The life of an employee in Human Resources is a never-ending push for making things better, at least according to Yuni’s Hitogoto Desukara, Volume 3 (ヒトゴトですか)ら!
This whole series has presented a pretty idealized version of HR, to be fair, and the main handwave we must accept to make this series work is that HR is there for the betterment of the employees’ experience. Once you accept that, business becomes a fun, challenging set of individual and group situations that HR is called upon in order to improve. In this volume, HR addresses issues like a woman who is a working mother and the team called upon to do a major business description project that will vastly improve employee experience!
I’ve worked in the corporate world my entire adult life – I am looking around the room here with a dry expression.
On a more personal level, both Komori and and Yamanobe are called upon to take a test for leadership roles and Yamanobe directly is asked by her manager if she is interested in a manager position. Certainly, from what we’ve seen she’s more than capable, but not only does she say no, she seems to be in some crisis about it. Rumors fly – is Yamanobe taking a new job? Is she transferring? No, it turns out that cool, competent Yamanobe has commonplace imposter syndrome, oh no!
Interestingly, in the final pages, Komori confesses to a colleague that’s she got a date with a sex friend. Yamanobe is pretty taken aback that she was so blunt. But having taken control of their lives and determined to make an impact, we finish the series as we began it, Komori and Yamanobe with attractive female partners on their arm, at the same love hotel at the same time. Bwah-wa-waaaa~~.
I love Yuni’s art and characters. The business speak of the company and the handwave that HR is supposed to be a resource to support the employees, ended up giving the story more of a comedic feel than I am sure it was meant to. ^_^ You’ll forgive me if I can’t take a new business description as being a life-changing improvement for an on overworked mother. But I do actually like the enthusiasm the characters have for their jobs, and the random bits of business jargon that are so preciously explained. ^_^
Ultimately, its Komori and Yamanobe who keep bringing me back to this story.
Ratings:
Art – 9
Characters – 9
Story – 7
Service – 1 Not…really, a brief non-explicit bed scene for Komori
Yuri – 8 Two definitely queer women, one who is getting a little outer by the end.
Overall – 8
This series is officially licensed in English by Manga Planet and is available in print on Amazon JP, CD Japan and and digital on Bookwalker, where it appears to be on sale for half price right now. If you’ve worked in a big company, Hitogoto Desukara! will give you a new, Yurier, perspective on office life. ^_^
However, it includes promotional artwork, art for goods, SNS stickers, earlier Yuriten images, and the like, in addition to the expected book and video packaging art. (The SNS stickers and web art are particularly cute.) Most of the art features Touko and Yuu, plus a smattering involving Sayaka; for those interested in other characters, they appear quite rarely.
Fans of the series, who understand the character’s relationships, will see the Yuri on almost every page; the weighted looks and intimate moments are a joy. Nakatani-sensei’s muted palette and clean imagery works well here. For those seeking anything more salacious than holding hands, they will need to look elsewhere.
Yuri Manga
