In Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 4 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ) Ikeda Takashi brings his specific brand of wacky slice-of-life to a fantastic conclusion.

In the first three volumes of this series (Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3) we met Inazuka Wako, an aspiring voice actress and her lover Sakuma Eri, a script writer. The two of them have a happy relationship and a life filled with friends, and colleagues and neighbors. Both Eri and Wako are a bit silly, the way people often are and the situations they find themselves in are likewise, the kinds of stories we tell friends over and over.

In Volume 4, some old issues are resolved, new-old issues pop up, new-new issues arise and in the end, Wako and Eri continue to live happily ever after. There’s a lot that happens, but I’m not going to tell you about any of it, except for one thing. My favorite bit of the book is the segment when Eri buys new glasses. Some of the panels of Eri trying on glasses are breathtakingly drawn. Eri looks like an actual human.  But she’s drawn in a way that is simply stunning. I could fall in love with that woman on the page. honestly.

The good news is that you will soon be able to read this series in English! The Two Of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Volume 1 is headed our way in June, from Seven Seas, which makes this a fabulous Pride Month selection! This series has the same kind of wacky humor we loved in Ikeda’s Whispered Words, without the melodrama or misunderstandings. This is a great story about two queer women I’d have over for lunch any time, with the occasional heartbreakingly good portraiture.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Service – Less than the other volumes
LGBTQ+ – 10

Overall – 10

A perfect ending to a fabulous series.