Manga Review: Primitive Boyfriend Vol. 1 by Yoshineko Kitafuku
Kamigome Mito is the proverbial farmer’s daughter, with clean-cut good looks and a body made healthy with hard work in the fields. But there’s no traveling salesman in this story. Instead, seventeen year old Mito is attending a high school with a bevy of boys who look hot on the surface, but are lacking that “manly” quality she finds most appealing.
Admittedly, it doesn’t help that a lot of boys find Mito intimidating because she is a forthright person with strong pro-farming opinions and a lack of helpless damsel behavior. But a few fellows seem interested. Uojima Makito is a would-be Lothario with a streak of bad luck in presentation. Yonjou Sango is a fluffy wimp. Hatoboshi Rui is a slacker who’d be a delinquent if it weren’t for how much work that is. Ushikai Mamoru is the rookie World History teacher who hasn’t got the hang of class control, and Kumaoi Toyomitsu is a magical girl otaku (nerdy obsessive geek) who interacts with other people through his favorite doll.
Where have all the good men gone? Mito doesn’t know, and is about to declare that she’s just going to marry farming. But then it turns out the question “and where are all the gods?” is partially answered when Spica, a harvest goddess, appears. Matchmaking isn’t normally her job, being more of a “help grain grow” kind of deity, but she likes Mito’s dedication, and does sense one strong, manly soul connected to Mito’s. Time to send Mito on a journey through time and space!
Mito’s stranded 2.5 million years ago in what will eventually be Ethiopia. There she meets an Australopithecus Mito eventually nicknames Garhi. There are a lot of communication barriers and Mito spends much of their time together freaking out. But it’s clear that Garhi feels protective of Mito for some reason and helps her out in the primitive landscape.
Just as Garhi gets into a battle with a sabertooth tiger, Mito is whisked back to the present. No time has passed, but there is evidence that it wasn’t a dream.
The modern day seems lackluster and none of the boys have improved, but on a field trip to the museum, Mito learns the secret of fire-making (something she sorely missed in the past) and then abruptly finds herself back in the past–but Garhi doesn’t seem to be there!
There’s just three chapters of the title feature in this volume, with the remainder being taken up by the author’s first published one-shot, “Giselle’s Flash.” Mahiru is a stumbling ballet student, known as “duckling” to her classmates. Especially mean to her is Ruriko, the teacher’s daughter, who is very skilled and on the fast path to becoming a prima ballerina. The only person who believes in Mahiru’s potential is her childhood friend Yuu, whose cooking skills comfort and inspire Mahiru.
This being the kind of story it is, Mahiru manages to realize where her main issue is and learn to overcome it. Though the villain wins, Mahiru’s future looks bright.
Good stuff: An agricultural heroine is rare in shoujo manga, so that’s nice to see, and presumably her skillset will become more useful as the plot continues. The creator includes a bibliography of her research sources, plus preliminary sketches of Garhi and stories of her creative process.
I also like that Mito spontaneously composes haiku sometimes.
When backgrounds are drawn in, they’re interesting and researched.
Less good: The modern boys seem to be designed for possible reverse-harem antics and add little to the story. I am leery of potential teacher-student romantic scenarios. Mito loses a lot of her spunk and becomes dependent while in the past; I am hoping that fades out quickly.
Recommended to junior high readers on up who like their romantic interests strong, manly and not overly verbose.
Oh, and here’s a cover of that Bonnie Tyler tune:
