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Manga Review: Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord Vol. 2 & 3 (2024) by Yodokawa

Monthly in the garden with my landlord cover
A romance perfect for those seeking mature stories that are honest about the complexities of relationships.

” vol. 2 official synopsis from Yen Press: “Asako has finally settled into life sharing a house with Miyako, her landlord and former leader of the popular idol group Elm. Now fully unpacked, Asako is ready for the next step in making her dream home a reality—buying her first-ever potted plant! But their carefree days are interrupted when Miyako’s unexpected feelings for her tenant begin to strain their relationship, and the shocking news of Elm’s comeback stirs up her past trauma…Will the two be able to return to the peaceful times they once shared?”

Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord volume two cover

Read our review of volume one of Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord first

Including ‘s “Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord” in our best manga of 2023 list off of just one volume may have seemed presumptuous, but the series made an instant impact as an emotionally intelligent and mature yuri with characters equally complex and charming. Now that we are more than halfway through 2024 and have two more volumes in the series, the initial impressions are only cemented by the continual growth and depth of Asako and Miyako’s budding romance.

The inaugural volume introduced two opposite personas with their unique struggles in finding love: Asako suffering a lifetime’s heartbreak and Miyako trying to find herself after stepping away from the spotlight of pop idols. The scenario made it difficult for both to confess their feelings. It started with an awkward courtship, where the two played the role of a couple living together without expressing or acting on their feelings. This continues in the subsequent volumes and showcases just how in tune Yodokawa is with capturing the authenticity of relationships. Notably, the second volume is highlighted by a shopping trip in which a broken mug needs to be replaced. This event in itself might sound dull, yet it allows the two characters to converse openly in a joyful manner that further pushes that desire to see them together. The dialogue here, as throughout, is also entertaining and sincere, ensuring every minor interaction reveals deeper truths about each.

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While the series started off feeling pretty exclusionary to Asako and Miyako, both living in a remote property meant to offer solitude and an escape from their past busy lives, Yodokawa starts to introduce a more extensive cast of characters around the two. Initially, the only outsiders were tied to Asako and her job as a manga editor. However, the cast grows with more friends, and, notably, Miyako’s pop idol friends slowly become a part of the story and help her realize her feelings. Asako also meets with her sister-in-law, which not only makes for a comical conversation that highlights Yodokawa’s wit but gives more details as to why the career-focused woman has struggled with love and admitting her feelings.

The third volume offers up what is the best story arc thus far in capturing the complexities of years of struggling through relationships when birthday celebrations bring up a myriad of mixed emotions, as well as confusion on how to approach an event made sensitive after reflecting on past failures. Remaining purposely vague to avoid spoilers, it is scenes like this that are so authentically constructed and grounded in real complexities many may have felt when approaching dating later in life. Consequently, “Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord” is an ideal read for mature readers, far removed from the appeal of the more typical high school romance focused on in the majority of manga.

Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord vol. 3 interior artwork

The art of Yodokawa remains serviceable to the story; those who want those swoon-worthy moments of picturesque embraces or shy glances won’t necessarily be satiated with the more realistic and mature approach. Still, the visuals work perfectly for the story, and the important elements, capturing the emotions and quirks of the two main characters, are perfectly executed. As Asako and Miyako move closer to fully realizing their feelings, there is certainly the potential to get those definitive panels where they express their love. Still, the subdued and slower approach gives such depth to their courtship that the wait is not missed.

Pushing aside that the series falls under the yuri genre, “Monthly in the Garden with my Landlord” should be accessible to a larger audience, particularly for mature readers who are more interested in the complexities faced when dating with that past history as opposed to finding that first childhood sweetheart. Moreover, the third entry in the series ends on a hopeful note, making the wait for the fourth all the more anticipated. The manga certainly continues into 2024 as my favorite romance series, and I am confident those willing to give it a shot may find the same.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

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