Review: Mizuno and Chayama by Yuhta Nishio

April 13, 2022


The good folks at Yen Press were kind enough to allow us to read Mizuno and Chayama ahead of its official release so we could share our thoughts with you all - and I could not be more grateful! I generally wait until I receive store stock to write up a review, but that would have been particularly hard in the case of Mizuno and Chayama as this volume clocks in at a hefty 384 pages! 

Mizuno and Chayama's plot centers around its titular characters' struggles as the sole daughters of two families currently embroiled in a very public political tug-o-war. Mizuno's father is the head of a political party which claims that the local tea company, run by Chayama's father, is polluting the water in their town. Considering the fact that most of the town's residents make their living either from the water or the tea company, the town is so divided that even the high schoolers are feeling the pinch. It is in this stifling environment that Mizuno and Chayama begin their relationship. Chayama, the frequent victim of the class bully, Aikawa, finds herself in a secret relationship with the somewhat rowdy Mizuno. As the only daughter of her tea magnate father, Chayama struggles with the feeling that her life is not her own to lead and that she has no other choice but to follow the path laid out for her by her parents. Meanwhile, Mizuno finds herself frustrated by the suffocating nature of her small town life. With everyone's eyes on their two families their burgeoning feelings for one another must be kept secret or they risk being torn apart. 

I have to say, Mizuno and Chayama has much more weight to it than basically any GL/Yuri title that I've read in recent memory. It has grit and the tone of it is decidedly more somber than what you typically find in this genre. That isn't a bad thing! It just means it's a serious story that happens to be GL at the same time. The artwork is attractive, though somewhat austere. I feel this is perfectly in keeping with the story, though. Overall, this is a GL story you can really sink your teeth into. It was interesting to me to watch the character progression as Mizuno and Chayama each navigated their personal challenges. The ending was not one I saw coming but it also didn't disappoint! It's a little rare to feel like the ending was unpredictable and I give Yuhta Nishio major props for that! 

If GL is your thing, I would highly recommend Mizuno and Chayama. In my mind it's a major departure from the usual cutesy elements typically found within the genre. Much like Catch These Hands!, it felt like a fresh take on GL/Yuri that I had not seen before - though there is zero in common between these two titles. For those of you curious about the rating of 16+ and what that entails - there are few instances of swearing in the volume, and any adult content is largely implied. There is nothing graphic going on, so no worries!

Sound intriguing? Mizuno and Chayama hits shelves on May 10th! We'll update with a shop link once it's live. 

TLDR;

A safe read no matter where you are! This one is (in its own way) SWEET

Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: 5/10/22
Page Count: 384
Age Rating: 16+