Himawari-san is a fantasy about a time when there might have been a small, independent bookstore just across the street from your school. But even more than that, Himwari-san (ひまわりさん) is a fantasy about the slightly old-fashioned, mysterious and attractive woman who runs that bookstore and on whom we, inveterate readers and browsers of used bookstores that we are, might have naturally formed a crush.

In Himawari-san, Volume 3, it is all too obvious that Matsuri is us (and by making her not a reader, the creator allows for a wider audience to identify with her than if she were,) and that we, like Matsuri, have a crush on Himawari-san. ^_^

We already know that “Himawari-san” is a title, rather than a name; a title borne by the current owner of the Himawari Shoubo used book store Through Matsuri, we start to realize how little we know about the current owner of the title. And, through Matsuri we get glimpses of her past and present that we have no real claim to demand, but feel privileged to know.

Himawari-san is a fantasy of a past that probably never was, a present that isn’t and a future that is unlikely to be, but a pleasant fantasy nonetheless. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 3
Service – 1
Lesbian Favoring Bibliophile – 10

Matsuri is becoming more comfortable speaking of her crush on Himawari-san. And we’re getting glimpses that the current Himawari may well have felt the same way about the former Himawari. ^_^