Everyone’s Getting Married Volume 1

I don’t really believe the motivations of Asuka, the lead of Everyone’s Getting Married volume 1. She’s a successful career woman who can’t wait to give it all up to be a housewife and take care of her (future) husband.

At a friend’s wedding, she meets Ryu, an up-and-coming newscaster. He prevents her falling down a staircase, which leads to her thinking, “I just met a great guy. Though we’ll probably never see each other again.” Of course, she’s wrong. Which is good, because she returns home to find that her live-in boyfriend is leaving.

She’s all business about jumping back into dating in order to meet her life plan goals before she gets too old. Then she winds up getting drunk, crashing at a friend’s place, and seeing Ryu again, who tells her he doesn’t believe in marriage because he values his freedom. Thus we have the opposites that will attract.

Asuka and Ryu’s chemistry is visible to the reader. They’re both drawn by Izumi Miyazono as attractive, strong people. I found their growing attraction believable, and as we learn more about their respective histories, we understand their positions more. Miyazono also draws enough backgrounds to establish the settings of the upper-class world they move through, with news studios and brunch restaurants.

I can’t identify much with Asuka’s desires, but I like the way she handles things competently, and I can support her right to make her own choice. (I’m glad that it’s presented as her choice, not something that applies to all women.) Her job isn’t her first choice, but while she’s on her own, working, she’s going to do it well. It’s a real pleasure to read one of Viz’s mature shojo titles where the woman doesn’t make me cringe (as the leads did in Happy Marriage?! and Butterflies, Flowers). Plus, Ryu’s career comes with some interesting information about voiceover and announcing work, as well as complications with being seen as a pretty face on TV.

The overall premise of “we like each other but want different things” is a more adult challenge that I enjoy reading about. Viz is actually calling this “josei”, and I’m glad. I’m also pleasantly surprised that, although rated mature, there’s nothing explicit in this volume. (The publisher provided a review copy.)