spoiler free review
Tsuiraku JK to Haijin Kyoushi that will be referred to as Tsuiraku going forth is a story that covers the topics of suicide and depression in a way that might be seen as ignorant at first glance.
The story begins with the female protagonist Mikoto Ochiai standing on her schools rooftop ready to jump due to heartbreak and humiliation following a rejection from her crush. Her physics teacher Jin Haiba interrupts her initiating a conversation that ends with an unconventional request: he asks her to fall in love with him before she dies.
And that is how the story starts us off.
Jin though an adult often has a goofy and immature demeanor contrasting with Mikotos more mature attitude. However when its time to be serious he is. He never forgets that his goal is to help our female lead to keep his promise of making her fall for him so she wont have to jump off of the rooftop. Hes shown to have his own history regarding these dark topics and its clear he genuinely wants to push forth this rehabilitation for Mikoto. He has been in her situation of despair and wants to show her that giving up on life isnt the answer.
Mikoto is a kindhearted girl. She is introverted and doesnt really have any friends due to being seen as stoic and having a personality drier than the Sahara desert. She does question if Jin is actually in love with her or if its all a lie to protect her yet she isnt fearful of confessing to him.
They are aware of the taboo of their relationship. The age gap between them and not to mention their respective roles as student and teacher is rightfully controversial. Yet this age gap is handled really well. It avoids becoming creepy or inappropriate instead presenting a mature and thoughtful portrayal. Jin helps her grow he pushes her to the problem and trusts she will find the answer on her own its really nice to see.
Though Jin and Mikoto arent the only characters the story covers. We also meet other characters who become relevant to the story. They cover the parts of depression and suicidal thoughts that arent covered by our main couple. Stress from overworking hating the way you are failing your exam 7 times struggling to make friends etc.
All of those topics are handled nicely its realistic and relatable. There is a lot of dark humor surrounding these topics yet never does it justify it. The manga never forgets to make it clear that suicide is never the answer no matter how tempting it can be. Its relatable to readers who feel similar but also manages to give you hope that everything will be okay. You should never give up the fight because there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
The artwork is another highlight expressive and wellsuited to the storys tone. It effectively conveys the characters emotions without being overly detailed or flashy adding to the dark yet comforting atmosphere of the manga.
Overall Tsuiraku JK to Haijin Kyoushi is a perfect mix of romance dark topics and comedy. It tackles difficult subjects in depth and provides both realism and hope to its readers. I give it a 100 points for it has also given me a hope for the future.
100
/100