A Coward's Happiness Hot

This is one of Naono-sensei's simpler anthologies. No fantastical elements or detailed mysteries, but a series of slice-of-life stories (you know, if your life was that of a host or something.) The plot in these stories revolves more around the characters' relationships more than anything else.

Ch. 1 deals with pint-sized rice-shop owner Kawada and bumbling thief/starving student Mori. The theme of this story would be insecurity, I suppose. It's cute and fluffy. I have an issue with Kawada's size though. I mean, that's just laughably teeny!

Ch. 2 and 3 are my favorites of the series. These chappies focus on Mori's coworker Mitsuo and his vicious boss Eito-san, who also has been his caretaker since Mitsuo was a child. Rape warning in this one, but the resulting aftermath is interesting and certainly something different. ("Even though it's playing out like my worst nightmare...I still feel happy somehow...") To clarify, this is not one of those rape=love things.

Chapters 4 and 5, to be honest, are fluffy but entirely forgettable. 4 is about two cousins, 5 is about an uncle and a nephew. 4 is pretty run-of-the-mill. 5 has a bit of a twist, but one that you were entirely expecting.

I'd say read through the first three chapters for sure. Naono-sensei's skill with shading, movement, and emotion are top-notch as always.

This is a great addition to the work from Naono Bohra. The plot isn't that special, but like always, they are different in some way. The characters make the story funny to read and easy to enjoy. The art is wonderful, though not to special, but the detail of muscle and clothing is awesome, recommended to anyone who enjoys a funny story that is still very sweet.