(I read an e-copy of this through Netgalley, thank you Kodansha!)

This was both a different kind of romance based manga for me and eerily similar.

Firstly - I'm not disabled and I have not done any sort of in depth research into it. Nor do I know anyone who is on level with Ayukawa (Itsuki)'s disability. So my views are from my own POV, which much like Kawana's are well intentioned but uninformed.

The art of this book is pretty - rough at times, but as I understand this is a debut manga so the polish isn't there yet. Its not anything above average, but its easy on the eyes. The pacing is somewhat rough as well though - the book is mainly from Kawana's POV, but it jumps to Ayukawa for a chapter or so before going back, so that took a minute for me to catch on to.

As to the story - I appreciate that this wasn't an instant "MY LOVE WILL OVERCOME THIS" scenario. Kawana, moreso than Ayukawa gives her credit for, tries to be honest with herself about how the idea of a relationship with Ayukawa would be. She doesn't shy away from the fact that she doesn't feel confident in her ability to help him in all the ways he needs, but she remains consistent that she wants to learn more. She wants to understand what Ayukawa is going through - good and bad, past and present - so they can build something true together.

By contrast Ayukawa is very defeatist. He's determined in his professional life, but his personal life? He's given up because he doesn't want to lean on someone or be a burden. His feelings came across quite well sometimes (when he's talking with Haruto about how hard it can be or when he's discussing what happened with his ex), but it felt at first he used the blunt reality of his disability as a shield as well. This didn't always come across as cleanly as it could have however.

We go through a few awfully coincidental occurrences to test their burgeoning relationship, but really none of that is any different than your typical romance where suddenly his ex, their friends and sudden family appearance test a couple.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes once Ayukawa and Kawana have begun to be more honest with each other about expectations. ( )

This was so good! I was even tearing up at some points. I will definitely being reading the next volume! ( )

A curious romantic story about a girl who meets an old crush from high school who is now disabled from a spinal injury and is now in a wheelchair. Kawana-san has feelings for wheelchair-bound Ayukawa-san, but is hesitant and not sure she wants to move forward romantically due to his disability. As expected, she does express her feelings to him at the end of the volume but Ayukawa-san's feelings towards her and whether or not he even wants to burden someone with a relationship is uncertain. I guess I'll need to read Volume 2......

I liked this story and the insight into the mindset of a person with a disability was eye-opening. My wife has a disability, though not as severe as Ayukawa-san's, and it was hard to read a lot of this. Some emotions and ideas were new to me, but a lot were familiar, like the constant exhaustion a chronic pain disability can leave one with. A difficult but enlightening look into the life of someone with a disability. ( )

This is a romance manga, but if you paid close attention to the cover, the guy is on a wheelchair, so that is your first sign that this isn't your typical story. It's really nice to read a story not based on cliché plots with rich guys, damsels in distress and teenage love triangles. This manga offers more than just romantic enjoyment; the story lets you see the physical and emotional struggles of someone with spinal cord injury. From the girl's perspective, you can see her frustration for not knowing how to help the guy she loves and her reactions as she discovers more and more about his condition. From his perspective, you can see his frustrations and life expectations.

This type of story is better suited for those who like more serious dialogues and thought provoking situations. His condition is not sugar coated: bed sores, excretory disorder, phantom pain and UTI are mentioned in this volume as well as how society treats him. Having said that, it still has your typical romance tropes, light fluffy moments and emotional punches to your heart that will keep you hoping nothing bad happens to him in the next 100 years because they are both so sweet and deserve all the happiness in the world. Now I really need to know how this story will end.

I requested a review copy from Kodansha comics. Thank you! ( )

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tsugumi Kawana (26 years old) reunites with her first crush from high school, Itsuki Ayukawa, at a get-together with an architecture firm and the interior design company she works at. He sends her heart aflutter, until she realizes he's now disabled, and in a wheelchair. At first she feels she couldn't date a guy in a wheelchair, but then her feelings begin to change...

My Review:

I chose to read this book because of the description, mostly. Usually I'm not really into books this style, but I thought I would give it a shot and I'm glad I did.

Check out the rest of my review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/perfect-world-vol-1-perf... ( )