Hinako understands what is “normal.” Her whole life she’s been told that for a woman, looking pretty, always smiling, wearing stylish clothes and makeup so that you can date a nice man and eventually marry and have a family is “normal.” And so, she does the normal things. But she knows she’s not “normal,” because she hates these things and hates herself for trying and failing to be what is expected of her. After yet another failed attempt at normality, Hinako meets a colleague, the apparently austere Satou Asahi, who is kind to her in a way Hinako has never experienced before. Slowly, Hinako begins to build a picture of what her own normal could be and it shakes her life up completely.
Yesterday I said that its rare to see a Yuri manga that really does the work – Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Volume 1, by Shio Usui does the work. There are no major handwaves here. Hinako doesn’t meet Asahi, get swept away and they live happily ever after. Instead, Asahi becomes a role model for Hinako to build a life for herself that makes her happy, something she had never before considered. Hinako still struggles with doing what is expected because it is expected, but Asahi is there showing her that it does not have to be accepted. Asahi believes in Hinako. As Asahi and Hinako grow closer, Hinako starts to believe in herself, as well.
This manga was tied for first (along with three other manga) on the Okazu Top Yuri Manga of 2020. There’s no secret as to why – I love everything about this manga. Usui-sensei’s art is exactly in my wheelhouse, the characters are terrific, the narrative is centered on self-acceptance and growth as a human. I’m so pleased that you too can read and enjoy this series now that it’s out in English from Seven Seas.
Jenny McKeon’s translation is terrific and has caused me to coin a new phrase – “light touch” translation, by which I mean the translation avoids heavy-handed literality in favor of feel and sense – i.e., how do we, as humans in 2021 say that in English, as opposed to how it was written in Japanese. I very much liked the light touch here, where it felt completely right.
Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 6
Service – 0 Not so much as a bath scene. What a pleasure
Overall – 8
As usual, the entire Seven Seas team did a great job bringing you one of my favorite manga I am reading right now as it is serialized in Comic Yuri Hime magazine. Some exceptional moments coming your way in Volume 2 when that hits shelves in July, I assure you.
My thanks to Seven Seas for the review copy, which means I will have an extra copy to give away when it shows up later this month.
To enter, put a comment below, telling us about a favorite food that always lifts your spirits! Mine is cookies. I love cookies and they never fail to make me happy. ^_^ Make sure you add in an email you actually use!
An utterly delightful Yuri manga about adults, centered on self-acceptance and growth as a human. Win-win-win!
My favorite food is a new one to me: taco salad. Enough romaine lettuce to mostly fill a large bowl, diced red onion, diced red, orange, yellow, or green pepper, lots of shredded cheese, a can of slightly cooled chili, and sour cream. Stir together and eat with tortilla chips. My satisfaction in it comes from the payoff of all the time it took me to prepare, which is the new part for me. I’m a lazy cook.
Nice!
I’m really looking forward to this one. Its so nice to see more manga with adults and growing beyond High School.
My fav pick me up food is anpan. there is a asian grocer i go to normally that i can get them here in the US. its one of those foods that brings back my childhood in a good way. it reminds me of the times i would go to my Obaachan’s house and she would give me those when i was feeling down.
Anpan are yum, I can totally imagine that would make you happy. ^_^
Yuri about adults AND self-acceptance and growth? I’ve been so excited for this to come out in English.
For the contest: blackberry pie. It’s impossible for me to eat blackberry pie without smiling. Also, blackberries are obnoxious weeds where I grew up, so blackberry pies were easy to make.
Nice! Fruit pie is definitely a good one for me, too. ^_^
I have a meal that I dream about more than any other. There is a vegan restaurant in Athens GA called The Grit that serves a Golden Bowl. It’s tofu “breaded” in nutritional yeast fried in soy sauce, with brown rice, assorted veggies, covered in “cheese”. I douse it in hot sauce, and eat it with a side of steamed broccoli with spicy peanut sauce.
This is my death row meal. Every time I visit Athens, I make a point to have this meal. If The Grit succumbs to the pandemic, I will be inconsolable.
That sounds amazing! I hope you get your dream meal one day soon.
Mmm not sure if it counts as a food but Hot Chocolate! One time I got a big tub of the stuff on a whim and my girlfriend and I started making it whenever one of us felt down. That kind of stuck so now whenever I’m feeling depressed I always make a cup of hot chocolate.
Awww, that’s a lovely pick-me-up!
Not sure if I can join the contest since I don’t live in the US, but let’s give it a try ^_^
A food that always lifts up my spirit is goiabada, a traditional sweet made of guavas, specially the one my grandma makes. I haven’t seen her in a long time because of the pandemic, but she still sends me some slabs from time to time.
Oh nice! Like a guava yokan. ^_^
I quite like the premise of this Yuri, at first I was expecting those easy romance stories so it was refreshing to hear that this is focused on self acceptance and growth, which I enjoy reading.
For my favourite meal, I like making Oyakodon which is a mix of chicken meat, eggs, onion and lightly season rice. I was inspired from a scene in a manga call Kakuriyo (Inn for the Spirits).
Oyakodon is super popular in my house, as well. ^_^
This manga is honestly worth reading! I hope you enjoy it.
After seeing the praise you have been giving this series for years, now, I have been very excited for the English release!
I also don’t live in the US, but I’ll participate. I am a chip fiend, I cannot have chips in my house because I will eat them all lol! So that makes chips a very special treat that always make me happy when I get them (until I realize I’ve eaten 3/4 of the bag in one sitting…). Lately I have been partial to all dressed chips, but ketchup chips are a fun flavor I hope everyone gets to try, too!
We also can’t keep chips in the house for that reason. ^_^
Yeah, I’m in. This is the most adorable pair of characters since Kase-san and Yamada. And yet, the kid sister steals every scene she’s in!
Food? Hands-down, vegetarian kim-chi ramen. And since SLC got two giant Asian markets within a half-block of each other, I no longer have to order them from amazon at double the retail price. Slurpy-sloppy eye-watering nose-runningly yummy.
Second choice is gourmet goat-cheese mac & cheese for the lactose-intolerant. But it’s not as comforty because I actually have to cook it myself (partner hates it) and it takes a couple of hours (if I have the requisite stinky goat-cheeses like osau iraty and marissa in the fridge, which I don’t because they’re only carried at one gourmet shop with lousy parking and it’s not comfort food if you gotta PLAN, man).
Subaru is great. ^_^
Oooh, kimchi ramen sounds brilliant.
We have a winner! We drew a number out of a hat and the winner is…Ivan!