I remember this title from way back when it was originally scanlated. Back then I had an idea it was a bit controversial but didn't read it, because it simply didn't appeal to me.
But recently I picked it up, perhaps as part of nostalgia for the 2000's and went through the entire manga in some 3 days. Perhaps its due to me being older now, but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and nuance of this manga.
I know what I just wrote sounds funny when on the surface this manga is about a mischievous and suggestive pre-teen girl teasing her teacher in explicitly sexual ways (and she knows what she's doing).
But, if you're able to look past that suggestive (tho often plain funny) aspect of this manga, you will find a surprisingly deep, nuanced and touching story about an entire cast of characters, both children and adults, as they interact, understand their faults and problems, realize their mistakes, grow and learn to trust each other.
I think in this society many of us walk even as adults with unhealed scars from childhood, whether from bullying, parential abuse, abandonment, emotional withdrawal or any number of things which can leave scars which are difficult to acknowledge and even more difficult to heal. The topics here can hit home with many people from puberty to their 40s. Not every manga can do that.
And before you tell me that in fact it IS just low key lolicon, I'll say no. No, it isn't. If it was JUST a lolicon manga, then why bother to write such a quality story? Why bother doing so much research as was obviously done? If this was all the mangaka wanted, it would have been easier to just draw a hentai, OR something with a „simpler“ plot (where adults would just accept proposals of a minor for intimacy).
Rather, I think the manga-ka took a tongue-in-cheek idea and used it as a cornerstone around which to make his story.
The mangaka really did his research into this. Many topics are covered, ranging from first menstruation, shame of growing breasts earlier than other girls, parental abandonment, crazy parents openly preferring one child and neglecting another, as well as adults who have had such issues and now have to heal themselves in order to have a happy life.
The messages in this manga are many, but i think the most prominent one is that it takes sacrifice to raise children properly, to give them love, respect, boundaries, but more than anything else, honesty and dedication where they can thrive. Reiji, Rin's cousin/father figure is perhaps the best example of such sacrifice,
taking care of Rin after her mom's passing, even though he was very young himself. Meanwhile Rin's biological father made all kinds of logical pragmatic decisions to not be involved even though he had a stable income and „even though he always regretted it“... until Rin did him away from the story with a single sentence.
The two are a perfect foil; one has everything and still fails, while the another has „nothing“ and still is the better man because he's willing to sacrifice his own comfort and goals for the benefit of the child in his care.
In the end, if we're set up correctly, we are set up correctly because of other's sacrifice, love and dedication. And if not, then to quote one writer:„we take a lifetime to heal from bad childhood“.
Characters
The cast of characters is large and varied. Both adults and children have their issues, and all of them grow over the course of the manga. There isn't a single character that's badly written, there was never a moment reading this manga when i rolled my eyes and thought “aah I'll have to deal with reading this for the next 10-20 pages“.
There is a lot of introspective moments of individual characters, where we see their worries, fears and etc. this is a needed part of the story but never feels too much or philosophical, because of the healthy pace of the manga.
I have to confess: I didn't like the FMC, Rin Kokonoe and needed time to warm up to her as a character. I was uncomfortable with her and her single-minded pursuit of her love interest Aoki-sensei. I felt something unsettling about her and she came over as too domineering, too manipulative, too, well.... sociopathic.
But as her backstory got more known, it put her behavior into context, and by midway of reading through it i had great respect for her maturity, intelligence and willingness to protect her friends. And because she cares for others, and is capable of feeling remorse and also takes the other side into account, I'm happy to say she isn't a sociopath,.
Fanservice
As for the fanservice, hm.... i honestly don't know. Maybe I'm too old, but I preferred to feast my eyes on the female senseis (and NO I will NOT elaborate on my fetishes for tracksuits and blouses, OK?). The rest simply didn't bleep on my radar and i was „OK cute girls frolicking, how sweet“.
Humor
yes, humor is a large and undersold part of this manga. This manga is pretty hilarious and there's never an instance where there would be a sexually suggestive moment of any kind that wouldn't be followed with a humor (often over-the top slapstick) resolution.
But my personal favorite humor moments are Chibi moments of Usa and Kuro, tho friends of FMC Kokonoe Rin. These two are HILARIOUS in their chibi mode. Kuro is drawn like a hissy black cat, and Usa, who is usually quiet, when she is excited or fawning over something and is drawn like a rabbit (Usa – Usagi – rabbit in japanese) and she is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. And I think it adds to her as a character.
ENDING
Ending is half a manga, and many otherwise good manga were ruined by shitty endings (I'm looking at you, Ichigo 100%, Domestic Kanojo, etc).
Bur here, the manga-ka delivered on the quality he'd been building up during the course of the manga and made a proper, good quality ending worthy of this manga. And yes, it involves a time skip, so there's that.
Without spoiling anything, the ending focuses not only on th lead pair, but also on other characters.
(LOL Rin at the ending XD)
Having a good ending is very important to me because i noticed too many manga are ruined because of stupid, unneccesarily dramatic, „real“, or shocking endings which resolve nothing or ruin whatever had the potential to be good.
Rather, I will end this review with a quote from this manga.
„We all live in order to be happy.
Everyone has their own idea of happiness and it's up to them to find it. but it isn't hard. The things you love. Your friends, your family, your favorite foods and hobbies, those all allow you to go on living.
When you're feeling down and worthless, the things you love will save you. they will show you that it'll be OK. that you're never alone... so please try to find s many things as you can to love.
We go on living with the things we love. That why, there's no need to be afraid.“
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