Age gap shoujo

all-time favorite age-gap shoujo manga! i used to wonder why it never got an anime adaptation (now i kind of understand why). with shiharu growing up without parental presence, it makes sense that her lack of familial affection led her to become easily attached to the twins and matsunaga, as she longed for a family of her own. I also like how matsunaga seemed to recognize this and took the time to help her see more of life beyond him until she was sure of her own decisions. still a fave read!

personally, i can’t stomach the thought of atsurou ending up with niina since he watched her grow up, not to mention the huge age gap between them. it only worked because they were portrayed as mature, but still questionable given that their relationship started as a caregiver-child dynamic. that said, i appreciated that niina was surrounded by adults who grounded her, though i still think their relationship was treated a bit too lightly. needless to say, it was good!

this is my first time reading it and the sigh of relief I let out—finally, a good age-gap romance between two adults! d’d argue haruhi gives off a bubbly, somewhat childish vibe, which makes sense since she’s in her early 20s, and it contrasts really well with ossan’s calm demeanor. nevertheless, their relationship felt very mature and healthy (we love a couple that communicates!). it might have started off a bit questionable, but it was well written and refreshing!