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Mizuki is the female "prince" of her all-girls school and the lead guitarist in an all-girl rock band. Akira is the male "princess" of his all-boys school and wants to join her band. Love may be on his mind, but romance is difficult when everyone keeps mistaking Mizuki for a boy and Akira for a girl!

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2008

23 people are currently reading
565 people want to read

About the author

Mayu Shinjo

175 books398 followers
新條まゆ in Japanese
Mayu Shinjo debuted in 1994 in Shogakukan's Shōjo Comic with "Anata no Iro ni Somaritai". She continued writing for Shogakukan until 2007, with her works appearing in both Shōjo Comic and their other magazine Cheese!. She left the company to go freelance citing a dispute over working conditions and abusive treatment by her editor.

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5 stars
289 (33%)
4 stars
225 (26%)
3 stars
175 (20%)
2 stars
85 (9%)
1 star
78 (9%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Nicole.
645 reviews28 followers
April 18, 2014
Want the gist of my review in three words? Ew. Skip it.

Ai Ore starts out mediocrely; not good but not all that awful. But after the first chapter or so, it just collapses into cliched and, more importantly, disgusting. My first and most subjective complaint is the art. It’s just ugly. The art alone almost made me drop it four pages in. I wish I had. It’s almost a parody, how angular it all is. The male looking characters look like they have triangles for heads, slits for eyes, and got their cloths from 80’s garage sales. The female looking characters are forgettably designed at best and look like a faux-nineteenth century porcelain doll puked on them at worst.

More of an objective issue is the cliches. "Oh, why is my heart beating so fast? Am I sick? Could I be... in love? No no, I simply must be sick." Blah blah maybe love blah blah fast heartbeat blah blah blushing blah blah. Ugh, it's like Mizuki has never read a shoujo manga before. Or, ya know, been surrounded by love sick girls all her life (which she has, by the way). Oh, and of course the main couple has to be childhood friends who moved away and miraculously reunite in high school. I don't read that much shoujo and I'm sick of these tropes! It makes the main character annoying and exasperating rather than endearing.

The problem of the cliches pales in comparison to the largest issue: the rapes/attempted rapes. This single volume includes one forced disrobing, one attempted rape, and one unclear possible rape. All of these are done completely distastefully and infuriatingly, especially the last one. I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but essentially, Akira commands one of his friends to rape an attempted rapist to “teach her a lesson” and the volume ends before he does anything for sure. This is absolutely disgusting and revolting and vile and every other negative word you want to use. No one should ever use rape to “teach someone a lesson”. Even beyond the moral issues with it, it also makes Akira a repulsive character. I don’t even like Mizuki, and I would hate to see her in a relationship with a degenerate asshole like this.

I would never wish this piece of trash on anyone. There’s absolutely nothing redeemable about it. Avoid Ai Ore. Avoid it like the plague.
Profile Image for Chrissie.
210 reviews53 followers
July 12, 2014
Absolutely disgusting. Selfish, dramatic characters with a rudimentary plot focused entirely on the shock value of putting the characters in sexual situations. a plot point even suggests that rape should be used as a punishment. Which is so morbid I can't even think properly.
Profile Image for Sammie.
844 reviews2 followers
March 23, 2016
Omg this book was so good, it has cross dressing and music and humor, its really funny :)

I so love Mizuki ,i can totally relate to her, she has a hard time expressing her feelings.

omg Akira is so funny, at first you think he's just some harmless guy but then he turns out to be a man with a mission ,and that's to become Mizuki's boyfriend :) he goes about is a crazy insane way but it is so funny :)

Can't wait for the next book :)
Profile Image for Yuiko.
1,715 reviews21 followers
January 20, 2017
I absolutely adore this series , I read volume one through seven and I cant wait to get eight when I get money, not only is it super cute , its kinda hot , it seems like yaoi , because the girl looks like a guy and the guy looks like a girl , I absolutely recommend it .
Profile Image for doseofsoma.
102 reviews24 followers
May 14, 2020

***** Massive trigger warning for r*pe and glorifying it as an act of revenge*****
Manga can sometimes treat certain sensitive topics badly but Ai Ore goes to new gross depths. This shoujo manga somehow manages to be far more uncomfortable than eroguro manga.
Profile Image for Carrie (The Butterfly Reader).
1,033 reviews95 followers
March 5, 2017
So it took me a while until I got into this manga. It was so hard for me to get straight who was who. My mind kept telling me that the guy was the girl and the girl was the guy. Once I got the hang of who was who. I really enjoyed this manga.

I like that it's different from any other manga I've read and it's so much bigger than any manga I've seen, which was a plus for me. I have been cutting back on buying manga because I read them so fast that I feel they are too expensive for me right now so I really felt I got my money's worth out of this.

I will say Dark Akira creeped me out at times. There was times I could not even look at the drawings and my partner was laughing at me.

This manga is fun, about a girl who is the 'prince' of her all girl's school and then we have a boy who is the 'princess' of his all boy's school. They like each other but manga is never that simple and so shit happens. Many times over.

I like watching their struggle though all these things but there is one thing I think they took too far. The rape at the end of the manga. I don't know if the girl is actually going to be raped and I understand why Akira would want the girl raped for almost raping his girl but still. If you fight fire with fire... you get a bigger fire.

Also rape is never okay.

If you can look past that and just enjoy the manga for what it is. I will keep reading this series because I picked the whole thing up for $5 at Half Price Books and I didn't hate it. It's not the best manga and it's probably not for everyone but I actually liked it.
Profile Image for Skye (Skye's Scribblings).
1,406 reviews71 followers
August 30, 2013
Interesting twist - girl who looks like a boy, boy who looks like a girl. Definitely made for confusing romantic scenes (I had to CONSTANTLY remind myself Mizuki was a girl). Always thought this was Yaoi - imagine my surprise, although it certainly still looked and felt like it.

Loved the concept, but it was too sexual for my tastes - most definitely on the Mature side of Older Teen. Akira was way too forceful, and I never quite pinned down his character - he was gentle one minute and a beast the next. But his heart seemed in the right place, for the most part. As for Mizuki, for such a "cool" character all she did was cry, and after a while it got on my nerves. I really had to struggle to see her as a girl - I never saw her as "pretty," only "handsome." I had no trouble seeing Akira as a boy, though - he rarely looked all that girly to me, even in full dress.

Overall I was interested but found it slightly disturbing because of Akira's forcefulness and dark personality. While curious, I doubt I'll continue the series.

Content: just shy of actual sex but heavy sensuality, some nudity, sexual innuendo, almost-rape, and some language (I think)
Profile Image for Angelica Dimeo.
161 reviews47 followers
February 22, 2019
I love Mayu's Work and the art is good but not for kids or even teens in my opinion
Profile Image for Jessica.
514 reviews2 followers
September 28, 2018
What the garbage is this? I picked this up because dudes and ladies bucking traditional gender roles is my jam, but this is full of gross sexual situations, even a possible revenge rape! Poor Mizuki is assaulted and almost raped multiple times.

And Akira, our male lead? He pretends to respect Mizuki's boundaries, but generally doesn't, is constantly manipulative, and he HIRES SOMEONE TO RAPE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ALMOST RAPED MIZUKI. I honestly would have been fine if he kneecapped the bitch or something like that, as trying to rape someone is awful, but there is literally NO SITUATION WHERE RAPE IS ACCEPTABLE. I mean, it's not a hard concept. Even if the person is incredibly awful, which the person is! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR RAPE.

Why would I want to read something where the HERO COMMISSIONS A RAPE?? I don't know if it goes through in the next volume, but why would I want to read something with a horrible piece of trash like that as a main character?

Poor Mizuki. She deserves better than Akira and this vile book. I wish I could give this zero stars.
1 review
July 7, 2017
*Trigger warning: discussion of sexual violence





I read the first book because I thought the description looked interesting, however the overall lack of consent regarding almost all sexual activity (kissing, etc) makes this a poor read. The lead male character is very sexually aggressive and his behavior is not made to seem wrong, and additionally the attempted rapes are very disturbing. Disturbing by nature and the fact that a main character orders a man to rape a woman to "teach her a lesson" for trying to rape the female lead. Rape is never acceptable, never. I wouldn't say this manga is glorifying rape, but it's certainly not treating it with seriousness or creating consequences for the characters involved. I think the story had potential if done tastefully and with CONSENTED acts between characters, but in my opinion it has been done quite distastefully and grossly, very disturbing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Samantha Yenzer.
52 reviews3 followers
August 28, 2022
This manga is not it. Trigger Warnings are needed for all of volume 1, will not keep reading.

First, it throws you into the story without any build up. It's like starting a popular show on episode 4 and trying to figure out what happened to get to this point and why you should care. The relationships are also all so forced that again, why should we care? There is no build or introductions or anything.

Akira is also manipulative and there's moments of SA and r*pe used as a punishment. -100/10, do not recommend.
Profile Image for JC.
9 reviews4 followers
June 21, 2018
I’d give this book negative stars if Goodreads would allow me to.

Major CW for sexual assault of gender nonconforming characters and rape used as a revenge plot device? The book is full of sexual assault scenes. Also CW for transphobic tropes like ripping a person’s clothes off to “reveal” their gender and homophobic tropes like a woman’s “first real kiss” can only come from a man.

This is the 2000s, we should be way past this.
Profile Image for Annelisa Torrey.
24 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2021
It’s problematic as hell but it’s a guilty pleasure, and I own several volumes that I do not plan on getting rid of any time soon. I do not condone any of the dubious behavior these children have, but it is entertaining to see the roles sort of reversed: the masculine girl and the pretty boy. He might be short, but he’s still a boy. She might look masculine, but she’s still a girl.
Read at your own risk, as it is a product of its time.
Profile Image for Jacinta Carter.
885 reviews27 followers
December 16, 2019
It doesn't matter how cute the artwork is in this comic, the ending ruined the whole thing. Under no circumstances should the hero of the book offer to have sex with someone if they will revenge-rape someone else for them first. In what universe would any writer think that is an acceptable plot line, especially from the character we're all supposed to be rooting for?
3 reviews
July 23, 2021
This book is disgusting and also uses transphobic and homophobic tropes. The way they show gay people in negative light and “can’t control them selfs”. Is horrible. Also they have multiple rape and SA pages and just brush it off? I liked the idea and it started off okay but I can’t read anymore of this series. As a person that knows people who have been raped and SA I just can’t. Don’t read this.
Profile Image for Emma Stallwood.
620 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2021
Wow now this manga should have Trigger Warnings. Mentions of Rape, Body Shaming and drug use. However it is a really good dark story. The romance is on point with a will they/won't they vibe. A gender mixed school romance. I loved it.
Profile Image for Jina.
371 reviews7 followers
July 4, 2017
Not really sure what to think of this.....
Profile Image for TT.
2,018 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2018
I like this mangakas work mostly and this series stared off pretty cute. I can't remember what turned the tide but I did drop it a few books in, but great premise. 3.5 stars
1 review
June 9, 2020
all of the people writing negative reviews would not know what a good manga is. They are just morons. This is a great read. When I first picked it up I did not stop till the end.
2 reviews
July 21, 2020
I liked how it turned out to be funny and other people mistaken them as a boy and the other girl, their reactions were hilarious to see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Vee.
116 reviews18 followers
Read
January 18, 2022
I found this in my local library and thought it was a sweet romance - alas, it’s not! This book definitely needs TW for sexual assault, body shaming and drug use.
Profile Image for Ash.
887 reviews7 followers
July 3, 2022
2-2.5 stars. wtf did I just read 😭 I thought it was gonna ve about music and them being in a band 😭😭
Profile Image for L. Luck.
684 reviews12 followers
June 5, 2023
What the fuck. What the absolute fuck. Not recommended.

Warnings for sexual harassment, sexual assault, attempted (on-page) and completed (off-page) r@pe
Profile Image for DonutKnow.
3,383 reviews49 followers
September 7, 2023
Whew, this series is more intense than I thought! 😳😲
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Francine.
1,187 reviews30 followers
February 9, 2024
It starts off really cute, and then it ends with two to three counts of attempted rape.

I do like the gender of it all. But I'm afraid the male lead has lost all my interest at this point.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews

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