I first heard about Mika Yamamori because of Hirunaka no Ryuusei. While it was a manga I, overall, enjoyed, I couldn't help but feel that it could have been so much better had it not be rushed. When I started reading Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, I hoped she had improved by then. Somehow, her writing skills have worsened.
It all starts when Fumi Ohno starts working as a live-in housekeeper to Akatsuki Kibikino, a writer. Not so different from Hirunaka no Ryuusei at this point, considering the main characters are around the same age gap, despite the men having completely opposite personalities.
The beginning is just your average
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 Alternative TitlesJapanese: 椿町ロンリープラネット More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 14
Chapters: 85
Status: Finished
Published: May 20, 2015 to Aug 20, 2019
Demographic:
Shoujo
Serialization:
Margaret Authors:
Yamamori, Mika (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #7562 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #361
Members: 46,678
Favorites: 1,382 | Reviews
Filtered Results: 15 / 17
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Sep 3, 2015
I discovered Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet due to Yanamori Mika's other, more well known, work Hirunaka no Ryuusei. I'm sure a lot of people who are considering reading this manga are here for the same reason.
Story (7/10): I think this manga is unfairly underrated. Although it is a bit cliche -- I mean, 16-year-old girl begins working as a housekeeper for a writer who happens to be ridiculously good-looking? C'mon. Anyone who has read a lotta shoujo knows what's up by now. Going back to my main point, I believe that this manga deserves more attention. Other than the somewhat cliche storyline, I would definitely recommend ... 
Jun 4, 2020
I could not put this manga down! it was incredibly heartwarming and not as cliche as everyone is saying. I found the relationship in this story to be the most genuine and satisfying out of all the romance manga I've read.
Story: There were a few weird unrealistic blips in the very beginning (which is what most people are commenting on), but after you pass the first few chapters it gets so much better. I never felt overtly annoyed by anything the characters did and I thought the progression of the story made a lot of sense. Nothing felt too rushed or too slow. [SPOILER: there ... 
Apr 17, 2016
While the story itself is kind of a cliche shoujo manga (which has its ups and downs), it definitely has somethings that other shoujos do not.
For one, the communication between the two main love interests is fairly good. They don't go around, sneaking all their feelings. The girl, Ohno/ Ono (the translation varies), is very smart, and will speak for herself. The main guy, Akatsuki, is the kind who is "hard to understand," but he's straightforward and not necessarily a huge dick for no reason. The storyline is fairly standard, but I have some hope that it might differ a little from the standard. It's ... 
Oct 21, 2015
WOO! Yamamori Mika has yet again embarked on another Shoujo Quest, and let me tell you, it's looking up!
OVERALL (8): It's early days so far, 9 chapters for what might become a behemoth (if it's going to be anything like Hirunaka no Ryuusei), but from what's been published so far, I think a lot of people will really enjoy this! Yamamori has laid some great foundations for a somewhat unpredictable manga, and when she fleshes things out a bit, I'm sure it'll be a hit...! TL;DR? WATCH THIS SPACE. For those who feel like a breakdown, here's the breakdown: STORY (8): The Story is somewhat typical and ... 
Sep 25, 2020
I'm not a particular fan of shoujo, but I still sometimes read them, and admittedly, some of them are pretty good. However, most of them are pretty bad.
For example, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet is a pretty popular one. Whatever, I'll give it a try. I mean, the problem with all these romance novels is that they give the same sort of vibes no matter which author you read about: girl main character gets swept up in a hot guy's pace somehow, thet somehow get into a special relationship in weird circumstances before it eventually sprouts into love. Am I missing something? Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet employs all the ... 
Mar 19, 2023
I actually finished it 2 days ago. Yet, I am writing this review today because these 2 days I was just making up my mind and sorting out my feelings about it. This manga is like a hurricane of my literary life which has wreaked havoc in my thoughts. Literally. It was this good.
The aesthetic aspect of story-line, story-telling, character development, artwork...everything was well developed, planned and done. First of all, when I read its synopsis, it gave me the impression of Kore Wa Koi No Hanashi because both has male-leads who are successful writers. So, I thought it would have the same story-line, and ... 
Sep 29, 2020
As somebody who does not read much shoujo manga this past few years, Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet was a pretty huge shock for me, and it hooked me into reading more shoujo these days.
Now, as a sucker for character back stories, this manga got me real good. I like how in-depth Akatsuki is as a character. Although, I personally think it would be better if his backstory was explained throughout the whole story instead of rushing everything at the end. I love how every little thing that he experienced, had a huge affect on his present life. The only thing that I wish was in the ... 
Sep 7, 2022
All of the characters are great. There's not a long period of misunderstandings like how most shoujo mangas go. The love interests can communicate well and are very mature. There are very few stuff in the story that I question but it doesn't take away from how good the story is. Sure there may be a few cliche stuff but it's done is a very well way. This was the first shoujo that made me look up the author to check out her other works.
I came into this with no expectations but ended up binging this whole story and the ending left me feeling ... 
May 31, 2016
This manga has all the things I love: romance, older guy, and beautiful art.
I am a big fan of the mangaka, Mika Yamamori, and her other work, Hirunaka no Ryuusei. The art is clean and pretty; she's good at designing aesthetically pleasing characters. I'm really enjoying the story so far. Fumi is beautifully drawn and though she and her dad are riddled with debt, she looks on the bright side of things and is an extremely diligent worker. She's not the kind of girl who depends on other people to do things for her. She is sensitive but she's not a wimpy crybaby. She is ... 
Jan 2, 2019
Reading Tsubaki-Chou Lonely Planet is like stepping into a simpler life. School drama and family tragedies won't be found here. Instead, you'll see a blossoming love, one that feels beautifully pure, but heart-achingly real, told against the backdrop of everyday Japanese life.
Like many, I started TCLP after finishing Daytime Shooting Star, a manga that I loved but that left me unsatisfied. I expected to find a similar story: a young highschooler falls in love with an older man, but many obstacles await them. I also expected a similar love triangle. But TCLP was not at all what I expected. It doesn't share that many similarities ...
Dec 30, 2021
So given I just read Dengeki Daisy, which featured an age gap (see review for my hesitancy on age gap), I was pleasantly surprised about this one. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this storyline was a lot less contrived than Dengeki Daisy and it felt a bit more mature.
That being said, it's more like a 6.5 or 7ish rather than a 6. Story (6/10) It's a typical story & quite cute. It wasn't anything special, but there were cute parts. I'm also glad that triangle drama wasn't the main drama (there is someee love triangle drama if you can call it that, ...
May 2, 2017
So far, I've been pretty impressed by this manga. Let me list some things I like about it.
First, the main female lead isn't annoying. How rare is that?! Often I can't get into mangas because the female lead is too ditsy or annoying, but Fumi does not even annoy me one bit. Second, I really like the main male lead. He's socially awkward, but a very soft guy inside. The great thing is, he's awkward and never understands things, but he is aware of it and tries to do something about it. So things actually do end up happening. Third, the side characters are actually supportive and ...
Nov 5, 2020
Another great work from Yamamori-sensei!
Honestly, I enjoyed her work in Daytime Shooting Star (DSS), so I decided to give this series a try as well. In Tsubaki-Chou Lonely Planet, we get more or less the same feel of what we got in DSS. Like DSS, I thought the pacing of the story was quite good. In fact I was pretty surprised that I finished reading the series already. I also thought it was good seeing Akatsuki and Fumi's relationship slowly progress. There were times where I felt the pacing was quite stagnant or felt rushed, but nonetheless, I still thought it was good. Huge age gap ...
Jul 5, 2020
Story: 8/10
Despite a rushed ending, I found the story to be well-paced on the whole. There was a really nice balance between the main romance, the romance between the supporting characters, and the development of Fumi and Akatsuki's individual characters and backstories. Of course, the cliches and tropes are still there, but I thought the story's exploration of love, loneliness and family (what are you born with vs. what you make for yourself) was great. The bond between Fumi and Akatsuki was the highlight for me - the way their love developed was very realistic and meaningful. Art: 10/10 Yamamori Mika's art is my all-time favourite for ... |
