Days on Fes Vol. 5 Review – A Fond Farewell to a Friend (And Why You Should Read This Series)

Days on Fes is truly a story that caught me off guard when I first started it. Almost immediately, the group of friends experiencing the joys of live music echoed my own story of growing up in the music scene. Even though the situations were different, the energy and overall emotional impact the experience held for the characters provided a strong sense of nostalgia. Days on Fes Vol. 5 concludes this story and does its best to tie up loose ends.

Days on Fes Vol. 5 opens with another festival but with an indoor vibe. Kanade and Otoha are overly excited about everything again as they navigate the uncharted waters of the festival scene. A lot of this volume focuses on the future. The characters are constantly talking about their plans for school and their future. It’s a topic brought up several times, but each character has an entirely different response.

These scenes are essential to the tone of the volume. We are expected to say goodbye to the cast, but it feels more like a reunion. We know these characters and their upbringing, so it’s possible to feel like a part of the group and maybe resonate with one of their answers. Ritsuru is given the spotlight again for some very emotional scenes that push his character’s personality. He’s still the emo boy that we know and love; we just get to understand why that is.

Given that this is the final Volume, I won’t spoil the ending. However, I would like to say that this story is a must-read for music lovers. It shows how people from different backgrounds can come together and experience music on the same level. We get to see moments of struggle as Kanade tries to budget her trips with a high schooler’s salary, and let’s not forget the moments that Gaku and Ritsuru get drunk together.

The pacing throughout the entire series is excellent. There are moments where Kanato Oka decides to just tell the story over a few pages of illustrations without words. The energy of the concerts and the fun in the character’s eyes shine during these scenes. It causes you to slow down and take it all in. There’s also a subtle love story that doesn’t get too over the top. Mero is really easy to root for, and his inclusion in this final volume was appreciated.

Days on Fes Vol. 5 is the best ending this series could have received. True, it could have been drawn out over a few more chapters, but I really liked how this was packaged. Similar to when you grow up and your friendships drift apart, I’m not too fond of the feeling that I won’t be able to go to shows with these characters again. Understanding their feelings and watching their eyes light up when the music was blaring out into a sea of people will be something that I’ll miss. Welp, Daze on Youth is something to look forward to.