[DeepL Translation - needs review] Volume 1 Introduction: Tsubasa Uehara and Arisa Sonoda are twin sisters. After being separated by their parents' divorce, they are reunited for the first time in three years. It was supposed to be a very happy reunion, but... But then tragedy struck their twin sister, Arisa. Tsubasa, the twin sister, pursues the "secret" behind the tragedy. Unpredictable school suspense, volume 1!
(Translator: DeepL)
An Engaging Non-Conventional Shoujo Story
This was an intriguing and fun first volume which got me interested in the characters and story. ARISA starts with middle school student Tsubasa meeting with her twin sister Arisa for the first time in three years after only keeping in touch through secret letters. Arisa suggests that they switch places and has Tsubasa attend school in her place. This leads to Tsubasa geting caught up in a sinister mystery surrounding Arisa's class. I won't give too many details on the plot as part of the fun of this volume is the many twists and turns it takes you on.
This series is not a romance but rather a mystery thriller story with characters you would expect to see in a shoujo romance manga. The artwork has a really nice mid-thousands shoujo style which creates an interesting contrast with the darker subject matter. If this premise sounds interesting to you, I recommend this series.
ARISA is aimed at younger audiences so there is furigana. The language is also not overly complex, often dealing with school life and other everyday subject matter. If you are still getting the hang of reading in Japanese I recommend trying this series, it's been a great learning experience for me.