A light and easy shojo romance that doesn't fail. There are all the familiar tropes one might expect, but one difference is that instead of lots of miscommunication fuddling up this blooming romance, the main character, Satomi isn't afraid to speak up. And while the male lead is stereotypically standoffish, Yagyu is also willing to give things a shot and be honest right back.

I was expecting more going into this story. This is probably why I didn't like the manga as much as I thought I would. The romance between the main characters was cute, but not intriguing enough to keep me hooked. Still a nice, quick read for anyone who likes shoujo manga!

Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love is the latest shoujo manga from Ayuko Hatta (Wolf Girl and Black Prince). In this high school-set teen romance, an incident on a train brings together freshmen Satomi and Yagyu. When a pervert tries to grope Satomi on her train ride to school, Yagyu comes to her rescue. Recognizing his uniform, Satomi tries to find her savior at school to thank him only to find someone who's more standoffish than she expected. Quickly, she breaks down his walls and the two quickly jump from strangers to friends to lovers.

This introductory volume is full of familiar tropes for romance shoujo fans. Yet, I was surprised by how quickly things move for our main couple rather than being bogged down by a lack of communication. In fact, this is driven by Satomi's own desire to right the missteps she's made in previous relationships. She's a cute lead who speaks up for what's right. Yagyu is a bit of an enigma but his stoic exterior belies his openness to give things a shot. I'm excited to see where things go for these two! The art is cute and this is a super easy read.

Fantastic artwork and story! Satomi, a high school student, is targeted on the train by a handsy passenger. Yagyu, a fellow student, steps in to shield her from the harassment. She's surprised and grateful for his actions, and upon remembering the last time she had a crush on someone and didn't say anything, she decides to tell Yagyu that she's interested in him. Yagyu is an angsty, reticent, and handsome teenage boy, which naturally means all the girls fall all over him, so Satomi is surprised he agrees to start dating her. Cute story that fills every girl's fantasy of winning over the seemingly perpetually unsatisfied hot guy.

I really enjoyed this manga. The artwork was adorable and perfect for a manga about high school romance. The story follows a high school girl named Mizusawa. At the beginning of the story she is being accosted by a pervert on a train until a boy from her school steps in to stop it. Mizusawa then decides that she wants to get to know this boy better and so asks him to spend time with her. This progresses to them deciding to date in order to accomplish this. As someone who has read a lot of slice of life manga, it was interesting to see two people decide to date to get to know each other instead of the other way around. I know that this is actually very common in Japan so I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the cutsey moments where they start to get to know each other and I look forward to seeing where this goes in volume 2!!

A cute romance manga that is perfect for young teens. I love how the characters are honest with each other about their feelings and, so far, aren't hiding anything.

So sweet and cute!! I’m obsessed. Pleaseeeee please please let volume 2 come out soon!
Girl meets boy when boy saves her from a train pervert. She decides she isn’t gonna be shy about it after losing her chance with her first crush. Hilarity and sweetness ensue.
It doesn’t hurt that the main characters are both really good looking and the main guy seems to be just the slightest bit of a bad boy. Ah how do they know my weakness?! In my next life, I’m only gonna like good boys I promise 😂😂😂

This book is adorable! It shows just how meeting someone new can change your life and set you up for a change in your world. Definitely going to read again!

Content advisory: The story starts with a pervert on a train and although there's nothing explicit, if that's not something you want, it might be worth skipping the first few pages. They don't dwell on that plot point, and it's almost disheartening to hear that it isn't the first time our heroine had to deal with it. Other than that, this book is extremely wholesome and has that Big Reiwa Energy of getting right to the point of "Yes, our main couple is dating and here is what a healthy relationship looks like." It's rated Teen but it's not going to be something that will embarrass you if you give it to a young family member. Unfortunately things progress so well and so smoothly that I wonder what exactly they're going to do in volume 2 other than challenge what appears to be a perfectly happy couple or throw in the less wholesome elements of being in a relationship. I guess you'd have to read volume 2 to find out but that's not exciting enough for me. (I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

When Yagyu saves Satomi from a groper on the train, she falls in love at first sight. And...that's kind of it? <i>Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love</i> is a perfectly charming shoujo romance that also is perfectly cookie cutter, which honestly isn't a bad thing. It definitely falls under the heading of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," and that makes it the kind of story that you can just pick up when you feel like reading something that doesn't strain your mental faculties overmuch, a bit like Kodansha's release of <i>Yamaguchi-kun Isn't So Bad</i> - you know precisely what you're getting and you can just sort of go with it.

This is not to say that there's nothing beyond "nice" to recommend the volume, however. Satomi has a surprising streak of strength underneath her timidity, and while at least one case of it rearing its head (when she jumps, Louisa in <i>Persuasion</i>-style, off a staircase), the scene where she takes two older boys to task for kicking Yagyu's seat during the entire movie is truly impressive. It also gives us the distinct impression that while she's quiet about her own wants, when someone she cares about is in trouble, she will hold nothing back to rectify the situation on their behalf. It's hard to say that I'd like to see more of that, because that would imply bad things happening to Yagyu or her best friend, but seeing that side of her is definitely an important piece of the story.

The art is somewhat plain but good enough that looking at it is pleasant. The boys look a bit more masculine than they tend to in shoujo romance, and the characters are all distinct and easy to tell apart. If Satomi's skirt is one of those Magic Shoujo Skirts that doesn't flutter upward even when she's jumping from great heights and drawn from below, well, that's easy enough to overlook in the greater context of the book. This is basically comfort food, and there's nothing wrong with that, especially if you know what you're getting into going in.

Satomi seizes the day and asks out her crush. To her surprise, he says yes! But what next? This sweet shojo manga explores what happens after a couple establishes mutual interest. What does it mean to be a teen and date? How often do you text? How do you win over your SO's friends? Ima Koi explores the nuances of teens in love!

I really enjoyed this series and will definitely purchase it for my collection! I'm familiar with the author's other series Wolf Girl and Black Prince which I enjoyed, but the male MC was very toxic in how he treated the female MC. This series is the complete opposite with Yagyu being the type to help others and I love the art style. This is a great series for anyone looking for a new shoujo to read.

For the first half of this book, I felt like I was reading a lonely teenage girl's fantasy she makes up for herself before she falls asleep. The main character developed a bit of a personality toward the end, and I can see this being a popular high school romance for hardcore fans of the genre, but I won't be picking up volume 2.

This author's other work, Wolf Girl & Black Prince, wasn't really my jam, but I like what I've seen of this new series so far! One of the strong points of this series is just how much our main pair tries to communicate their wants and expectations with one another. I found it refreshing! This is a sweet pair that still has a lot of growing to do. I'm curious where this series will go from here, but I look forward to more! Fans of sweet romance manga should give this one a look!

what an adorable perfect romance manga... i really needed a new one in my life and so glad I found this one!! The two leads are not what you expect, but total sweethearts and have such great chemistry! I also love the two friends we've seen.. excited to see what comes next :-) Perfect if you liked Kimi ni todoke, My Love Story, Kamisama Kiss, and others

This is a cute shojo title about a girl who is trying to be brave. Satomi regrets that she never confessed to her middle school crush. When her classmate Yagyu defends her from a pervert on the bus, she notices him for the first time. As she starts paying attention, she realizes that he is kind and the two become friends. When friendship becomes something more, Satomi now has to be brave and tell him how she feels - what will happen if Yagyu says yes?

I really enjoyed the art style of this series and look forward to another volume.

This was such a cute read! I really enjoyed how it seems like this series will be focusing on a relationship, rather than the buildup into one. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where our story carries our main characters! (who are very cute together; I am a sucker for their dynamic).

4.5/5

Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love by Ayuko Hatta is exactly what you want it to be. A deliciously cute, sweet romance story with cute characters and miscommunication galore.

Mizusawa could never find the courage to confess to her middle school love. So when she finally finds someone she could like in high school, she does everything in her power to confess to him. Kind of.

This series just seems so cute. I’m really excited to keep reading in the next volumes. Ayuko Hatta is a great mangaka And I’m happy to see that she still creating after her big hit Wolf Girl and Black Prince.

This book was just so light and so easy to read, it just makes me happy. I’m looking forward to the volumes to come.

"Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love" is another typically cute high school romance manga. The romance in this volume, though, seemed a little rushed to me. There wasn't really anything about the plot that stood out to me, but maybe that's because I've been reading a lot of shojo lately. That being said, I don't think I'll be reading the next volume.

Satomi starts dating Yagyu after an encounter with the not-so-pleasant type on the train ride to school. Yagyu seems to go along with Satomi's request to hang out and start dating. He seems to not like upsetting people and is almost a people pleaser type nature. Will their relationship flourish?

I enjoyed the art style very much, though I feel like we jumped headfirst into a relationship with a guy Satomi doesn't know at all (but I guess some people do that) I do hope to read more and see where the plot will thicken.

Score 3.5/5