I'm back again with the usual weekend manga read, which I picked arbitrarily. BACKGROUND:
I read the synopsis, which seemed interesting enough, but that's all I know. SUMMARY: Yoi Takiguchi is a high school student who's wildly popular with girls due to her looking like such a handsome guy, to the point that she's been nicknamed "the Prince" by people in her school. As a result, Yoi doesn't really know what it's like to have boys interested in her, let alone to be treated like a princess instead of the dashing hero the girls make her out to be. That all changes one fateful day when she bumps into Kohaku Ichimura, who is perhaps the most popular boy in school (and for similar reasons as Yoi, funnily enough). Though Yoi's first impression of him is far from pleasant, Kohaku makes it clear from the outset that he's into Yoi for who she is, and the rest of the book sees him try and win her over. The bulk of the first volume sees Kohaku and Yoi spend time together (either by chance or due to Kohaku actively seeking Yoi out), and as Kohaku ramps up his flirting, Yoi finds herself short circuiting as she isn't used to being treated "like a girl," let alone be showered with attention by a guy. Understandably, Yoi is suspicious of Kohaku's words and actions, but gradually, she starts to develop some feelings toward the situation, and the volume ends with the two of them agreeing to date "as an experiment." For the most part, Yoi is at peace with how people perceive her, but there's a sense that the feeling is more of her being resigned to her fate as opposed to fully accepting the parts of herself that make her a "prince" in the eyes of others. I kind of get it, too; it's easy to get so caught up in how people see you that you become unable to view yourself from a different lens, and I know firsthand how that can tank your self-esteem. Having someone in your life to challenge that view and treat you in a way that you may not realize you wanted to be treated must be jarring, so it makes sense that Yoi almost instinctively dismisses Kohaku but eventually finds herself wanting more interactions with him without necessarily being conscious about it. Kohaku is the kind of forward that would immediately put me off if I were the recipient, but as Yoi spends more time with him, it's clear that he has a kind heart underneath (between helping out Yoi directly in certain situations, while also trying to be considerate with his words). The book implies that Kohaku has his own issues being seen as a different kind of prince (it's revealed that he also happens to be rich and earmarked to inherit a whole company), and while he responds to girls being into him a bit more harshly, he may understand what Yoi is going through more than she would give him credit for. Other, more minor characters include Yoi's two friends, who seem to be a little too into the thought of their dashing prince going out with another prince, but otherwise appear to be supportive pals. There's also Yoi's dad, who immediately shows his love and concern for his daughter when he sees that she's finally having meaningful with boys her age. Apart from them, this volume doesn't really introduce anyone more prominent. I thought the art was pretty solid, as many panels feature a good amount of detail, with the main highlights being the very attractive main characters. Seriously, this manga goes out of its way with closeups of their beautiful faces and intricately drawn eyes. Outside of that, the art uses predominantly lighter tones (making Yoi's jet-black hair stand out more due to the contrast). and there's also the occasional use of goofy facial expressions for more humorous moments. VERDICT: In the Clear Moonlit Dusk has an interesting dynamic between its main characters, as one of them sees themselves one way, and yet here comes someone who sees them in a completely different light. I don't really know how the rest of this manga will play out in terms of the potential hurdles Yoi and Kohaku will face as they give dating a go, but the main takeaway for me is that I found Yoi's perception of herself being challenged by Kohaku (and the growing realization of things she may not be aware she wanted all along) to be a character arc I want to see progress. I'm sure there are other romance stories built around the main character finally "being seen," so if you're into that particular flavor of story, this book fits that bill in a number of ways. - end -
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