Girl Friends [ガールフレンズ], Volume 3

Girl Friends [ガールフレンズ] #3

by Milk Morinaga, 森永 みるく

At first glance, Mari Kumakura is a rather plain, ordinary looking girl who's grades are at the top of her class. She has very few friends, is normally rather shy, and eats lunch by herself. One day, she is approached by the super cute, super popular Akko Oohashi, who claims she wants to be friends. Mari is at first very suspicious of her true intentions, but eventually comes to realize she's not a bad person. After a hair cut and some fashion tips, Akko quickly transforms Mari into one of the cutest girls in the school. In no time, Mari and Akko are best friends, but unbeknownst to Akko, Mari starts to develop feelings that are more than just "friends."

Genres: Manga, Yuri, Romance, LGBT, Comics, Contemporary, Fiction

179 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2009

About the author

See also 森永 みるく.

Reviews

[Aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this volume less than previous two because it’s on a sad side of things. Not to say it’s. It realistic. It is. The portrayal of teens and their relationship is authentic but many remarks made me sad. For example, casual homophobia from one of the friends, the idea that you have to have sex after dating for a month etc.

I’m hoping the story takes turn for the happier times.

[Cynthia Sosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5 en realidad.

Este tomo me ha gustado más que el anterior. Estoy deseando leer el siguiente porque me ha dejado con toda la curiosidad, pero me sigue pareciendo que la historia es un poco lenta.

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As t.A.T.u.'s song "Obezyanka Nol" eloquently put it: "The clouds foolishly miss each other." These two bokes are just not having their kimochi reach each other! Despite the mounting tension, the characters and plot continue to be KAWAIIIIIII~~~ and the artwork is consistently well-done. Both Mari and Akko are well-drawn, as are other characters.

[may · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5**

[TrashKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this volume was quite as good as the previous two, but that might only be because this was the usual "conflict in the relationship" part of the story. I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication to create conflict trope, but it's a trope for a reason. It's not horrible in any way you view it, I've just never really liked it. Girl Friends is still a good series so far and I'm not going to lower its rating just because of a specific plot point I've never liked because it's too popular. I'm still excited for the relationship and story to continue in the next volume so I'll just leave it at that.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG This is getting kind of cute guys. Akko and Mari-Chan. Surprisingly, I am enjoying this. I didn't expect to from the first two but now the story picks up a little. It really creates a nice sense of high school tension which I have forgotten completely about. The tension and the characters are really going somewhere. Poor Mari-Chan!

I can't wait to continue.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahh so adorable. Especially the ending was super cute.

[Cecy- Enredados entre Libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanto... vamos conociendo los sentimientos de Akko... y el final los tres tomos terminan de la misma forma que nervios quiero seguir viendo como avanza la historia

[Victoria Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flip-flopped back and forth between docking one star for the questionable consent that features a couple of times, but I can’t give this any less than 5 stars for the nuance with which Milk Morinaga portrays two young women figuring out how they feel about each other and what that means for the way they interact and move forward together. Nothing feels rushed or unrealistic, and every misstep in communication is utterly believable, nothing contrived for the sake of drama. The internalized homophobia is painfully and realistically rendered, coming out of a culture that, even to this day, sees LGBTQ+ lives as defective and shameful. I want to see these characters end up happy together, and I have hope that volumes 4 & 5 will deliver ^_^

[Alice bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shift in perspective freshened the story up and I sincerely still think every chapter development serves to improve the story. These are people struggling with how to express how they feel and people in love rarely move as fast as they should. I still find the glacial pace a bit crushing but I do think all the drama and pain feels VERY real and it stings me a lot from someone who experienced this, it captures the feeling of being obsessed with someone who you feel like is slipping through your fingers too well.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. My least favorite volume so far. Way too much unnecessary drama. This was melodramatic as hell but these are young characters so that makes sense. I did like how this was in Akko’s point of view. That was great and I also loved the ending but everything else to get to that moment was exhausting.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Voto bassissimo perché le storia va avanti solo perché le due non si parlano e non chiariscono le cose. E allora paranoie e patemi d'animo a non finire. Perfino il ragazzo di Mari sembra buttato lì solo per occupare pagine.

Va beh, è una serie tutto sommato breve.

[Julieta Steyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maravilloso que todavía no haya disminuido la calidad, menos en la etapa "sí pero no".

[Erika Torres Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gusta mucho

[Gwen Silvernight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me estaba partiendo el corazón el hecho de que Akko y Mari se hubieran alejado... Pero el final fue tan hermoso! ToT Ya viene lo bueno!!

[Tara Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY HEART ;-; <3

[Amelia Klinowska · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.55

[siyeenne · Rating 2 out of 5]

tbh loving this just bc of how girly it is. i enjoy it when they talk about makeup and clothes but i cannot look past some of the weird things in it...

[Kiwi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh ze wszystkich mangowych wlw jakie czytałam to jest najsłabsze

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending!!! Omg yes!!!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish they talked more openly about their feelings, but I know it's difficult haha
Compulsory heterosexuality is terrible 😔

[Maria ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

loving the inevitable gay-denial-date-a-man-to-try-to-be-normal arc

[vaelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a single woman on this earth thinks it's normal to kiss each other all the time between girl friends. You have had some very bad examples as friends Akko 💀

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the story arc! slow but so sweet!

[Enya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally things start happening ^^ Yuri manga always take so long to pick up.

[Kittyki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Végre! Ügyesek vagytok csajok!