5★, easily!! This was adorable, sweet, and funny, with amazing art (and that cover..! 🔥🔥🔥)
Thoughts:
* Refreshing reversal of the cool guy and shy girl pairing. I absolutely loved how Shikimori kept saving Izumi without a second thought, and always so smoothly! She's brave, athletic, suave...and still definitely very cute. Izumi on the other hand was too adorable, with his uber-clumsiness and constant swooning over Shikimori's coolness.
* Sweet. Super sweet. Saccharine sweet that will give you toothaches. But I love it!! It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I've come to realize that I really enjoy these sweet, adorable love stories if they're done well.
* I've seen this series at the bookstore before but never committed because of the lukewarm reviews for it on goodreads, mostly about the chapters being repetitive. I wish I had just followed my gut and gotten it sooner!! The core trope may have been repeated, but it's a slice of life manga. There's not really crazy events happening. That's literally the whole point. Instead of a focus on some big overarching plot, it's all about the day-to-day life of a high-school couple, with the fun twist trope that flips 'normal' gender roles on their head. Again, it may not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.
* The chapters had some really great and varied settings that weren't just limited to high school, which helped keep things interesting! Movie theater (horror movie!), ski slopes for the class trip, theme park date, going to see cherry blossoms in the spring and christmas lights in the winter...each chapter was something different and fun.
* The art is breathtaking - this mangaka may be one of my new favorites. I love all the panels, which fluctuate between chibi cute and detailed action or face shots. I also especially appreciated how there was absolutely no fan service when the MCs are minors...too many manga I've read really over-sexualize the young female characters especially, with very leer-y/male gaze shots (I'm talking about you, 'My Dress Up Darling' that I DNF'd because of all the up-skirt panty shots). This one was fluffy goodness and felt a lot more respectful.
I am going on a hunt tomorrow for vol 2, since the Barnes I got this one at had all the way up to volume 6 but was missing the specific second volume...I cannot wait to binge the rest!!