Slow Start (manga)

Slow Start
Industry	Manga, Anime
Founded	2013; 13 years ago
Founder	Yuiko Tokumi
Headquarters	Japan
Area served	Japan
Key people	Yuiko Tokumi (creator), Hiroyuki Hashimoto (anime director)
Products	Manga, Anime television series
Owner	Houbunsha (manga publisher), CloverWorks (anime studio)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Slow Start (manga), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 20254 sources

is a Japanese four-panel manga created by Yuiko Tokumi, which has been published in Houbunsha's seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara since 2013. The series has been collected into eleven volumes. An anime adaptation consisting of 12 episodes, produced by CloverWorks, was broadcast from January 7 to March 25, 2018.

Premise

Hana Ichinose, a middle school student, contracts mumps and consequently misses all her high school entrance exams. As a result, she takes a gap year as a "middle school rōnin" before moving into her cousin’s apartment and enrolling in high school one year later than her peers. The story centers on Hana’s efforts to forge new friendships with classmates Eiko, Kamuri, and Tamate while keeping her age difference hidden.^[1]

Main characters

: ^[2]; Hana is a reserved and diligent student who missed her high school exams due to mumps, causing her to take a gap year. She relocates to her cousin’s apartment and begins attending Hoshio Private Academy, where she seeks to build friendships with Eiko, Kamuri, and Tamate.

: ^[2]; Tamate is a lively classmate known for her outgoing personality and distinctive teeth. Preferring the nickname "Tama," she lives with her grandmothers and enjoys cooking.

: ^[2]; Kamuri has a youthful appearance due to delayed physical growth but is skilled in running. An old friend of Eiko’s, she tends to be shy around others and likes eating and sleeping.

: ^[2]; Eiko is a popular and composed girl with natural leadership qualities. She enjoys crafting accessories and harbors feelings for their homeroom teacher, Kiyose Enami.

: ^[3]^[4]; A fellow resident of the apartment complex who also failed university entrance exams like Hana. She became withdrawn out of guilt but regains confidence after befriending Hana, who knows her secret.

: ^[3]; Hana’s adult cousin and the landlord of the boarding house where Hana resides. Despite her mature look, she exhibits youthful behavior and shows a strong interest in Hana’s daily life.

: ^[3]; The homeroom teacher characterized by a languid demeanor that fascinates Eiko. Initially intended as a minor character, she stands out as the only main character not named after a numerical unit.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Classmates

: Track and field club manager.
: Member of the track and field club specializing in sprinting events.
: Active member of the gardening club responsible for tending flowerbeds early each morning.
: A student with a strong fascination for Eiko who often follows her around.

Second and Third Year Students

: Second-year transfer student who joined in the fall; previously attended junior high with Hana. Her arrival exposes Hana's gap year to other students. Named after .
: Vice-president of the student council in her second year, dedicated to being dependable for Hana. Named after .
: Third-year student council president with delicate health due to neglecting self-care; frequently assisted by Tsuzuru. Named after .

Family Members

: Hazuki's father and the grandfather of Hana and Shion; his first name is not disclosed.
: Hana's mother, whose maiden surname is Kyōzuka.
: Hana's father, who is two years junior to Hazuki.
: Eiko's younger sister, whose supportive nature and resemblance influenced Kamuri's decision on school.
: Eiko and Miki's mother.
: Eiko and Miki's father.
: Maternal grandmother of Tamate.
: Paternal grandmother of Tamate.
: Mother of Kamuri.
: Father of Kamuri.

Manga

Yuiko Tokumi's manga series commenced its serialization in 2013 within Houbunsha's seinen manga publication, Manga Time Kirara. By July 2023, the series has been collected into eleven volumes. Additionally, an anthology comic was published on February 27, 2018.

Anime

The anime television adaptation, produced by CloverWorks and directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto, aired in Japan from January 7 through March 25, 2018. Script supervision was handled by Mio Inoue, with character designs by Masato Yasuno. The opening theme, "ne! ne! ne!", was performed by STARTails☆ (Reina Kondō, Tomomi Mineuchi, Maria Naganawa, and Ayasa Itō), while the ending theme was provided by Sangatsu no Phantasia. Streaming rights were licensed by Aniplex of America for distribution on Crunchyroll. The series consists of twelve episodes.

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No.	Title^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Original air date

Video game

Figures from the series are featured alongside other Manga Time Kirara characters in the 2018 mobile RPG titled Kirara Fantasia.

Reception

The initial episode received a mixed critique from Anime News Network editors, who appreciated the soft color palette and intricate animation, yet pointed out the weak narrative foundation and unremarkable characters common to all-girl slice-of-life genres. Rebecca Silverman highlighted promise in Tomomi Mineuchi's realistic acting and Hana's character background but felt the storyline was overshadowed by excessively cute and illogical escapades. Theron Martin praised director Hiroyuki Hashimoto's adaptation efforts but regarded it as less compelling compared to other slice-of-life series airing that season. Lynzee Loveridge expressed dissatisfaction with the immature cast and the overly saccharine visual style, which lacked authenticity. Vrai Kraiser from Anime Feminist described the characters as "designed to be pwecious and kyoot," labeling the show as "empty and lifeless," suggesting that enthusiasts of moe deserve superior content.

User ratings for the anime vary from mixed to favorable: it holds a 7/10 score on MyAnimeList, where the animation is lauded but character development and storyline receive critique; a 4.5/5 rating on Crunchyroll; and a 6.2/10 on IMDb, mirroring similar audience responses.

External links

Official anime website

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