Title: Rainbows After Storms Vol. 1
Author: Luka Kobachi
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 163
Genre: Slice-of-Life, Romance, Yuri
Publication Date: December 10, 2024
The Story
Rainbows After Storms is pretty straightforward from a story perspective. It’s about two girls, Chidori and Nanoha, and how they are dating but nobody knows about it except them. Outside of this premise, the manga presents itself in an episodic format with no true overarching story as you just enjoy the time they spend together in their day-to-day lives.
The first couple of chapters introduces you to our two main characters. You get to know their personalities and how they differ from one another. From there, we get a couple of cute scenarios such as Nanoha wanting to feed Chidori; however, people are around so Chidori gets super embarrassed. Nanoha solves the problem by involving their other friends Kumako, Asumi, and Reichi.
We follow that up with a bit of a problem… the literature club is in danger of closing as the seniors all graduated leaving Chidori in the club alone; however, Nanoha and the others won’t let that happen! We then move on to a chapter where they are cleaning the classroom, one where Nanoha comes down with a fever and others.
Towards the end of the volume, we are treated to a nice two-chapter backstory of how Nanoha and Chidori became a couple and then closed it out with them going out for pancakes with the gang.
Characters
While we have Kumako, Asumi, and Reichi as side characters their roles are exactly that… side characters that, honestly, don’t add much to the story. It seems as if they are there for convenience purposes just to fill out a cast. I’m hoping that we’ll get some deeper focus on them in the future but for now, this first volume was all about our two main characters.
Nanoha is the tallest and most outgoing person in the relationship. She can sometimes be pretty loud and overbearing but she does often worry about Chidori and their relationship. Despite being so boisterous, she does have a bit of a timid side that is quite loving when it comes to Chidori. You can tell she’s always thinking about her even though sometimes her actions don’t exactly show much subtlety. Despite that, she’s well aware that they are trying to keep their relationship a secret and knows when to not overstep her bounds… somewhat.
Chidori is the opposite of Nanoha. She gets embarrassed quite easily and is usually more reserved. Sometimes, she even comes as a bit standoffish or unapproachable. She even asked Nanoha at one point if that was the case because she seems to be self-aware of how people perceive her. She’s more protective of their relationship being a secret and whenever a hint of it gets out, she turns beet red and tries to avert the situation as best as possible. Despite being moody, she’s quite cute in her mannerisms and I find her adorable because of it. You can definitely tell she truly loves Nanoha, though… the chapter where Nanoha helps Chidori tie her scarf is a dead giveaway!
Final Thoughts
Did you know that Chidori and Nanoha are best friends and are dating but nobody knows about it? If you didn’t then every single chapter of this manga will remind you of that in a little narrative box at the start. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am not aware of the release cadence for this manga in Japan so I can understand reminding your readers of the plot point if the manga came out, let’s say, monthly. But when you’re reading this in a tankoban format, being reminded every 10 pages or so is kind of insulting. At the very least, edit that out for the book release! I know it’s probably not a big deal for some but when you’re reminded of the plot 12 times in a 12-volume chapter, it becomes a bit too much!
That gripe aside, I would say that the manga is fine. The goal of this manga is to show the daily lives of two high school girls who are in love while keeping their relationship a secret. The manga is very episodic and plot points barely, if at all, carry over into other chapters. For example, they save the literature club but you don’t really see the literature club after that. Nanoha gets sick with a fever and in the next chapter, she’s all better with no mention of it whatsoever. If you’re looking for overarching stories, you won’t find them here until the chapters have a Part 1, Part 2, etc…. in which case, there are a couple here that do.
Also, if you’re looking for tension and drama, you won’t find much of that here either. Again, this is just a comfortable, laid-back manga about peering into the lives of two high school girls in love. With its episodic format, it’s just meant to be enjoyed a something that you can read and smile at without thinking too much about. In that regard, this manga does a great job at providing that warm, wholesome vibe but for people looking for something deeper, unless things change in later volumes, you probably won’t find it here, and that’s okay!
For a campy manga, it hits the spot and it’s a great recommendation for those who just want to snuggle up and smile at something pure and innocent!
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This item was provided for review by Viz Media
