Saying what It’s Naomi, Okay? After 16 is about is normally fine to kick things off. But putting together this manga’s history might be better since it’s totally not easy to find much about it anywhere.
So to start with, I basically read a sequel to a manga that started in 1989.
Manabu Kodama first bought Naomi to life way back for Houbunsha over 31 years ago. It ran until 2005 in the Manga Time magazines (presumably) as a 4-koma according to A-P. But 6 years later Naomi, her boyfriend and her office workers returned in 2011. And I can only guess Beaglee has the rights to this series. That’s about all the internet would say about this. So to sum things up, Media Do localized the sequel when they launched in 2017 and expect us to jump in and understand what’s going on.
…Well, they’re right and they’re wrong. Sorta.
This manga is centered around Naomi, who loves her boyfriend, Akiyama, a lot. So much so that she hopes he finally pops the question…but he never does. In 4-koma format we do see the two go on dates and end with a standard joke about it, but the majority of the manga (and jokes) happens at her office. They work in the same building and see each other from time to time, but we see her interact with her co-workers, from one who seems like a long time friend since they are drinking buddies to one who’s already married that bickers with Naomi almost every time.
While Naomi is hoping that Akiyama finally proposes, everyone around her wonders what he sees in her. That’s about the majority of jokes in this manga (and her eating habits) — there’s likely an office dynamic at play that might make sense with how these characters interact, but a good majority of the punchlines involve lots of making fun of Naomi’s weight. Yes, you can certainly see it’s a very old series! Some of it seems in just good-fun, like you’d accept it from someone close to you. Others feel unnecessary and it plays out as exactly as unfunny as you’d expect.
In general, there are stories that feel like you need to be familiar with Japanese culture to get the joke. There are stories where you might wonder if knowing its past might’ve helped (they do have a part where they even reflect on this manga’s history in a way). Then there are others (like when Naomi and her co-worker, Rie, go somewhere and one of them doesn’t pay…or does pay in select circumstances) that are flat out funny. The structure of it, despite this clocking in at 152 pages, can get a bit tiresome. This is likely a case where with many of the jokes centered around basic traits about Naomi — whether positive or negative — just wears on you.
Although Naomi’s mom cracking on her (classic case of don’t bite the hand that feeds you!) was usually funny.
It’s Naomi, Okay? After 16 has appeal in that it’s a older series, and it shows content- and art-wise. The art is actually appealing in that way, and from the characters’ facial expressions and how they move, it’s a style that those who enjoy 90’s works can totally appreciate. In general, the manga has its moments of humor and office jokes that I can see finding an audience. However, it shows its age in moments as well, and you’ll have to decide if that’s worth dealing with.