Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau
Whisper Me a Love Song

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Whispering You a Love Song is an extremely sweet and adorable yuri manga, out of all the yuri series I've seen this is among the cutest and best of them all. Everything you'd want in a good and wholesome yuri is in this title.

The story is quite unique and executed very well. The bubbly kouhai in the relationship, Himari, has never quite had any romantic experience until she had met her senpai, the cool, tall and tomboyish Yori. She falls in "love" with her at first sight and seemingly confesses to Yori right on the spot, but it isn't quite the "love" we'd expect ... in a romance manga like this. So with that their relationship develops as Himari attempts to understand these complex emotions, what are these feelings of hers? The differences between the different types of love, it's a refreshing take on romance and is nice to see, until finally after seeking advice from her mother and friends about these feelings does she truly realize what these feelings of love for her senpai are, and yes, they are romantic.

The characters are all lovable for the most part so far, there is some drama mixed in but it isn't irritating and overwhelming to read through unlike many other romance manga as it feels more realistic. Of course the main attraction is the main couple of Himari and Yori. Their relationship is adorably sweet, to the point where it feels intoxicatingly so, the author is merciless as extreme cuteness is constantly delivered every single chapter. The manga is self aware of this as Yori-senpai embodies this feeling from the reader as she is overwhelmed by how damn cute her girlfriend Himari is, she is even frequently illustrated having dog ears and a tail as a means of showing that Himari has behavior similar to a little puppy as she follows around her beloved Yori-senpai. My heart was going crazy the entire time I was reading this, I was caught off guard by the level of wholesomeness this manga delivers. Outside of the main couple, the side characters are great as well as they act as wing women that support their friends in their endeavor of sweet love, and even have some romance going on among themselves as well.

The art is beautiful, it has great detail and portrays the story it is telling perfectly as the art is as cute as its characters. Some panels even feel cinematic with how breathtaking they are to view, and there isn't a single panel of art that feels overtly rushed or lazily drawn as they all look stunning. This is easily one of the best looking manga I've read through.

Overall I rate this yuri masterpiece a 10 and highly recommend it, this is a must read for fans of yuri and romance.

This manga gave me respect back for male yuri/shoujo ai authors. In most yuri manga written by men is primarily a lesbian fuckfest with some half-assed plot sprinkled on top (no shame if thats what you enjoy. And if it is, then I dont recommend this manga). This is the opposite. This is one of, if not THE cutest and most wholesome shoujo ai manga i've ever had the pleasure of reading. If you want to sit down for a bit an experience some blissful young romance without unecessary physical intimacy (looking at you, citrus), this is the manga for you. The characters (that matter) ... are all unique and have their own flavor. The story is simple, but not generic or boring, which is my personal favorite type, and the art is crisp and satifsying to look at. Overall, this manga is one of the most enjoyable reading experiences i've ever had. There may only be 16 chapters as of this review, so who knows what it may be like in the future, but I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next release.

Writing this as of Ch. 31 (WARNING: Spoilers).

Art - 9/10, the strongest part of this manga. Sometimes the noses and mouths can look a little strange, but overall it's really high quality.

Story - 6/10. Honestly, this manga started off REALLY strong, but as it goes on it gets tedious. Kino is a complete airhead, which is apparent from the beginning, but she gets worse in later chapters. Much worse. She ends up becoming the manager of her girlfriend's rival band because she sticks her nose into business that's not hers because 'she wants her senpai to get along', but doesn't even care enough ABOUT her ... girlfriend to think about how she'd feel about it. She even then comes and boasts about her managerial activities to Yori, which only serves to exacerbate her jealousy, and Kino STILL never even thinks for a second that she's doing something wrong. She's honestly the worst type of character. To make things even more infuriating, Shiho, the main antagonist, hates Yori for no discernable reason, and refuses to just talk about what her issues are, and for some reason all the members of SS Girls (the 'hero band group') all want to know and even support Kino ignoring Yori's feelings to keep sticking her nose in and be Laureley's (the 'antagonist band group') manager.

Enjoyment - 4/10. As I mentioned, the story was very enjoyable in the beginning, but the way the story is at the stage of chapter 31, it's unbearable. I'm not averse to bittersweet themes or drama - one of my favourite manga is Yagate Kimi ni Naru - but this? This is just shallow drama for no reason aside from artificially inflating the manga's length.

Overall - 6/10. Read it if you like cliché tropes and shallow melodrama, but for the love of GOD you should avoid this if you like well thought-out storylines and purposeful drama with actual meaning and depth behind it.

Many other reviews already mentioned it, f*** Shiho and how the author force-changed Himari to force Shiho into the story. Now, to start the review after that much needed statement. Girls Love is probably my 2nd or 3rd most read genre. I am a former super-fan of this manga. It could've been one of the greatest.. if not for chapter 30+.

I won't spoil everything that happened (SapphicQueenMina's review is 100% correct) but instead talk about how the author failed Shiho's introduction, her impact on Himari, how characters were instantly changed to force certain tropes and why all of that is plain terrible writing.

The start was ... great, not much to say. Characters were being established and we got to know a whole lot about the cast and who feels/thinks/wants/can do what. It was incredibly well done and enjoyable even with how many characters there are. The story is mid throughout the whole manga but the events themselves make (or made..) up for that.

Introduce Shiho. Out of nowhere. A seemingly super important asspull character that has ties to everyone, is well known, the best at everything and envied even by the gods. No, I am not joking, sadly. She has such incredibly strong emotions towards many of the cast members, it feels insane to only get to know her/see her act this late in.
But that is not all. There instantly is a nonsense event to tie Himari to her and her group. It suddenly reads like a random hentai-mindbreak-subplot with NTR undertone- one blink and Yori isn't her sole number 1 anymore (not exaggerated). Shiho just does it all better and Himari, in almost EVERY situation from there on, has to make that clear to Yori and everyone else.
Every 1on1 date with Yori? Himari has to talk about Shiho, atleast twice. Having Yori and Shiho play a song? She has to be 10x more focussed, happy and cheering for Shiho than Yori (sadly not exaggerating here). Working for Shiho is the greatest and Shiho is the best. There is a saving grace but more on that later.

Now, how did we get to this point? Himari is literally forced to work for them and develops stockholm syndrome (actually) after 1 chapter. She interacted more with Shiho's band than she ever did with Yori's after 2 chapters. After 5 chapters she knows more about Shiho than Yori (sadly no exaggeration). After 8 chapters Himari did something more important for Shiho/find out something more important about Shiho than she ever did with Yori.
From here on towards the climax of the arc it is Shiho -> Shiho -> Shiho. Just do everything in her might to make Shiho happy and ensure that Shiho has a good life. It legit becomes her life's mission to work for the band. The whole arc has like 2 cute-wholesome moments. Apart from that it is Himari ruining EVERY interaction with Yori. Yori always is but an afterthought when she is with Shiho (90% of panels).
This all also is wholly against Himari as a character. True, she is naive and too kind for her own good. But she would never neglect and hurt Yori to this much of an extent, ever. It is fully done on purpose by the author to force jealousy, multiple times. It might be a common tactic but Himari as a character was ruined in the process.
As for how the arc was resolved? The manager situation was forced to the max by the author. I actually cringed. The whole "what I wanna do in future?" thing already had been addressed. How can the author abuse the Himari character this much..? This is NOT what she wanted. She knows exactly how Yori feels and what she is doing to Yori, too. What the fuck was the author thinking..

Shiho herself is a rather flat character. She hates everyone and everything. Doesn't elaborate but won't leave (not very chad of her). Her character climaxes in a sob story out of left field that just feels forced and exposed at the wrongest of times. It feels like a cheap attempt to give her depth, explain why she is such a stuck up b**** and to further tie down Himari to her and her band all in one.
Other than that she is the average poor tormented damsel in distress that has to fight the whole world and can't get anything for free in life. Well, apart from one thing. The forced side-character happy ending trope. But it's whatever at this point. Any writing that includes Shiho somehow instantly turns to shit and into the most generic random ass cliche treasure trove.

The saving grace. Yori. It straight up is the character Yori. Every character that interacts with Shiho or talks about her or just smells her needs to turn into a rabid dog out for drama cliche and tropes. But not Yori.
We get some deep insight into her mind, how she handles the whole Himari-selfNTR-situation, what music is to her, friendship is to her, competition is to her, what she wants from the future and so much more. A light in the darkest night.
We see her hurt multiple times, the reason always Himari. But Himari doesn't grow or develop anymore. We get to know that she knows what she is doing and that there are some complex feelings involved but at the end of the day it goes so far and is so incredibly out of character that it feels like "the author said she HAS to do all that so that is why". Lame.
Yori is "a perfect character" but also just works "perfectly as a character". So beautifully and well done. She is too good and understanding for ch30+ Himari. I do think she let Himari off infinitely times too easy but whatever. Just have her be happy now, please.

Final verdict? Read this is you like forced drama and character changes that sour the reading experience. I typed "forced" like 30 times but it just is that. Almost everything established in the first 30 chapters was thrown out.
It clearly isn't complete trash but the introduction of a singular character and failure in handling said character and characters around them ruined pretty much 75% of what the manga had to offer. IMO that is embarrassing and a huge oversight.
Have fun until chapter 30, tho!

Cute, wholesome, dramatic, a perfect yuri manga (or even just a perfect romance story for that matter)

I've always held the opinion that a straightforward but well executed story will be better than a complicated or obscure story no matter the circumstances. Whisper Me a Love Song is a perfect example of this.

To put it in words, I'm in love with this manga. It has everything you could want, it's cute and wholesome, but it also has some pretty intense and suspenseful scenes. The manga follows the energetic and cute Kino Himari and the cool Asanagi Yori. Yori is a third year student who has fallen ... in love with Kino, a first year student who isn't sure if she understands what love is. Throughout the story, Kino and Yori's love for each other is tested and strained as the viewer watches them drift closer and farther together. The story isn’t complicated or groundbreaking, but it’s well executed and that’s what I think makes it a perfect 10/10.

Also as a plus it has breathtaking art and beautiful character designs. Despite this being an unfinished manga and an preliminary review, I highly recommend reading it and I expect this to go on my list of all time favorites when it's finished.(edited)

also if your looking for spicy scenes this isn't what you are looking for, but it's still a great manga

This story started out so incredibly cute and it still has a very large amount of potential. The main romance can be wonderful when it is the focus. Unfortunately, after the story reaches a point that literally could've just been a good early ending, the entire focus shifted onto a new side character that constantly makes the story worse. It went from a cute and simple story to a tedious melodramatic mess. I genuinely think that this story would have been better as a One-shot.

Art: 8/10. Absolutely never lacking. Not particularly incredible, but still always good.

Story: 3/10. Before the current arc, the story was perfectly ... fine. Simple, probably a 5 or a 6, but still fine. It may even be fine again after this arc. However, right now it is just straight up bad in my eyes. Not the worst ever, but bad.

Characters: 4/10. Like with the story, the characters were actually pretty likeable and well-made for a while. Unfortunately, we got introduced to one of the worst most unlikeable characters I've ever seen, and they aren't even treated like the bad guy right now. The story is going out of it's way to victimize her, when she has done nothing good for anybody. Furthermore, the melodrama involving her has retroactively made almost every single other character in the story worse, especially the main character. It is just kind of sad.

Enjoyment: 4/10. On chapters without the new awful melodrama and changes, the story is very enjoyable. However, most chapters are not like that. Most chapters right now focus on a bad series of events with bad character development, and some are particularly aggravating because of the character issues.

Overall: 5/10. Honestly, 4 might be a more accurate score based on the quality RIGHT NOW, but I've seen that this manga has been good before, and I have hope that it can potentially be good later. So it gets a hopeful 5. There is much to love, and I'm sure that other people are a better target demographic than me. If you think you will enjoy this story, then try it. At least it has no men in it.

It's a good manga. But however cute it is, it's just a typical yuri that caters to straight men, not a real lesbian romance. If you are, like me, a lesbian (or any other wlw) looking for a compelling lesbian romance, this is not a manga for you. If you are a straight dude that enjoys "cute girls do cute things" genre, I think you'll enjoy it.

I have read all the volumes of "Whisper me a love song" and I admit that I have mixed feelings about it. While I really enjoyed the manga at first, my enthusiasm waned as I kept reading. I'll start ... with the positives - the manga is really beautiful. Out of the titles that I have read recently, only "My dress up darling" and "Our dreams at dusk" can compete with it it. This manga reminds me of K-On! in some ways; it features cute but absolutely unrealistic characters and a story is set in a fictional, idealized world of a Japanese high school. It's a really cute manga - but it seems I just am not the right audience for it. The whole thing feels like a story written by a heterosexual author for a heterosexual audience, especially young men who like stories about cute teenagers and their manga, idyllic world. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that - just bear that in mind if you're planning on reading it. Maybe I've been just unlucky, but I think western lesbian romance stories are a wiser choice for most lesbians/wlw.

Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau takes a whole heap of inspiration from Yagate Kimi ni Naru/Bloom into You. I'd be the world's biggest liar if I tried to tell you otherwise. Although this may be true, I see it as a huge positive. I've made it clear in the past that I am a firm believer in the fact that a narrative doesn't have to be original to be good. With art that beautiful, Takeshima Eku could've plagiarized it word for word and I wouldn't mind.

In my opinion, Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau's biggest advantage over Bloom into You is the wholesomeness factor, ... in that this series will make you smile more than you ever knew you could. To quote myself, I "can't believe I let a silly gay manga get me in such a good mood". The slight changes in art style to depict certain emotions, while not unique to this series, is something I love and think benefits the story greatly, given that Himari may be the cutest manga character in existence. Simple things like drawing her in a simpler way with dog ears in a cute manner are enough to keep you smiling long after you close the book or website.

This series' biggest strength, by a wide margin, is its art. Such a detailed and vibrant expression of emotions through this medium has truly set it apart from any other Yuri series, and even romance series as a whole. Many romance mangakas opt for a simpler style for whatever reason, whether it be to enhance cuteness or due to their own limitations (let it be known that I cannot draw whatsoever, and do not mean this as an insult) and I think Takeshima Eku truly outdid himself here. The previously mentioned slight alterations in style paired with the absolutely gorgeous art of every other panel is something no romance series I've heard of has even come close to doing.

There are only 33 chapters translated as I'm writing this, so it's not a huge demand of your time to go ahead and read it. Which I think you should.

As someone who is a connoisseur in yuri manga, this is the best yuri manga series to have graced this Earth. Any other yuri manga PALES in comparison to this masterpiece. If you really think about it, this manga looks to fufill each one of our human needs, and I would personally say, it is able to successfully fufill our need for hunger, food, shelter, whilst still providing some of the most remarkable plots that I have read in my 28 years of yuri manga tasting.

If I were to compare this to food, this would be like a visually stunning meal that looks to ... not only please your eyes, but also your tastebuds, providing not only some of the most spectacular art I have ever seen, but also some of the most thrilling plot and uniquely interesting pacing. This is a series is so well drawn, I would not mind loosing every other sense if it would allow for my eyes to be able to perfectly take in all the small details of the characters and world, and truly appreciate the art of Eku Takeshima.

The fact that this author is able to write such a masterpiece is horrifying, as if I was looking at an actual angel leading me to heaven. I'd like to imagine that the feeling that this manga evokes is similar, if not stronger than the feeling of finding a soulmate, or winning the lottery, or walking on the stairways to heaven. The manga perfects the 3 aspects that to me, create a truly delectable work, being fabolous, mind-boggling art, a truly amazing story that captures the readers heart, and characters that seem so perfectly unperfect creating a character that feels so close, yet so far to reality.

The author fabulousy dwarfs every other yuri book I have read, and this is a book I would truly recomend purchasing both physica, and digital copies, just to support the author as much as possible.

- Story: 6/10
The plot is quite simple, nothing out of the ordinary although the misunderstanding on the word « love » was interesting and I wish it was more developed. The interactions and relationship between the two girls were good and didn’t felt rushed.

- Art: 9/10
The art is extremely good and eye pleasing, there’s no doubt about it. The double pages are also really pretty. I think the manga covers are a little bit disappointing tho, it feels a little bit empty and repetitive (for the three first volumes it’s just Yori and Himari together, the 4th and 5th volume with the supporting cast on ... the cover looks more appealing to me).

- Cast: 6/10
The two main girls are adorable and both have their distinctive personalities. Sadly, I don’t feel like they match more than that? Their relationship is cute but it does feel like something is missing and there’s no real explanation to why Yori fell in love with Himari. It is said that it was « love at first sigh » but I don’t really like that trope and in this case it just feels like an excuse to make Yori fall in love with Himari easily.

When it comes to the supporting cast the characters are also really good, they all have different vibes and are easy to differentiate. The connexions they all have between them make sense and are easy to understand. It also add some « realism » to the story.

- Enjoyment: 8/10
I really liked reading Whisper Me a Love Song, it was entertaining and enjoyable, it felt like a breath of fresh air and cuteness. If you’re looking for a cute and simple wlw manga to read I 100% recommend this one.

I'm a fan of modern shoujo ai anime/manga. With that out of the way, let's get right into it.

Sasayaku You ni Koi wo Utau or Whisper Me a Love Song in English really reminds me of Bloom into You, both the story and the art. When I was 5 chapters in, it really felt like I was reading a watered-down version of Bloom into You. It explores conflicts two girls who have never been in a romantic relationship face in their daily lives... or does it? It does, but it rarely focuses on our couple and often focuses on the bad. I don't ... like how conflicts arise every other chapter, and I say conflicts in plural, but to be honest, there's only one type of conflict in this manga which is always about the band. The resolve? Also related to the band. Granted the show has musical aspect to it, but 27 chapters (as of writing) of conflicts surrounding the band gets a bit tiring to read over time.

The art is gorgeous. I said the art reminds me of Bloom into You in the beginning, but really the reason it reminds me of Bloom into You is because of Kino Himari who looks like koito Yuu from Bloom into You, only more energetic and bashful. Nothing wrong with that. One of the prettiest manga I've read.

Some may say the characters are well written, I'd say that's kind of far-fetched. They hardly ever talk anything out which is understandable because if they do talk anything out, the manga will end in 20 chapters. I usually don't mind this kind of writing, but when the major characters were about to say something important or crucial, they would stop and say, 'actually, forget it' almost all the time, it gets on my nerves. Repeat that for 27 chapters (as of writing) and you'll see how tiring it is. That being said, they may get better in future chapters, so I'm counting on the author.

In spite of my rather harsh criticism, I enjoy reading this series a lot. I recommend everyone who's into shoujo ai to read Whisper Me a Love Song. It does feel like the watered-down version of Bloom into You for like 5-6 chapters, but it gets better as you progress. Please do give this manga a read.

As a sapphic in the Yuri community, this is one of the manga that a lot of them recommend reading for people who want to read GL. Most of them know this, basically, it's like a starter pack for GL readers lmao [like Bloom into you]. I love this manga. The art style is pretty, the characters are insanely cute, and seriously, everyone is just lovable. This manga hits me right in the feels. I love Himari and Yori's dynamic. They're literally the black cat gf x golden retriever gf.

But here's the thing, the main characters feel like they're playing the side characters in ... the recent volumes because the manga focused more on Shiho and Izumi’s story. I am a bit conflicted because while I’m frustated by how Yori and Himari’s story and relationship were sidelined, Shiho and Izumi have grown on me, a little. I mean I love the cute gay fluff Yori and Himari have going on, so sweet my teeth hurt, but I got more invested in Shiho and Izumi’s story, maybe because I just like the drama of it all. I live for the angst. BUT GODDAMNNN IF I WASN'T FRUSTRATED LIKE DIDN”T READY THIS MANGA FOR THEM I WANT YORI AND HIMARI HUGGING, KISSING, GOING ON DATES... It’s justtt so unfair how the two MCs were just sidelined like that. I was so ready to see more of them, how their relationship will progress and shit.

Still, the story's ongoing, so hopefully we'll get more of Himari and Yori in the next volumes, especially now that Yori's heading out of high school.

Now this is a banger! A top contender in its genre, no doubt. Some people have expressed disappointment that the focus shifted away from the main pairing, but I honestly don’t see that as a bad thing—some of the side characters are arguably even more compelling.

Art? Easily the best in the genre, in my opinion. Characters? While not flawless, they’re incredibly diverse and well-written. Story? Something is always happening, so I didn't get bored.

As for the latest arc (Miki's arc) at the time of writing this: please, please don’t make it weird! This series is so dear to me, and I’d hate to see its ... reputation tarnished by anything overly bizarre or off-putting.

It's a very standard but very well executed Yuri manga. If you're satisfied with good art, adorable characters in a mostly realistic setting, good enough writing, and a very straight forward love story, this is for you.

If you're looking for something innovative or a truly outstanding story, you may want to look elsewhere instead. Especially Nakatani Nio's work (Bloom into You).

Another strength is that it progresses at a decent pace in a genre that is plagued by painfully slow and drawn out developments. It's still not exactly a snappy short story and of course has its ups and downs and delays, but it doesn't drag ... it out nearly as badly as many of the worse examples. The currently 4 volumes/20 chapters cover a good amount of ground.

I remember reading this when it was just released and yeah the main couple or the first few volumes is about them being wholesome but for me I didn't really enjoyed because the main couple doesn't appeal me and story with almost not drama is boring to me.
I start to read again after seeing people spamming on the internet AkiShiho and so I started to get interested to them.
Im not good at expressing and my vocabulary is small so I can only say Shiho is indeed the best girl!
She made me fell in love and made the story more interesting (at least for me). I ... like everything about her. I think the negative and positive part of her make her perfect.
She's so charming and I love how cute she is and at the same time so handsome.

First review fellas, you know the drill.

Whispering You a Love Song is a pretty unoriginal romance. It steals story elements from Bloom into You and character design from Oregairu, but unoriginality isn't always a bad thing. But in this case, it is.

spoiler warning for bloom into you.

Story: the story is just copy and paste from Bloom into You but without the depth and underlying meaning that bloom into you has. It uses the lack of understanding of love in BIY as a plot convenience rather than to tell a story. The way I see it, the only positive quality the story has is that ... it's cute, but it feels very forced so it doesn't ''hit'' me that way.

Characters: The characters are pretty lackluster and relatively cliche and feel very anime-esque. They don't seem like real people in the slightest even when you consider that it's anime. In other words, it feels forced.

art: art is decent can't complain.

Enjoyment: I did not enjoy this manga for the reasons stated above. It feels like this manga is only here to cash-grab on ''cute girls like each other'' rather than to tell a good story or do anything original.