Title: Mint Chocolate Vol. 6
Author: Mami Orikasa
Publisher: Yen Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy
Publication Date: December 13, 2022
The Story
Volume six of Mint Chocolate wraps up Nanami’s aunt and her cousin Subaru paying a visit. In the end, Subaru really wasn’t up to any sort of scheme; however, there was a cute moment where the three of them slept together during their last night. The only real big moment to come from this was that the secret that Nanami and Kyouhei were trying to keep wasn’t really a well-kept secret. I don’t believe that they have anything to fear but yet, it’s not exactly a conversation that you’re going to bring up at the dinner table.
After this, it’s time for their parents’ 1-year anniversary. It’s important to Nanami because it means that it’s also one year since they all became a family. They go out shopping and pick out a gift. When they get back, the topic of Kyouhei going to college comes up. They give a nice little teaser that he’s going to be moving away but that’s not the case at all. In fact, Kyouhei’s answer even shocks his father!
Finally, we wrap things up with Kyouhei accidentally stepping over his boundaries with Nanami and it causes an awkwardness between them. So much so that it interrupts a study session that the two of them try to have. Fortunately, Mizuki offers up his place as a neutral third party so that they can work it out, and… well… they do… and then the volume ends in typical non-cliffhanger fashion.
Characters
I can’t really say that there was much if any, development here between our two main characters. It feels as if things have gotten rather stagnant with them in this volume. The only real development was the revelation Kyouhei had about college but can you really count that? All that led to was just more uncertainty and more back and forth of the same old formula this manga has followed. A situation comes up… it puts a strain on their relationship… they overcome it. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. The only real big development here is that Nanami’s mother pretty much knows what’s going on and doesn’t seem to really care.
Subaru turned out to be just fine. He’s just a playful little scamp but even he didn’t really amount to anything interesting in the end. It was more interesting when it seemed as if he wanted to drive a wedge between them in the last volume but, in the end, he just turned out to be a non-threat.
Nanmi’s aunt, Takao, did go through some changes but are they truly relevant? She seemed like a side character that we may never see again. If we do, it would only serve to reintroduce Subaru into a future storyline. I kind of got the vibe that her arc started and ended within the confines of two volumes.
Final Word
While a good read, this volume didn’t seem like it accomplished much of anything. Sure, we are heading into the third year for Nanami and Kyouhei but aside from that, this just seemed like the same old story over again with a different problem to overcome. Kyouhei tried to be reserved and slipped… Nanami overreacted and caused an awkwardness, and the two of them found a way to make up. Seems par for the course and it makes me wonder how many more times are we going to see this before some sort of trigger is pulled and we get something more interesting. We’re six volumes in so that means things need to start changing. If the series is going to continue using this formula, it’s going to burn out rather quickly.
The arc with Subaru and Takao did spice things up but with Subaru not really amounting to much of a threat and Takao coming to an understanding so quickly, it felt like a throwaway arc. It could have been left unresolved as a future hurdle for them to overcome but the series decided not to go that route for whatever reason. A bit of wasted potential but it is over and done with.
This leaves us wondering about what’s coming next. Whatever does, I hope it leaves a more lasting impression without wrapping the same formula around it.
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This item was provided for review by Yen Press
