Takane no Hana wa Midaresaki · review
This is the most wholesome lovey-dovey kinky manga I've read so far (BDSM). One of those rare school romance stories that is not plagued by the almighty "will-they-won't-they". Our protagonists discuss their problems, their feelings, their fears and their desires. For this reason, it is an excellent experience to read. It's chill, lovable, enjoyable, and fun. As with most romantic stories, the emphasis is on the characters and their interactions, so I'll start with them. Well, they are exceptional in my opinion. Even though they are not very complex, they are really likable. They are kinkycute. They follow the usual average guy (Shawada), topgirl in the class (Minezaki) lineup. However, even though the guy is average, he is not portrayed as a loser, and his behavior not crigney, not even once. Actually quite the opposite, he is quite sympathetic, despite his mildly sadistic desires. The chick follow the usual template as well, on the surface she acts like a honorary student, but behind the mask lies a kinky masochist, but not in an over exaggerated way. She is just a normal girl, with darker desires. It's a little ironic, but their relationship is much, much healthier than the vast majority in the romantic genre.
The biggest positive for me about this manga is that the characters discuss their problems, as if it were completely natural to speak about them. Because it is, hence it is not full of melodrama and unnecessary conflicts. The humorous situations do not arise from exaggerated scenes either, but from ordinary lifelike situations. It was so refreshing to read something like this. It is like a fresh breeze on a hot summer day.
About the visuals. I wouldn't say this is the most detailed manga I've ever stumbled upon, but it was perfectly fine by me.
All in all it is really hard to say why this manga is so good. There is nothing groundbreaking here, just simple ordinary slice of life, yet somehow it just feels right. You laugh time to time, you enjoy the wholesome kinkiness, and you just go with the flow.