The Quintessential Quintuplets (2017)

[五等分の花嫁]

Volume 1

Author/Artist: Negi Haruba
Publisher: Shounen Magazine Comics

Synopsis:
The top of the class is hired to be the private tutor of quintuplet sisters in danger of flunking out of school.

Story/Characters:
This series has a neat gimmick where you see our lead's wedding day and the main story has you trace the steps to the blessed event, only the wife candidates are identical quintuplets, so you can't really tell who it will be. (At least we know there's going to be a definite conclusion, unlike some other Japanese romcoms.) Unlike most male protagonists in series like this, Fuutarou Uesugi is more distinct as a character rather than the typical generic placeholder for self-insert purposes. (The hammy performance of Yoshitsugu Matsuoka in the anime plays this up all the more.) As for the quints, they seem fairly typical at first but steadily grow out of the basic settings. Miku is the first of the bunch to get much development, which contributes to her becoming an early favorite among the fans. Team Miku for life.

Art:
The art is first-rate, particularly the character stuff. There is some nice camera work that adds to the visual interest of the panels. There's also plenty of fanservice, but it's more subdued than most series like this. It's a visual feast on all fronts, so you should be fully satisfied there.

Other:
We get a two-page bonus comic where the girls are trying to figure out how to evenly cut a cake among them.

Conclusion:
I was brought to this series via its "rival" Bokuben and while I enjoy both, this one has more emotional depth to it and has a more interesting male lead. It's one of the better romcoms out there and I highly recommend it. It definitely deserves a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It