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So Takahashi from the Bike Shop, a shojo slice-of-life manga from Arare Matsumushi, is one of those love stories that you can settle in, enjoy, and get cozy with due to how low-key it is. Yes, there’s some anxiety about the relationship in the first volume as characters define things and Panko gets used to Ryouhei. However, by the end of it and throughout the second volume, we’re seeing a strong foundation being built between a couple that could really work. 

Editor’s Note: There are some mild spoilers for volume 2 of the Takahashi from the Bike Shop manga below. 4m1a6b

The end of the first volume of Takahashi from the Bike Shop and start of the second volume of the manga mainly focuses on how Panko is overthinking things and adjusting to the new potential relationship and her feelings. Like clearly, she’s now dating Ryouhei. There are mutual feelings that are obvious to Ryouhei and the reader. But she’s just taking a moment. Which is relatable and fine! It happens. Where Matsumushi takes a turn from other shojo manga is that this doesn’t get stretched out to a full, uncomfortable volume or two of “will they or won’t they” moments. Instead, Panko realizes at work while fantasizing and shutting down a jerk coworker that yes, she likes him, and she wants to date him. 

This means when she does go out with Ryouhei again, following a meal with her work friend Kimi and her partner Suruga, there’s no ambiguity. The new couple defines what they are. They enjoy their time together. He notices she’s a bit upset about an change. She treats him to a shirt he wanted. It’s just comfortable and pleasant to see a couple who is behaving in such a healthy, mature manner. 

Honestly, I also love how mature Takahashi from the Bike Shop is, but how the manga approaches even serious situations in a cozy and comfortable manner. Panko sees people misjudging Ryouhei or treating people unfairly, and she starts speaking up because of the influence of her new boyfriend. I mean, I’d even consider it as her realizing it doesn’t matter what people think of her. Only the opinions of folks who count, like him and her friend Kimi. She’s 30! Who cares about them! Do what makes her happy! And, in turn, reading that makes me happy. 

This extends to another situation. There’s something of a tragedy that happens at the end of the second volume of Takahashi from the Bike Shop. Ryouhei completely steps up and volunteers to help Panko and her mother. Even though it means he needs to go out of his way, as well as encounter a traumatic situation of his own. He goes all out for his partner and his kindness makes something sad a little more bearable. Then, in turn, Panko comforts him in her own way. They’re able to be there for each other.

Maybe it’s because Panko is an older protagonist or due to the fact that this is a slice-of-life manga with so little drama, but Takahashi from the Bike Shop is a shojo series that makes me feel all cozy and happy. Both Panko and Ryouhei are pretty secure individuals by the time we get to the second volume. She’s still way more anxious about things than he is, so he’s coming across as the more mature one. But we get a sense that this is a real partnership with both people invested in, helping out, respecting, and caring for each other. It’s refreshingly mature and grown-up about things.

Volumes 1 and 2 of Takahashi from the Bike Shop are available now via Yen Press, and volume 3 of the manga will debut on October 28, 2025. 

The post Takahashi from the Bike Shop Is My Current Cozy Manga appeared first on Siliconera.

There are a lot of romance manga series that involve people who seem to be total opposites being a perfect match, but Arare Matsumushi’s Takahashi from the Bike Shop isn’t like that. Rather, it’s a case of people letting misconceptions about people’s appearances get in the way of learning who they really are. In the case of heroine Tomoko “Panko” Hanno, it’s about discovering just kind and mature bicycle shop owner Ryouhei Takahashi is, as well as how right he might be for her and accept her for who she is. And the whole first volume is great about showing us with plenty of examples so we fall for the two of them too.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for volume 1 of the Takahashi from the Bike Shop manga below. 4s616q

Panko is a 30-year-old office worker dealing with a relatively ordinary life. She looks pretty put together and respectable. She’s been at her job for 10 years, even though she doesn’t like her jerk of a boss and some of her more inconsiderate fellow employees. But we also see that she sometimes has a tough time sticking up for herself, loves manga, and adores some of her favorite comfort foods. 

When an issue with her bike chain being loose causes her to stop on her ride home, she ends up meeting 26-year-old Takahashi. Initially, he’s just a friendly stranger who happens to be around, identifies the problem, fixes it without asking anything in returns, and says she should get her noisy brakes fixed. She’s intimidated by his punk appearance, but also seems drawn to him. Once she runs into him again at a vending machine and he offers the last Fanta he’d already gotten and she was hoping for after overtime, he points out more problems, she realizes what a good and observant person he might be. 

Now, if this was just it, it’d make it clear that Takahashi from the Bike Shop is going to be a manga about how appearances might not mean anything and such, but it’s setting up a genuinely sweet romance between two charming individuals. When Panko goes in for repairs, Takahashi was aware enough to have movies that also might be of interest for her to watch while she waited. She felt open enough to be herself when commenting on it. When she doesn’t have enough cash on hand to pay, they go out to dinner as her treat. He’s aware that the place she picked was “right” possible spot for what she “assumed” would be good. Him, already aware of her tastes and his own from observations, picks a cozier, homier spot they both adore, surrounded by friends. 

But at the same time, it shows that some elements are true. When they meet at a later time and Takahashi sees Panko had an outing that didn’t go as expected and involved a rude jerk, we do see him channel delinquent energy! While Panko can be open around people like Takahashi, his friends, and her friend and coworker Kimi, she also adheres to the responsible, quiet, agreeable 30-year-old she appears to be. So it walks this balance that shows how we do need to pay attention to each person’s depths and personalities to get past more surface-level traits and appearances.

What I also love about Takahashi from the Bike Shop is, while the manga is presenting events primarily from Panko’s perspective, we’re also getting moments where we sort of see Takahashi’s side of things. So when it starts, we’re seeing from Takahashi’s view as he watches Panko head to work. We already know he’s been interested in her from some time and aware of her, but has been courteous enough to respect her boundaries and not interact unless she also seemed open to it.

The characters’ different maturity levels are also fun. Panko absolutely has it together, but she also let her bike get completely out of order and is willing to eat bread that fell out of her mouth and on to a public sidewalk. Takahashi is younger, but he’s running his own business and also steps in so Panko does not eat bread off the street. It’s a good fit, and again also suggests that assumptions shouldn’t be made based on age.

I just really love how Takahashi from the Bike Shop handles preconceived notions about who and how someone should be throughout the story, and how the manga handles the romance growing between Panko and Takahashi as it happens. Seeing her make her own realizations and decisions about her future, as well as how their personalities play off of each other, is really great. It’s the sort of series that really makes you root for the leads!

Volume 1 of Takahashi from the Bike Shop will be available on January 28, 2025, and volume 2 of the manga will debut on May 27, 2025. 

The post What’s Inside Counts in the Takahashi From the Bike Shop Manga appeared first on Siliconera.