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This manga pleasantly surprised me. I've read quite a few romance mangas, and while this one isn't perfect, and it does A LOT right.

First of all, it maintains a steady, comfortable romantic pace throughout the story, something that I feel so many others fail at. It doesn't race to sexual intimacy, but neither does it force the reader to wait 10 chapters for first eye contact. It also does NOT take long breaks of nothing happening. The mains meet and develop a relationship... and then something amazing happens... it CONTINUES to DEVELOP. Slowly but surely, and with plenty of cute/romantic moments along the ... way.

Second, the characters and relationships between them feel very realistic. All of the rivals, drama, developments feel like ordinary people living their ordinary lives, making reasonable decisions. There is no ridiculous escalation of drama, or plot point that only makes sense in some fantastical world. And I found this to be incredibly refreshing and enjoyable to read.

Third, it might be the only romance manga I've read that handled sex pretty much perfectly imo. To be fair, I can be pretty picky about how an author handles the topic. But this manga doesn't rush it, nor does it avoid the topic, nor does it avoid it a dozen times with silly accidents. It doesnt make it seem abnormally awkward, nor does it make it smutty. It feels like a genuine part of the romantic development, rather than some story checklist item. Its just... done well.

I will mention the manga is not perfect, hence my score. The art is just ok for the most part. That simple, realistic world I mentioned before does mean the story isn't anything out of the ordinary, and won't do much to really grab you. But its the execution of the story that this manga is quite good at.

Bottom line, Saruyama! is a straightforward, surprisingly well done romance, worth the read for any fan of the genre.