This bizarre approach to male/female politics is a twisted take on relationships, but readers will relate to the characters’ confusion and control-swapping. Choko Kuze used to be a rich daughter, but her family went bankrupt. Now she’s an office lady for a company run by her former beloved servant. The tables are turned, as he trains her personally and harshly to be his perfect executive assistant. She’s cheerful and works hard but isn’t particularly talented or skilled.

Josei is sort of a funny thing. While I like reading it, and I read as much of it as I can, there are very few I actually enjoy. Aside from a couple one-shot volumes, the only josei series published in English that I actually enjoyed was Tramps Like Us. Happy Mania was great and I loved it in the end, but it was hard to figure out until much later. I dislike Suppli because it’s hard to follow its sense of place and time and I can’t really get a bead on the main character. Sorry, Happy Mania and Suppli. Butterflies, Flowers may be what I’ve been looking for since Tramps Like Us ended, however. Kuze’s formerly wealthy family went bankrupt during the economic crisis in the 90s, and they dismissed all their servants, including Kuze’s former favorite Cha-chan. Living a normal life without all the money, Kuze just started a new job as an office lady under a tyrant boss she soon finds out is her childhood Cha-chan.

The Kuze family used to be rich, with a retinue of servants ready to cater to their every whim. The daughter of the family, Choko, grew up experiencing the tender care of the chauffeur’s son, whom she called Cha-chan. Alas, after her father’s investments all tanked in an economic downturn, the family was forced to dismiss their household staff and open a soba restaurant.