“The son and heir to an indigo dyeing shop, Riku, has dreamed of going to university outside his prefecture with his childhood best friend and girl he loves, but is instead forced to marry a girl named Miyo due to an old family promise. However, just what is Miyo's incredible secret?! Tokushima's very own Mayu Minase sets the stage in her hometown for this youthful love fantasy.” (Azuki)
You Can Read “Don't Count Your Tanukis”
Through The Azuki App or Site
A rom-com from iconic creator Mayu Minase, “Don't Count Your Tanukis,” melds elements of the supernatural into a forced marriage scenario. At face value, this may not garner instant appeal on premise alone. Yet, Mayu Minase proves she can navigate familiar tropes by crafting memorable and sincere characters that work wonderfully in the genre. Moreover, the book resonates with the sincerity of its creator's passion for their hometown, a romantic vision of small-town life backed by colorful locals who become instantaneously charming.
Riku is the ideal protagonist to navigate the story, a schoolboy wanting to escape to the big city but becoming bound to a duty to stay home. His future fiance, Miyo, is adorably clueless yet strong-willed, maintaining the playfulness of the Tanuki even when transformed into a beautiful woman. Even the overbearing parents manage to keep a wholesome edge, giving the entire cast a softness that allows the story to flow in a complimentary manner. Consequently, any unfavorable elements that could arise from the forced marriage trope and the questionable manga reasoning that enables creatures and humans to ‘date' melt away, and the book resonates with a positivity that Mayu Minase masterfully navigates.
Check also this interview
The art of “Don't Count Your Tanukis” shows that Minase has the romance genre pinned down, balancing humor and beauty. Her characters are perfectly expressive, and there is a reserve regarding the lewd elements that tease in a way that does not feel exploitative of the cast the reader is meant to be endeared toward. The most notable draw for fans of all things adorable is the supernatural characters, including a troop of cute baby Tanukis that become the focal point in any panel where they pop up. The book truly is a visual joy that compliments the story perfectly.
Stories of romance based around arranged marriages tend to exist in a precarious territory; it is not always simple to make the reader endear themselves to both parties involved. Yet, under the confident direction of Mayu Minase “Don't Count Your Tanukis” is proving to be one of the strongest and most memorable releases that plays within the forced romance angle. Throw in a wonderfully expressive and playful visual direction, and the series is sure to appeal to a vast readership of manga.
For romance fans, this addition to the Azuki title should give ample reason to give the online service a shot. With chapters released weekly, this is one of the most exciting romance series I look forward to reading in 2023.
