となりの関くん じゅにあ 3

The final volume of the Seki-verse delivers just about everything I wanted from it. First off, the three-part houseplant saga is one of the funniest things in the entire series, and we do finally get the backstory on how Rumi and Seki reconnected and ultimately got married. The story of how Seki finally proposed is one of the most hilariously tragic comedies of errors you could imagine.

In the afterword, Morishige mentions he was probably planning to end Seki-Kun Jr. after three volumes but that it ended up getting cancelled at three anyway because of book sales and that's a real shame because I think this series was just as fresh and inventive as its predecessor and it really built on the concept in a lot of ways. The original series mostly took place in one location, so opening it up to the house and around town kept things fresh, and I enjoyed more serialized elements of Rumi's interactiosn with her various friends. At the end of the afterword, Morishige apologizes for the final chapter being a normal story, but I have to ask, what would a finale for Seki-kun look like? I think a normal story is the best way to end things because just like the final volume of the original series, it implies the characters will keep on enjoying life with their strange games and that's the best ending you could ask for.

The only real thing I think this volume is lacking is that we never really got to see Rumi's time as a preschool teacher. Morishige mentioned really wanting to do a story about that in the afterword for volume 1, and it is shown in a single panel flashback, but I'm sad he didn't get to pursue that thread. Otherwise though, I think this is a satisfying place to leave off with Seki even if it doesn't have that "grand finale" feel. Morishige mentions a strong urge to start writing about some new characters, and I know I'll certainly sign up for whatever he comes up with next.