Golden Time Manga Volume One review

The slice of life genre has increasingly become more popular. In particular the anime Golden Time ushers in a new era for this genre. Before Golden Time, which can be purchased here, was a successful anime, it was a manga. The manga follows a similar plot as the character Banri has lost his memory and is going to college where his past and present intersect with one another as his memories start to return. Yet the manga has a slower more relaxed tone to it as the story unfolds. Volume One of Golden Time covers the first six chapters that only begins to explore a slice of life relationship story as Banri struggles with the past and present.

Volume One of Golden Time focuses on the interactions of the characters Banri and Kouko. Banri is a first year college student who due to an accident has no memories of his past. Kouko is a first year college student who has enrolled in the same college to pursue a guy named Mitsuo. Banri meets Mitsuo who is following him as they are both trying to find the proper building to go to for orientation. On their Banri meets Kouko who hits him in the face with roses as she mistakes him for Mitsuo. Due to college circumstances Banri and Kouko begin to bond as they share the same classes, which results in Banri developing a crush on her. These circumstances lead to Banri and Kouko going on an off campus club welcoming party that puts their group in a bad position. As a result Banri chooses to stay behind with the club while everybody else leaves, including Kouko. Kouko comes back as she cannot leave Banri behind. Thus this shows that the two of them have some level of care for one another. As the circumstances have changed both Banri and Kouko realize they need to escape and jump out a window and are running through a forest to get away. While escaping Kouko has no shoes resulting in Banri giving her his shoes while they talk. Kouko, at first, only wanted Banri to feel sorry for her so he would help her get information on Mitsuo but due to the kindness he has shown her she wants to get to know him. This is slight progress as both Banri and Kouko navigate the start to a new friendship and the feelings they have.

The first volume of the manga utilizes many different techniques. One of these techniques is having small interactions build up over time. Throughout the first volume the interactions between Banri and Kouko start out as small meaningless trivial bits of conversation, but slightly increases to more meaningful conversations with each chapter. This gives the reader the ability to see how small interactions between two people are transformed into meaningful life events. Furthermore, the manga utilizes other elements such as an internal voice that expresses how Banri feels in the circumstances he has gotten himself into. This voice not only adds to his character but also gives insight into what a young adult is thinking when navigating a relationship. The manga also handles a major disability issue in a proactive way. Banri has retrospect amnesia, meaning he has no memories of people prior to college, rather than briefly mentioning it and moving on, it has become a central point to the manga. This disability allows him to have a clean start to form new relationships and the people who he tells are accepting of him despite his problem. In volume one his disability only affects him slightly as he is regaining some of his memories that deal with his past. While Banri is experiencing these effects he continues to move forward and pursue his goals. Thus his disability does provide a challenge for him but he continues to move forward to live his life.

The first volume of Golden Time sets a high standard for the remainder of the manga. This is due to how the story is set up and the interactions that Banri and Kouko have. In particular these interactions within and throughout the chapters are increasing from meaningless to important as they show how relationships are built. This keeps a viewer interested as it makes all interactions between Banri and Kouko important as each contributes to their growing relationship, which is slowly achieved each chapter. Volume One of this manga draws a reader into the story as a relationship has just started to kindle but has a long way to go before it is a small fire.

You can purchase the Golden Time anime here.