Please Tell me!! Galko-chan Volume 1 - Review

Author: Christina Kane Published: August 11th, 2018

Chapters: 18 | Type: Manga | Language: Japanese & English

Three teenage girls chat about everything from big boobs and panties to how does one exactly lose their virginity? Surprisingly frank about sex, which… is actually refreshing in the fact that the three main characters are teenage girls.

Story

An enjoyable and better than it should be slice-of-life series that had been originally streamed on Crunchyroll back in 2016, Galko-chan is all about the daily lives of three very different students; trendy girl Galko, snarky and bespectacled Otako and the ladylike airhead Ojou. As already mentioned, everyday they go thru their lives wondering everything from about boobs, being scared of holes to how to stay friends forever. Like the short form anime series it’s based on, each chapter is pretty short. It’s pretty frank too when it comes to certain topics that most other manga wouldn’t, especially raunchier topics. Perhaps this is why this show doesn’t get the love it deserves and why the anime release for home video remains unknown, despite being on Crunchyroll? After all, Western fans seem to go for more action or like their ecchi male.

But for now, let’s meet our cast:

Characters

Our main girl may look more like a sketchy type with her tanned skin, blonde hair and curvaceous figure but in reality, Galko is just your average girl who likes movies, anime and finds it a bit awkward to shop for a bathing suit when the girls make a plan to hit the local pool. Her two companions are the bookish and snarky nerd Otako and the rich airhead Ojou, who’s basically the straight man to Otako and Galko’s bickering/teasing and is just kind of there. The series is slice of life, so there’s really no plot other than our trio coasting through life.

Themes

This is fully a comedy and I’d say slice of life as well. Maybe a little bit ecchi because of some of the episodes dealing with sexuality in this volume? (I haven’t read what’s been available in the US yet.)

Art/Writing

The art is pretty good; I like the fact that they’re not drawn in what I call ‘Anime 101’ style where everyone is blobby and has eyes half the size of their head and everyone has the body of a supermodel. In Galko-chan, we have all sorts of different body types, with the rare sight of even seeing a really pudgy girl or two in a couple of chapters! How often does that happen in anime or in manga?

The writing’s pretty enjoyable as well. Suzuki must’ve spent some time with some real teenagers to hear them talk or grew up with a teenage girl. Also, each of the girl’s names are tied into their personality (Galko=gal, Otako=otako)

Quality/Conclusion

Rank: 7

It’s an underrated gem that deserves more popularity… but at the same time, I can understand that it might not be for everyone. Seven Seas, as I mentioned in the beginning, really does have a great and diverse selection of titles. I actually didn’t know this was even licensed for the West at first; I had only picked it up in the first place, because I liked the anime. Being out of high school for quite some time now *coughs* I normally avoid manga and anime set in a high school setting (unless it’s a topic that seems interesting and different, as well as artwork… see Laid Back Camp). However, I liked this series and the dialogue more than anything.

Source: Article Image: Please Tell me!! Galko-chan volume 1 cover