Konaide Kounotori

Ahhh, I feel like I can predict what happens in this one...almost! That's what makes it interesting - this will either be a great realistic manga about insecurity, major life choices, and couples growing together or josei tripe with all the fixings. As always, I hope for the former and dread the latter, especially when the author has picked an such a relevant social topic to base the manga around.

As for the story, I am always so blown away how married couples in these manga, especially ones that have supposedly been together for 5+ years, cannot seem to communicate. They act like an awkward new high school relationship without the dramatics...down the husband's poorly chosen words to his wife. We get his inner monologue and struggle so we know he means it with love, but it comes off as way too...narrative-serving. It's more weird when you see the ML is gentle and speaks kindly & considerately as a default. I dunno, it's hard for me to believe that a loving husband who isn't the gruff type would be so sporadically gruff. BUT! I don't doubt this couple's love for each other at all. I'm intrigued that their biggest failing so far is that they're so considerate of each other and other's needs that they're inadvertently hurting each other. Definitely a communication break down, combined with external pressures from friends, families, and people around them. The FL is likeable and I get why she'd feel the way she does about...everything - however...

if I found divorce papers randomly in my husband's bag when seemingly nothing is wrong, I would not be waiting 4+ days to talk about that. WTF? I think it's obviously a plot by the evil witch of a coworker, but STILL? Let's get that cleared up, lady??? It seems so weird that FL is so worried about her marriage ending, but doesn't, you know, act on the literal marriage ending documents she found immediately?? Also so strange she doesn't talk to her husband about her trauma...I feel that's something that would come up in 5 years, but there might be some social/cultural thing that I am missing here. Being raised by a single dad doesn't feel normal in Japan, and considering the commentary in this manga about men and women, I feel like 'hey, FL, what happened to your mom?' would have come up during the marriage arrangements and family meetings...I mean, they know she was raised by a single parent based on the convo we see between ML and his mother.

Anyway, I am gonna be following this one with the hopes it doesn't pick the path of least resistance (soap opera-style Drama, miscommunication, and going on too long with the misunderstandings). Either way, I am always happy when a josei manga dealing with more adult issues gets picked up!!