Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 4
Writer/Artist: Shou Harusono
Letterer: DK
Translator: Leighann Harvey
Publisher: Yen Press (Print/Digital)
Publication Date: December 12, 2023
Rating: Teen
Genre: Manga (JPN), Slice-of-Life, LGBTQ, Boys Love, High School, Romance
REVIEW RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars (Strongly Recommend)
Shou Harusono is back with another great volume with Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 4. Refusing to give up on love, the sweet underclassman Kagiura asks that his intimidating upperclassman Hirano let him hold him every day. After some negotiating, Hirano agrees to ten seconds every day. And before Hirano could change his mind, Kagiura asked for 10 seconds of holding Hirano’s hand. Volume three ended with a flustered Kagiura and a pensive Hirano.
Volume four starts with Hirano gifting Kagiura mini chocolates because he is thankful for the bar that Kagiura gave him for Valentine’s Day. Happy with his gift, Kagiura asked for his ten seconds of touching like a boyfriend. After the ten seconds are up, they each head for school. After Kagiura talks to his friend Niibashi, he thinks he might depend too much on Hirano. Likewise, Hirano, who is also conversing with his friends, wonders if he’s addicted to Kagiura.
Following the conversations, Hirano finds Kagiura hiding from his friends in a hide-and-seek game. Kagiura tells Hirano that he wants to start waking himself up so that he doesn’t need to depend on Hirano so much. Hirano, however, doesn’t respond well to that.
Pining, pining, and more pining
While some readers might not like a slow burn, there’s something very satisfying about how Hirano expertly depicts feelings of yearning and pining. Once Hirano knows Kagiura likes him, he reflects on their shared moments. Hirano firmly says he doesn’t have feelings for Kagiura, but at the very least, he knows he wants to keep rooming with him.
Kagiura yearns for Hirano as he waits for him to figure out whether or not he likes him. When Kagiura asked for a specific amount of time, he was allowed to touch Hirano; this added a very tangible restriction to their affection. Kagiura knows his feelings for Hirano are romantic, so those ten seconds further strengthen his affection. For Hirano, each day they share those ten seconds, he’s forced to face his feelings and consider that they may be romantic.
VERDICT: Highly recommend. Hirano and Kagiura continues to be a great slow-burn series. In volume four, Hirano and Kagira continue to work hard so they can keep living together. They share many sweet moments as they find balance in their relationship. It’s clear they each care for one another, and I’m enjoying all their wholesome interactions as they find love.
Will you be adding Yen Press‘s Hirano and Kagiura, Vol. 4, to your to-be-read list? Give your thoughts in a comment below!
