The best slice-of-life romance manga that nobody knows

IMPORTANT!: Only the first 75 out of 165 chapters of this manga have been translated so far. I don’t normally do this, but this review will only be based on these 75 chapters because I really want to talk about this manga but I cannot read Japanese and the translation for it will probably never be finished (at least not in my lifetime). It is possible that the quality of the manga decreases during its second half, but if it’s even half as enjoyable as the first half then everything I say in this review will definitely still be valid.

The ocean of romance anime/manga is so incredibly vast, with most of them unfortunately having such similar tropes and story beats, that even the best of the genre have a hard time trying to differentiate themselves from the rest. Sekitou Elegy is what seemed to be a generic manga that I decided to read simply because I was in the mood to enjoy a “feel good” romance that I can forget about in two days. What I got, however, was the most realistic depiction of romance and young-adults that I’ve ever seen, with the two most believably flawed yet likable characters in any romance and the lingering feeling of sadness about how there probably will never be anything else quite like it.

This review will be spoiler-free (although it can be pretty challenging to spoil anything from a slice-of-life story anyways)

Story - 9.5/10
The basic premise of the manga is that of two working-class young adults with polar opposite personalities developing feelings for each other, entering into a relationship and trying to find their place in the world. The story for the manga is very straightforward and predictable, but the way the SoL elements are executed is fantastic and it’s able to stand out from others of the same genre with its realistic and mature yet light-hearted style of storytelling. Realistic is a word that seems to be overused nowadays by a lot of people (including me) and it’s also a word that is, for the most part, based heavily on personal experience where what one may consider to be realistic might not be for someone else. However, Sekitou Elegy portrays many problems its characters face in a very subtle way that feels natural with little to no unnecessary melodrama or over-the-top reactions, making many situations, including those you’ve never experienced, feel grounded, realistic and somehow relatable. The most impressive thing about the “realism” in this manga is that even though every character in the story struggles in some way and has very difficult/complicated lives and relationships, the story still gives you a feeling of reassurance, satisfaction and hope, not melancholy or despair. As much as I love stories like Welcome to the N.H.K or Goodnight Punpun where they explore realistic and depressing themes, reading Sekitou Elegy almost feels like you are taking a glimpse into the most entertaining moments of the lives of a real-life couple and those around them (also keep in mind that this manga is a seinen where sex is treated as a natural part of a relationship and not some forbidden magic that will secure a relationship forever after doing it once).
Finally, even though I will be talking about this more in the character section, I want to quickly mention the relationship between the two main characters, which takes up ninety percent of the manga and is the best part of it as well. What makes their relationship so authentic and special is that they actually bicker, have arguments and fight over petty disagreements without ruining their entire relationship over one misunderstanding like in so many other romance manga.
Of course, nothing is without its flaws, and the biggest flaw with any SoL, including this one, is that pretty much nothing happens. There is no doubt that characters do develop and there is some drama sprinkled throughout, but the story, for the most part, is just the everyday life of a young-adult couple. Sekitou Elegy does, unlike most within its genre, have smooth transitions and the feeling of continuity between chapters, however, those who don’t like this form of storytelling will most likely be unable to fully appreciate this story as well.

Art - 8.5/10
The art in manga definitely takes some time to get used to, but the art style, especially the character designs, definitely started to grow on me after a few chapters. The best part about the design of the two main characters is that they are not the most attractive or ugliest people in the manga, meaning that the female lead doesn’t look like a runway model, which makes their relationship feel extremely genuine. The facial expressions are great and convincingly portrays the various emotions that the characters go through. The environments/backgrounds are also surprisingly detailed, which adds even more to the whole “realism” factor that I keep talking about.

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Character - 9/10
The two main characters are phenomenal, with their dynamic and interactions together making every page worth reading.
First of all, let’s address the infamous loser protagonist trope typically found in shounen harem romance comedies. If you have ever read or watched one of these, you will probably recognize this trope and have also wondered how such pathetic losers with no redeeming qualities besides being “nice” can get themselves a harem of girls who are all perfect in every shape and form. At first glance, the male lead, Satoshi Yanagawa, is also a bit of an idiot who can, at times, be very childish and perverted. However, unlike other protagonists, these parts of Satoshi’s personality are depicted as real flaws that he has to grow out of. The way Satoshi acts has believable reasons behind them and he is never seen as someone who's extremely pathetic, as he is really just a confused and innocent boy with a big heart at a transitional period during his life who is willing to change and stand up for his loved ones.
Satoshi’s personality is perfectly complemented by the female lead, Tomoko Akiyama (also known as Chiiko), who is someone who is not afraid to call him out on his problems. Chiiko herself, however, is also not without flaws as she has real anger problems and trust issues that stems from her past. She is still a good person at heart and her relationship with Satoshi allows her to soften up from her more violent exterior and become kinder to those around her while also teaching Satoshi to be a tougher person at the same time. The personality clash between the two leads is fantastic because it usually brings out the best and, sometimes the worst, of themselves which allows them to learn from their mistakes and grow into better people as a result.
Unfortunately, the manga's greatest strength is also its biggest weakness for its characters, or more precisely, its side characters. The obvious drawback with a primary focus on its two main leads is that some of the other characters can get left behind, which is completely understandable in this manga, especially considering how the side characters aren’t bad by any means. However, since I have seen instances where background characters get more depth without stealing the thunder away from the MCs, the rating for this section will suffer slightly as a result (the reason for this problem could also be because I’ve only read half of the entire manga, but oh well).

Enjoyment - 10/10
Even though I was only able to read the first 75 chapters of the manga, it is still quite lengthy and I was surprised to find myself never feeling bored while reading it. It’s true that I’m a fan of slice-of-life, but that does not mean I am immune to boredom. Most of the SoL manga that I have read become dull after a few chapters, but Sekitou Elegy hooked me from the very start till the end and I only found myself wanting to read more after every chapter.

Summary
Sekitou Elegy is a breath of fresh air from all the uninspiring rom-coms out there and it will be a seinen manga that I will never forget. But, I don’t want to blow things out of proportion because even though it is what I consider to be the best romance manga, it’s still, at its core, just a slice-of-life and not much more than that. If you have never found the idea of slice-of-life appealing, then this certainly isn’t something that will change your mind. However, if you want to read a genuine and mature portrayal of young-adult romance that doesn’t rely on overused clichés nor self-inserting harems, and don’t mind SoL or the unfinished translation, then this really is an experience that you do not want to miss.