April Storm and May Flowers Volume 1
Writers and Artists: Sakura Roku
Publisher: Yen Press (Print and digital)
translate: Levi Harvey
Engraving: Bianca Pistillo
Publication date: December 3, 2024
grade: teenager
type: Manga (JPN), Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Sakura Rokuof April rain brings May flowers is another addition for december Yen Press‘A growing library. The completed romantic comedy comic, with 12 volumes in total, ranks 5th on the comic rankings. Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Award Print Category In 2019, there is currently only the English version of the first volume, but the next volume will be on the shelves in March, and there is also an animation adaptation worth looking forward to! let us take a peep April rain brings May flowersThe first volume of.
Flowers and sparkles. Destined encounters and romantic confessions. Tabata Hana is no stranger to the world of shoujo manga, but at the same time A complete outsider. She believed she was too ugly to experience the kind of romance she read about, destined to remain a background figure her whole life. She has no friends at school and is part of a committee responsible for keeping the building and yard clean and orderly.
Her duties also include refreshing vases in the classroom, and she arrives at school before everyone else to keep a low profile. Hana feels very fun special In the morning, tuck a flower behind your ear and imagine yourself as her favorite comic book character. However, nothing about those fateful meetings she’d been reading about prepared her for when the sexiest, kindest boy in the class, Yosuke Ueno, caught her off guard. Hana’s instinct is to scream and run away, but this unexpected meeting opens the door to a surprising friendship.
April rain brings May flowers It is a youth comic. This demographic is primarily aimed at adult males, and you can see the difference between shoujo manga, which mainly works against Young woman or girl. The first volume balances comedy (often stemming from Hana’s internal self-deprecating monologues or misunderstandings of a given situation) with the budding friendship between her and Ueno. Hana isn’t the only one we encounter on a deeper level.
We get background on two other characters. First up is Ying Gu, another female student on the cover and The pretty “girly” girl that everyone loves. The other is Shinbashi, who like Hana is overweight. After experiencing an isolated and friendless junior high school life, he is determined to enter high school as a different person. How successful he is at that is another matter.
My initial impression of the first volume is that the broad strokes of the plot are reminiscent of Kimi ni Todoke: From me to you. The heroine who is not a traditional beauty lives in her heart own The leader of the group, the handsome male protagonist who is friendly to everyone, and the beautiful love rival who everyone thinks is an angel but makes full use of his appearance to plot the death of the heroine. Okay, maybe not to that extent, but still.
Compared to Sawako’s character, Hana’s character is written in a more comedic and delusional tone. Ueno said that Flowey looked cute with it tucked into her hair just now. Hana’s brain warps, inputting it into Ueno and spreading it throughout the school, and she imagines that in the near future, others will call her “Hana Ugo”. When they went to a convenience store to eat, Ueno said “Maybe I’ll buy something hot,” which translated to Hana’s Delulu Lingo means “You’re here to be my wallet.”
Her personality and how she interprets every interaction through the lens of self-worth and body image may be too much for some. Especially when a character keeps falling into the same thought patterns, they are a must-read repeatedly Talking about it on paper can be redundant and boring. However, I appreciate the repetition April rain brings May flowers.
This recurrence amplifies a person’s body image and their sense of valueand how Often, these harsh, critical thoughts seep into seemingly unrelated, day-to-day interactions with others, or distance the person from the experience they intended to engage in.
“Normal” girls in romance comics are often no different from their conventionally beautiful and thin peers. However, Sakura Roku chooses to differentiate Hana from the other girls in terms of style. Although Sakura’s tone toward Hana is humorous, this visual difference reminds the reader how others view her. My only hope is that the artist doesn’t go down the path of forcing changes to Hana’s weight or eating habits under the guise of “health.” Now, she feels reassured that her parents support her in eating what she loves.
The male protagonist Ueno is portrayed as a lively, kind and capable person. strike up a conversation Be nonjudgmental to anyone. we know him a little More so at the end of the volume, thanks to Hana’s mother going the usual nosy mom route and playfully interrogating him during a chance encounter. Hopefully in the next volume we get to know more about him, beyond his kind and warm personality!
The art style is simple, clear, and effective. True to the tone of the series, Hana’s reactions throughout were hilarious, not to mention relatable! In addition to Ueno, other characters also have inner weird faces. However, sometimes Hana will blush with joy or shyness and she will look so Lovely. Because these moments are quite A rare and striking departure from her usual style, they stand out even more.
April rain brings May flowers There are 4 color pages when opened, two of which are spreads. In the physical version, these pages will be printed on glossy paper. Since comic dust jackets are not standard in the United States, these color pages are always a welcome addition. This is also a good one additional Colorful lettering can be seen not only on the cover but also on the panels.
All in all, I enjoyed the first volume April rain brings May flowers Exceeded my expectations! I certainly look forward to continuing. Fans of shoujo and romance comics will really Don’t miss this seriesbut readers Those who like an element of comedy highlighted in romance or slice-of-life stories will also have a satisfying time. this is for look There will be more clues in the future regardless of gender!
April Showers Bring May Flowers Volume 1 is available digitally and in print on the Yen Press website and other retailers.
