A Devotion That Changes Worlds

This review contains spoilers. There is more to Yoh's "hatred" of men than meets the eye, and it has to do with a traumatic incident in her past. First, about the good parts: Yoh is a sympathetic protagonist who takes the initiative to get over her "hatred" (actually, genuine phobia) of men by asking out a handsome man she found at a guitar shop. Her naivete and stubbornness are realistic for a high school girl and they make you want to root for her as she gradually starts to open up and reembrace her passion for the guitar. The main lead Tono-san helps her along in this healing process through his patience and understanding. Now the caveats: this depicts an age-gap relationship between a working adult and a highschooler - I feel my discomfort would be less if he was made younger. I'm also not a fan of the romance subplot with the brother, even if they are not actual siblings, which overly complicated their dynamics. Lastly, it feels like a copout that she wasn't "actually" assaulted and that it was only a failed attempt. Feels like they stopped short to exploit the trauma aspect but still keep Yoh pure. Judged by its merits, it's still an enjoyable read though overall.