Key takeaways from Manga Reecommendation – Rough:
- “Rough” captures the essence of a sports manga with a simple yet charming romance story at its core, showcasing the power of love and shared passions.
- The manga’s straightforward plot and innocent charm harken back to the 80s era, offering readers a glimpse into the past while delivering a heartwarming narrative.
- The well-portrayed relationship between Ami and Keisuke, combined with a diverse cast of characters, creates an entertaining and engaging reading experience that stands the test of time.
I am really stopping myself from making some bad puns out of this manga’s name lol. I know you could make a lot of jokes about the name of this manga but I promise, it is anything but a joke. To me, Rough represents a lot of the reasons why I like sports mangas.
Sure, it has nothing you won’t find inย other sports mangas but I think this manga is a great representation of the key themes of a sports manga. And portrays those said themes really well, making it an enjoyable read.
So welcome back to another edition of our manga recommendation series. This week we are talking about Rough. So let’s start.
Introduction
Rough is written and illustrated by Adachi Mitsuru. It was serialized in the Shounen Sunday magazine from 1987 to 1989. Yeah, it is really old. The manga is pretty short at just 12 volumes or 119 chapters. And it has no anime adaptation to speak of. As I said, it is a sports manga with some comedy and romance elements. And it is about swimming/diving.
Plot
This manga is basically a romance story disguised as a sports manga. The families of both out MCs don’t like each other as they are business rivals. Ami’s grandfather even died saying that the Yamatos killed him. But as you might expect, things happen and Ami and Keisuke start liking each other. And their love of the sport is the key in brining them together.
The story is very 80s. It is simple and straightforward, the families don’t like each other because of a cake of all things lol. But it is this simplicity and this innocence that make things manga fun to read. It is just a sweet and simple romance anime with swimming playing as a catalyst in bringing the MCs together. Oh, and there is some really good comedy in this series too.
Characters
The manga features a good variety of characters. The character writing may come off as stereotypical these days but once again, it works perfectly in this manga because of its simplicity. The relationship between Ami and Keisuke is really well portrayed. How they slowly become friends and then start hanging out is really well done. This combined with a bunch of entertaining and funny characters makes this manga really entertaining.
Art
The art especially feels dated by today’s standards. It is not bad or anything, it looks pretty good, the swimming scenes look pretty fluid and they have a good sense of motion. Just that the art style really feels dated these days.
Why should you read Rough?
Quick pointers on why you should read this manga:
- Simple and wholesome story
- Some good romance
- Good characters
- Good art
Conclusion
That is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Rough is a really cute manga and I hope you check it out. With that said, I will take my leave here. See ya!
Check out this week’s anime recommendation here!
