High schooler Anzu Hoshino has a great life. Every day she plays video games, pigs out on snacks, and pets her beloved cat. But this blissful existence is turned into a confusing mess when a magical creature transports her to an altered reality bereft of her favorite things. Now she’s stuck with hot guys instead!
How can she possibly survive in such an awful world?!
Anzu must play along in this altered reality before she can return to her normal life, so she begrudgingly makes friends with Tsukasa Kazuki. He unfortunately happens to be one of the hottest and most popular guys at school, and what’s worse, she realizes that he might not even be that bad of a person!
Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't a story about a twit of a fairy who, due to Japan's declining birthrates having an adverse effect on the fairy world's magic, decides to pick a girl uninterested in romance and turn her into a shoujo heroine by stealing her games, her chocolate, and kidnapping her cat. But that's what this is, and despite some implied queer erasure (which is mostly just me thinking how horrible it would be for my aro/ace self to be in Anzu's situation), it's actually really funny. Riri the (evil) fairy pulls out all the stops, transferring Anzu's parents to the US, throwing her into as many shoujo-themed meet cutes as he can, and brainwashing some poor schlub into her childhood friend. For her part, Anzu is doing her damnedest to thwart Riri's machinations, and the result is a send-up of shoujo romance tropes that's pitch-perfect. If you read a lot of shoujo romance, you definitely want to check this full-color treat out.
...and any romance fairies out there had better keep their paws off my cats.
Review for chapters 1-38 [Complete] - SPOILERS AHEAD
I think I didn't get shounen romance until I read this.
From start to finish, this thing was an absoloute banger. Also, I was not expecting such a strong found family element to be present given this is techinally a reverse harem romcom.
I mean, I got the exact ending I wanted and expected. But I maybe, just a little bit, wanted Tsukasa to be endgame. Their frienship was geniune, which is what I appriciated the most.
And the arc with his stalker? Unexpected but wonderful. While it did turn the story somewhat grim, it fleshed out Tsukasa a ton. And male sexual assault is rarely represented anyways. Him developing actual feelings for Anzu after all of that felt incredibly satisfying.
And Riri...eh, At the start, I found her aggrevating, but after what she did to Kishi? I take back everything I said about her. Wonderful character.
Anzu herself was the best part about reading. Usually, I find the 'not intrested in romance' leads to be quite frustrating, but she now might be one of my faves. She has big bi energy. And If I started liking her more after her conversation with Rayuya and when she told Kishi to back off, no one has to know...
The ending did however feel quite unsatisfactory. I wish it was popular so there would at least be more fans willing to create fanfics lol
😂😂 I was shocked by the premise I’m not going to lie. I instantly thought I was going to hate it and I still question some of it but it was honestly hilarious. I thought that it would be too easy with the fairy just introducing one love interest so the ended made me excited to pick up the second volume. This isn’t a manga I would take seriously. Just go into it to have some fun.
I feel a little conflicted about this read, despite that I found myself having a pretty good time reading it!
Hoshino is absolutely hilarious! I found her instantly engaging from the very beginning and think she is definitely part of this series' charm because she really isn't okay going along with this imp's plans to make her fall in love.
I guess where the issue sort of came in is that I didn't really like how she was sort of "abandoned" by her parents as part of the imp's doing. While I was also bothered by the events with her cat, her parents leaving the way they did was unsettling for me.
I would also add with this, I did not enjoy the ending because I know this is a comedy, but that took things a little too far for me and on the fence, even though I genuinely want to know what happens next because I LOVE Kazuki and all their interactions!
I am truly hoping they (Hoshino and Kazuki) DO have a romantic relationship because I love how both of them feel comfortable being their REAL selves around each other. Plus, a lot of the page time they have together is really really funny. I specifically want to read more in this series because I'm hoping they end up a couple and want to see more fun, cozy shenanigans between the two of them.
My favorite scene though definitely was when the cockroach was involved. LOL! Everything about that was completely hilarious!
Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Some of the cons really weigh heavy in how much I could have enjoyed this more, but I found it to be a fun read nonetheless, and looking forward to seeing what happens in the next volume.
With the declining birth rate, Japanese society has no place for the contented Anzu, whose life revolves around gaming, chocolate, and her cat. When a magical fairy named Riri gets involved, her three loves are whisked away and she’s on her way to shojo trope city, whether she wants it or not!
Good idea, inconsistent execution. I’d rather focus on the positives first, but your full enjoyment of this story will, I suspect, completely hinge on how obnoxious you find Riri, because I found them grating in the extreme.
I get that you need a foil for all this, but Riri is basically cruel and judgemental, not to mention doing some really borderline stuff like knocking Anzu out and leaving her defenceless around a guy she barely knows.
Of course, this is a comedy and some of these antics do pay off when they aren’t being quite as vicious. When the first hot guy, Tsukasa, has the only apartment in his building that gets flooded in a sudden typhoon, that’s pretty funny. There’s a dumb joke involving the Game of Life and dog poop that also cracked me up, so it isn’t all bad (actually that entire parody of Life is pretty fantastic).
When this is a battle of wills between Anzu and Riri, with Tsukasa trapped in the middle it’s actually pretty good. Anzu fights back as best she can, which can lead to some amusing takes on genre staples. It definitely functions even better if you’ve read a lot of shojo over the years.
Even better, despite Riri’s involvement, the romance between Anzu and Tsukasa, such as it intermittently develops, is based on Anzu trying to do things her own way. Thus, even in this faked set-up, she’s earning anything she achieves, even if Riri is trying to do it a different way.
As much as I don’t like Riri, I think the concept is good and the execution is decent for the most part. The poor guy brainwashed into being the childhood friend is a bit odd just because, well, that whole statement seems incredibly cruel and a little miserable (I do hope that random thought at the end means he ends up being gay, but that could open a whole other kettle of worms).
All told, I laughed about as much as I grated my teeth and I think Anzu is a winning heroine either way you slice it (her incredible stockpile of expressions is a nice touch). If you actually like Riri or find their antics funny, you’ll probably love this without reservation, but there’s enough to give it a recommendation with caveats as well.
3 stars - it’d be higher but I think the idea is stronger than how it comes out on the page. I’m pretty sure there’s a better version of this story to be written and, combined with my distaste for Riri, that’s going to lower my estimation no matter how good some of the jokes are.
i LOOOVE this so much omg!!! this is hilarious yet deep and meaningful?? and everything is so on point and beautiful i just- the creators of this manga/anime ate this up and left no crumbs. for real. 😭🫂💗✨
I've watched the anime on Netflix and the manga is, so far, panel by panel the animation. It's a fun way to spend an afternoon. You can read it for free, legally and in English at Manga Plus
Due to the declining birth rate in Japan, Riri, a magical fairy has decided to play matchmaker with Anzu. First, he confiscates everything she loves that might distract her - her cat, chocolate, and games. Then, he sends her parents overseas. Finally, he wreaks havoc in Anzu’s life through a series of misfortunate events all geared towards bringing Anzu closer to her hot schoolmate, Tsukasa. Anzu refuses to go along with Riri’s plans, but can she win against a powerful and magical being?
Avevo già visto l'anime di "Romantic Killer" e l'avevo adorato, quindi volevo assolutamente il manga... anche se trovare questo volume è stata quasi un'impresa, è praticamente introvabile. Proprio per questo, quando finalmente sono riuscita a comprarlo in una umile bancarella dell'usato, l'ho letto con ancora più entusiasmo.
Conoscendo già la storia dall'anime, ritrovare Anzu è stato come rivedere una vecchia amica. Le sue reazioni, la sua testardaggine e la guerra totale al romanticismo mi fanno ridere ogni volta. Anche sapendo come vanno le cose, non mi ha annoiata per niente.
I disegni mi hanno colpita tantissimo e rendono perfettamente l'umorismo della serie. Il fatto che sia a colori, l'ho apprezzato molto e lo distingue dai classici manga in bianco e nero. Alla fine, questo primo volume è stato una lettura divertente. Dopo averlo cercato così tanto, sono contenta di averlo aggiunto al mio carrellino dei manga. Non vedo l'ora di continuare (sempre se riuscirò a prenderli).
This manga was a very quick, rom-com for fans of shojo manga who like to make fun of the stereotypical archetypes in the genre.
The premise was cute and the art was good, but I was a little thrown off by the fact that it was in full color. This is just a personal preference after having read so much manga in black and white that full color feels weird in more than just a page or two at a time.
The first chapter or two was a little lackluster for me, but I started getting more into the story the further I read and became more invested in the comedic romance.
All in all it was a cute manga and I would read the rest of the series if given the chance.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viz Media for this advance reader copy!
This is one of the rare manga where I actually watched an episode of the anime first. The show didn't do much for me, but I thought I might like it better as a book. But I'm about just as lukewarm to this incarnation.
It sort of wants to satirize the tropes of shojo/romance manga while simultaneously indulging in them.
If my library gets the next volume, I might check it out since the series only supposed to be four volumes long, but I won't miss it if I never see it again.
The premise and everything is so silly but this was sooo much fun. 🥹
Like seriously if we care about declining birth rates why are we coming after a teenager and giving her a reverse harem? She's still a child in high school and has plenty of time to change her mind about romance?😭 And what is so many hot boys gonna solve besides to confuse her when you could have put more effort into just developing one boy's relationship with her.
Biggest flaw is she should have been in her 30s but also I'm thinking too much into a silly little story lmao.
This manga had me in stitches. I love the premise and the utter shenanigans that ensue. Clever and witty, the writing in this one is probably one of the best I've read in a while.
Anzu is living her best life. She plays video games, has a beloved cat and lines up her chocolaty snacks to enhance her game nights. But there is a baby crisis and no one is falling in love any more. To combat this population crisis, an avatar appears and takes away Anzu's cat, video game and tasty treats and sends her parents off to America. Alone, catless and video gameless, Anzu must either cave and play the game of romance OR attempt to beat the game by not falling in love. Can Anzu resist just about every romantic cliche and trope thrown her way or will she fall for the older, hot, aloof classmate thrown her way? Or will the best friend from elementary school who comes back grown and hot win her heart?
What I loved most: The social commentary That cockroaches are too unmentionable and so they are covered with cake slices The ridiculous romantic situations
It's hilarious how much I can relate to this. Anything is fun and games until the blond dude get in front of you, right? 👌 I love it so far though the fairy is annoying as hell
Was hoping for a better story. Puts a pretty superficial/stereotypical spin on the gamer lifestyle, and the storyline wasn't appealing enough to continue with the series.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
I honestly had higher hopes for the plot of this manga, but I was very sorely mistaken. Due to Japan's declining birthrate a fairy is assigned to a high school girl, Anzu Hoshino, who is uninterested in dating in order to motivate her to date... and have kids? (The latter part is insinuated.) The fairy gets Anzu's parents and cat shipped off overseas and takes away the two things she loves in life, chocolate and video games. She is determined, at first, to thwart the fairy's plans but gradually becomes interested in her high school's most popular student Tsukasa Kazuki.
I am not fond of stories that forces people into relationships. Especially when it's minors. I know that was introduced into the plot as a lighthearted and funny way to get some drama in, but I feel that could have been done better. Like, why not make Anzu a student looking for love but just not having much luck with it? Also, does she have to be a high schooler if the character is needing to fall in love in order to add to the population? Shouldn't the character be an adult? I know I'm thinking too deeply into it considering the story is supposed to be light and fun, but I feel very uncomfortable reading about people being forced into relationships.
OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK SO HARD! Anzu is me, just sub out books for games and keep the cat and chocolate and I am THERE. She is my Sister from Another Mister for sure.
I just LOVE how this book is playing with the shojo tropes of the mysterious new boy in school, the best friend from childhood who is secretly in love with her (though I am PISSED at the imp for completely ignoring the poor guy's lack of consent with it all. I hope the imp gets it's due!), the parents conveniently out of the picture, the forced proximity of living with a love interest, etc.
I got this via NetGalley and immediately after reading it ordered the physical copy for the store and me and pre-ordered the eCopy of volume 2 on evil Amazon, because I need it as soon as it drops! I will also buy the physical copy via my store once volume 2 is available as well.
If you are tired of the same shojo tropes being played out over and over again, this is a refreshing breath of pure oxygen. It's funny, with a serious thread running throughout it. I LOVE how Anzu isn't just going to give in to the imp and while I DO want her to win, I also want her to find love that will let her be herself, games, chocolates, cat and all. So conflicted, lol!
5, HIGHLY recommended, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was hilarious! I originally picked this up randomly on a dopa-mining manga buying spree and I'm thrilled that I did!
Essentially, this series is a Shojo parody and while poking fun at all of the genre's usual tropes, we are also watching a sweet romance develop. It was definitely over the top and eccentric, in the best ways possible, which had me cackling (very elegantly, of course) for most of it.
I appreciate that the author doesn't take themselves too seriously; if the manga itself isn't proof enough, I suggest taking a look at the author note. The fun they had making this series is clearly translated into the foundation of the story itself. With so many funny moments to keep you entertained (honorable mention to "those things" and the slice of cake stand-in) it doesn't take long for the story to really start moving.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys chaos, as well as Shojo and isn't afraid to poke fun at the things they love while in good company.
I’ve read the manga a while ago but I rewatched the anime on Netflix, it’s a sweet little highschool girl harem concept. The idea is that the girl is not interested in love and some cute love fairy tries to help her find options and opportunities to fall in love, so inevitably it’s also a romance comedy. So many niche funny scenes which makes you grow closer to the main character and the love interests which I also liked, they all have different looks and personalities which makes the whole shabang even more hectic but interestingly entertaining and comforting. I would definitely recommend this if you’re into romance anime and manga, lighthearted and easy read :P
I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like this or not but I thought I'd give it a shot and I'm so glad I did! It took a little bit for me to get into the groove of the story but it was pretty funny as it went on. I really love that the main character Anzu is totally disinterested in romance and just wants to play her video games and eat chocolate while she cuddles her cat. I'm honestly looking forward to the next volume to see what other hoops the magical imp Riri makes her go through to try and ger her to fall in love.
I watched the anime first and absolutely loved it! After that, I knew I wanted to read the manga and felt the same way I did when I watched the anime. This first volume is so funny and over the top in the best way. It has romance, video games, and cats what else could I ask for? I can't wait to continue this series.