own unique individuals. I particularly loved Yotsuba's depiction--she's a five-year-old child who acts exactly her age. Having taught this exact age range in the past, I find that authors generally tend to make young children either far too childish or mature, but Yotsuba strikes a good balance between the two in a way that feels very realistic. She's a little overly naive, but the way her moods change and the way she views the world endears the reader to her very quickly.

I also liked how it didn't shy away from tackling aspects of daily life that aren't romanticized as often. There were many moments that were frustrating, but the way the mangaka depicted these with the same care as her carefree playtime lent it a lot of emotional weight.

Basic Premise: A monster-girl with nowhere to go is taken in by the owner of a magical western-Japanese style restaurant, whose restaurant welcomes all kinds of fantasy characters through its "magic doors". An anthology-style manga which uses food as its connections between many different kinds of individuals.

My Review: I've read quite a lot of these "magical restaurant door opens up to a fantasy world" mangas, and this remains one of my favorites. While the characters aren't especially unique and the dishes aren't anything special, they're described and illustrated with a care and affection that draws the reader in. The descriptions of the meals and the food served were particularly interesting to me--they don't over-rely on the trope of "wow what is this mysterious new food?". Instead, they offer simple dishes like those that might be present in a real-life western Japanese restaurants, adding a touch of nostalgia and familiarity that makes it feel like a real beloved eatery.

The rotating cast of characters ascribe to fairly common tropes for the genre, but I recall especially enjoying the bittersweet story of a half-elf adventurer who outlived his companions. It was handled with a grace that felt very mature, and managed to toe the line between heartwarming and heartbreaking with equal measure. The "focal character," the monster-girl in question, is gentle and sweet but not especially memorable. Still, she represents a fairly decent lens through which the mystical talents of the restaurant and its chef-owner shine.

Basic Premise: Two "girls", who are both "outside" of society in their own ways, deepen their relationship after Itou discovers that Takahashi is actually a human-devouring monster.

My Review: This manga is both thrilling and touching in turns, with two compelling main characters driving the plot forward. Itou is a classic weird girl, who desperately wants to fit in with her classmates at school but is unable to, and Takahashi is a seemingly perfect girl on the outside but longs to devour people. I especially liked the way that the mangaka depicted Itou's "weirdness" -- she's not cartoonishly bullied, nor is she particularly unpopular. Instead, she's just a little bit strange in her mannerisms and her understanding of "common sense," a trait which persists even after she grows closer to Takahashi.

Takahashi, too, is a compelling character despite being essentially an inhuman monster. She's bright and outgoing on the outside, but as the two grow closer, she reveals some of her darker impulses and is fully upfront with Itou about how even if she can mimic humans well, she will never truly care about her in the same way Itou does for her. The glimpses of her more vulnerable personality (when she spares Itou from death, or when she's sexually assaulted by their teacher and decides to eat him in defense) give her more depth and strength as a character beyond just "inhuman monster". Her relationship with Itou carries hints of a more romantic overtone in a classic "prey-and-predator"/"thrall" dynamic that makes me genuinely wonder if they'll take a turn into yuri at some point.

The plot isn't terribly exciting so far, but the mangaka has a way of depicting even their everyday school life with an eerie and disquieting tone, befitting the almost gothic style that they draw in.