Pika☆Ichi (manga)

  Pika☆Ichi

The story of two painfully shy teens who love yakuza movies. An incident at school pushes them over the edge, and they decide to drop their mousiness in order to dispense some "justice."

                                                    – Omari's Sister
 Story: Youko Maki
Art: Aki Mochida
Chapters: 28
Status: Finished

I picked this out because I wanted to read a 'delinquent romance' story. In that aspect, it didn't particularly meet my expectations. It had a solid story about students wanting to improve the reputation of the school. However the romance was disappointing and the weird love triangle was unnecessary. The art was alright, but nothing outstanding. Quite similar to every other shoujo title from 2005 onwards. Hanako and Mamoru look exactly the same so it hard to keep track of who was who sometimes. Dougen and Tarou also look the same facially, but different hair colour. With the characters, none of them are particularly memorable, and Dougen's motivations are confusing and I generally dislike him as a character. I enjoyed it that much that I read half and forgot about for a year and have only just come back to finish the rest. Overall; Although the first 10 chapters held my attention enough, it dimished severely afterwards. Coming to the end I skimmed words waiting for something actually exciting to happen. I was also extremely disappointed in the lackluster romance between Hanako and Tarou that literally went nowhere. The manga ends without actually resolving anything on a personal level between the characters. All-in-all, reading this was a waste of time.

Tropes

•  Average looking student(s) - Hanako, Tarou
• Make-over
• Only pretending to be tough
• Bullying - literally anything Dougen does
• Kind of romance
• A challenger appears - Dougen
•  Sukajan jacket wearing character - Hanako
• Mutual interests - Hanako and Tarou both like Yakuza movies
• Nobel cause - Wanting to change the school for the better
• Confusing motive - I still don't know why Dougen wanted to burn the school down
•  I think they kiss?

 Final rating: Fucking bullshit

Takarakuji de 40-oku Atattandakedo Isekai ni Ijuu Suru (manga)

Takarakuji de 40-oku Atattandakedo Isekai ni Ijuu Suru

 Kazura bought a lottery on a whim and won 4 billion yen.

To evade the hyenas that smelled the scent of his money, Kazura took refuge on an old residence that had been handed down from generation to generation.

When Kazura was investigating the place that would become his shelter, he stumbled on a certain room where it was possible to go into and back from another world.

The culture and technology level of that world was relatively low. The protagonist sometimes brought goods, sometimes brought technological knowledge.

At that world, he would find his true value as a person.       

                                                              – Baka Updates

Story: Kuro Suzunoki

Art: Mujii Imai 

Chapters: 19 (as of Dec 2018) 

Status: Ongoing (as of Dec 2018)

 SPOILERS

Our main character, Kazura, is one lucky son-of-a-bitch. He won 4 billion yen (roughly 51.5 million AUD) in a lottery and then moves into the mountains. He then finds a convenient portal to another world in his hallway and visits this new world and decides to help the villagers of it (he can also move back and forth through the portal). One villager in particular, Valetta, takes an interest in Kazura after he heals her father and other villagers with modern medicine (a vitamin-D supplement). Calling it now, they gon smash. He helps the village more by building water irrigation, and  teaches them to use fertiliser for their crops. Later Kazura bumps into Liese (daughter of the lord overseeing the village), an obvious rival for his affection. Valetta helps Kazura whenever she can and so begins their bonding. Things happen and Kazura gets arrested by the army, then released when they all realise he's a "god from another world". Kazura then goes to met the lord to help him with the kingdom and their food problems, and bumps into Liese again who seems to have fallen for him. Oh and one of the maids looks like she's starting to exhibit feelings for him too...BLAH BLAH BLAH, now all the food that Kazura has brought from Japan and fed to the villagers has made them super strong. and Kazura continues to improve the other world with knowledge and items from his. What could possibly go wrong?...

Tropes

•  Isekai
• Retired-salaryman
• Rich main character
• First girl he sees will be his romance
•  Everyone thinks he's a god just because he's from another world
• love rival(s)
• Liese and a maid
•  Character who is amazed at modern-day technology/society
• Overly polite character(s)
• The villagers call Kazura with the honorific "-sama"
• Age difference
• Kazura is 25, Valetta could be 16-19
• I must repay your kindness
• Guy Father protecting girl daughter from harassers
• Traveler from another world helps the other world by giving knowledge and items from theirs 

Final rating: Might read more 

Orenchi ni Kita Onna Kishi to: Inakagurashi suru Koto ni Natta Ken (manga)

Orenchi ni Kita Onna Kishi to: Inakagurashi suru Koto ni Natta Ken

Saeki Kanji, 32 years old and still single, is living in the Japanese countryside, which is in decline. After graduating from university with a degree in economics he took a job as a salary man in a leading company in Tokyo, but retired when he inherited the family farm in Miyama village when his parents passed on. He soon took to the life of a simple farmer.

One day a beautiful woman wearing full body armor came to his door begging to stay the night. She claimed to be royalty from another world and is unable to return there. She ends up living with Kanji and helping out the local agriculture situation.    – Baka Updates

                                                                                    Story: Sakuta

                                                                                    Art: Kakashi Akino

                                                                                    Chapters: 15 (as of Dec 2018)

                                                                                    Status: Ongoing (as of Dec 2018) 

SPOILERS

First of all, I'll start this review by saying I am enjoying this manga so far. The reverse-isekai type story is a welcome change to the over-saturated isekai market lately. Its slowly progressing towards romance between the two characters as far as I can tell. The age difference is a little disconcerting with him being 32 and her being 18, but it is legal though. There is a light novel which the manga is based on as well which most likely explores their relationship further. Onto the story now, Christina Brunhild von Melvis is a knight from another world who has found herself somehow teleported to modern day Japan, conveniently onto the doorstep of our main man, Saeki Kanji, a retired salaryworker-turned-farmer. After some introductions and explanations Christina starts living with Saeki (having nowhere else to go), Christina also later starts working with Saeki to repay his kindness. There are some lighthearted ecchi shenanigans but nothing too explicit (so far). Saeki also seems like a sensible character and doesn't get random nosebleeds. All in all, so far, it's just a wholesome manga that I hope releases more chapters soon.

Tropes

• Isekai
•  Reverse-isekai
•  Female knight
• Retired salaryman
• Character who is amazed at modern-day technology/society
• Overly polite character
• Christina calls Saeki with the honorific "-donno"
•  Girl who is jealous of Guy's childhood friend
• You saw me naked, now I have to marry you
• Touching hair too = have to marry
•   Having to buy underwear for the first time
• Age difference
• I must repay your kindness 

  Final rating: Alright

Nyotaika Plus Kanojo (manga)

 Nyotaika Plus Kanojo

Just when main character guy was about to enjoy his summer vacation, he wakes up to find his childhood friend, Anjo Hikaru, had turned into a girl! This is their story of figuring things out, all from the main character's first person perspective. With the bonus of art being done by various artists too!                                           –Baka Updates

Mangaka: Various
Chapters: 8
Status: Completed

SPOILERS

I finished this within an hour, the art style was different (the whole thing was 1st person POV from our silent nameless protagonist's perspective). Straight into it––Anon-kun's childhood friend Anjo Hikaru, gets gender-switched, and suddenly adapts to sudden gender-switch in less than a chapter. Oh! and Anjo, now a busty blonde, has to stay at Anon's place for the holidays because reasons. By chapter 2 Anjo is wearing skirts and stuff because what the fuck is character development? Aside from some "Anon-kun, you're a pervert for staring at my womanly body" moments Anjo waltzes around as if nothing has happened. In all the 8 chapters the basic structure of a chapter is the same, tease Anon-kun, boobs, and blushing–It's all the same. This manga possibly had potential, but went nowhere with the story. Because of the "Kanojo" (Japanese for "girlfriend") in the title I thought that they'd get together in the end...but no, they continue the charade of Anon-kun getting a nosebleed whenever he sees half a titty, or him accidentally touching the titty God forbid. Overall....it's trash that had the opportunity to be less trash.

Tropes

•  Childhood friends
• Silent/nameless protagonist
• You don't believe me? (when you were 5 you did...etc.)
• Accidental groping
• Trip and grope
• Accidental flashing
• Stripping without thinking
•  Having to buy underwear for the first time
• "Anon-kun, wanna see my panties?"
• Oppai
• Suggestive spilt white liquid
• Accidental kiss
• Nosebleed all the time
• Guy protecting girl from harassers
• Accidental bondage
• Womanly cravings
• sweet food (not dick)
• Getting separated at the fireworks festival

Final rating: Meh