Previous volumes of Shimura Takako’s adult life drama have centered on three adults whose life has been thrown into turmoil by unexpected emotions. Otona ni Nattemo, Volume 5 (おとなになっても) is about the people around Ayano, Akari and Wataru and how their lives are likewise thrown into chaos because of unexpected emotions.

On Sunday I reviewed Arcane on Netflix here on Okazu. My one real criticism was that there were no adults in the story. In Otona ni Nattemo, all the characters are adulting to some extent, even the children.

Ayano is watching two girls in her class carefully, because she’d like to be there for them, as their nascent relationship bumps up against society and peer pressure. The two girl,s who are, what 10 or 11?, are maturing in real time as they weigh who they can trust with what information. Ayano and they are watching each other watching each other, trying to see a path forward that causes the least pain. But it may be too late, as cracks in their friendship are coming from somewhere else.

Ayano is starting to see pieces of her life with more clarity, while Wataru is trying to patch up the present to make it resemble a past he’s more comfortable with. Akari has returned to her starting place, but for once, she’s looking forward with some vigor.

In this volume we spend a lot of time with Wataru’s sister Eri and I find that I like her a lot. She knows there’s something wrong with her, but she’s not getting the help she needs…and like so many women, tends to blame herself. When she finds herself drawn into a relationship despite herself, she is smart enough to see that she’s over her head, and wise enough to understand what it means. This leads to a wonderfully honest and tense scene between Eri and Akari, where they connect over being in love with someone unobtainable. 

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri / Queer – Getting queerer, as Ayano is starting to think she might always have been bi, or gay. 

Overall – 8

Where these people will find themselves in the next volume I can’t guess, but…this is the kind of writing I long for. Sure there are coincidences and handwaves; mostly there are people trying to make sense of all the things life throws at them, even though they are adults.