Bonnouji by Eda Aki

Wow, I was thinking about next month and how I needed to set up spooky and horror manga to last me the season because last year I had to sort of rush around finding some. Half of which was my fault, of course, because I'm a last minute type, though the other half was because when I started the well of manga scans was a little dry, but luckily my manga source issues are not in play this year. Anyway, as I was setting that up it suddenly hit me that I didn't even recognize I'd been doing this blog for over a year now. I meant to read a special manga to commemorate the event and everything. Even though I was preparing Halloween manga for the second time, it still felt like its only been a few months since I started My Manga Malady. A lot of things have changed, I've cut somethings out (bye-bye my Photoshopping there just was never any time for you) but, my love of manga remains and I guess this proves my obsession is actually an addiction after all. Of course, I already knew that. Whelp, I guess I'll just go back to reading manga now and ignoring the world around me.

Bonnouji by Eda Aki

Art and story (c) Eda Aki

Genre: Seinen, Slice of Life
Length: 3 Volumes – 35 Chapters


           The artwork is a little messy, a bit of it is stylistic but it's also a little amateur, but nothing too distracting, really. This mangaka's simplistic style of having the faces basically emojis really grows on you. That being said, I would have liked a few more shots of the male lead's face once in a while, shaggy hair over the eyes is a personally favorite male look for manga and anime, but he got

lost a bit behind it. The panel layout was a little unorthodox as well, typically using a lot of smaller panels than just a few large ones, once it a while it was confusing. The backgrounds could be lacking, as well. Still, there is nothing offensive with the art at all. In fact the longer it goes on, the less repetitive the angles and facial expressions get. The faces are rather plain, this is stylistic, with dot eyes and 'v' mouths though a couple of times there was a more in depth drawing. The details aren't really there as far as the characters go but clothing can be quite interesting, and stylish. My opinion is, if the simplistic look puts you off at first, give it a chance because this manga has a lot of appeal.
           Michiyo Ozawa is an OL (Office Lady) who works hard and likes to unwind with a drink... or five. Zenji Oyamada is a work at home type who's traveling brother sends him so many strange things that they have taken over his apartment. By a stroke of coincidence, i.e. Michiyo drinking after her boyfriend of five years dumps her, the two meet. Michiyo becomes obsessed with the 'bonnouji' or 'temptation temple' that is Zenji's apartment due to all the odd and eclectic things he has piling up there. But is it just his strange room that calls Michiyo back?
           I wasn't sure at first of this manga, but by the end of the first volume I was enjoying myself with the strange pair of characters here. Also by the end of the first volume, you aren't left wanting, they become a couple. Spoilers, right? Not really, this manga is mostly a story about a regular relationship, not those drama filled ones that dominate the shojo genre. Slowing down and peeking in to this life is sort of comforting. Michiyo is a bit of a stereotypical OL (wiki link here, they are a common manga stereotype actually. The protagonist of Midnight Secretary is one I've reviewed before and I'm sure there's been more), especially a first, she wears dark suits and she works hard, but
is frustrated by the new girls leaving while she stays put. Then, you find out she's actually really silly, and cute, and her character expands some. Zenji, too, seems pretty plain at first, but I don't think he grows as much as Michiyo does. He has his moments, though, like I mentioned, seeing his face more often would have helped. A few times he is given some personal time, though, or he says something that reveals his nature beneath the shy. The story is slow, so very slow, punctuated by their easy going relationship taking the next step, like kissing, having sex, and getting engaged, they don't fight or cry but the couple feels realistic in its own way. They are a couple that isn't seen a lot, and their love is adorably awkward. Michiyo and Zenji act like grade schoolers around one another, and its just super cute in every way. Even their admittance of feelings that starts the whole thing is just so clumsy it almost doesn't happen. This manga is also fairly funny, full of gags and wacky activities the cast has with the packages that arrive at Zenji's door from time to time. Like the guest bed being a coffin, and Michiyo actually using it. I wish my life was that fun. Bonnouji went on just the perfect length, the writing was interesting, and everything came to a satisfying end, there's not much more I could ask for in a manga like this. I had its problems, painfully slow at times, a little predictable, but a solid read. Truthfully, my room is a bit like the Bonnouji, packed with books, movies, and collectables of all types, so I felt a little at home there.




4/5 A good read just slow at times.

A Mr. Pepper sounds really refreshing, actually.