✶ Yuriboxd #19 ﹕Like A Cinderella by Mizutani Fuuka ✶
⬩ Status: Completed; ⬩ Volumes: 1; ⬩ Chapters: 5.
⭒࿐࿔⠀⠀⠀From the author of The Lonely Wolf, the Lonely Sheep, this is a collection of short stories exploring. These are stories about daily life, most of which incorporate fairy-tale elements. Here, I’ll share an overall review of the collection and my thoughts on each one-shot.
1 & 2. Have You Seen These Shoes + Golden Shoes, Silver Shoes
The two first one-shots are about two girls who meet at a clinic while picking up their medical appointments. They accidentally swap one shoe from their respective pairs and both decide to just keep wearing each other’s shoe until they meet again to return them.
This small incident causes a bit of confusion in their lives, especially since one shoe is a delicate lace-up while the other is a worn-out pair of sneakers. We see each girl’s point of view, and how something so simple sparks their imagination about one another, leading them to take a genuine interest in each other’s lives and hold onto the hope that they will meet again.
The artist’s drawing style and the characters’ essences both convey such softness; it’s a story that conveys the characters’ actions, thoughts, and feelings primarily through gestures and small details—a subtle, charming, and very realistic love story with a beautiful “fated” feel to it.
Chiho grew up lonely and was always considered the “ugly duckling” among her peers, but fortunately, her friend Mika was always by her side. Mika cherishes Chiho with all her heart and protectively takes her under her wing. Sometimes she offers too much protection, which, ironically, only fuels Chiho’s insecurities even more.
It’s an adorable story with a touch of bittersweetness, as it tackles realistic themes: both the external pressure women face regarding their appearance and the resulting internal conflicts, while at the same time laying the foundation for the characters’ relationship and their growth. The moment that moved me the most is when Mika realizes that, by constantly trying to prevent Chiho from getting hurt, she’s actually causing her even more harm. Even though Mika remains a little overprotective, by the end we can see the two of them moving forward together—with Mika helping Chiho take small steps to overcome her fears and speak her mind with confidence, while Chiho helps Mika tone down her protectiveness a little.
Their relationship is one that develops step by step as the two learn to communicate with each other and, in the process, grow into more well-rounded individuals, which makes the one-shot a thoroughly satisfying read from start to finish.
The fourth story is set in the theater world and revolves around the prima donna-like protagonist Mana, who must step out of her self-centered bubble after she begins playing a romantic lead alongside her new stage partner Shouko. However, complicated feelings get in the way of her performance, all the more so as Shouko’s attention is drawn to someone else.
Given the tone of the previous one-shots, you might expect a lovey-dovey dynamic, but here we have an angsty scenario full of misguided hopes and frustration. It’s actually a pretty funny situation, considering Shoko’s obliviousness, Mana’s frustration, and her resolve to “recapture Shoko’s attention” at the end. It’s always charming to see arrogant characters fall in love and watch their attitudes gradually change, especially around their beloved. I also like the premise of an esteemed star who receives all the praise finally showing her vulnerable side and falling in love, only to realize that the person she loves is just out of her reach.
The main issue with this one-shot is that Shoko is less of a character in her own right and more of a plot device. As a result, especially in the first half, you are left wondering how exactly Shoko and Mana got along so well and how Mana came to fall in love with her. Since this story is ultimately solely about Mana and her inner turmoil, it leaves the reader with the impression that something is missing.
A ladykiller and an aloof woman who remains completely unimpressed by her charms. As he persistently tries to lure the aloof lady into her trap and regain her pride, the womanizer becomes only more frustrated and fascinated, and in the end, it is she who is thrown off balance and 'captured' by this quiet woman in a delicate ruffled dress, only half her size. Simple and fun. Age gaps between women in which this role reversal occurs, where the younger woman is the “hunter” and the older woman is the “prey”, are invariably charming. The end got me giggling honestly!
A story about naive young love and music that revolves around an ensemble band made up of a somewhat unconventional group of members. When their beloved teacher is set to leave the school to get married, the band members join forces, rehearsing with everything they've got to prepare a performance in her honor.
It’s a bittersweet yet charming one-shot, with plenty of potential to be adapted into an excellent series, especially given the chemistry among the ensemble cast. I also really like the way the character Robert is portrayed. It’s refreshing to see a transgender and non-binary character who isn’t defined solely by their transgender identity. Despite being a supporting character, they are charismatic and likable, and actually play a meaningful role in the story, with their own solid romantic subplot, one portrayed with genuine emotional depth that’s neither tragic nor exaggerated for laughs.
It's a pretty well-rounded collection. If you get the chance, I recommend giving it a read. All the stories are sweet and humorous, the illustrations are lovely, and they're short enough to read in under half an hour.
