Manga

Actual end this time, no more side stories.

I discovered this series randomly via the Mangadex recent updates page and have loved every chapter of it so far. Alright, the basic setup...

There are two main characters. First is a working woman in her 30's, Tsubaki, that has always been very diligent and work-focused. However, it has meant that she struggles to connect with other people outside of a professional setting (and even in one tbh). Second, is a brand new university student, Momoko, that just moved away from home and is trying to be self-sufficient for the first time in her life.

These two run into each other one day when a cafe is busy and they are forced to share a table. Tsubaki bears witness firsthand to the incredible social skills of Momoko and wants to try to learn from her as Tsubaki is trying and failing to get to know her coworkers better. On the other hand, Momoko is struggling on her own and sees a professional and composed Tsubaki as a role model to help get her new, adult life in order.

The story so far (it is still ongoing), has felt painfully relatable, and the dynamic between the leads is so natural. This series has been pretty chill in that there aren't super high stakes or artificially created drama like you see in a lot of series. Also, there hasn't been any kind of forced romance (even yuri) introduced so far. It is simply a story of two people that are trying to improve themselves.

As of now, there are 14 chapters on MD, with the raws at 31 chapters. The other notable thing I have found about this series is that the TL really puts in the work and adds very extensive TL notes. Some of them are a bit unnecessary for those of us with English as a native language or already familiar with Japanese social customs, but it makes it incredibly approachable for newer manga readers as well.

Hope you all enjoy as much as I have!

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Another week in the books. Let's chat about manga in the general discussion thread! Feel free to use this thread for questions, comments, recommendations, etc.

Like normal, please be careful with spoilers. I wrote a guide about spoilers in case you need a refresher on how to handle them (also linked in the sidebar).

This looks fun!