Had potential but meh.

While I usually love a romance manga that doesn’t take place in high school, this one had the equivalent of high school characters in an adult world. Makato Shimizu is an office worker who plays the role of an ordinary person during the day, but outside of work is an artist who writes her own lesbian fanfiction and comic series. While at the convention working her booth, she is approached by Akane Maekawa, a co-worker who now is the only person who knows her secret. Maekawa finds Shimizu interesting and admires her for her dedication to art, and the two become fast friends while harboring slow-burn feelings for one another.

While this was cute in parts, Maekawa as a character is bonkers to me. She’s all over the place, which I understand from a character perspective as she’s a bit lost in her life, but her reactions to everyday questions presented by Shimizu are hot and cold. I understand why Maekawa is so guarded, but she’s straight-up rude to Shimizu and a very bold-faced liar, yet she expects Shimizu to be honest with her and does not forgive her easily for any transgressions. I know this is supposed to turn into a romance, but I can’t buy a romance between two people who are so tied up in their trauma that they can’t even communicate halfway decently. I finished the volume thinking I’d rather both of them get therapy than get into a relationship, which isn’t the conclusion I was supposed to draw. I did like the honesty regarding working as an artist and the toll it takes on your mental health to grind to get to a thriving place, and I think a lot of readers will relate to that, but it wasn’t enough to outweigh the bad for me.

Title: Still Sick (Vol 1)
Author: Akashi
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781427862082

Three Descriptors: Hectic, Dramatic, Over the Top

Read Alikes:
Wotakoi by Fuijita
The Conditions of Paradise by Akiko Morishima
Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon by Kodama Naoko
Even Though We’re Adults by Shungiku Nakamura
Chasing After Aoi Koshiba