Both farfetched and realistic. An entertaining read.
The unlikely premise is that the hottest girl in school has nothing else to do one day, so she agrees to go out with a shlub who confesses to her. What follows is a candid, yet sweet exploration of the overemphasis on sex in high school relationships—without the characters having any sex.
The main character, Ryuto, is quite cringey in the beginning. He’s shy, insecure, and hyper fixated on sex. It sounds like a recipe for a court order, but he happens to fixate on Runa, one of the resident Gyaru (like Valley Girls in Japan). She uses sex as a duty because most of the boys she dates are as fixated as Ryuto. When his big moment occurs in her bedroom on their first day together, he slams the brakes on hard because Runa treats sex as a duty. Not only is that a turn off, but if he takes her up on her offer, he’ll be no different than all the other exes. He has to make a decision.
With such a beginning, you would expect the book to be about when they finally have sex. However, the book instead focuses on their budding relationship and how they heal each other because of their inexperience. Ryuto’s decision to not be selfish in her bedroom sets in motion their true relationship. This is what the book explores. Sex becomes a distant drive, replaced by shared interests and trust.
Sounds wholesome, right? Well, neither one of these kids are saints, which creates narrative tension as they both try to do things differently than might be expected, making mistakes along the way.
What’s fascinating to me was that my initial interest in this book wasn’t the story, but the illustrations by magako. They capture Runa’s naivety along with her sexuality. I like the way magako applies her watercolors, as well, including her color choices, and her command of Runa’s femininity through gestured poses. The illustrations enhance the story.
I recently watched the anime for this and really enjoyed it. I wanted to see how the books were and continue the story. The book was even better. It had added details, as to be expected. This has just about everything I want from a rom/com. It actually deals with a relationship and growing as individuals and a couple in a relationship. No nosebleeds, no goofy misunderstandings, no love triangles. Even if there are hints of those things they are quickly dealt with in a more realistic and mature manner. Can't wait to start book 2.
A simple romance light novel about what would it be like if you dated a girl with far more experience than yourself. As typical with the Japanese modern writers, you can expect a lot of internal dialogue and shyness from physical intimacy. A fun reading nevertheless