Synopsis
It’s the 1980s in Japan, and light-hearted Riri has found an unexpected companion at her new school: Atsuko, a.k.a. “the Slayer of Millions,” one of the area’s most notorious sukeban. While Atsuko terrifies most of the school, Riri is able to unlock her secret soft side through goofy little word games. But maybe there’s more to their relationship than just messing around after class…
Opposites Attract
Right off the bat, The Delinquent and the Transfer Student is a lot of fun, and I’m rooting for the titular couple. A lot of the initial charm and humor comes from the juxtaposition between the tough, cool Atsuko and her unexpected cute side (that’s certainly what draws Riri to her!), but this isn’t a one-trick yuri. By the end of the first volume, both Atsuko and Riri get some character depth that develops them beyond their initial archetypes, and their relationship grows and changes through a mini-arc of emotional ups and downs.
The girls reckon with their feelings and realize that there’s love in the air between them pretty early on in the story. They butt up against some heteronormativity (for example, a dictionary that defines a crush as a feeling for “the opposite sex”), but there’s no internal identity crisis associated with this realization. It sets off the mutual yearning while maintaining a relatively light tone and keeps the pacing nice and crisp as a bonus. Are Atsuko and Riri ready to tell each other how they feel? Not yet, but there’s still a definite feeling of progression in their relationship, which I always find much more satisfying than a rom-com that spins its wheels.
I have a feeling this will be a slow-burn, but a satisfying one, where the reader will get to happily kick their feet and watch the young love interests grow closer over slice-of-life shenanigans and tender moments. This first volume is full of wonderful little character beats: Strategic hand-holding to stave off the fear of ghosts! Peaceful, stolen moments watching the starry sky while on campus after hours! Tough girls being surprisingly sweet to cats! It’s all pretty darn charming, and I’m definitely along for the ride to see how it goes.
A Retro Romance
One of the most compelling aspects of this series is that it’s a period piece. So far, the 1980s vibes are strong. The art style has a cute vintage feel to it and uses design sensibilities and visual language of older manga to create a sense of the historical setting. While everyone is mostly in school uniforms, so there’s not much in the way of ‘80s fashion, there are some wonderful voluminous hairstyles on display among the background cast. I especially appreciate Atsuko’s character design: as well as her distinctive swooshy hair, she’s drawn with square features and a tall, slightly stocky and muscular build that’s an uncommon sight among female love interests from any era of manga and anime.
And, of course, the manga is operating in a shared language of retro pop cultural tropes, chief among them the over-the-top bravado and wanton violence of the youth gangs that apparently rule the streets. This is mostly played as slapstick, rather than anything with serious consequences. For example, Riri throws Atsuko a riceball mid-fist-fight, which powers her up enough to lay waste to an entire gang of rowdy teen boys. The sincerity of those character bonding moments I talked about above let the series get away with the larger-than-life goofiness of the rest of its premise, which might otherwise take the reader out.
The ‘80s setting is mostly anchored in references and vibes, though, so I’m curious to see if, and how, future volumes incorporate the specifics of the historical and cultural setting. Not saying it has to be anything super deep—a period piece need not be a period drama. But it would be cool to see more unique aspects of teen girl life (and the queer girl experience) from this place and time.
Verdict
The Delinquent and the Transfer Student is charming all the way around, from the artful use of its throwback aesthetics to the blossoming romance between its two leads. Its earnest character work grounds the series’ more over-the-top slapstick humor and violence, and there’s just enough relationship progression to make the slow-burn satisfying but not a slog. If you’re looking for a school yuri with a retro flavor, give this one a shot.
You can buy The Delinquent and the Transfer Student Volume 1 from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and your local comic store.
Credits
Story and art: Fujichika
Translation: Minna Lin
Adaptation: Cae Hawksmoor
Lettering: Aidan Clarke
Cover design: H. Qi
Copy editor and proofreader: B. Lillian Martin
Production designer: Ria Linn Johnson
Senior editor: Jenn Grunigen
Published in English by Seven Seas
Thank you to Seven Seas for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy had no effect on the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
Article edited by: Anne Estrada
Big thank you to our supporters
From their continous support, we are able to pay our team for their time and hard work on the site.
We have a Thank-You page dedicated to those who help us continue the work that we’ve been doing.
See our thank you page
