TLDR

A seemingly ditzy and hyperactive girl falls in love with a slightly unusual boy. While the story starts on a comedic tone, it gradually explores issues which many youths face, and becomes quite emotional at the end. The story has three protagonists, each with their own desires and issues, but tied together by the common fear of going against societal expectations and disappointing those who are close to them.

But more importantly, it has a funny yet really wholesome love triangle. Despite this, the three are still able to become close friends and support each other whenever any one of them are facing difficulties. Seeing how the tensions in the friendship resolved after one side of the love triangle fails really warmed my heart. Ultimately, I would say that the story ended on a good note with all the plot threads having resolved.

Slightly longer review

Unlike many other fluff manga about crossdressers, this manga shows the difficulties which a teenage boy might face for having any interest towards things which usually only girls would like.

It’s a joy to see Makoto, the main protagonist, becoming more confident in owning up to what he likes to others.

As someone who also likes cute things, this story fills me with hope that it is okay to be slightly different from others, but still have others who would love me all the same. Society might be harsh, and I might make mistakes along the way, but as long as I treat others well and am confident of myself and what I believe in, everything will eventually work out, and that there will always be people who would accept me regardless. But of course, I might be a bit naive here.

I also found myself relating to the female lead, Saki, quite a fair bit. On the surface, she is your typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl (TV Tropes warning). However, the mask slowly peels away to reveal a girl who simply acts cheery in order to fit in.

She is someone who is still undecided on what she should do with her life, but instead of simply lementing the fact, I found it very admirable that she is still able to put out a cheery disposition and try to live each day to the fullest. Of course, masking your true emotions will damage a person’s mental health eventually, and the manga was able to present clear motivations for why she is so insistent to hide seemingly normal emotions like sadness, as well as some negative aftereffects of it.

Last but not least:

Ryuji is just such a mature and adorable childhood friend to Makoto. Ryuji is the straight man to Saki’s funny woman, often being the voice of reason in any funny situation. However, that only further contributes to his gap moe appeal when he gets embarassed. Oh and I mentioned how considerate he is?

At 100 chapters, this manga can come off as quite lengthy, however the payoff was definitely worth it for me! If you like cute things, identity crises, romance and wholesome friendships, then this manga might be for you.