Just in time for its anime adaptation comes the English language release of the fan-favourite comedy manga Kirio Fan Club. What would you do if your crush had ear-splitting farts? For Aimi and Nami, the answer is cry tears of joy for being able to pinpoint at a distance the object of their affections, Kirio, from a single toot. These are the kinds of deep, philosophical questions the two friends/rivals in romance pose to each other to prove their love for this boy who hardly seems to know they exist. That won’t stop them from conducting nightly rituals to entice him into their dreams, though, or listing out what exactly they like about him, down to the very last organ. But when push comes to shove, will they choose their hilarious friendship over a shot at love?
Highschool comedies are a dime a dozen when it comes to manga. However, Kirio Fan Club brings something a bit different to the table. For one thing, it is a series that readers will find more on the relatable side. Whilst there is a dose of zaniness, this is a series that very much is driven by the imagination of the two leads. It is very much at the whims of Aimi and Nami who carry this opening volume by being normal high school girls who come up with weird ideas over their crush thanks to said overactive imagination.
It is this crush that will play with readers expectations as creator Chikyu no Osakana Ponchan takes the series in a direction that one would not initially expect given the premise. With the intensity of their crushes and the scenarios they dream up, you’d expect a traditional love triangle to form. But when you have characters who are as close as Aimi and Nami, its kind of hard to pigeonhole them into that slot, especially with the little hints that Ponchan is throwing in.
Speaking of Ponchan, they have a wonderful art style that is a perfect fit for this kind of series. The school setting comes off as very real, and their characters fit the tone. There’s also a wistfulness to their art which really shines through when the series plays around with what readers’ expectations of the main characters are. It’s hard to put into words but it is impossible to overlook. This is a strong opening volume that will subvert readers expectations of the high school comedy romance genre. Chikyu no Osakana Ponchan is on to a winner.
Kirio Fan Club 1 is out 28 April from Vertical (9781647295288, p/b, £12.99)
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