Angel Time, by MATSUMOTO Natsumi

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  • Title: Angel Time
  • Author: MATSUMOTO Natsumi
  • Publisher (JP): Shueisha
  • Imprint: Ribbon Mascot Comics
  • Year: 2008
  • ISBN (JP): 978-4-08-856796-9
  • Licensed in North America?: No
  • Also Known As:
  • Publisher (US):
  • ISBN (US):
  • Anime Version? No
  • Live Action? No

Ahh, I love this book, it’s so cute!! Here is a one-shot volume by MATSUMOTO Natsumi. I have talked about a few of her other titles here, but it has been forever since I have picked up one of her books. I think the last one I talked about was published in 1999! Wow, I need to find the stuff she has done since then! This is a brand new one for 2008, and, as usual, it has a supernatural theme. All of the stories have to do somehow with time or time travel. There are 4 stories in all, and because this was originally published in Ribon magazine, the stores are geared towards a younger audience, so they are extremely adorable 😀 I love these!

The first story is about a girl named Chika. She has a crush on a boy in her class, Tokitou-kun. It is so convenient that she sits right next to him! She bothers him sometimes when she forgets herself and stares at him, but really, he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it all THAT much. Things get crazy for Chika when she discovers one day that she has the power to freeze time! It doesn’t last long, but Chika finds that she can do all sorts of helpful things for Tokitou-kun during the frozen time. However, is she going a bit too far? What if her secret is revealed?! And what about that girl he is so close to, his childhood friend?

Story 2 is my favorite! It reminds me a bit of that movie ‘Il Mare’ or ‘The Lakehouse’. Basically, high school senior SOMEYA Mai has a crush on her teacher, OGATA-sensei. He is handsome, with dark hair and glasses. One day she writes a note to herself on her desk about how much she loves him. She is extremely surprised when a reply appears written on her desk under her comment! What? Who wrote that?! Meanwhile, high school senior MAYUMI Shinichi is also surprised when a note appears written on his desk. On a whim, he writes a reply underneath it, and is shocked when a comment asking him who he is appears! It turns out that Mayumi-kun and Someya-chan share a desk in the same classroom… 6 years apart! He is a senior in 2000, and Someya-chan is a senior in 2006! They begin to have a great conversation every day through their desks, testing all sorts of things to make sure they are really talking across time. Someya-chan really likes Mayumi, but she is also still in love with her teacher. How will she juggle her two loves? Is it possible to like someone who lives in a different time?

Story four has a plot similar to the movie “Groundhog Day”. TOKIKAWA Natsuno has a crush on a guy at her school, but has been unable to confess to him. She is surprised to see him on the last day of summer vacation, but misses her chance to confess to him once again. Even worse, she discovers he is moving, so she may never get the chance again! But then something strange happens, and Natsuno finds herself living that last day of summer vacation over and over. Will she finally be able to confess her love?

The final story is adorable. Miu-chan has a secret love. It’s her childhood friend, Keita. However, things are somewhat complicated because Keita is three years younger than Miu! She wants to confess to him, but does he see her as a ‘girl’ and not an ‘older sister’? And when a younger girl in Keita’s soccer club seems to like him too, can Miu really compete? She is so much older. If only things were different…! Miu amazingly gets her wish, thanks to a small angel who shows her what her life would be like if she were the younger one and Keita was three years older!