rev_Ngtr

TL;DR: 8/10 you don't even know it came from a hentai artist.

I won't lie to you: I never expected 774 to go this far.

Even before its anime was announced, I was already off the boat for the longest time because I was on a high with Horimiya, Tonikaku Kawaii and Shikimori-san, and other manga that featured significantly lovelier couples. It didn't help that I wasn't exactly in the right headspace, so Hayase being that crass rubbed me the wrong way.

But now, having binged the whole manga from start to finish, just in time for this final chapter, I think 774 has found a good place to work from should he try a new story.

Because foundationally, *Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san* isn't just good for its premise or archetype, it's a story that *grew* to be good, a sign that an author can adapt to the demands of a more scrupulous audience to deliver an enriched reading experience for the genre. Chapter after chapter I can tell that 774 wanted to work with these characters and take them out of their caricatures, making them as real a person as can be in a genre that tends to not stray far from comfort zones.

The things that frustrated me before didn't become non-issues, yes, but that's mostly coming from me, not the actual quality of the writing. OK, there is some -- there really were times when Hayase's snark and Naoto's noodly weakness made for painful reading because the power dynamics were all sorts of effed AND the tropes were heavy-handed. But there is a concerted effort to move the characters out of that status quo, and do so naturally by having everyone reflect on their behavior and work to be better. It's all in the story, in that milieu, and that's why they become more and more compelling to follow.

[to be continued sporadically]