I liked the art style and find it cute. However it felt like the plot pacing ends up becoming nonexistent after the 1st half. I would have much prefer it if it was engaging until the end. I also did find some issues that made me skeptical about this volume.

I can only describe this manga as: cute, frustrating cuteness. Cecilia is just so cute. I really enjoyed this manga. It is one of those feel-good shojo that will bring a smile to your face in any circumstances.
The format is different from a usual manga in that certain pages have normal manga panels and most of the others have four panels’ stories. However, those stories all follow each other so it doesn’t interrupt the reading rhythm. I can’t wait to read more about Cecilia and Lawrence. They have such a cute relationship. We don’t know that much about them yet but I loved the small flashbacks that the author chose to show us.
I recommend to people looking for a cute romance.
5/5

This manga was... okay. I really thought it was going to be different, and I wish I'd known it was 4-koma in advance. If I had, my expectations would have been different.

This book is a tad bland. There is a section near the end with some tantalizing bits of worldbuilding but most of the story is just the main characters going about regular errands. I was very bored while reading this.

'Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence Vol. 1' with story and art by Hazano Kazutake is a manga about an unusual relationship.

Saint Cecilia bestows her miracles on the townspeople and they love her. She is tended to by Pastor Lawrence who has her well-being in mind. Unknown to Pastor Lawrence, the saint has a secret crush on him.

This was mostly done as a series of 4 panel comic strips, even though the story was continuous, but this made for a less than smooth reading experience. There is a lot of cute stuff happening, and I am curious where the series will go. I liked the art, but wish it had been a more traditional linear story.

I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

This was a pretty cute manga and I really enjoyed reading the story. The beginning was a bit slow and more like a slice-of-life story, but it picks up in the second half where some supernatural elements are introduced. I really loved reading about Cecilia and Lawrence's dynamic; they were so cute! They care about each other a lot and it was fun watching Lawrence try to decipher what his feelings were towards Cecilia. Also, the parts of the story with the little girl who has a crush on Lawrence were probably some of my fav moments of the manga. Overall, this is a cute series and I'd definitely continue reading it!

This is a cute little start to the story of a saint and the pastor she protects. They both need each other, though, and in volume one they both realize it and acknowledge it to the other one. There's definitely room for a cute romance, but the pastor is oblivious, so it's not clear if he feels romantically towards her or just wants to protect her. Or if that's the same thing for him. It's a sweet little slice of life kind of story and I look forward to reading more about their life together.

Liked the cute art style but unfortunately wasn't a big fan of the characters and the story, or rather the lack of it.
I didn't expect a pure slice-of-life manga. There really was no greater plot this story followed which is also the reason why I got a little bored halfway through and startes skim reading some pages.

Both the pastor and the saint are more juvenile and childish in their characters than I had hoped but I guess that's due to the type of genre.

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence volume 1 by Hazano Kazutake is a sweet, light, slice of life, fantasy/ historical romance, comedy? Honestly, I don't know how I would categorise this! It is 4 panel comedy, I guess!

Cecilia is a lazy Saint living at a church, and in love with Pastor Lawrence, the Priest at the church who looks after her lazy ass! The manga follows their daily life for about 80% and is calm, sweet, and lazy. Very relaxing to read but certainly nothing to write home about. The final 20% we are introduced to a third charcter, Able, another priest. And with his introduction we discover something very interesting about all the charcters, promising more excitement and action in future volumes.

This was intriguing but it was a bit too Moe for me. It was also 4 panel comedy and it wasn't as gag full as it maybe could have been. I'm not sure I would recommend this to any Christians who might be offended by the church setting for this fantasy.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence 1 by Hazano Kazutake is a fast read about a pastor and a saint at a church and their day-to-day lives. It was such a fun surprise to read; I had no idea what it was about when I got it from NetGalley, but I am so so glad I got to read it! It was hilarious and sweet and adorable and very feel-good. I hope I get even more from the next volume!

This is a very sweet manga. The art style was pleasant and the story line was compelling enough to keep me engaged. The characters felt well-rounded and I can't wait to see where they go in Vol. 2.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4)

The townspeople adore Saint Cecilia; she's so wise and kind. However, when no one is around, she's rather lazy and clumsy. Pastor Lawrence is left to look after her which is quite a task! But there's more to these two than you would expect...

This was a cute shoujo manga! I really enjoyed the relationship between Cecilia and Lawrence! I did think this volume was structured a little strangely--the story is mostly told in 4-panel short stories, but there are times when it just switches back to full pages. As a result, it felt like it took a little while for the plot to get started. I did think that the short stories were cute, and the plot got interesting towards the end! Overall, I think this has a lot of potential and I am curious to see how the story progresses in future volumes!

Being a saint gains an entirely new perspective in this super-sweet romance, which has a blissfully slow build.

Saint Cecilia showed up at the small town church with no where to go. So, Pastor Lawrence had no choice but to fulfill his duty and take her in. While she is pretty, extremely kind, and carries miraculous blessings, her quirks (unknown to the townspeople) keep the pastor on his toes.

Set in a more historical setting, this one rotates around a simpler life and a small town church, which is quaint and pure. The illustrations bring across the setting and emotions well without ever delving into too much detail. They are easy to follow and make each character sympathetic...and have the reader wishing they could jump right in. The text is well set and never confusing.

This is cute, sweet, shy romance in every shape and form. Saint Cecilia might have her quirks, but they are gentle ones which never let her sainthood near any questionable borders. Still, they are exactly those kind of innocent oddities, which can make someone like Pastor Lawrence's life a little strenuous. While I wondered at the constant coddling from his side, toward the end of this book, a bit more is revealed which balances the pair's workload out. And it hints at more interesting things to come in the rest of the series, which is good because it needs an extra push.

Anyone who enjoys very timid, slow romances will adore this one...and they better be in for almost only romance with light humor thrown in. There isn't much plot otherwise, and the entire volume is pretty much a back and forth between the two...although another character does enter in more strongly toward the last third. This volume, I assume and sincerely hope, simply sets the tone for the Saint and the Pastor and solidly builds the foundation of their personalities and relationship before the series heads into slightly more exciting directions. While fun to read, it could use just a tad bit more of pizzazz on the plot end, and the slight hints at the end suggest that more is to come. In any case, it was a quick, easy, enjoyable read. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this one—looking forward to volume 2! Saint and Pastor grew on me as the story went on, and I loved the “will they? won’t they?” aspect to the story.

The art and story is very cute and makes me want to read more.
I love the part when they went shopping, and when it rain, they where both so adorable.

Story: The Story is simply and only slowly introduced to us. But for a Shoujo and in the way it is worked with comedy in this manga this slow introduction did not irritate me in the slightest. I love the interaction of Cecilia and Lawrence and also with Abel later on. It's really innocent and I feel it also goes more into comedy than into romance so far. Also as it is basically structured in scenes or like shortstories it's really nice also to read on your way or on a break. I would also describe this manga as wholesome and kind of just a fluffy comfort read and for me it exactly did what I hoped it to do. (5/5)

Art: I think for the normal artstyle the art is simplistic but cute. It fits the story and the idea behind it and also it fits many Shoujo stories. What was really interesting for me how the author played with the panels. So in the normal shortstory and comedy part the artist used mostly 4 directly stacked panels and made it even more simplistic. But as soon as we got actual background stories and character information the panels got a different layout which gave more space on one page. I think it also helps the reader to sort the book in their heads. (5/5)

This is not exactly what I thought it would be... but sometimes that's not a bad thing. This was an extremely funny comedy, that takes a lot of classic manga/anime tropes and spins them into something that feels different. It won't be for everyone by any means, but I for one delighted in it. 5/5 stars

My thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

At first glance, Saint Cecilia is wise, composed, and beloved by her townspeople. However, behind the scenes, she is lazy and clumsy and it’s up to poor Pastor Lawrence to try and look after her.

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence Volume 1 by Hazano Kazutake is a charming, wholesome slice-of-life manga with lovely artwork.

To be honest though, my biggest issue with Volume 1 is its lack of plot structure. The beginning starts off a bit meandering—comprised of mostly short, comedic vignettes. However, around halfway through, the story finally starts to take shape and we get hints of a potential romance as well as a looming supernatural threat.

I found the second half to be more compelling (along with Lawrence and Cecilia’s adorable relationship), so I’m curious to see where the story will go from here.

A slice-of-life taking place in a fictional town about a saint named Cecilia and her caretaker named Pastor Lawrence. It's in a cute, four-koma style. The art style is neat and full of expression. It felt a little too directionless for me as far as my preferences go. I'm sure there's an audience for this manga about this adorable relationship with the trials and tensions of every day life.

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence is a sit-com type of wholesome romantic comedy set in a fantasy world.
There's not much of a big story, or at least not yet, rather it's built by small stories anywhere from 1 to a few pages, which little by little unveil the story of how Cecilia and Lawrence met and how their days go by.
It's cute and fun and the art's not bad. Unfortunately it's not that memorable.
I'd recommend this to anymore looking for something short and sweet when you want to take your mind off of things.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*