A josei slice of life. My first encounter with Kouno Fumiyo's work, and best I think, because it's more subtle and playful than her war themed manga. It's been years, but I find Nagai Michi unforgettable because the dynamic between Michi and her incorrigible husband Sosuke is one of a kind, and from another era. Supposedly based off Kouno and her real husband, Michi the heroine initially comes across as a clumsy, hapless young woman, but later reveals she can be quite shrewd when she wants to. Her arranged husband is a ne'er-do-well who knows what he is, yet shows his "kindness" to Michi bynot demanding anything from her either. Together they make an oddly stable and mutually understanding pair. Michi pulls all the domestic weight, on top of being the breadwinner, but she accepts this arrangement because she was the one who brought the marriage form to Sosuke, to chase after love lost- another man who happened to live in the same area as Sosuke. And Sosuke is aware of this.

The chapters cycle between surreal daydreams, comedic tales of Sosuke's scumminess, poverty, Michi's (mis)adventures, moments where she shows her mettle, and a few genuinely sweet memories. Some chapters are completely sans text, change the drawing style, and have a poetic quality, showing off Kouno's creativity and visual storytelling strengths. The variety is a treat and highly appropriate as Michi and Sosuke grow inseparable against even their own expectations.