Suzuki-kun’s Mindful Life Volume 2 Review

“I’ve never been able to share my hobbies with anyone like this before.”

High-schooler Kaoru Suzuki might look like a hulking gangster but appearances can be deceptive; he’s a soft-hearted, sweet-natured boy, adored by his little sister and obsessed with baking and gardening. All the first years are expected to join an after-school club, so even though he longs to join the Home Ec club, he’s spotted that all the members are girls and hasn’t dared to take it any further, opting instead for the safety of the swimming club.

But one day when he’s sharing some homemade biscotti with his classmates, a girl approaches (Aki in Year 2) and begs him to join the Home Ec club; it turns out they’re very short of members and need one more to stop them being closed down. Aki, energetic and enthusiastic, persuades the shy Suzuki to meet the other members and once they start sharing their tips about baking, the tense atmosphere soon dissipates. There’s one girl who’s still obviously unhappy with the new member – but she’s really good at making clothes. Once Suzuki asks for her advice over dressing his sister’s ‘Sylvonian’ dolls, the ice melts. Then the other new First-Year member arrives, Tsumugu Osanai (she’s in his class) – and she makes excuses on seeing Suzuki and flees. Suzuki can’t help but feel responsible for this but on learning from Aki that Osanai is a keen gardener (the Home Ec club doubles as a gardening club) he hits on an idea to reassure her and persuade her to return. But will he succeed…?

Out of school, Suzuki is still dazzled by Sakurako-sensei, his little sister’s nursery school teacher – but he’s horrified when his friend Haruna tells him that he thinks she has a boyfriend. Between them they hatch a plan to spy on her at the weekend, only to see her going into a cinema with a female friend. Has Haruna got it all wrong?

There’s something innately appealing about a tough-looking guy who turns out to be a wonderful baker and a dedicated lover of growing plants and arranging flowers! Yet sometimes a promising beginning in a manga can run out of steam during the second volume – but the good news here is that mangaka Yuhki Fujimoto is developing and deepening our knowledge of her characters, yet doing it all with a deft, light touch. It’s an easy, enjoyable read – but in no way a shallow one as the last two chapters in this volume prove, delivering a realistic and really affecting outcome.

The mangaka’s minimal art style is detailed when and where it needs to be, although sometimes just a few pen strokes are used, giving the impression of a dashed-off sketch, rather than a finished panel. But the characters are all clearly defined and there’s no danger of mixing anyone up with anyone else. Some readers raised concerns in the first volume when Suzuki-kun was smitten with his little sister’s nursery school teacher, Sakurako-sensei, citing the ten-year age gap etc. But it’s not unusual for teenagers to get a crush on an adult and when we see Sakurako-sensei again, what ensues is neatly and charmingly developed. (Sakurako-sensei has a secret life outside nursery: she’s a games addict, playing into the small hours, and, of course, she likes the odd beer or two – after all, she is twenty-six!)

The translation for Yen Press is again by Leighann Harvey with lettering by Katie Blakeslee and between them they bring Yuhki Fujimoto’s dialogue to sparkling life on the page. There’s a single page of translation notes (slightly oddly positioned at the start of Chapter 11) and the volume concludes with a one-page promo/preview of Volume 3, promising ‘Suzuki-kun’s Super-Duper Homemade Lunch Box!’. It’s out in Japan (August) but as yet we don’t have a publication date for the West.

Until Volume 3 arrives, there’s plenty to enjoy in Volume 2 as Suzuki-kun continues to pursue his mindful life and charm others with his cooking and gardening skills.

Our review copy was supplied by Yen Press.