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Cinderella Closet #4
Cinderella Closet Vol. 4
The romantic story of a plain country girl who’s crushing on her handsome coworker…and her transformation by an unconventional and stylish “fairy godmother.”
Haruka is a “plain jane” who left the countryside to start her college life at Tokyo. She’s secretly in love with Kurotaki, a coworker at her part-time job, but she lacks the self-confidence to confess her feelings to him. Then she meets Hikaru, a glamorous but sharp-tongued fashionista who begrudingly agrees to play “fairy godmother” for Haruka. However, there’s more to Hikaru than meets the eye!
Haruka is a “plain jane” who left the countryside to start her college life at Tokyo. She’s secretly in love with Kurotaki, a coworker at her part-time job, but she lacks the self-confidence to confess her feelings to him. Then she meets Hikaru, a glamorous but sharp-tongued fashionista who begrudingly agrees to play “fairy godmother” for Haruka. However, there’s more to Hikaru than meets the eye!
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2020
About the author
Wakana Yanai
10 books5 followersAssociated Names:
柳井若菜
Name (in native language): 柳井わかな
柳井若菜
Name (in native language): 柳井わかな
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 8, 2024
As always, Hikaru is the best, but this is also the first volume where I feel invested in a Hikaru and Haruka romance, and I'm excited to see where this goes.
January 14, 2024
Kurotaki is dating Haruka, but it definitely seems that only one of those hearts is actually beating. After an awkward encounter with Mio, things stand on a precipice, but the person who ends up jumping off it might not be who you think…
There’s something to be said for a story that knows enough to shake things up and not drag its heels forever. Sure, by the time we really get into things here, Kurotaki and Haruka have been dating for a month, but it’s enough time for some realizations.
Kurotaki talks a good game. In fact, he clearly believes it when he says he would never hurt Haruka. And, in the most important ways, that is true. Except the one way that counts - actually being in love with her.
The stalker incident with Mio winds up revealing the side of Kurotaki that even he can’t recognize, but Haruka, for all her innocence, definitely does. His interactions with the two women couldn’t be more different and it’s in that detail that his devil lies.
Rather than doing the typical beat of having Kurotaki be an eventual jerk so Hikaru can swoop to the rescue, things are all sorts of different pretty quickly and that leaves Haruka dealing with the emotional fallout and Hikaru trying to lend a hand while also ignoring the part of them noting that this is their chance.
What makes this story hum along for me is how all three characters have their own very different stories with dating and since that’s the name of the game here it causes them to interact in all sorts of different ways.
I especially appreciate that this has a much more mature look at dating when it isn’t focused on Haruka. Hikaru has said before that they’ve had experience with women and guys and we sure might be meeting the latter this volume.
Honestly, everything about our visit to Hikaru’s school is a hoot, even the precipitating incident where Haruka mangles herself in the time-honoured fashion of a break-up.
It’s a whole new side of Hikaru, but also a whole new side displayed to their classmates, as they are not wearing women’s clothing to school and it turns out to be a break from their norm, which would almost read as them trying to seem more masculine to Haruka…
There’s a lot to this volume and I love how much Haruka grows. She has some very important encounters with both Mio and Kurotaki post-break that show that she is still fundamentally nice, but she’s also learning the ways of the world. It’s subtle, but solid, development.
Despite how sheltered Haruka has felt, the other two leads (and Mio) more than make up for it and growing up can happen a lot faster than you think, as evidenced here. I love that this isn’t a college story that turns into ‘grown-up high school’.
Beyond the obvious, we are quite possibly approaching a situation where a female character is dating a bisexual character while dealing with the latter’s male ex. That it’s emerging in a fairly natural fashion is almost as great as how it’s something we rarely see in this genre.
Mind you, the male in question doesn’t seem like much of anything interesting thus far, but I feel that this has earned the benefit of the doubt by this point. This is a real tricky balancing act with Hikaru, and I am hopeful it pulls everything off with aplomb.
4 stars - still solid, although doomed to forever live in the shadow of a first volume that may have almost been too good. I’m still enjoying it, obviously, and it really does have some interesting things to say.
There’s something to be said for a story that knows enough to shake things up and not drag its heels forever. Sure, by the time we really get into things here, Kurotaki and Haruka have been dating for a month, but it’s enough time for some realizations.
Kurotaki talks a good game. In fact, he clearly believes it when he says he would never hurt Haruka. And, in the most important ways, that is true. Except the one way that counts - actually being in love with her.
The stalker incident with Mio winds up revealing the side of Kurotaki that even he can’t recognize, but Haruka, for all her innocence, definitely does. His interactions with the two women couldn’t be more different and it’s in that detail that his devil lies.
Rather than doing the typical beat of having Kurotaki be an eventual jerk so Hikaru can swoop to the rescue, things are all sorts of different pretty quickly and that leaves Haruka dealing with the emotional fallout and Hikaru trying to lend a hand while also ignoring the part of them noting that this is their chance.
What makes this story hum along for me is how all three characters have their own very different stories with dating and since that’s the name of the game here it causes them to interact in all sorts of different ways.
I especially appreciate that this has a much more mature look at dating when it isn’t focused on Haruka. Hikaru has said before that they’ve had experience with women and guys and we sure might be meeting the latter this volume.
Honestly, everything about our visit to Hikaru’s school is a hoot, even the precipitating incident where Haruka mangles herself in the time-honoured fashion of a break-up.
It’s a whole new side of Hikaru, but also a whole new side displayed to their classmates, as they are not wearing women’s clothing to school and it turns out to be a break from their norm, which would almost read as them trying to seem more masculine to Haruka…
There’s a lot to this volume and I love how much Haruka grows. She has some very important encounters with both Mio and Kurotaki post-break that show that she is still fundamentally nice, but she’s also learning the ways of the world. It’s subtle, but solid, development.
Despite how sheltered Haruka has felt, the other two leads (and Mio) more than make up for it and growing up can happen a lot faster than you think, as evidenced here. I love that this isn’t a college story that turns into ‘grown-up high school’.
Beyond the obvious, we are quite possibly approaching a situation where a female character is dating a bisexual character while dealing with the latter’s male ex. That it’s emerging in a fairly natural fashion is almost as great as how it’s something we rarely see in this genre.
Mind you, the male in question doesn’t seem like much of anything interesting thus far, but I feel that this has earned the benefit of the doubt by this point. This is a real tricky balancing act with Hikaru, and I am hopeful it pulls everything off with aplomb.
4 stars - still solid, although doomed to forever live in the shadow of a first volume that may have almost been too good. I’m still enjoying it, obviously, and it really does have some interesting things to say.
February 24, 2024
Omg, this whole volume...stfu and look at the puppy dog eyes Haruka gives Hikaru near the end!!
(ﾟοﾟ人))
(ﾉ*0*)ﾉ
＼(◎o◎)／
To steal a line from the book, it's "totes adorbs"! I can't even. I stared at that panel for so long I swear it came to life. That's a moment. That's the moment that will change everything.
Okay, backing up, a lot happens in this volume and everyone involved handles everything like responsible and reasonable adults. That is so refreshing. It gets so tiring being stuck in Highschool Shojo with immature antics and inexperience leading to dumb hijinks. Sometimes these kids look younger than they are, but more often than not, it's very easy to see them as college students.
I could go on, but others have summed it up nicely. I want to add on something I noticed about the characters and the scenes that the mangaka is deliberately doing - blurring gender lines, and making it look as effortless as Hikaru does makeup. Just to be safe and not ruin anything...
(ﾟοﾟ人))
(ﾉ*0*)ﾉ
＼(◎o◎)／
To steal a line from the book, it's "totes adorbs"! I can't even. I stared at that panel for so long I swear it came to life. That's a moment. That's the moment that will change everything.
Okay, backing up, a lot happens in this volume and everyone involved handles everything like responsible and reasonable adults. That is so refreshing. It gets so tiring being stuck in Highschool Shojo with immature antics and inexperience leading to dumb hijinks. Sometimes these kids look younger than they are, but more often than not, it's very easy to see them as college students.
I could go on, but others have summed it up nicely. I want to add on something I noticed about the characters and the scenes that the mangaka is deliberately doing - blurring gender lines, and making it look as effortless as Hikaru does makeup. Just to be safe and not ruin anything...
February 19, 2022
Nvm, Haruka looks amazing with short hair so now I really do like this volume 🤗 I am way too gay for this omg
February 12, 2024
gosh I love this series!!! I would definitely recommend this one for best new shojo 🫶🏻
March 5, 2024
SHE CUT HER HAIR AND FELT BUTTERFLIES!! THE SHIP WILL SAIL SOON 😭 ugh how do i wait till april
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2024
Thaaaaaank goodness the inevitable happened!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 14, 2024Hikaru and Haruka's friendship is great as always. I really love the way the makeover aspect is treated in a way that isn't superficial, and is more about becoming more confident. Haruka has grown quite a bit as a person. (you'll see what I mean later!)
Hikaru's gender-queerness makes me really happy. Especially since people are mostly very accepting. Miorin is a neat side character, I don't have a lot to say about her without spoiling anything. Speaking of side characters, we get to meet some of Hikaru's stylish friends!
As always, beautiful art and story from Wakana Yanai!
Hikaru's gender-queerness makes me really happy. Especially since people are mostly very accepting. Miorin is a neat side character, I don't have a lot to say about her without spoiling anything. Speaking of side characters, we get to meet some of Hikaru's stylish friends!
As always, beautiful art and story from Wakana Yanai!
February 21, 2024
3.5 stars.
Could the mc and hikaru just get together already!!
Could the mc and hikaru just get together already!!
March 15, 2024
4.5 stars
Hikaru, the man you are. Don’t know if I could handle what he does emotionally. They are so cute together and the ending?? the ending!!
Hikaru, the man you are. Don’t know if I could handle what he does emotionally. They are so cute together and the ending?? the ending!!
Read
April 9, 2024Ok this ended my desire for a threesome in a very satisfactory way, excited for our main two to get together now.
April 29, 2024
I feel like my desire to like this series is so much stronger than my actual like for this series.
May 7, 2024
Hikaru is definitely one of my favorite male love interests in a manga. He's so cute
September 6, 2024
3.5 stars
January 9, 2024
Every time I think this series is getting predictable, there's a new twist. And then another twist. And then a third twist!
I like both Hiroki and Hikaru (but not her new haircut!). I don't know that I see them as a couple though. Guess we'll see if there's another new twist to all this!
I like both Hiroki and Hikaru (but not her new haircut!). I don't know that I see them as a couple though. Guess we'll see if there's another new twist to all this!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews