You Can't Live All on Your Own!, Volume 1

You Can't Live All on Your Own! (ひとりで生きるはままならぬ) #1

by Mizoko Tsuno

What is considered "normal" for a 30 year old? Should she be married, have a carreer, live independently...?

A cute and quirky slice-of-life manga about four women who are roommates.

Shuuko, Eika, Misaki, and Shio are roommates and friends making their way in the busy world of Tokyo, Japan!

Though they share an apartment and a friendship, each faces her own unique problems. Shuuko is feeling the pressure of those around her getting married and has no idea whether she'll truly be happy on her own for the rest of her life. Eika, a hardworking career woman, wants to prove herself to the judgmental men in her office. Romantic and idealistic Misaki is spurred into action when it turns out her "boyfriend" of two years didn't know she thought they were dating. Nurturing and good-spirited Shio struggles to set a work–life balance while paying her many bills.

Join these four roommates as they navigate the biggest question of their late twenties: What does happiness really mean?

Genres: Manga, Comics, Contemporary, Graphic Novels

162 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2021

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so so cute oh my gosh. I had heard some people earlier this year talking about the translation coming out, and I knew I had to get my hands on it! The art is so cute, and all of the different women have such unique personalities!! This is really such a treat, and everyone should check it out when it gets released later this year!

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

FIRST IMPRESSION VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/p9fBezKiIxI

"Even when I'm frustrated…I can come home to you all and some warm food. That and your guys' compliments are what keep me going."

My expectations for this manga missed the mark a little bit in the sense that I saw someone hype this up as a non-romantic josei manga, and feel that is not fully true?

The manga reminds me a lot of Play It Cool, Guys but without the humor element as this first volume was very soft and relaxing to read. I deeply enjoyed how the story centered around four different women who have different goals and passions as I think it really brought the manga to life in a way where I felt attached to ALL the women and what they were going through.

I think I was just a little disappointed that one of the ladies who was the main focus unexpectedly started looking for romance? I honestly was hoping more for the ladies to be together and it center more on their time at home, which it DOES still do, but not quite the way I thought it would?

However, I still enjoyed what I read and very much loved the art! It's an easygoing slice-of-life where you can feel a little bit of relatability with each woman and deeply appreciate that. I was caught off guard in feeling that way because again, each woman is so different and has a different lifestyle that I expected myself to only relate to maybe one or two of the women, not all of them! So that was really nice!

I am interested in getting volume two because I feel this is a series you can read at the end of the day to unwind! I also want to see what unfolds in each person's life because everyone has a goal and working towards it, leaving me wanting to see how they reach that said goal!

Cheers to all these women's success!!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four women coming to the end of their twenties live together in Tokyo and try to navigate life while figuring out what they want from it. Not a bad premise, as it turns out.

Our lead is probably Shuuko, whose friends are all getting married around her and who feels self-inflicted pressure that she should follow suit. This dives into the art/nightmare of dating in the modern day and the way her narrative arc plays out this volume is solid.

Second best is probably Misaki, an aspiring musician who has a boyfriend until she suddenly doesn’t (but not in the way you’re thinking) and is forced to grapple with her own dreams and what she can do to achieve them.

Eika is the dedicated career woman who is hellbent on climbing the corporate ladder, even if it means working herself to death in the process. She is the prototypical salary person and I’m interested to see if that’s about to get knocked out from under her going forward.

And the house mom, Shio, has excellent work-life balance, but an unfortunate spending habit that is just barely kept under control. Her budgeting failures are something new for this sort of thing and I was pleased to see something unique in her character.

They’re all interesting enough and they hang out and support one another like a much younger version of The Golden Girls (kids, ask your parents).

It’s rather terribly charming, as they both share the joys and soothe the failures. You can tell the four of them all get along and know one another well enough that they’re both great friends AND roomies. They cheer for each other, even if that might eventually lead to the end of their living arrangement.

It’s slice of life, sure, but not being mired in the high school scenarios of most of these series makes it a relatively nice breath of fresh air. It also has an art style very similar to How Do We Relationship?, which I personally love, so bonus points there.

This is a believable scenario with a nice cross-section of working women who want different things, yet are friends. It’s not high drama, but there’s enough plot and enough character work to make it enjoyable. And the romance that does crop up is executed well to boot.

4 stars - lower if you aren’t big on slice of life, but this has a really unusual setting and makes the most of it. Very worthwhile new series.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comforting and relatable - would love to read more of this series (less so for the plot but more to see the different ways the girls navigate their lives).

[Astrophel R · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
Thank you to Edelweiss for a digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is such a fun story and the art is so cute!! I love seeing more manga with protagonists in their late 20s, dealing with all sorts of late 20s things. I really loved how different the 4 main friends are and how their priorities in life differ so drastically, but they’re all still there for each other. I think I could read one million billion volumes of this and never get tired of it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute! I loved the concept of four women living together under one roof and navigating life. What do you do when everyone around you is getting married and you've never even been on a date? What do you do when your boyfriend says you two aren't together? How do you balance your professional and personal lives?

The art is so cute too! I want Volume 2 now, please!

[Madelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet! Fingers crossed they learn about polyamory and lesbianism in volume 2 🫡

[Othy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice slice-of-life story. It's nothing special, but the characters are good and the concept is compelling.

[Giorgia Pascali · Rating 3 out of 5]

buon volume di presentazione di tutti i personaggi, sono curiosa riguardo come si svilupperanno tutte. shio-san sta vivendo letteralmente il mio sogno

[karissa✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

really cute!

[Bexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of women all of similar age and nearing their 30s are realizing that maybe their life's direction isn't exactly where they want it to be. One woman has been with a man for two years, only to find out that he doesn't think they've been in a relationship at all leaving her angry and confused. Another woman is realizing that all the friends and family around her are in relationships and getting married so she thinks she needs to also. She joins a dating app, but realizes quickly that it is really hard to get to know someone through text messages. One of the women is focused on her career, she has no interest in relationships. She is constantly over working herself and dealing with condescending male coworkers. The final woman is the mother of the group, always cooking food for the women and making sure they are taking care of themselves. She hopes for a loving marriage, but is also just enjoying her job as a freelancer.

Lots of contemporary feelings of not accomplishing everything in life by 25 and discussions of whether or not a relationship is worth it. A lot of comparing yourself to others leads to sadness and disappointment. And a lot of how important communication is in all aspects. A fun read and looking forward to reading the rest.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! It’s rare for me to read a story where I’m the same age as the characters, so a lot of the happenings felt really relatable. (Why do people put such an emphasis on marriage before 30?! It’s not like we’re going to shrivel up).

This story honestly made me wonder what it’d be like to live with some of my closest friends. Probably not as easygoing as those 4 seem but the idea of having a rough day and going home to be validated by my friends sounds epic.

Since the story focuses four individuals, I was worried that they wouldn’t all get a chance to shine but I think there was a nice balance in volume 1. I’m for sure going to grab a copy this July and continue this series going forward.

Thanks so much to TokyoPop for the DRC!

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to the publisher for the DRC!
So, when can I move in with these ladies? What a cute story so far. I was worried that having four main characters to focus on and meet in this volume would be too much or that they would start to blur together, but they all have such distinct personalities and motivations that it didn't feel that way at all. It's also so refreshing to have a story that's centered around women who are adults approaching their thirties and still figuring things out. The home and support that they've created for each other is really heart-warming and making me wish that I could share a home with my friends, haha! Looking forward to the next volumes to see where things go and how they continue to uplift and support one another!

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reached the latter half of my 20's this year and, unsurprisingly, I can relate to these characters. The cast is a bit too large and everyone's development suffers greatly. It'll get better as the story expands, but it's pretty tough to care about most of the people in this series...

One of the ladies was 'with' a guy for two years and, in all that time, they somehow never went over what they were to each other or had it come up in conversation with friends/family. These two spend almost all of their time together... they regularly have sex, kiss, hang out, and so on. She's been cooking the guy's favorite meals for all that time too... How did she let two anniversaries slip by without addressing this situation? It's too unrealistic!!

[Rhiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss for the E-copy! This E-copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Healthy female friendships for the win! These women had genuine, loving relationships with one another with no animosity or jealousy which is sometimes rare to see in manga. It was refreshing! I loved how real their lives and anxieties around marriage, work and the future were portrayed. Each one of them had their own personality, traits, and hobbies. They all had their own goals and wants in life, and they even questioned a few times if that's what they truly wanted and it shows that people are not linear beings. Though marriage and love were a big topic for the book, the main focus was the female friendships and that was what kept me reading and really drawled me in.
I loved this!

[Niche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of the josei series, Will I Be Single Forever. It's about women approaching their 30s and mostly single. This one had more of a comedic tone, which I liked. You have four female roommates: the "mom" of the group, the career woman, the lovey-dovey one with a boyfriend, and the late starter thinking about dating because.

It's thankfully pretty light on the romance, I'd categorize more in line with shojo than josei, even down to the art style. I enjoyed it for the friendship and light tone, but I really hope the title involves the support and friendship the women have rather than the "'I'm happy single', author goes 'nope'" trope where women are considered not worth a story if they don't have romance in it.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute and realistic Manga graphic novel that takes place in Tokyo with four roommates, all single, and navigating work life balance, romance, and friendships. Another reviewer said it reminded her of the golden girls but a younger generation and she’s so right! I loved the friendships and getting to know a little bit about each of their personalities and challenges as they are figuring out what they want at this stage in life in their late 20s.
It looks like this is going to be a series with a couple more versions coming later in the year. I’m looking forward to seeing where each of their stories go.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute manga, but it doesn't really compel me to read more. This story felt weirdly similar to Tokyo Tareba Girls, but not as funny or emotionally impactful. This story follows 4 roommates who are struggling with their romantic lives and worrying about turning 30. This manga tries to follow each girl's plot line, but it doesn't do it that well. Also, none of their plotlines are particularly compelling. This is nice if you want something low stakes and doesn't make you think. The art style is so pretty, though, it's the best thing about this manga!

[Emily✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this concept, of four nearly-30 friends living together and navigating their lives in different ways. Each character is distinct, with her own personality, goals, and passions. However, the plot is a little too light for my taste. I would recommend for fans of Hirayasumi.

My thanks to the publisher for providing this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute little manga. I thought this story did such a good job of introducing us to each of the ladies and establishing them within the world and the dynamics they are struggling with as they move through life. They each have their own things to deal with but they have each other as a strong support network so I'm excited to see where this story goes and how they each choose to deal with their problems or what they perceive to be problems.

[Sophia Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

its so cute. like... a slice of life about four women in their late 20s living together and living their life. its so wholesome and fun and i love how they are all so different and have their own struggles. i think this is going to be a very cute read and i cant wait for more of it to be transled!!

[Phobean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these slice of life stories, especially focused on young women just living their modern lives. There is an easefulness about this mangaka’s style that I assume comes from experience and skill. Feel like I’m settling down for a solid series.

[Sarah Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for the Digital Review Copy.

Super Cute! It reminds me of Hello My Twenties! (But without the kidnapping and stalking and stuff, just the cute and emotional stuff)

I love their relationships and each character holds their own among the group! Love!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Linda]

Promising beginning. I like the bonus after comics!

[mkhare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and will happily read on!

[Brenna Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Larakaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice that they got each others back, but the story focuses a bit too much on the love stories for my personal taste.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cute set-up so far with later 20s friends sharing a home and dealing witg different challenges and problems.

[Indiana Whiteman · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute!