Waiting for Spring

soyabeani Jan 30, 2021

8.5

if you're looking for a wholesome romance type, this is the manga for you, along with the themes of friendship, changes and going out of your own comfort zone. honestly, the supporting cast are all so likeable and aren't being an interferance to our ML and FL. the romance was based around the 2nd ML, who i found really enderaing, that you can't help but cheer for him too. the friendship parts are also touching too, i always feel so happy to see close friends w close bonds hehe. i think what surpised me was how much actual dialogue was going on between the FL & ML, you could tell how much chemistry they have just by seeing how comfortable they were w the other around, openly talking about how they feel or their past (not that tragic) oh yea basketball too. it was eh. 

lavendarlight Sep 23, 2022

10

I had to write a review because all the other reviews for this gave it less than a 9, and that just didn't sit well with me personally (no disrespect to anyone's opinions). This is just, probably, my favorite shoujo manga I've read ever. The typical shoujo tropes are all pretty much there, especially the sports romance shoujo tropes. But what I love about Waiting for Spring is how much it digs into the tropes to the point where it's not just a trope anymore; it makes sense because of the character's choices and their backgrounds. Another reviewer mentioned that it was too long, and while I understand that frustration, I actually really liked the length. Most strictly romance shoujo (which this isn't anyways since it's a sports romance) I typically can't handle if the chapter count is over 25-30 because that means the plot is usually dragging. However, the length makes sense to me because we're getting background and information on the six central characters plus like three additional side characters. That's a lot of character development that is needed if you are going to do justice to all of them. Also, the romance between the FL and the ML is built slow, off a friendship first, but like someone else said, the chemistry is clear from the beginning. And all of those "heart-pounding" moments are less physical and more about how they both show they care for each other emotionally (not to say that there aren't some of those other kinds of heart-pounding moments too). This just makes all their interactions so sweet. This leads me to the real reason that this is one of my favorite shoujo manga of all time: Towa (ML) and Mitsuki (FL) have one of the most healthy romances I have ever seen in a manga. Towa and Mitsuki truly, truly care about each other as people. Mitsuki puts 100% effort into supporting him in his goals and what he wants out of life. That's pretty typical for a shoujo heroine, but she never sacrifices herself for Towa and that's pretty atypical that she still prioritizes her wants and needs in life. Also pretty atypical, Towa supports her and puts 100% of his effort into helping her achieve her goals and aspirations. The conflicts that keep them apart are something they talk about again and again, working through as equal partners rather than allowing any misunderstandings to occur. It's just so healthy. I can literally read this manga again and again because of how sweet they are and how much they truly love each other.  So, if you like shoujo romance that depicts healthy relationships with a little bit of comedy and lightheartedness and has good character development, you'll love this manga. 

bpwheels11 Sep 9, 2022

8.5

The story is mellower than I would like, but it makes sense considering real Japanese culture. They're not stuck on crazy plot twists or intense interactive moments like the US is.  So why did I continue reading? Why did I buy every single volume of this manga??? Several reasons. 1) the art is cute enough for me to want to keep going. 2) the story doesn't always invoke one mood. It has its romantic moments, comedic moments (Reina-chan lol), suspenseful moments in a basketball game, etc. The balance is nice. 3) it's not a reverse harem with all the guys after Mitsuki. It took a while for Towa to become interested, instead of having the relationship suddenly materialized out of thin air. And 4) by the end, I was rooting for Towa and Aya cuz I couldn't decide. GREAT reasons for both to be with Mitsuki, which helped me chug along. Definitely a good read if you like shoujo. P.S. Mitsuki, please act a LITTLE more surprised when you find out Aya is a boy instead. That should shock you beyond all sense of reasoning, but you're like "you're a boy and interested in me? Huh, interesting."