Going to school is something most of us have to do. If you read any manga, though, chances are there’s going to be school, whether it’s a high school or a ghoul school or a odd school…school is school. So in a way, Chio’s School Road is refreshing in a sense.
None of the events that would happen in a school are shown in this manga.
As the title states, the manga’s about Chio and her (mis) adventures going to Samejima Academy. OK, the title doesn’t really imply that, but after reading Chio’s School Road volume 1, misadventures is appropriate because of all the crazy troubles she goes through. The very first chapter features Chio applying her video game logic to real life as her way to school is blocked off due to construction. This journey encompasses immediate pain, old man spit, and an elitist snob getting his foot stepped on by a crazy high school girl. From there, we get stories involving making a friend who’s on the track team by fake slipping into a pile of garbage, being with a friend as they bemoan love, and intimidating a biker gang member to quit being a gang member.
None of the chapters in this manga involve actual stuff inside the school. No teachers teaching, few friends talking in class, etc. It’s all outside, and all on Chio’s way to school. And that’s pretty neat.
The humor, surprisingly enough, is hit or miss.
This might be because I’ve been watching the anime. Since I’ve seen the jokes already, some of it isn’t as effective as it should be. That said, some parts of the anime that I didn’t find all too funny turned out to make me chuckle in comic form. The Bloody Butterfly chapter being an example where I found it a lot funnier in the manga. (I also particularly liked Manana’s comment on making contact with a track star like Hosokawa in her chapter: “I’d be erased from existence.”). Whether I would have been more into the jokes if I started with this first, we’ll never know. But all of that plays into it for sure.
The localization also plays a factor too. I definitely know some parts are different, and that’s just where two different mediums come into play. But ultimately, the manga is the manga, and the anime is the anime. I think in general it’ll come down to the stories and the characters. Chio of course is the star, but the rest of the cast mostly picks up this volume for me. Heck, even the loser with the smug response to the kid and his mom was entertaining. (It also ended properly enough.) It’s not to say Chio’s moments weren’t fun, but most of it didn’t make me laugh.
Overall, I know for sure there’s more comedy that I’m looking forward to seeing in manga form. And if you are looking to take a mini-break from all the school manga, then here’s a work that at least throws a slight twist into all of that, so it’s certainly worth a look.