Blue Flag, Vol. 1

Paperback, 224 pages

English language

Published April 21, 2020 by Viz Media.

ISBN:: 978-1-9747-1301-1

(2 reviews)

In his final year of high school, Taichi Ichinose finds himself sharing a class with his popular childhood friend Touma Mita for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, Taichi is hesitant to interact with his shy and clumsy classmate, Futaba Kuze, despite seeing her as a reflection of himself.

However, after an encounter in the library brings them together, Taichi discovers that Futaba has feelings for Touma. Initially harboring doubts at the prospect, he decides to help her after she declares an emotional yet firm decision to change. As spring comes into full bloom, the three classmates find themselves in a relationship entangled by intricate emotions and personal conflicts while they navigate through an uncertain future.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

2 editions

altlovesbooks reviewed Blue Flag, Vol. 1 by KAITO (Blue Flag, #1)

Review of 'Blue Flag, Vol. 1' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I normally read manga that's more action-oriented or fantastical than school romance shoujo manga tends to be, because (to me) romance manga tends to follow the same path and involve the same cliches. I admit to being a little hesitant when I started reading this one, because it does start out with your typical cast of school-aged characters navigating typical school-aged romance cliches. I kept reading, though, because I was drawn in despite all of that. The characters end up being well-rounded, complex, and (mostly) honest with themselves and their feelings, something I miss in a lot of angst-y romance plots.

It's hard to judge a manga series off just the first volume, but this one has a lot going for it: complex love.....polygons?, a cute, realistic art style, and a sensible, non-dramatic approach …

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I normally read manga that's more action-oriented or fantastical than school romance shoujo manga tends to be, because (to me) romance manga tends to follow the same path and involve the same cliches. I admit to being a little hesitant when I started reading this one, because it does start out with your typical cast of school-aged characters navigating typical school-aged romance cliches. I kept reading, though, because I was drawn in despite all of that. The characters end up being well-rounded, complex, and (mostly) honest with themselves and their feelings, something I miss in a lot of angst-y romance plots.

It's hard to judge a manga series off just the first volume, but this one has a lot going for it: complex love.....polygons?, a cute, realistic art style, and a sensible, non-dramatic approach to LGBT issues in school. Highly recommend this one if you like the idea of shoujo romance without all the dramatic cliches that come with it.

Trubalix

rated it

Oct. 12, 2021