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How Hard Can Dating Be?

After a single, accidental touch finds Ichiro, a struggling shojo manga artist, suddenly engaged to his new assistant, the beautiful, alien(?) princess, Shiori, they agreed to test the waters of their new relationship with their very first date! Will an outing at the zoo, a dinner, and a picnic deepen their relationship and their confidence? There’s only one problem… it’s never just the two of them! With winter fast approaching and Christmas soon upon them, can Ichiro and Shiori work up the courage to embark on that famous shojo manga love story staple—the Christmas date?!

196 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2021

19 people are currently reading
151 people want to read

About the author

Gido Amagakure

114 books63 followers

Name (in native language) : 雨隠ギド

Birth date : August 21

Zodiac : Leo

Blood type : O

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5 stars
146 (33%)
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175 (40%)
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100 (23%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,979 reviews312 followers
April 2, 2023
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/xVP1Lyc8wCA

Another very cute volume!

I feel it's hard to really talk about these volumes because it's such a fluffy story where it feels like not much happens, but the romance is SO sweet! Like a toothache kind of sweet! LOL!

I continue to love Shiori and how beautifully naive she is! She's honest, caring, and not afraid to admit when she thinks she might have "messed up." I also deeply love her love for shoujo manga and being like " this is just like a shoujo manga!" during moments. LOL!

Ichiro continues to be an amazing hero and continue to admire how he strives to convey his feelings, especially when he wanted to encourage/cheer up Shiori. I love how the story continues to convey and show how much he cares not just for his family, but Shiori too. It's been a really beautiful part of this manga that I have not taken for granted. <3

The actual romance was ADORABLE! It's been very fulfilling seeing an ADULT romance with two adults who have no idea what they are doing and having all these super cute awkward moments. Definitely one of my favorite parts of this series for sure!

Overall, I still continue to really enjoy this series and looking forward to the next volume!
Profile Image for Mark.
2,810 reviews272 followers
July 26, 2022
With Kuga and Goshiki dating, that means it’s time for lots of sweet and awkward as they grow closer together. Kuga is up against that weird curse and Goshiki’s nature as a princess of some weird island, but if that was this story’s major problem I’d be a lot happier…

Whoa, what the hell happened between volume one and volume two, precisely? The charm of the first volume is still here, but none of the spark. It feels like this drifts far away from anything unique to just be Kuga and Goshiki shooting glances at one another.

The basic thrust of this volume is that people think Kuga is a super nice guy and they’re happy for him. Goshiki is bashful and they innocently flirt and grow closer, probably over a classic trope that Goshiki wants to experience. Rinse and repeat.

No, it’s not bad. The two make a cute couple, but I have a limited vocabulary for these things and I know that if I am using cute instead of adorable that I didn’t think it was all that special. What started off as an examination of tropes and a weird alien woman has mostly turned into lightweight shojo I’ve seen before.

The true reason to stay with this story is largely down to Kuga’s younger siblings, Machi and Fumino, who continue to be full of sly wisdom and cheeky kid behaviour. Machi often acts more adult than our bashful pair and she’s a really fun character.

I guess you’d point to this story as one where the coupling immediately defrays any good storytelling, but it’s not like this can’t work. One of my favourite shojo, You’ve Got Me, Sempai!, is focused almost entirely on the post-confession side and it’s delightful. This is just… cute.

Genuinely, I can’t think of another thing to say about this one. It slid straight through my brain and out the other side without leaving much of an impact, which is a darn shame. Truly it looked like this might go somewhere special, but ‘twas not to be. The focus on family is nice, the dating is nice, but it just doesn’t have anything to make it stand out for me.

3 stars - the cute is good cute, but it’s still just cute. I’ll probably read another one because of Machi, but there’s such a real deflation in the main pairing this time that I don’t think it will be for them.
Profile Image for Joseph Leake.
92 reviews
Read
June 14, 2025
There's less excitement and obvious plot-advancement here than in volume one, which explored the protagonists meeting and falling for one another; but this is a virtue rather than a failing. Distinguishing itself from volume one gives it a different focus: the charm and gentle humor of Ichiro and Shiori's nascent relationship and their interactions with the other characters, especially Ichiro's siblings. Volume two is an opportunity to slow down and deepen our enjoyment of all this. (This is all the better since volume three, which promises to introduce Shiori's parents, will surely reintroduce plenty of narrative- and character-tension!)

I also greatly appreciated — and enjoyed — the appendix explaining to Western audiences the various Japanese cultural practices and customs: a great way to enhance an admiring non-native's glimpses into this world.
Profile Image for Victor The Reader.
1,858 reviews25 followers
July 12, 2025
A Galaxy Next Door, Vol. 2 (My Kindle Review)

Now that Ichiro and Shiori are engaged, we see the two slowly getting closer to each other as they spend time at the zoo with his siblings, her finding more enjoyment at work and meeting his childhood friend. Later the Christmas season comes and the two have a nice walk through town and the whole gang goes to a hot springs trip. It really does look like our couple is doing just fine. A (100%/Outstanding)
Profile Image for Maya.
109 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2024
Ok I'm dnf’ing this series…. It's a romance but I feel empty while reading it, like there's no substance to the characters and their relationships are based on nothing. I'm just not feeling it at all.
Profile Image for Rachel.
1,049 reviews140 followers
January 2, 2023
shiori is my autistic alien queen (princess, if we’re being technically), just trying to love herself and learn how to love others in a healthy way!!! and people respecting how she communicates and shows care on her own terms!!!
Profile Image for V. Aryn.
220 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2025
4.5 starssss

Freaking adorable. This is a faster moving relationship, but I appreciate that in this case since it's only a 6 vol series.
Profile Image for Heather D-G.
655 reviews3 followers
September 22, 2025
The main characters grow ever closer in this volume, which seems to show a true family group developing. There’s a hint of some potential future conflict, but the overall tone remains upbeat and full of sweetness.
Profile Image for Noelle.
708 reviews16 followers
July 22, 2022
Content Warnings: The only thing I’d really bring up is that they visit the grave of Ichiro’s dad so the topic of losing a parent and some grief are brought up.

A cute second volume where we get to see Ichiro and Shiori as they start to officially date. I adore how nervous and timid they both are about ensuring the others’ feelings are looked after.

What I love about this story is seeing how Shiori knows how important Ichiro’s younger siblings are to him and wants to ensure she never seems like she’s trying to steal him or monopolize his time. She tries really hard to ensure she never oversteps and it’s Ichiro’s younger siblings that are like…no please spend more time with us and our brother.

Overall just a really sweet volume and I look forward to seeing more development between Shiori and Ichiro’s family. I look forward to a time when they know each other so well they’re no longer so nervous or scared to be fully open with each other as they form closer bonds and truly turn into a little family.
Profile Image for Carmen.
740 reviews23 followers
August 18, 2024
After Ichiro Kuga accidentally became engaged to Shiori Goshiki, it’s a good thing they developed feelings for each other! Now that they’re dating, they can strengthen their bond while pursuing their drawing dreams. While this cute slice of life romance is fun and heartwarming, I’m still not feeling it as a romance! Instead, its main selling point is the family bond between Ichiro and his siblings.

That said, I was delighted to find that Ichiro and Shiori have some chemistry in this volume. They’re cute and new to dating not only each other, but dating in general, so they’re putting their best foot forward and learning along the way. I really like how close Shiori is becoming with Kuga’s siblings, but it also keeps selling it as a family series rather than a cute romance! I feel like we keep learning more and more about Ichiro and his family while learning the bare minimum about Shiori. Sure, she’s new to this world and appears to be naive thanks to her lack of experience with friends in general, but I think we need some good character building on her side of the story to really sell it to me. I’m so interested in learning about her and the life she had before she met Ichiro, but we only get little glimpses here and there along the way.

All in all, this is turning out to be an adorable and heartwarming story about a family with a cute romance on the side. The story moves a little slowly, so if that’s not your thing, you should pass on this book. However, if you’re looking for a slice of life with strong family bonds, this is your series. In fact, I actually really love it for this reason even though I wish we’d learn more about the Star People, especially since Shiori is a princess!
Profile Image for Alice Marks.
75 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2022
Gido Amagakure’s sweet little sci-fi romance continues as we find ourselves in the early days of Kuga and Shiori’s relationship. It has been some weeks now since struggling manga artist, Kuga, first began renting a room to alien princess, Shiori, and ultimately found himself accidentally engaged to her. Now newly dating, this second volume sees the couple experiencing a lot of firsts - first date, first Christmas, first holiday together, first kiss. Shiori meanwhile is slowly getting to grips to life outside of the island where she grew up, pursuing work as a manga assistant while also just generally learning how to interact with other people.

A Galaxy Next Door is a weird manga to recommend to other people. The series’ bizarre premise is something of a cover for what is actually an immensely sweet domestic comedy. While reading it is easy to forget about the weirder sci-fi elements going on in the background, and this volume in particular feels pretty gentle. There are no dramatic plot twists, nor - at least at this stage - any particularly high-stakes drama. This volume mostly felt like a character study, shedding a bit more light on Kuga’s family-backstory and how he came to be caring for his two young siblings. We do also get a brief glimpse of Shiori’s childhood too, though this is fleeting. Shiori continues to be an intriguing character, and is the mystery of exactly who - or what - she is that drives much of my motivation to continue reading the series.

While it is still only early days (or rather, early volumes), A Galaxy Next Door continues to be a very promising series; enjoyable, sweet and gorgeously drawn to boot. It’s definitely one of the more memorable Josei romances to be released in English this year, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of this genre.
Profile Image for Kat.
1,631 reviews16 followers
July 24, 2022
okay - we've gotten past the strange (but admittedly very unique) premise, and we're now in cute relationship 'firsts' territory. the huge emphasis on family, especially ichiro's little siblings, makes this 10000x sweeter. there's a ton of adorable blushing and even their first kiss. the declaration of love comes a little early in my opinion, but this is shaping up to be one of my new favorite romance series. the art is breathtaking, and this cover is soooo gorgeous!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joseph.
545 reviews12 followers
May 2, 2023
I sometimes wish the sci-fi twist of the main girl being an alien princess wasn't there because I never feel enough is done with it. That said, I'm also glad they don't really engage with it because I think giving that plot point further screen time would only detract from the story.

But also who's to say? Maybe leaning into the sci-fi will be great. I'm game for anything, I feel confident it will be pleasant and enjoyable no matter what.
Profile Image for Alex.
210 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2022
I feel like this one compared to the first book, had lost some of its charm. It’s still really cute and I love the pre-confession moments. Them being bashful and worried if they’re asking or doing too much or too little. But the plot felt a little lost in this one for me. I’ll see if the 3rd manga brings it back for me.
Profile Image for Anna.
379 reviews7 followers
December 13, 2023
When Shiori said that it was her hobby to act like a princess, I pretty much lost it laughing. I really love how earnest everyone is in this manga. Both Shiori and Ichiro want to make this relationship work out so badly that they are willing to expose their vulnerabilities to the other person even though they know doing so makes them even more awkward.

Also, Machi & Fumio steal the spotlight each time they're on. This author really has a way with drawing the cutest kids.
Profile Image for J-Lynn.
1,403 reviews4 followers
December 29, 2023
Compared to volume one, I actually liked this one a lot! It felt more romance focused rather than manga writer focused which helped improve my feelings about continuing this series. As long as the next volume has more romance scenes that leave me squealing, I will quickly pick up the next volume unlike this last time.
Profile Image for Craig Schorling.
2,339 reviews11 followers
July 20, 2022
I love that this romance series is moving quickly and not falling into the traps of a couple that just refuses to make any advances. It is a sweet story and the plot points keep moving along. Very eager for volume 3.
Profile Image for Joanna.
140 reviews
September 12, 2022
Honestly still don’t know what’s going on. It’s just very cute and sweet. I still love the younger siblings and how important they are to Kuga. I did really like the convo that the younger siblings had with Goshiki. It was so sweet and so very important!
Profile Image for -moonprismpower-.
2,970 reviews15 followers
July 23, 2022
I wasn’t expecting this series to be so cute and wholesome! I like it!
Profile Image for Blair Hamilton.
66 reviews
April 6, 2023
IT LITERALLY JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER 🥹🥹🥹 they’re soooo cute 🥰🥰 I’m in love with all the characters and the art is sooo good 😆🤩
443 reviews
April 22, 2023
So sweet, so romantic, a really soft tale of first love lifted up by Gido Amagakure's amazing art, lovable characters and slow pacing!
Profile Image for Lorie Ham.
Author 2 books90 followers
February 24, 2024
Love this series! So sweet and romantic with a touch of supernatural
73 reviews
May 1, 2024
Even cuter than the last volume. I love a romance that actually explores the relationship and doesn’t just end when the people get together and this provides than in spades
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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