We've seen no shortage of gyaru manga in the last few years, and that train doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon - series such as "My Dress-Up Darling" are seeing resounding successes in the form of an anime adaptation and massive mainstream popularity. But just next door comes "Gal Gohan", a heartwarming romantic comedy about Okazaki Miku, a gyaru discovering her passion for cooking, and Yabe "Yabecchi" Shinji , a high school teacher struggling to distill some top tier culinary wisdom and some common sense into his students. When Okazaki's disappointing academic performance sets her on the path of making some baked goods to soothe the tempers of her exhausted instructors, a cooking lesson from the school's Home EC teacher is just what she needs. Keeping her head high through various failures, and armed with the unwavering support of her caring friends, Okazaki begins to discover herself through her newfound passion, while Yabe tries his hardest to keep her on track.
Gal Gohan does a lot of things right, but immediately the most recognizable aspect of the manga is the superb art style. Author and artist Marii Taiyou puts an astounding amount of detail into both the main characters and background panels, making each page a joy to read. The artwork is charmingly cute and captures a nice fluffy slice of life atmosphere, bolstered by its vibrant and expressive cast. I really have to slow myself down in order to "take in the scenery". However, the manga definitely can be a little risqué at times, though I don't think that detracts from the experience at all, but rather emphasizes some of the characteristics displayed by the cast.
In Gal Gohan, characters feel much more true to life rather than generic archetypes. Behind the ditzy gyaru girl, the straight-laced Home EC instructor, and the levelheaded student council president lies a whole host of raw, human emotions that just makes every character feel so real and believable. Characters develop in a natural manner that doesn't feel forced or out of place - instead, characters extend deep bonds through timely coincidences or lewd misunderstandings, which pushes them even closer. It's really nice seeing the contrast between two completely opposing characters, but it works so well. Rarely do I read something where I'm cheering for everyone at once, but this one is an exception I'm more than happy to make.
At its heart, Gal Gohan isn't just "another gyaru manga". It's a little bit of everything - a little lewd, a little cliché, and a little predictable. But it's also incredibly wholesome and bittersweet and heartwarming and sincere. Gal Gohan explores the notion that just a little bit of encouragement from those who you love will be enough to change your world - and for hopeless romantics like me, that's all I need.
I usually never write reviews because I'm not very good at putting my thoughts into words or spend the time to create a good one. But even so, I just really wanted to share my thoughts about this manga with anyone who might be interested. Gal Gohan is too good of a series not to at least check out, so please do!
