masukomi (📚) reviewed Cheerful Amnesia by Jennifer McKeon (Cheerful Amnesia, #1)
Adorably Hopeful
5 stars
NOTE: this review is of the full series rather than this specific volume.
I absolutely loved reading this. Arisa is portrayed as a lovable idiot. But, she's not an idiot because she's ignorant, or stupid. She's an idiot because she's ridiculously happy to have Mari as a girlfriend and has absolutely no shame regarding their relationship and blows past social taboos about being in a queer relationship because she's just too thrilled to be dating Mari.
Mari is deeply in love with Arisa, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the girlfriend who has completely forgotten her. Things aren't easy for her though. She's afraid of coming out to people. Her parent's don't know she's not just roommates with Arisa. And now she's dealing with the loss of their relationship.
Mari goes from a life filled with sex and intimate touches with a woman she loves to …
NOTE: this review is of the full series rather than this specific volume.
I absolutely loved reading this. Arisa is portrayed as a lovable idiot. But, she's not an idiot because she's ignorant, or stupid. She's an idiot because she's ridiculously happy to have Mari as a girlfriend and has absolutely no shame regarding their relationship and blows past social taboos about being in a queer relationship because she's just too thrilled to be dating Mari.
Mari is deeply in love with Arisa, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the girlfriend who has completely forgotten her. Things aren't easy for her though. She's afraid of coming out to people. Her parent's don't know she's not just roommates with Arisa. And now she's dealing with the loss of their relationship.
Mari goes from a life filled with sex and intimate touches with a woman she loves to a life with an innocent girl who is thrilled to be with her but has no idea how to kiss or have sex, and is adorably embarrassed whenever she tries, or sees parts of Mari that excite her. Mari is extremely careful to not push Arisa into doing things she's not comfortable with, even when she's desperately missing the physical intimacy they used to share.
I'm happy to say that Tamamushi Oku absolutely stuck the landing. I laughed so hard at the ending, and loved every moment of it.
This series is upbeat, silly, romantic, and filled with hope.
NOTE: at the time of writing (Dec 2024) only 4 of the 6 volumes have been officially translated, but all six are available via fan translations on the usual sites.