First of all I should tell you that I requested this first volume of Perfect World for its cover and its synopsis. I intend to read diverse books and it’s not often that I come across books with a disabled person as one of the main characters. I picked it up for this, and for personal reasons.

Kawana starts working with her high school crush, they had been friends back then until he started dating another girl and that tore them apart. He was so smart, so lively and so determined to see his dream of being an architect come true. And that hasn’t changed. Ayukawa is the same optimistic man he used to be as a boy, his enthusiasm for his work is so encouraging that Kawana feels inspired by him. She, on her part, had given up her dream of being an illustrator but her job as an interior designer is what brought them together again and she’s thankful for it. But…

Ayukawa had an accident that left him with a spinal cord injury. He was on his third year of college. He was riding his bike when a car run over him making a mess of his body and since then he’s in a wheelchair. Kawana is shocked, so shocked that, at first, she reacts like everyone else does. Doubting herself, feeling outraged because she liked him but now… she can’t even think of being friends with him.

Ayukawa is so strong, so positive that little by little he gives her little lessons about what it is like to live in a wheelchair. What it feels like to live in a society where being disabled is unthinkable… or so it seems, because of the many hardships he encounters in his everyday life. And yet Ayukawa never loses his smile, he’s always encouraging and hardworking, trying alternatives when he reaches a dead end, both in his job and in his life.

Soon Kawana, as she gets closer and closer to him, learns that most of the smiles are just for show. Ayukawa’s experiences inspire Kawana, she starts learning, she changes and she falls in love with Ayukawa again, only this time she falls deeper than ever. But, as he did with his former girlfriend, Ayukawa pushes her away, he doesn’t want to be a burden, he doesn’t want anyone to feel responsible for him or look after him everytime he gets a fever or ghost pain (a pain you feel when one of your limbs isn’t there anymore or it doesn’t have sensitivity). It’ll be the time for Kawana to teach him the most important lesson of them all… love gives us strength to do anything, to bear anything.

I really loved this manga, and I wish everyone read it. It’s so important. Not only because representation matters but also because mangas, books, movies, etc, that show what it feels to live as a person with disabilities. I loved that everyday barriers are shown in the manga; both physical (stairs, for example) and personal (speaking behind their back, fear of certain topics).

There is a moment in which Kawana stops thinking about how Ayukawa’s situation affects her, up to that moment she thinks about herself. And eventually she starts thinking about him, his life and what it must feel like for him. I started to really like her then. I saw that she was just scared and that’s understandable, even Ayukawa tells her so. That’s the kind of change I would like to see in today’s society. We need to be more human.

It’s really eyeopening the fact that Kawana (at the beginning) says things like: “Ayukawa is strong, determined, intelligent, talented, hardworking, encouraging, and a really good friend… despite being in a wheelchair” please don’t hate her for saying it. This is exactly how people in general react towards disabilities. But thankfully in the manga there are people who tell her “That’s who he is, everything you said, that’s his personality… what does all that have to do with the wheelchair?”. This kind of people also exists in our society, and I’m grateful for that, because they bring hope for the future.

This little book was meant as a standalone but it was so important and it’s so incredibly beautiful and moving that people wanted more of Ayukawa’s and Kawana’s story, therefore Rie Aruga created a series around them. I hope and wish that one day it is published in my country so I can recommend it to everyone, and buy it for all of my friends’ birthdays and Christmases.

This was both a different kind of romance based manga for me and eerily similar.

Firstly - I'm not disabled and I have not done any sort of in depth research into it. Nor do I know anyone who is on level with Ayukawa (Itsuki)'s disability. So my views are from my own POV, which much like Kawana's are well intentioned but uninformed.

The art of this book is pretty - rough at times, but as I understand this is a debut manga so the polish isn't there yet. Its not anything above average, but its easy on the eyes. The pacing is somewhat rough as well though - the book is mainly from Kawana's POV, but it jumps to Ayukawa for a chapter or so before going back, so that took a minute for me to catch on to.

As to the story - I appreciate that this wasn't an instant "MY LOVE WILL OVERCOME THIS" scenario. Kawana, moreso than Ayukawa gives her credit for, tries to be honest with herself about how the idea of a relationship with Ayukawa would be. She doesn't shy away from the fact that she doesn't feel confident in her ability to help him in all the ways he needs, but she remains consistent that she wants to learn more. She wants to understand what Ayukawa is going through - good and bad, past and present - so they can build something true together.

By contrast Ayukawa is very defeatist. He's determined in his professional life, but his personal life? He's given up because he doesn't want to lean on someone or be a burden. His feelings came across quite well sometimes (when he's talking with Haruto about how hard it can be or when he's discussing what happened with his ex), but it felt at first he used the blunt reality of his disability as a shield as well. This didn't always come across as cleanly as it could have however.

We go through a few awfully coincidental occurrences to test their burgeoning relationship, but really none of that is any different than your typical romance where suddenly his ex, their friends and sudden family appearance test a couple.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes once Ayukawa and Kawana have begun to be more honest with each other about expectations.

I received this manga from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Ahhhhhhhhh, this was just fabulous, sweet, heartbreaking, beautiful. Really, I would warn everyone to bring tissues when you are reading this one. You will need those. Tears were just streaming down my cheeks while reading. I am still all teary from this beautiful volume.

Tsugumi reunites with her crush from high school, Itsuki, during a get-together from her firm (interior design) and his firm (architecture). She is happy to see him and her love is immediately rekindled, but then finds out that her crush isn't having such a good life as she thought he was having. He is in a wheel chair.

And from that moment the manga truly begins as Tsugumi wonders about if a relationship with a wheelchair-bound guy would work. Can you be with someone who can't do everything you can? Can you handle the care, the worries, the fact he can get sick at any moment, even die in a few years? It is a very loaded subject, and we see how Tsugumi tries to find an answer while falling deeper and deeper in love with Itsuki. She tries to help him out whenever she can, she is there for him when he is in the hospital a few times, she tries to show him that she really cares, that she really wants him as he is. That she knows that it may not last long, that it won't be easy, but that she just loves him.

Of course it isn't an easy road. Itsuki is not doing well, despite just continuing with everything. While I was impressed that he never gave up and I could also understand that he wanted to continue as he is getting great chances at the firm... at times I wanted to shake him a bit to tell him that it is OK to take a break at times, you don't need to go until your body collapses, until everything shuts down.

Haruto's story was heartbreaking. The poor guy, I hope that with what Itsuki has done for him, showed him, that he can pave a new road to something awesome. Plus I hope he can accept his girlfriend again, she has waited for him. She has been visiting for a year now, waiting, waiting. I think you don't need to be worried she may run away from you (like Itsuki's girlfriend in college did after the accident).

The ending was just perfection, I am so happy for both of them, and I hope that their romance will continue for a long time to come. Though... given several things, and I have read enough other manga, I fear that we may be going for a bad ending. I already cried tons while reading, I am not sure if I can handle a bad ending should one appear in the next volumes.

We also see how people react to a guy in a wheelchair and I frankly wanted to shake up some people. :|

The art is pretty decent, at times I felt the style didn't exactly fit with the story and the heaviness of it all.

All in all, I want to read more of series. Though again, I do hope for a good ending for Itsuki and Tsugumi.

This is an excellent piece of art dealing with a very courageous and unusual topic: how to engagé in a relationship with a disabled person. A young woman meets her high school crush after graduating only to find out that he is now wheelchair bound after a car accident caused a severe spinal cord injury that made him paralyzed from waist down as well as causing several other collateral health problems. However, his tenacity in pursuing his old dream to become a successful architect reignites her old feelings, but she has to struggle against his rejection of any ties to abled people to avoid confrontation with his. problems and the repercussions that his problems can have on other people's lives.

I plaude to how brave the author was in addressing such an unusual topic and how delicately and plausibly he developed the story. The art is also very enjoyable and I wholeheartedly recommend this comic novel.

I would like to say that I enjoyed reading this. The story focuses around two friends as they reunite later in life. Life for both of them has went through many changes but for one it has been a very drastic change. This story lets you see them struggle through isolation and feelings till they seem to fk d each other at the end.

I received a free advanced e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is Volume 1 in this manga series.

I really enjoyed reading this manga, especially as I read a manga after such a long time. The story was quite sweet and emotional at the same time. However, there were times when I thought Kawana and Ayukawa seemed like teenagers, when they are supposed to be around 26 years-old.

Overall, a good read and definitely want to continue reading the series.

I got this manga as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Therefore, I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this manga in advance.

I'm not a huge manga reader, I've only read 5 others so far (Death Note and Horimiya). I want to read more manga and when I saw this title on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate.

Perfect World is a cute romance story about a girl falling in love with her former high school crush, only now he's in a wheelchair. He has issues accepting that he'll never walk again and how that affects his life.

I really enjoyed this manga, it was a fast and entertaining read and if I could I would immediately continue to read the sequel. My only problem with Perfect World is a problem I have with manga in general, sometimes I find it confusing to determine who is talking or what exactly is happening and I would love it if the story had more depth, but then I would be comparing the genre to actual novels, which I shouldn't do.

If you like manga or if you want to try it out for the first time, this is a nice choice that will leave you wanting for more! I gave this manga 4 stars and I hope to read more in the future! Very cute and at times a thought-provoking read. Highly recommend it!

Tsugumi Kawana is an interior designer who has just reunited with her childhood friend from high school, Itsuki Ayukawa. But, since their last meeting, Ayukawa had gotten into an accident leaving him in a wheelchair with a spinal cord injury. As Kawana gradually falls in love with Ayukawa, she begins to realize how difficult her life would be dating someone in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Ayukawa refuses to fall in love ever since he had broken up with his high school sweetheart.
Perfect World does not sugar coat the issues arising with disabilities. I had expected this manga to have a lighthearted story where Kawana would have to overcome her reservations for dating someone in a wheelchair. Instead, Ayukawa's health problems are worrisome, and paint an accurate portrait of what someone with a spinal cord disability would have to face on a regular basis. When Ayukawa is first introduced, he appears to be an optimist who has begun to overcome adversity faced through his spinal cord injury. But, as the story goes on, Kawana realizes just how difficult Ayukawa must struggle on a daily basis. Their love story is hardly perfect, but its realism makes it all the more endearing.
The artwork of this manga is clean, and the translation is very clear and understandable. Perfect World is a great manga for those who love to read romantic dramas.
*I received an advanced copy of Perfect World from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I had been meaning to read this, but couldn't find a good reason to. But this series looks to be both enlightening and a painful story to read.

Perfect World at times feels heavy handed and preachy about the challenges facing those with wheelchair disabilities; but at the same time, it's an important reminder that Japan, unlike countries like America, does not have many laws in place to give equal opportunity access in public places. Still, many plot points feel there simply to make a statement or create a 'poignant moment' rather than as a natural occurrence. But the illustration work is quite lovely and (mostly owing this to being a josei (adult women oriented) rather than shoujo (school girl oriented) title) is a thought provoking read. Especially for all the fans of Jojo Moyes "Me Before You" series since there are similar issues explored.

Story: 26-year-old Tsugumi Kawana works as an interior designer, having long ago given up her dream of being a painter. At a work party, she ends up meeting again her long time unrequited crush Itsuki Ayukawa (whom she has not seen since high school graduation). He had always planned to be an architect and he, unlike her, managed to make his dreams come true. But she soon finds that life wasn't without its own price for Ayukawa; in college, he was struck by a car and received a permanent spinal injury, resulting in the need for a wheelchair. As Kawana gets to know him better and works with him, she finds she is falling in love with him all over again. But Ayukawa lives with all the mental and physical complication of his injury: from pushing away all people to the constant risk of further injuries and complications. Is there a future for the two?

As with the Jojo Moyes book, we have a highly successful and driven male lead who becomes permanently handicapped by a freak accident. Cue somewhat ditzy but sweet girl who doesn't know how to handle the strong-willed boy but knows she is falling in love with him anyway. In this case, Kawana had known Ayukawa most of her life and always was drawn to him, even when he ended up choosing a different girl. Her memories of him, especially the heartbreak when he chose a different girl, form the pathos of much of the book.

The plot does feel contrived, though, to push certain points. From the ex girlfriend who seemingly 'dumped' him when he became handicapped but who in reality was pushed away - to a boy whose parents hire Ayukawa in order to help them redo their house to be handicap friendly to their son, who was recently crippled in an accident. Both chapters were about Ayukawa learning to understand his own disability and grow from it. But both situations were far too convenient to be happening just as Ayukawa meets him.

The illustration work is very clean and lovely. It is in the typical Josei fashion and can be irregular at times but I prefer this to the overcrowded paneling of most shoujo manga. The focus is on the nuances of emotions rather than zany action.

In all, I greatly enjoyed Perfect World, even with the detractions. It is a smooth and clean story, if a bit preachy. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Falling in love isn't very easy under normal circumstances, and it's especially harder when the boy you're falling for is in a wheelchair.

Perfect World is a beautiful graphic novel which tells the tale of two people in their mid-twenties, as they fall in love. Beautifully illustrated in the manga style, with poignant moments scattered all over, this is a book that tugs at your heartstrings, as the protagonist learns what it is to truly love someone who is disabled.

Tsugumi Kawana is an 26 year old interior designer, who runs into Itsuki Ayukawa, her highschool crush, at a professional get-together in Tokyo. Though years have passed since she last saw him, just talking to him sends her heart aflutter – till she realises that he uses a wheelchair. (Paraphrased from the blurb.)

The story isn't simple – Kawana doesn't just hang out with Ayukawa, and they don't just fall in love. Kawana has a lot to learn, and Ayukawa has a lot to accept.

Kawana is initially apprehensive of dating someone in a wheelchair, even if she's attracted to him like a moth drawn to a flame. But as she spends time with Ayukawa and her "crush" turns into something more solid, she resolves to learn everything there is about him, and the best way to care for him. She's determined, level-headed, and caring, which in turn makes her an extremely likable protagonist.

Ayukawa, on the other hand, is resigned to his fate. An accident in uni left him with an injured spinal cord and paralysed legs, and while he hasn't let that stop him from pursuing his childhood dream of becoming an architect, he's given up on enjoying life. He doesn't want to fall in love, ever, period. Reason? He doesn't want to impose on others and be a burden to them. He wears his disability like an albatross around his neck to such an extent that he doesn't even inform his family when he's hospitalised twice in the course of the story.

The story is divided into four acts, and each act brings the protagonists closer to acceptance and understanding. The narration is primarily from Kawana's point of view, and documents her thoughts as she truly understands the difficulties disabled people face – not just physical obstacles, but also the ones thrown upon them by society. The few moments from Ayukawa reveal his self-doubt and uncertainty about life.

This is a beautiful love story, and a realistic one, at that, and catches an angle that I've never seen before. Rie Aruga's artistry is something to behold and respect.

In short, I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!

This is my first manga of 2018 and Itsuki and Kawana's love story is definitely worth a read.

This is NOT the usual silly teen romance...it is a meaningful, touching story about real love, with beautiful art work. I loved the notes at the end which explain a little more about Japanese culture and terms used in the book. It was informative as well - I learned a bit about spinal cord injury and how hard it must be for people who cannot walk. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a light, touching, quick read which will stay with them a long time.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I liked reading this Manga.