Joyful Days?

Status: Complete

Meet Keigo Saitou, a young high school student who has had a crush on his classmate Arai for years. Sadly for him, though, Arai hasn't noticed a single thing, and only sees him as a close friend. She's trying to live the Shoujo Dream, but Saitou manages to crop up whenever she's hoping to find that One True HS Love. A cute little winter's tale, perfect for that waiting you need to do for a video to finish buffering.

Art - 6.5 / 10.0
Very standard. The boy isn't a bishie, but I guess that's sort of the point. The characters look realistic, as does the landscape. But it's your textbook shoujo when it comes to the style.

Plot/Concept - 7.6 / 10.0
Kudos for having a romantic shoujo told from a male lead's POV for once instead of a female's, but the plot didn't win any major brownie points with me. It was a very sweet and light read, but I have a feeling I'll forget it after another manga or two. Bonus points for no random love/hate/kiss-at-first-sight scenarios, though.


Characters - 7.7 / 10.0
Realistic, easy to relate to, but nothing special. Arai is a bubbly and happy-go-lucky girl with a positive outlook on life, able to find something entertaining about everything; Saitou is just your average guy (though maybe a tad smarter). No bishie stereotype here, so another plus for that -- but there's nothing anchoring you to the characters, so I feel little to nothing for them.

Romance - 7.5 / 10.0
Cute enough. Once again, emphasis on the realism. But hardly anything when it comes to the field of doki-doki action.

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Well, this was rather... short. I've read plenty of oneshots, but for a 50-page-turner, I'd at least expect a little more action than I was given. It was just the right balance between sweet and cliché, but that's about it. There's nothing negative about it, at least. If you've got time to spare, this is perfect. You can finish it in a matter of minutes. Other than that, there's nothing special.

Overall Rating - 7.4 / 10.0
Credit for scans: Esthetique