Perfect World volume 1 is the story of how Tsugumi learns to love a man in a wheelchair, and how she learns, as a result, what life is like for someone who has a spinal cord injury.

Tsugumi had a crush on Itsuki when they were in school together, but she had lost touch with him. A work meeting brings them back into contact, but he’s since had an accident and is paralyzed. In this first volume, she moves from “I couldn’t date someone in a wheelchair” to “I’m falling in love with him again” despite his insistence that he doesn’t want to be in a relationship.

The story, as you might expect, is somewhat didactic. Its educational aims can be a little obvious, but this sweet romance is a great framing structure for teaching readers more about life as a paraplegic. Itsuki is an architect who focuses on barrier-free design. Much of the drama and obstacles to their growing feelings result from how Itsuki is treated or the challenges he faces and what it will mean for her as his potential girlfriend.

As an American reader, the lack of accommodations available in Japan was somewhat surprising, as was the co-worker’s willingness to tell Tsugumi all about the medical issues Itsuki faces. But it’s her spending time with him at his hospital bedside that ends up changing her mind, as she sees his determination and dedication to making something of his career in spite of his circumstances.

There’s lots of emotion in this first book, as the two go to their school reunion, where they meet Itsuki’s old girlfriend. The two broke up after his accident, providing for dramatic discussions between him and her, and her and Tsugumi.

The art focuses on faces and bodies for reactions, with a lot of blank space around them. Backgrounds are mostly non-existent. The simple stylings and ease of reading will be helpful for those who are interested in the series because of the subject, particularly those who don’t normally read manga.

Perfect World begin digital serialization in 2018, and it was successful enough that it began releasing in print in 2020.

This is so beautiful and romantic and sad! I loooooved it!

If you think it's hard being disabled in America, this book is here to show you that being disabled in a lot of other countries is even harder. In Japan, where the story takes place, there are no laws that say restaurants, apartments, or really anything else need to be wheelchair accessible. People in wheelchairs are considered to be tragic figures who are basically not capable of much at all. But, despite a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed, Itsuki has defied the odds and become an architect at a respected Tokyp firm, and happens to run into an old friend from high school, who has secretly always been in love with him. This is the story of how she decides whether love is worth the struggle of supporting Itsuki's disability, and whether Itsuki is strong enough to let someone into his very fragile world.

Hola!

Aqui Karly, con una nueva reseña sobre PERFEC WORLD!
En primera instancia debo decir que el dibujo de lamagaka es super bonito, me recuerda mucho a Paradise Kiss.
Ok, nuestra protagonista Tsugumi Kawana es una chica que trabaja como ayudante de diseño de interiores,en una ocasión la envían a una reunión con personal de arquitectura con la cual estará trabajando, ya allí se encuentra con quien seria su primer amor de secundaria Ayukawa, ella piensa que ya no siente nada por el y cuando ya están por retirarse de la reunión se da cuenta que Ayukawa anda en silla de ruedas.
Eso le impacta demasiado y comienza a convivir con el nuevamente sin darse cuenta que sus antiguos sentimientos comienzan a despertar y con mucha mas intensidad.

El manga es súper bonito, la historia lo es aun mas. Me gusta mucho la protagonista por que no es dramatica y súper relajada. Ademas de que el protagonista es un gran ejemplo a seguir, el no deja de lado sus miedos e inseguridades pero no les da mas protagónico y trata de superarse y seguir con su vida lo mejor que pueda.
Es una historia que voy a querer seguir leyendo por que quiero saber en que acaban estos dos y saber cuan difícil es lidiar/amar a una persona con discapacidad.

Bai.

This is a sweet story, with characters well developed and great arts. In this manga, we have some difficult themes, but the author is respectful and really tactful. I appreciated that the romance part is slowly developing, there is no rush and we start to know the characters and their struggle. And I appreciated that the author manages to create a story that feels real, both the story and the characters, and she makes her sweet and cute, too.
And yes, it may be not my preferred genre, and it is no masterpiece. But it's a good read anyway.

*~~*ARC kindly provided to me for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tsugumi Kawana (26 years old) reunites with her first crush from high school, Itsuki Ayukawa, at a get-together with an architecture firm and the interior design company she works at. He sends her heart aflutter, until she realizes he's now disabled, and in a wheelchair. At first she feels she couldn't date a guy in a wheelchair, but then her feelings begin to change...

My Review:

I chose to read this book because of the description, mostly. Usually I'm not really into books this style, but I thought I would give it a shot and I'm glad I did. The story is about two people who previously met in high school, almost dated and then graduated where there lives became completely different. They later meet up again as adults, and finds out that the man has been wheelchair bound since college, and she doesn't know how to react. Lots of people share their opinions that they couldn't date someone in a wheel chair, and that starts to get to her, making her think she couldn't too. It's really confusing for her when she starts falling in love with him anyways. This is a really cute story with realistic challenges, the characters could be people you know. It shows  lot of the invisible pain that people with similar problems go through, even just accepting that he'll never walk again. It's a good story, and I definitely recommend you check it out if you get the chance.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

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Perfect World is a beautiful story of acceptance, romance, and finding courage to chase your dreams, while exploring the often unspoken truths of having a disability. It's clearly written by someone who understands people with disabilities and their limitations, while also exploring just how strong they can be, and how people on the outside view and judge them.

Series: Perfect World, 1
★★★★★
166 Pages

Let's start with the simple stuff:

Would I read it again?: Of course!
Genre: Comic, Manga, Contemporary Romance
Pairings: MF


Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty:

As someone who is often wheelchair bound (I can walk short distances) it was the concept of an MC in a wheelchair that grabbed my attention and made me want to read this. I'm usually more of a Yaoi girl than Manga, but this one made me curious.

I loved how it dealt with the issue of a wheelchair user, especially one who was an architect. What it was like to reconnect with an unrequited high school crush who had changed beyond Kawana's understanding. From discussing his illness between characters, challenging this idea that the intricate, sometimes unwanted aspects of a disability shouldn't be shown, and even having pieces of hospital stays explored, was a really great way to deal with it and let Kawana see the truth. The scene with the bed sore was touching and so honest. I loved that Ayukawa talked openly about his excretory condition, about his phantom pain (something I'm familiar with) and that his condition was never a secondary thing in the plot. It was the plot.

I love that it showed how Ayukawa had fought for his dream, no matter the obstacles, while the Kawana had given up. And how they inspired each other and reconnected through the time they'd had apart and had grown through that time.

As someone from the UK, I really appreciated the little explanations that were added, such as the explanation of year's in high school. So often I read books, especially US-based stories, where there's no indication of what age the students are during whatever-Year of high school. This was a nice touch and helped me remain orientated, without feeling confused.

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This is a heartfelt story about reuniting again with your first crush, accepting one's disability and finding your passion and love along the way. Reading this book, has shown me a new perspective on the less unfortunate, that I should appreciating and accepting them even more than I was before.

Pursuing your dream because we should always make that as our top priority. Sometimes you should just forget about others and think about yourself and what you truly want. It's okay to be selfish sometimes for your own sake. You deserve it.

As an otaku I absolutely loved this series. I highly recommend it for all library collections! It could go in the teen collection, but because the characters are adults would also make a great crossover title for adults looking to get into manga.

A promising start to a new series. This was a heartfelt first volume and the art complemented the tone and plot immensely.

"Don't just go and decide...that I wouldn't be happy with you. Stop deciding...everything by yourself. Even though...There's no one that could replace you..."

**Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for giving me an e-book copy of the book for an honest review. All opinions are my own** 

The story introduces Tsugumi Kawana meeting her first love as an adult after being separated for many years. Though the times have passed, Tsugumi feels the same emotions as she did many years ago. Itsuki  is a changed man, he is no longer the same person that Tsugumi has known physically. Itsuki is now paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury during his high school days.

Tsugumi reconnects with Itsuki because the two work together and get closer. Itsuki lets Itsuki know that he is not interested in her neither is he interested in romantic relationships. He understands that he is a burden and does not want that to happen to anyone in a relationship with him. He tries his best to adapt with his disability and pursues the same passions such as basketball and architecture when he was a young boy. Tsugumi believes she knows Itsuki, but with each encounter she learns a little about him everyday.

Itsuki is sickly, he constantly goes to the hospital. He tries to make the situation light about his condition. He reminds Tsugumi that she doesn't have to stay by his side. Rather than leaving, Tsugumi doesn't abandon her first love. Her feelings grow stronger each time she sees Itsuki. She learns to become more empathetic being with Itsuki though he is not interested in her romantically. She tries to help Itsuki bring closure in this first volume concerning his first love. The author shows that the stakes are high if Tsugumi continues to pursue Itsuki. She will get her heart broken because of his condition, but that doesn't stop her.

"It was a night we felt we had connected. But the happiness felt that night...was delicate...as the snow melts, and disappears."

I thought this first volume was sweet and ended in a cute way. I prefer Itsuki over Tsugumi. He understands his condition. He is fiercely independent, but he has flaws. He doesn't let people in. He has emotional borders due to the event. He hasn't completely accepted the fact that he is disabled. He still lives with his disability, but he is not a poster child of it as Tsugumi believes he is. Despite his conditions, he tries his best. The best chapter of this first volume was Itsuki's interactions with Haruto, a teenage boy that recently became disabled.

A Manga that grabs you in the feels is a new experience for me. While most Manga can be fantastical and have Kawaii written all over them, Perfect World by Rie Aruga is a step away from that.


Reading this brought several issues to light:

Disabled people are not fragile.
Disabled people can have romance in their lives.
Disabled people can have careers.
I cannot begin to understand what disabled people go through.

Kawana encounters all of these issues as she is dealt a surprising blast from her past, a surprising blast in more ways than one. Her long time crush has become disabled. Tsugumi’s feelings are then turned upside down as she begins to question her own thoughts on disability. Can she be in a relationship with him? What does it all mean?

I loved the inner character growth of Kawana. While this is not the full story (it continues in volumes), I can safely say that romance is budding between Kawana and Ayukawa. They both find themselves working together and testing both of their resolves. For Ayukawa, his disability has altered him emotionally and physically.

The artwork in this Manga is very easy going and cute (I did say there wasn’t Kawaii written all over this, but it’s not overboard). It was a heartfelt drama and candy for the eyes. I really can’t wait to find out what happens and this is definitely a Manga that I’m invested in.

The hardships of being handicapped were also noted in this manga and I like how the love story between Tsugumi and Itsuki was not rush, which might start in the second volume. The story recounts how the main characters were met during their high school years and on how fate pulled them to meet again after several years. If you are just like me who enjoyed and is a fan of Jojo Moyes' best-selling novel, Me Before You, I highly recommend that you should check out this spectacular graphic novel of Rie Aruga.

A sweet romance about a young woman who reunites with her high school crush and discovers that after being in a car accident he now uses a wheelchair. While I wouldn't term this "inspiration porn" I do find it a little questionable that the story is completely from the point of view of Kawana, the abled heroine; we only ever see Ayukawa and his experience of his disability through her eyes. That said, from what I can tell this does seem like a non-romanticized and fairly accurate portrayal of the challenges (both societal and physical) that Ayukawa would face. The art is very gentle and charming.

I received this manga from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This slice-of-life graphic novel tackles relationship with between former high school students. Currently one of whom suffers from spinal cord injury after an accident. The beauty is in how this manga tackled persons with spinal cord injury and its complications. When you throw in a budding romance with both partners being uneasy, it has good potential. As a first novel, the story is choppy however and hopefully this improves over the series. And having seen that this was an experiment by the author, I understand why it seemed so choppy. Glad that it has been translated for a wider audience.


Decent start to a romantic series aimed at young adult audience.

Being a physically disabled person myself, I was curious about the story, half agony, half hope. Here’s the part that resonated so much to me, as the hero Itsuki Ayukawa explains how he feels now as a disabled person.

"Telling me to reach 'disability acceptance' puts me in a bind. Accepting that I'm disabled won't make it any easier. I'm not in a wheelchair because I want to be. If I could walk, I'd want to walk. I've been able to learn a lot through my disability. But I've never once felt glad to be disabled."

The heroine Tsugumi Kawana, fumbles her way through when communicating with Ayukawa after finding out about his disability. I find this a matter of course. No matter how we spin it the whole situation is absolutely awkward. The dynamics of their relationship have changed irrevocably since high school so how do they come to terms with it? That, I think is the prominent theme in this series.

Almost every single aspect of their lives are under scrutiny by being together. Dad giving her the silent treatment after she spills the beans about Ayukawa being her boyfriend. Plus mum and sister found the fact rather uncomfortable, to say the least.

It is worth to see how both of them will navigate through these issues, relationship aside.

The art and panels are clean with nothing illegible. The translation reads smoothly in English so I really enjoyed it. Also interesting to note that Ayukawa is based on an actual person!

A big thank you to Kodansha Comics for licensing this title! And I am looking forward to the next volume.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review
"Perfect World" by Rie Aruga. Knowing this comic was about love and disability, I knew it might be a bit more of a serious read. I really loved this story. Tsugumi and Itsuki are strong characters. I was rooting for them the whole time.

As someone who has read her fair share of romance manga, I have never seen this premise before and what do we all need? A little diversity! The story follows two individuals who were childhood classmates - Tsugumi and Itsuki. When they were younger, Tsugumi had a crush on Itsuki but it never lead to anything. After school, Itsuki was involved in an accident that left him disabled and in a wheelchair. Both characters struggle with their feelings towards one another because of the hardships that they would endure. Overall, this manga was educational and a refreshing read. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.

If this book feels a little preachy, I suppose that's the point. This had some facts I've been curious about, but can't ask in polite comps company. Still a good read.

Perfect World is the first volume in a series about a guy with a spinal cord injury who is now paralyzed and in a wheel chair and the return of a friend from high school who always had a crush on him. They reconnect, but the reality of what a relationship would be like makes them both hesitant to start one, despite their growing feelings for each other. A very open and honest portrayal of what it is like to live with a disability. I look forward to future volumes.