Star and Hedgehog

by Nayuta Nago

Genres: Manga, Romance
Pages: 164
Rating:

Synopsis:

Ikumi Chiba is home for the summer from Tokyo, where he goes to university. Upon returning, Ikumi meets one of the gardeners who works in his family's yard, Harukiyo. Although Harukiyo looks tough and confident at first glance, Ikumi discovers that he is actually quite quiet and shy... Or maybe he is talkative and friendly, and he just doesn't like Ikumi!? They say 20% of the people in the world won't like you... Has Ikumi met his match?! Or maybe there's another reason why Harukiyo acts that way?!

Nayuta Nago’s Star and Hedgehog was a bit of a random choice for me, something I found a bit randomly while exploring the manga in Comics Plus. The art was fairly generic-manga, but not bad, and it all felt a bit rushed and not really fleshed out. Harukiyo is kind of cold and grumpy initially, but it quickly turns out it’s because he has a massive crush, and he and Izumi leap into a relationship… then have a few months apart just talking on the phone… and then leap toward having sex.

In other words, it doesn’t feel like it flows very well, and it feels a bit insta-love-y, because they don’t really connect about anything except finding one another attractive and maaaaybe a bit Harukiyo’s interest in plants (they meet when his family are working in Izumi’s family’s garden).

Harukiyo’s brother’s relationship with him is kinda cute, though.

Anyway, not a massive winner for me, but not awful.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)