Bokura no Funkasai Edit What would you like to edit? SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links   71202b

Congrats, you've found a hidden gem.

Our Eruption Festival is a coming of age story about two high school students that undergo a change as a result of a volcano eruption that turns their formerly average town into a thriving hot-spring resort. The premise of OEF is quite a simple one, of course you'd kind of expect this from a 16 chapter series. Regardless of it's simple premise and short length, there is quite a bit of depth in this story, particularly in regards to the themes of youth and change. I won't go too deep into the story, i'll just say that I really ... appreciated how simple yet fulfilling of a story OEF was.

I'm typically quite fond of the sketchy kind of art styles, and that's probably why I rated the art for this series so high. The art was very suitable for a series such as this, especially when it comes to character designs. Our Eruption Festival is a series soaked in realism and grittiness due to the coming of age themes, and the art is quite adept at representing such, despite the sketchy facade.

As for the characters in this, they're very well realized. Not to say I've seen people like them in real life, but I think that the kinds of personalities and motivations that they display are quite true to life. This is especially true when it comes to people, especially students, that are unsure about what they want to do with their lives. This theme in particular is present a fair bit throughout the story, the characters displaying these poignant themes surprisingly well. Of course, the series is quite short so the characters themselves aren't too developed in of the intricacies of their personalities and such, but for what we got I'm content.

Something else I haven't yet mentioned is that it's actually quite a funny read too, maybe not laugh out loud levels of funny, but it made grin quite a bit and elicited a few chuckles. Thankfully, this adds a decent amount of charm to a story that is for the most part serious, and is a another for the series as a whole.

This is simple yet thoroughly enjoyable read, similarly in story and themes to a few of Taiyou Matsumoto, most notably Ping Pong. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you've read/watched Ping Pong and enjoyed it, you're almost guaranteed to enjoy this series as well.

I highly recommend this one.

A short, endearing manga about two friends living in a town near a volcano.

story: the perfect blend of what makes the teenager experience:doing embarassing thing without knowing why, not being honest with yourself, trying to look cool, wanting a boyfriend/girlfriend, not knowing how to express yourself, not knowing what to do with your future, and the most important aspect, friendship that could last lifetimes.
While there are people who are introverted and totally shy, most humans get at least one best friend, that one that's irreplaceable, that you want to grow with, that you want to express your feelings to without knowing how to do ... it while not being weird. This short story represents all of that for me, and does it flawlessly, with comedic bits, embarassing bits, and a full amazing take on friendship.

ART: Simple and to the point, works really well for this relaxed type of story telling, with a nice amount of impact when it comes to important moments. The faces, due to the doodle-like artstyle, look cute and/or really funny.

CHARACTER: The driving force of this manga, it certainly wouldn't be the same without our two protagonists. Both with very distinct personalities, but that are not totally one-dimensional, they both go through a very well done character progression and the way it's shown in the dialogue and the expressions and the actions of these two makes it special.

ENJOYMENT: My enjoyment of this work was high, I went into it without expecting much and left with a lot on my mind, and my heart too. An endearing experience that made my heart melt. Too many moments where I was "ah, I get it, I feel like that too" or "I feeling like that back then". Felt a little bit of myself on both characters, and thoroughly enyojed every bit of it.

OVERALL: Read this manga, you won't regret it. It was a 10 for me.