This high school shogi romantic comedy manga, which depicts the frustrating relationship between senior and junior members of the shogi club, provides a chance to learn casual polite expressions used by students.
それでも歩は寄せてくる
In this blog, we present manga that are not only highly captivating but also ideal for Japanese language learners. Studying Japanese through manga is both fun and effective. Manga allows you to understand the subtleties of keigo (honorifics), teineigo (polite speech), and casual conversation in Japanese.
Today's featured manga
Story overview
A heartwarming shogi romantic comedy by Souichirou Yamamoto, creator of 'Teasing Master Takagi-san'! Will this love be checkmated or not? Ayumu Tanaka, a beginner at shogi, wants to defeat his club president Urushi Yaotome and confess his feelings. Although his shogi skills are far from perfect, Ayumu's persistent approach might put Senpai in 'checkmate' in a different sense... That's the story.
Why this manga is suitable for learning Japanese
This manga, which depicts the romantic relationship between a senior and a junior connected through shogi, is suitable for Japanese learners for the following reasons.
The junior always uses polite language with the senior
The main character, Tanaka, always speaks politely to his senior, Urushi, who is one grade above him. Since their conversations are between high school students, the manga features a lot of polite expressions that are not overly formal, focusing mainly on courteous language, making it relatively casual.
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Soredemo fuwa yosetekuru / Soichiro Yamamoto / KODANSHA
The story is simple with minimal dialogue
This work features very few characters and mainly focuses on the interactions between Tanaka and Urushi, without a complex plot structure. Since there isn't a lot of dialogue, it serves as an accessible resource for beginners learning Japanese.
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Soredemo fuwa yosetekuru / Soichiro Yamamoto / KODANSHA
The English version is also available
Since this work has been translated into English, you can check any parts you didn’t understand while reading the Japanese version by referring to the English edition.
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Soredemo fuwa yosetekuru / Soichiro Yamamoto / KODANSHA
Some points to note
Urushi's tone is somewhat authoritative
Urushi maintains a character that does not lose her dignity as a senior when interacting with Tanaka, so her tone is somewhat authoritative. Since this manner of speaking is not common among young women, it might be best not to imitate it too closely.
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Soredemo fuwa yosetekuru / Soichiro Yamamoto / KODANSHA
You won't become knowledgeable about shogi
Although the story follows the romance between a senior and a junior connected through shogi, there are few descriptions of shogi itself. Therefore, you can't expect to become familiar with the rules of shogi or to improve your skills by reading this work.
Data
* Title : Soredemo fuwa yosetekuru (それでも歩は寄せてくる)
* Author : Soichiro Yamamoto
* Publisher :KODANSHA
* Latest volume : Vol.17
（Dec.2023 / Completed）
* Text volume : sparse
* Challenge level : ★
Tips for procuring works
Why BOOK☆WALKER is the go-to for enjoying manga in Japanese - Oshikuda
In this article, you'll find insights on how to get your hands on your favorite Japanese manga titles...
