Manga Review: Beautiful Things
The meet cute is one of the most important parts of a story. It sets the tone for how two characters will interact throughout the rest. Whether they’re total strangers brought together by happenstance or they just happen to turn a specific way in a crowd and catch a special someone’s eye, the meet cute is the building block of any romance story.
But what happens when the meet cute builds a rocky emotional foundation for a relationship? For me, Beautiful Things by Nao Inui has one of the shakiest starts.
Official Summary
After a tough breakup, Matsuoka finds solace in a surprising place—his ex-girlfriend’s wardrobe. Donning her outfits, he embarks on nightly escapades that garner a whirlwind of attention, not all of which is welcome. One perilous evening, Matsuoka is rescued from an assault by his unsuspecting co-worker, Hirosue.
Hirosue, an endearing klutz, is completely taken by Matsuoka’s disguised persona and falls head over heels. As Matsuoka thrives in the glow of Hirosue’s adoration, the weight of his secret looms large. How long can he keep his true identity hidden? And what will unfold when Hirosue discovers the truth?
Quick Information
Mangaka: Nao Inui
Publisher: Seven Seas
Published: December 17, 2024
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: 13+
Series Status: Complete
Review
Beautiful Things is about an office worker named Matsuoka who dresses up in women’s attire to alleviate stress from the work day. While he enjoys this freeing experience, one night some unwanted attention has him running for his life after he is nearly assaulted. In dire straits without his wallet, phone, or even his shoes, a stranger comes up and gives him some cash for a taxi ride home.
When going to work the next day, Matsuoka notices that the man who helped him that night, Hirosue, works at his same company. This is the meet cute in question from the introduction.
Originally Hirosue is painted as the “nice guy.” The quiet introvert who always does the right thing. At first he seems like quite the hero for Matsuoka in his time of need, but this does last.
Hirosue begins to act in what I would consider extremely creepy, stalkery ways. I did not find this endearing or sweet as it was intended. He becomes pushy and forceful in wanting to get closer to “Eto”, Matsuoka’s female alter ego. While some may say Matsuoka is trying to conceal the fact he is a guy from Hirosue, Matsuoka never instigates any of the personal information sharing or meeting up. He’s just reacting to what’s happening rather than being proactive. He tries to be a decent person in the face of the strange situation he finds himself entangled in.
The drama that ensues is what you would expect from this kind of story. However, I did not appreciate a specific scene in the middle of this story that can’t be construed as anything other than sexual assault. The type of abuse exhibited by Hirosue, both emotionally and physically, is something that I hated reading and found extremely distasteful. These feelings are compounded by the fact that the story lingers on this period of time. This disaster causes Matsuoka to swear off crossdressing ever again. He even changes his entire appearance to distance himself from Hirosue and their past relationship.
When I first heard about this manga, I was excited to read it. The summary sounded like the type of drama I would enjoy reading: a person saving another from a bad circumstance which turns into a romance. But this wasn’t that story. Matsuoka should have just taken the cab and never looked back. He should have never tried to repay the favor. The meet cute isn’t a meet cute in this story. It’s the exact opposite. A red flag that should have been abided by.
To add insult to injury, those who endure reading the entire story like I did will be faced with a conclusion that is ambiguous and frustrating.
Beautiful Things by Nao Inui is the manga adaptation of the light novel Utsukushii Koto by Narise Konohara. While the art style is one of the few positive things about this manga, it is not enough to outweigh the amount of issues found within the story itself.
If you are in the mood for some romantic drama, please look elsewhere. This story is not worth your time.