After reviewing Vol. 1 of the main series Queen’s Quality, others said that I should read QQ Sweeper and review it. Thus, the motivation for this review was born. My review of Queen’s Quality Vol. 1 is also available to read. I will treat this review as if this is my first encounter with the characters. However, I have read and adored Queen’s Quality volume one.
Chapter 1
The official introductions of the series begin with Kyutaro, a member of the school’s Beautification Committee. (Before introducing Kyutaro, we see our female protagonist, Fumi, enter a mysterious room, but she is not named at the time.)
During his cleaning rounds, Kyutaro “Q” happens upon Fumi sleeping in the mysterious room we saw previously in an abandoned section of the school. This results in their fated meeting quickly turning into a hilarious screaming match.
After her encounter with Kyutaro, it is revealed that Fumi is a transfer student. Some girls are kind to her and give her the 411 on Kyutaro. Gorgeous yet a total mystery who is constantly cleaning. Unfortunately, Fumi catches the eye of a creep, and all she notices is his seemingly expensive clothing. She sees this because Fumi’s dream is to find a well-off Prince Charming.
Before she can interact seriously with her creepy classmate, Kyutaro nonchalantly makes him go away. Fumi declares in her mind that Kyutaro is a weird guy who better not get in the way of her Cinderella life goal.
When Fumi gets to the principal’s office, the true motivation for her wanting a Cinderella life is revealed. Fumi is a dead broke orphan whose guardians suddenly skipped town without explanation. Fortunately, although they left her high and dry otherwise, Fumi’s former guardians paid her full tuition.
When the Principal (Koichi) asks her where she intends to stay, Fumi asks for permission to remain in the room. Of course, he cannot allow that. He finds it curious that she finds the room comforting when other students say the old building is haunted.
Koichi seems alarmed when Fumi describes the room and mentions seeing a large old door, but he doesn’t explain himself. He says he will find her a safe hotel to stay in until she figures something out.
Fumi decides to sneak back into the room to get her Futon and quilt. Only to discover that her skeevy classmate with the expensive clothes and his friends have trashed the place.
This upsets Fumi to the point where she confronts the trio. They try hitting on her, but Fumi is not having it. She is upset to the point of being on edge.
Just when things are getting out of hand, Kyutaro arrives. Smacking one of the boys in the face with his trusty dust cloth. While Kyutaro is in the midst of admonishing the delinquents for their behavior, he declares that the room is “suffering” and “infested.” Suddenly, large, disgusting bugs begin appearing everywhere around the room.
Naturally, the boys are scared out of their wits and high tail it out of the room. Before Fumi can suffer in shock and anger for too long Kyutaro grabs her to reassure her it will be over soon. Although the broom he uses seems ordinary, Kyutaro appears to use an extraordinary power to dispel the strange bugs.
The ordeal tires Fumi and Kyutaro Princess carries her over to the couch so she can rest while he cleans. (Girl, he’s the real Prince Charming.) Fumi says the pleasant scent in the room reminds her of when she was young.
When Fumi wakes up, Kyutaro leaves the room, and she sees that mysterious old door again. She thinks she has heard someone asking for help. She steps inside. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the school, Kyutaro is on the phone with someone who says the door to the “Void” has been opened. If it was Kyutaro who opened it, then who could it have been?
We see Kyutaro’s eyes widen as he realizes Fumi may be in danger.
Chapter 2
Fumi believes she hears the voice of her classmate that Kyutaro had previously banished from the room.
Meanwhile, said classmate (Sakaguchi) appears to be haunted or possessed by depressing thoughts and giant bugs. Just like the ones Kyutaro fought off.
Back in the room, Fumi is at a loss for what to do. On the one hand, she is sure she saw Sakaguchi leave. On the other, she is also convinced that he is desperately crying out for help on the other side of the door.
In the next moment, Fumi makes her decision and opens the door. Kyutaro enters the room and realizes that Fumi is gone and she is the one who entered the “Void.”
All this time, Kyutaro had been on the phone with Koichi. Kyutaro tells him he will bring Fumi back, and Koichi can save the lecture for later. Kyutaro then suits up for his mission to retrieve Fumi. (All black suits him.)
Kyutaro then reaches through a portrait to retrieve and ask Sendai, a magnificent owl, for help. Seemingly armed with nothing but handkerchiefs and salt, the pair enter the void in search of Fumi.
Upon entering the void, Kyutaro identifies himself as a “custodian” of the “Genbu Gate” assistant to the leader of the Kita clan.
Whereas Kyutaro seems to be very familiar with where he is and what he’s doing, Fumi is more than a bit lost and confused. She stumbles her way through the darkness.
Fumi finds herself surrounded by dozens of doors in a dark space. She is more confused than ever about where she is and what she is attempting to do. Fumi is starting to regret entering such a strange place. When Fumi seems to be at the height of her self-doubt, she suddenly gives herself a pep talk. Reminding herself that she has to save Sakaguchi because he could be her wealthy Prince Charming. (Girl, no.)
With her determination to save her classmate renewed, (as terribly and hilariously misguided as it may be.) Fumi soldiers on. She take a moment to reflect on the fact that she never got to thank Kyutaro for all his help earlier.
After entering one of the doors before her, Fumi stumbles upon a strange-looking Sakaguchi who appears to be in a locker room.
After trying to get Sakaguchi to respond, Fumi realizes that one of the strange bugs threatens to feast on her. (Big eww.)
In the knick of time, Kyutaro swoops in to smite the bug in grand style. He is proving once again that he is the real Prince here.
After making sure that Fumi is okay, he explains that Sakaguchi’s mind vault brought her to this strange place. He leaves her in Sendai’s care so he can clean up the mess. After making himself comfortable on her shoulders, Sendai further explains to Fumi that they are inside Sakaguchi’s mind. Sendai also explains that Sakaguchi’s ill thoughts and feelings called the bugs to his mind. That if the grime of these bugs is not dealt with, they can destroy a person’s mind. Cleaning up such messes to try to save people’s minds is what Kyutaro, Sendai, and the other “Sweepers” of the district do.
Kyutaro is in danger due to low energy because he suffered a minor injury, and his work can be difficult alone. Fumi kicks it into high gear to try and help him after all he’s done for her. She seems to allude to Kyutaro being precious to her in some way.
Finally, Sakaguchi’s mind is clean and safe after such a colossal effort.
Chapter 3
Fumi finds herself back in the original room in the old school building. She wakes with a start when she sees Koichi, the principal, and remembers that Kyutaro was hurt. The two bicker back and forth about who needs help. Kyutaro explains that Fumi punched the giant centipede in the void. It looks like Fumi is right because Koichi carries out Kyutaro.
At Koichi’s request, Fumi follows the pair to their massive home. When she sees the house, she frets that she may know too much after everything she has seen.
Koichi begins by apologizing to Fumi for putting her in a dangerous situation. He also explains that everything she has witnessed today is real, as difficult as it is to believe. Koichi would allow her to forget everything if she would rather live a normal life. He tells her that as a psychiatrist, he has safe ways of helping her forget.
Fumi asks permission to remember what has occurred, and Koichi tells her the only way he can allow that is if she agrees to live and work in their home and help Kyutaro in his work.
Meanwhile, Kyutaro is recovering in his room, and his maid tells him that Fumi seems fine, but Kyutaro doesn’t quite believe that. He mentions a time when he was unable to bring back another person from the void.
Kyutaro is encouraged not to dwell on something that happened so long ago because it’s not good for a sweeper’s heart to have a shadow. Fumi is still talking to Koichi, who says they need a housekeeper because, given the nature of their work as sweepers, their home has to be cleaner than usual.
Koichi explains that what Fumi did by punching the centipede while in the mind vault was far from typical. When Fumi doesn’t understand why, he explains that since the bugs are a manifestation of a person’s bad thoughts, other people interacting with them in any way can have an adverse effect on them.
Koichi tells Fumi that the fact that she seems completely fine after defeating the bug means that her mind’s defenses are extremely powerful. Koichi says she might be under a spell, or she may be naturally inclined to such strength of mind. After some back and forth, Fumi agrees to live and work in the household and be Kyutaro’s partner. Thinking that Kyutaro might be her Cinderella ticket, she asks if Kyutaro has a girlfriend or is engaged. Although Koichi tells her no, he admits he has liked someone since he was very young. Fumi is slightly disappointed but decides not to get in the way of true love in that regard.
Later that night, Fumi loses her way on the way back to her new room and ends up in Kyutaro’s room. She happens upon him sleep-talking, and he appears to be having a nightmare until he wakes up and seems relieved to see her and calls her Fuyu instead of Fumi.
Kyutaro looks at her so lovingly until he comes to his senses and realizes what’s going on, and the two have another hilarious interaction while Fumi explains how she ended up in his room. She thought he was in pain and apologized for not being Fuyu, the girl he so desperately called out for. This apology leaves Kyutaro a pensive wreck as Fumi flees the room. Fumi ruminates on the fact that she and Kyutaro’s “true love” have such similar names.
Chapter 4
The following day, Kyutaro is blowing a fuse over the fact that all these decisions about Fumi were made while he was recuperating.
After witnessing Fumi and Kyutaro bicker back and forth, Koichi decides to test Fumi to see if she is fit to be a sweeper. It is no ordinary cleaning job, after all. Koichi tasks Fumi with cleaning a room from top to bottom. He tells her that bugs will surface if the room is not cleaned thoroughly, but they are not a danger like the mind vault bugs, but they do need to be chased away.
Kyutaro thoroughly complains about the idea of Fumi living and working for them. He feels that there would be no way to hide it at school and that getting to know others is a hassle. He lets up a bit when Koichi fills him in about Fumi having no family and no home.
Koichi explains that if Fumi doesn’t pass, she would basically be out on the street because they aren’t a charity house. He also mentioned that life isn’t easy for an orphaned girl so young. Suddenly, Kyutaro seems to be filled with fear about what could happen to Fumi. He tries asking Koichi to let her pass the test no matter what, but Koichi refuses to do any such thing. In a fit of anger against Koichi, Kyutaro storms back into the house in search of Fumi.
Fumi is surveying her work in the test room. Although she feels she has done a thorough job, she also thinks that something isn’t quite right about the room either.
Just when Fumi feels like all hope is lost and she may fail the test, Kyutaro appears to tell her the most effective way to combat the bugs. Kyutaro tells her that the most effective way to dispel them is to think happy or calming thoughts because the small bugs are cowards.
Fumi asks if Kyutaro will be helping her, but he reminds her that theirs is a tough job, and as a teacher, he might be really tough on her, so she has to be up for it. He’s not kidding about being a strict teacher. He quickly goes into drill sargent mode. He explained that almost everything she did to clean the room was wrong. Kyutaro ultimately tells her that a dry, tightly rung cloth is the most basic yet important tool for cleaning. He also reminds her that whether she passes or fails is still up to her.
After the harsh training session, Fumi is relieved and ecstatic that the room is finally cleaned. Kyutaro tells her it is essential in their line of work to remember that feeling of joy after a job well done.
Koichi tells Fumi she has done an excellent job and has passed. Fumi is pleasantly surprised to learn that the room is for her. (The room she used the previous night was a guest room.) They decide to have a welcome party lunch in Fumi’s room.
Kyutaro reminds Fumi that she is still learning and hasn’t dealt with real-deal sweeping yet, so she must be prepared. Or else he will fire her immediately. However, he is somewhat affectionate in his warning.
Chapter 5
Fumi has started living as a housekeeper in the Horikita residence. She seems happy and ready to work. She thought she was the first person awake that morning, but Kyutaro had her beat by nearly an hour and had started many of the household chores. He even teases her a bit but tells her not to rush.
Koichi mentions that the troubled classmate whose mind vault Kyutaro and Fumi went into will require an “environmental adjustment” after school. He promises to explain to Fumi what that means on the way to the job.
Fumi is surprised and impressed by the level of work Kyutaro handles. Koichi explains that the family depends on Kyutaro because he is capable. Koichi says that the fact that Kyutaro wakes up at five now is an improvement. Before Fumi arrived, he would walk up at 4. Koichi asks Fumi to do her best to help Kyutaro.
Koichi comes up with a plan to say that Fumi is a distant relative ao that they have fewer complications at school. While at school, Fumi learns a little more about Sakaguchi’s life. He used to be a star baseball player, but he’s gotten a little out of control ever since he stopped playing. Fumi also overhears that Sakaguchi comes from a wealthy family and her thoughts go into Cinderella mode again. (Oh, sweet Summer child.) Unexpectedly, a female classmate asks Fumi to tell Sakaguchi that everyone is worried about him. She also urges Fumi to tell Kyuttaro his classmates also say hi and to find out where he has lunch.
After finding out that Kyutaro has lunch in loner places like the old school building and the roof, he tells Fumi she shouldn’t fill everyone in on her whole “Cinderella dream” goal. He explains what they are meant to do at Sakaguchi’s home. Basically, they have to clean his natural life environment or else the bug manifestation will return and damage his heart.
Kyutaro also tells Fumi that it is essential for patients like Sakaguchi to receive long-term care from a counselor who can look after their heart to get to the root of their problems. Kyutaro reminds Fumi that the human heart is no simple thing/. That they, as sweepers, can only do their best but that everyone has burdens in their hearts and things they can’t control.
Kyutaro’s words have Fumi thinking about “Fuyu,” the mysterious girl that Kyutaro called out for in his sleep. Fumi asks him if that’s the girl he loves, and he tells her that he is unlikely ever to see her again. When they try to go to Sakaguchi’s home, he looks haggard and tries to put up a fight. Kyutaro restrains him while he has Fumi go in for the cleaning.
As can be expected, Sakaguchi’s room is a hot mess, but Kyutaro tells Fumi not to be intimidated as this level of mess is common. The pair go through the room with Kyutaro giving Sakaguchi the option of keeping certain things, holding them for a while, or altogether chucking them. After all, is said and done, the room is in much better condition, and so is Sakaguchi. He even somewhat hits on Fumi. When Kyutaro mentions Sakaguchi’s baseball equipment, Sakaguchi freaks out. Kyutaro explains that although he can choose to throw it away, Kyutaro and Fumi have special instructions to clean it with care before making a decision.
Fumi’s classmate Sanako (the one who showed concern for Sakaguchi) arrives at his home. She asks Fumi for permission to wash Sakaguchi’s uniform for him. Sanako explains that she and Sakaguchi are childhood friends and she feels like she wasn’t there for him when he got injured. Fumi encourages Sanako by telling her it is not too late to help.
Sakaguchi apologizes to Kyutaro for his behavior, and Kyutaro tells him to do his best to accept the fact that it wasn’t all his fault. It seems that Sakaguchi is on the mend. He and Sanako may even become friends again. Fumi’s first assignment as a sweeper has come to an end. She laments that her Prince has gotten away, so she seems to be rooting for Sanako and Sakaguchi.
Kyutaro and Fumi bicker a bit on the way home, but She admits that she is very grateful for him.
Back at the Sweeper mansion, Koichi calls in a favor to a friend as he seems a bit weary of Fumi’s unique situation.
Impressions? 10/10 I am so glad I decided to read the prequel series. I just love the way Fumi and Kyutaro interact, and Fumi’s adoration of him makes more sense to me now. Also, there’s just something about Kyutaro that has him moving up the ranks as one of my favorite fictional boys.
