“I'm in love with him. With the sweltering afternoon sun beating down on her in an apartment room, Reiko Kujirai comes to a realization: In her heart is both a sense of nostalgia toward and romantic affection for her coworker Hajime Kudou. Reiko's feelings, previously hidden away, are turning into a secret desire that might just carry a stunning truth about her world. If ever there was a picture-perfect love story…” (Yen Press)
Jun Mayuzuki's latest series is a peculiar amalgamation of multiple genres, resulting in making it difficult to quantify exactly what “Kowloon Generic Romance” is trying to establish itself as after three volumes. Undeniably, romance is the underlying theme that pushes the story forward, but there is a mystery surrounding protagonist Reiko's memory including a cult-like corporation that deals in medicine, and a constantly shifting landscape within Kowloon evokes a constant sense of uncertainty. While this mix could prove to be disastrous, creating a cluttered mess of plot lines tripping over one another, under the skillful hands of Jun Mayuzuki the manga is proving to be one of the most intriguing and unique manga currently running.
It is difficult to divulge too much on new plotlines and avoid spoiler territory, though, the first volume acts as a clear indicator of Jun Mayuzuki's willingness to tease abstract concepts. Consequently, the ‘mystery' behind Reiko's memory stays tied to her relationship with Hajime but the new volumes introduce eccentric characters that wonderfully blend into the chaotic culture of Kowloon and help slowly fill in the mystery that Mayuzuki is delicately crafting. Essentially, those who were enraptured by the inaugural release will be pleased the manga consistently delivers on what made it enticing in its intro while incorporating fresh elements to keep readers invested.
The art direction for “Kowloon Generic Romance” is, still, utterly gorgeous. Jun Mayuzuki's character design, in particular, is pulled out of classic shoujo manga but modernized to imbue it with a distinct and refined vision of idealized beauty. The art already leaves a favorable impression before even addressing Mayuzaki's command of environments that feel abuzz and capture the nuances of the energetic city of Kowloon. Moreover, Mayuzaki's willingness to experiment with panels and abstract visuals punctuates many of the profound moments/reflections in the manga creating beautiful moments of surrealism that are seldom matched by other creators. Whether the story appeals to the reader or not is subjective, but the art is divine.
Topping my “best manga releases of 2022“, “Kowloon Generic Romance” could have been a hasty inclusion by only going off the inaugural volume. Thankfully, I feel more confident in my predictions after three volumes worth of clever mystery and sublime art. In addition, the book makes for an easy personal recommendation for romance fans who are looking for mature subject matter in a genre that often gets buried in the plethora of high-school-themed titles.
Ultimately, Jun Mayuzuki proves to be an immense, unique, talent who is capable of taking her readers on a wholly unique and mystifying journey. If you are going to pick up a new series in 2023, you will be hard-pressed to find anything more exhilarating and beautiful than “Kowloon Generic Romance”.
