Honoka and Iemori’s budding romance is put to the test in Hima-Ten! chapter 19 as the class camping trip provides plenty of opportunities for potential relationship advancement. With the series’ harem now fully introduced, however, will it reach a proper conclusion?
Hima-Ten! has been on a roll as of late. After a number of stores announced that they had sold out of their initial stock, the manga’s first volume is already getting its first reprint a mere two weeks after release: that would place it up there next to Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi in terms of being one of the most popular new series released in this latest batch from Weekly Shonen Jump. It seems like Genki Ono’s fresh take on the romantic comedy genre is resonating with audiences, perhaps because of the unorthodox set of main characters introduced in its opening chapters.
That being said, Hima-Ten! hasn’t rested on its laurels since then. Rather, it has continued to build on this strong foundation by bringing in another character: Kanna, a fifteen year old pin-up model with big “assets” and an even bigger personality. Her own perspective on the gravure industry and how it gives her purpose is more than interesting enough, but her addition has also been electric for the plot as it ramps up the harem romance dynamic. She’s already taken quite an interest in Iemori, putting pressure on Honoka to reveal her feelings, as well as Himari to come to terms with her own.
Although Kanna isn’t around for the camping trip as she’s not in the same class as the others, her influence is still felt here all the same. Hima-Ten! chapter 19 features Iemori and Honoka both swearing that they’re going to make something happen this time for sure, both because of the pressure from Kanna and the fact that they’re on the action committee together. The meat of the chapter then comes in the cute yet awkward interactions between the two characters, including one embarrassing round of karaoke that accidentally nabs them the perfect date spot.
One of the key problems that this series will have to grapple with in the future is the issue of plot progression. As a harem series, the fun comes in watching all of the different characters collide and compete with each other over the same guy, but the natural end point comes when one of them eventually ends up winning. Unlike Blue Box, series author Genki Ono is going to have to keep this gig going as long as possible, potentially leading to burnout and frustration on the reader’s part as each character continues to move back to square one.
Honoka and Iemori’s efforts might end up coming to nothing, but that doesn’t mean that Hima-Ten! chapter 19 isn’t damn entertaining. As a grown adult, it’s endearing to watch these two teenagers clumsily flirt around each other, while younger readers will no doubt see themselves in this situation. I’ve been there too, so here’s my advice: never wait for the other person to make the first move. You'll regret it.
You can read Hima-Ten! chapter 19 for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.
