Hana to Hina wa Hōkago

Backflap Summary

Hana and Hina are two high school girls working at the same character goods shop, but they are completely different from one another. Hana is petite, uncertain and shy, while Hina is tall, confident, and trendy. Yet they share a secret: their school has a strict policy against taking part-time jobs. They also discover that both of them share an irresistible attraction to things that are cute, be it the uniforms at their all-girls’ school or… each other! Just how long will Hana and Hina be able to keep their after school jobs, and their feelings for each other, a secret?

Volume 1 Review

I really, really wanted this series to come through. For it to even out the wrinkles and deliver on a solid story. Unfortunately, I personally had a few qualms with the execution of the story.

In general, I found the dialogue passable, but the characters (specifically Hina) felt unbelievable. Yes, teens have mood swings and under the spotlight of romance, even more still. However, the pacing and character inconsistency just didn’t feel aligned, which made the story difficult to get into. I personally don’t love this art style. It is clear this author has grown a lot in the past few years (My Little Kitten)! The fidelity isn’t on par with modern stories (perhaps hand-drawn versus digitally-augmented) and the characters themselves are a bit too infantalized for my preference. I do think there is something valuable about stories that are still sensitive to the places and times where love between women is still hidden and instills a sense of powerlessness.

Full Series Review

Can a series be worth reading for the last twenty pages? Apparently yes! The stumbling, fumbling of character and story at least brought a high level of tension built up page-after-page for three volumes! It is clear this author feels at home in intimacy. When the characters finally confess and a relationship begins. That is where they shine. Those final pages sent a torrent of emotions through my body and it was such a needed narrative relief. While the story peaked, what followed felt pleasant and genuinely enjoyable! The posing on the cover of Milteen magazine felt incredible and something I did not predict! I do feel that Hinako’s worries about the relationship not lasting came in too late and was resolved too quickly. It’s a great tension, but did not get the attention it deserved. This is a general theme with Maiko, for instance.

Overall, given how short this series is, I am very happy I pushed through the early volumes!

Series Information

Writer/Artist/Character Design: Milk Morinaga (she/her)
Publisher: Futabasha
Release Year: 2015-2016
Volumes: 3
Setting: High school; At home
Ick Factor: None