Not So Shoujo Love Story, Vol. 1

Not So Shoujo Love Story #1

by Curryuku, Lavender Ice (Art Assistant), Smooth_Poser (Art Assistant)

Life rarely looks like a shoujo manga...

Rei Chan’s quest for the perfect high school romance looks more like a comedy of errors when her would-be rival confesses to her instead!

School delinquent and manga superfan Rei is ready for her perfect love story to begin, and she knows just who it’ll be with: Hansum, the most popular boy in school. But her plans are derailed when her main rival for Hansum’s affections, star classmate Hanna, suddenly confesses her feelings for Rei instead!

Rei mistakes Hanna’s confession for a declaration of war—but Hanna is determined to break through and prove that her feelings are genuine. Will their bumpy start on a comedic roller coaster of basketball brawls, corn-chip competitions, and the occasional alien sighting ultimately lead to a romance fit for a shoujo manga?

Collects episodes 1–15 of the popular WEBTOON series Not So Shoujo Love Story, along with exclusive, never-before-seen content and a bonus short story!

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, LGBT, Romance, Comics, Yuri, Queer

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Freefall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

(i'll probably need to edit this a few times because i'm currently writing very incoherently imo)

there is absolutely no reason to give this a rating lower than 4 ⭐ and if you do give it a lower rating than that i fear that i don't like you.

this was funny in all the right ways, and i honestly can't believe how well-placed the various poop, pee, booger, fart, etc jokes were. i can't lie, i've missed poop jokes since they're seen as immature, but this webtoon fully embraces immaturity, but it's also impossible to mistake it for cheap-humored. not with the surprisingly complex characters and the interpersonal relationships between rei and hanna.

the story navigates rei's life as she exists in a state of slight delusion (in no way an insult, i mean how do you think yours truly is surviving the horror story of reality?) while hanna attempts to woo her. the best part about the story slightly imitating shoujo manga while written by someone who understands realism is the fact that neither the main character nor the love interest is two-dimensional.

anime and manga in general can be very shallow (and objectifying) when characterizing, but the more you consume these formats japanese content, the more you realize anime itself is very multifaceted. i liked that the depth of nssls's characters wasn't something you had to reach deep down for, because there was a nice balance of wearing their hearts on their sleeves and concealing their emotions.

not just the mcs, but the secondary characters like susan and hansum have their own lore and extremely interesting stories. especially hansum. you know he's an alien but you just can't prove it.

--
currently reading:

this YURIIII story is so fucking funny and i NEED yall to read this. free cure for depression!

IS THAT A PIDGEON?! 🦋 (/ref)

(i'm going to respond to all the comments with out of pocket references)

[Readergirl {hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED THANK YOU FREEFALLINA lmao i don't think I've laughed/ giggled as much as I did the past two days reading this manhwa like EVER. this was fucking hilarious man.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

And I mean unabashedly unhingedly funny...which I'll argue is the best kind of funny 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

disclaimer- oh yea btw i can't be bothered to log the manhwa in as different volums since I read this in an insanely short while on webtoons, if you don't wanna get spoilers or anything while reading the first volume, pls feel free to skip cuz I'll be talking about a few plot points that may have already occured cuz I genuinely don't remember every "vol" contents.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

And meanwhile this was a very funny lighthearted webtoon, id also like to bring up the fucking ANGST BRO the angst was very much ANGSTING thank you very much THEY LITERALLY CONFESS LIKE 102 EPS IN STFU I WAS GIGGLING AT MY YURI CONFESSION AT 2 AM WHILE ALSO "PREPARING" FOR MY MATH TEST LIKE A HORMONAL TEENAGER I DEIGN TO BE SOMETIMES LEAVE ME ALONE- also..if you were wondering yea it went horribly, the math test i mean, but it was gonna be like that either way so i would MUCH rather be giggling over my crazy funny yuri

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

And meanwhile this was a very funny AND angsty webtoon, I'd also like to talk Abt how fucking relationship this thing was at times, i genuinely rly loved how it handled the apprehension of coming out or liking another girl where you only thought that there were only ever could be "the perfect guy" for you. I rly liked that element of jst...actually finding yourself while figuring out these intense romantic emotions that almost feel alienating to whaat you ever thought Abt yourself.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

THREE WORDS. PIXIE. CUT. REP. HUZZAH. As a pixie cut babe myself I'll never not love pixie cut rep it brings me joy cuz I've been rly "taunted" over the length of my hair by rly shitty people, whom I handled like a boss babe ofc *cracks knuckles cutely 🎀*

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Overall id say...go read this cure for sadness...jst go read it shoo shoo

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

⋆. 𐙚 ˚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
Ahem, so ik I don't usually do this with the mangas/hwas i read but this shit is jst too funny to not do that so um here goes

chap 1- that's actually the valid reaction to someone crumpling your LIMITED ED LIKE WTF ARE THEY THINKING IMMA BEAT THEIR ASS TOO

Somehow STILL chap 1- LMAO she did the "so you think I'm pretty? ✨✨" trend help 😭😭

Somehow ALSO STILL chap 1- okay so this should've technically been the first one but "Hansum ochinchin" being the guy's name sends me to fucking mars giggling 😭😭 lol WHAT A NAME HOW DID THE AUTHOR COME UP WITH THAT THATS LIKE PEAK COMEDY AND OMIGOSH THE DRAWING HELP 😭😭💀💀💀

(so she finally reached) chap 2 - "HEY YO TONY WHERE YOU GET THAT FRESH PEPPERONI"...girl that's the first thing you say to her?? I'm crine bro stop 😭😭😭
HEY YKW YOUR FAV CHARACTER IN THE MANGA DYING IS ACTUALLY A VALID EXCUSE TO GO HOME. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

chap 4- "my chinbley senses are chinning" dear LORDS HELP ME LEST I SHOULD DIE OF TOO MUCH LAUGHTER 💀💀

chap 23- *a LITERAL FUCKING 🦋* "iS tHaT a pIdGeOn" NO BROTHER ITS LITERALLY NOT-💀😭✋

chap 27- OKAY SO YK THE *MOST* UNBELIVABLE THING ABT THIS MANGA?? ITS THAT REI READS A LOT OF MANGAS AND SHE HASNT READ A SINGLE YURI
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

⋆. 𐙚 ˚𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
Freefallina told us to go read it rn so I did cuz I trust freefallina with my life 🙂‍↕️ I'm so down bad for you freeee like notice me freefallina
ALSO this better cure my depression i swear-

[Tigris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha, imagine my surprise when I'm on my manga haul and I find this gem on the shelves! I didn't know this was even being printed! I just had to snag a copy, felt like my duty haha.

This is probably one of the funniest series I've read. Honestly, my sense of comedy is not that high at all so don't expect anything comedically ground breaking, but I've just always found it hilarious how this author uses facial expressions, bizarre punchlines and silly characters to it's fullest extent. It's really bizarre and random and that's exactly what I love about it. The whole shtick is that it's poking fun at typical tropes in not just anime, but romance and other stories in general, and I think it's done so well. Add on the fact that it's a queer story about two girls, one who loves (and does cheesy lines) with all her heart and one who's whole worldview is being questioned, it's just a good time. They're stupid, they're over the top, but damn if I don't love every second of it.

It's humor and story might not be for everyone but you can check it out for free on Webtoon, and I'd highly recommend it.

Edit 07/10/2026: The origional review is from june 2025, don't know why it updated to today when I reread the book but oh well.

[Jordaline Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

words can't convey how much I love this series

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A silly satire of romance manga ekes out success through high energy antics, scenery chewing, and lots of potty humor. I'm just not sure how this nonsense goes on for another hundred episodes without becoming that which it parodies or plain tiresome.

Well, I have the second volume on hand from the library, so we'll see how it goes.


FOR REFERENCE:

Collects episodes 1-15 of the WEBTOON series with a bonus story.

Contents: Chapters 1-5 -- Bonus -- Afterword

[pears ✧ ☽ ☼ ଳ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so fun and unserious 😭 i remember reading the first 20 chapters as it was coming out (back when i was heavily in my webtoon phase lol). I’ve seen some people talk about it recently, I’m glad I decided to come back to it!

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is sooo good. Hansum please have my kids 😂

[nuv ☽˚.⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so goofy and stupid... I love it...

[Mehsi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this WebComic from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.


Wow, this looked absolutely fabulous, but boy I hated every minute of it.

Let’s start with the art. I thought it would look like the cover would. Maybe some silly moments. Like with how True Beauty at times has it for reactions and stuff but the rest is gorgeous. But no, the art is full on trollololo from the start with only a few moments of bliss and happiness. I wonder why this was chosen, because it is really off-putting and if I had known that this was the way the story would have been told I would have NOT requested this one.

Next up are the character. Our MC Rei can just fuck off to hell where she comes from. This sounds harsh, but lord the girl is just rude. Constantly calling people normies, constantly making remarks about people when they don’t know about an anime/manga/whatever else she is into at the moment, she has delusions constantly and seems to think she truly lives in some kind of romcom, she was so angry so many times and well in the end I even wanted to punch her. She cannot see farther than her own nose, I mean there are so many obvious hints, but instead of just listening or looking any further she makes some really harmful comments and remarks. Like in regards to her love interest and Hanna. She immediately assumes that they must be in love and romantically active because people are shipping them + she has those delusions that this is exactly like her manga/comics, the hot president and the hot vice president, both popular, so they must be together. Or when posters appear with a photograph that could be taken in many ways she immediately assumes it is Hanna because she carries posters (which are clearly ripped and crumpled, but hey, and why would she make a poster of HERSELF with YOU???????). Seriously, Rei, fuck off to lala land.

Then there is the bullying which was horrific and ewwww.

The love interest, I am sorry but I couldn’t take any of that serious. That chin. That attitude. The whole is he an alien or not???? I don’t see why everyone was so hot for him. Then again, maybe if he wasn’t drawn in such a trollololo way I would have understood, now nah.

The dream that Rei had at the end, what the actual fuck girl.

Hanna, the only normal girl. Well, OK. She is a bit obsessed with Rei and she is going very far to get her to notice her which annoyed me at times (though those flirting tips and how she executed them made me laugh so hard). But I think if this book had been from Hanna’s POV I would have liked it just a bit more. Hanna was trying her best, Hanna was really sweet. She just needs to chill out in regards to love. XD

So yeah, bad MC, horrible art. sighs The blurb and the cover looked so good. Foiled again. sighs Not sure if I would recommend this one.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

GIRL NO PUEDO CREER QUE CASI ME ACABÉ LA PRIMERA TEMPORADA EN UNA SENTADA

¿Qué es lo bueno de este webtoon? TODO, LITERALMENTE TODO, me encanta lo gracioso y estúpido que es todo al inicio y cómo conforme va pasando todo se va profundizando lentamente sin dejar de lado ese toque cómico, ME ENCANTA HANSUM KQNDIWNDKWKD LO AMO OKEY, amo tanto que los personajes no parezcan niñxs chiquitxs y que todos tengan algo particular, NO SÉ NO SÉ CÓMO EXPLICARLO.

Amo a Rei, amo el desarrollo de Rei, amo que traten el tema del comphet, amo que nos muestren tanto la historia de una como de la otro Y QUE LOS INCLUSO LOS PERSONAJES SECUNDARIOS TENGAN UN TRASFONDO; amo a Susan, la adoro con mi alma, ojalá que ella también tenga un final feliz.

De verdad que ninguna historia me había hecho sentir tantas cosas bonitas en mucho tiempo.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The one redeeming quality for this whole thing was Rei’s character design. It was gross (why so many poop jokes??), weird, and very much over the top, and not in a clever/funny/satirical way. I was expecting something more like Romantic Killer, and I think that’s what this wanted to be but it had zero depth or anything to actually say

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly silly and charming

[Shu Yi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did take a bit to get overly into this. And tbh, I am still not invested BUT I did enjoy when we got to more poigant story beats. It's not a super super amazingly written story so far. It is simple and easy to understand story, but I do enjoy it and want to continue.

I didn't enjoy the more comedic bits as it isn't really my style of humour and I kinda found it annoying at the start but further into the volume, it became bearable as the story felt like it had substance and thus the comedy didn't feel like a waste of time.

3 stars I guess is a bit of a low rating for something I want to keep reading, but as I said before, it's not complex at all so far but I don't really think stories need to be something new. I enjoy the simplicty of it, but despite my enjoyment, it doesn't warrant a higher ranking yet

[rosie ୭ ˚. !! · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so soooooooo hilarious


(using just this volume to mark my whole reading status since I read on webtoon)

[L.E. Hallows · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.
To this day remains my all-time favourite Webtoon. It’s funny, it’s witty, the romance is very well-paced and the characters and the journeys they go through feel so real. I started reading this whenI was in high school and saw myself so much in these characters. I’m so glad to have finally bought the physical version. Thank you author for bringing this story to life!

[Ken Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty wacky! The best visual joke is the chicken costume falling on Hansum and perfectly aligning to his chin

[Vanna Book-Mage · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was crazy! I’ve never read the WEBTOON so I didn’t know what to expect, but that was hilariously unexpected.

[Maya]

im sorry this book is fucking cringe, the trope is overused, its very rushed, too many poop jokes, its just bad overall. i feel like this was a fanfiction written by a 6 year old getting into bts?? and they published it as a manga

[Jackie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of these reviews are crazy harsh. This is a simple, funny, and beautifully drawn comic. The story can be a bit cringe in some places. Rei is definitely an airhead when it comes to her idea of basically trying to live a romcom irl. Hanna’s quirky obsessive personality is funny and charming. I’ve been following this on webtoons and the creator has made significant improvements to the characters and storyline. Highly recommend downloading webtoons (it’s free) to preview a few chapters and decide for yourself. Skip around and check out the art transformation. This is quite enjoyable and I can’t wait for the next parts to be released in print.

[Kassidy VanGundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me chuckle

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be honest—this was too cringe for me to really enjoy.

If you are a chronically online girlie who finds Internet humor—particularly memes about manga and/or otaku culture—to be not only funny but charming, you may be the target audience for this story.

Otherwise, I can’t imagine who would really enjoy the experience of reading this????

Even if you are looking for any breadcrumb of wlw content, I can’t imagine this would satisfy you. Is the central couple cute? Yes, when they aren’t being hyperbolically cringe.

But—and I can’t stress this enough—every character in this story is ALWAYS being HYPERBOLICALLY CRINGE.

So, yeah.

Readers beware~

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not So Shoujo Love Story is about two high school girls looking for love. Rei is obsessed with Hansum, the popular new boy at school who has a triangle chin. Hanna is in love with Rei but her confession goes awry. This was a struggle for me to finish. Based on the cover, I thought I'd enjoy the art style, but it was much more exaggerated in the actual story, and the humor was much more juvenile than I was anticipating. I'm sure younger readers who love Shoujo manga will find enjoyment from this as well. Thanks to VIZ media and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read some of this on Webtoons some years ago and really enjoyed it, however I didn't enjoy it all that much this time. It's a bit too juvenile for me but I imagine younger readers who like shoujo manga will enjoy it more. There were so so many fart jokes and alongside the homophobic classmates, high school drama, and mean girls it really just wore me out.

[Santeelah Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this manga is absolutely hilarious and i was genuinely laughing every 3-5 pages😭 if this patron doesn’t bring the second volume back by tomorrow, i’m fighting them and then buying my own copies for my shelf.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm seeing some pretty harsh reviews, and I promise, the series gets MUCH better. Remember that this web comic started years and years ago and the author has improved substantially. Even reading this as a longtime fan, the beginning of Rei and Hanna's story simply isn't comparable to where the series is now. I truly hope the negative reviewers will give the series another chance as more issues come out. The humour improves, some relatable themes are tackled (such as compulsory heterosexuality), and the character development is fantastic. ESPECIALLY Rei's character development.

I promise, this is one worth sticking around for, especially if you're a fan of slow burn.

As a fan of the series, I'm happy to finally own the beginning of the story in physical form! The bonus chapter is adorable, and I love the new art for each chapter.

Congratulations on the physical release, Curry!

[Kait W · Rating 3 out of 5]

For people who like slapstick/blunt humor and random/chaotic gags, this is a series that really leans into that style in order to invert a lot of common shoujo tropes. The best way I can describe it is goofy. At first the exaggerated art/situations left me uninterested, but I was pleasantly surprised by the end and found my interest piqued to see how Rei's feelings toward Hanna may be changing and also finding out there may be more to Hansum's backstory. I was unfortunately not a fan of a lot of the art choices made in depicting several scenes, but the general style was well developed. I do not currently plan to read further volumes, but I would still recommend it to readers whose interests seem more aligned with this story's genre/humor.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga has been a crucial part of my growing up due to how many times I’ve read it, I remember when curryuku uploaded on webtoon the announcement that they would become a part of the originals. As a young lesbian I was so happy to see such a silly manga turn into something greater, although I was so stressed to not see any new uploads for such a long time, I’m really happy to see how far it’s gotten. As I’m sure many other people feel proud as well, the lighthearted content within it and its odd humor is something that not many know of, which is why I think this is a perfect read for anyone who wants something fun and gayyyy.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes! I’m seeing a lot of negative reviews, but honestly… it’s irrelevant. What many people don’t realize is that this story has been around for years! This is not some brand new creation out of nowhere. If you’ve been around since the earlier versions, you’ll notice how much growth and care has gone into this story. And even if you’re new, give it a chance to evolve before making a snap judgment.

Absolutely love Curry and their dedication to this series. You’ll come to see it comes from a place of passion and long term world building. I’ll definitely continue to support this journey, it’s only getting better from here!

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious! Thank you so much to edelweiss and VIZ Media for letting me read an early copy of this! I hadn't seen the Webtoon before, but it's definitely rushed way up my list of manga to read. Rei Chan was so obnoxious and ridiculous, and Hanna was just so persistent and the combination of the two was hysterical. What's going on with Hansum Chinochin? The world may never know haha!
funny, lighthearted, fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this manga from the library and appreciated the full color but have mixed feelings about the illustrations themselves. This story feels like a mashup of Twelfth Night and Mean Girls. There is a tomboy-type character who crushes on the prominently chinned senior class president while the friendly and gorgeous junior class president’s sapphic swooning for the tomboy completes the love triangle. This was fine but I’m ok missing out on any future installments.