Review
Preface
I'm trying out something different today. This is the first manga I've ever read and finished, so I thought I'd update the website and also try reviewing manga. I don't think my reviews will be any good, especially one, but I think it'd be fun to try. I hope my rating and review age well as I read more manga.
Oh yeah, let me just mention that I got the recommendation for this manga from Twitter/X. When I first heard of it, it had just ended. It looked pretty good, since a good amount of people were talking about it. I don't think it's as memorable to other people, though. On top of that, I did get spoiled just a little bit as to who was going to be the winning heroine. I think it'd pretty easy to come to that conclusion by myself, though, just by interpreting the title.
Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading Hope You're Happy, Lemon. Of course, it being the first manga I've ever finished, I'll have at least a bit of bias towards it, but to be honest it's a pretty fun read. From the get-go, you can tell that this is going to be a manga about dealing with the mistakes Lemon and Sunao have made, specifically ones relating to relationships of the past. How they go about resolving it is really fun, especially with the whole body-swap mechanic. To add on to that, the events of the story really complement the setting and story beats really well. There wasn't a single point of the story where it felt "forced" that something was going to happen. It all flowed really well.
I think the best part of the story is how Sunao and Lemon's relationship is handled. They're close childhood friends who dated before but broke up after some shenanigans. It was nice seeing them together again during their college days, but it was even better seeing the tension between them during every scene. It was extremely palpable, especially during the later half of the story, where Lemon's love for Sunao continues to unravel. It only makes it that much more heartbreaking for her when she gets rejected by Sunao. I think the entire story very clearly built up to that exact moment. It, including the rejection, was bound to happen. Yet, I didn't just feel sad after reading that page. I also felt happy and relieved for Lemon. She worked so hard to be a better person after they broke up, only to be rejected. It didn't feel like her efforts were in vain, though, which was the best part. Despite being rejected, she understands the situation and roots for Sunao and Natsumi. I think Lemon's entire character arc is the highlight of this manga. It's nice seeing a character grow past her previous problems to become a better person, only to not "win" in the end. I think that shows the grit of the writer, to be honest. I don't think it would've been as satisfying if Sunao and Lemon ended up together, as much as I was rooting for her.
To be completely honest with you, my biggest complaint with this manga is the lack of the fleshing out of Natsumi, who is Sunao's chosen love interest. I get that she's kind, endearing, cute, moe, and all, but I really felt like there could be more of the story extracted out of her. Like, I really enjoyed seeing the backstory of how Lemon and Natsumi met, but for most of the story it kinda felt like the story was ringing out the same note over and over again, which was about Natsumi feeling inferior to Lemon and unconfident in her love for Sunao. Listen, I love the way Sunao and Natsumi love each other, but there really could have something more to chew on.
The main character, Sunao, is also pretty endearing. I loved seeing his side of the break up. It was visceral seeing the lack of information that he had on what had happened between him and Lemon. It only made so much sense that he was nervous to open up old wounds. I can tell that he's an incredibly kind and caring person, though. He cares so much for Lemon, Natsumi, and his other friends. Even during Lemon's confession scene, he's very gentle with his words. I think he learned that after the events leading up to their break-up. Other than that, I also liked the build-up to his confession to Natsumi. It's a pretty big subversion that she's the one who comes looking for him only for him to confess first. That was nice to see. Damn. Sunao is the perfect adaptation of a modern-day sensitive man. Perhaps that's also one of his weaknesses. He thinks so much of what other people think that it stresses him out. That's the vibe I get, at leasy.
Call me inexperienced, but I found this manga to be pretty funny. Of course, the main comedy aspect comes from the body-swap mechanic between Sunao and Lemon. It makes sense that a lot of the bits would stem from that. But, I also enjoyed the side characters, like Suzuka, Raika, and everyone in the Film Club. They all have some pretty funny bits. But, don't get me wrong, a lot more could've been done with the side characters, but I can tell that it's not that related to what the manga is trying to say. I'm satisfied with them. But, man, I would've loved to see more of Suzuka and Raika. They have a weirdly good dynamic.
Perhaps, to top it all off, I can't say I'm THAT satisfied with the ending. The reveal of Lemon's wish being the reason for the body-swap mechanic is a bit of a cop out, I can't lie. I wish it'd been more complicated, just so I'd get to see more of the dynamic between Lemon and post-relationship Sunao. Well, I did like how they resolved it, though. I liked seeing Sunao and Lemon intimately together once more, this time as best friends. That was nice. Like the story reassuring the viewers that while the old wounds of the past won't ever fully heal, it's not that hard to move forward. Overall, you should read Hope You're Happy, Lemon for the characters and the story. The characters feel real enough to be relatable while being fun enough to be enjoyable as "book" characters. I'd also say the story is pretty damn fun, too. 9/10. Gem-Mid.
