Oh cute.

The first volume of this manga was almost sickeningly adorable and as fluffy as one of Konnosuke’s pastries, so I was a little surprised to see it not really go anywhere in volume two. We still get the fantastic friendship between Konnosuke and Ponjirou, which is sweet and earnest, but I expected a romance to develop based on volume one. We don’t get a taste of overt romance here, just a lot of lovely male bonding, which is fine by me! This was marketed as boys’ love in the journals I saw, and I suppose non-toxic male friendships are indeed boys’ love in a way. Still, I don’t think I am outside the realm of possibility here in assuming their relationship would blossom into more.

Nevertheless, the pair are incredibly supportive of one another and strive to inspire the other to branch out in life. Ponjirou ends up getting a bit part on a TV show after some hyping up from Konnosuke; meanwhile, Konnosuke decides upon his career with the support of Ponjirou and even manages to impress his very disciplined father. There’s not a lot of plot to this series, but it’s a great example of dudes being friends and 100% supportive of one another while still being emotionally open and honest.

Title: I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero Vol. 2
Author: Nore
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
ISBN:  9781685795726

Three Descriptors: Refreshing, Cute, Twee