Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii kana
How Do We Relationship?

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(Mild spoilers for the pilot chapter this manga is based on)

Maybe I'm a little biased, but I love this manga to death. It feels criminally underrated. Since finding it, it has quickly become my gold standard for lesbian/yuri romance stories, because nothing I've seen coming out of Japan before or since has come this close to portraying actual lesbian romance.

I'll give you a list of ways this manga ignores the usual yuri cliches, in favor of mature storytelling. If, like me, you are tired of reading about the same pair of poorly written lesbians, here's why you should read this:

-The characters are in college, and ... roughly the same age. They are not high schoolers, middle schoolers, teachers, or office ladies.

-While self-doubt is one element of characterization, which both leads struggle with on multiple occasions, there is no horrendous, twenty chapter 'will they or won't they' segment. (mild spoiler: Miwa and Saeko get together at the end of the first chapter)

-Corollary to the above, the main elements of the story come from the act of being in a relationship, not the initial getting together.

-Whoever translated this did a fantastic job of making everyone talk like real people talking in English. On the writing side, there are no wacky moments of forced 'comedy' or bizarre things that would only happen in anime, just believable people who are nonetheless genuinely funny at times.

-Misunderstandings happen, but they're not forced for the sake of constant melodrama, just a natural case of the characters' personality traits misaligning. They are handled maturely, or in some cases, characters develop through conflict to become mature enough to handle it, making the drama feel grounded rather than melodramatic.

-Gay people are allowed to call themselves gay. LGBT elements and issues are discussed frankly when the time comes for it, without euphemisms or 'it's okay if it's you'. How Japanese culture interacts with the LGBT is a major theme in the story.

-Conflict happens. It's not a complete fluff fest, despite being cute as sin at times. Characters have genuine emotional baggage to work through, and actually develop through interacting with each other, rather than remaining stagnant. There's no generic 'evil girl' trying to blackmail them and break them up constantly.

If you're at all familiar with what Japan usually calls 'GL', and are despairing, like me, then the above will (hopefully) make your heart skip a beat. We did it. It's not much, but it's one manga that doesn't walk the same tired path as things like Sakura Trick or Citrus. It doesn't hang around for a veritable eternity, contemplating its own navel, like Bloom Into You. It's not a fluffy pile of nothing, sprinkled with Japanese 'wacky humor', like... pretty much anything tagged as yuri and 4-koma(Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, Bright and Cheery Amnesia, etc).

I never realized how much the single target sexuality thing bothered me in Japanese media. How gay guys in BL constantly explaining away their feelings with 'it's okay if it's you, bro' feels subtly toxic to the idea of a gay community. It's okay, you're not gay, or lesbian, and therefore part of a community of people just like you, you just think your best friend shines like the morning sun. Keep your head down. Don't be 'too gay', after all, it's just yaoi/yuri, not anything serious. This is why I think Miwa and Saeko's relationship, and their attendant insecurities about being in a gay relationship are so important here. It's risky for them, not because there's some generic evil girl who's trying to break them up, but because a lot of people in Japan genuinely wouldn't be accepting of their relationship.

Oh, and bi people exist in this manga, yay. I feel represented. All in all, between the excellent characterization, lack of toxic tropes, and exploration of mature themes, this is one of the few times I can say a yuri manga felt like it was being written by someone over the age of 25. If I have any doubts about it, the only one I can say is that the pilot manga, which was a single chapter that this diverges heavily from, featured Saeko cheating, breaking Miwa's heart. If that happens later in this one, and this becomes tragic, I'm probably going to want to die tbh.

So please, if you want gay stuff, read this manga. If you're looking for 'hot lesbian xxx', you may be disappointed, but I hear a little site beginning with P and ending in Hub may have an opening for you there. While you're here, read it anyway, because this is as close as I've found to the real deal when it comes to relationships.

They're messy, and heartfelt, and oftentimes hard work, even at the best of times, but they're also worth every moment.

I think , this is the most realistic a lesbian manga can ever get and I F*cking love it...
it's just perfect from all aspects , first :
The Story [ 10 ] : because it starts simple and goes SO SMOOTHLY till it gets to where it wants to
The Art [1000] : Simply GORGEOUS.
The Characters [10] : Built to be who they are , you know exactly what they think and why they think it , very relatable.
The Enjoyment [10] : It knows exactly how to keep the reader engaged and wants more ( it's still serializing and i CAN'T WAIT)
and finally Overall , it's just ... perfect ; I'm so glad that I read it because It was just on my "plan to read" list so yea
Highly Highly recommending you to read it "whoever you are thanks for you attention ;)"

I recommend this manga to every yuri/ girls love manga lover. Unlike many other shoujo ai manga, the characters in this piece are very well written and their actions are understandable. It's very refreshing to have a non-high school girls love story. Even the side characters are very interesting and I want to know more about them.
Also the art is amazing!! When I first saw the series at the book store I thought there are way to many speech bubbles and I wasn't really convinced to buy it. But later on I did anyways and I'm so happy about it since it has turned ... out to be one of my favorite series. It really looks amazing, the layout is just a bit confusing sometimes.
Edit: This has only gotten better and better with every volume. You almost never see characters who are so human and so real. It is so impressive how the author manages to set exactly the mood, the characters feel. Volumes 5 & 6 have a much darker tone, but the author does this in such a realistic way that's not edgy or cringy. These feel like real people from the real world, they just look 2D.

I love that it exists, but I don't really like the story and characters much itself.
I love that the characters have so many flaws, which makes it realistic, but I don't like their personalities. I love that the author wrote this, but I'd never want to meet any of the characters; and if they were in my life, I'd either be constantly annoyed by them, or would have cut them off from my life asap. At least most of them; I do like a few.

I like that it shows how hard relationships can be, and I love the realistic part of it, but ... overall the execution isn't as good as you'd think. Volume 1 seemed very promising, but it really went down from volume 2 on.

Also I really hate Saeko. Either the author just forgets about her earlier actions, giving her scenes where she feels extremely off-character and confusing, or the author hates her as much as I do and wants the readers to hate her too. Either way, she's pretty badly written. I might be a bit biased, since I don't like her personality overall, but there really were often scenes where i was like: "where did that suddenly come from?!"
Maybe it's on purpose, maybe that's supposed to be her character, since in real life you don't know everything about other people either, so actions of them often seem very surprising. Who knows.

This is a must read lesbian series!!! It's not the same fluffy stuff you always get with wlw mangas nowadays but a realistic outlook on relationships and sexuality. Just as it shows the beautiful side of love, it also shows its much more cruel part that lets us see how hard it is to actually maintain one. This series portrays that very well!!

The main cast and some of its supporting cast are extremely well-rounded characters, they're written in a way that conveys their flaws perfectly and the story is set for them to better themselves of that flaw and cope with the mistakes they ... have made. It's a golden rank of a romance series in general, that of which avoids usual romance cliches.

At first glance the story seems to be predictable but its executed so well that its uncertain if it will really go the way it is as how you'd think it would.

How Do We Relationship is a raw, emotional, and heartfelt look into romance. It's less of a romance manga and more a manga about romance, exploring why and how people get together, how they date, how they fight, how they make up, how and why they break up, how their lives change for better and for worse. It's a very grounded look at relationships, and it's not afraid to show both the good and the bad. The story centers around lesbian romance, and has a lot to say about the queer experience as well.

The characters feel very human, and the manga takes great care to ... avoid labeling characters as good or bad. They act emotionally, they make mistakes, they say things they don't mean, some don't understand themselves, some don't understand others. It really feels like every character is trying their best, and the manga does a great job at making you feel exactly what they're going through at each point of the story. Romance is very emotional, and the manga is great at making you feel what the characters feel, whether it be love, hate, or anything in-between. There's a lot of embarrassment, too.

The story follows a variety of relationships, and each of them has a unique flavor. It delves deep into every aspect of any given relationship. It shows why people get together, and how the reason for the relationship affects it. It shows how different personalities clash and complement each other. It shows how different people view sex in a relationship. It shows both the importance of communication and how difficult it is. It shows that different people need different things to be happy. It shows how relationships change you, in what ways, and how much. Most importantly, it shows that love on it's own isn't always enough to keep people together. It's not afraid to say, sometimes, even though there's so much love, even though you want to stay together, even though, emotionally, you feel like you would do anything to make your partner happy, the harsh reality is that not all relationships work out, and the world doesn't end together with your relationship - life goes on, and people change, and you have to learn to move on.

From love to heartbreak, to new love, from shame and embarrassment to growth, from the elation of love, to the bitter, pure, heart-wrenching despair that comes when it finally clicks that the relationship is over and there's nothing you can do about it. How Do We Relationship takes great care to show the good and the bad, carefully, respectfully, but holding nothing back, resulting in a breathtaking and beautiful story about why people seek out love. I cannot recommend this enough - there is nothing else like it.

This review gives slight spoilers as it explains how the series changes, fair warning.

Honestly I felt like writing a review cause it took me until volume 5 to realize what this series is actually about. I went in expecting a story about learning how to manage a relationship between these two lesbian couples but its way later I realized that the story tricks you into thinking that's what the premise is.

Its a story about what the premise for a relationship should not be, and that is just settling for someone. Its a story that starts out with a cute circumstance that reveals how such an ... idea is insanely flawed. It turns into a fluffy romance that breaks itself in half because the actual relationship is not built on something genuine.

The story is not done of course at this time so I may be off basis but I think this is a fascinating story about a relationship failing and growing past that into something more honest. What that ends up being I could not say but I genuinely think it will not be about them staying together, more so its using that experience to grow and find who they should be with.

There is a lot of talk about gay relationships not being openly discussed and also for just finding anyway to fall in love cause that's something expected but regardless I think the true message of the series is despite those societal pressures, relationships need to be something authentic no matter what type of love you go for.

Tsukiatte agete mo ii kana or how to get from good to great (spoilers till chapter 45)
I read the first volume of Tsukiatte agete mo ii kana maybe a year ago. It quickly became one of my favourite yuri mangas due to deep characters and abandonment of typical yuri cliches. The manga sure had lots of potential - so I thought.

While reading volume 4 (chapters 28-36) I felt really bad. I was watching this awesome couple of this great manga slowly falling apart. Here and there they seem to make up again - but those who pay attention must know that's just desperate hope. ... Saeko and Miwa never manage to solve any of their problems. They just both try to keep being together despite of the unsolved conflicts. These conflicts lead to their unavoidable breakup. Tamifull makes it really painful. Do you remember the first few pages of the manga in which Miwa is happy about having a girlfriend? You probably used to think it's one of these wholesome moments of being loved and fulfilled and all. Well, no, this is the scene where they break up - and it tears my heart apart. It was painful because it was realistic. It was not a melodramatic breakup based on misunderstanding or some other silly reason. It was a process of gradual allienation of the partners from each other. And anyone who experienced a breakup can relate to it.

Volume 4 was great. Not because I liked what happened, but because it was not an illusionary story of two people superficially making up after few pages through the power of love. Instead it was a sad story of a failed relationship of two people who really liked each other. I read this volume three times in a row. And I was flashed by the complexity of this relationship and of it's dynamics. Now, rereading also the first three volumes I realized that the relationship of Saeko and Miwa was doomed for way longer than volume 4. Miwa and Saeko needed to break up because both of them were not at peace with themselves, they were not mature enough to handle their problems. In Volume 2 they make up during their trip, but they never really process the conflict. Not having a follow up on that would be bad. And Tamifull does not do bad in this manga.

In Volume 5 (chapters 37-45) she could have made tons blunders. It was my nightmare that the volume could start with Saeko having a new girlfriend and Miwa slowly also getting a new love interest. In this case the complexity of the manga would have been thrown out of the window. Tamifull didn't do that. Instead she managed to increase the complexity. You can argue that the characters just continue to go down in this volume. But it just makes sense that it happens like this. It's the result of the weaknesses of the protagonists. The only way for them to move on is to confront their own contradictions and wishes.

I am crazily excited to read more of this manga. I want to see how Tamifull follows up on this master piece. She set my expectations high and I hope she can keep delivering on this level. Generally, I am a fan of happy endings and satisfying payoffs. So all in all, I'm looking forward to a happy ending - or at least to a good ending.

“How Do We Relationship?” is the most mature romance manga I’ve ever read. No better way to describe it. Not mature in the sense of 18+ content (though it’s not afraid to get spicy when the story needs it), but in that the author knew really well what she wanted to write and didn’t hold back on doing everything to make it work as well as it did.

Yuri / Shoujo Ai / GL in japanese media is a genre I've always felt like it wasn't my thing. Girls kissing is always pretty nice to see in media, but when a story is built around that ... without giving it much substance I feel a bit like it's not treating that subject with the respect it deserves. But well... it's not like there are that many GL series out there and I need my representation so I still end up coming back around them even if just for the girls kissing alone.

How do we Relationship is a series went to read just for the girls kissing. At the time only the first one-shot had been translated, and it really intrigued me: instead of being a story about the drama that leads up to the beginning of 2 girls' romantic relationship... the relationship begins from the outset and it's about the drama that comes with the that very fact itself. That got me hooked!

At this point I don't recommend reading the one-shot until you've read the manga at least up to Volume 7. Due to the short format it couldn't put that much into the story (which led to some people I've met terribly misunderstanding it), but it lays the groundwork for the whole story and various events that take place in it. I knew there was more to it, and I discovered that Tamifull had made 2 other one-shots but only one of them got translated...

So picture my excitement when I discovered it became an ongoing series.

Tamifull really set herself to solidify this story and the most important part of it is its character writing. This is not a story about girls kissing, but about Saeko and Miwa: who are they, what's their personality, what's their understanding of their sexuality and how it came to be, how they develop or change as the story goes, who are their friends and family, what places do they go to, what's their backstory and what to do with the loose threads from it, and so on... From that you get 2 really great (albeit flawed) protagonists whose character itself dictates their actions in the story, how they affect and are affected by not only each other but also those around them... and, of course, how the girls kissing aspect happens.

What happens if you put these 2 characters together is an inherently flawed relationship that needs a lot of work from each other if they hope to make it work. I really like the story's official english title, "How do we Relationship?". It depicts by itself the flawed relationship and their will to learn and get over it.

The fan-translation title "So do you want to go out, or..." is a good translation of the japanese title "付き合ってあげてもいいかな” (read Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii Kana") that works with the casual nature of the manga. But it lacks the ambiguity of the language used, making it an one-sided question asked by each party. To me the japanese title can also have a nuance of them asking themselves the question, that I`d translate as "Is it alright for us to go out?", which is a recurring thought throughout the manga.

Any search for people talking about this manga will make you see that the main emotion associated with it is "angst". I understand the feeling, as wanting to have that angst feeling resolved was one of the main reasons for me to go out and start learning japanese when they stopped fan-translating and the official release was only every 6 months. But I do think associating only that word with it is kinda to the detriment of the story being about the characters getting over the struggles.

Small problems, big problems, all take its appropriate time to flesh out and find the best possible solution, even if doesn't seem like it is at first. The characters are immature and a big chunk of the problems are caused by said immaturity, but the story knows that and builds these characters to grow up more mature as the story goes along. And boy, if you haven't got to volume 9 (as of writing this, english translation is still on vol 7), you have no idea how much they grow up.

And talking about just Saeko and Miwa kinda undermines how alive this story's world feel. This story has a huge cast consisting of friends, family, classmates, clubmates, coworkers, friends of friends… all of which are done justice to and fleshed out perfectly for what the story wants to tell. In many chapters you won't even see Saeko or Miwa for a good chunk of it just to explore their characters.

The story being character driven applies to the whole cast. These are people living their lives, dealing with their own struggles, and it's reinforced when showing how they are affected and affect the protagonists and their relationship. I love all of these characters, I'd easily read a whole manga about each of the supporting cast, not in the sense that they're not well explored but just that I'd want more of them that doesn't have to do with the main story being told.

Another problem I have with GL stories is that often the queer aspect of it doesn't go beyond "but we're both girls". I'm all in for positive representation that don't feel the need to address possible issues with heteronormativity, homophobia and other things.. But it can sometimes make me feel like the story is idealizing way too much or make me not relate as much, because as much as I'd like to live in a world where those issues don't exist... I don't.

It shows how the LGBTQ+ characters deal with these things in all sorts of ways, from subtle things like body language, or having trouble opening up because of the internalized fear, to harsher situations where the characters snap or fight others because of their lack of understanding.

It doesn't shy away from discussing and exploring sexuality in all fronts. It shows the LGBTQ+ characters own history and understanding of their own sexuality, them dealing with heteronormativity, how the straight characters deal with getting to know an LGBTQ+ person, one's experience with sex or lack thereof, the weight of romance and sex in an allosexual relationship, asexuality, aromanticism, a LGBTQ+ person's relationship with their parents and vice-versa. All going into great depths to make this probably the most relatable LGBTQ+ representation I've seen in a manga, and the chapters that go in depth in something related to these topics being some of my favorite in the series.

Unfortunately the language barrier makes it so a good chunk of this manga still can't be experienced by non japanese spakers as of writing this. The series just continues to be consistently good with every release if not better. And now with the last open plot threads gradually closing up up and the story marching torwards an end from the looks of it, I'm really looking forward to how it goes, as much as any english-only reader, confident that it'll be great.

Here's the thing. When it comes to yuri manga, I always expect some eye-catching or saucy scene at the beginning to catch the readers attention. In fact, this is what i expect from a lot of romance manga. Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii kana is no exception, and frankly, it's a bit cringe initially and throughout the first one or two volumes. And although first impressions are everything, I'm really glad that I stuck it through past the initial volumes. I say this because this story evolves beyond a spicy romance between two women. After the first two volumes, we start to take a look at dating ... in general, and not specifically LGBTQ. The trifles, disagreements, conflict that happen in all relationships surface themselves through the lives of the two main characters as they grow into adulthood. I appreciate the directness, not shying away from topics such as sexual intimacy and same-sex relationships. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is interested in the yuri genre, but I would even recommend it as a good general romance manga altogether.

Mature coming of age yuri set in today's collage.

Story-10 Art-7 Character -10 Enjoyment-7 Overall-10

No spoiler review.

If you are a yuri connoisseur this is a no brainer, please give this a go.

I don't know about other languages but Sexy Akiba Detectives did a wonderful job in translating this manga to English, all the conversations feels extremely fluid, natural and funny, almost as if its written in English originally. The art is good, nothing crazy so far, but it's a perfectly fine style to tell the story.

I have not read many yuri mangas(reading bloom into you rn), but I believe the relationship dynamic between the two mcs ... will be one of the most down to earth and unique ones I will ever encounter. All of the characters are very flushed out and the main driving force of the story. Very 'human', 'real', kind of vibe you know what i mean? Characters actually have flaws! Gosh isnt that crazy? And they actually act human!? Saay waaat? Amongus sussy baka i suck at writing reviews read the manga.

it's not bad... Certainly not worth writing home to mom about either.
Since the start of this manga one thing has been made painfully evident, the side characters in this manga just don't do it for me. It feels like they rush the pacing by forcing their own ideals onto Miwa which just leads to a slew of things that shouldn't even be happening. If the side characters aren't forcing their ideals onto Miwa, they're constantly prying into Miwa's private life, which just gives me an icky feeling all around. I'm not one to hate on intercourse scenes either by any means, especially if ... they're initiated in the right way, but the way in which it was incorporated into this manga just gives me an icky feeling. Miwa's scared, she has a certain way she wants it to go, she wants to take her time, yet none of that happens because of peer pressure from others around her, it just doesn't do it for me. The relationship between Miwa & Saeko is also extremely inconsistent, some chapters they're lovey - other chapters they're on the verge of falling out over something trivial. Although they get along it just doesn't feel like they're a good match. This manga isn't bad, hell, I'm even grateful for it, it takes a more realistic stand on homosexual relationship which we don't see too often, it's just the way this manga's events unfold. There's so much more I could list, yet that would just be me describing my own personal distastes in detail, I personally think you should read it on your own time and develop and opinion for yourself. The art is nice, and this manga certainly has a lot more pros than cons, these few things piled up just take the enjoyment out of this manga for me.

I really enjoyed reading this. It's a really good Yuri and it's set in college. It takes a very different approach then most romance manga. It talks a lot about people view lesbian relationships as well and how hard it can be to express how you really feel. I picked up Volume 1 right after I finished eating dinner and I couldn't put it down until I finished. Went straight to read Volume 2 and also finished it that day.

If you like Yuri then you will like this. If you are new to Yuri then this is still a great read. Hoping more people ... decide to pick up this manga. Can't wait for more English translations.

Story - 8
Art - 8
Every character is uniquely drawn and the style is refreshing
Character - 8
Rika supremacy
Enjoyment - 8
Overall - 8

Plot -
Miwa is a shy lesbian and ends up dating outgoing Saeko, who is... sort of out? A college based lesbian romance / comedy / drama. It does contain themes of bullying, outing and underage drinking. I think as a whole, it's a realistic series and is quite interesting and strong. I did cry a bit at one point. Most of the characters are loveable, and those who aren't, are at least interesting.
...
Reread - I binged all five yesterday, but I feel like I should reread them, like I've skipped over something?
Buy - own 5 physical copies. The last volume makes me want to know what happened, but I got kind of annoyed with it, so maybe ebooks?

Great yuri. Found myself cringing in compassionate empathy over and over again...This hit hard.

Story:
Fine, college-set yuri manga, regular expected cast.

Art:
Deceptively bright, confident and lovely strokes. Full page panels are incredible depictions of emotional intensity and turmoil. Really loved the style.

Character:
This is where this manga shines. The relationships between the girls (more so than the rest of the cast even though that's not empty - see End and Tsuruta on the male side of things) is really brilliant. I say girls because, well, even the non-lesbian non-MCs: Usshi, Rika, even Yuria, the new coworker. They all feel simultaneously flawed and sympathetic. Incredibly relatable ... characters.

It's incredible how the smallest phrases can sometimes feel like atomic bombs, especially in a relationship. There is an incredibly nuanced emotional depth to this manga that drags you in, whether or not you are a lesbian.

Tsukiatte Agetemo Ii Kana has a wholesome and funny story. I also find this story realistic. I've never experienced or observed a nicely prepared, dramatic come-out in my own life. In my point of view, if you can observe the person in front of you nicely, you can assume that you won't be or will be in an awkward situation. In conclusion, I could see myself and my environment in this manga!

The story fulfils all the needs it has, a little and cute drama, a lot of funny stuff because of Saeko, the psychology of getting little by little more open to everybody because you ... are at a university etc. (Idk if it is the same in every country because of cultural aspects and the rate of homophobia. But as a citizen of Turkey, we kinda get there... I hope.).

The mangaka has an original style, I didn't like the side profiles of the characters but it didn't bother me at all.

The characters feel like a ying-yang. Miwa is a calm girl and gets things more serious but can't get rude to the people around her, making her vulnerable. On the other hand, Saeko is a funny character and well aware of herself. She has more confidence than Miwa but she needs to figure out some things within herself. She can directly express herself, she has no fears socially.

I think anybody who will read this manga can relate to one or more aspects to themselves because there are no absurd emotions and actions in this manga. But university life is not that wholesome and fun, it is almost like there are no responsibilities that they have. Maybe the type of the university or their department is normally like that but IDK. I'm an engineering student after all. I have to take some physics and deal with some sick deadlines! But my friends are like that so it feels like a real university with a bunch of free time!

I am thoroughly enjoying this series which I discovered only recently. It's only taken a few weeks to get through the eight first volumes and looking forward to more.
Although I'm male, I find some Yuri manga to be quite good observers of relationships, and the "How do we" is really at the heart of this series and the lives of its characters.
I'd already enjoyed the fine psychological approach that followed the story arc in Bloom Into You. Like Octave, How Do We Relationship (this series' English title) is concerned with more adult characters and looks at relationships in both a frank and humorous, at times ... bittersweet way. This is very refreshing, and really good for anyone enjoying psychological intrigues. We get to see characters who have various reasons for getting together but by no means know the recipe for happiness together, and meeting their needs. The misunderstandings, the arguments and even the opposite sexual preferences, it all rings true!
I must confess a particular soft spot for Miwa, because the hang-ups she experiences as a shy nature are things I'm well acquainted with myself. Her portrayal is both touching and realistic. She's a decent and nice young woman who does have some weaknesses to overcome, and that affects her relationships, especially her first one with Saeko (who's got a whole developing plot of her own!). As the story is ongoing there's no telling where this will end, but we're seeing both Miwa and Saeko (and their other love interests) evolve and mature as the volumes go on. It's both love stories and coming-of-age, and it's nicely done. There's an interesting and recurrent use of flashbacks, or returns to episodes past told from an opposite point of view that is quite original on the part of the author.
This is a little gem which I'm happy to recommend to fans of the genre!

This is one of those books / series where I want to give it the highest possible rating because it is so well realized and feels so good to read. The relationship that builds between the two protagonists is very believable. It's not just a cute romance, it's a painfully realistic one, too. There are misunderstandings, false starts, plenty of difficulties that are associated with the reality of trying to find a same-sex partner in a world where it is still largely stigmatized. Our two protagonists aren't all that compatible, this becomes apparent relatively early on and stays true throughout what's been translated so far. ... However, when you finally meet the one and only other person in your social circle who's also gay, you kind of feel compelled to give it a go regardless.

I think that's the vibe this series captures perfectly for me. It can be kind of a hard read at times because it often feels like the two women are constantly treading water, struggling with each new development in their relationship. However, unlike a lot of the romantic manga I'm used to that put the reader through an endless will-they-won't-they cycle, the relationship actually does go places and you do see development.

The major criticism I have for it honestly is more format related. I feel like the author isn't as skilled as others I've read at the comic or manga medium. Time skips sometimes aren't given anymore fanfare than a single panel or page change, it is often difficult to pick up on what's happening or who's talking in a given situation. Each page is crammed with art and text it can sometimes be overwhelming. The author could do well to make better use of void space and breather panels to help break things up. Still though, it's not so bad that it ruins the story, it's fine, it's just sometimes the format gets in the way of the story for me. Still though, highly recommended, I can't wait for more to come out in English.