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Tonari no Seki-kun always had a slow, inconsistent release when it was first being translated. It was almost inevitable, then, that it largely faded from Western memory. The series is officially translated, has ten volumes out, and they're all completely available for reading, but few have actually NOTICED this. This is a shame because Tonari no Seki-kun is essentially a masterpiece of its niche "doing weird stuff" genre. I've written a lengthy review going over all of its good points, and there are many. Morishige-sensei keeps the series fresh and feeling new by employing dramatic, but spread out well developments in character and relationships, such that an appeal of the series becomes not just the titular Seki's antics, but protagonist Yokoi's intense shift from her position and tendencies from early in the series. Believe me, there's a lot to love and laugh at. If you've neglected the series for the last several years, do yourself a favor and give it another look to see in what ways Seki-kun has risen to excellence.

Full review:
https://terrenceswiff.wordpress.com/2018/07/27/tonari-no-seki-kun/

... Last updated on August 13th, 2018, 1:22am

I like the innovation for this manga but I agree with people that commented below. I like that the author is creative, but there aren't much room for development between the characters because it is an episodic manga.

What keeps me reading this manga is the way the author create settings outside the classroom without changing the plot.

To sum everything up, it's good but not a manga you will keep track of when new releases comes out. It's a good read for a change of pace.

This is an amazingly fun and creative manga. It's episodic and the lack of continuity can put you off if you aren't paying attention to the small developments between Seki and Rumi. But I suggest sticking to it,



Btw. I bet Seki-kun grew up to become Orihara Izaya.

... Last updated on April 12th, 2014, 12:07am

I didn't expect the manga to be what it actually is. I expected it to contain at least some scenes or chapters not pertaining to seki kun's elaborate games, which include playing darts with his legs and a teddy on an expedition, to name a few. God, was i wrong! The chapters revolve around seki kun's games and yokoi san's inability to stay out of them. I have to say though, the mangaka has been wondefully innovative with the games he has come up with.

My one problem with this manga would be that the above feature makes the characters too plain because there is little to no character development. I enjoy the manga for its gags, but this redeeming feature may prove to destructive in the long run. Well, we'll just have to see.

... Last updated on January 29th, 2014, 4:14am

I laughed in every chapter. It's just so amazing how they can understand each other without a word spoken. Throughout 46 chapters, the male lead, Seki, didn't speak a word, he was silent the whole time, and yet Yokoi was able to understand what he was doing and feeling. They're made for each other it's perfect. I'm a sucker for couples that have a connection that goes beyond words. At this stage, there's no romance per se, but I'm expecting it to develop later in the plot. I hope the author will actually develop the characters and don't just drag the series out just for length's sake.

Now here's a manga that managed to surprise me. After reading the synopsis and the first chapter I thought to myself "Well, the idea is decent and it can provide for a couple of funny events, but the author is too restricted. He made a manga that is simply about a girl looking over to her class neighbor while he does weird things at his desk during class. Too restrictive, either the jokes start becoming dull soon or he changes the setting completely.". But the thing is: so far (32 chapters in) the author has managed to somehow squeeze his restrictive premise well enough to keep most jokes at least at the above-average level without breaking out of his initial setting too far (the most change up we got was a pool chapter and different classrooms and even though those are a minority, the essential premise is still there). That is impressive and commendable.

But (wouldn't have rated an 8 if there wasn't a "but") this is in itself something good and commendable and the manga's greatest weakness. The problem stands exactly in the point I mentioned before - the premise is too restrictive. The jokes - while generally good and considerably imaginative - are always constricted to the same formula, featuring the same 2 characters in a fairly similar setting. This limits the impact of the manga and the scale of the jokes. As time goes by, you notice that some jokes start to feel slightly blander and somewhat predictable. So far it hasn't been a major problem - and let me clarify I think this is a terrific gag series - but it has made it a bit more of an under-achiever than I wish it was and might prove to be a more serious concern in future chapters.

But leaving that aside and focusing not so much on what this manga could be, or might become and focusing on what it is right now and has been since chapter 1 I would say that it manages to capture very well the essence of the short gag series. A good rhythm with well-distributed jokes, featuring characters that are not unnecessarily developed but remain funny, enjoyable and even relatable to a fault, this manga manages to entertain and make you chuckle along the way and still has soul, portraying quite well the imaginative minds of our youth.

Overall I recommend this to any comedy fan.

This manga is super funny and cute! Unique, not cliche at all. Made me smile, made me laugh... just so cute and positive. I love Seki-kun!

And I am not even a fan of gag manga.

Read this when you're bored with action, romance, ecchi and sliceoflife
Really lighthearted gag manga, nothing is stretched out (so far) and it's a situaion where most of us can relate viz. mucking around in school
Really is a treat to read

I like Gag Mangas, but I rarely find one that I wish to read till the end.

Not that Tonari no Seki-kun is a simple gag manga - it is relentlessly innovative and funny. However, with little overarching plot or character development, I can't find it in me to read it through.

May be I will be back to check this, when I wish for a change of pace - but I am no longer going to be following this regularly.

I have no idea how this series is going to develop, but from the first two chapters alone I got a great laugh. The manga has this refreshing atmosphere and the art fits the series perfectly. The facial expressions are awesome as well.

It appears to be a class based slice of life and with the first two chapters there doesn't appear to be any hints of romance. In fact, based on the two chapters, I think it's safe to say that the two main characters are more antagonistic in their antics. Chapter length is short as well, but given the fact the plot isn't anything grand and it's focused on isolated events, it works well. It seems instead of trying to drag things out, each chapter is just as long as it should be.

With the first two chapters, it all appears to be the inner thoughts of the female character with a few whispered words to the male character, but he has yet to actually speak. I hope that in the future we get a peek at his head.