Minato’s Laundromat: Vol. 6 Review

Vol. 6 of Minato’s Laundromat pivots from small-town routine into a trip that’s loaded with consequences. So, with that being said, what exactly can you expect from this collection of chapters in their ongoing journey?

Plot

Yen Press frames Vol. 6 around a change of scenery and a very specific emotional landmine. The title’s core story has Shintarou asking Akira to accompany him to Tokyo for a college tour, and that trip brings Akira face-to-face with his ex-boyfriend from his own college days. As you might expect, it’s a little awkward.

The complication hits right away. Shintarou is forced to think about the revelation, and the strain shows fast, pushing them into a conversation that tests what they have now that Akira’s past is standing in front of them.

That’s a clean, high-stakes romance setup because it isn’t “random jealousy.” It’s the past interrupting the present, right when Shintarou’s future (college, adulthood, what comes next) is already close enough to touch. This spotlight scenario does get handled early enough for the pair, but it definitely plants another major seed (that grows throughout the volume) about how their differences could easily become a tipping point moving forward. Even if their bond is only getting tighter.

Characters

The series’ baseline dynamic matters here. From the beginning, we know that Akira Minato is a man who inherits a run-down laundromat from his grandfather and wants a quieter life after a grueling corporate job. That plan was then derailed when Shintarou Katsuki became a regular presence and ultimately pursued him. Now, things have since become more complicated, as “quiet” contrasts with his newfound connection with someone in a different chapter of their life.

Vol. 6 also hits both of them where they’re most vulnerable. On one hand, Akira is forced into a direct confrontation with his own history and what the future could hold. On the other hand, Shintarou has to deal with new information and age-appropriate life changes that are bound to impact his life trajectory and his relationship with Akira. Sure, things might be solid at this exact moment, but because of the underlying tension stemming from their age gap, tomorrow remains uncertain.

Art

Kanzume’s art across Minato’s Laundromat tends to emphasize clarity and feeling while still integrating enough flash for detail-oriented readers to unpack. The linework is clean, expressions are readable at a glance, and the pages give a lot of space to small shifts in mood, the kind that matter in a romance where so much hinges on hesitation and what isn’t said out loud. That visual restraint works with the series’ tone. It keeps the core laundromat world grounded and everyday, so that when emotions spike, they stand out without the book needing to “announce” them.

A new setting in Vol. 6 gives the art fresh texture, different streets, different interiors, different crowd energy, and that matters here because the characters are no longer insulated by familiar routines. In a city setting, even neutral backgrounds can feel louder, which fits a volume where both of them are internally on edge.

Just as importantly, the scenario demands visual precision. An unexpected run-in like this lives in microbeats, the first split-second of recognition, the slight stiffening in posture, the glance that lands a fraction too long, the way distance between bodies turns into a statement. Vol. 6 is clearly structured to make tension and new experiences visible—and the series’ steady, expression-forward style is well-suited to that kind of emotional choreography.

Themes

Vol. 6 points to three themes the series is well-positioned to handle. The first being that history is complex. The ex-boyfriend isn’t backstory anymore. He becomes part of the present, which forces Akira to acknowledge what he still carries and what he’s left unresolved.

There’s also the idea that insecurity isn’t always irrational. Shintarou’s reaction is framed as being genuinely rattled, and given that the story already established Akira as a grown man with a past and Shintarou as a high school student at the start of the story, it makes sense that “past partners” would feel like a different tier of threat than a random misunderstanding.

Finally, but arguably the biggest thematic aspect to consider comes from the reminder that the future is arriving fast. While they are capable of moving through some of the generic conflicts that fresh couples face, they also have an unavoidable predicament that requires certainty from both.

Verdict

Minato’s Laundromat, Vol. 6 moves the couple out of their familiar setting, introduces a person who embodies Akira’s pre-series life, and pushes the duo to acknowledge some of the bigger, long-term obstacles.

---