MANGA REVIEW | "You and I Are Polar Opposites" - Volume Six
I really don’t know what it is about You and I Are Polar Opposites that’s making it hard to read. Kocha Agasawa is a talented artist, and I do like the characters and their personalities. But maybe it’s because I’ve already experienced rom-coms in the past that are similar to what this series is doing. And as I finished reading the sixth volume, I asked myself, “Do I want to keep on reading You and I Are Polar Opposites?”
For starters, let’s go over the strengths of this volume. Where the narrative gets it right is when they focus on Yamada and Nishi. They are a duo that have been the next “will they/won’t they?”couple since almost the beginning of the series. After some run-ins and a couple of phone calls and texts, the two finally go out without being surrounded by their friends.
The love confession here not only is sweet, but it feels relatable. Finding the right time to confess is tough, as the universe wants to find any possible way to interrupt this very important moment. But having Nishi just blurt out the confession felt like a nice breath of fresh air. It’s been building up between her and Yamada, so why not just have her outright say it? And for Yamada’s answer to be ruined by one of the most annoying things about living in Tokyo was some solid comedic timing.
Fortunately, the date doesn’t end there, as Yamada runs down the list of things he was going to do before he confessed to Nishi. It’s a fun little thing that helps to ease the tension between the two. Not only is it sweet, but it goes to great lengths to showcase just how well these two pair up as a couple. So for them to finally reach that point in You and I Are Polar Opposites, it’s very delightful!
That leads to what I feel most indifferent about in this volume: Taira and Azuma. I get that Taira is a very self-conscious person. (Hell, I am, too!) But for it to control every little thing about his life is so annoying to watch. It feels like every time he gets a compliment or a pick-me-up from someone, he just has to find a way to drag himself back into the mud.
It leads me to be thankful that Azuma is now more on his side, as the series now hints that they’re the next couple in the making. She is the shoulder that Taira has needed all of his life, someone to confide to. However, he still has trouble with showing his true colors, even as Azuma just outright asks him to share his gripes with her. Only when Azuma finds a way to break that barrier that Taira places between them does the narrative give readers something to cheer about.
Alas, this now leads me to the weakest part of this volume: Yusuke and Miyu. Our main couple in You and I Are Polar Opposites just don’t seem to have much to do. Even when both Valentine’s Day and White Day come around, both Yusuke and Miyu go through the motions that most rom-coms do. It’s almost as if Asagawa wrote himself into a corner with his main couple, with perhaps a little regret for making them a couple after only just the first chapter.
Again, there are some good things in the sixth volume. However, it’s balanced a little too well with the bad. And now that Nishi and Yamada are officially a couple, I’m worried that Asagawa will again write himself into a corner with those two. Which now leads me to question, “Is the build-up to Azuma and Taira’s impending coupling going to be worth reading through?” Honestly, I’m not exactly sure at this point.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
