Kowloon Generic Romance, Volume 5: 05/09/25

Kowloon Generic Romance Volume 5 by Jun Mayuzuki (2021) continues the discussion of fate and individuality. Many of characters we've been following now through four volumes have come to realize they aren't who they think they are. They know they are living in repeated moments of previous lived moments. Their lives are nostalgia manifest.

Kudou continues to relive past memories of his time with Kujirai B, while Kujirai A and Yaomay continue their philosophical discussion on life and agency. Then outside of the city, we get more insight into the relationship of Miyuki and Gwen B, as we know Gwen B from Kujirai B's timeline.

Honestly, as much as I love this series, I admit I'm becoming a bit face blind between the different versions of the characters. As these chapters are written as decoupages (a building up of disparate but thematically similar scenes), it's only natural to lose track of the who, what, where and when of things.

As with the end of volume 1, we are given two more images in utter conflict with each other. They show a taxi cab with driver leaning against the vehicle as Gwen walks towards Kowloon. In the first version, the city is intact. In the second version it is in ruins.

As with the previous volumes, volume 5 sits on the Road Narrative Spectrum. After three volumes clustering in the scarecrow/minotaur traveler ranger, this one switches to a marginalized traveler (66) story with Kujirai B doubting how much of her life is hers to control. Her destination is uhoria (CC) both through her research and by the very nature of this disordered narrative. Her route there is the labyrinth (99) as represented by the twisty corridors of the walled city and the spiraling nature of time in this series.

With the manga currently being adapted as a weekly anime, I plan to read through my remaining volumes at a quicker pace.

Five stars

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