Danica Davidson
May 17, 2024 
A couple first moving in together is going to have its ups and downs, and It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too is a charming, honest and endearing look at the situation. It starts with Yuya Aida, who is 25, asking his girlfriend Rio Aihara, who is 28, if she’d like them to live together. They’ve been dating for a little over a year.
Soon they’re in their own apartment, and the foibles begin. Like when Yuya eats Rio’s milk pudding and doesn’t want to admit it, or when Yuya misunderstands a note Rio left him, or the two of them disagreeing over what to watch. The manga shows them having frustrations with each other, and it also shows them helping each other out, like when they go for a walk together at night when neither one can sleep. The manga is broken up into short chapters, and each chapter has a little vignette.
The manga feels laid-back, and at the same time it takes on real issues with good humor. The characters, even when they mess up, clearly care about the other and want to make things better. It shows even couples who really care about each other will have issues, and it’s organically displayed how their relationship develops. There are plenty of romance manga out there with familiar clichés, but this just feels much more like real life. The story is simple, and yet deep in its simplicity. It’s hard not to get to care about these characters — and maybe feel as if you already know them.
The artwork works well for the story, doing a good job of showing expressions (the bags under Yuya’s eyes give off a lot of expression in themselves), and it’s smooth and clear, without being too fancy or too bare. For a refreshing, honest, endearing read, It Takes Two Tomorrow, Too is highly recommended.
Story & Art: Suzuyuki
Publisher: One Peace Books
Translator: Emily Balistrieri
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
