Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love!, Volume 1

by mamakari

In the vein of A Silent Voice and Perfect World, Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love is poised to be a breakout manga series! Meet Yumeko, an introverted young woman who suffers amnesia after a car accident and suddenly becomes a new person―outgoing, self-confident, and ready to take on the world.

Yumeko has never been happy – with herself, her job, her looks, her life. But after surviving a serious accident, she wakes from a coma with a completely different outlook. Where she was once withdrawn and self-conscious, she has suddenly become outgoing and absolutely in love with herself and everything around her.

Those who know her are shocked by Yumeko’s personality shift, but quickly find themselves drawn to her positive energy and joy.

Everything seems to be going right for Yumeko. That is, until she learns the accident that transformed her might have been an attempt on her life. Will Yumeko be able to keep living her best life, or will the mystery of what truly happened cause her to slip back into her old self?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Mystery, Drama, Josei, Comics

192 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

Reviews

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, there are some pluses but more cons here? I give it credit for not entirely shitting on fat women; but not a lot of credit.

The pros:
- plus size protagonist. Not one that is like a US 8, but actually plus size.
- MC is confident. And genuinely so.
- The VP actually enjoys her company and not just because she's the only woman that gives him the time of day

The cons:
- It's not really progressive if the plus size MC has confidence and literally everyone else laughs at her for it. It might be somewhat realistic, but it's a shame that not one single person (not even the VP) thinks the MC could find any confidence in her appearance
- the detective and her 2 male coworkers were downright evil. It's hard to root for any other character aside from the MC when not a single person stuck up for her

However, I really like Kouda and I want to see how this ends.

[Sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I thought this was so much fun. Just so much fun.

There's a scene in this book where the protagonist, Yumeko, sees notes she wrote herself in the past, calling herself ugly and a pig, and overall saying horrible things to herself. She decides on the next page to write herself a page of encouragement and support instead. I swear, I almost started crying in the middle of the Starbucks I was in. A lot of stories tout a lot about self love and self acceptance. But I really feel like this volume displayed both the highs and the lows of that so well. You have to be the person who's most in your own corner. If you are, you'll always have a solid base and yourself to rely on. Always be your beautiful, wonderful self.

I saw a few criticisms of this that there's no point in our protagonist being over-the-top confident in herself as a plus-sized woman if no one else agrees with her or takes her seriously. Most of the characters are downright cruel. But to be honest, I disagree.
To me the only thing that mattered to me was that she loved herself more than anything. She didn't even listen a smidge to the other people who had shit to say. Yumeko is our lovable protagonist, and yes, she is beautiful, cute, stunning, and all the things she ascribes to herself. The most important person who needs to recognize that is Yumeko herself, so all the other people can keep talking as much as they want. As a chubby person myself, that was all that mattered to me -- watching this gorgeous girl dazzle and believe in herself, AS WELL AS completely ignoring narrow minded and judgemental people. She doesn't have to please anyone except herself, and that really inspired me.
I think the fact that she heard those people say those cruel things again and again and didn't even think twice about it, always ignoring them and never doubting her own beauty for even a single second, was so, so much more empowering than having her actually end up being a girl that everyone praises overnight.

This book just made me feel really happy and warm inside. I'm so not used to seeing anything like this and it just did my heart so much good. I'm really, really interested in the mystery aspect of this, too. It reminded me a lot of the movie "13 Going on 30", where there's so much hidden in the protagonist's life that the protagonist herself isn't aware of. I'm so excited for the second volume!

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did someone say CONFIDENT??

Because this ****QUEEN**** is who I aspire to be, all day ever day

She is the sun, she is the air, she is the goddess of love

Yumeko thinks she's the best, she knows she's the best, and soon so will you

While the main character is amazing, there is also a truly lovely side cast of interesting, flawed characters and the office stuff that is going on (making novelty sweets like Ramune-flavored crisps) is actually quite interesting.

Also, the murder plot!! Did someone try to assassinate Yumeko (who allegedly tried to off herself, but did she????)

This is a long-running, slow moving series with emphasize on character development. Nothing here is rushed and I feel like the cast keeps expanding to include more interesting people!

A gem among josei manga. (I have read the first 9 volumes so far)

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why are people so cruel to people who aren’t their own ideal standard? I will never understand the obsession with someone else’s weight. Worry about yourself. If you have enough time to pick someone else apart, maybe you should get a hobby. I hear knitting is enjoyable?!

Okay! Inner monologue complete. I feel better.

This book starts with a bang. Yumeko wakes up in an ambulance going in and out of consciousness. During those in between times, we hear her ask to just be allowed to die and yet, when we see her fully wake up in a bed at the hospital, all of her past memories are gone. The doctors say she has retrograde amnesia after an attempted suicide by jumping from a fourth story of a building.

With the memory loss, she wakes up a completely different person. Before she was quiet and gloomy, but now she’s vibrant and happy. She’s left behind the girl that people looked down on and belittled. She talks about how beautiful and smart she is. She’s become the person I want to be when I look in the mirror every day, letting the negative and hate comments disappear as soon as they’re made towards her.

Even though she got away with only some cuts and a little memory loss (okay, a lot of it), way too soon, she’s returning to work, picking up where she left off. Something feels off the moment she walks in there. Mainly because she’s bringing a new uplifting energy to a space she used to be silent and withdrawn within. But also, when she sees her boss, her hands start to sweat. 😳

When she gets a call from the police to follow up on her “accident,” she’s told that what the doctors were calling suicide may have in fact been attempted murder. But who would’ve wanted to hurt her? If only she could remember.

I love Yumeko. She sees the self doubt and body dysmorphia she used to have as something sad. She wants to cheer her old self up by writing notes to the person she was. It was so sweet and she needs to be protected at all costs. I, like most people reading this story, am wondering if she gets back her memories, will the old personality return with them?

I’m immediately going into the second volume, because I need to know what happens with her and the cute guy she met in the park who happens to be the VP of the company she works for… he also has some kind of backstory and drama that I need to know about!!!

Thank you to Harper Alley for sending me a copy of the book!!

[Taylor Hart]

This was a fun read. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the story line so far has peaked my interest more than I thought. Although there is a hint of the beginnings of romance the book has a mystery element that keeps things intriguing. Also, love Koda and her bubbly confidence. Reading brought a smile to my face and I look forward to seeing what happens next!

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure how I feel about this one... I'd read more, just to see where it goes.

[Michela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just knew I would love this and I did! It was every bit as charming as I expected and the mystery part is super exciting!

[robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

no suelo leer este tipo de género, pero me gustó?? no sé cuántos volúmenes leí, pero me enganché con los capítulos

[Flávia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No me esperaba nada y me reí muchísimo, me pasé una buena tarde entretenida con este personaje. Me encantó el tipo de humor y además la parte de misterio policial no es obvia e insulsa, lo que da un plus a la historia (pun intended).

[Alice B · Rating 5 out of 5]

So refreshing to see an actually plus sized protagonist in a romance manga- and she’s so cute! I love seeing all of Yumeko’s styles, and love that there is a real mystery driving the story. Yes, the story does include negativity towards the plus size MC’s body from outsiders, but any fat person will know that unfortunately that is the lived reality for a lot of us. What is gorgeous about this manga is that our MC lets other people’s crappy opinions roll off her like water off a duck’s back. The fact that newfound Yumeko’s confidence outshines the negativity in the world around her is lovely and endearing, even if her past self couldn’t see her beauty. This is the first manga I’ve read since I was a teenager and it has made me love the medium again. It’s so cute!

[Michelle Tuite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading 2025
Book 129: Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love!, Volume 1 by mamakari

A friend gave me this book to try. I have read some good manga and thought what the heck I will give this one a go as well.

Synopsis: This is the story of a woman who has an accident and forgets much of her past. She has a chance to make something new of herself, her career, and her love life.

Review: Well, this was an unexpected delight. I read the book in one sitting, page turning the whole way. My rating 4⭐️.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not the type of book I typically read, but I am glad I did. The characters are interesting and the main character is quite bubbly, positive, and a fun role model for always assuming the best of others. The illustrations are fun and expressive, too. I like that this story contains an element of mystery.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, funny, motivational, inspiring, cool and even intriguing! I must get my hands on the next one VERY SOON!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.

After a mysterious accident wiped all of her memories, Yumeko awakens as an entirely new person with a fresh look on life and with a striking confidence and energy. She begins going to work even though she doesn’t remember anything about her role in the company. Along the way, she stumbles upon a sickly man in the park who bears a resemblance to someone occupying a large chunk of a secret photo album on her phone! Once at work, she contributes ideas and pitches in a sales meeting and manages to get a project approved despite her memory lapse. A semi-jealous but helpful coworker helps her prepare for her sales pitch meeting in front of upper management, what could arguably be the most important meeting of her career.

There are elements of mystery sprinkled throughout what is otherwise a comedy starring the one woman show, Yumeko. She had confidence pouring off of her, but those around her don’t share in her outlook on life. Other characters make rude comments behind Yumeko’s back, making this a heartbreaking but realistic depiction of the hardships of being a plus-sized person unable to escape the negativity regardless of the positivity one might exude. There are aspects about this story that may be refreshingly positive for readers as they find comfort in Yumeko's attitude despite the world around her, but others might find the chatter annoying or distracting.

Harper rates this for Older Teen. It's theorized Yumeko's accident could have been suicide and she finds a notebook with self-deprecating thoughts, but the suicide theory is later ruled out. There are also mentions of adulterous affairs and folks sneaking around to have trysts, but nothing is seen on page in this volume.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

This review was made possible with a copy provided by the publisher.

[Kei · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very rare that I read this type of manga, I usually like BL o yaoi mangas, but the premise on this one was really interesting to pass up. To have a main character that's plus size in so comfortable in her own skin, and confident is such a breath of fresh air, I thought that those aspects of her personality made her very endearing. I love the fact that the story kinda has this mystery element to resolve with her fall down the stairs, you can't help but suspect everyone. Meanwhile, you also see this main character creating a found family with the people on her workplace, and I really like that. As per the art style, I'm not a big fan, as well as some of the jokes are a bit distasteful. The speech bubbles and the dialogues were really well done, and you can see the uniqueness of each character through to them. Overall, this wasn't my favorite manga of the year, but it's definitely one that I would like to continue

[Corvid Crossroads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this out of curiosity, because I saw people online praising it as a body positive manga. It probably is by some standards, but I found it to be kind of regressive. More often than not, the joke is “can you believe she likes herself?” But there are positive elements. For example, her crush seems to like her back right away, there’s no caveat of “I’d like you more if you lost weight.” The main character is really likeable and I found her cute and inspirational. The mystery also is compelling. However, I was reading it on a website that gave me the first 4 volumes free and the rest I would pay for, and I didn’t find it compelling enough to purchase the rest. I might read it one day when I have more money than I know what to do with.

[Sophy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows a plus-size woman whose personality changes dramatically after she loses her memory following an incident that’s initially believed to be a suicide attempt—though the police don’t think that’s what happened. They believe someone tried to kill her, but she can’t remember anything. Her memories start coming back in pieces, and I can’t wait to find out what really happened to her. I’m also curious whether her personality will shift back once she remembers everything, or if she’ll keep her new, positive attitude. The art in this book is so well done.

[rads · Rating 4 out of 5]

banger.
ive read upto chapter 71. and this certainly has its flaws. yumeko's positivity can verge on toxic, the romance is a bit weak, some of the plot is convenient, there are some problems with the fat rep. but I love the friendships, the characters are flawed but really likable, yumeko's self love is wonderful, as is the "everyone is beautiful" message. what i really love about this, though, is the mystery suspense element. im on the edge of my seat to know what happened. will definitely pick these up physically at some point.

[Nancy Gisvold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book completely different from what I have read in the past. It was interesting to read in a different kind of format. I enjoyed the main character in the book. She was very cheerful and had an uplifting spirit. She was optimistic and sure of herself. Her attitude help raise the spirits of her coworkers and help them be successful in their work. The book ended on mild cliffhanger and makes a person want to read the next book.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga opens up with Yumeko losing her memory after an accident. Did she harm herself or is someone out to get her? That is the mystery that is Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love! I appreciate the actual plus-sized representation and positive self talk from Yumeko throughout the story and found a lot of realism in the way outsiders treated her. I found the manga easy to follow and the pacing laid out well. I'm excited for the next book.

Thank you Harper Alley for the gifted copy.

[Chloe Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheerfully uplifting, ‘Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love’ follows a young woman who develops amnesia after an accident and subsequently finds a new outlook on life. Optimistic and sure of herself, our heroine helps to raise the spirits of her coworkers and those around her whilst uncovering the mystery of her accident. I really enjoyed this volume, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes.

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked: The main character is a real plus sized gal. I liked the office setting. I like the semi mystery of did she try and take her life or was it worse?

Things I did not like: The misogyny. The fat jokes. The being mean to the fat girl still. The fact that our main character is a bit naive and very clueless.

What I will do next: find volume two

*Triggers*

[Fatimah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character is so positive and funny, I wish I had that kind of confidence
Although I'm scared to know what really happened to her. I hope she'll not feel betrayed in any way and is able to stay positive even after getting her memories back

[Riah · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOO cute ☺️. I’m so happy I was lucky enough to win this in a giveaway! I can’t wait for more to come. 😭

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Different style of reading

[Alexa V · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Francis Dominic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeply in love with her confidence.

She feels like an ICON!

Truly.

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholesome office romance silliness, rightly taking issue with an office in which it is considered fine to devise soda flavoured crisps but not for a large person to consider themselves attractive.

[Rubious Macias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute introduction to the series, I am feeling very intrigued in reading what happens next!

[The Therapy Book Club (Chantal) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️