One-Gender School: Reiwa Hanamaru Academy appears to be an all-boys school, with the twist being that everyone still wears skirts as part of the uniform. I just had to read the book when I saw that cover. I was in the mood for something silly, something weird, something hilarious and this seemed to fit the bill. Well, after reading it… I can confirm this is perfect if you need something silly. Still, I was left with a lot of questions by the end. Do women even exist in the world of Thigh High? If so, do they dress and act like men? If not, where do babies come from? The story isn’t interested in answering any of these questions. Even though it’s just a gag manga, it still would have been interesting for these topics to be explored. By necessity, one might use the adjectives "feminine" or "effeminate" when exploring the aesthetics or behavior of the characters in this manga. But rest assured, these lines of gender delineation are cultural shortcomings on the part of the readership, from start to finish. THIGH HIGH, on its own, never deigns to categorize or compartmentalize its characters as such. Don’t get me wrong, this is an excuse to draw buff boys in skirts and panties–the up-skirt shot on the cover might’ve given that one away. There’s generous fan service, but unlike other high school sex romps like Yarichin Bitch Club or Can an Otaku Like Me Really Be an Idol?! sex doesn’t factor into the story any more than homework or class duties. It’s not a hypersexualized world, just one where cute guys wear skirts.

In this book we follow Kiritani, who is the class president of the class. He is your standard class president. For real. Strict, trying to do all the things, tries to get involved. No one listens to him though (or well, most of the time). But he tries to make friends and I liked that he kept going (despite it not always going well). I also liked that as the story continued he got closer to people/talked to more people. He is quite a fun guy and I laughed at how he reacted to things, his reactions are just so pure and innocent, haha. Thigh High isn't terrible, but it also isn't anything too exciting. Its greatest sin is not being as funny as it desperately wants to be, but since comedy is the most subjective of all genres, this is likely a case of “your mileage may vary.” loving cute things to admiring the way each other dress. Of course irl guys can also do the same, but this manga goes further with the gag of how female characters are portrayed in manga and anime. I loved that there were many tropes that female characters experience that are shown in anime and manga portrayed onto the boys. Some of the tropes that were made in this story I liked were skirts being blown in the wind and the boys being worried about it, some of the boys being jealous about each other's chest size, or of course the well known tripping onto another person and accidentally touching their chest. There's a couple more, but everyone should certainly read the manga to see what other tropes were shown.So again, I’m not sure what to think. On one hand, I’d love to view this as an attempt to subvert gender norms and show that anyone can wear or act however they want regardless of AGAB, but I suspect that wasn’t the intent here. And yet it also doesn’t come off as pure “haha don’t these men look and act ridiculous when they dress and act like women” either. Despite by punch lines, it seems to take itself fairly seriously. You get all the fan service though including up skirt shots of the guys panties and them in their bras. Schoolgirl Series: Parodied; the manga takes place in a school and follows many typical tropes of the genre, but the catch is that the "schoolgirls" are actually crossdressing men. Part of the issue here is that it doesn't feel particularly funny or subversive to have boys wearing girls' uniforms or worrying about their appearances. It's clearly meant to be both based on the loving images of muscular thighs peeking out from under skirts and scenes of boys worrying about their skin and having to wear bras when it's hot out. (Not to mention the whole swimsuit chapter.) It's also kind of weird that we don't see any women in the story at all, including teachers, which makes things feel underdeveloped, although that really could just be me overthinking. Mostly this just feels like dated humor, especially because its only real gag is the cross-dressing. Thigh High is just okay, but I imagine certain readers who are attracted by its major selling point might enjoy it more. Just expect the substance to be pretty thin.

The students at Hanamaru Academy are putting the boot (and booty!) to gender norm uniforms. Instead of wearing drab blazers, these beauty-builders are obsessed with the length of their skirts and the size of their chests as they try to navigate high school. This high-energy comedy takes being cute and being cut to a whole new level! You see, whether it be an alternate universe where boys (and men, the teachers are not exempt) dress as women, or an all boys high school with a very specific dress code, the young blossoms in the proverbial garden of Reiwa Hanamaru Academy wear skirts and blouses. The manga follows a class in the Reiwa Hanamaru Academy, a typical setting for a story about cute girls doing cute things. The exception is that all the girls doing cute things this time are men. Reiwa is a secret paradise where precious young blossoms can bloom or some such (which is the tagline) Basically for no known reason all the boys here wear panties, bras and skirts and act out the worst stereotypes of teenaged girls (i.e. being fashioned obsessed and honestly that's all this is about). The blurb makes it sound like it's more than that "The hunks at Hanamaru Academy are putting the boot (and booty!) to gender norm uniforms" (I do see that it IS changed here on goodreads vs what's on the book) So I was expecting some social commentary....yeah not so much. The cast is one of the best parts of the manga. Each character is unique, memorable, and brings something different to the story. They’re designed in a way that makes them feel distinct and interesting, with varied body types, facial features, and hairstyles. The characters are all very loveable and the dynamics between them are well-defined and consistent.

Staff

Mr. Fanservice: Yumekawa and Kitahara, both have an extremely well-developed physique and the story is not shy about showing them. The characters really do make up a big part of the manga. Each one is interesting and well-designed. They are all memorable and enjoyable to read about! I would say my favorites are Kiritani, Mahiro, and Yumekawa. I really like the art and how, despite these being hunks with often a fair bit of muscles, the outfits and the actions work very well.

With “Thigh High: Reiwa Hanamaru Academy,” what you see is what you get. The manga delivers on its premise of “high school boys who dress and act like high school girls.” It’s short, silly, and entertaining, but never pushes itself further than that. For example, the manga's main character, Kiritani, is a straight-laced class rep who not-so-secretly yearns to be cute and popular. Not unlike his best friend, Harumi, who is short, peppy and adorable. Kiritani is constantly teased by his classmates for always snapping at them to keep their uniforms clean and tend to their studies. But in a delightful little twist, the other characters don't berate him for it. Instead, they give him inclusive advice (e.g., wear a cute bra) and lend a helping hand. Thigh High is a delightful slice of life where the boys wear skirts, bras and panties and its completely normal. If you transposed the same story onto girls it would be your standard male-gaze, inappropriate high school manga, but the deadpan delivery on the premise creates a level of absurdity that distances it from the worst of the creepiness. Then the manga’s playfulness and humour give the entire endeavour a tongue-in-cheek innocence; even when the main character walks into a class of boys changing for gym, or as they discuss what it takes to fill out a bikini, it’s just sort of normal. Putting that conundrum aside, Thigh High is trying to be more of a silly comedy than a pure fanservice title and that's to its detriment; it's not funny enough. I found the first chapter touching enough and it does well to establish Kiritani's good points, but the jokes usually fall flat. For example, there's a chapter dedicated to Kiritani's competition to reach things that are high up after a taller classmate tells him he isn't cute and demands somewhat demeaning behavior before he'll get the objects for him.

Success!

Class Representative: Kiritani serves as this for his class and fits the character type pretty well. Unfortunately, his strict and no-nonsense demeanor makes him unpopular with his classmates, who often ignore his attempts to keep things in line. Dude, Where's My Respect?: Kiritani is often brushed aside and ignored by his classmates despite being the Class Representative, and often depends on Harumi, who is much more well-liked than him, to get their attention and give out information. He really wishes to be relied on and trusted by others, and the manga follows attempts at him doing his job with various other men in the school. I love the chapters have hashtags! That is so fun and creative and it fits so well with this over the top story!