Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 1, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 9, 2016

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani's attraction to his counselor grows.

Review:

This one wasn’t really on my radar; the cover looks dark, and not at all yaoi-like. It looked just okay. But I’m so glad I got a copy, because I’m more than impressed.

Shirotani is a germaphobe and obsessive-compulsive. He works as a secretary and his boss is very understanding, but it’s getting bad and he has moments of hate over it. When he meets Kurose, a counselor, he’s encouraged to take ten steps toward overcoming it.

It’s a slow-moving story, taking it’s time to introduce the characters and the problems Shirotani faces and how he’s slowly trying to overcome them. The attraction is slowly starting to show throughout the volume, and there isn’t any real acknowledgement of it, only that Shirotani is starting to feel something for Kurose and hints of Kurose's feelings. I’m honestly already very in love with them, and the end of this volume just hurts my heart.

The development here is very real and honest, and I was sucked in from the very beginning. The artwork is really pretty. I’ve never read anything by Takarai before, but now I’m definitely going to be picking up their other releases. And I really cannot wait for the next volume.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!