Finished
“Trans teen Rika runs away, meets kindred spirit Satsuki; together they confront identity and seek self-acceptance.”
After School Mate
アフタースクールメイト
7.15
7,304 rank · 1,857 readers · 15 favorites
Shounen
School
Drama
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Honest pros & cons
Based on your library
Synopsis
Trans teen Rika runs away, meets kindred spirit Satsuki; together they confront identity and seek self-acceptance.
Family, friends, himself... Rika is frustrated by his inability to gain understanding of the gender difference between his body and mind, and one day he gets into a fight with his mother and runs away from home. There he meets Satsuki, a boy who can share his feelings of not being understood... The two meet and confront the issues they have been running away from... A coming-of-age drama that questions "individuality"! (Source: Shueisha, translated)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 4 sampled reviews
7.0
/10
What 4 readers settled on.
75%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7.5
mode 4
σ 1.87
Agreement
Polarized
σ 1.87 · split reception
The polarity gap
4.0 pts
Recommenders 8.0 · others 4.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 2.00
Running avg · Jan 2023 → Mar 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “After School Mate is how to write a short series. It tells an absolutely beautifull story about finding your identity and self worth. I'll start with the best part of this series being the...”
- 9 “I'm astounded that such a modern story has such a small community and lacks some traction. But that doesn't make it any less beautiful or great; rather, it's brilliance waiting to be discovered by...”
- 7 “After School Mate – Spoiler Free – Recommended TLDR Story – 6,5/10 – 6,5 x 0.275 = 1,7875 Art – 6/10 – 6 x 0.2 = 1,2 Characters – 7/10 – 7 x 0.225 = 1,575 Enjoyment – 7/10 – 7 x 0.3 = 2,1 Total:...”
Verbosity
Short · 0%
Medium · 75%
Long · 25%
Read Order & Related
Explore the After School Mate universe
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 13 × 2 ch × vol
- Total read 1h 44m approx
- Published Nov 2021 – May 2022
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M66318 catalog