Feb 2, 2022
I feel this manga is getting a bad rep from a lot of reviews who read less than 9 chapters and somehow judge the whole thing as terrible just from that. There's honestly so much more to this manga, and I aim to do it justice with this review. To be fair this isn't Attack on Titan, FMAB or Hunter x Hunter type stuff, it's not trying to be. It's just an oddly wholesome manga about young teens who like each other.
Going into this manga, I really didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did but damn, when I got into
...
it, I really got into it. Honestly it's a bit of nostalgia trip if you've ever been young and dumb and had a crush, especially when you get to the cute parts. It takes you back to high school; being a dumb kid not knowing they like you back but hanging out and teasing the person you like anyways. The feels. Are. Real. Sometimes when I'm feeling shitty I pick up this manga and it brightens my mood right up, it's so amazingly wonderful and wholesome when you give it a shot.
To address the bullying, it's not great in the first 3 chapters to be honest but it is DEFINITELY a case of "oh I like this Senpai but I don't know how to express my feelings right now so I'll just tease and flirt not that I really know what I'm doing", nothing of malicious intent after the first chapter. And beyond this, theres CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Nagatoro starts to realise when she goes to far, and her hanging around Senpai allows him to develop a backbone of his own. I think more than anything, Nagatoro starts hanging out with Senpai because she sees that he is alone and has no friends, and you really see how Senpai's world changes and broadens just from Nagatoro and her friend inching their way into his life. The best bits (and there's plenty of them) is when they show when they care for eachother, remember what the other person likes/is scared of, when they stand up for eachother and when they WORK TOGETHER to solve problems. Who knew a manga with "bullying" in the title would end up having one of the most healthy depictions of a relationship I've seen in anime/manga.
Story 8/10 - It's not a plot based manga that blows your mind or anything, it's just well done and neatly highlights the point of this manga: Senpai and Nagatoro's relationship/friendship and their shenanigans. Typical slice-of-life/comedy stuff.
Art 9/10 - Very cute, great expressions and nanashi has a way with comedic visual metaphors.
Character 9/10 - LOVE the character development/dynamic of the main two. I've said my bit on those two above. There's not as much exploration of other characters, though I do love all of them: adorable Yoshi, teasing Gamo (who I really think knows how much Nagatoro likes Senpai and just wants her to be more honest with herself) and lovely but sneaky Sakura.
Enjoyment 10/10 - Great manga/anime to sus when you want your mood lifted. Freaking love this manga it makes my heart melt in the best way possible.
Overall 9/10 - It's much better than people give it credit for. Give it a shot, you might like it if you want something fluffy, indulgent and wholesome. Great stuff.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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