Skip and Loafer Volume 2, by Misaki Takamatsu, is a good follow up to the last volume. This volume focuses largely on Shima and Mitsumi’s relationship as friends as they slowly begin to move to be closer to each other. There’s also some slice of life chapters where some of the side characters introduced last volume get some shine as well.

The story around Mitsumi and Shima is interesting this volume. We get some immediate catharsis in finding out more about Shima’s past right off the bat, with some hints for more to come. I do like that this plot thread isn’t just one and done as it feels like one of the few overarching story elements here that prevent this manga from being solely slice of life. I also liked the chapters showing Mitsumi and Shima having a misunderstanding, as it really developed the relationship, while also showing some realistic conflicts.

The side characters being focused on was some thing I also liked a lot about this volume. We see Takamine reappear as a mentor character for Mitsumi, which I found entertaining, and Egashira also makes a comeback where she seems to be moving towards being friends with Mitsumi.

The light and slow story of Mitsumi and Shima’s developing romance appears to be the main factor of this manga and is the main reason in my opinion to read it. It definitely feeds into a lot of romantic tropes like popular boy, nerdier ambitious girl getting together, and it faithfully moves towards the expected endpoint.

While this manga sticks to the main points of a romance manga, it does feel a bit generic. My enjoyment is based on how much I like the characters, and thankfully all the characters are likeable. The cute art is also another contributing factor. I do hope that the story develops in a way where it does not end up being totally bland. I like a lot here, but I find myself somewhat bored. I wish for some greater plot developments beyond just characters slowly and cutely falling in love. This may be due to my predisposition of not being heavily into romance, but I feel like I need more from the story.

I believe that if you enjoy slow romance and cute side characters developing relationships and living happily you would enjoy this. If you enjoy romance occasionally and like stories with some drama, some uncertainty, and some passion like me this will fail to keep your interest long. There is potential with Shima’s backstory and I’m hoping volume 3 delves deeper into this, as I do not see the focus on only slice of life generic romance keeping my interest as it just feels so bland despite the excellent characters.

I’d give this a 4/5, a well-done romance manga that does not attempt to be much else.

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