Mangaka Reiji Miyajima continues to be in the spotlight with his Rent-A-Girlfriend series starting its fourth season of anime over the summer and The Shiunji Family Children having just finished its anime adaptation. With that in mind, let’s return to the original manga, which Yen Press has continued to diligently release.

Volume 2 opens with a flashback to protagonist Arata being asked by his younger brother Shion if he’s begun to see any of their siblings in a romantic light now that they know they’re not related. Then we return to the present, where Arata is being confessed to by Ouka during an outing that’s all but turned into a date. And she’s not the only one of the sisters to have made a move on him, which is throwing him into turmoil!

To make matters worse, Ouka’s confession is overheard by Minami, which throws her into a spiral, too. Slowly, but surely, all the girls are growing increasingly confused about the feelings they harbour for their brother, and no one knows how to approach it. Kotono (who confessed her love to Arata before the reveal that they’re not related) decides it’s time to stake her claim and rounds up the sisters to declare war over Arata’s affections…

While Volume 2 is largely filled with the kind of harem hijinks we’re used to seeing in Rent-A-Girlfriend, I am at least pleased that no matter what, Arata is still declaring that he has no romantic interest in any of his siblings. I fully expect this to change as the series goes on, but I am glad that he’s holding strong for now. If there is going to be a relationship at the end of this, I want it to be something that’s slowly built up over time and at least somewhat justified.

Volume 3 is more like the first volume, where the spotlight is placed on one of the siblings (Minami in this case) and is much more of a character piece than it is a romcom. Minami plays tennis and is about to enter a big tournament with her school club, but just before a pivotal match, she ends up injuring herself. With the older classmen set to graduate afterwards, Minami wanted to take part and prove herself useful to them. Can Arata ensure that she has no regrets?

As is usually the case for Miyajima’s manga, The Shiunji Family Children is much better when it’s focused on character development than being a harem romance. And that means these two volumes are a mixed bag, depending on what you’re reading the series for. They’re the best and worst of his writing, in fairly equal measures.

Having also watched the anime adaptation this season, I think that’s a better way of experiencing this early part of the story. In the anime, things have been adjusted so there’s more focus on exploring all of the characters, and while yes, the romcom elements are certainly still there, it’s not as overpowering as it is in Volume 2 of the manga. The anime seems to have adapted volumes 1-5, which puts it a bit ahead of where we are here. So I’m not sure if it’s still the better option later on, but certainly for these first three volumes, it’s more consistent in tone.

Still, despite the issues, I find myself intrigued enough to carry on. Unlike Rent-A-Girlfriend, Miyajima is doing a relatively good job of balancing the characters, their feelings and their individual stories. And yes, the fact that they’re more or less all in love with their brother can be tiresome, but I still enjoy reading about the other things they hold dear in their lives. And whatever happens, I’m hoping that Miyajima will eventually lead us to a satisfying conclusion.

The Shiunji Family Children volumes 2 and 3 come to the West thanks to Yen Press and continue to be translated by Kevin Gifford, with lettering by Arbash Mughal. Both releases read well and include translation notes at the end, usually going into details on the kanji for various character names or references and location details. Nothing else to speak of in terms of extras.

The Japanese releases for the series are currently up to seven volumes. Here in English, Yen Press released #4 in May, but has nothing further scheduled, which suggests we may not see anything further until 2026. The anime adaptation is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Overall, these two volumes of The Shiunji Family Children leave me with mixed feelings. Fans of the author will continue to enjoy what it has to offer, and there are certainly moments where it feels like Miyajima has something important he wants to convey, but it ends up muddled by the insistence on the romcom elements. Still, this is entertaining if you’re willing to put up with some of the downsides.

Our review copy of Volume 2 from Yen Press was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.