We Never Learn (2017)

[ぼくたちは勉強ができない]

Volume 1

Author/Artist: Taishi Tsutsui
Publisher: Jump Comics

Synopsis:
A poor student agrees to tutor two genius students in their weak subjects in exchange for a scholarship.

Story/Characters:
This is a fun little romcom that has some nice character dynamics and good situational comedy. Our lead Yuiga is pretty much the sort of generic nice guy you'd expect in this kind of series, so the main draw is going to be the girls. I like how we have three chapters to really establish Furuhashi and Ogata before Takemoto is introduced. It feels like a bit of a shortcut giving Takemoto a past with Yuiga, but I do like that element of their relationship. I'm going to go ahead and tell you now not to expect much in the way of coherent progress on the romantic front. This is a Japanese romcom, after all. Even early on, we see how Tsutsui balances the screentime and ship tease moments for all the girls, so no matter who you root for, you've got plenty of material to keep you going.

Art:
Tsutsui has a very appealing style which I feel is one of the main draws of the series. The girls are cute as a button and the range of expressions really sell the visual comedy. There's also plenty of fanservice, but it rarely feels too gratuitous. The two-page spread that serves as the climax for Chapter 1 perfectly encapsulates what you're here for.

Other:
One nice feature of the series is that in the corner of the back page of each chapter is a little one panel gag comic, often serving as an epilogue to the chapter preceding it. I won't mention it every time, but I wanted to make a note of it here. Also, Tsutsui has a fun Where's Waldo?-style bit where he hides a little mustachioed caricature in each chapter.

Conclusion:
This is a fun series with good art and plenty of chuckles to be had. If the characters click with you, you're going to enjoy yourself. For my part at least, it definitely warrants a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It