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The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend
From first crush to first crushed! The autobiographical manga about one woman’s quest for the hot short-haired girlfriend of her dreams!
Mieri is an awkward, nerdy college student with no dating experience, and her previous crushes on fellow butch women have all ended in disaster. That all changes when she meets Ash and has her feelings returned for the first time—but when first love turns to first heartbreak, Mieri will do everything possible to win Ash back. Based on true events, this is a hilarious and heart-wrenching story about love, loneliness, and the true meaning of finding one’s own happy ending.
Mieri is an awkward, nerdy college student with no dating experience, and her previous crushes on fellow butch women have all ended in disaster. That all changes when she meets Ash and has her feelings returned for the first time—but when first love turns to first heartbreak, Mieri will do everything possible to win Ash back. Based on true events, this is a hilarious and heart-wrenching story about love, loneliness, and the true meaning of finding one’s own happy ending.
208 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
July 1, 2023
captures the lesbian who can't get a girlfriend experience very well
February 16, 2023
Mieri comes to realize she’s gay. Then she comes to realize that she’s after a very specific type of woman. Even still, she finds love with the enigmatic Ash. For a time, anyway. A story of love and loss and the time it takes to come back from both.
I guess we’ve officially got an ‘autobiographical sad lesbians’ genre of manga now? Between this and Kabi Nagata’s ongoing melancholia it sure feels like it, although this one is far less self-destructive.
The reality of, well, reality, makes non-fiction manga hit just a bit harder and this one definitely delivers in the feels department, even if it can be a little hard to relate to Meiri at times. Less so because of her situation, a lot of people wind up obsessed with their first loves, but more because her avatar is deliberately out of step with the rest of the world in terms of how she’s drawn. It’s a choice I respect, but don’t necessarily love.
Everything else is pretty interesting though. Poor Mieri finds herself a minority of a minority, a butch-ish (her definition, not mine) woman looking for same. That shrinks a small pool down to even smaller right off the bat and you can tell that she’s desperate for a connection she just can’t seem to find.
Even worse, her first such connection turns out to be very much taken and that leaves her feeling even more hopeless… then Ash enters the picture and everything changes. For the better? Maybe?
If there’s a disconnect here, it’ll probably be how head over heels and utterly infatuated Meiri is for Ash, when they date for a month and no more than that. Sure, they have an amazing month together, but… that going from zero to sixty moment is a bit wild.
Having struggled with emotional dysregulation, however, I absolutely sympathize with this - I’ve been Meiri before and it sucks when you don’t realize that you’re on a whole other wavelength than the person you’re trying to have a relationship with. The portrayal here, even if that’s not what she’s experiencing, resonated with my own disastrous dating history (don’t worry, it worked out fine in the end).
Even worse, Ash seems like she is on the same page to start. But she’s not, as becomes very clear when the two are separated by distance. Her attachment isn’t nearly as strong or she just finds it that easy to cut and run when things get difficult, it’s hard to say. Either way, it wounds poor Meiri hard.
I like that Meiri says she didn’t paint Ash in the most sympathetic light at the end, but still wishes her well. In fact, despite Ash breaking things off, there is very little bitterness to her portrayal in the story. Sure, Meiri is hurt and angry, but Ash did what she did and we’re left to judge.
Honestly, I would be fascinated to hear her side of things. But, Ash had a string of bad relationships and several that were wrecked by distance, so it’s not like this comes out of nowhere for her. Long distance is brutal and an extra four months that Ash wasn’t accounting for, as happens here, can be a lot for somebody in love.
All this leads to the inevitable crash and the regrettable notion that Meiri can win her back. This is the most Kabi Nagata-esque section, as she is literally wrecked by her feelings and driven to extreme decisions (often extremely bad ones) in order to get back the only person who ever meant anything to her.
There’s also some good old point-blank homophobia from her grandparents (although this does give them the best joke in the book later on) and her parental ideal getting shattered. We don’t see her sink to rock bottom, but it’s close.
Which is why the last section provides some very nice closure indeed as Meiri learns probably the most important lesson - the need to love yourself before you bother to love anybody else. She rises, phoenix style, from the ashes of a real disaster with a much healthier outlook on life.
I mean, it’s not exactly a complicated story, but for anybody whose heart has been both full and subsequently emptied by another person, it is a relatable bit of business. I wouldn’t say it’s profound, but it was interesting and said something and, hey, good enough.
The art proper is quite good, although not exemplary. I almost never truck with these author self-insert drawings, so did not here, but she gets her point across well enough with her avatar and the other women are clearly where her interest lies, which definitely tracks.
4 stars - a pretty strong autobiographical work. I don’t think it will blow your mind, nor is it even the most gripping autobiography ever (that’s actually okay), but it’s a worthwhile read that gives some unique perspective. There are better books in this genre, sure, but that in no way invalidates the good in this one.
I guess we’ve officially got an ‘autobiographical sad lesbians’ genre of manga now? Between this and Kabi Nagata’s ongoing melancholia it sure feels like it, although this one is far less self-destructive.
The reality of, well, reality, makes non-fiction manga hit just a bit harder and this one definitely delivers in the feels department, even if it can be a little hard to relate to Meiri at times. Less so because of her situation, a lot of people wind up obsessed with their first loves, but more because her avatar is deliberately out of step with the rest of the world in terms of how she’s drawn. It’s a choice I respect, but don’t necessarily love.
Everything else is pretty interesting though. Poor Mieri finds herself a minority of a minority, a butch-ish (her definition, not mine) woman looking for same. That shrinks a small pool down to even smaller right off the bat and you can tell that she’s desperate for a connection she just can’t seem to find.
Even worse, her first such connection turns out to be very much taken and that leaves her feeling even more hopeless… then Ash enters the picture and everything changes. For the better? Maybe?
If there’s a disconnect here, it’ll probably be how head over heels and utterly infatuated Meiri is for Ash, when they date for a month and no more than that. Sure, they have an amazing month together, but… that going from zero to sixty moment is a bit wild.
Having struggled with emotional dysregulation, however, I absolutely sympathize with this - I’ve been Meiri before and it sucks when you don’t realize that you’re on a whole other wavelength than the person you’re trying to have a relationship with. The portrayal here, even if that’s not what she’s experiencing, resonated with my own disastrous dating history (don’t worry, it worked out fine in the end).
Even worse, Ash seems like she is on the same page to start. But she’s not, as becomes very clear when the two are separated by distance. Her attachment isn’t nearly as strong or she just finds it that easy to cut and run when things get difficult, it’s hard to say. Either way, it wounds poor Meiri hard.
I like that Meiri says she didn’t paint Ash in the most sympathetic light at the end, but still wishes her well. In fact, despite Ash breaking things off, there is very little bitterness to her portrayal in the story. Sure, Meiri is hurt and angry, but Ash did what she did and we’re left to judge.
Honestly, I would be fascinated to hear her side of things. But, Ash had a string of bad relationships and several that were wrecked by distance, so it’s not like this comes out of nowhere for her. Long distance is brutal and an extra four months that Ash wasn’t accounting for, as happens here, can be a lot for somebody in love.
All this leads to the inevitable crash and the regrettable notion that Meiri can win her back. This is the most Kabi Nagata-esque section, as she is literally wrecked by her feelings and driven to extreme decisions (often extremely bad ones) in order to get back the only person who ever meant anything to her.
There’s also some good old point-blank homophobia from her grandparents (although this does give them the best joke in the book later on) and her parental ideal getting shattered. We don’t see her sink to rock bottom, but it’s close.
Which is why the last section provides some very nice closure indeed as Meiri learns probably the most important lesson - the need to love yourself before you bother to love anybody else. She rises, phoenix style, from the ashes of a real disaster with a much healthier outlook on life.
I mean, it’s not exactly a complicated story, but for anybody whose heart has been both full and subsequently emptied by another person, it is a relatable bit of business. I wouldn’t say it’s profound, but it was interesting and said something and, hey, good enough.
The art proper is quite good, although not exemplary. I almost never truck with these author self-insert drawings, so did not here, but she gets her point across well enough with her avatar and the other women are clearly where her interest lies, which definitely tracks.
4 stars - a pretty strong autobiographical work. I don’t think it will blow your mind, nor is it even the most gripping autobiography ever (that’s actually okay), but it’s a worthwhile read that gives some unique perspective. There are better books in this genre, sure, but that in no way invalidates the good in this one.
August 11, 2023
A Japanese woman living in America laments her failure at a love life. It's pretty standard as far as graphic memoirs go, but I felt for the otaku woman and was grateful that despite its lows she tells her story in an engaging and lively manner.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Part 1. First Crush on a Girl -- Part 2. Looking for a Girlfriend -- Part 3. Mutual Feelings with a Girl -- Part 4. Being Dumped by a Girl and Trying to Get Back Together with Her -- Part 5. Being a Mess -- Part 6. Recovery -- Extra -- Author's Note -- The Road to a Finished Manuscript -- Q&A Corner -- Bonus Gallery
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Part 1. First Crush on a Girl -- Part 2. Looking for a Girlfriend -- Part 3. Mutual Feelings with a Girl -- Part 4. Being Dumped by a Girl and Trying to Get Back Together with Her -- Part 5. Being a Mess -- Part 6. Recovery -- Extra -- Author's Note -- The Road to a Finished Manuscript -- Q&A Corner -- Bonus Gallery
May 30, 2023
You can find my full review for No Flying No Tights here. Overall I really enjoyed this book, it had flashes of Nagata Kabi's work like My Solo Exchange Diary Vol. 1, but with more optimism. It's a very vulnerable book about experiencing a lot of firsts when you're entering adulthood and expecting it to be easier. Fans of (semi) autobiographical graphic novels and manga should give this a shot.
January 19, 2023
This was a fun, comedic take on a queer bio. I found it relatable and enjoyable the whole way through. Sadly, I just was hoping for a little more substance for it. It's still a lovely volume. I would definitely recommend reading it.
May 21, 2026
“I shower people I love with affection. I’d be happy loving one-sidedly if we weren’t dating. But once I got a girlfriend, I started yearning for reciprocation. The pent-up unhappiness exploded like a dam. Love and hate are a hair apart.”
More than anything, I think that Hiranishi’s candid story about first love speaks to the perils of rushing full-speed-ahead into a relationship when you have no love or esteem for yourself. For the first time, Hiranishi experienced love and validation from an outside place, and was incredibly shocked and disillusioned when it was suddenly lost. Instead of completely disavowing the girlfriend that dumped her like nothing, she chased after her and grieved the loss of her for years.
Yet through all of this pain, grief, and heartbreak, Hiranishi does come out the other side understanding that just because her ex-girlfriend decided she wasn’t worth the time, doesn’t mean that Hiranishi shouldn’t invest the time in herself. I felt like through the way that Hiranishi portrayed herself that it seemed like she doesn’t (or didn’t) think of herself very highly, so it made me feel relieved that she understands what a jubilant and loved person she must be in real life. Lovers come and go, and it hurts when they go, but you will always have yourself. You are your ultimate investment, so shower yourself with love – before anyone else!! Try to understand your worth, because no one else can make you understand for you. (wags finger aro/acely)
I thought that this was a good book that was in a similar atmosphere to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, but with a much more light-hearted tone. Hiranishi handles her own experiences with good humor and a lot of heartfelt emotion. I’m sure many people could relate to investing a lot into a relationship but not having that same investment reciprocated from the other person. I think anyone who struggles with self-esteem problems in their relationships could relate to this.
I thought the art was pretty cute as well. I’d like to see a manga from Hiranishi that has a bit more of a polished style. There was one panel in this that had great composition, that really gave me a glimpse into her art's potential. I’ll definitely be watching to see if Viz translates anything else of hers!
May 2, 2023
Cute, heartwarming, and achingly sad, The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend is a true story about the author and how her first relationship, while short, completely altered her life trajectory.
The author doesn't shy away from talking about the difficulties of being a lesbian, or the messy feelings we all feel after a bad break up. At the end though, we are left feeling hopeful and I'm sure Mieri Hiranishi will find a girlfriend in the future since now that her manga is a hit, she is being flooded with romantic overtures. -Reviewed by Jenna I.
The author doesn't shy away from talking about the difficulties of being a lesbian, or the messy feelings we all feel after a bad break up. At the end though, we are left feeling hopeful and I'm sure Mieri Hiranishi will find a girlfriend in the future since now that her manga is a hit, she is being flooded with romantic overtures. -Reviewed by Jenna I.
January 1, 2023
I thought that this was very entertaining. I know the author is talking about getting a girlfriend and then taking a long time to get over her but the way that she talked about everything was so candid and funny. I really enjoyed reading this.
May 8, 2023
I wish nothing but the best for her :)
September 2, 2025
average obsessive loser sapphic experience (she gets me fr)
June 22, 2024
In this autobiographical manga, Mieri is an awkward, nerdy lesbian who thinks her dreams have come true when she meets Ash, a hot androgynous woman, and realizes her feelings are returned. They date for about a month, and Mieri pretty much exists for Ash. Then they break up, and Mieri still feels crushed four years later.
I actually finished this several months ago and am only now getting around to reviewing it. I...was not impressed. Mieri's obsession with Ash wasn't exactly healthy - in fact, her general theme seemed to be low self-esteem and putting anyone she deemed attractive on a pedestal.
The author did get to a place, by the end of the volume, where she realized that she needed to work on being a person she could like and approve of, though, so that was nice. But she never really got past the point of viewing every aspect of her life as discrete blocks that she had to crowbar into her life rather than things that could, even just some of the time, work and function together.
I could see this being a relatable read for some folks, and it had some funny moments, but I was expecting a bit more from it than I got.
Extras:
A bonus comic/author's note, a couple Q&A pages, and a bonus gallery with cover sketch ideas.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
I actually finished this several months ago and am only now getting around to reviewing it. I...was not impressed. Mieri's obsession with Ash wasn't exactly healthy - in fact, her general theme seemed to be low self-esteem and putting anyone she deemed attractive on a pedestal.
The author did get to a place, by the end of the volume, where she realized that she needed to work on being a person she could like and approve of, though, so that was nice. But she never really got past the point of viewing every aspect of her life as discrete blocks that she had to crowbar into her life rather than things that could, even just some of the time, work and function together.
I could see this being a relatable read for some folks, and it had some funny moments, but I was expecting a bit more from it than I got.
Extras:
A bonus comic/author's note, a couple Q&A pages, and a bonus gallery with cover sketch ideas.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
March 30, 2023
This was the uplifting lesbian manga memoir I’ve been waiting for. It was a rollercoaster worth riding and absolutely hilarious.
April 8, 2023
Quick fast read, but I saw a lot of myself in these pages. Highly recommend!
June 6, 2023
I first read this back when the author posted it on webtoon, it's nice to see it in a beautiful printed format!
June 10, 2023
i wasn't expecting this to be so funny, lmaoooo. good book!!
September 29, 2023
After the massive success of Nagata Kabi's My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, I've noticed a sizeable influx of autobio manga dealing with a variety of social issues. Which is fine, but the reason Kabi's work connects with such a wide audience is her ability to go full warts-and-all, never opting to spare herself humiliation or shame.
Anyway, this book is great, largely because Hiranishi is also skilled at going warts-and-all, describing in very painstaking detail how a one-month relationship wrecked her life for four and a half years.
Also the way she draws herself is funny. Looking forward to reading more of her stuff!
Anyway, this book is great, largely because Hiranishi is also skilled at going warts-and-all, describing in very painstaking detail how a one-month relationship wrecked her life for four and a half years.
Also the way she draws herself is funny. Looking forward to reading more of her stuff!
June 26, 2023
An enjoyable and comedic queer read that came full circle re the emotion and healing.
June 27, 2023
This was, in a lot of ways, a simple story -- an autobiography of one woman's journey finding love, losing it, and finding self acceptance -- but in a lot of ways it was profound, introspective, and wholesome. It balanced humor with self-reflections and was overall a really good manga. I'd recommend!
January 22, 2023
Representation: lesbian Japanese protagonist, lesbian Japanese secondary characters, bisexual Usian secondary character,, Japanese secondary and tertiary characters.
Content Warning: none.
Content Warning: none.
June 17, 2023
Frankly it can’t get any better than an honest-to-god character development, especially one that involves getting over an ex 🫠 looking forward to reading more work from this author! 100% recommend if you wanna experience secondhand heartbreak 💔
December 5, 2022
*This ARC was provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review*
Do you enjoy books/manga that make you cry, are based on true stories, and have fun and pretty-aesthetic art styles?
Then The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend is the perfect match for you.
The story encompasses the best and worst parts of relationships. It shows the difficulties in finding a partner, how the feeling of love can give you adrenaline and make you feel like you're valued and special, and finally how love can be incredibly cruel (Thank you Selena Gomez for playing "People You Know" in my head right now).
The story really hit hard for me, because a lot of emotions and feelings I have experienced in my lifetime, Mieri had experienced in her lifetime as well. While I was reading I found myself crying an awful lot, because it's nice to not feel so alone. However, it also sucks to see someone else struggling. From feeling like you need to change to be liked to having your heart shattered in a relationship that you thought would be final (Here's to us... the people who got their hearts broken because "long distance").
And to Mieri, I hope we get a sequel someday. <3
Do you enjoy books/manga that make you cry, are based on true stories, and have fun and pretty-aesthetic art styles?
Then The Girl That Can't Get a Girlfriend is the perfect match for you.
The story encompasses the best and worst parts of relationships. It shows the difficulties in finding a partner, how the feeling of love can give you adrenaline and make you feel like you're valued and special, and finally how love can be incredibly cruel (Thank you Selena Gomez for playing "People You Know" in my head right now).
The story really hit hard for me, because a lot of emotions and feelings I have experienced in my lifetime, Mieri had experienced in her lifetime as well. While I was reading I found myself crying an awful lot, because it's nice to not feel so alone. However, it also sucks to see someone else struggling. From feeling like you need to change to be liked to having your heart shattered in a relationship that you thought would be final (Here's to us... the people who got their hearts broken because "long distance").
And to Mieri, I hope we get a sequel someday. <3
March 3, 2023
This book was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt way too much of this on a spiritual level, and wasn't prepared for how close to home it felt. Losing yourself to a relationship is such a difficult, and common thing, and there's something here that felt so uncomfortable but so relatable at the same time that I can't quite put my finger on it. I loved every second, despite how much it made me want to apologise to half my friends when I was a teenager/young adult for falling way too hard. Mieri does a great job of showing just how complex dating is, and finding out who you are within those constructs.
I felt way too much of this on a spiritual level, and wasn't prepared for how close to home it felt. Losing yourself to a relationship is such a difficult, and common thing, and there's something here that felt so uncomfortable but so relatable at the same time that I can't quite put my finger on it. I loved every second, despite how much it made me want to apologise to half my friends when I was a teenager/young adult for falling way too hard. Mieri does a great job of showing just how complex dating is, and finding out who you are within those constructs.
March 26, 2023
3.5
In a sea of autobiographical manga this does little to stand out. Except perhaps for it's optimism. Unlike a lot of these types of bokks I've read lately, there is a refreshing posetivity to the harsh and sometimes painful reality. This isn't a downer like the "Solo Diary Exchange" series, life for the protagonist isn't overly miserable, and the self deprecating humor is done with kindness as opposed to self pity.
Nothing truly special, but definitely a breath of fresh air in at least one aspect.
In a sea of autobiographical manga this does little to stand out. Except perhaps for it's optimism. Unlike a lot of these types of bokks I've read lately, there is a refreshing posetivity to the harsh and sometimes painful reality. This isn't a downer like the "Solo Diary Exchange" series, life for the protagonist isn't overly miserable, and the self deprecating humor is done with kindness as opposed to self pity.
Nothing truly special, but definitely a breath of fresh air in at least one aspect.
March 5, 2023
This manga is so much fun and really relatable. I love the narrative voice in this a lot, and honestly wish Mieri every happiness and success--I've been following her since she was writing the manga on Patreon and posting pages on Twitter. While there are some sad parts in this, it's not a "tragicomic" like so many other queer stories of this kind. I read this from cover to cover in about an hour, and you should too!!
September 19, 2023
While having silly art at times and taking a more light-hearted approach, it covers what it feels like to go through your first relationship later in life, first break up, and learning to pick up the pieces and love yourself after it all in only one volume while not feeling rushed and covering harder topics like mental health and the psyhical effects it can have on your body really well!
I think it well worth the read!
I think it well worth the read!
March 10, 2023
Despite of being a very short manga (comic), I had such a good time reading it. I can relate in so many levels. This manga brought a nostalgia of good old Shojo manga I used to read when I was small!
August 12, 2024
reread 08112024: this book is my roman empire
I could relate so much to this! thanks mieri, I hate it!
I could relate so much to this! thanks mieri, I hate it!
August 8, 2023
No other lesbian book can be more relatable xx
August 19, 2023
And today we are looking at and talking about The Girl That Can't Get A Girlfriend by Mieri Hiranishi. Published in 2023 by Viz Media. This slice of life, comedy, autobiographic manga was originally self-published in English on Webtoons and Tapas and on pixiv in Japanese. These web comics versions are still available for free.
Viz has rated this volume teen. Content notes for navigating stereotypes around butch/femme relationships, losing yourself in a relationship, and experiencing racism in dating.
Obviously we learn a lot through this pretty vulnerable autobiography about Mieri Hiranishi. Interesting things that don't come up in the summary though are Hiranishi actually lives in the USA, both during most of this story and to this day. They've also been doing the office job and artist grind for a while now, although scrolling their feed formerly known as twitter they appear to have recently put in their resignation letter. Congratulations!
Keywords that came to mind reading this stand alone volume: first love, crushes, love, dating, imposter syndrome, gender performance, and boundaries.
Starting off with the most obvious comparisons, this volume obviously reminded me a lot of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Their not the same but they certainly rhyme, which is fine. Let us be deluged in socially awkward and/or self-conscious people trying to date please.
Of course there are a lot of things that diffirentiate MLEWL and TGTCGAG but digging into that felt sort of like I was ranking kinds of socially anxious dating experiences so you'll just have to believe me...
Art wise I can see this style not being for everyone, but I also felt like it really expressed how Hiranishi was feeling throughout. Each choice building up the emotional tenor of the climax.
Story wise I could really relate to many parts of Hiranishi's experience. If not in the exact details, in the emotions. This certainly renders me biased, but reading around it seems like a lot of people are in this same situation so we are certainly not alone.
Another strength I think Hiranishi brings to the table is the ability to reflect on these experiences and depict what is going on from a somewhat removed position while maintaining a certain level of understanding for how she was feeling at the time.
Looking at the intersections and identities I try to examine in each of my reviews:
Sexuality did see a bit more diversity then I initially expected. Hiranishi is very keen to date women, but does briefly at least go on dates with a guy during this story. Is this bisexuality? Maybe, I tend to not think that is what Hiranishi is trying to communicate. That said I appreciated Hiranishi brining it up in such a nonissue way. She doesn't really angst about it or see it as a problem... She talks about how much easier it felt in that moment and it's part of her journey. So it felt bi/pan sexual friendly in a world that still often demonizes people who find multiple genders attractive, or pretends we just don't exist.
Gender was another pretty interesting focus of Hiranishi's story. Both in how Hiranishi presents as a self-described butch and how she's attracted to other more masculine people despite the butch/femme stereotype.
Race wasn't really tackled as an issue, although on a slightly related note (although very tangential) we do see more international travel and working then I often see.
Class was similarly pretty much ignored, although we do get a mention of the reality of Hiranishi not getting hired on after an internship and having to move back to the so called USA.
Ability and disability went unlabeled although, given my own ability to relate to Hiranishi I would guess that many people with some kind of mental health and or neurodiverse diagnosis would probably find themselves really relating to Hiranishi's internal life. Although not exclusively so.
To conclude, four stars; as I already said, let it rain awkward people trying to date. This shit needs to be normalized!
Viz has rated this volume teen. Content notes for navigating stereotypes around butch/femme relationships, losing yourself in a relationship, and experiencing racism in dating.
Obviously we learn a lot through this pretty vulnerable autobiography about Mieri Hiranishi. Interesting things that don't come up in the summary though are Hiranishi actually lives in the USA, both during most of this story and to this day. They've also been doing the office job and artist grind for a while now, although scrolling their feed formerly known as twitter they appear to have recently put in their resignation letter. Congratulations!
Keywords that came to mind reading this stand alone volume: first love, crushes, love, dating, imposter syndrome, gender performance, and boundaries.
Starting off with the most obvious comparisons, this volume obviously reminded me a lot of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Their not the same but they certainly rhyme, which is fine. Let us be deluged in socially awkward and/or self-conscious people trying to date please.
Of course there are a lot of things that diffirentiate MLEWL and TGTCGAG but digging into that felt sort of like I was ranking kinds of socially anxious dating experiences so you'll just have to believe me...
Art wise I can see this style not being for everyone, but I also felt like it really expressed how Hiranishi was feeling throughout. Each choice building up the emotional tenor of the climax.
Story wise I could really relate to many parts of Hiranishi's experience. If not in the exact details, in the emotions. This certainly renders me biased, but reading around it seems like a lot of people are in this same situation so we are certainly not alone.
Another strength I think Hiranishi brings to the table is the ability to reflect on these experiences and depict what is going on from a somewhat removed position while maintaining a certain level of understanding for how she was feeling at the time.
Looking at the intersections and identities I try to examine in each of my reviews:
Sexuality did see a bit more diversity then I initially expected. Hiranishi is very keen to date women, but does briefly at least go on dates with a guy during this story. Is this bisexuality? Maybe, I tend to not think that is what Hiranishi is trying to communicate. That said I appreciated Hiranishi brining it up in such a nonissue way. She doesn't really angst about it or see it as a problem... She talks about how much easier it felt in that moment and it's part of her journey. So it felt bi/pan sexual friendly in a world that still often demonizes people who find multiple genders attractive, or pretends we just don't exist.
Gender was another pretty interesting focus of Hiranishi's story. Both in how Hiranishi presents as a self-described butch and how she's attracted to other more masculine people despite the butch/femme stereotype.
Race wasn't really tackled as an issue, although on a slightly related note (although very tangential) we do see more international travel and working then I often see.
Class was similarly pretty much ignored, although we do get a mention of the reality of Hiranishi not getting hired on after an internship and having to move back to the so called USA.
Ability and disability went unlabeled although, given my own ability to relate to Hiranishi I would guess that many people with some kind of mental health and or neurodiverse diagnosis would probably find themselves really relating to Hiranishi's internal life. Although not exclusively so.
To conclude, four stars; as I already said, let it rain awkward people trying to date. This shit needs to be normalized!
September 14, 2023
I personally enjoyed Mieri's journey, and related quite a bit with her. I have had multiple scenario's where I fell for a girl that either did not like me back, or the relationship was cut short. I was devastated just as heavily as Mieri was.
Now I may not have taken 4 years to get through those breakups, but I think every person is unique. I am thankful to know that I was never alone in healing from those breakups. My feelings are valid. Something to gather from her manga, is that healing should have no timeline. We are allowed to take as much time as we need from our past relationships, and spend time alone. Being alone, is what prepares us for our next partner. Working on ourselves, will bring in a healthier partnership.
I found her characters to be enchanting, and I laughed quite a bit. I also sobbed my eyes out at how relatable this story was. This story hits very close to home for me. I liked the part where Ash was reading Death Note in Japanese. I have always wanted to read that specific manga when I became fluent in the Japanese language. Mieri's small details, along with her phenomenal artworks really shined through.
Overall, this was Mieri's first manga. She nailed it. I cannot wait to read her next project. I know she will do her best, because she is the best. The Girl That Cant Get A Girlfriend is one of my favorites on my manga bookshelf.
Now I may not have taken 4 years to get through those breakups, but I think every person is unique. I am thankful to know that I was never alone in healing from those breakups. My feelings are valid. Something to gather from her manga, is that healing should have no timeline. We are allowed to take as much time as we need from our past relationships, and spend time alone. Being alone, is what prepares us for our next partner. Working on ourselves, will bring in a healthier partnership.
I found her characters to be enchanting, and I laughed quite a bit. I also sobbed my eyes out at how relatable this story was. This story hits very close to home for me. I liked the part where Ash was reading Death Note in Japanese. I have always wanted to read that specific manga when I became fluent in the Japanese language. Mieri's small details, along with her phenomenal artworks really shined through.
Overall, this was Mieri's first manga. She nailed it. I cannot wait to read her next project. I know she will do her best, because she is the best. The Girl That Cant Get A Girlfriend is one of my favorites on my manga bookshelf.
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