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'Mizuno and Chayama' by Nishio Yuuta is a manga that depicts the two titular high school students in a small, rural, "backwater town", cemented during a time of political divide. At the centre of this are two girls, each daughters of the leaders of the political forces. Although they are supposed to be alienated from each other, they instead find comfort in each other and must overcome the forces that vehemently wish to break them apart.
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The story takes a close look into the lives of Mizuno and Chayama and the relationship between them. The manga explores how they navigate their romantic relationship against the backdrop of a politically divided rural town which affects the two greatly. As they are the daughters to key players in the political game, they consequently have an unwanted reputation in the town and furthermore expected to stray far apart from each other.
This backdrop to the story adds a lot of drama and suspense whilst you are reading the manga. This relationship - akin to Romeo and Juliet - faces risk of being broken apart at every turn, so you end up cheering them on and hoping that nothing will stand in their way. Further, the nature of the relationship makes it a bit different from the usual kind you may see in a romance. Instead, it is a relationship less about the romance but rather the escape and relief it provides for the two who are in an aggressive chokehold, stifled by their town. As such, the plot and romance may not be enjoyable for those who simply want to enjoy romance, but for someone such as myself who enjoys thrillers and suspenseful stories, it was great for me.
The themes also take on a much darker tone than one might expect. There are heavy topics such as sexual assault/harassment, bullying, dysfunctional families, and a general dark tone that pervades the plot. It can make it a hard read for some, but I find these sort of stories really gripping, especially with romance sprinkled in. It is not a story solely focused on romance though, so if you are only looking for that then you may be disappointed.
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On top of the two titular characters, there are various other background characters that build upon the story's setting.
As you might have been able to tell with how I talked about the two above, Mizuno and Chayama really shine when they are together. They act as foils to each other and enable the growth in each other. I really enjoyed seeing the two interact and actually find some happiness in a town which seemed to only suck the life out of them.
There is not much to say about the side characters, as they mostly act as set pieces that assist with building the setting, which I will discuss more on in the analysis part of the review. I will say though that they were able to construct a believable countryside town vibe that made the story all the more immersive.
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I enjoyed the art in this manga. Its style somehow fit both in the darker moments of the manga as well as the wholesome moments within it. In both scenarios, the art style emphasised the intended feeling and emotions of the scene. In a way, you could see it as illustrating how both moments are on the same side of a coin. Just as you are having a good moment it could very easily turn sour.
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This was one thing that I was particularly excited to analyse. Unlike most Yuri titles I have read which were based in high schools or other city settings, this one was situated in a small "backwater town". This setting brings its own quirks not seen the aforementioned backdrops. There are undeniably positives to living in the countryside, such as increased nature, a slower, laid-back lifestyle, and not having to deal with huge crowds. However, you may have never stopped to consider the more sinister side that can come with living in such a place. If you are interested, I would recommend watching this video which discusses some of the issues rural Japanese life has.
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One of the key themes of this manga are familial ties and how this effects one's sense of individuality. In small towns such as the one in the limelight in this manga, family is a key value to many of the inhabitants there. Whilst there is no denying that there is value to be found in families, what we see in 'Mizuno and Chayama' is how they can erode one's sense of self away. As we see in one major side character, we also see how family can be a source of great stress and trouble, and yet due to the blood ties and traditional values one cannot escape it so easily.
The shot above really encapsulates the point I am trying to make. Here, we see that Mizuno is nothing more of an extension of her father. The townspeople do not see her for a unique individual. All of the attention she gets (good and bad) is simply because of who her father is. As a result, expectations and assumptions are placed on her that she had no role in nor desire to have. The same can be applied to Chayama, so it is no surprised that the two find solace in each other despite their differing personalities. The two are affected by dysfunctional families in two different ways. Mizuno is raised in a household free from abuse, but with a father that shows little love nor care for Mizuno. This gives her some freedom - that cannot be denied - but her father's apathy becomes abhorrent in the face of Mizuno being groped by her father's political allies. Chayama on the other hand, has a double-faced father who is quick to hit his daughter the moment she does not conform to his expectations. In fact, the two are even branded by their own names, with the kanji of their names - Mizuno having 水 (water) and Chayama having 茶 (tea), which represents their blood and political ties - there really is little escape for these two... Except for the romantic moments they have.
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As I continued to get exposed to the dark side of the small town that Mizuno and Chayama reside in, I could not help but wonder what the purpose of the romance (and implied sexual activities between the couple) was. Moreover, I wondered if the fact that it was a queer relationship would affect the hardships the couple would face in such a town. After all, it is common for rural communities to have a harsher perception on gay couples. There are multiple ways you could interpret this, but if you assume that having a lesbian couple was a deliberate choice with some hidden meaning, I could interpret it this way - perhaps in a town where they have no freedom, rebelling by not only having a relationship with someone you are supposed to be opposed to, but also a relationship that goes against social norms is their way of protesting against the chokehold that the community has placed on them (further emphasising the concept of a forbidden romance). That said, the manga does not explore the town's perception on gay couples even after the two are ousted, which I think was a missed opportunity to really make the most out of the unique setting.
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I do not think there is much to be said about the ending, as it is sort of anti-climactic. Mizuno is able to completely escape from the town, but Chayama is not, taking over her family's tea company. That said, the two appear to still be in a relationship despite the distance between them, which could be a statement to how strong their bond is. It is a happy ending which I am grateful for, but I think it could have used more time to make the ending more impactful.
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Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading 'Mizuno and Chayama'. I was not expecting the grim undertones but that made me all the more invested in it. Furthermore, it had enough Yuri romance peppered in that made me happy with the read. I can recommend this manga to those who want to read a Yuri title has darker elements to it and do not mind it not just being a romance focused tale. To summarise:
- A story that examines the themes of family, countryside communities, and the loss of individuality.
- The forbidden romance between the two leads is easy to get engrossed in.
- The small-town setting and the quirks it brings can make it a more engaging read.
Unlike my usual reviews, I decided to do more analysis with this one, partly because I felt that there was so much to talk about with how the manga tackled some heavy themes. I hope I was able to do it justice. Feel free to send me a message if you wish to discuss the review and/or give feedback.
