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A review by ellelainey
Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (Manga), Vol. 1 by Mikage Sawamura
5.0
Oof, this is SO good!
I went into this not really knowing what to expect. I've recently read [book:Hell Is Dark with No Flowers, Vol. 1 (manga) (Volume 1) (Hell Is Dark with No Flowers|217394506] and [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934], so I was hoping it was along those lines, which...it is, but it isn't.
Naoya Kukamachi was just a boy when he went to a local night festival and was given a terrible choice - choose a lollipop. Each of the three lollipops came with a terrible consequence; one meant he would lost his words, the second he would lose his ability to walk and the third...well, we don't find out that until Volume 2 ;) Naoya chooses the third, and faces some interesting consequences.
Flash forward to college, Naoya begins a new class Folklore Studies II. Right from the start, the mystery was intriguing. From Naoya's childhood to the intriguing Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki, who has made it his mission to study folktales and their origins. Since Naoya has an interesting one, he submits the story to Akira, who is fascinated.
Thus, they begin to work together to investigate folktales and mysterious goings-on. They investigate a supposedly haunted apartment and begin a second case, of a girl who may be cursed, which doesn't conclude until Volume 2.
The mysteries are really well written and plotted, exactly what I'd expect of a great manga. It was very reminiscent of [book:A School Frozen in Time, Vol. 1|55437524]. There was the same sense of mystery clashing with reality.
So far, there's no romance between Naoya and Akira, however they do have a close friendship. It's not explicitly BL in the traditional sense, but all indications are that the series has undertones. Which is very similar to how [book:A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Volume 1|49766957] is written.
Volume 1 does a fantastic job of drawing you into the story and exploring the characters. The supernatural aspects are well handled and the entire plot is very original. But, be warned that Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger!
FYI: EVERY book I've referenced or mentioned here is fantastic and absolutely on the same par as this one. If you liked them, you'll love this and vice versa.
I went into this not really knowing what to expect. I've recently read [book:Hell Is Dark with No Flowers, Vol. 1 (manga) (Volume 1) (Hell Is Dark with No Flowers|217394506] and [book:The (Pet) Detective Agency|60333934], so I was hoping it was along those lines, which...it is, but it isn't.
Naoya Kukamachi was just a boy when he went to a local night festival and was given a terrible choice - choose a lollipop. Each of the three lollipops came with a terrible consequence; one meant he would lost his words, the second he would lose his ability to walk and the third...well, we don't find out that until Volume 2 ;) Naoya chooses the third, and faces some interesting consequences.
Flash forward to college, Naoya begins a new class Folklore Studies II. Right from the start, the mystery was intriguing. From Naoya's childhood to the intriguing Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki, who has made it his mission to study folktales and their origins. Since Naoya has an interesting one, he submits the story to Akira, who is fascinated.
Thus, they begin to work together to investigate folktales and mysterious goings-on. They investigate a supposedly haunted apartment and begin a second case, of a girl who may be cursed, which doesn't conclude until Volume 2.
The mysteries are really well written and plotted, exactly what I'd expect of a great manga. It was very reminiscent of [book:A School Frozen in Time, Vol. 1|55437524]. There was the same sense of mystery clashing with reality.
So far, there's no romance between Naoya and Akira, however they do have a close friendship. It's not explicitly BL in the traditional sense, but all indications are that the series has undertones. Which is very similar to how [book:A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Volume 1|49766957] is written.
Volume 1 does a fantastic job of drawing you into the story and exploring the characters. The supernatural aspects are well handled and the entire plot is very original. But, be warned that Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger!
FYI: EVERY book I've referenced or mentioned here is fantastic and absolutely on the same par as this one. If you liked them, you'll love this and vice versa.