This summer I’ve had a bit of free time on my hands to do some reading. I figured what better than to read a little-known josei manga about office work romance? 3 am Dangerous Zone by Nemu Youko had interesting cover art that caught my attention, and I was pleasantly surprised with its originality. Keep reading for my review of this intriguing series!

Synopsis

A three volume series, 3 am Dangerous Zone follows Momoko, a recent graduate who’s found an entry level position as a pachinko parlor designer. Working late hours with oddballs, she wants to quit her job badly. But once she starts making friends with the staff Momoko decides she’s in it for the long haul, and finds fulfillment in her job and love life. It’s a slice-of-life josei with some comedy and romance mixed in.

The Good

Eye-Candy Artwork

I really enjoyed the art style of this manga. It’s simplistic yet refined, making it pleasurable to leaf through. It feels like a Western comic, but has that Japanese finesse. Each character has a unique design, and the style represents reality in a pleasant yet realistic manner. Definitely one of my favourite hand drawn art styles that I’ve come across.

Strong Female Lead

I often find myself skipping over josei titles because they depict love crazed females who don’t know how to deal with themselves, let alone deal with a man in their life. I’m not trying to belittle josei, as there are standout titles that try to depict females in a more reasonable light. Luckily, we find that here with Momoko. She is a more passive female lead, representing a present-time young woman: independent, looking for stability, lacking drive, and reluctant to trust others. She’s not lacking confidence in a cliché way, but rather is driven to find fulfillment in her career. She sacrifices her relationships to find a balance of workplace stability and self fulfillment. I really liked how dynamic she was; her thoughts were sometimes muddled by passivity, and I was just as curious to understand her as she was curious to understand herself. I loved how simple she appeared, yet how complex and inspiring her character became. If you find yourself connecting less and less to most josei/shoujo female leads, then I suggest checking out 3 am Dangerous Zone. Momoko’s character is a unique and enthralling person. Anyone looking to find a career can relate to her predicament and find inspiration in her determination.

The Bad

Slow Pacing

This manga tells a concise story, being only 15 chapters long, with about 30 pages per chapter. It doesn’t over exaggerate, and is pretty down to Earth with the way it represents reality. It doesn’t have overarching cliff hangers, and it doesn’t tell anything too heavy handed. It’s a simple story about a simple girl; it presents a situation that many young women face when entering the working world. I love it for that, but for those looking for a real page turner, you’re not going to find it here. It kept me entertained, but it was definitely a light read. It’s an interesting story, but not a particularly compelling one. If you’re looking for a nice read for your bus ride I definitely recommend this series, but if you want something to excite you I suggest looking somewhere else.

Underdeveloped Supporting Characters

The focus of this manga is definitely on Momoko and her personal obstacles. It never goes into great detail about the other characters, and for the little that it does, it doesn’t tell very thought-provoking back stories. They each have a clear cut purpose, and really shine focus back onto Momoko rather than stealing the spotlight for themselves. It would have been nice to get to know Momoko’s coworkers better, or even get to know the deep motivations of her love interests, but with the short run of this series it wouldn’t have fit in anyways. It’s disappointing that they weren’t more dynamic, but I can’t say that it took away from the overall experience.

Final Score

3 am Dangerous Zone is a different kind of josei. It represents the reality of working young women well, and offers a new perspective on what women are looking for as they reach adulthood. 3 am Dangerous Zone gets a 7.0 out of 10. While not reaching far beyond its simplistic story, it tells a concise tale of Momoko and her exploits as she balances her love life with her work. I enjoyed that it took a new approach, and offered something that I hadn’t previously seen in a josei series. For a short read it’s worth looking into, especially if you find yourself at odds with the reality of full time work.

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