HomeComics/MangaMANGA REVIEW | "You and I Are Polar Opposites" - Volume Two

MANGA REVIEW | "You and I Are Polar Opposites" - Volume Two

MANGA REVIEW | "You and I Are Polar Opposites" - Volume Two

It’s nice seeing a rom-com start with a blooming relationship, and not finish with one. Manga tends to wait until practically the last chapter to pair up the protagonists, but You and I Are Polar Opposites thankfully switched that around. Now we have the quiet Tani and the super-energetic Suzuki partnered up, as they take on their lives together as they get to know one another. So where does Volume Two take our leads?

In Suzuki’s case, it’s to a brand-new convenience store. There, she runs into Yamada and Taira, the latter of which works at the store. Not dolled up like she usually is, Suzuki is playfully jabbed at by her friends over the “what-if’s?” regarding Tani and how he’d react to her looks. Wonder no more, as Tani shows up unannounced at the new store, with Suzuki panicking and running away. That’s when Tani catches up to her, and the two have a heart-to-heart talk about presentation.

Presentation is key to how Suzuki wants to be seen by Tani. An analogy regarding food is showcased with care, with the emphasis of no matter how good something tastes, how it looks is also equally important. But Tani, not realizing how much of a smooth criminal he is, disagrees in a way that makes Tani swoon. It’s moments like this that show the sweet side of You and I Are Polar Opposites, something that continues onwards with a summer festival date.

Pure happiness washes over Suzuki when with Tani, to the point where she feels intoxicated with love. The two do your run-of-the-mill festival stuff that doesn’t add anything unique to the formula. It’s all just to bring our main couple closer, and it’s a night that brings a plethora of joy to the high schoolers. A cute chapter all in all, but nothing groundbreaking.

The manga title You and I Are Polar Opposites isn’t just geared towards Suzuki and Tani. Newcomer Nishi is the quiet type, but finds herself laughing at other people’s conversations. This gets the attention of the out-going Yamada, whose dating experience is pretty bad due to his ditzy mindset. But the one thing he can’t resist is an unexpected smile, which Nishi has quite the knack for. They’re another cute couple in the making, but outside of just exchanging contact info, nothing happens yet between Nishi and Yamada.

Going back to the main couple, a big moment in their relationship occurs when Tani invites Suzuki to his house to study. With nary another family member home, it gives Suzuki the chance to scope out the home without judgmental eyes. But what she witnesses leaves her feeling underwhelmed, until an unexpected arrival of a certain grandma forces Tani to reveal to a family member that he’s no longer on the market. Again, it’s a cute story, but nothing unique is added to this usual rom-com staple.

This is when I started to realize the issue You and I Are Polar Opposites has. It was great seeing this couple get together right off the bat, but it hasn’t really done anything special with this plot point. Tani and Suzuki seem to just be going out in the same way most manga rom-com couples do before they confirm their relationship. Yes, these two are still getting to know one another, but one would hope that there’d be something extra added since they’ve already started dating.

In the two-part “Culture Festival” story, that problem is elevated more when they’re left to their own devices. Tani and Suzuki do the same things every manga couple does at these events, with their antics almost mirroring the summer festival story told a few chapters earlier. Only when an old friend of Sukuzi appears when something awkward between the two occurs. During this instance, instead of letting the problem drag out, they talk like actual people and embrace the concept of honesty in a relationship.

Despite it treading familiar waters, the second volume of You and I Are Polar Opposites is still fun to read through. I’m glad that there’s the chance we can see another couple be the focus of this series, as there are many kinds of people with different personalities. But this is still Tani and Suzuki’s story first and foremost, and I hope they add something fresh to their dating material. Volume Two was good, but You and I Are Polar Opposites needs to reach the same heights as its premiere volume if it wants to keep its readers’ interests.

FINAL GRADE:

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.

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The J-POP king of America, Evan has been bringing the hottest sounds of the Land of the Rising Sun to the English-speaking public since his college radio days. He's also an expert in the gaming, anime, & manga realms, never afraid to get critical when the times call for it. Born & bred in Boston, he achieved his biggest dream yet by making the big move to Tokyo, Japan in Summer 2023! For personal inquiries, contact Evan at evan@b3crew.com. For press/band inquiries, write to us at thebastards@bostonbastardbrigade.com. (Drawing by AFLM of Wicked Anime)