Finding a welcoming community within the manga sphere: a short review

After a friend gifted me the first volume of “Pupposites Attract”, a seriously adorable romance manga about two dog owners who become unlikely friends, I knew I had to delve more into manga as a genre.

Soon after finishing the second “Pupposites Attract” volume—the only other volume that’s been released in the US so far—I couldn’t stop thinking about reading more. I’ve found that picking up romance manga is a nice break between heavier reads, and, more broadly, the books can act as a break from troubles both in my personal life and nationally. During a trip to Barnes and Noble, that same friend and I scoured the manga shelves for new reads. She pulled out a book and handed it to me, suggesting that it looked like something I would enjoy.

The cover shows a man with a snowman in palm, looking at a woman poking said snowman. Both of them have cool expressions with snowflakes all around them. The cover’s enchanting and has a beautiful art style. I ended up leaving the store with three manga books, most excited to read the first volume of “The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl” by Miyuki Tonogaya with its eye-catching cover.

Upon the first page, we find out that Himuro and Fuyutsuki are coworkers. We also find out that Himuro is the descendant of a snow spirit, which causes obvious problems in the office. For one, he makes the air around him cold. He also causes a blizzard when he focuses too much. He causes a blizzard when he’s excited. He freezes over when he’s nervous. Basically, his emotions manifest into ice god powers. But Fuyutsuki is never bothered by Himuro’s powers.

Instead, she offers him solutions, leaving him smitten. (Seriously, every time she does something nice, he freaks out inside.

And I quote, “She’s worried about meee! Not only is she cute, but she’s cool too! She’s the whole package!”) And yet, both of them are calm, cool, and collected on their exteriors. Himuro has a clear crush on Fuyutsuki but her facade remains cool—in fact, she’s oblivious to Himuro’s feelings for her.

Reading this volume was a joy, from the simplicity and ease of the reading experience to the lovely art style.

While it’s true that it was quick to read through, that’s doesn’t mean there’s a lack of substance. Instead, this volume sets the reader up for a sweet and funny love story to build upon in future volumes.