002. My Life Can’t Be This Boring! (Big Love For A Short Manga)
I am going to talk about this lovely romance manga that I read last night called Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki. It’s a bit of an ecchi manga, but it is certainly a great read through. The premise of Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki isn’t exactly stellar or profounding compared to other romance mangas. The tall girl-short guy relationship has been done before, in other works such as the perhaps more popular Lovely Complex. Nevertheless, despite this, what sets Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki apart from other romance manga is its execution and realism of the main character interests, the tiny Kanba and the gigantic titular character, Fujiyama.
The manga excels in its atmosphere through the gorgeous art and attention to detail. A lot of the pivotal moments between Kanba and Fujiyama are shared through wordless panels. And it’s moments like these where you can’t help grinning and melting from the cuteness of the charming duo.
Kanba is a bit of a perverse guy, however. There are times where he ogles at Fujiyama, making up for many ecchi scenes. What is impressive though, is that the manga does ecchi tastefully. It never goes overboard and bombard the reader with blatant fan service just for the sake of popping boners. In a way, the ecchi elements are served to explore the character of Kanba and perhaps Fujiyama even further, as these two characters are in their adolescence and exploring their sexual feelings for the first time. And what results from this is a very unique blend of innocence and lust, as one might get during their teenage years.
Usually what really gripes me in romance stories, especially certain kdramas, are misunderstandings or a 3rd love interest that is serve to split the two main lovers apart. From my limited experience with romance stories, these story elements are sometimes handled not very well and at times feel forced. I guess, in a way, I felt very relieved when none of those are present in Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki. And as such, I had a constant smile this manga as it is an endless train of adorableness with no interruptions.
One of the most important part about the manga is that the two characters don’t fall into any stereotypical anime archetypes. Kanba and Fujiyama both aren’t exactly attractive, and they have moments where they could be perceived as “lame” which is further emphasized by the tall-short perception from society, but I think that what makes them even more endearing together. And as a result, this notion help changes Kanba for the better as his conviction changes and matures due to his love for Fujiyama.
Annnnd that’s all I have to say!