[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC in exchange for an honest review]

Ayumu is the junior at his school’s shogi club and, in fact, the only other member besides Yaotome, his cute sempai. They play constantly and are very attracted to one another, but Ayumu has promised himself he won’t confess until he beats Yaotome and, given his skill level, they might be pensioners before that happens.

We move from the middle school burgeoning feelings of <i>Teasing Master Takagi-san</I> to the already hormonal halls of high school for this one and it turns out that works really, really well. In fact, I think I might like it better.

Part of this is the balance - <I>Takagi-san</i> was cute but the story always ended the same way, with the male lead losing. That has not changed here, but Ayumu is constantly losing one game while Yaotome is very badly losing the <i>other</I> game (arguably they both are). It makes it a bit more fun.

Ayumu’s endless stoicism is great because the book wisely doesn’t conflate that with being uncaring. He isn’t ready to confess, despite many near misses (and poor Yaotome catches every single one), but he has no issue being free with the compliments and it’s a nice touch. It’s nice having an intense character who isn’t inherently dull.

Yes his pledge is dumb - I get the whole wanting to be equal thing, but get over yourself - but without it we wouldn’t have a book. I think accepting that is probably the biggest barrier to entry, though I do at least get where that’s coming from.

For her part, Yaotome has no trouble expressing herself and her reactions are half the fun - I love her trademark ’NWHA!?’ when Ayumu scores a direct hit. She is constantly trying to maneuver him into saying something, but the book cleverly makes it known that Ayumu’s strength is in playing defence.

As for how much shogi knowledge you need for this story, I am happy to say it is exactly none. There is a handy printer at the start for the curious, but I know exactly as much as I did before, which is ‘this is sort of like chess’.

What I do kind of love is how the shogi is used and how manages to cater to both the newbie and the hardcore. For the latter, several chapters end with full records of the game our leads were playing, so you can follow it along move by move.

For everybody else, well, more than once the circumstances of the game reflect what’s happening in the story at large. The best example is the Invincible Wall chapter, which you can see the ending of very quickly but is no less fun for it.

The author also smartly makes a point of staging chapters outside the club so the setting doesn’t get stale, but honestly the bloom never came off the rose in that respect. The running gag/drama about member recruitment is also very well realized.

The chapters see nice and short too, which keeps them punchy and doesn’t drag any one gag out any longer than it needs to be. Throw in a pair with great chemistry and what more can you ask for?

5 stars - give me a couple worth watching and endless cute moments and you’ve got me, it’s really that simple. The story might not be new at a primal level, but the way it’s telling it is and that makes a ton of difference. It’s probably more of a 4 star, really, but I have read a lot of mediocre (and worse) stories this week and this is hands down the best thing I’ve seen so far, no question.

I quite liked this first volume of When Will Ayumu Make His Move. The story was cute and refreshing. Perhaps I'd have liked it more if the reason for the male lead's reluctance to ask his senpai out would be better explained. As it is, it felt too flimsy. It would be better if it were emphasised that he wants to earn her attention by becoming a better shogi player. However, their exchanges were fun and revealing their characters in a subtle way.

I received a copy of this manga through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I know absolutely nothing about shogi and as I have never played chess, I didn’t really care for the details of the shogi games. But I enjoyed the cute budding romance and the funny insights to each character’s inner thoughts. It gave way to some hilarious misunderstandings and situations. 😃
I would definitely like to read the next volumes as well!😉

Review to come to blog/goodreads on Oct 13th.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

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I saw this one on Netgalley and after reading a small preview elsewhere to make sure it would be fun (as I am not a shogi fan) I decided to request it and here we are!

In this one we see two characters play shogi, they are both very interested in each other though one is stoic (Ayumu) and doesn't want to ask his senpai out until he wins, while the other is a bouncy girl (Urushi) who is a tad deredere and blushes easily and is trying to get Ayumu to admit his feelings in various ways, from teasing to changing her hairdo. In the chapters we see them play shogi, and do slice of life stuff, even go on a small date. Yes, nothing much happens, but I was still invested in this story, plus, you can see progress and I love that. The conversations between these two are great, especially seeing stoic Ayumu give Urushi compliments and making her blush/smile. Yes, he is not going to confess his feelings fully, but compliments, he likes that. Which makes some hilarious scenes as Ayumu's face never changes. He just remains stoic and looking like he may use some kendo moves. I really had fun seeing this duo get closer with each match/each day.

Oh, and I absolutely love Urushi and her expressions. Whereas Ayumu's face never changes, she has a new one in each panel. Ranging from full on blushing, to laughing, to pouting, to her thinking she has won face. She has a big range and it made me giggle many times.

While I did like that we got some information on shogi and even saw the matches these two played... I have to be honest and say I didn't care the least. I mean shogi has never been high on my list of OHH things I want to try out. XD The only reason why I am reading this manga is for the characters and the potential romance. But I am sure it makes someone happy. Just not me. XD

The art was just so fun, but then again, I knew that. I am a big fan of this mangaka's art style, that is also one of the things that lured me to this manga.

All in all, a fun manga featuring a couple that should just get together and date. I will be reading the rest of the series.

I was honestly pleasantly surpirsed by this first volume of When Will Ayumu Make His Move. Not because I thought it was going to be bad, but because I thought It was going to be a rip off of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" (another manga about a couple who just won't get together) But, it isn't a copy of that at all. I enjoyed our main male lead. He's honest in a refreshing way and his reticence doesn't come from an absurd sense of pride. There is pride involved, don't get me wrong... but it feels earned. He is younger, less skilled, and wants to prove himself at her game before asking her out. I like it. It's refreshing when combined with his bluntness and the fact that he WILL tell her he likes her, just won't ask her out. This is the first volume of a series so, there is a little whiplash since I do feel like we get no set up to their relationship whatsoever. This is just a cute romance with a shogi gimmick, and heck, that's just fine. I did like the introduction to shogi, the basic rules, and the pieces explained. If just so that I can reference it in the future.

This manga was so cute and light-hearted! It's exactly what I needed to break up some of the heavier books I've been reading recently!

I think the characters are adorable and I really want to know what happens between the two! I also love the art style for this, it's perfect.

This would be perfect for those who are new to manga, or just want something heartwarming and cute!

Thank you Netgalley & Kodansha for this e-Arc.

This is my first time reading manga with shogi related. The MC of the manga are Ayumu & Urushi of the Shogi Club. Urushi is a second year student while Ayumu is a first year student, so it is like relationship between senpai and kohai. I love that the relationship between this two is so hilarious. The fact that Ayumu and his poker face really cracks me up. If you're up for something light and funny, this manga is for you. There are many things I love about this manga, one of the things is the game record shown in the manga every chapter. It is very interesting & I also love how the beginning of the manga have an explanation of what is shogi and how to play it. Every chapter is very short and simple, not to draggy, definitely able to binge it all the way. It is a fun read for me! Not to forget, the artstyle is so gorgeous!

I wasn’t expecting such a short read! I believe the story has multiple sequels; I might read them to determine the conclusion. For me the story was too repetitive, but it is cute and I like the concept!

Ayumu joins the shogi club to spend more time with a sempai he likes. Although the club is not official, they meet up to play shogi together and Ayumu is determined to beat his sempai so he can confess he likes her. Even though she knows he likes her and she even asks, he finds a way to dodge it.
It has some funny moments and enjoyed it from start to finish.

Thank you net galley and Kodansha for the opportunity to read When Will Ayumu Make His Move!