Fujimomo

I was hoping this series would grow on me, but it's starting to look too bland to really take root. Here's a whole volume of will-they-or-won't-they kiss that is more tedious than tantalizing. And the romantic rival withers on the vine before he can even become interesting.

I have one more volume on hold at the library, but i don't see me making it to the end of this series.

The possibility of her first kiss has never been closer for Eriko Ichimura, but overthinking and miscommunication between her and Akira Ohmi promises to thwart it even more than the bullying, jealous classmates who are ready to attack anyone who might become the sole object of Ohmi's affection. Throw in a sports day and the bandaging of minor scratches and there are tropes aplenty again, but for some reason the energy sparked with me this time. Looks like I'll have to pick up Vol. 4.

A corny but amusing high school romance where the girl has fallen for the handsome and popular boy in her class and tweets her fantasies about a make-believe romance with him. He thinks her an oddball when he discovers her Twitter handle, but ~gasp~ she may just be the oddball who can see through the mask of smiles and charm he uses to conceal his grumpy and brooding heart. The creator wastes no time pulling out the yukata at a festival trope .

Toss in a few side characters with potential, show more and this series has the potential to grow on me. My library has the next couple volumes on order, so I'm placing some holds. show less

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

The one minor hang-up I have about this story is the abrupt changes in tone. It flips between comedy, drama, and romance. Those elements normally can go well together, but somehow they don't quite mesh in this first novel. Hopefully, it will smooth it and eventually blend together in later volumes. This is incredibly minor though, and I really do think it will be fine once the series has gotten show more its footing. Also, I do really like how the main character, Risa Amakawa, is written! She's very relatable and I feel like a lot of only children who had to be independent from a young age can relate to her. While she comes off as cold and standoffish to most people, secretly she's a caring girl who's just very anxious and awkward. Her manner of speaking is something that's both hilarious and charming. She's very blunt and says everything in a very straightforward manner. Though this sometimes causes misunderstanding, which she then later stresses over and internally beats herself up over. The character of Zen Ohira feels a bit stereotypical and bland at first. Oh, a flirty delinquent who is interested in the female lead because she was nice to him once. Totally haven't seen that a million times before. But as the graphic novel progresses, you see that he's actually interested in Risa because of the disconnect between her actions and her words. He appears to be the first person who actually noticed her mannerisms are actually a mask, and he wants to see past it and see the real Risa hiding behind. The novel starts with them being a bit at odds with each other, but the end makes it feel like the beginning of a long slow-burn romance. The art is excellent, but that goes without saying. The artist is known for their excellent art style, and their skill clearly shows in this series as well. I look forward to reading the second volume! show less