Title: Mint Chocolate Vol. 12
Author: Mami Orikasa
Publisher: Yen Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Genre: Slice of Life, Romance, Comedy
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
The Story
We pick up with Andou and Nanami scoping out Koto’s apartment to see if they can confirm whether or not Koto’s mother is also Kyou’s mother. Andou gets a glimpse and learns the answer. When he returns, Kyou is there with Shouta. Koto cheers up when she sees “Spiky Hair” has returned! It’s a pretty cute moment but the aftermath of Andou’s findings makes Kyou wonder about some things.
Kyou ponders what he’s going to do about it. Even though he’s trying not to show any emotion (as usual), curiosity gets the better of him and he wants to do a bit of investigating himself; however, when he returns, he runs into Shouta and Koto. Shouta was invited to go catch bugs with his friends so he asked Kyou if he could look after Koto. After talking with Koto for a little bit, he comes to a decision that he thinks would be better for everyone.
Once we move past this, it’s time for Kyou’s birthday and he hasn’t forgotten about how Nanami dropped his cake last year. Andou even notes how much Kyou has changed in the past year as he fully expected him to become grumpy and not want to do anything for his birthday. Of course, Nanami wants to get him the perfect gift and tries to be sly about it but we all know how Nanami is. She decides on something and unveils it at the party. Kyou doesn’t seem to reject it and, I have to admit, Nanami’s choice was rather clever, practical, and thoughtful.
Lastly, it’s time for the school’s cultural festival. One of the committee members is absent so someone needs to take their place. Shockingly, Nanami volunteers but Kyou knows that she’s not going to be able to handle the responsibilities alone. Looks like he’s going to get roped into it after all. With Kyou begrudgingly helping Nanami, they decide on what they are going to do! All that is left is to prepare.
Characters
I felt as if both Kyou and Nanami did a lot of maturing in this volume, Kyou especially. Kyou overhearing Andou’s findings is one thing but the way he acted afterward was both expected and unexpected from him. If this story were near the beginning of the series, I’m sure we would have seen Kyou hole up in his room and not want to speak about it… which is kind of what he did if you consider their living room as his bedroom. Still, something ate away at Kyou and he became curious. Then, in a move that isn’t very Kyou-like, he returned to get confirmation and made another mature decision. The old Kyou would have done anything to run away from this and not make it his problem but this new Kyou could process everything rationally and come to a sensible conclusion. Plus, he didn’t shun his birthday either. Just a few testaments to how he has grown and continues to grow as a character.
Nanami is still a klutz (charge your phone before you go anywhere!) but when she decides what to give Kyou for his birthday it, too, shows how she has matured. She put a lot of thought and effort into picking out what she perceived to be the perfect gift for him. Plus, taking on festival committee responsibilities is really out of character for her. The fact that she wants to do a good job on top of studying and exam preparation is admirable but Kyou was right… she was biting off more than she could chew with this. Still, she’s trying to force herself to grow. We’ll see the results of that in the next volume… probably.
Andou is still a cool support character and I like the wholesome relationship developing between Shouta and Koto… although I thought it was rude to dump Koto on Kyou so he could go catch bugs with his friends! You were spending time with Koto, little man. Show some more respect!
Final Word
I feel this volume gave us both a conclusive and inconclusive ending to the mystery that is Kyou’s mother. Very strong hints, yet leaving it up to the interpretation (as for the fallout of the story arc) was an interesting choice. I think it definitely sews some seeds for a future plot point. One has to wonder how long it will be kept on the back burner before being brought back into the spotlight once again. Part of me wanted to see a more definite conclusion or even a bold confrontation but letting this one simmer for a while longer is probably the best move. It might make things more impactful that way.
Kyou’s birthday was a nice little filler with a heartwarming moment but I can’t help but scoff at, yet, another cultural festival. I get it… it’s a staple in manga/anime and Japanese culture as a whole but when you read as much manga as I have and nearly every slice-of-life manga in a high school setting has a festival arc, it just gets old, repetitive, and boring. My perspective is subjective, though. For example, if someone were new to manga and this was their first series, it wouldn’t be an issue at all. In fact, that person may be excited to read this arc. For me, who has seen over 600 anime series and owns over 1200 volumes of manga, I’ve seen my fair share of festivals and at this point, it’s like… pick something new!
But, if it’s tried and true and it works, there’s no need to fault a series for reaching into the trope bin and pulling the festival out. I just want to see a mangaka do something more unique once in a while so my grievance is merely a personal perspective based on overexposure to a trope that has been exhausted many times over.
Other than that, another good volume and it looks like we will see if Nanami can pull off her new role and continue to grow!
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This item was provided for review by Yen Press.
