Nariyuki Yuiga’s task of tutoring two girls who are determined to pursue a field they are absolutely terrible at continues in volume 2. His burdens as a tutor only increase when the principal requires Rizu Ogata, Fumino Furuhashi, and Uruka Takemoto to score above-average on their upcoming midterms—or else give up on their dream schools! Reinforcing the idea is none other than Rizu’s and Fumino’s former tutor, Kirisu Sensei. Yuiga isn’t the only one who is worried—so are his students.

Both Rizu and Fumino don’t want to give Yuiga up as their tutor. His supportive attitude and his knack for tutoring fuel them not only to work for themselves but for him as well. Meanwhile, Takemoto’s crush isn’t going away any time soon. Not wanting to disappoint their hardworking tutor with his future on the line, the girls face the midterms head on!

So far, the girls have gotten better as the story progresses. Rizu is still struggling to empathize with the characters presented in literature, but her efforts are visible and acknowledged. Fumino’s excitement at getting even one math problem correct hits the nail on the head with how triumphant it feels. Takemoto’s struggle with wanting to be feminine despite being a tomboy is relevant with those who aren’t as conventional as society would like them to be.

As little misunderstandings and wacky misadventures occur one after another, the conclusions are cute and funny. And they perfectly capture each character's personality. With midterms, sports day and other interesting scenarios in this volume, it’s charming to see how all the characters interact, especially as they find solidarity in defying expectations.

And, of course, the ever-faithful Yuiga also gets wrapped up in compromising situations and close calls throughout the volume. Tangling with geniuses is hard on him as a non-genius, but his enthusiasm and faith is touching. His interactions with the other characters not only provide comic relief, but demonstrate that he's more level-headed than most male leads in this genre. The way Yuiga reacts to everything is all due to experience, his kind heart and how he thinks things through differently and positively. It’s a feat considering his encounters with misunderstanding fathers, mishaps in the sauna, trips gone wrong in the mountains and much more.

The mangaka Taishi Tsutsui really captures the characters’ expressions well, revealing so much more about them than what they say. Everyone’s personalities are so genuine, and though their problems seem trivial, they are also relatable. There is never a dull moment in volume 2, and its absurd moments give a nice mix of fun and friendship while still embodying the general message: screw society's expectation, live for your dreams!

We Never Learn, Vol. 2 by Taishi Tsutsui is available here! 

by Emily Tang