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Ren's girlfriend Mayuka takes Ren's feelings for Ninako into consideration and moreover accepts the way she has changed and broke up with Ren, who had been fixated on the promise they made when they were young. Ren continues to reject the confession of girls one after another by elling them that he doesn' intend to get out with anyone at the moment.

Ninako also sees Ren's condition and doesn't think it's the right time for her to tell him her feelings. And then there's Ren and Andou who have also been clashing over Ninako. The bonds tha the two felt back when they were in middle school are..

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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369 people want to read

About the author

Io Sakisaka

93 books1,540 followers
Io Sakisaka (咲坂伊緒) is a Japanese manga artist. She also designed the characters for the anime movie HAL. Her works are:

-Call My Name (2001)
-Watashi no Koibito (2002)
-Bye-Bye, Little (2002)
-Blue (2006)
-Mascara Blues (2007)
-Strobe Edge (2007)
-Ao Haru Ride (2011)
-Sono Omokage o Shitteru (2013) (oneshot)
-Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare (2015)
-Otome no Itari (2020) (oneshot)
-Sakura, Saku (2021)

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5 stars
1,254 (44%)
4 stars
977 (34%)
3 stars
500 (17%)
2 stars
79 (2%)
1 star
18 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,294 reviews329 followers
February 4, 2014
I love that this series is avoiding a lot of the temptations of the romance genre. Ren's girlfriend has broken up with him? Perfect! Now Ninako can move in without guilt! Except Ninako won't do that. because she knows that, whatever happened between Ren and his girlfriend, he must be sad that the relationship is over. You know, I think I'd read more ongoing romance series if the roadblocks between the heroine and the boy of her dreams were based on being respectful and genuinely caring instead of authorial machinations.
Profile Image for Phoenix2.
1,263 reviews116 followers
October 10, 2017
The story kind of started to get a bit tiring. Hopefully it will get back on track soon.
Profile Image for Jasmine.
138 reviews825 followers
October 3, 2022
Review on IG: @xojazzle
Ok this definitely made up from last volume! I feel like I just liked this story soooo much more now that *SPOILER ALERT* ren is single. I think that makes me have a clear conscious lol one of my favorite things was actually ren and andos friendship. I hate how it was ruined in the past by a girl but I feel like in this volume, they created a path to become good friends again and I’m honestly hoping that we get to see it happen bc I love it! There were also a ton of cute ren and ninako scenes! I feel so much better now that he’s single but I’m wondering why they both won’t admit anything now?? Nothing is stopping them so they can go for it! I still feel really bad for ando lol he changed his player ways to try to be with ninako but she could care less about him romantically HAHAAH poor ando! Also manabu is so cute lol I literally love him, I need a one shot for him! also the ending??! What is the tea there! This volume made me have a ton of questions!! Onto the next volume🫶
Profile Image for Azet.
1,095 reviews285 followers
October 19, 2022
I am enjoying this so much. All the characters here are worth rooting for. There is not any bad person here, all of them are teenagers that are learning and growing.
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Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,983 reviews314 followers
September 17, 2021
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/49J17zomUnI

I have a new understanding of why Io Sakisaka is considered “the Queen of shojo manga” for many readers because never have I read a manga that showed depression and loneliness as accurate as this.

That one scene moved me to tears because as a reader, I felt so extremely seen and loved. I felt it showed the power of friendship and how reaching out to someone can be extremely powerful and life-changing.

It was just one scene but it left a huge impact on my heart.

At the time of reading this volume, I’m so bummed I can’t purchase this volume (out of print *sobs*) because while I would like to collect this series one day, I really want this volume on my shelf. I loved how we saw a look into Ren and Ando’s friendship as well as getting to know all these characters more.

I’m also reminded that while I love romance, having powerful friendships as shown in this series is just as amazing.

I absolutely loved everything about this volume, *especially* that one-shot! My heart resonated deeply with the young woman and felt I had been gut punched with how strongly I could relate to her.

Overall, I think this is the best volume yet. Lots of feels and a few flashbacks and a much deeper look at the heart of these characters.
Profile Image for Katt Hansen.
3,856 reviews109 followers
September 28, 2017
It's the break-up of the century! Whew, while I'm kind of glad it happened, I also dreaded it because it just feels so awkward how it all came about. Ren was so set on keeping his promises that he would deny himself what he truly wanted - that's just sad. So now what? This whole moving forward thing gets complicated too - especially in how those on the outside react.

Profile Image for Ady Weasley.
1,790 reviews45 followers
December 11, 2018
Se ha corrido la voz de que Ren ha terminado con su novia y todas las chicas del colegio esperan tener oportunidad.
Ando no está muy contento con esto ya que ahora puede perder a Ninako.
Ando y Ren han hablado, si bien aún no se define si serán amigos, por lo menos se seguirán tratando.
Un nuevo curso y nuevos compañeros de clases

Quiero ver la cara de Ren cuando sonríe !!!
Profile Image for Leila ✨.
1,793 reviews483 followers
October 23, 2021
Upa aparecieron los ex de todos, se puso picante la cosa.

3.5 de 5 estrellas.
Profile Image for Amanda Setasha.
1,687 reviews54 followers
January 9, 2019
Finally some actual plot explanations that don't involve the love story.
This was super hilarious and I loved every page.
Profile Image for Addicted2booksStefania.
451 reviews11 followers
April 21, 2025
This volume has confirmed 2 things for me: #1 I love Ando and Ren’s friendship. #2 Ninako is so beyond annoying and lacks so much character development. LIKE GIRL ARE YOU NOT EMBARRASSED FOR LIKING A GUY WITH A GF. I’ve just seen way better character development in mangas, so this is really lacking for me.
Profile Image for Dragonfly.
158 reviews3 followers
March 14, 2023
Ha sido un tomo bastante guay, me ha gustado sobre todo como han interactuado Ren y Ando.

En este tomo creo que el que más ha evolucionado ha sido Ando, hasta le he cogido más cariño. No puedo decir mucho más porque no quiero hacer spoiler, pero algo me dice que a partir del siguiente tomo las cosas van a estar bastante interesantes.

Por cierto, el capítulo extra, que es una historia corta de la autora, me parece una verdadera preciosidad.
Profile Image for Holly Letson.
3,849 reviews527 followers
July 27, 2013
News has spread around the school about Ren being available. Instead of feeling sorry for him, like people should, girls are contacting him like crazy or sending him letters via his friends. If he were logical, he would use this opportunity to confess to Ninako, which would send those girls running, but he's not. He still believes it's best to HIDE his feelings.
Conveniently, Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and Ninako's admittance that she is not giving anyone chocolates has Ando's feathers ruffled. But, when Daiki loans Ninako Ren's textbook, she ends up giving Ren a chocolate in return. But, when Ando asks why he doesn't return the favor on White Day, Ren is nonchalant about the matter, stating that it's not required of him.
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Later, Ando is down in a game against Ren, so Ren helps me to the nurse's room, where they end up arguing. This leaves Ren feeling depressed, until Ando finally apologizes much later. But, Ren won't openly admit it.
Next, we are treated to a beautiful romantic scene, which Ando destroys. Now, I know that Ren and Ninako are in love which each other. Heck, I think they even know this. But, they are going to have to stop all this "HIDE YOUR FEELINGS" crap, and open up to one another. Can't wait for the next volume! See ya then!
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This volume was to me as an eManga by VIZ Media, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Profile Image for Ris Sasaki.
1,307 reviews189 followers
January 21, 2021
That moment when you grow up and realise that you've been an Andou your whole life 😭
Always in the one-sided love 🤣
Profile Image for Fyre.Katz.
820 reviews24 followers
November 11, 2024
Love this

I love the one shot at the end. And I love the story and characters so far in this story!
Profile Image for Kristina.
561 reviews24 followers
August 15, 2025
Word of Ren’s breakup makes the rounds, and the girls are already making their moves. Ninako isn't going to do that because she is more concerned about how he feels since the breakup.

Ninakos hair gets stuck in a tree, and she overhears someone confessing to Ren. She doesn’t want him to know she heard, even though she’s stuck. President (who used to be Director) leads Ren to her though and the two have another close encounter.

Valentine's Day is coming up and everyone is on edge. Ando is especially worried. He feels like he has to make his move before Ren gets his act together. Ninako isn’t planning to give anyone chocolates. Manabu is still trying to figure out who Ninako likes, he wants her to like Ren, and has no clue she actually does. But Manabu is still pretty sly. On V-day he loans Ninako his grammar book, but then realizes he lent her Ren’s by mistake, When she tries to give Manabu a thank-you chocolate, he says it should go to Ren not him, since it was actually his book. So she ends up giving Ren some chocolate on Valentine's Day, even though she hadn’t planned to.

Ando is starting to build up more resentment towards Ren. He gets super competitive in a basketball game, and ends up in the Nurse’s office. When he wakes up, Ren is there, and he confronts him on why he never defended himself over the almost kiss with his ex. We see Ren actually cherishes the friendship he had with ANdo and is quite disturbed and depressed over their falling out.

Later on, Ando goes out of his way to visit Ren at his work. Ando apologizes, and they make up (kind of), but Ando makes it clear they can never be best friends again, because of Ninako. We also learn that Ando assumes Ren broke up with Mayuka, and that it was because of his feelings for Ninako. Ren doesn’t correct him. So they are friends again, but there is still a rivalry over Ninako that isn’t going away anytime soon.

We see this rivalry when they get back to school after Spring Break. Ren and Ninako have a sweet moment as she lets Ren know he has a cherry blossom in his hair, culminating in her removing it for him. Ando sees this, and is jealous, and the next thing you know he has a ton of cherry blossoms in his hair in hopes of similar attention from Ninako. Instead, Ren just blows them all off for him, which definitely wasn’t what Ando was hoping for.

Since it’s a new year, everyone is excited to see who they have class with. Ando, Ren, and Ninako are all in the same class, along with all of Ninakos friends. Ninako is thrilled! Daiki on the other hand is not, as he’s the only one in a different class (poor Daiki).

There were some new characters introduced at the end. I couldn’t tell if we had seen them before, or if they were completely new characters. One of them might be Ando’s ex-girlfriend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Literatura sin límites.
586 reviews6 followers
July 7, 2021
¡Voy a sufrir!

En este punto de la historia, me gusta tanto Ren como Ando y con cualquiera voy a sufrir.

En este tomo abarca los capítulos 20 al 22 + una historia extra totalmente ajena a la trama de este manga. Es un one shot corto.


En este tomo se profundiza los sentimientos de Ninako, Ren y Ando. Los tres analizando sus sentimientos, yo sufriendo con ellos y haciendo corajes por la ex novia de Ando, ósea, que es eso de lo que lo fue a perseguir, ¡está tonta! Si ella hizo algo MALO, que por eso Ando la termino y él cambio… ¡ella provoco que el fuera un don juan! No lo justifico ni le aplaudo eso, pero oye, lo que hizo la ex es mucho peor. Y aunque se quiera disculpar, en serio, no, NO LA TRAGO.

Otra cosa es ese diálogo que hay final entre Yutaro y Sayuri. Una de dos: o fue una amistad que se perdió o fue una relación que terminó mal. Daiki puede que tenga celos en un futuro no muy lejano…

Por último: esa historia extra estuvo entretenida. No estuvo mal, pero tampoco es que me encantará demasiado. La protagonista me desespero por ser tan distraída, al grado que siempre la corren del trabajo y todo por pensar en el novio… ósea, aunque en el manga, su novio le dice que no es una carga, yo diría que sí. Encima que la corren, gasta el poco dinero en tonterías y no en alimentos o pagar gastos. Prioridades, hay que tener prioridades por NECESIDAD.

Como dato curioso: sabía que, en San Valentín, es costumbre que en Japón las chicas regalen chocolates a los chicos que les gustan y que, en el día blanco (14 de marzo), los chicos regalen chocolates a las chicas. Pero no sabía eso de Giri y Honmei. Giri es cuando las chicas regalan chocolates por compromiso (las mujeres lo regalan a los hombres con quien no tienen interés romántico: amigos, compañeros de trabajo). Mientras el Honmei, es el chocolate que la mujer regala a su novio o a quién le gusta.

¿Me gustó? Si, no tanto como otros tomos, pero es necesario para profundizar en los sentimientos de los personajes.

¿La recomiendo? Si, hay dos escenas muy divertidas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kayla.
1,080 reviews
April 8, 2021
4 stars.

I really didn't recognize Yu, Sayuri, and Daiki in those last pages... oops. I have a hard time telling apart Yu from Manabu's cousin (I thought they were the same person and was pretty confused). Also the bonus story with that couple was really sweet.

I'm interested in seeing the story between Yu, Sayuri, and Daiki. It feels like there is a love triangle that's been brewing. I wonder if Yu is the ex that cheated on Sayuri. If so, then is he regretting their breakup and hoping to get back together with her? I actually kinda like Sayuri and Daiki as a couple and hope that they last.

It's also cute seeing little moments of Ren and Ninako flirting and being sweet to each other. The cherry blossom scene was adorable, even the part where Ando gets jealous and tries to get Ninako to brush cherry blossom petals out of his hair and leading to him and Ren both being silly and fighting.

I wonder what's going to happen, now that everyone (minus Daiki) is in the same class. Also how is Daiki and Sayuri's relationship gonna change, since they aren't in the same class anymore but Yu is in Sayuri's class?

It sucks that now I'll have to wait about 6 weeks for volume 7. The rest of the series' volumes all have waitlists so I can't just fly through them the way I have been doing for the past few days. Oh well. I'm excited to see how things develop in the next volumes.
781 reviews4 followers
November 13, 2020
Well, that happened, so now what?

So, other than THAT, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Poor Ren. Now he's even more confused. Ninako, just be a good friend right now, he needs it. You too, Ando. Stop being selfish. You know how Ninako feels, & you know how Ren feels, even if they don't. And who's that girl you were talking to? So, now Ren has to clean up the mess in his head & tell Ninako the truth. She needs to know that her love isn't one sided, & never was... wow,, I just can't get enough of this series. I also just can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no girly action... but I digress... I feel bad for Mayuka. I also feel for Ando. He's gonna get hurt real bad. Again. Hopefully this time, he doesn't blame Ren.
Profile Image for Bery.
195 reviews
January 2, 2020
La noticia del año es que Ren corto con su novia, Ninako decide no hacer nada sin embargo sigue soñando con el . Ando tiene muchos problemas con su amistad con Ren los cuales florecen durante un partido de basketball y su "amistad" poco común estará en aprietos.

Se acaba el semestre y hay un nuevo año en la escuela...Ninakoo pasa a segundo grado y vendrán nuevas sorpresas...quienes son sus compañeros de clase? Y al parecer personajes vuelven a aparecer... Deja la historia abierta para seguir leyendo.

Incluye una mini historia al final de una pareja enamorada, la inseguridad de una chava q no puede tener un trabajo y su novio cantante de una banda de rock.
Profile Image for Kristin DeGarmo.
815 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2024
It’s been a while since I read the last volume so it was hard to remember what happened. In this volume, Ando and Ren had a fight—Ando got mad that Ren kissed Ando’s girlfriend or maybe his girlfriend kissed Ren in the past and Ren didn’t tell Ando. Ando likes Ninako and so does Ren but Ren isn’t admitting that’s the reason he broke up with his girlfriend. Ninako is trying not to get her hopes up. She’s just happy that she’s in Ren’s class as a second year. Ando and Ren make up but Ando tells him they can’t be best friends, just friends. Poor Ando. I’m glad he’s got a good friend in Ren despite their past and that they like the same girl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Monique.
155 reviews5 followers
June 25, 2020
Oh yeah, this too. Okay so I *almost* gave this four stars because I’m enjoying the Ando-Ren friendship arc!! It’s nice that non-crush/romantic relationships can exist in this book. Then I realized that allowing friendships to exist is a low bar, oops. Anyway, I want Ninako to develop a personality, and I feel like it’d be nice to know why Ren is so tragically emo all the time. Like the fact that Ren is just sad because it’s hard to be that hot? Yeah... I’m not buying it.
Profile Image for Anais Petterson.
57 reviews
December 31, 2023
Daiki y Ren tuvieron un momento lindo, Ame a Ga-chan y el gatito en el inicio, era necesario que profundizáramos más en la amistad de Ando y Ren, me gusta que nos mostrarán más de Ren, no es solo el chico más lindo de la escuela, y el cargar con los estándares de belleza masculina debe volverse solitario de vez en cuando, estoy muy contenta con el ritmo que tomo la historia mi único problema, es Daiki y su relación que no podría importarme menos.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
1,147 reviews40 followers
December 6, 2020
Strobe Edge Vol. 6

The gang spends spring break working & thinking about the past. Ando & Ren come to terms with where their friendship is after what happened in middle school.

Ninako, Ando, Ren, & the gang return for their second year of high school. Everyone is in the same class except for Daiki. And they are ready for the adventure to come.
Profile Image for Mika.
792 reviews14 followers
March 7, 2021
(01/23/2021)

Ah the misunderstandings abound. I was wondering how we would progress in the series now that five volumes in Ren is single. And I appreciate the focus on their friendship. Oh Ando and Ren they are such kids. I'm rooting for their relationship to be healed.

This volume included is the one shot "Colorless Dreamer" which was, okay but not my thing. 2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Clauchee.
51 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2023
Pobre Ando, ahora sí que no tendrá oportunidad.
Me da pereza un poco saber que Ando sufre por lo que le hizo la chava, pero el también le pidió salir cuando sabía que estaba en su pensar otro chico, por favor, NUNCA salga con alguien si saben que tiene a alguien más en la cabeza, dejen que tenga un tiempo de descanso para que olviden y sanen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews

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