A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow Vol 1: Volume 1

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There's such wonderful imagery and metaphors woven throughout this first volume, especially when it comes to salamanders and how it relates to Konatsu and Koyuki specifically. Its a beautiful message about the two allow each other to escape their loneliness despite this sense of being trapped and isolated. Though Koyuki feels more of a weight from expectations of those around her and in turn, she never really feels understood. All the details about the marine life are also beautifully woven into the series as well, can't wait to see how the author builds on it!

Tropical Fish has easily become one of my new favorite series, Konatsu and Koyuki are just so adorable!! I can't wait to see where their story is headed! Overall its a 4.5, but will expand slightly in my full review. And then, sometimes, you’re given something else instead, which turns out to be as good as or better than what you wanted. That’s where we are with this volume. I have found Kaede to be a bit hyper compared to the rest of the cast and more of a nuisance than anything else, often functioning as an impediment to the story. Generally very soft, a bit sad, I wanna protect all of them and I hope the salamander and the tortoise are happy. Hagino builds the quiet, slice of life atmosphere even more in this volume, slowing the story down which doesn't impact the overall flow of the plot. The author does this in such a brilliant way making you feel so connected to the daily school and club life, even feel a deep connection to this charming town. Throughout the volume its mostly Koyuki reflecting on her plans for university, meeting up Kaede when she feels lonely and unsure who to talk about everything with, then Kaede's perspective and her secret lonely side. Konatsu's presence is felt across this volume for sure but she's definitely less of a central character in Vol. 5.The illustrations are rather pretty, but there are times that it is hard to tell Kaeda and Koyuki apart. Other than their hair cuts, the could be the same.

The review is in English but I read the German manga - also I struggle to rate Mangas/Comics in general so my rating is usually higher than it might be otherwise) The thing that I wish there was less of is misunderstanding. I know it's an easy way to create conflict and using it moderately is completely fine but it gets tiring if almost every problem stems from misunderstanding. Yeah, both Konatsu and Koyuki are hesitant to speak about their thoughts and feelings, so it *is* realistic they don't always immediately understand the reasons behind each other's words and actions but I hope they will make an effort to know each other better. The paneling and artwork are perfect, allowing for a slow, introspective view of the story! The inclusion of aquatic elements like the ocean, marine animals, all add to the special world that these two have carved for themselves and its really beautiful. A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow is a manga that can be best described as slowburn, aquarium sapphics!! As a new school year starts, they continue to figure out their feelings amid new school events. Apparently it's purely platonic to be extremely jealous whenever your friend hangs out with somebody else. Or get really sad that you're no longer the only one that makes them smile. Or mutually pine for each other in the middle of the night.This section of the story also forces the girls to confront their burgeoning feelings, even if they don't have the words to fully explain them yet – Konatsu asks Koyuki what she thinks of her, and the other girl isn't able to answer. That's equally because she can't even vocalize her attraction even to herself yet, but also born of the fear that the wrong answer will somehow cost her the relationship she's coming to depend on. While both girls are champion overthinkers, Koyuki's worries have a darker edge to them, indicative of the social strata of high school as well as her own insecurities about who she is and who she's attracted to. Volume three helps this along to the next level in the inevitable school festival arcs, which force Koyuki to begin confronting her own passivity on the subject of how others treat her, something that carries over into the school trip storyline in volume four. It's contrasted very well with Konatsu listening to a classmate neatly trap Koyuki in the box of her reputation, declaring that she “doesn't want to see” Koyuki as anything but the idealized version the school has created. It takes Konatsu a bit to work up to it, but she does manage to tell her classmate not to do that, something Koyuki isn't yet capable of, as her interactions with the other girls on her trip clearly show.