This manga was a lot different than I expected. I'm honestly not sure what I was expecting though.

Pastor Lawrence is a fun character and enjoy how "dense" he is, but also how he is deeply caring and compassionate. Saint Cecilia was not who I thought she was, even though I had read the blurb beforehand. She was cute and I think part of why I'm not sure how I feel about this manga is because I was unprepared for there to be a one-sided romantic interest.

I did like Abel though! A lot actually because he's fun and he's very different from what I would envision a pastor to be. I like the deep conversation that him and Cecilia had. It made her power as a Saint more eye-opening and even Abel more intriguing.

Overall, this was a very quick read. I think if you're looking for something more lighthearted, this is an enjoyable one to pick up. (It has a very similar panel layout as One Week Friends so it makes the story progress quickly.)

*(I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*

A warm blanket of a manga, Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence is an adorable slice of life manga starring an oblivious pastor and the cute, lovestruck Saint who stays in his church as they go along their small misadventures in their tiny local Parish. It never shakes the foundations of the genre or becomes some richly-plotted narrative, but I feel there's room for this kind of manga in the industry. I could imagine wasting a Sunday under the covers leafing through each volume and smiling at the charming will-they-won't-they quality of the story, all backed with simple, but appealing line work. For lovers of light romance or slice of life manga, it's a good fit, especially if you like your style cozy and not steamy (as the closest thing to steamy interactions here is the occasional headbutt).

Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for giving me a chance to review this one early!

The formatting throughout the first volume confused me. Mostly it’s told in 4-panels and then randomly it will change to a few pages and then go back to the 4-panels format. I couldn’t’ decipher how the author decided when which format worked better and from a reading perspective, I wish they had settled on one approach as it felt bit-y and disjointed.

There isn’t much to say re the characters. They are pleasant enough but nothing too intriguing. The art is ok but the format didn’t do it any favours. Overall this is a manga that’s just there. It’s not bad but there isn’t anything to mark it out as interesting, neither do the characters or story stick out much. It’s just sort of there.

I do think I’d try to the second instalment to see if the story develops more but if the formatting stays in it’s current 4-panel/full-back to 4 panel randomness I don’t think I’d want to try again.

I wasn't entirely sure what kind of book "Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence" would be, especially with the blurb the publisher provided. After reading volume 1, I find that it's a lighthearted and entirely wholesome romance between two people in non-traditional fantasy-based religious roles. The art is cute and some of their more comedic moments are depicted in 4-panel comics, although the entire volume is a mix of the 4-panel comics and more traditional layouts. It seems to hint at a deeper backstory near the end of the volume, but did not set up enough of a hook to push people to buy volume 2 unless they liked its fluffy setup. It's a pleasant enough slice of life book with some romance mixed in. (I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

I absolutely adored this sweet manga!! Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence follows the two titular characters in their duties around the town as they both pine for each other, oblivious to how the other feels. I was not prepared for the fluff and humor and quickly became obsessed while my defenses were down!

One of my favorite things was the structure. Much of the humor is told through 4-koma while the more serious/romantic bits were in a more traditional format, and while I love 4-koma, reading a ton in a row lulls me into a rhythm that makes the story lose its impact. Mixing these formats made me fall in love with the story even more. I also loved the introduction of Abel as a side character! Every oblivious pair of crushers needs a meddling side character who can see what they can't.

I loved this manga and absolutely will be continuing with the series!

The illustration is cute and fun to look at, but there's really no storyline to follow and I'm confused about what's happening all throughout. This is surprisingly light in tone as well, not too preachy, which is a plus point for me.

Beautiful art with great dialogue that draws you in and definitely makes you want more!! I will be shaping up more of this story when it releases!

This manga is sweetness and wholesomeness, and that is all that it wants to depict itself as. But in reality it shows hints at a much vaster world then the sliver we are shown and also a much darker world.
The real question is whether Kazutake plans on delving into the darker parts that they hint at. If they do, this could be incredibly interesting. If they don't I feel like the Slice of Life will become dull quite quickly.

From what is shown in the first volume of "Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawerence" it comes off as a run of the mill humorous slice of life Manga. But if it just continues to be just Slice of Life and not capture it's fantasy background I don't think it will meet it's full potential.

I am very hesitant to continue this because of just that.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha comics for the eARC! All opinions are our own.

This volume follows Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence; they live together and pretty much do everything together. Cecilia is so adorable and Lawrence is such a hardworking grump. Both of them want to protect the other. Looks like their relationship may be a budding romance. Abel was a welcome humorous addition to the cast. The art was ok, nothing earth shattering but it worked!

I really liked this manga!

This manga was absolutely adorable and made me so happy during the entire reading experience!

We follow Cecilia who is a Saint and her Pastor friend Lawrence who lives with her at their church. It’s obvious that they both harbor feelings for each other but they’re both completely oblivious to it!

Watching the two of them pine over each other is so cute! Their friendship and dynamic is set up perfectly for their romance to begin blooming… even if it is doing so at a very slow pace.

I loved this and I can’t wait to see where these two go in volume two! If you need a manga that will spark joy inside of you the entire time— check this one out asap!

5/5⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review :)

This is a very sweet manga about a Saint (Saint Cecilia) and the person that has found her (Pastor Lawrence). This volume is introducing the 2 characters and their relationship. It starts a little slow, but it picks up half way through when another character is introduced (another Pastor) and you get to find out more about Pastor Lawrence background.

For a person that loves a good world building and an interesting plot, I felt a bit off. You get just a little about the world and I have so many questions: what exactly are the saints? do they have some sort of magical powers that helps them "protect" the people around them? are there angels and demons? There was a mention of fairies and I got very excited about it, but the mention was short and nothing was explained. I felt a little confused due to all my questions, but I want to read the next volume!

I feel that this one was a sweet introduction to something that can offer so much more! I will definitely look for the 2nd volume and I totally recommend it!

This is the type of manga where you don’t want to think too much and enjoy a cute story, but I couldn’t find myself caring for anything in it.

The episodic nature of the storytelling made it incredibly choppy and hard to invest in. It’s mainly just used to show off the cute interactions between our Saint and Pastor, and while I have loved this method in the past, it doesn’t work here, because of our lacklustre characters.

The Saint and Pastor are the most basic of character stereotypes. The bland make insert, and the adorable moe girl who I have seen a thousand times at this point. There was nothing new for me to get invested in, and I can’t say I found it enjoyable. I also don’t think I would recommend because there are better slice of life stories out there with characters worth giving a damn about.

2.5/3 An okay read (rated up for the art)

I liked this read a bit but I didn't really feel connected to the characters. This is a slice of life which I usually would love but I guess I just didn't connect right with this one. I liked the art and the characters were alright but I guess the whole church theme with the subtle romance was just too weird. I didn't like the whole supernatural; kinda aspect that was added in near the end, it felt very out of place and felt like it was introduced too late. I think a lot of people will enjoy this series but I'm not the target audience I suppose.

Disclaimer: I read this in advance on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A wholesome slice of life, set in a church with a pastor and saint. Very cute and fluffy, and hopefully there will be more in another volume!

This is a book about a saint and a pastor and their friendship. I can't say anything more, not because I don't want to give spoilers, but actually because this is the plot of the whole manga. The manga is more about their relationship and how they work as a pair, how they behave and how they complete each other.

I neither loved it nor hated it, I actually don’t know much about how I feel about this, but I say that it was entertaining. Would recommend this for more experienced manga readers, not because of its complexity, but because it’s a little confusing and can put away new readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange of an honest review!

I was positively surprised by Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence! I love it when religion is handled in manga, since Japanese makers don't care even the least about what is sacred to others and that's awesome. The story is a combination of a normal manga and 4-koma. This is the first manga in which I've seen this actually work on some level perhaps since there's nothing really happening in the manga. It's set in a small town where pastor Lawrence works with Saint Cecilia. The girl is lazy and pastor himself is tedious in a good way. They live together and we get to see them make things work and the feelings are wonderfully obvious for once. At the same time this isn't a romance series (hopefully) and both of them are wonky and somehow serous at the same time. I do like their interaction.

The art looks OK, nothing fancy, but works. I'm not a fan of humor manga usually, but this was better than most. I don't know how long can this continue though, since the content seems kind of repetitive. Both of our main characters have a persona, so that's a big plus. I do hope this will go somewhere though, or else there won't be enough to offer.

Cute manga about a small town pastor and the resident "saint," who is part cleric and part spiritual talisman all rolled into one adorable girl. This volume follows the quaint and pastoral everyday happenings of Cecilia and Lawrence. The cover art style is consistent through the manga - simple, and easy to follow. There isn't a ton of action, and some parts felt repetitive (Cecilia likes sweets and is easily flustered. I get it), but Chapters 5 and 6 do unveil a few unexpected threats which promise more intensity in future volumes.

**Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC**

A cute slice of life manga, I think the comparison to Umaru-Chan is unfair. Again I liked it and the interactions between the characters, like it enough that I would continue forward with the series.

The art is cute and the characters sweet, but the mostly 4 panel vignette styling made the story a little choppy for me. (Except in the few instances where it randomly expanded.) I definitely liked it enough to continue the series.

A slow start but the sweet interactions kept me going. The second half of the volume is much more intriguing as it brings in more of a plot involving supernatural elements. There's potential for a good story and a cute, fluffy romance. I'm curious enough to keep an eye out for the second volume.