I found this work thanks to a YouTube review by Hazel. The video sold me on the manga, even as I’ve been moving away from stories focused on High Schoolers (mostly due to how long it’s been since I’ve actually been in high school). With that being said, what’s to like (and not like) about this work? Read on to find out.
What I Liked:
- One of my favorite parts of this work was, without a doubt, the facial expressions. They’re as weird and varied as they are hilarious.
- As near as I can tell, the work does not seem to have been written with the “male gaze” in mind (e.g. the girls are allowed to be more than vehicles for fan service and seem to have their own interior lives)
- The work was a quick, breezy read; I finished it in a single sitting
What Didn’t Work For Me:
- Maybe it’s just because it’s the first issue of the manga I’ve read, but I hope the, “will they, won’t they,” of the relationship between Yokoe and Sugiura is resolved sooner rather than later. I say this mostly because I’m so tired of that trope from so many other (usually queer-baiting) stories. There are plenty of other vectors for comedy (in my opinion), especially as the cast expands.
- One of the characters has an explicit, “sister complex.” This is played for laughs, but it’s just not my cup of tea. (Perhaps it is seen as obligatory in the genre?)
- This manga didn’t give me the same “gut-busting,” reaction as I’ve had to other manga (Mashle: Volume 1 comes to mind). This isn’t to say that the work isn’t funny or that I didn’t enjoy it, just that I didn’t really have any “spit-take” moments.
Conclusion:
I liked School Zone Girls enough to purchase the second volume. I enjoyed the humor, and I am curious to see the casts’ relationships develop. I’m not sure if this series will hook me for the long haul, though; I really want to read another volume or two before I come to any conclusions. Of course, I’ll be sure to report my findings!
Check it out: here.
If you liked this work, you may also enjoy…
- Our Dreams At Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki
Affiliate Disclosure: I sometimes use affiliate links in my content. This won’t cost you anything, but it helps me to offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!
