Dagashi Kashi (2014)

[だがしかし]

Volume 1

Author/Artist: Kotoyama
Publisher: Shounen Sunday Comics

Synopsis:
An aspiring mangaka has to contend with an eccentric heiress who tries to convince him to succeed his father's candy shop.

Story/Characters:
If you haven't read my reviews of the anime adaptation, let me begin by describing this series as a slice-of-life comedy centered around dagashi, basically the Japanese equivalent of penny candy. Typically, each chapter revolves around a different type of dagashi. There's a big nostalgia factor for people who grew up with the stuff and for those who haven't, it may well serve as a cultural gateway. Dagashi alone wouldn't make for much of a reading experience, and that's where the cast comes into play, particularly the loony Hotaru, who provides much of the comedy in the series. Our male lead Kokonotsu is mostly the straight man to her antics and those of his manchild father. The initial cast is rounded out by Kokonotsu's childhood friends the Endou twins, Tou and Saya. The character dynamics are great and I really enjoy the author's brand of comedy, which relies largely on overdramatizing the rather mundane subject matter.

Art:
Kotoyama has an appealing art style. It's true for a lot of people, myself included, that Hotaru's distinctive eyes are one of the first things that draws your attention. Reaction shots are great and Hotaru is particularly expressive. The series hits what I feel is the sweet spot in terms of fanservice, just enough to have fun without being overbearing or creepy. As mentioned before, overdramatization is part of the comedy, so we get some great panels to juxtapose the visuals with the actual content.

Other:
We get three 4-koma as an omake at the end of the volume. My favorite is the first in a series where Saya walks in on inconvenient scenes in the story.

Conclusion:
This is a fun series with a good sense of humor. Whether you're as much of a dagashi nut as Hotaru or if you don't know the first thing about it, you're probably going to have a good time. This is definitely worth having.

Rating:
Own It