Super serious Asahi Suzumura and laidback, easygoing Mitsuki Sayama might seem like an odd couple, but they made a deal; they'll vacation around the world and when they get back to Japan, they'll get married. As they travel from country to country, the different people, cultures and cuisine they encounter begin to bring them closer together. After all they're not just learning about the world, but about themselves too.
This is such a sweet and wholesome series, and this volume is no exception.
Volume 6 sees Asahi and Mitsuki traveling across the United States. There’s talk of war and family, and even a little relationship drama involving some insecurities that is thankfully handled fairly quickly.
Asahi and Mitsuki are a really solid couple and their relationship feels very ‘lived in’ and domestic, which I thoroughly enjoy. I love them and love seeing their adventures together.
This was a pretty whirlwind trip through the United States. It was a little odd some bits were skated over so much - like the entirety of Vegas - but that's probably because they weren't interacting much with other people in this volume.
The opening chapter is the one that hits the hardest and introduces the big themes for this part of their journey. One is the complicated history between countries that were once at war with each other...particularly when their first stop is in the part of the desert where the atomic bomb was developed and tested. Then they cross the country and look at the Statue of Liberty and the memorials to fallen American soldiers...
All these things are sort of left hanging for readers to think about more on their own, rather than having messages hammered in too heavily. But they do have a good conversation with a woman they meet in the desert, a nearly divorced woman who's struggling to maintain her connection with her son.
With the gaps between volumes, I guess I'd forgotten that Mitsuki is a child of divorced parents. His bonding and attempted conversations with Daniel are really impactful, and also show how difficult it can be to communicate across language barriers - but also how much you can convey even when you don't have all the right words.
Watching Mitsuki talking and playing with a kid who - despite being American - is a lot like him makes Asahi really fixate on his worries about what he's taking away from Mitsuki's future.
Honestly, I wasn't sure it entirely felt like them for Mitsuki to get so upset when Asahi brought it up? But I liked the conversation they had the next day, while watching the sun set over the Grand Canyon. I wonder if Asahi will ever tell Mitsuki that his original plan was to break up with him after this trip was over...I feel like that would hurt Mitsuki a lot.
But more and more, they're discovering how much they truly love each other and how aligned they are in wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. And as Mitsuki points out, there's no guarantee that being in a heterosexual relationship would give him the ideal life-with-kids future that Asahi is fretting over him losing. The important part is prioritizing the person you love most: your partner, your spouse, and Asahi is still very much the person Mitsuki wants to marry and spend the rest of his life with.
It feels like their trip is starting to wind down, but we'll see. I can't really tell where they're going next, unless they do pop up to Canada. But I'm assuming we'll have a solid concluding volume at some point back in Japan, meeting each other's families...
This volume focuses on the United States. I felt like there were fewer interactions or connections with locals in this one, but there were still some nice moments. I liked the variety of things they saw.
Another absolutely spectacular volume. The way Mone Sorai is able to balance a sense of wonder and beauty with the more harsh or terrible bits of life brings me to tears every volume. Volume 6 introduces some new conflicts and deepens the relationship between our two leads. The love on display between these two extends into the world they inhabit. I always leave this manga feeling invigorated and hopeful. 10/10 I would give it more stars if I could.
The marriage bit had me in tears!! Although I’m not sure if this the end of the series. I don’t think so. I’m happy they spent time in the USA. Is there any other travel mangas like this? I could gobble this up. There is a misspelling of bagel in here which made me laugh.
Why did I feel so much pride as an American to watch them eat Texas Roadhouse, Shake Shack, and Lunchables?! It was such a "haha I do that" moment XD They both have grown so, so much. It makes me so emotional T_T <3