Despite being a standard high school study in a lot of ways, it’s also got a lot of refreshing elements.
The art style is pretty distinct and gives the overall manga its own “character”. Pair that with how our main cast of characters all feel like actual gen Z teenagers—a bit odd with their own quirks but still very obviously young people navigating relationships and life—who are all getting opportunities to grow and you e got an unexpectedly tender, earnest little story here.
I’m really blown away by how good this story is and how much I appreciate every relationship developing here. (Taira and Azuma are my dark horse fave I didn’t see coming.)
Anyway.
Definitely check out this story! I’m so interested to see where it goes~
As much as I like the Suzuki and Tani relationship that started this manga, its beating heart this time is watching Yamada and Nishi figure themselves out. Especially with Nishi’s ongoing confidence issues.
Yamada is no less prone to getting lost on his way to a conclusion, but Nishi just can’t really bring herself to conceive of Yamada liking her. Even though the signs are all there and they are already dating in all but name.
This being high school, lots of people get involved in this mess. What really made this for me was two separate parts - the first comes when Honda gently nudges Nishi towards Yamada after reflecting on their own friendship. Their dynamic is very sweet and comes from a different place than it would first seem.
The second moment comes from Nishi herself, but you’ll just have to read the manga for that one. You’ll know it when you see it - it’s one of those ‘happy cheering’ moments you don’t see enough of and I was thrilled to see it.
Not to say the rest of the story is bad either - this cast is shockingly good to watch pal around with one another. It really feels like a group of friends who enjoy one another’s company and also meddling in one another’s love lives.
It’s saying something that Yamada and Nishi steal this volume for me, since the Taira and Azuma moments here are so good. I love that Taira is barely noticing the changes in his patterns, funny how the two of them start sharing a train trip, since his default is to dwell on everything he’s ever done wrong in his life.
And Azuma has a type, so her going against that is a foreign concept, even if that mindset has brought her nothing but misery up to this point. It absolutely explains why she’s confused about what she’s feeling, even if it couldn’t be more obvious.
These two are a perfect example of people whose learned behaviours are actively keeping them from being happy. Even as drawn out as it is, I haven’t minded the slow progress between them because there is progress. Just in little fits and starts, manifested as small changes.
Tani and Suzuki get more than their fair share of little moments - White Day might be the cutest it has ever been - yet it was still a smart move to have shifted focus to these other couples. Having them on the periphery hasn’t made them any less fun, instead they now function like the sprinkles on a sundae. A welcome extra.
Between the unique art style and the delicious characterization that doesn’t feel like it’s forcing these characters apart for any reason except that it’s believable they’d behave that way, it’s hard to fault this much. It may not have a big message, but as fun romances go it is difficult to beat.
I suppose it also says something about the manga’s writing, or my own incredible obliviousness, that I only realized with this volume that every single pairing we have seen throughout the story could fit the title of the series. Nice touch.
4.5 stars - this brings a real hit of serotonin that I greatly appreciated and I love watching these goofs be goofy. Just because it’s lighthearted doesn’t mean it can’t be excellent.
I love the relationships in this story. All of the characters feel mature while still seeming like high school characters which I really appreciate.
I also like that we are getting to see the side couples develop as well as the main couple. It really feels like this story is about everyone, not just the two main characters. Sometimes in manga that can be annoying, but I feel like it’s really well done here.
4.5 stars. Cute. This had a bit of sadness or growing pains as the group finishes up their second year. I liked the Valentine's Day and White Day stuff. The character development is interesting.
As you might expect from its cover, most of this volume was about Yamada and Nishi, which made me happy. Their relationship is adorable, and I really loved how the confession ended up happening. It showed a ton of growth for Nishi, and really balanced out their dynamic in some important ways. Plus it's super cute to see how Yamada's brain empties out with happiness whenever he's with Nishi...if she could just see that, she'd stop obsessing so much over whether she's saying the right things!
Suzuki and Tani also had some cute moments, but the other big storylines were Taira's and Azuma's.
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Azuma's butterflies realization at the end. Not everything needs to be a romantic connection, and there's a depth of a genuine friendship between those two that matters more than romance at this point. It's kind of how Suzuki has solid male friends like Yamada; it's different from how she is with Tani, but it's so important to have bonds beyond romance to keep you anchored and to give you someone to talk to.
And Taira and Azuma really are doing well at opening up to each other and showing that they value their connection. He's even getting comfortable enough to kind of laugh around her, despite years of trauma from being told that he sounds weird and creepy. (Azuma does secretly think he has a kind of weird laugh, too, but not in a bad way.)
I appreciated that Taira did some self-reflection and realized that leaning into understanding his trauma doesn't mean he's actually growing or changing at all. He's just using past bad experiences as an excuse to not move forward. So that's an important step in the right direction.
This volume we see a step back from Tani and Suzuki to focus on the other blooming relationships.
While I am happy for the focus on the others, I honestly love Tani and Suzuki so much. But this focus does allow a deeper character growth for Taira, Azuma, Yamada and Nishi.
I did find myself enjoying these characters more as they get more developed, but I don't think they'll ever steal the spotlight for me. I do find myself enjoying the relationship between Taira and Azuma more than Yamada and Nishi though. Nishi just isn't my favorite of them but I do like seeing how Yamada reacts around her.
Overall, this volume was good. Not my favorite thus far but it does explore the other relationships. I just really like Suzuki and Tani the best.
4 stars the second couple stole my heart. from the moment i noticed this potential couple i really loved them. i like them more than the main couple. i love tani and suzuki, but the series is almost finished and i still struggle to see tani's personality at times. he is a great character, but he is still the less interesting character, compared to the others. yamada and nishi have very distinct personalities and i think that's why people love them so much i find it weird that the author doesn't let us see tani and suzuki kiss. they kissed on valentine's day, right?
Tani and Suzuki take a back seat as all the side couples do their thing, I especially love Yamada and Nishi being so awkward. Nishi being so shy and self-conscious while Yamada is too stupid to remember to confess his feelings! Then we have Taira and Azuma, seriously I love Azuma so much she's so blunt and funny.
I must say, I did not expect to love Taira and Azuma, but love them I do! I adore Nishi and Yamada (RIP Yamada’s phone). We see less of Suzuki and Tani in this volume, as we’re focusing more on the side couples, but they were still as great as ever.
Although, I’m still not convinced Gapacho is real. Yamada’s gonna need to introduce him to us at some point.
I’m not going to lie, I understand why Taira is such a relatable character to a lot of people, but I’m personally still not 100% sold on him. I think I’m gonna like him a lot better when he finally learns to let go, like Azuma, but we’re not quite there yet. Soon…
Yes! They're dating! finally! I stinking love this couple! I love that she's so shy, and that he loves how she laughs at everything! Get me a man like that. Absolutely precious and i can't believe she confessed first! Now i just need depressed boy with unbothered girl....lol
This series is a really cute slice of life! We focused more on the side characters in this volume, but it was still really enjoyable. The art style isn’t the best at times, but it’s not too bothersome.
This focused a lot more on our second couple which is my fav so loved that. Our first couple is still there and very cute. And we have a potential third couple, we shall see.
Finally Nishi! Everyone is coupling up and it's so stinking cute! Taira is so teen angst coded. Gotta love it! My faves are so solid, they can share the spotlight 💕