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After missing out on love and dating because she was too shy to confess her feelings, high school student Satomi blurts out how she feels the next time she gets a crush—and it’s to her impossibly handsome schoolmate Yagyu! To her surprise, he agrees to date her. Now that Satomi’s suddenly in a relationship, what next?

Given how fast everything has happened, Satomi is still clueless about how dating is supposed to work. How will she forge ahead in her relationship with Yagyu?

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2020

51 people are currently reading
2079 people want to read

About the author

Ayuko Hatta

41 books176 followers
Also known as 八田 鮎子

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5 stars
1,283 (39%)
4 stars
1,185 (36%)
3 stars
620 (19%)
2 stars
106 (3%)
1 star
32 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
Profile Image for Shae.
3,221 reviews349 followers
December 2, 2021
This series is already giving me new favorite kind of vibes!

If you love series like Honey So Sweet, you have a new series to look forward to! Put this one on your preorder list! We have a hero who effortlessly takes care of others, and doesn't expect thanks. What he doesn't expect is our heroine who truly appreciates him as a human, and makes sure that he knows it.

I love them already! Can't wait to see where this one goes!
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,241 reviews6,433 followers
May 14, 2023
THIS WAS SO STINKING CUTE. I now that people aren’t fan of the delinquent/naive girl trope but I loved it in this series! It follows a high school girl by the name of Satomi who is saved by a high school boy named Yagyu on the train after someone inappropriately grabs her. She instantly feels as though she’s attracted to him. She’s so nervous to confess to him and the two finally get it together. I love when I get excited about a new manga series and this one made me smile and get giddy like a girl falling in love for the first time. It was fun character development and it has a cute plot. I’m interested in learning more about Yagyu’s best friend who’s a complete ass. While I’m hoping it doesn’t turn into a love triangle, there’s always a possibility. Im ready to dive into the next volume.
Profile Image for Mir.
4,974 reviews5,331 followers
May 13, 2022
This was a teeny bit bland, but quite pleasant, and I'm rounding up because seeing teens talk in an open and measured (but bold) way about their feelings made a nice change and gave me some hope for the future.
Profile Image for Zahira⚡️.
441 reviews58 followers
March 19, 2022
this was such a good feel fluffy story about this girl who ask her crush out. & when he agrees, they decide to date each other. usually, we only see the obstacles and hardships before the couple get together but this story is all about how a relationship should be & how to communicate with your partner.

it’s set in high school & i don’t mind that because i love shoujo mangas! i can’t wait to read vol.2 when it comes out🥺
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,351 reviews281 followers
February 16, 2023
The hook is there is no hook?

This is a cute enough little high school romance, but I spent the whole time waiting for the romantic interest to reveal some secret: he's a vampire, he has an evil twin, he's been hired to trick the girl and steal away her inheritance/crown/virginity, etc.

But it's just a couple teenagers meeting awkward and reasonably progressing into a relationship.

Does that still happen?
Profile Image for Beth.
1,431 reviews197 followers
June 13, 2022
Satomi falls for Yagyu, a boy at her school, when he saves her from a groper on the subway. So far, so stereotypical.

But for whatever reason, this feels a little fresher than some of the newer shoujo manga I've been reading. Yagyu isn't the outgoing #1 popular guy in class, nor is he the stoic type--in fact, he's weirdly agreeable to anything that Satomi asks him to do, once he can convince her that it's okay to do so (often with a bit of very gentle teasing). It makes him almost too much of a blank slate wish-fulfillment kind of guy, and at this stage it's impossible to know if there's more to him than that, and if so, what might be revealed about him.

Yagyu's cynical best bud Noda adds a bit of friction to the proceedings, and Satomi's best friend Mimo seems like she could be more interesting than the typical bland "heroine's cheerleader" role suggests, although there's no real evidence of that yet.

I'm not thrilled with the art, which is a little too obviously digitally produced. Since I'm not an artist myself, I don't know if it's a matter of the artist not quite having the techniques down to be able to evoke from a tablet the same warmth that an analog piece would do, or what, but it feels somewhat artificial and the pages don't have a unified look, in my opinion.

In any case, Yagyu's "as you will" attitude--and his gentle encouraging of Satomi to be straightforward about her wishes--made me chuckle several times, and I enjoyed it despite it being a by-the-book shoujo romance. (down to the title. "Now I'm in Love"? Really?) Another one from my partner's library, so if he ends up liking it and getting more, I'll continue to follow along, too.
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,967 reviews308 followers
December 21, 2021
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/IyiyAwZgfxg

I LOVED this!!!

Given the pose on the cover, I got the impression this would possibly have some low-key spice, but I was really surprised to read a super innocent blooming romance! I mean, the blurb pretty much implies this, but I did not expect for Mizusawa to be so innocent. I feel like a lot of shojo heroines ARE innocent, but I feel they are also more knowledgeable when it comes to boys? Or maybe not as much knowledgeable, but they know exactly what they want to happen next in a relationship?

Mizusawa doesn't. IMO she acts just like a freshman in high school. She's naive, vulnerable, shy, and occasionally reckless. I felt her to be extremely realistic when I compare it to my memories of being a high school freshman and having a crush on someone. I just deeply enjoyed how she doesn't know what to do in a relationship and how she asks questions because she doesn't know (and also doesn't want to be a burden of sorts).

While often miscommunication or lack of communication can be a big thing in shojo, I really don't think this is going to be an issue in this series. Our hero, Yagyu, is pretty big on telling Mizusawa to share what she is thinking and she is big on him sharing his feelings to her. I'm 100% here for this and if this series takes a turn where we suddenly find lack of communication the heart of their problems, I will be deeply disappointed.

I really enjoyed ALL the characters we've met so far (including the cynical best friend and the bubbly best friend). I'm excited to see them again and definitely going to be pre-ordering this in paperback. It was such a sweet story and looking forward to reading more!

Highly recommend to those who like innocent/naive characters, "friends"-to-lovers, good communication, and a sweet romance!

*(I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,313 reviews69 followers
December 28, 2021
When Yagyu saves Satomi from a groper on the train, she falls in love at first sight. And...that's kind of it? Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love is a perfectly charming shoujo romance that also is perfectly cookie cutter, which honestly isn't a bad thing. It definitely falls under the heading of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," and that makes it the kind of story that you can just pick up when you feel like reading something that doesn't strain your mental faculties overmuch, a bit like Kodansha's release of Yamaguchi-kun Isn't So Bad - you know precisely what you're getting and you can just sort of go with it.

This is not to say that there's nothing beyond "nice" to recommend the volume, however. Satomi has a surprising streak of strength underneath her timidity, and while at least one case of it rearing its head (when she jumps, Louisa in Persuasion-style, off a staircase), the scene where she takes two older boys to task for kicking Yagyu's seat during the entire movie is truly impressive. It also gives us the distinct impression that while she's quiet about her own wants, when someone she cares about is in trouble, she will hold nothing back to rectify the situation on their behalf. It's hard to say that I'd like to see more of that, because that would imply bad things happening to Yagyu or her best friend, but seeing that side of her is definitely an important piece of the story.

The art is somewhat plain but good enough that looking at it is pleasant. The boys look a bit more masculine than they tend to in shoujo romance, and the characters are all distinct and easy to tell apart. If Satomi's skirt is one of those Magic Shoujo Skirts that doesn't flutter upward even when she's jumping from great heights and drawn from below, well, that's easy enough to overlook in the greater context of the book. This is basically comfort food, and there's nothing wrong with that, especially if you know what you're getting into going in.
Profile Image for Jessica ❀.
605 reviews17 followers
April 8, 2025
This was so freaking adorable! I was giggling, kicking, blushing, squealing. Mizusawa is such a tiny little thing with such big emotions that she tries to bottle up, she must be protected at all costs! Definitely continuing this one.
Profile Image for Janina.
865 reviews80 followers
March 8, 2023
AH DAS WAR TOLL! Sehr, sehr süß und die Kommunikation zwischen den beiden war so gesund!! Ich konnte es gar nicht fassen, wie offen die beiden mit ihren Gefühlen umgegangen sind. Träume werden wahr!! Ich mochte Satomi und Kazuma beide sehr und bin gespannt auf den nächsten Band! :)

cw: eine verhinderte Grapsch-Attacke in der Bahn, ein Rüpel (Cameo-Charakter) beleidigt die Protagonistin und pöbelt die beiden an, stichelnde Kommentare von Nebencharakter
Profile Image for Mark.
2,797 reviews269 followers
March 7, 2022
Satomi is saved from a train groper by Yagyu and she decides to confess the crush she developed from his heroic actions. Yagyu agrees and they start dating and that is literally the book.

Viz should start a ‘Shojo Beat-To-Death’ line for their books that are basically fine but are colouring within the lines at best and perfunctory at worst. This book toddles along with nary a hair out of place and then stops with a promise of more.

And make no mistake, it fulfills its meagre ambitions for the most part, but it’s a real punctured tire of a book. Flat, uneven, yet perfectly serviceable. It’ll get you where you want to go, but it’ll be a wobbly ride.

I think my biggest problem is that our leads are dull and have very little oomph between them. It feels like I’m being told about their passion rather than seeing it, which is… unfortunate in a manga. I admit that the extended birthday extravaganza for Satomi perks things up at the end, but it’s a long time coming.

In fact, Yagyu’s idiot friend Tenma, who is a petty shrew for no real reason, and Satomi’s hyper wingperson Nimo left more of an impression, which is not great. I’ll deal with their pending relationship next time, but Tenma really ticked me off because he feels underwritten for his grumpiness. Satomi’s ridiculously protective brother did make me laugh though.

There’s something genuinely off about this that I can’t quite get around. Satomi has a couple of good moments where she really goes for it, possibly to her physical endangerment, and yet the only way you’ll generate any heat for this title is if you set fire to the book. She’s got spunk, he’s got tall person problems, but as a combination I don’t really feel it.

It might just be the general sameness of it all, but I’ve read a lot of books lately that literally went by the shojo playbook and still managed to be delightful because they were written so well. This just doesn’t quite get there for me to the level I’d like.

3 stars - it’s just an okay book and an okay start to a series that I’ll probably read more of, but don’t expect anything above average from this one. If you’re really new to the genre, this might land pretty well, but otherwise I bet you’ve read better.
Profile Image for Dana.
932 reviews45 followers
September 5, 2022
This review will be for the whole series; read at your own risk!

Read 3 volumes

YALL IM OBSESSED WITH HOW CUTE THIS WAS. This is the high school romance manga OF MY DREAMS!!! They get together very fast but they aren’t hopelessly in love, they’re slowly falling for one another. There’s multiple kisses (!!!!) which are the cutest. And the characters themselves are so cute. I’m looking forward to reading their romance story!

Edit 6/21/22: Finally got volume 2 and I still love!! The cute kisses, the way they each make each other's heart race! But the jealous little sister trope is always kinda weird because they almost toe the line of incest. I hope she can win the little sister over!

9/4/22: ah yes the rival love interest has arrived. I wish there weren’t always love triangles but I’m still kinda looking forward to it.
Profile Image for Rereader.
1,440 reviews207 followers
February 2, 2023
I'm shook. I'm shook to my core. Not just because this was so fucking adorable, but because this was created by the same mangaka as Wolf Girl and Black Prince. You know, the manga that featured one of the most abusive couples in shoujo history.

But here...the main guy isn't abusive? He's actually really sweet and considerate? And the female lead...isn't a doormat? Like, she's pretty strong, a little rash, and actually has a spine? But is still really nice and sweet and adorable? And I'm just like...wow, how were these series written by the same mangaka?

Anyway, I loved this and am definitely looking forward to more. This was an adorable first volume for this series.
Profile Image for dovesnook.
665 reviews220 followers
May 18, 2023
WHY DID I LIKE THIS FIRST VOLUME SO MUCH? It’s got me kicking my feetsies 🥰.

Basically, Satomi runs into a perv on the subway and Yagyu protects her from him. There’s a flashback where we learn that Satomi vows to never let a crush slip by without confessing so she changes after Yagyu… but turns out she’s a little more shy than she anticipated for herself. A bunch of cute things happen and I almost lost it when Yagyu blushed for the first time. So cute 🫶.

Very lighthearted!
Profile Image for court ౨ৎ librarycutie.
462 reviews999 followers
August 10, 2023
not too much happened in this manga but it’s pretty cute so i’m not too upset about it, curious how the series will go. i haven’t read one where they date within the second chapter of volume 1.
Profile Image for Laura✧˚ · ..
593 reviews20 followers
November 9, 2022
“ i think fate is something you choose for yourself. So i want mine to be with him”
This was a cute and fluffly manga. Its different than others because there’s no drama and tension. Misuzawa had a crush in middle school but she never told him because she was content with watching him from afar. But now she wants to change that and one day shes saved from a pervert by a stranger who happens to wear the same school uniform as her. She’s determined to find the guy to thank him properly and when she does he’s lowkey rude and not as nice as she thought. However they keep seeing each other and they get to meet each other and it was really cute. Yagyu is a great guy. Even though in the beginning he was a little bit rude he grew on me. His friend on the other hand was unbereable and i didnt like him that much. I love the birthday scene because it was cute and wholesome and i like how they both tried to communicate and express what they are thinking. Mizusawa is shy but reckless and i love her determination to change and make sure that yagyu knows that she likes him. I love how she defended him at the cinema from the guys who were being assholes and i like how in the end he liked her back and how he told her. I found that confession to be cute and endearing.
My only complaint is that maybe it was a little bit rushed. I dont like love triangles so im grateful there wasn’t one on this volume and i’m excited to continue with the next ones soon
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brandee.
333 reviews27 followers
June 10, 2024
This is my first manga. I would say this was about a 3.5 for me.
There is something about the narrative that seems sort of bland but that might be the translation. That being said though, this book does feature teens talking in an open and honest way which you don't often see with characters in this age group.

However, I now understand why so many people like reading manga and want to draw the characters all the time. This book was gorgeous!! And got so many beautiful themes and emotions across in only black and white! So impressed.

I usually am not a fan of the naive girl trope but Satomi is starting to grow on me. I love seeing her inner thoughts, which are honestly hysterical sometimes! And Yagyu is such a beautiful human being. He truly cares about other people and doesn't expect anything from his actions. He does it out of the goodness of his heart. I am curious to see how he evolves as the story and relationship progresses.

We do get a glimpse into the characters of Satomi's and Yagyu's best friends and I really hope that we get to see more of them in subsequent books because they both have such unique and hilarious personalities which contrast very much to our two main characters.
Overall, not sure if this series started well enough for me but I am still curious to see what the next 8 books have to bring!
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.1k reviews454 followers
May 28, 2023
This was adorable! I managed to get books 2 and 3 out of the library and well, I had to find book 1 too! And yesterday I had some time and I was in the mood for something fun, cute, romantic so I thought I would get started on this series so I can read books 2 and 3 this week. This was a fun story about a girl being saved by a boy, taking her destiny by the hands (in ways that made me laugh), and them start dating. It was very cute and I love both of the characters, they definitely do have chemistry and I love how they got closer and closer. And I loved how he took her on a date for her birthday. She was worried he was going to find it annoying, but actually he really wanted it (and I had a laugh at how he promised punishments if she didn't make her wishes clear, oh my). Not a fan though of the best friend of the boyfriend, he is a dick. I did love the MC's best friend though, so enthusiastic. Haha.
The art was pretty!
Profile Image for Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!).
717 reviews321 followers
February 12, 2024
The art style of Ima Koi: Now I’m In Love is the cutest 🥺 I wanted to read a romance manga for this month and this one ticks all the boxes as being an insta-love, rather easy on the ol’ brain cells! This is a story about two people being thrust into a relationship. Will love bloom? ❤️

After Mizusawa is protected from a pervert on the train by the enigmatic and handsome, Yaguyu, she is instantly smitten. But her track record of telling boys that she likes them is… zero! Once she musters up the courage to tell Yagyu how she feels and to thank him, he is impressed by her forwardness. This girl has confessed to him that she likes him so it’s only right that he asks her to be his girlfriend. What will happen next for the pair? Will Mizasawa know how to act now she is in the relationship of her dreams?
Profile Image for Tory.
322 reviews5 followers
July 27, 2022
This is a variation on the age old theme of a school romance between a goody-two-shoes girl and an intimidating delinquent-type boy, but done SO, so well. Ima Koi had me smiling and laughing (out loud!) at parts, which makes it worth full points in my book. And bonus points for the scene where Mizusawa confronted some rude dudes at the movie theater for kicking Yagyu's seat and making rude comments about him during the movie. She showed a little more spunk than you usually get from the lead in a shojo romance. Refreshing!
Profile Image for Kindred Reader (lilastrings).
303 reviews34 followers
Read
September 4, 2023
I finally decided to finish this today and it's surprisingly adorable! Cliché highschool traps but not nauseatingly embarrassing to read with awkward cutiepies starting a relationship. I like it a lot to continue to volume 2~
Profile Image for Debb.
202 reviews22 followers
Read
August 19, 2024
This is so adorable 😭
Profile Image for Maude.
457 reviews8 followers
August 10, 2023
THE HEIGHT DIFFERENCE RRRAHHHHHHH
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