Agri, Volume 1 Cover Art, Studio Cabana, Sylph Comics, Kadokawa, 2021.
Studio Cabana – Information
Author of Story: Uma Agri
Chapter Count: 8 volumes, 36 chapters + bonus chapters
Status: Ongoing
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- Unhealthy relationships, abuse, manipulation, grooming
- Mature content
- SI, SH
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Studio Cabana – Plot Summary
Studio Cabana starts by introducing Yukari Maki, a second year high school student (age 16) who is a serious rule-follower. In other words, she’s a bit meddlesome.
One day, she scolds a boy for slacking off; a boy who happens to be a delinquent (in Japanese, this refers to a rebellious young person, not necessarily someone who has committed crimes). He often sleeps in class or skips out on school duties. Because she spoke up to him, her classmates often rely on her to give him class-related papers or tasks.
This delinquent is known as Yusuke Kusaka, and he is a cold, easily-irritated type of guy. He doesn’t appreciate Maki coming around to nag him and often expresses his disdain for her.
Despite his unlikable personality, Kusaka is incredibly beautiful, and often wears a sorrowful look on his face when he thinks he’s alone. Because of this, Maki can’t seem to ignore him.
Don’t be fooled by the cute heroine; Studio Cabana has got a range of emotions and troubles. If you love torturous romances that destroy your heart, then definitely check this one out, haha.
This shoujo shows even the difficult types of love, but is an incredibly well-written and engaging story nonetheless. It’s complex and full of drama, and I’ve really liked it so far.
Why I Enjoyed Studio Cabana
Studio Cabana mixes common shoujo aspects with more serious plot topics very well. We see cute fluffy interactions between the heroine and her crush, while wondering if her feelings will forever be unrequited.
We also get a lot of backstory for the male lead, while he struggles in his own love affairs and finding his purpose. It’s a really interesting story that keeps you engaged, pulls at your heart, and makes you desperately want to know what will happen next.
Like I mentioned earlier, all sorts of love is portrayed in Studio Cabana. We see some difficult relationships, manipulative personalities, tons of emotion and struggles among the characters, and of course an unrequited love. This shoujo is full of angst and intense feeling.
Agri, Volume 1 Cover Art, Studio Cabana, Sylph Comics, Kadokawa, 2021.
The author explores a really important topic about relationships and the difficulty of leaving emotionally abusive partners. We get to see a bit of self-discovery among these youthful characters as they learn about themselves, find purpose in life, and learn to accept who they are.
I wasn’t really expecting such deep topics to be portrayed in this manga, but the author did a wonderful job showing both sides of the coin, allowing us to see all the different struggles that both partners in a relationship deal with.
Shoujos sometimes focus only on the positives of romance, but this manga really shows the struggle and darker experiences that the characters are challenged with.
However, there were also some lighter, sweeter aspects of Studio Cabana that I enjoyed. If it wasn’t obvious already, the art style for this manga is literally so stunning. Of course Kusaka is made to be very beautiful and practically unreachable because of it, but even the heroine is very cute.
Both characters look rather elegant, and I especially like seeing softer boy characters that don’t necessarily always act soft. The contrast between Kusaka’s appearance and personality makes his character especially interesting. He’s such a tsundere.
However, don’t be turned off by the initial impression of Kusaka. The cliche “cool and mysterious” vibe is eventually replaced with a more believable and realistic teenage personality.
He’s still pretty throughout the entire Studio Cabana manga though, haha! His character does actually get some fantastic growth. As you learn his story, you sort of struggle alongside him—and root for his successes, too!
On the other hand, we have the heroine, Maki. She may seem like just a nagging, meddlesome girl on the outside. However, although she is indeed more meddlesome than necessary, it’s clear that she’s concerned for Kusaka’s wellbeing.
She doesn’t believe silly rumors about him and even questions his ability to pass his classes due to his bad habits. She’s a kind person at heart, even if she has to annoy the male lead a bit. Her kindness is her best quality!
Agri, Volume 3 Cover Art, Studio Cabana, Sylph Comics, Kadokawa, 2021.
We also have some really amazing side characters in Studio Cabana, who act as support systems for many characters in this series.
They take on the more mature and more difficult tasks, but with that are represented as “true” friends and the kind of people you would want in your support group. The author did a great job with these characters!
Lastly, there is a bit of a music theme in this series! I think it adds to the “cool” factor and the sort of passionate vibe that this manga gives off. I feel like the inclusion of music has become a trend lately in modern manga, but I don’t hate it.
In this series, it helps portray intense emotion that is seen pretty frequently in the story. The author often draws beautiful panels of the characters singing or performing, and these moments are especially important in the depiction of Kusaka’s character.
I won’t spoil why, but be sure to enjoy these panels to the fullest!
Any Cons?
As I sort of mentioned earlier in this Studio Cabana review, the plot obviously does not feature a quick and easy shoujo relationship. In this manga, you’ll be enjoying an angsty slow-burn and lots of sorrowful emotions—the more wholesome, cuter things happen a bit later.
If you’re wanting a fluffy story where the cute romance happens quickly, check out Takane no Ran San instead!
Additionally, Maki is very meddlesome. If you hate nosy characters, then this manga might not be the best choice for you. Personally though, I think Maki is actually strong-willed and smart.
I like that personality trait much more than some heroines that are depicted as too ditsy and clumsy for their own good. And as the manga progresses, she cools off a bit and seems pretty respectful of Kusaka’s choices in my opinion.
Agri, Volume 4 Cover Art, Studio Cabana, Sylph Comics, Kadokawa, 2021.
Lastly, there’s an age gap present in Studio Cabana, but not between the two main characters. However, it may still disturb some readers so I’ll add that con here.
It’s only a few years difference (3 years), but one character is still in school whereas the other has graduated, so many readers hold a strong dislike for the pairing.
Also, there are some scenes involving this age gap where one party is very young, which makes certain interactions very unacceptable. Just beware! Similarly, there are some toxic relationships and characters in this story, so please be mindful and check the content warnings.
More In-Depth Review (Warning: Spoilers!)
Studio Cabana is a shoujo that surprised me with its realistic feel, and deeply how it touches on some important topics that not many mangas have spoken about.
Let’s start with Kusaka’s backstory. He starts as an arrogant and sort of perverted brat who doesn’t truly understand love, but dates anyway once he gets of the age.
He doesn’t really know or care about why girls fall for him, and doesn’t really put effort into in any of his relationships. He begins to hate people for falling for his looks. This is what exacerbated his horrible personality, so that he could keep people away from him and to stop being blamed for others’ heartbreak.
Then, he is suddenly slapped in the face by a love-at-first-sight experience, and is forced to eat his words. He falls in love, and the person he falls in love with is a mischievous, toxic, manipulative person, named Haruki.
Although Haruki is deservingly hated by readers of Studio Cabana, her character was well-written and honestly realistic. She is unable to find her self-worth and therefore relies on others to make her feel valuable.
Because of this, she always wears make up even if it is inconvenient, keeps around her hateful boyfriend, and continues playing in a band just because these were things that made her feel more valuable. Then when these things began to fade away, she used Kusaka as a new escape and started dragging him into her horrible cycle of reliance.
Relying on others is fine, but unfortunately Haruki took things to an unhealthy level and began forcing Kusaka into the same situation. She doesn’t truly love him, but loves his obsession for her. Once she realizes that she does have feelings for him, it is too late.
These reasonings, however, don’t excuse her gross manipulation and tarnishing of Kusaka’s innocence and self-growth. But they do seem to be a pretty realistic reflection of how many people act in the real world. I like that the author of Studio Cabana shows both sides of the coin, allowing us to see Haruki’s backstory as well.
It makes sense for the antagonist to have a backstory and motivation for the wrongdoings they commit, although that aspect isn’t always included in storytelling. Maybe one day we’ll see Haruki again after she’s had some character growth.
I also appreciate that we see this pairing fall apart slowly, as Kusaka begins to lose energy and interest from being used by Haruki. Haruki also is unable to voice her true feelings and tries to keep Kusaka all to herself as her plaything, rather than making their relationship something tangible.
What’s even more interesting is how the side characters view this relationship; they know that things cannot work out at this point, but also think that those two could have been a good couple, had Haruki been in a better point in her life (or learned to love herself first).
However, because Kusaka was being shown a different light thanks to Maki, he ends up completely losing the desire to stick to Haruki. Maki becomes a form of new support for Kusaka that isn’t rooted in an unhealthy reliance or physical relationship.
She shows him that there are parts of himself that make him who he is, and that he should love those things (and even challenge himself more).
She introduces him back into being a part of a community (rather than controlling who he speaks to, as Haruki is seen doing) and even relies on him at times, showing that he is capable and valuable. Maki also repeatedly respects Kusaka’s choices and his opinions in multiple situations.
Although this might not be the most positive or wholesome story, I think Studio Cabana still portrays love in a realistic way, even if it is the more darker parts of it.
Not everyone’s experience with love is a wholly positive one. This manga impressively touches upon the experiences many people have with abusive partners, and the difficulties of leaving such situations.
As the plot of Studio Cabana progresses, these young characters learn about love, understanding others, and loving themselves—as well as how all of these things can be very difficult.
Just like how poor Kusaka doesn’t immediately realize he’s being manipulated by what he thinks is his only source of hope. Meanwhile, Maki falls in love with him and spirals into what seems like a hopeless unrequited love.
It’s a pretty big contrast to the sweet and fluffy shoujos I usually recommend, so I actually liked the change of pace. It kept things so suspenseful and nerve-wracking. I had to keep reading because I desperately wanted to see a resolution of some sort!
Overall it was a fantastic reading experience. The plot of Studio Cabana kept me very engaged and I really like where it’s heading! The author did a great job at showing these complex emotions and different aspects of complicated relationships—and how they can affect both parties.
I can’t wait to see how things progress!
Final Thoughts
Studio Cabana so far has exceeded my expectations. I thought this story was going to be just another slice-of-life high school romance shoujo, but I was pleasantly surprised by much deeper topics and an exploration of relationships.
I love shoujos that show a fairy-tale like romance, but sometimes a more realistic approach like what Uma Agri has created is also very enjoyable, too. I think many readers will enjoy this complex and drama-filled story. However, it’s still ongoing, so let’s hope for a happy ending!
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Uma Agri, Studio Cabana, Sylph Comics, Kadokawa, 2021.
