It's another cute shojo manga. I love these! This one is a little different though. I noticed that the relationship was more based on getting ro know each other and being open to each other. Heck, the main characters new boyfriend, wants her to tell him what's on her mind, which is something that you don't see often. I'm used to the idea of a girl crushing forever and maybe getting the guy after some drama. No drama this, the girl charges after him and jumps from a railing! I was surprised by that, but that just tells me that this is going to be a different type of love. The art was great, the storyline, is different but follows the idea of romance, and all around, I can't ask for more.

My thanks to NetGalley and Viz Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Very sweet and gentle shojo manga, with not a lot of drama. Honestly, I'm not sure how it's going to be more than one volume, with the lack of conflict in it. It is nice to read about high schoolers that aren't OTT ridiculous or misunderstandings abounding or love dodecahedrons, so it is different from the typical shojo tropes one sees and is a breath of fresh air in that regard.

Still, it felt a little...flat to me. Worth the read though and I am curious to see how the story progresses.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 because it didn't quite have the spark it needed to be more. If you like gentle shojo manga, this is for you.

Ahhhh this checks all the shujo romance boxes! Cute, earnest characters, the overprotective friend (not saying whose), and some sugary sweet moments. I like how honest both the main characters are. I find it refreshing. The male character also doesn't fall into any of the basic male love interest cookie cutters (mean/disinterested, bubbly/playful, teasing/dumb) which I think is really great. The girl is a bit more cookie cutter (like at first sight), but she's still very cute. Hey, tropes are tropes for a reason, right? I look forward to the future translations.

A cute and sweet story about two shy and awkward teens who find each other by accident and end up in a relationship (also kind of by accident) but learn they may really be perfect for each other. Satomi is super shy, and Yagyu is misunderstood because he's super tall and intimidating looking. Both have a heart of gold though, and through a coincidence, they start to have real feelings for each other.

Rating 4

Awww this book was so cute! I had such a fun time while reading this one. The characters fit so well together and I could feel their chemistry from the beginning. This is just the first volume so we only see little moments between the two main characters. I would definitely label this volume as a slow burn but it is one that I know will build as the series goes on. I love the artstyle and thought it fit the overall story well. I would definitely recommend this one and will continue reading to see how the characters grow together!

I enjoyed the first volume of this new series and I’m looking forward to the next! I like that the characters got together early on and so we get a different perspective than what is typical. Looking forward to seeing how their relationship, and the side characters develop in future volumes!

I think this could be really good in the future. I'm a little weary of the main character's original crush. could we just stop manga characters being in love with family members please? It ruins otherwise good manga. Luckily it seems that relationship isn't endgame. I'm going to check out the next couple of volumes, because the main couple are pretty cute.

Satomi is a new high school student and on her way to school on the train she is leered at by a creep when a tall boy gets between them and saves her. She is incredibly thankful and reminds herself of a promise she made to herself that the next time she has a crush on someone she should confess to them so she doesn't miss out on a good opportunity to be with the one she likes. Somehow this motivates her to thank him and as they separate she psyches herself up to go back and confess and she jumps from one platform to another to do so. The boy, Yagyu, is quietly impressed and seemingly aloof but you can tell he likes her too. The rest of the book the two of them cross paths at school and quietly compliment each other and adorableness ensue.

This was so precious! To be honest, school shojo isn't always my favorite, mostly because I'm an adult and it doesn't hit the way it used to, but this feels so refreshing and fun to read. And the art is lovely!

I love a good slow-burning high school shojo romance with miscommunication and yearning galore. But when titles like Ima Koi come across my shelf, I can’t help but be thankful for teen-focused stories that embrace communication and even a kiss in the first volume. Written, illustrated, and created by mangaka Ayuko Hatta, Ima Koi Volume 1 is published and localized in English by VIZ Media through its imprinted Shojo Beat. The volume is translated and adapted by Jan Mitsuko Cash and features touch-up art and lettering by Inori Fukuda Trant.

The story starts with a common trope. Satomi is alone on a train, and when a man attempts to grope her, a boy from her school steps in to shield her with his body. It’s a meet-cute we’ve seen thousand times over, but Hatta manages to take it down a refreshing road. When Satomi decides to tell the boy who saved her “thank you,” she finds herself becoming enamored with him after realizing that he’s Yagyu, a classic tsundere in her grade. But instead of 10 volumes of yearning, Hatta gets straight to the point. You see, after missing out on love because she was too shy to confess her feelings, Satomi has decided to push forward and not let any chances pass her by. Having made the promise to herself to confess the next time she gets a crush, and of course, that’s Yagyu. To her surprise, he agrees to date her.

This speed makes Ima Koi different from other high school romances because the story isn’t about a messy confession or miscommunication until finally, the yearning ends. No, it’s about constant communication, being empathetic to others, and building a healthy relationship on that foundation. Given how fast everything has happened, Satomi is still clueless about how dating is supposed to work, and with Yagyu not necessarily in-like with her immediately, Ima Koi is about learning. With Ima Koi Volume 1, we get a relatable story that shows that dating doesn’t have to be some grand declaration of love, but rather something you slowly settle into and grow into as well.

In fact, the moment we’re shown that our romantic leads are dating, it’s all just a simple question in a coffee shop. “So, is it okay to assume that we’re dating?” This one page packs a lot of relatable punch because isn’t how a lot of us have moved into relationships? The small moments that come together to make us feel special and lead us to finally take that step. For Satomi, who has already confessed her feelings, it’s a triumph of being able to speak up. For Yagyu, it’s deciding to start getting to know someone he likes being around and hopefully lead to more.

But the romantic relationship isn’t the only thing on display in Ima Koi. In the latter half of the volume, friendship in all of its awkward and sometimes confrontational glory is there to not add drama but to highlight how the romantic relationships we make can impact and be impacted by our existing friendships.

But when Ima Koi isn’t focused on romance, it’s focused on its heroine, Satomi. Satomi has become my absolute favorite high school romance shojo heroine in one volume. Having been the shy girl, Satomi is now someone fierce, loyal, and determined to speak her mind for herself and speak up for others. Her steadfast nature is refreshing and strong, and she still has those small insecurities and fears that come with being a teen.

Ima Koi Volume 1 is a must-read for all these reasons and more. It’s not only beautifully written, but the art comes alive with emotion and humor. Hatta has brought a fresh take to an old meet-cute and done so much in just one volume that I can’t wait to come back for the second.

Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love Volume One tells the story of a girl meeting a guy and ending up in a relationship with him.

Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love Volume One
Written by: Ayuko Hatta
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: March 1, 2022

The story begins with a first-year high school student named Satomi Mizusawa being groped on the train. She is suddenly saved by a boy she doesn’t know, but she recognizes the uniform as being the one from her school. Unfortunately, she is unable to thank him, so she starts searching around school to find him. When she finds the boy, she thanks him… but he curtly tells her that he doesn’t need thanks because he didn’t do it for that. She overhears the boy’s friend calling him Yagyu. Satomi and Yagyu have a chance meeting after school when it’s raining and Satomi offers her umbrella to a couple of girls. Yagyu hands her another one for her to loan, and the two of them end up underneath Satomi’s umbrella and walking together. The two of them have an awkward conversation, but Satomi wants to get to know Yagyu better and hang out with him.

When Satomi wins a dinner for two from a contest she entered, she decides to use this as a way to ask Yagyu to hang out. After an awkward exchange, he initially turns her down. But when Satomi does something reckless at the train station he agrees to the invitation. It’s obvious at this point that Satomi is interested in Yagyu but doesn’t have the courage to say anything. They end up exchanging numbers and following each other on LINE. Over the course of the volume, Satomi and Yagyu become closer and are dating by the end of it.

However, it’s clear that Yagyu’s friend Tenma doesn’t think highly of Satomi and has no qualms about picking on her. This becomes especially clear when Satomi, Yagyu, Tenma, and Satomi’s friend Nimo have a study session at Satomi’s house. Nimo’s not having it, though, and even Yagyu asks him afterward to knock it off. At this point, my thought about Tenma’s attitude toward Satomi is that he’s jealous of her taking up more of Yagyu’s time. I hope that this becomes clearer in future volumes of Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love.

Satomi’s older brother is also a character in the series, and we see from his introduction that he likes giving his younger sister a hard time. He’s around during the study session, and some of the awkwardness that Satomi’s brother’s presence has is kind of amusing.

When it comes to the art, I have to get Hatta a lot of credit for the fact that she’s given each character their own unique look. There are some great drawings in this volume, starting with the picture of Satomi and Yagyu on page four. I love the look of this image, especially how Yagyu almost seems to leap right out of the page. According to an author’s sidebar note in this volume, Hatta says this manga is being drawn completely digitally. I think that helps to explain the “crisp” look of the art in this series. But I think this look and style works well for the story that’s being told.

At the end of this volume, there is a one shot titled, “Wolf Girl and Dark Prince: Good Spouses Day.” It has nothing to do with Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, though. Instead, it’s a one shot for a previous series that Hatta wrote. Unfortunately, I have no familiarity with the other title, so this one shot didn’t do much for me. But for readers that have familiarity with that particular manga title might find some enjoyment in it.

As I read the first volume of Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, I couldn’t help but make comparisons with My Love Story!! The main couple of both series meet each other when the male character saves the female character from a groper on the train. It’s emphasized in this volume just how tall Yagyu is, which reminded me about how people made a big deal out of Takeo’s size. The awkwardness between the characters as they start getting to know each other before they start dating, and even the awkwardness of the early dates is part of both stories. This awkwardness is going to exist in real life, though, so that helps to make the building of both relationships feel more realistic to the reader. The big difference to me is the fact that unlike Takeo (who had his best friend Makoto supporting his relationship), Yagyu’s best friend isn’t supportive of his relationship. Even though the set up for both My Love Story!! and Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love are similar, I think there’s the potential for Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love to evolve into its own story.

If you’re a fan of Ayuko Hatta’s other work, or if you’re a fan of shojo manga, then I think you’ll enjoy Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love Volume One.

The author of Wolf Girl and Dark Prince is back and it did not disappoint! It was such a fast read! I’m already excited to see what will happen next in the series!

Sweet and adorable. My teens are going to adore this one.

For Libraries: Suitable for YA collections.

YESS ! I loved it !!!

I'm a fan of romance mangas and this one did all the right things to make me feel excited, butterflies, anxious, admirative, proud and all the things. Talk about a main character that can have powerful feelings and isn't afraid to say it and act on it. An absolute must of cuteness !

I loved that it didn't leave you wonder about things for too long. Other series would usually have multiples tomes to tell everything that was told here. I'm really glad I read it !

Looking forward to the next installment !

This is one of those mangas that I absolutely love. It's just a cute little high school romance. Super innocent and appropriate for all ages, so far. Mizusawa lives with the regret of never confessing her feelings to her first crush, so when she develops a crush on a mysterious boy who saved her from a "pervert" on the train she is determined not to repeat her mistakes. Turns out he goes to her school!

Mizusawa sets out and finds him, discovering he is not an upper classman like she thought, but someone in the same grade, just in a different class. She decides to try starting as friends, only he leaps right over that and assumes they are dating, like she really wants.

Mizusawa is pretty cute, innocent, a bit shy and naïve, but when things really matter to her she has a rash and stubborn side. So when she doesn't know what to do because this is her first time dating, she bravely asks.

Yagyu, for his part is an extremely considerate (and tall) teenager who helps out where he can and tries not to burden anyone else with his presence. He's pretty open about what he's thinking and seems to occasionally seems to be pretty impulse with some...things.

As the volume goes on these two teens make a healthy relationship choice to just talk to each other and always tell the other what's going on in their mind, because Mizusawa struggles with it. This is a super nice change from normal shojo where lack of communication seems to be a major plot point, repeatedly, to create the next issue for the couple. I really hope the good communication stays!

We meet the couple's best friends with Mizusawa's being the cute, bubbly, more outgoing, helpful type and Yagyu's being the cynical, suspicious, protective type. I already forget their names...oops. But they are a fun contrast to each other!

Conclusion?

This seems like a really fun series I am definitely going to continue reading. If volume 2 is as good as volume 1 I will be buying this for both myself and my library! I really hope the author continues to have these two communicate well and not fall into the standard shojo cliché of communication failure.

Thank you NetGalley and Viz for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love was a cute and refreshing story of the ups and downs of high school romance. Ayuko Hatta's art and story come together so well and it was an enjoyable read all the way through. I've already recommended Ima Koi to several friends looking for a new shojo series, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Story and Art: Ayuko Hatta
Translation and Adaptation: Jan Mitsuko Cash
Touch-up Art and Lettering: Inori Fukuda Trant
Design: Shawn Carrico
Editor: Nancy Thistlethwaite

With an amazing art style that fit the cutesy story Ima Koi was a great read. Though the plot maybe your typical romance I found the characters very enjoyable which made the story that much better. The two main characters being polar opposites showing in look and actions made the story very humorous. The side characters make the main characters seem more 3d and add great interactions to the story.

When Satomi finds herself in a groping incident on the train, fellow classmate Yagyu saves the day. Satomi finds herself falling in love and before she realizes, they're dating. Satomi works hard to tell Yagyu how she feels. She is determined to make him feel the same way about her.

A cutesy romance manga with the usual classic tropes. A sweet story without too much in the way of surprises or drama.

The cover art does not do justice for how cute this manga is!! I expected it to be boring, but this story was so peppy and cute, the energy of the two characters was very sweet! The love interest of the main character almost seems kind of yakuza/bad boy-y, but he's actually a really kind person who just cuts to the chase when it comes to when he talks. When he saves the main character, she sees that beyond his gruff exterior is a person who just has to help others, and immediately takes interest in him. She also reveals that she's got more pep and punk energy inside her than her cutesy exterior implies.

I love everything about this book! From the story, the characters, the art; everything is great. I’m always a fan of romance manga and I’m especially into it if it’s different than typical romance manga. This one for sure is different. The characters are not cookie cutter like they tend to be in this type of story. They are very likable and entertaining. Even the best friend is cute and fun! I love the design of everyone and how each is very unique and unlike what I’ve seen before. Also, I love that the characters immediately get together and develop their relationship early on. Sometimes it kills me when characters take six to twelve volumes before someone confesses. And half the time they don’t even get together. But this one is satisfying! They actually end up together and it’s very cute.

I’m looking forward to reading more and collecting this manga! I’ll definitely recommend this for my customers.