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ラブ★コン [Love Com] #1
Lovely Complex Vol. 1
Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otoni, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo. Rather than bow to the inevitable, Risa and Atsushi join forces to pursue their true objects of affection. But in the quest for love, will their budding friendship become something more complex?
180 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2002
103 people are currently reading
8483 people want to read
About the author
Aya Nakahara
109 books263 followersAya Nakahara is an award-winning Japanese comic book author who made her debut in 1995. She is most famous for her Kansai-dialect romantic comedy series Lovely Complex (also known as ラブ★コン or Love★Com) which as well as spawning a feature film and a 24-episode animated television series has been translated into many different languages and has been published across the world.
She primarily writes in the romance and romantic comedy genres. Her most recent work is Dame no Watashi Koishite kudasai R (ダメな私に恋してくださいR).
See also 中原アヤ.
She primarily writes in the romance and romantic comedy genres. Her most recent work is Dame no Watashi Koishite kudasai R (ダメな私に恋してくださいR).
See also 中原アヤ.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
July 15, 2015
This is one of my favorite manga series. I read the whole series, and was devastated by the fact that it ENDS. I want it to go on and on forever. I want to keep seeing these wonderful characters and what they're up to.
The basic idea of it is this: Risa Koizumi is 5' 7". Atsushi Otani is 5'1". They're constantly fighting, a fact that the rest of the class finds very amusing, and for it they have been nicknamed 'All Hanjin-Kyojin', after a famous comedy duo.
The whole series is all about the relationships--Koizumi and Otani's relationship with each other, Koizumi's relationship with her best friends, I could go on. But, unlike other shoujo series, it's not stupid and full of pointless drama. I found myself rooting for Risa, laughing when she laughed and crying when she cried. I could totally connect with her emotions. The humor is often laugh-out-loud funny, and the facial expressions are half the fun. Risa's 'fish face' will forever have a place in my heart :)
I love the art. It's very different from other manga I've seen, and the more I look at it the cooler it seems. Aya Nakahara has some very wacky clothing designs, but it adds even more personality to the drawing style.
There are some bad points. It can get slightly predictable, and some of the characters seem uneccessary. But those points are both easily ignored.
All in all, if you like shoujo manga, I highly recommend the entire series.
The basic idea of it is this: Risa Koizumi is 5' 7". Atsushi Otani is 5'1". They're constantly fighting, a fact that the rest of the class finds very amusing, and for it they have been nicknamed 'All Hanjin-Kyojin', after a famous comedy duo.
The whole series is all about the relationships--Koizumi and Otani's relationship with each other, Koizumi's relationship with her best friends, I could go on. But, unlike other shoujo series, it's not stupid and full of pointless drama. I found myself rooting for Risa, laughing when she laughed and crying when she cried. I could totally connect with her emotions. The humor is often laugh-out-loud funny, and the facial expressions are half the fun. Risa's 'fish face' will forever have a place in my heart :)
I love the art. It's very different from other manga I've seen, and the more I look at it the cooler it seems. Aya Nakahara has some very wacky clothing designs, but it adds even more personality to the drawing style.
There are some bad points. It can get slightly predictable, and some of the characters seem uneccessary. But those points are both easily ignored.
All in all, if you like shoujo manga, I highly recommend the entire series.
September 18, 2023
[12/09/2023] ~ Señoras y señores, tengo el honor y el orgullo de decir que:
tengo Lovely Complex en físico.
No se dan una IDEA la felicidad que me genera tener a mi shoujo favorito en mi biblioteca. Así que, para celebrar este acontecimiento, salió relectura del primer tomito de esta historia HERMOSA. Como siempre, me hizo reír y me hizo apreciar lo perfectos que son Otani y Risa para el otro.
Además, ¿Risa y Otani hablando en español argento? It doesn't get any better than that.
En conclusión: Lovely Complex supremacy.
4 de 5 estrellas.
[20/10/2021] ~ Ya me vi el anime 2 veces, y hoy me levanté con ganas de leer el manga de una de mis comedias románticas favoritas ever. La cantidad de cosas nuevas que hay en este volumen que en el anime no !!! primero y principal, Otani y Risa son muchos más cute en el manga 😭😭 tipo la cita a ciegas en el karaoke que tiene Risa donde de repente aparece Otani (eso no pasa en el anime) y se siente al lado de ella porque "tenía cara de que se quería morir" 😭 don't touch me los amo. Y después !! SIEMPRE en el capítulos donde las parejas se hacían el test de compatibilidad, quise saber cuánto saldría en el test entre Otani y Risa, pero en el anime no lo muestran. Y acá si !!!! y tienen 100% de compatibilidad Y OTANI DICIENDO LO DE LA IMAGEN DE ABAJO POR FAVOR los amo literal parents.
4 de 5 estrellas.
Además, ¿Risa y Otani hablando en español argento? It doesn't get any better than that.
En conclusión: Lovely Complex supremacy.
4 de 5 estrellas.
-----------------------------
[20/10/2021] ~ Ya me vi el anime 2 veces, y hoy me levanté con ganas de leer el manga de una de mis comedias románticas favoritas ever. La cantidad de cosas nuevas que hay en este volumen que en el anime no !!! primero y principal, Otani y Risa son muchos más cute en el manga 😭😭 tipo la cita a ciegas en el karaoke que tiene Risa donde de repente aparece Otani (eso no pasa en el anime) y se siente al lado de ella porque "tenía cara de que se quería morir" 😭 don't touch me los amo. Y después !! SIEMPRE en el capítulos donde las parejas se hacían el test de compatibilidad, quise saber cuánto saldría en el test entre Otani y Risa, pero en el anime no lo muestran. Y acá si !!!! y tienen 100% de compatibilidad Y OTANI DICIENDO LO DE LA IMAGEN DE ABAJO POR FAVOR los amo literal parents.
4 de 5 estrellas.
March 28, 2021
Le tengo mucho cariño a esta historia, fue uno de los primeros animes que vi subtitulados y fue porque una amiga de ese entonces me dio el cd, por allá por el 2013 más o menos jajajaj por Dios como pasa el tiempo xd y hoy al fin encontré el manga!! Obviamente tenia que empezarlo jajja
Y pues me encanta Risa, siempre me gustaron sus peinados jajaj
La historia se trata de una chica muy alta y un chico muy bajito, ambos con complejos por su estatura. Viven peleando y todos en la escuela los conocen por la pareja de comediantes de la clase 2, un día deciden cooperar porque a cada uno le gusta un chico/chica cercano al otro y desde aquí se empiezan a relacionar un poco más entre ellos y pues para que decir que los planes nunca resultan como uno quiere xd
Y pues me encanta Risa, siempre me gustaron sus peinados jajaj
La historia se trata de una chica muy alta y un chico muy bajito, ambos con complejos por su estatura. Viven peleando y todos en la escuela los conocen por la pareja de comediantes de la clase 2, un día deciden cooperar porque a cada uno le gusta un chico/chica cercano al otro y desde aquí se empiezan a relacionar un poco más entre ellos y pues para que decir que los planes nunca resultan como uno quiere xd
January 5, 2025
me and who ??? 😍💕
December 24, 2019
Story is repetitive and kinda annoying. There's like no funny parts and the drawings are just standard.
Story is about a guy and a girl who constantly bicker with each other yet have all the same interests.
Problem is that she is "gumbo-sized" meaning way too tall (5'7") (my height is 5'8" lol) and he is really short hence why they're not in love. But they get along really well as friends.
They set themselves up on a double date and their double dates end up liking each other instead of them lol how ironic :P So now these two are playing cupid and not getting anything for themselves.
They go to an arcade that has a love machine that tells the other couple that they are 18% compatible while the tall/short couple is 100% compatible.
By the end they're starting to believe that they really are compatible, but still not meant to be together.
Story is about a guy and a girl who constantly bicker with each other yet have all the same interests.
Problem is that she is "gumbo-sized" meaning way too tall (5'7") (my height is 5'8" lol) and he is really short hence why they're not in love. But they get along really well as friends.
They set themselves up on a double date and their double dates end up liking each other instead of them lol how ironic :P So now these two are playing cupid and not getting anything for themselves.
They go to an arcade that has a love machine that tells the other couple that they are 18% compatible while the tall/short couple is 100% compatible.
By the end they're starting to believe that they really are compatible, but still not meant to be together.
October 20, 2008
This is honestly one of the few Shojo series I've developed a genuine affection for. Risa Koizume, The tallest girl in school, and Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy, are constantly and unwillingly paired together (occasionally by chance but mainly due to nudges from their amused classmates, mutual friends even a teacher). The general amusement stems from Koizume and Otani's circumstantial resemblance to a Japanese comedy duo whose entire shtick revolves around a height discrepancy. Tired of being made into walking punchlines, the pair are somewhat resentful of each other and constantly jibe back and forth, but once it becomes clear that that fate won't allow them to be rid of each other any time soon they form an uneasy friendship. Although the series would seem to ride on a one-joke premise, a surprising depth develops underneath all the quips. Both the main characters are engaging and funny, and the friendship that evolves between them is actually almost moving in its changing complexity (and fragility--for both characters bring to the table a fair share of injured ego and vulnerability). The supporting characters are really little more than window dressing, but the interplay between the two main characters (and the possibility of a budding romance for the two) will keep people reading. Not only that, but even with her self-doubt, Risa is portrayed as a brave, assertive and pretty realistic character in a lot of ways. For a genre which sometimes feels as if it's too often populated with ditsy and timid heroines, this is refreshing.
Age Recommendation: Ages 10+
Violence: (Based on v. 1-3) Nonexistent, outside of a rare nudge or playful swat between the two main characters
Sex: (Based on v. 1-3) Nearly nonexistent--the general vibe is very innocent and crushy. The one and only incident in the first three volumes where it would even appear to hint toward anything more intense is really a red herring
Age Recommendation: Ages 10+
Violence: (Based on v. 1-3) Nonexistent, outside of a rare nudge or playful swat between the two main characters
Sex: (Based on v. 1-3) Nearly nonexistent--the general vibe is very innocent and crushy. The one and only incident in the first three volumes where it would even appear to hint toward anything more intense is really a red herring
August 1, 2021
This series started out in quite the stereotypical way, but grew in maturity so quickly.
Note that this is a retrospective review since I've finished the entire series
The style is also absolutely beautiful.
Note that this is a retrospective review since I've finished the entire series
The style is also absolutely beautiful.
September 21, 2020
So wholesome and sweet. I love that this manga makes people question superficial notions like height. If someone was an absolutely perfect match for you in every way but their height would you cast them aside just because of that? I needed this hug of a manga today so dearly. The nostalgia came rushing back instantly and I was just as excited reading this nearly 15 years later.
October 13, 2020
Volumen Introductorio.
Chica Alta(1.70) y chico chaparrito(1.50), un maestro les puso apodo por un dúo cómico igual de un alto y un chaparrito. Entre ellos, se llevan a insultos, peleas.
Pero un día, mientras están en la clase de los reprobados, llega un chico alto, a ella le gusta, y una de las amigas de la chica le gusta al chaparrito. Así que deciden unir fuerzas para ayudarse a conquistar a sus crushes. Aunque parece que va a ser difícil, pues os crushes también se enamoraron ya de alguien.
Chica Alta(1.70) y chico chaparrito(1.50), un maestro les puso apodo por un dúo cómico igual de un alto y un chaparrito. Entre ellos, se llevan a insultos, peleas.
Pero un día, mientras están en la clase de los reprobados, llega un chico alto, a ella le gusta, y una de las amigas de la chica le gusta al chaparrito. Así que deciden unir fuerzas para ayudarse a conquistar a sus crushes. Aunque parece que va a ser difícil, pues os crushes también se enamoraron ya de alguien.
February 15, 2014
it was ok , I didn't really like it , it was just a school romance and people being silly , I read volume 1 to 3 , I got bored with it.
February 1, 2023
She's 5'7 and he's 5'1 reaching.
From my perspective it's not a big deal but whatever. School kids being silly and I lowkey like Otani - hence I'm gonna continue reading. I only hope these two confront quick.
From my perspective it's not a big deal but whatever. School kids being silly and I lowkey like Otani - hence I'm gonna continue reading. I only hope these two confront quick.
March 11, 2023
Rereading for the 38474839th time
October 13, 2019
I really enjoyed the start to this quirky series. The romance is pretty basic, but I love the "hate to love" plot that runs through it. And I'm surprised that in book one, the groundwork has already been laid for a cute little romance between our two main characters. In these slow-build romances, you usually don't see a character voicing doubts until at least 5-10 volumes in. Still, we're off to a great start, and I can't wait to see where this goes.
April 3, 2021
I watched the anime a few years back and honestly seeing two idiots who have height differences but are in love, just friggin adorable! I was even satisfied with the ending, definitely peeps should check out this manga or watch the anime! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
October 15, 2021
Nice rom-com based on the classical height difference with a comic duo working perfectly well together. Clumsy Risa is appealing and it’s often a fun read. Art is not amazing but actually suits the fun mood.
Yet, after the two finally and belatedly date, the series kinda stalls. Lots of chapters are related to uninteresting stories about secondary characters with no particular reason and It seemed I’d never see the end of the series.
4 volumes less and I’d have rated it 1 * more.
Yet, after the two finally and belatedly date, the series kinda stalls. Lots of chapters are related to uninteresting stories about secondary characters with no particular reason and It seemed I’d never see the end of the series.
4 volumes less and I’d have rated it 1 * more.
October 22, 2025
3.5
Cute!
Cute!
June 4, 2023
I’ve seen clips of the anime years ago but never go around to watching it. I managed to find a copy of volume 1 at my local library and now I know what I’ve been missing out. The banter between Otani and Rosa literally makes this book. I’m definitely continuing this series and will give the anime a watch
August 12, 2025
god i love them sm
March 20, 2015
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3.5 stars
This is a series review.
Once again, upon reread, I’m finding that this manga isn’t quite as amazing as I remembered. It’s funny how much of a difference familiarity with a genre can make, sometimes for better or worse. I loved a lot of the first manga series I read unreservedly and Love*Com was no exception. I still admire this series quite a bit and it definitely stands out in my memory more than a lot of others. Love*Com is a perfect example of why there need to be so many different types of romances.
First off, let me get this out of the way: I cannot explain the name Lovely*Complex to you. I just can’t. If you’re going to be a manga/manhwa/jdrama/kdrama fan, you need to just roll with the strange names, my friends. Lovely*Complex is a love story, surprising no one. What sets Lovely*Complex apart is that it’s the love story of a tall girl and a short boy. Koizumi Risa is almost 20 centimeters taller than Otani Atsushi. This isn’t something that happens often in pop cultural romances, which tend to reinforce the idea than men should be taller than their girlfriends.
The romance of Koizumi and Otani has a nice slow arc, which follows, if not hate to love, at least annoyance to love. The two have been paired up for all of high school, viewed as a comedy duo. They’ve got a lot of similar interests, but are both sensitive about their irregular heights and do not appreciate having their heights highlighted by being next to one another. The romance comes on them slowly, and sort of in spite of themselves. Even better, being a couple doesn’t change either of them once it happens. They pick on each other just as mercilessly as they did before, only with a new awareness of the fact that it is a joke. There aren’t enough couples who snark each other constantly in my opinion, so I love this aspect.
That said, on my read through, I wasn’t really feeling the romantic connection quite as much as I had in the past. This is partly because of how chaste the series is, but they’re together largely because of shared interests. It would have been nice to have some more kissing scenes or to watch them mature their relationship. Much as I love the way they fight and banter, I would have liked to see them have more actually romantic moments. Despite how hard they both fight for the relationship, I’m not really seeing the passion.
On top of that, there are the traditional absurd romantic obstacles in the form of people trying to break up their relationship for one reason or another. It’s like manga law that it can’t be real love unless people are trying to break you up. Also, both people in the relationship should have people crushing on them to prove how desirable they are. Obviously, without this, 17 volumes would be tricky, but I would have liked to see more internal problems, especially since all of this undercuts my love for neither Koizumi or Otani being ludicrously attractive. I like it as a story about normal people living normal lives, and the elements of the absurd were largely not appreciated.
Love*Com is a delightful and humorous manga that I recommend for readers who want something outside of the traditional romance dynamics.
3.5 stars
This is a series review.
Once again, upon reread, I’m finding that this manga isn’t quite as amazing as I remembered. It’s funny how much of a difference familiarity with a genre can make, sometimes for better or worse. I loved a lot of the first manga series I read unreservedly and Love*Com was no exception. I still admire this series quite a bit and it definitely stands out in my memory more than a lot of others. Love*Com is a perfect example of why there need to be so many different types of romances.
First off, let me get this out of the way: I cannot explain the name Lovely*Complex to you. I just can’t. If you’re going to be a manga/manhwa/jdrama/kdrama fan, you need to just roll with the strange names, my friends. Lovely*Complex is a love story, surprising no one. What sets Lovely*Complex apart is that it’s the love story of a tall girl and a short boy. Koizumi Risa is almost 20 centimeters taller than Otani Atsushi. This isn’t something that happens often in pop cultural romances, which tend to reinforce the idea than men should be taller than their girlfriends.
The romance of Koizumi and Otani has a nice slow arc, which follows, if not hate to love, at least annoyance to love. The two have been paired up for all of high school, viewed as a comedy duo. They’ve got a lot of similar interests, but are both sensitive about their irregular heights and do not appreciate having their heights highlighted by being next to one another. The romance comes on them slowly, and sort of in spite of themselves. Even better, being a couple doesn’t change either of them once it happens. They pick on each other just as mercilessly as they did before, only with a new awareness of the fact that it is a joke. There aren’t enough couples who snark each other constantly in my opinion, so I love this aspect.
That said, on my read through, I wasn’t really feeling the romantic connection quite as much as I had in the past. This is partly because of how chaste the series is, but they’re together largely because of shared interests. It would have been nice to have some more kissing scenes or to watch them mature their relationship. Much as I love the way they fight and banter, I would have liked to see them have more actually romantic moments. Despite how hard they both fight for the relationship, I’m not really seeing the passion.
On top of that, there are the traditional absurd romantic obstacles in the form of people trying to break up their relationship for one reason or another. It’s like manga law that it can’t be real love unless people are trying to break you up. Also, both people in the relationship should have people crushing on them to prove how desirable they are. Obviously, without this, 17 volumes would be tricky, but I would have liked to see more internal problems, especially since all of this undercuts my love for neither Koizumi or Otani being ludicrously attractive. I like it as a story about normal people living normal lives, and the elements of the absurd were largely not appreciated.
Love*Com is a delightful and humorous manga that I recommend for readers who want something outside of the traditional romance dynamics.
August 14, 2008
Risa Koisumi is the tallest girl in her class; Atsushi Ôtani is the shortest boy. They can't stand each other, especially since everyone at school compares them to a comedy team--think "Mutt and Jeff." Then they wind up having to go to summer school. There's a new boy --Suzuki--in their class. Risa is instantly attracted--after all, Suzuki is as tall as she is. Ôtani offers to help her get together with Suzuki if she'll help him get together with her friend, Chiharu Tanaka. What follows, as you might guess, is classic farce. Suzuki and Chiharu wind up crushing on each other and everyone thinks that Risa and Ôtani really like each other because of the way they've been talking each other up to the others.
This is a very funny, very silly story. I mean, you know from the beginning that Risa and Ôtani will wind up together, but the fun will be in seeing how long they can fight against it without getting annoying.
This is a very funny, very silly story. I mean, you know from the beginning that Risa and Ôtani will wind up together, but the fun will be in seeing how long they can fight against it without getting annoying.
November 17, 2014
Not a bad romantic comedy. The characters are nice (I get so tired of inexplicably mean characters in school stories) and the setups actually make a certain amount of sense. It's cute and light, and I like the art more than I thought I would from the cover. There isn't an awful lot of tension in the interconnecting relationships, but that's not always a terrible thing.
April 1, 2015
Bellissimo! *-*
October 5, 2015
Opinião no blog: http://anotacoesliterarias.blogspot.c...
October 8, 2016
Nice beginning. The story felt a bit dated but the relationship between the 2 main characters was good.
March 16, 2019
Honest and natural humor and love, perfectly playing around stereotypes
February 24, 2025
✨️Relectura de mi shoujo favorito ever✨️
La relación de Otani y Koisumi es el verdadero estándar: tienen tantas cosas en común que simplemente sería estúpido que no estuvieran juntos, su dinámica es muy divertida y ver cómo hasta el momento las cosas van cambiando lentamente, en especial del lado de Koizumi, es muy tierno. Es un friends to lovers en toda regla, y I'M HERE FOR IT!
Además es una historia muy original y aborda la inseguridad que implica ser una chica más alta que la media y un chico más bajo que la media. Ver el anime es una maravilla (cosa que he hecho al rededor de 5 veces) pero leer el manga también tiene algo muy especial.
Qué bello es volver a mi lugar seguro💜. Sé que voy a disfrutar esta historia tanto como la primera vez.
La relación de Otani y Koisumi es el verdadero estándar: tienen tantas cosas en común que simplemente sería estúpido que no estuvieran juntos, su dinámica es muy divertida y ver cómo hasta el momento las cosas van cambiando lentamente, en especial del lado de Koizumi, es muy tierno. Es un friends to lovers en toda regla, y I'M HERE FOR IT!
Además es una historia muy original y aborda la inseguridad que implica ser una chica más alta que la media y un chico más bajo que la media. Ver el anime es una maravilla (cosa que he hecho al rededor de 5 veces) pero leer el manga también tiene algo muy especial.
Qué bello es volver a mi lugar seguro💜. Sé que voy a disfrutar esta historia tanto como la primera vez.
June 30, 2021
I used to really like the anime version when I was younger. So I wanted to give a chance to the manga and.... wow I'm currently sooo happy to rediscover it!!
December 19, 2021
i really liked how the main girl is a gamer! i’m intrigued by this setup so far, can’t wait to see where it goes :)
August 26, 2025
(Reseña pendiente)
December 25, 2025
still so damn funny. if you think im going to be watching the anime too then you're absolutely damn right.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews