This was the first time that I've actually laughed when reading humor manga. Recorder and Randsell is amazing and so extremely funny! I'm not into Japanese humor, since I don't like absurd humor that's not even real humor. R&R then? The jokes work well, since Higashiya knows how to build jokes. In a way R&R is very Western, since the strip form is what it's supposed to be. Atsumi is a high school student when her little brother is just a fifth grader. The catch is that Atsumi looks like a kid and Atsushi like an adult. Higashiya doesn't use the easiest jokes one could in a situation like this and it works. The situations, like everyone always thinking Atsushi is a pedo, vary a lot and every time the joke works without being just a repetition. Gladly many more jokes are used too, so the manga isn't a one joke wonder and avoids being boring due to it.

The art works well with Recorder and Randsell, though the title is weird and somewhat off-putting. The cover doesn't really imply what this book is about, which is kind of sad. The character layouts are great in their simplicity and overall Higashiya has even made an effort to draw backgrounds too, which is great. I just now noticed that they've even made an anime of this and no wonder - this surely is perfect for that. I recommend this to all, really. Recorder and Randsell is surely a great yonkoma, one of the best by far.

This was a fun title to read that had me chuckling out loud! It's confusing to read at first. The layout feels strange and distracting. But once you settle into the reading style, it's fun! The sort of goofy antics that anyone can enjoy!

A fun read that had me laughing throughout, as with other 4 panel manga titles, the jokes can occasionally repeat too often... Usually the one where Atsushi gets in trouble with the athorities when playing with his classmates outside of school. But this is a small issue in what is a genuinely funny story.

The humor is very Japanese, so if you are used to manga or anime humor, you will love this manga. What I don't like is the structure of the manga itself, I think it's a bit confusing and the art is nothing very spectacular.

Extremely funny and adorable! I've enjoyed this volume immensely. The art style is simple and clean, the characters are endearing and slightly quirky, and the plot is still interesting.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!

Anyhow, this is basically a yonkoma (4-cell/comic strip style) manga series about two siblings - Atsumi, high school sophomore who is so tiny she is usually mistaken for a little kid & her younger brother, Atsushi, a 5th grader who is so tall that he is usually mistaken as a full grown adult! Hoho. It's actually pretty weird when you think about it... but makes for some hilarious scenes - i.e. the innocent Atsushi being mistaken for a pedo and arrested several times bawling his eyes out for one thing (quite funny in yonkoma form, probably doesn't translate as well when I try to write it all down though :p). The supporting characters are really well written (drawn?) too. Nice slice-of-life stuff.

Oh, it's been too long since I've read a manga, and especially a 4 panel manga! Recorder and Randsell is a perfect manga to read on a phone or tablet during a long commute, or to sit down and read when you need. It's laugh out loud funny, with a 5th grade boy who looks like a fully grown adult man and his older sister who looks like she should be in grade school! The art style is very cute, and fits the genre of this manga. I picked this up expecting a full manga, but in this case, the 4-panel one shot comics are perfect! The humor is perfect, and honestly, I can relate with this book a little, as I'm a senior in high school, but I'm short with a baby face. Some of the comics, especially the one when Atsumi, the sister, opens the door to respond to a solicitor and is mistaken for a child. Happens all the time to me! I highly recommend this manga for anyone who needs a quick laugh!

This manga grew on my as I read, although I think it is best suited for the tween cloud. I loved the art! If possible, I would give it 3·5 stars. I would read the next volume.

This book was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. Very silly.

It's hard being a high school kid who looks 10...but it's just as hard being an elementary school kid who looks 20 in Recorder and Randsell Volume 1.

[cover image]

Miyagawa Atsumi is a pretty average high school girl. She worries about exams, she has a best friend to hang out with, and she helps to take care of her little brother Atsushi. Atsushi's pretty normal himself too. He's got friends that love to get him in trouble, and a teacher who does her best to watch over him.

Unfortunately, neither of them look as normal as they are. Atsumi is an absolutely tiny 4'5”, while her fifth grade brother is a rather mature-looking 5'10. Atsumi has to shop in the children's department, Atsushi gets hand-me-downs from their 32-year-old neighbor. No one wants to take Atsumi seriously when she's out and about, and everyone mistakes Atsumi hanging out with his normal-looking girl classmate as a weirdo. It just isn't easy being a Miyagawa kid.

Atsumi, at least, is mature enough to use her childish appearance to her advantage, while poor Atsushi hasn't quite gotten it down yet. Volume 1 covers just about a year in their lives, including the popularity problems of Valentine's Day and White day, and the problem of Atsushi being introduced to a new teacher who isn't accustomed to his...appearance. The other folks in town, like the slacker neighbor who keeps giving Atsushi clothes picked out by his ex-girlfriends and the little boys Atsushi hangs out with who think it's super cool to be able to get away with not having an actual adult supervise them, just add to the fun.

Recorder and Randsell Volume 1 is a 4-koma comedy manga that easily captures the silliness of the assumptions that we all make upon seeing someone. It has some absolutely laugh-out-loud scenes, and doesn't rely on just its premise to bring the laughs.

Highs: 'Say something an adult would say!' '...BOOBS!'

Lows: You'd think that the police in the area would eventually recognize Atsushi and stop trying to arret him for being a creep.

Verdict: Recorder and Randsell Volume 1 is in equal parts hilarious and adorable, and a fun change of pace from other more serious manga.

Further Reading: Shiba Inuko-San, Crayon Shin-Chan, Neko Ramen

A teen who's mistaken for a kid and a kid who's mistaken for a teen. These siblings have it tough, but make the best of it by being there for each other. This book of their everyday adventures and misadventures is cute and heartwarming and hilarious. I happen to know a lot about being mistaken for being a lot younger than you are, so it was funny seeing the opposite side of that. A charming anime!

For those of you that were like me and wondering what a “Randsell” is, it’s basically a backpack. Or a satchel which is a much better title for this series, but hey… not my job. This was my first experience with a manga that was clearly a comic strip. Each story with the exception of the weekend strips, are four panels running top to bottom. There’s a bit of an overall narrative, but not one that’s strong enough to really be called the main plot. Instead it just follows our main characters, a fifth grade that looks like he’s in his twenties and a sophomore in high school that looks like an elementary student.

Miyagawa Atsumi is our high school student and even though she’s half the size of her brother Atsushi, she plays the role of the big sister. The comedy comes from Atsushi though. Because he’s only a fifth grader and looks way older he’s constantly in trouble. A running gag is that the police always pick him up when he walks with other student’s home from school. Another gag comes from his teacher who must remind herself that he’s just a little boy. That’s Atsumi’s role. She reminds you the most that Atsushi is just a kid by helping him with school problems or just telling him no when he wants to eat candy and only candy.

The formula is simple, but I really enjoyed this book. I read it in chunks because otherwise the jokes wear off. I don’t know if this is actually a daily comic strip in Japan, but much like any comic strip they’re funny because you’re only reading one a day. If you blow through the entire book at once then you’re not going to enjoy the latter half of the book.

It is formatted for Japan, meaning you have to read right to left top to bottom. Occasionally, I would forget this and read left to right and spoil jokes. Having only a digital copy I was also forced to read the opposite way a manga is supposed to be read so that too added to the confusion. I imagine that reading it in print would solve a lot of these problems.

The art is really simple, but good. There’s not a lot of detail due to how small the frames are, but you can tell that there’s a lot of skill and design being put into each panel. With only four panels to work with, creator Meme Higashiya does an incredible job of picking what will make the biggest impact or help the joke. The character designs are great as well, the other kids in Atsushi’s class really look like children and that’s the perfect counter to Atsushi’s size and look.

Overall if you’re looking for a laugh then this is something you should check out. The jokes are all within the same range, but if you laugh at one you’ll likely like the others. It’s a fun story and pretty different from any other manga I’ve read.

Score: 4/5

Recorder and Randsell vol.1 is a graphic novel by Meme Higashiya. Miyagawa Atsumi and her younger brother Atsushi seem like your typical siblings. Atsumi is a high school sophomore dealing with exams, Atsushi is a 5th grader who only wants to run off and play with his friends. School's hard enough as it is, but things are a little harder for these two. Atsumi is so small that she still mistaken for a little kid, while Atsushi is so tall people assume he's a full-grown man.

Recorder and Randsell is a fun graphic novel that I was able to enjoy. I liked that the siblings were so different from each other, they obviously cared about each other and wanted to fit in to the world around them. Their desire to fit into the world is universal, and I liked that this was shown in both serious and humorous ways as the siblings navigate life. I found the entire work to be charming and entertaining, although I was occasionally confused. I often read a page a couple times to figure out the right reading order, and did not always feel confident in my opinion. a few pages had me reading right to left, and then trying left to right (the traditional manga format) and was not always satisfied with one or the other consistently.

Recorder and Randsell is a entertaining and charming read. Despite my mild frustration, I still enjoyed the feel, style, and mood of the graphic novel and am interested n exploring it further.

This book is a nicely written brother and sister story, though the younger brother looks elder and the elder sister looks younger. It makes continuous joke and let its readers like this family much.

I really enjoyed this one, and would love to continue reading the series. I should probably check out the anime as well. Absolutely hilarious.

Atsumi is in High School, and is 130cm tall. (That's around 4'3.5" tall.) She's usually getting mistaken for a grade schooler. While she does usually hate this, she does also use it to her advantage at time, like to get free samples aimed at grade schoolers or free hot cocoa aimed at lost children.

Atsushi is in Middle School (5th grader), and is 180cm tall. (That's around 5'11" tall.) He is always being mistaken for an adult, even though he does not want to be. Whenever he tries to walk one of his female classmates home, the police haul him in, even if he walks far behind her. One time that they do this, he goes home, very sad about how they tore him away from his first love.

Atsushi's teacher is often the butt of some the things that happen about Atsushi as well, but it is clear that he cares very much about her. Atsumi's friend seems to have a slight crush on Atsushi without realizing how young he really is, but they don't develop that much in this volume.

Laughter is a common event at a comedy concert. People are expected to laugh at jokes, even the awkward, unfunny ones. However, laughing when reading a book can sometimes feel like peeing in a bush next to a family park. You are always guarded and alert, hoping no one sees you. Unfortunately, if you find yourself in a public, reading a book with a well-handled humour, propriety and decorum may be the first thing out of the window as you belt out in laughter like a pack of hyenas. In some ways, reading Recorder and Randsell is like that - I can count a few times when I’ve snickered out loud on the public bus, putting my fellow commuters in an anxious state.

Recorder and Randsell focuses on Atsumi and Atsushi, a sister and her younger brother, who are quite close and love to do things together, like going to school, baking, etc. The unusual thing about the siblings is that the younger brother, who is 180cm tall, is astonishingly in the 5th grade (equivalent of a class for 10-12 year olds). While the sister, is just 130cm tall is a high school sophomore.

With his absurd height (for someone is 5th grade), Atsushi keeps getting into awkward situations both in and out of school. For example, he does get regularly pulled out by the police who mistakes him for paedophile whenever they see him with his classmates. He also gets attention from amorous women who mistakes his height and good looks for maturity.

Atsumi, on the other hand, gets lots of grief from her juniors in school who thinks she's a 10 year old genius who got catapulted into a higher class. Also, when in an altercation with her younger brother, Atsumi physically finds it difficult to restrain Atsushi and as a result gets dragged all over the place.

Both brother and sister are aware of their unique situation and sometimes use it to gain unfair advantage over other people. It is clear that they have learnt to master this situation and thrive in spite of it.

Recorder and Randsell is funny and the art is lovely. The unusual panel arrangement can be a bit disorientating at first, but it does not take long to get used to it. Most importantly, Recorder and Randsell is a good example for me, of how to navigate the world with enthusiasm regardless of our perceived handicaps.

Recorder and Randsell is written by Meme Higashiya and published by Takeshobo (September 01, 2015)

Many thanks to Takeshobo for review copy.

This was absolutely hilarious! I couldn't even begin to describe how much I LOL'd while reading this. Wasn't completely hooked on the ending but that's the only thing that bothers me with this :)