If there was a “Perfect Manga About Pop Idols Who Are Adults”* award, Maitsuki Niwatsuki Ooyatsuki – Monthly With Ooya, Volume 4 would win, hands down. We’ve already seen Yodokawa handle adults having important conversations in Volume 3. Volume 4 was just about the most perfect volume of manga I have ever read. 

I don’t want to beat around the bush here – Suga’s issues around her birthday and Miyako trying to figure out how to celebrate, was resolved in a way so kind-hearted and human that I was deeply moved. For the thousands of horrible “pretend everyone forgot their birthday, so they can do a surprise party” manga, I at least have one manga in which a person who has trauma around their birthday was treated with gentle kindness. I will cling to this volume forever. But wait! There’s more!

As we learned in earlier volumes, Suga’s landlord, Miyako, is the former lead of a pop idol group, Elm. The new leader, Samukawa Ruri, know as Osamu, is a very serious and dedicated lead. And she’s working too hard. When she wants to detox, she’s showing up at the mangaka Suga edits for, Hato’s home. Hato struggles with what kind of relationship she and Osamu have – especially as she is a fan. This, too, is handled with gentleness and humanity, taking what might have been an overwrought situation and turning it into a good lesson on how to be a decent human.

And, finally, Suga takes Miyako home to meet her parents. Everything about this scenario could have been awful, full of terrible tropes, and yet, if was one of the most delightful things I have read so far this year. In the end I was left feeling very good about having read this volume and happy for both the characters and myself. I am all in for hygge in my manga and this manga is hygge, from Miyako’s and Suga’s comfy slippers right up to dinner made with love.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 10
Character – 10
Service – 0
Yuri – 9

Overall – 10

Where we’ll go with Miyako and Suga is clearly not nearly as important as how we’ll be going – with love, kindness and some delicious food. Volume 2 of Monthly In The Garden With My Landlord hit shelves in English this week, from Yen Press.

*As opposed to my “perfect novellas about pop idols who are adults,” obvs. ^_^