Happy Cafe has a cast of only 3 characters, with a few pages of pop in guests. In this group is Uru, Shindo, and Ichiro.  With the small group, it makes the the manga pleasantly simple. The story takes place at the Bonheur Cafe where Uhu wanted to work because all the customers seemed so happy.  She wanted to be part of that.

Highlights

Uru, 16 years old, goes looking for a job at what she calls the Happy Cafe.  She’s not warmly greeted, but still gets the job.  Now, Uru looks VERY young.  Sometimes people think she is in grade school.

At work, she tries to figure out her quirky co-workers. She’s energetic and clumsy as a waitress. She begins to feel awkward around Shindo. She worries about his attitude and if he hates her. See, Shindo is the acting boss.  He’s 20, smart, sullen and rarely smiles, he is in charge of making the baked goods.  There’s something  magical about the cakes. Ichiro is  a bit more friendly, but has an unusual condition.  He falls asleep every time he gets hungry. 

Being so  busy with work and school, it has kept her from meeting her new neighbor, it’s… sorry, I can’t tell you.  It’s one of the key plot elements.

Minor bumps happen along the way, but most of the story is driven by conversation between Uru and the guys, and her energetic emotional life in contrast to their stoic attitudes.

The friendship of the three characters continues to deepen as we follow Uru through her life. Slowly we peel away the layers and get to know them better.

Mitsuka is a model who shows up towards the end.  Although a little impressed and intimidated by her looks, Uru still is the one to help Mitsuka  through her problems.

A simple text message leaves Uru emotional and embarrassed.  

The story ends with a smile.  “Today’s gonna be another happy day.”

Overall 

The first thing I noticed about the graphics was the longish necks and little heads of the guys.  It’s not a technique that I really enjoy, but as a whole, the drawing is very expressive and entertaining. The energetic emotional life I mentioned is expertly illustrated.

Having just finished another romance before starting this one, I was expecting more drama.  I kept thinking something should happen any minute now, but the big drama didn’t happen.  Getting deeper into the manga, I began to see it better for the story that was intended.  It is billed as a comedy, and it is a light romance.  Getting in the right mindset, I found it much more enjoyable.  Uru is bubbly and funny, her emotions are right on the surface.  This makes great interaction against the two guys whose sullen attitudes hide most of their emotions. It’s a very pleasant and friendly story. It’s like spending  a sunny day with friends. It’s fun.

ComicsOnline gives Happy Cafe Volume 1, 4 out of 5 happy cakes.