And my long-ass hiatus comes to a close--is what I’d like to say! I’m horrible at being consistent at anything, but reviewing manga on this account is actually fun for me, so I hope to continue to do it.
We’re back with a Quickster. This time it’s the 10-chapter series called Yajirobee, alternative titles being Balancing Toy and lesser-used The Boring Life of Kids and Their Parents. The story follows 15-year-old Haru and her very young stepfather, Seiji, who’s been taking care of our heroine since her mother died at the age of 5. The manga follows Haru as her worldview matures.
Now don’t worry, Yajirobee doesn’t pull an Usagi Drop, even though I was afraid it would when I started it. I thought that the relationship between Seiji, a man in his 30s who’s been raising Haru since before she would properly speak, would end up linked to her romantically. But after reading a solid two chapters, it’s easy to tell that author Yamakawa Aiji has more sense than that. The story is really about Haru beginning to see the shy and motherly Seiji as her father.
The best part of Yajirobee is the focal relationship between step-dad Seiji and foster daughter Haru. They have an extremely casual relationship (Haru almost never calls him “Dad” and it’s weird when he’s labeled as one.) Together they’ve got a charming, heartwarming, witty and inspiring relationship. Haru realizing how much her father has been there for her and all he’s sacrificed to be with her is emotional, but also handled with subtlety.
That’s the other great thing about this manga; the subtlety. There’s beauty in the details, and Yajirobee is full of little ones that only enhance the experience on each read. Whether it’s a character’s facial expression, a one-off thought bubble, tiny character details, or the natural progression of emotion, Yajirobee does what it needs to do in it’s short length.
And yes, as this is a SHOUJO manga account, it’s obvious that Yajirobee has romantic elements. Seiji has his own love interests, as does Haru, and they’re executed quite well--I especially liked Haru’s relationship with a boy named Towa and another boy named Bonta; both felt natural and believable. But ultimately the message of this story is that love of family comes before any other type of love.
When I think about it, I probably adored Yajirobee because of my own personal experiences with love and family. But I believe that speaks more to it’s quality. Shoujo manga being emotionally relatable is a rare feat to me, especially when it doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard to do so.
TL;DR Yajirobee is just delightful. If you’re looking a quick, refreshing read that gets better the more you read it, then check it out. Right now.
And I’m giving this one a STAR rating.
(Check out my other manga analyses here, and my standards here.)
(Follow me on twitter @/orbitdraws)
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