Yuri is a fascinating genre, as it discusses a variety of topics, all of which touch on very different themes. However, a common complaint about the genre is that it is hard to find realistic yuri romance. Many titles rely on fantastical concepts and wacky situations to stand out from the crowd. However, The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This is one of the most grounded yuri series to date. And, as an added bonus, it is 2022's most heartwarming series.
The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This is written and illustrated by Takashi Ikeda, who manga fans will know for the critically praised romance manga Whispered Words, which was adapted into an anime by AIC in 2009. The series first began in the pages of Comic Boost magazine in 2020, and it has been collected into four tankoban volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment have acquired the rights to localize the series in English, and they have released the first two volumes and the third is scheduled for release next year.
The Plot Of The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This
The manga follows two women, Sakuma Ellie and Inuzuka Wako. Sakuma is a 32-year-old scriptwriter, and Inuzuka is a twenty-two-year-old rookie voice actress. While in the eyes of outsiders, they're just two women living together to make ends meet, when in reality, a romance is blossoming between them. While the pair have very different attitudes, they deeply enrich each other's lives. Because of this, the girls try to spend time with each other daily.
One of the most memorable things about The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This is how grounded it is. Sakuma and Inuzuka's lives are very regular and mundane. There is no grand adventure, and the plot has no fantastical elements. Most of the chapters focus on the small domestic events and interactions the couple deal with daily, from sharing candy to doing chores and watching movies together. Even the grander plot points are grounded in this domestic realism. This gives The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This a quiet and comfortable atmosphere, capturing the feeling of being in a long-term relationship. And this makes it stand out when put against other similar yuri manga.
The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This Will Warm Hearts
Plus, Sakuma and Inuzuka are wonderfully realized characters with plenty of depth and nuance. While their relationship is cute, both are shown to have insecurities and hang-ups that can cloud their mood or keep them awake at night. While they get on well with one another, they sometimes struggle to communicate the things they want to say, making this relationship very realistic. In fact, it's easy to forget that this manga isn't an autobiographical piece, as Sakuma and Inuzuka feel like real people.
Plus, the manga is packed with fantastic art. Takashi Ikeda does a great job of conveying the characters' varied emotions through visuals. Often the manga will switch to another visual style to really hammer home how Sakuma or Inuzuka are feeling at that moment, giving readers a fun glimpse into their inner lives.
It also beautifully captures the grind of working in a creative field. Throughout the manga, Sakuma and Inuzuka struggle to get the jobs they want, frequently dealing with rejection and gigs not going how they imagined them going. Plus, Sakuma and Inuzuka often debate if their work is good enough or if they'll ever get where they want to be with their careers. This is something that many readers will find very relatable, which makes this manga even more fascinating and immersive.
The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This is by far the year's most heartwarming yuri series. It is impossible to read without getting warm fuzzy feelings due to how wonderfully realized it is. Even though the series is focused on very down-to-Earth moments, it perfectly captures the wonder of being in a warm and loving relationship. Taking the simple, quiet moments couples experience day to day and turning them into a beautiful narrative of love and understanding, coming together to make it a must-read for yuri fans.