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I don't like romcom anime very much, but the art style and popularity of this one convinced me to give it a try. At first, it was pretty wholesome and cute, and the characters felt like real people, not just cardboard-cutouts. Chemistry between the main leads was also pretty good.

And then they gave the girl, Hori, a submission fetish. So she's forcing the male lead, Miyamura, (whose main personality trait is that he's shy/introverted) to slap her, talk down to her, and yell at her for random things in front of other people for her own kink. That's not funny, it's really really messed up. ... It's not about kinkshaming, but forcing your boyfriend whom you supposedly really like to behave opposite of his personality in public is ridiculous, and it's not like that helps Miyamura's poor reputation.

This story is written by Shinji Nojima, the scriptwriter for Wonder Egg Priority, which is why I started reading this manga. The main supporting character is a Transgender girl (Nono) and a lot of the story focuses on her struggles to accept that with the protagonist.

HEADS-UP: There's talk about suicide, self-harm, depression, deadly illnesses, & more in this manga. If you are sensitive towards these issues, proceed with caution.

First the positives.

1. Given the backwards state of LBGT rights in Japan, this manga does a fan-f*cking-tastic job of displaying a Trans women's difficulty in figuring out who she really is. The manga has a lot ... of heart and the story tugs at your heart strings, on more than one occasion. It's no Oscar-winner, but the exploration of this issues is (mostly) sound and incredibly engaging.

2. The characters are also excellent, with each one feeling like a real person and not a cardboard cutout. The female characters are handled well, without any tasteless fanservice that could undercut the message of the story.

3. The story is written very well, without ever feeling like its short length holds it back. There aren't any pacing issues or ridiculous plot conveniences. The use of metaphors does get hard to follow at times, but overall pretty good.

That being said, there are quite a few things this manga gets wrong as well.

1.The show talks about femininity vs masculinity, gender identity, and sexual identity all as having a woman's/man's "heart". This creates a lot of unfortunate connections such as the implication that the characters first think Nono is Trans simply because she "acts" feminine. Whether this is intended is hard to say (especially with views on LGBT people in Japan), but it makes an otherwise amazing depiction of LGBT issues feel a bit misguided.

2. Additionally, Homosexuality is conflated with p*doph*lia at certain points. Without any spoilers, the way the manga is written, it is difficult to tell if the main group of characters denounce a certain relationship because it isn't good for a character or because it's a homosexual relationship. But the real issue with the relationship is p*doph*lia *, and given that Gay people were routinely denigrated as P*doph*les in 20th Century Western Culture, ... well I don't know what exactly to think about it.

3. The stated goal of the 3 male childhood friends is to protect their trans childhood friend. This starts when they think she's too feminine (even calling her "their idol"), and then they go even further overboard when they find out she "still has a woman's heart", breaking up with their girlfriends, and devoting themselves to activities that allow them to look after her. This is justified as the manga progresses given the help Nono needs to understand what her identity is, but it still left a weird impression.

Overall, this manga is pretty damn good (especially for one dealing with LGBT issues in Japan), but there are a few weird points. Worth checking out, will definitely pull at your heart strings.