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君がトクベツ [Kimi ga Tokubetsu] #3
My Special One, Vol. 3
After a mortifying rejection, Sahoko Wakaume has sworn off beautiful boys. But a chance meeting puts her in the sights of gorgeous J-pop star Kouta Kirigaya of the group Like Legend. Sahoko will need all her cynicism to defend herself against Kouta’s tenderhearted and affectionate attacks to win her heart!
Sahoko is now officially dating Japan’s top idol! Now that her bias is her boyfriend, Sahoko sets about bettering herself for Kouta, but things quickly get complicated when a celebrity rival appears!
Sahoko is now officially dating Japan’s top idol! Now that her bias is her boyfriend, Sahoko sets about bettering herself for Kouta, but things quickly get complicated when a celebrity rival appears!
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2020
13 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Momoko Koda
42 books36 followersName (in native language):幸田もも子
Associated Names:
幸田桃子
幸田百子
KOUDA Momoko
Associated Names:
幸田桃子
幸田百子
KOUDA Momoko
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 11, 2023
The humor in this one just slew me. (Grammar check on computer says "slayed" is not correct. I looked it up, it's "slew". I just learned something, but it sounds...wrong somehow, lol.)
ANYwho, back to this book. This series is nothing short of adorable. It's sweet, light and a complete work of fantasy re: regular, everyday girl and Uber-hot, famous, rich idol being friends and then dating. It's silly and fun and great palate cleanse/escape from RL for a bit.
I highly recommend if you like light and silly, with a light undercurrent of seriousness.
4, this series just keeps getting better and better, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
ANYwho, back to this book. This series is nothing short of adorable. It's sweet, light and a complete work of fantasy re: regular, everyday girl and Uber-hot, famous, rich idol being friends and then dating. It's silly and fun and great palate cleanse/escape from RL for a bit.
I highly recommend if you like light and silly, with a light undercurrent of seriousness.
4, this series just keeps getting better and better, 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.
August 3, 2023
Sahoko and Kouta are a couple… of idiots. Still, between his off and on charm and her super broken self-esteem, they might just be getting along okay. But when a glow-up nearly turns into a blow-up and a rival decides to show up, things really start to cook.
This is definitely growing on me - I am especially fond of Sahoko’s try hard attitude where she really gets that she might have confidence issues, but her love for Kouta keeps pushing her to try her best anyway.
And that lack of confidence believably stirs up out of nowhere to put her in some really awkward moments when she really shouldn’t be concerned at all, but is anyway because if Sahoko can do one thing well, it’s get in her own head. Sometimes she has what she needs to get through, sometimes she doesn’t, which is believable.
So Kouta spends a lot of the time with his showbiz side facing outward and his confidence tends to carry the day, even when he’s being driven crazy with the feels for Sahoko at any given moment.
Which leads to some fun stuff like a second confession after the first confession, Kouta being waaaaay into his animals - I absolutely love how comfortable he is in his softer side - and Sahoko’s friend Yuko’s face upon learning how her bestie spent her summer.
There’s a lot going on here and most of it is really funny, above and beyond the way Sahoko reacts to everything in her life. This series might use some hoary old tropes, but it does so in place of hoarier tropes (I have a soft spot for series that do this) and that really helps.
Case in point, this is one of my favourite rival storylines ever, as Sahoko is the one with a rival for Kouta’s affections. The incredibly talented actress Emika might look a lot like Sahoko, but she is confident and classy like her competition is not.
The flipped genders might seem like this is primed for a cat fight, but instead it turns out Emika has a crush on Kouta’s bandmate, not Kouta, and the two girls are literally talking past one another for a lot of this volume. It gets very silly before they sort things out and become besties.
And Kouta is patient through Sahoko’s acceptance of herself, and I like how much he cares about her even before she gets made over. Yeah, he has a physical attraction, but it’s way more than that and Sahoko’s biggest rival is actually herself. His secret declaration during a show taping is killer boyfriend work.
There’s a ton of other good stuff going on - the entire kissing misadventure is incredibly silly, but that fake movie that the two watch to attempt to set the mood is one for the ages. It’s off-brand Titanic with some Victorian era class struggles and possibly time travel (or not) that accomplishes a lot in very few panels.
This is really good. It might be a bit too silly at times, but there’s so much fun in this volume that it’s hard to get mad at it. There are also some good reminders that Kouta is older than Sahoko, but it doesn’t dominate the plot since it isn’t a wild gap like we’d usually see, but he can drive and other little things.
Partly this is because Kouta is not exactly the most mature person on the planet by a long shot, which is one way to do it. I mean, if you don’t like age gap stuff this is not going to convince you, but I can go either way and this one really stepped its game up on other areas this volume.
4 stars - yeah, I really enjoyed this one. It’s not perfect, some sections don’t land as strong, but it’s getting closer to perfect and if you can handle how ridiculous it can be then you’re in for a treat because the core is mighty sweet.
This is definitely growing on me - I am especially fond of Sahoko’s try hard attitude where she really gets that she might have confidence issues, but her love for Kouta keeps pushing her to try her best anyway.
And that lack of confidence believably stirs up out of nowhere to put her in some really awkward moments when she really shouldn’t be concerned at all, but is anyway because if Sahoko can do one thing well, it’s get in her own head. Sometimes she has what she needs to get through, sometimes she doesn’t, which is believable.
So Kouta spends a lot of the time with his showbiz side facing outward and his confidence tends to carry the day, even when he’s being driven crazy with the feels for Sahoko at any given moment.
Which leads to some fun stuff like a second confession after the first confession, Kouta being waaaaay into his animals - I absolutely love how comfortable he is in his softer side - and Sahoko’s friend Yuko’s face upon learning how her bestie spent her summer.
There’s a lot going on here and most of it is really funny, above and beyond the way Sahoko reacts to everything in her life. This series might use some hoary old tropes, but it does so in place of hoarier tropes (I have a soft spot for series that do this) and that really helps.
Case in point, this is one of my favourite rival storylines ever, as Sahoko is the one with a rival for Kouta’s affections. The incredibly talented actress Emika might look a lot like Sahoko, but she is confident and classy like her competition is not.
The flipped genders might seem like this is primed for a cat fight, but instead it turns out Emika has a crush on Kouta’s bandmate, not Kouta, and the two girls are literally talking past one another for a lot of this volume. It gets very silly before they sort things out and become besties.
And Kouta is patient through Sahoko’s acceptance of herself, and I like how much he cares about her even before she gets made over. Yeah, he has a physical attraction, but it’s way more than that and Sahoko’s biggest rival is actually herself. His secret declaration during a show taping is killer boyfriend work.
There’s a ton of other good stuff going on - the entire kissing misadventure is incredibly silly, but that fake movie that the two watch to attempt to set the mood is one for the ages. It’s off-brand Titanic with some Victorian era class struggles and possibly time travel (or not) that accomplishes a lot in very few panels.
This is really good. It might be a bit too silly at times, but there’s so much fun in this volume that it’s hard to get mad at it. There are also some good reminders that Kouta is older than Sahoko, but it doesn’t dominate the plot since it isn’t a wild gap like we’d usually see, but he can drive and other little things.
Partly this is because Kouta is not exactly the most mature person on the planet by a long shot, which is one way to do it. I mean, if you don’t like age gap stuff this is not going to convince you, but I can go either way and this one really stepped its game up on other areas this volume.
4 stars - yeah, I really enjoyed this one. It’s not perfect, some sections don’t land as strong, but it’s getting closer to perfect and if you can handle how ridiculous it can be then you’re in for a treat because the core is mighty sweet.
August 8, 2023
"Thank you for teaching me that I'm not alone"
Last volume I felt VERY on the fence with this series and actually canceled my preorders until I read this volume to know if I wanted to continue or not.
Well, I'm even MORE conflicted because this was a really cute volume, and want to collect this series physically again but my wallet is saying no! LOL!! This volume definitely brought back a lot of the cute elements I super loved about volume one into this one, but now there is a different factor because our main leads are dating!
I found them fumbling around and doubting if the other wanted to do X thing or thought they were pretty/handsome enough to be quite endearing. Despite Kouta being an idol and having played romantic roles in movies, he's not an expert at relationships. He has his own worries/fears, but I will give him major credit because he really knows how to make a girl's heart skip a beat! He knows exactly what to say at just the right moment where it eases any of Sahoko's fears (intentionally and intentionally) that really put a sweet charm in this volume!
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that while Sahoko wore contacts occasionally, she did NOT completely lose her glasses with a beautify arc?! Like THANK YOUUUUU!! I don't wear glasses but I really hate the trope that in order for a girl to become beautiful, she needs to get rid of the glasses ASAP. Um, no. I don't understand why that's even a thing and find it so frustrating, and as a result, really appreciated how Sahoko still regularly wore her glasses while making her outfits cuter and wearing makeup to "level up" her looks.
I was afraid there would be a bunch of drama with a new "rival" on the scene, but was relieved that it was wrapped up quickly! Not only that though, the funniest parts of this volume centered around those moments because the art was hilarious!!
Overall, I significantly enjoyed this volume a lot more than the previous one! We're right back on track with all the cute humor and sweet moments! Definitely considering grabbing this volume physically!
Last volume I felt VERY on the fence with this series and actually canceled my preorders until I read this volume to know if I wanted to continue or not.
Well, I'm even MORE conflicted because this was a really cute volume, and want to collect this series physically again but my wallet is saying no! LOL!! This volume definitely brought back a lot of the cute elements I super loved about volume one into this one, but now there is a different factor because our main leads are dating!
I found them fumbling around and doubting if the other wanted to do X thing or thought they were pretty/handsome enough to be quite endearing. Despite Kouta being an idol and having played romantic roles in movies, he's not an expert at relationships. He has his own worries/fears, but I will give him major credit because he really knows how to make a girl's heart skip a beat! He knows exactly what to say at just the right moment where it eases any of Sahoko's fears (intentionally and intentionally) that really put a sweet charm in this volume!
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that while Sahoko wore contacts occasionally, she did NOT completely lose her glasses with a beautify arc?! Like THANK YOUUUUU!! I don't wear glasses but I really hate the trope that in order for a girl to become beautiful, she needs to get rid of the glasses ASAP. Um, no. I don't understand why that's even a thing and find it so frustrating, and as a result, really appreciated how Sahoko still regularly wore her glasses while making her outfits cuter and wearing makeup to "level up" her looks.
I was afraid there would be a bunch of drama with a new "rival" on the scene, but was relieved that it was wrapped up quickly! Not only that though, the funniest parts of this volume centered around those moments because the art was hilarious!!
Overall, I significantly enjoyed this volume a lot more than the previous one! We're right back on track with all the cute humor and sweet moments! Definitely considering grabbing this volume physically!
February 22, 2024
i literally shrieked, so cute
August 13, 2023
i cant with this they've been dating for a week and she's already getting a key to his place 💀💀
January 26, 2024
This is so hilarious and I LIVE for seeing all of the characters reacting to different things. But I'm also thinking about the age gap and it's throwing me off a little.
February 5, 2024
Very cutesie and enjoyable. Recommend for an easy sweet romance story!
February 21, 2024
This was my favorite volume so far, it was so funny. All the misunderstandings were so silly, but I loved the reactions.
Read
January 19, 2025Shoujo manga
Average girl x J-pop idol
Family Restaurant
She falls first
He's really a softie who cries easily
Rom-com, with a lot of physical humour
He's a golden retriever
Sahoko's glasses as an expressive comedic device (they're like their own character now)
Some panels hilariously reference other manga👌*
First date
Makeover
Misunderstandings
She has a book in which she writes "Ironclad Precepts 💀"
🚨AGE GAP🚨
So Sahoko finally meets the three remaining members of Like Legend, as well as a famous young actress. How is Kouta the leader is still the question 🤔
Again, childhood bff Yuko only appears when it's useful to the protagonist. I'm displeased.
Kanato being a menace part 3. But those of you who like black cat character types will like him.
As for the makeover: I hope the mangaka doesn't get into the habit of always making Sahoko wear contacts on dates. We've moved past the whole "glasses aren't attractive" nonsense, right?
I really am not feeling this and knowing their age gap keeps me uncomfortable. Also, I may be wrong, but it feels like the mangaka doesn't know what to do with the main couple now that they're together, can't let them enjoy their romance. Therefore, some external drama intervention is needed. Can't even let us meet all the Like Legend members properly, have some fun hanging out scenes... Have the boyfriend and the bestie properly meet in a get together that should be called "Here are my two favourite people that I like very much, so I hope you like each other too".
So yeah, it feels mediocre 🤷♀️
*for example: old school shoujo, Evangelion, Detective Conan/Case Closed, Heidi, etc
Average girl x J-pop idol
Family Restaurant
She falls first
He's really a softie who cries easily
Rom-com, with a lot of physical humour
He's a golden retriever
Sahoko's glasses as an expressive comedic device (they're like their own character now)
Some panels hilariously reference other manga👌*
First date
Makeover
Misunderstandings
She has a book in which she writes "Ironclad Precepts 💀"
🚨AGE GAP🚨
So Sahoko finally meets the three remaining members of Like Legend, as well as a famous young actress. How is Kouta the leader is still the question 🤔
Again, childhood bff Yuko only appears when it's useful to the protagonist. I'm displeased.
Kanato being a menace part 3. But those of you who like black cat character types will like him.
As for the makeover: I hope the mangaka doesn't get into the habit of always making Sahoko wear contacts on dates. We've moved past the whole "glasses aren't attractive" nonsense, right?
I really am not feeling this and knowing their age gap keeps me uncomfortable. Also, I may be wrong, but it feels like the mangaka doesn't know what to do with the main couple now that they're together, can't let them enjoy their romance. Therefore, some external drama intervention is needed. Can't even let us meet all the Like Legend members properly, have some fun hanging out scenes... Have the boyfriend and the bestie properly meet in a get together that should be called "Here are my two favourite people that I like very much, so I hope you like each other too".
So yeah, it feels mediocre 🤷♀️
*for example: old school shoujo, Evangelion, Detective Conan/Case Closed, Heidi, etc
March 12, 2024
4 out of 5,
At the same time, as I was really happy reading this, it has great amount of comedy and Kouta is a huge walking green flag that makes me so happy. They fit together so well.
I have some serious gripe with Yuko and Kanato in this book. Yuko who is supposed to be her best friend went on a route of "You need to be prettier if you date him" like no, he fell in love with her without the makeup and nice clothes. Stop it *hits with a magazine*
Kanato is just so annoying, like his backhanded comments are just meh to read. So rude for no reason, makes me not want to read what I assume is his love story, book 6 and forward.
The two of them brought the book down quite a bit for me tbh.
It also hit me that they have an age gap, this was covered in book 1 but was made into more of a plotpoint in this. Now, I understand that they are of age and that in Japan, many high school students might live alone and so on. A sign of Affection, another series that I love, also has an age gap but they are at least both in college. But yeah, it was a slight ick that brought it to a 4 star, almost 3 star read. I will probably read books 4 and 5 at least because Kouta and Sahoko are amazing, and I feel like the series is aware enough to handle the tropes in a good way.
At the same time, as I was really happy reading this, it has great amount of comedy and Kouta is a huge walking green flag that makes me so happy. They fit together so well.
I have some serious gripe with Yuko and Kanato in this book. Yuko who is supposed to be her best friend went on a route of "You need to be prettier if you date him" like no, he fell in love with her without the makeup and nice clothes. Stop it *hits with a magazine*
Kanato is just so annoying, like his backhanded comments are just meh to read. So rude for no reason, makes me not want to read what I assume is his love story, book 6 and forward.
The two of them brought the book down quite a bit for me tbh.
It also hit me that they have an age gap, this was covered in book 1 but was made into more of a plotpoint in this. Now, I understand that they are of age and that in Japan, many high school students might live alone and so on. A sign of Affection, another series that I love, also has an age gap but they are at least both in college. But yeah, it was a slight ick that brought it to a 4 star, almost 3 star read. I will probably read books 4 and 5 at least because Kouta and Sahoko are amazing, and I feel like the series is aware enough to handle the tropes in a good way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2023
Sahoko and Kouta's relationship is moving along quite quickly, but it's simultaneously being interfered with by their own personal problems and insecurities. Sahoko gets a makeover from her friend and meets the rest of L.L. Emika Nanase is introduced as Sahoko's "rival." A dramatic misunderstanding ensues. Sahoko and Kouta take their relationship a step further at the end - it's cute!
Side note: I think Sahoko and Emika look so similar; they are practically twins! Perhaps the irony of presenting Emika as a beautiful and accomplished celebrity that Sahoko gushes over ("SHE IS SO CUTEEEE T_T") is deliberate, because so is she??? I have questions. Perhaps I am overthinking it and that style of cute character is what Koda is most comfortable drawing, as all the characters in L.L. look similar too; it could be the same guy with different hair colour and clothing. 🙈
I'll have to wait a bit to continue this adventure in volume 4, as it has yet to be released!
Side note: I think Sahoko and Emika look so similar; they are practically twins! Perhaps the irony of presenting Emika as a beautiful and accomplished celebrity that Sahoko gushes over ("SHE IS SO CUTEEEE T_T") is deliberate, because so is she??? I have questions. Perhaps I am overthinking it and that style of cute character is what Koda is most comfortable drawing, as all the characters in L.L. look similar too; it could be the same guy with different hair colour and clothing. 🙈
I'll have to wait a bit to continue this adventure in volume 4, as it has yet to be released!
July 23, 2023
In volume three Kouta and Sahako make the big step of revealing their true feelings. Kouta gathered the courage to tell Sahako that he wants to be her boyfriend and that he loves her. Sahako is very worried that she won’t be enough for the J-Pop idol though. She already deals with anxiety and being his girlfriend is sure to evoke feeling of insecurity.
When Kouta invites her to deliver food to a set so she can meet the rest of Live Legend, Sahako also meets the actress Emika. After a misunderstanding the two become friends and allies.
My Special One is a sweet love story of two people who have insecurities but who are there for each other and support each other. Themes of mental health and how to support and communicate with people you care about make this a great series.
When Kouta invites her to deliver food to a set so she can meet the rest of Live Legend, Sahako also meets the actress Emika. After a misunderstanding the two become friends and allies.
My Special One is a sweet love story of two people who have insecurities but who are there for each other and support each other. Themes of mental health and how to support and communicate with people you care about make this a great series.
October 25, 2024
It's just kind of fine. I decided to give My Special One another try because all the reviews I'd heard about subsequent volumes were positive, even though my experience was somewhat lackluster with volume 1. As a shoujo, this is serviceable, but you really have to be on board with the personalities of the characters. I'm just kind of not. The ML is kind of a mess. His tragic backstory is supposed to redeem the idea that he "can never be close to anyone", but in reality he's just very emotionally immature. The FL is a mess and for some reason her "rival in love" is almost an exact clone of her. The romance is sweet, but I'm throne off by the age gap (not my favorite trope at all). If you are going to read a romance manga dealing with an idol and one of his fans, read Tamon's B-Side.
August 28, 2023
Volume three is all about the first kiss. There is a little confusion in the beginning between the characters. Are they dating? Aren’t they dating? It’s about believing in oneself, and our main characters are not very good at that. Which means it took three books to get to the first kiss. I am quite enjoying this series even though all the miscommunication is a lot of tropes. It can at times get to be too much but overall, you go into this book wanting something happy and sappy and that’s exactly what you get.
September 21, 2023
Sahoko and Kouta keep fumbling their way into a relationship. But when Sahoko gets introduced to the rest of the Like Legends, she falls into the sights of Emika, a superstar who feels that Sahoko is poaching on her territory! A showdown occurs when Emika and Kanato crash the wrap party Sahoko throws for Kouta. After those fireworks are resolved Sahoko and Kouta finally manage to get together. An interesting volume with plenty of emotional twists.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.
November 18, 2023
Sahoko confessed to Kouta and got turned down. But decided to be there for him anyway which touched his heart so much, he changed his mind and now Kouta has confessed to Sahoko. Sahoko, however, doesn't think he was actually making a love confession until Kouta makes an over the top redo of asking her out.
Then Sahoko has a makeover and meets some of Kouta's coworkers which devolves into one of the dumbest romance battles ever. Even the book admits it's stupid and that amount of self-awareness plus the old style art panels make it so much more funny.
Then Sahoko has a makeover and meets some of Kouta's coworkers which devolves into one of the dumbest romance battles ever. Even the book admits it's stupid and that amount of self-awareness plus the old style art panels make it so much more funny.
September 26, 2025
I was looking at other reviews and just found out this is an age gap romance. I knew he was older cause he could drive but I thought they were like 16/18... He is supposed to be 22?? He acts like a child, i just can't see him that way. Apparently, I missed that in the first volume....
But since there is just no way he is that age (he and the author are lying), I thought it was cute. We have moved past the sad volume and we are in the early dating volume. Its cute. The short lived potential rival story was funny how it ended.
But since there is just no way he is that age (he and the author are lying), I thought it was cute. We have moved past the sad volume and we are in the early dating volume. Its cute. The short lived potential rival story was funny how it ended.
July 17, 2023
*i received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Vol 3 of My Special One picks up right where we left off. So far my favourite volume of the series!!! Finally some pay off for FMC and readers!!
I don’t have much to add from previous reviews. Art is still great, characters still great. I loved how fast one of this volume’s conflicts was solved.
Anyhoo, I can’t wait for Vol 4!!
Vol 3 of My Special One picks up right where we left off. So far my favourite volume of the series!!! Finally some pay off for FMC and readers!!
I don’t have much to add from previous reviews. Art is still great, characters still great. I loved how fast one of this volume’s conflicts was solved.
Anyhoo, I can’t wait for Vol 4!!
August 1, 2023
chugging along
5 stars because it’s cute art. But I think I’m over age gap romances no matter how in love they are with one another. Just seems ick. It’s not real life and he isn’t portrayed as a groomer so it’s all good. But in the back of my mind I’m constantly going ehhhh about every single situation.
5 stars because it’s cute art. But I think I’m over age gap romances no matter how in love they are with one another. Just seems ick. It’s not real life and he isn’t portrayed as a groomer so it’s all good. But in the back of my mind I’m constantly going ehhhh about every single situation.
October 30, 2023
Thanks NetGalley, VIZ Media, and VIZ Media LLC for this cute arc!
5/5 stars!!
I just love this story, it's so cute and sweet! Watching Sahoko and Kouta fall more in love, and Sahokos personality get softer and less vigilant against love is really sweet! This is just a cute series that gives me all the warm fuzzies :3
5/5 stars!!
I just love this story, it's so cute and sweet! Watching Sahoko and Kouta fall more in love, and Sahokos personality get softer and less vigilant against love is really sweet! This is just a cute series that gives me all the warm fuzzies :3
May 23, 2024
This one made me want to roll around because of how cute this is ;u; I wish it had come out back when I was still a teen haha. I absolutely would have wanted to read more and more of Sahoko mustering up the courage to get closer and closer to Kouta. Another note, I loved seeing Like Legends member Kanato, who is also absolutely hilarious as a massive troll.
January 6, 2026
I really enjoyed this volume. Still liking the couple and rooting for them. This volume has the infamous interloper trope, which is not one of my favorites. And of course, it ends quickly, which is good. I'm glad it wasn't dragged out. Really looking forward to the next volume.
August 11, 2023
It’s cute! I like the reaction images, they’re funny. Also happy to see a couple get together early on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2023
THEYRE SO FREAKING CUTE AND SILLY!
September 15, 2023
So Darn Cute!
October 23, 2023
3.5 stars
November 9, 2023
5 stars thanks to that junji ito face 😂
November 22, 2023
3.5/5 Stars
January 7, 2024
Cute third volume, I am enjoying the characters and plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews