"Love's in Sight!, Vol. 1" by Uoyama is a heartwarming and beautifully told story that breaks the mold of traditional manga romance. Set in a unique context, it explores the unlikely yet captivating love story between Morio Kurokawa, a feared delinquent, and Yukiko Akaza, a confident girl with a vision impairment. This manga is a testament to the idea that love can blossom in the most unexpected places and between the most unlikely people.

The character of Morio Kurokawa, known for his undefeated streak in street fights, is initially portrayed as a tough and intimidating figure. However, Uoyama masterfully peels back the layers of Morio's character, revealing a tender-hearted and lost soul beneath his fearsome exterior. His transformation throughout the volume, driven by his love for Yukiko, is both believable and deeply moving.

Yukiko Akaza, on the other hand, is a refreshing presence in the manga. Her character breaks stereotypes associated with vision impairment, showcasing strength, independence, and a spirited nature. The way she perceives Morio, not through his fearsome reputation but through the kindness he shows her, adds a beautiful depth to their relationship.

The dynamic between Morio and Yukiko is the heart of this manga. Their interactions range from humorous and light-hearted to deeply emotional, creating a well-rounded narrative. The story does an excellent job of balancing the romance with personal growth, as both characters learn and change from their experiences with each other.

Uoyama's artwork complements the story perfectly. The expressions of the characters, the detailed backgrounds, and the dynamic action scenes all contribute to an immersive reading experience. The visual portrayal of Morio's tough exterior juxtaposed with his softer moments is particularly striking.

The manga also touches on themes such as acceptance, the struggle to find one's place in the world, and the transformative power of love. These themes are woven seamlessly into the narrative, adding layers of complexity to what could have been a simple love story.

In summary, "Love's in Sight!, Vol. 1" is a remarkable manga that offers more than just a romance story. It's a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and the power of seeing beyond the surface. Uoyama has created a world where love not only blooms in the most unexpected places but also brings out the best in people. This volume is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and well-told story.

It is so refreshing to see a manga that has disability rep. I am absolutely adding this to our manga collection at the bookstore! This was so cute!!!

I LOVED THIS!

It’s rare for me to find a manga with some good disability rep so I was very excited to dive into this one and I wasn’t disappointed!

I will admit I was slightly concerned Yukiko’s visual impairment would be glossed over but nope, we get a good look at every day life for her so you can put yourself in her shoes and I think it was brilliantly done! I felt like she was a brilliantly strong character as well!

The romance was just…it had me kicking my feet and squealing, I won’t lie and I’m so excited for the rest of the volumes because yeah this is a lovely romance but it also has a lot of heart to it as well!

*Thank you NetGalley and VIZMedia for the ARC of this book.

The story begins when a bad boy meets a vision impaired girl, it is adorable and wholesome from the start. This sweet story is also educational in how those with vision impairments experience the world. I absolutely love that accessibility is also a prominent feature in this manga. Wonderful and wholesome, I am excited for more of this series.

Thank you sovmuch NetGalley, VIZ Media, and VIZ Media LLC for access to this incredibly sweet and heartwarming arc!

5/5 stars!!

This was exactly what I needed today - something cute, sweet, wholesome, and lovely! Also educational, in how to and not to approach someone with visual impairments, and their point of view from things! I absolutely loved this and can't wait to read the rest of the series and watch their incredibly sweet romance blossom 💖💖💖💖💖💖

I loved this one!! Usually I'm not the biggest fan of 4-koma (4 panel) manga, but I really liked this one. I found all the characters quite enjoyable, and I was impressed with some of the discussions that were started about the visually impaired community. I'll definitely be checking out the next volume.

Love's in Sight Volume 1 is a romantic comedy with a heart of gold and excellent representation. Morio is a local teenage gang leader who dropped out of high school who falls in love at first sight with Yukiko, a sight-impaired 16-year-old. The novel focuses on their blossoming relationship as Morio learns more about what it is like to live with very little sight and Yukiko gains confidence and further independence.

The manga had very short chapters (I'm guessing it is published in a weekly magazine) with a very light and airy art style. The lines used to draw Yukiko are soft, almost whisper like, giving her an ethereal quality, comparted to the dramatic black lines and shading of Morio.

The story was very heartwarming, educational in terms of living with a vision disability, and full of humor as well.. The story was also clean in terms of sexual content, so it would be fine for younger teens as well.

I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing how the characters continue to grow!

Love's in Sight!, Vol. 1 is a graphic novel by Uoyama. It's a typical tough boy-meets- sweet girl love story, but it goes beyond that. Morio is the town tough guy and Yukiko is a sweet girl with a vision impairment. Morio has to learn how to accommodate Yukiko's disability, and does so beautifully. Yukiko, with her vision impairment, doesn't see the scar on Morio's face that makes people judge him as bad. She "sees" him as a gentle person who is trying to find his way in the world.

It was such a sweet book, and is appropriate for all ages. There's a lot of nuggets of wisdom within its pages just waiting to be discovered. While I don't normally read manga, I intend to follow Morio's and Yukiko's journey in Volume 2!

Love's in Sight!, Vol. 1 by Uoyama. #LovesinSightVol1 #NetGalley

This super cute manga does more than just make you awe at how cute the intended couple is. It brings awareness to the daily struggles visually disabled people deal with and offers ways to accommodate them. I loved that and enjoyed the story a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC courtesy of VIZ Media/VIZ Media LLC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Delightful, charming and beautifully illustrated.

For Libraries: Purchase where romcom mangas are heavily circing.

I reviewed this title for Booklist. Please see Booklist for the complete review and full feedback regarding this title.

This manga features Morio Kurokawa, who is know as Morio the Black Panther to his lackies and other tough guys, as well as Yukiko Akaza, a girl with vision impairment who is going to a school for the blind. Morio falls head over heels as soon as he meets Yukiko, but she's more hesitant. They go out on a date and Morio immediately starts to see the hardships that Yukiko faces in her everyday life. He wants to make things better for her but usually misses the mark by just a little bit. His earnestness makes up for it though.

This is a really sweet romance manga that I cannot wait to read more of. I've never come across a manga with someone who has vision impairment as one of the main characters before. I always really like when there is disability representation that is done well. Overall, I think that this sweet manga is for everyone.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be but much better and deeper. Focus on a young girl who is visually impaired and her struggles in life and the thug that falls for her and learns how she lives. Sweet, and very informative, definitely recommend

This was surprisingly super wholesome and I was honestly and genuinely blown away by that. It was also quite funny, though some of the humor falls flat (why is a 26-year-old in a violent rivalry spanning back 10 years with an 18-year-old???).

The two main characters are a delinquent drop-out guy and a legally blind girl. Her blindness is never once a problem for him and he goes way out of his way to be accommodating and affirming. The best part? It's not even to "get in her pants" as her sister's afraid of: he genuinely wants to learn and do better as a person, and he's perfectly fine with simply being her friend if she's not interested in him that way. There's no push the entire time for dating/a romantic relationship (heck, most of the time neither of them are even sure what their relationship is as everyone else around them defines it as romantic). Morio's the most feared guy in the area, but he's also a remarkably kind person and while he can be a bit of an airhead, he's not oblivious to boundaries. Yukiko is obviously a bit of a tsundere character type due to her self-possessiveness, constantly denying her infatuation with Morio, but it's largely because she's just not used to that kind of attention. Her sister Izumi is also extremely protective of her, but as Yukiko grows with this new type of relationship, she proves that she knows herself, her boundaries, and her abilities, and she wants her sister to "really see her," as Morio does (more on that later).

This manga is obviously a device for disability advocacy and reaffirms how accommodations made for the disabled mean an improved quality of life for everyone. Morio is a stand-in for the reader as Yukiko explains to us how to interact with a blind person and how to change not just our habits and environments while doing so, but our perspectives. There is a lot of great advice in this story. It also touches on the disdain people have for those with looks they don't particularly care for; Morio has a scar under his eye (received by the aforementioned 26-year-old) and because many people (correctly) deduce that it was due to fighting, he's turned down from jobs everywhere he goes. Despite his qualifications, diligence, and frankly excellent people skills that are in full force later on, his appearance is a barrier to equitable opportunities. This is nicely balanced out by the fact that Yukiko can't see him beyond vague shapes and therefore does not have those preconceived notions. All she's been exposed to is his kindness and goofiness.

Going back to Yukiko's sister Izumi and Yukiko wanting her to "see her," I really like the conversation that is had near the end about how choosing to become Yukiko's caretaker has impacted her own life. She's had it in her head that being her caretaker meant being the only one responsible for her all the time, that Yukiko needed constant protection and sympathy, and she couldn't see Yukiko through a cloud of anxiety and sadness. Yukiko assures her she's going to be okay, even if she stumbles and bumps into things; she tells her she already knows she's going to be very happy (with the implication that Morio is the reason). Morio himself even mentions how lonely Izumi seems and that she shouldn't be afraid for Yukiko because she is surrounded by support and Izumi can be too. Many people in similar situations need to hear this, as most often it's these ideas that burden them and not the person they're taking care of.

Suffice to say that even with the silliness, this is an excellent start to a story that sufficiently explains a disability, advocates for a better society for all of us, and proves that romance is for everyone.

I found this manga to be both generic in execution but with enough originality to keep me reading until the end. It really doesn't invent or add anything new to the shoujo genre, but it's pleasant enough. The bad boy with the heart of gold and the emotionally closed off heroine have been done to death, but what elevates this one is that the heroine is blind. It does add an extra dimension to her character that would otherwise be rote. This manga is full of tropes found in the romance genre but it does them well. I enjoyed reading this one.

This is a super cute fluffy Manga that I enjoyed reading. Progression in the relationship is quick and I enjoyed that we didn't have to wait long for it to develop. I will pick up the next volume to continue the story. Thanks!

This was fun and cute. I liked the relationships the characters had. While being all sorts of short stories, there were some that I liked more than others, but that's okay. Sadly, I don't really know where the stories going from there, so I don't know that I will continue the story.

That MC H was SUCH a CINNAMON ROLL. Love Love LOVE him!

I admit that I do not know the Blind community very well, but this seemed like a realistic look at the life of someone who is blind. I appreciate the representation and the ability to see a little of what those in that community experience.

The love story is adorable, the MCs are both just so darn SWEET and the way the MC H is pre-judged by society due to what he looks like is also pertinent to what is happening nowadays, which makes this hit the feels, for this reader at least.

3.5 stars, rounded up as the sweetness factor of the MCs' love story just hit my heart in the right way.

4, when is the next one coming out again, stars.

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

I wasn’t crazy about the story. I don’t feel that the characters were believable. Some of the characters’ reactions to events didn’t make sense. The only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the raising of awareness for blindness. That was admirable. But I won’t read the rest of the series.

My Thoughts:

I thought I understood manga, and frankly, manga reminds me of my teen self hanging out at the book stands in Osaka, or as a boy mom and high school teacher, sitting on the floor of our local Barnes and Noble with my teenaged son just reading manga on a Saturday afternoon. What I learned about all the manga reading is that it is a great way to reach our aliterate readers. Aliterate means that readers (in my experience, mostly male readers) know how to read, but they choose not to read, and therefore are "aliterate." By choosing not to read, in its extreme, I mean that they will not even read directions on worksheets and will instead either wait until the teacher gives the directions or just keep asking what they need to do. Either way, I though Ihad seen every manga and there was nothing new.

And then The Way of the House Husband was given to me by my manga reading son, no longer a teen. The irony is right before the pandemic, he was finishing college in Oregon and working at Barnes and Noble. He is no longer working at Barnes and Noble, but on a little excursion to Powell's in Portland, he quickly book talked this manga. Fabulous!

So on my quest to find another "new" manga that adds something new to the genre, I have been searching for something different. This manga series, Love's in Sight! may just push the manga envelope enough to excite old and new readers to manga. This book has a bad boy character who realizes that being a high school dropout is cool only until you are too old to be in high school. He finds that the bad boy scar on his face makes it problematic to actually get a job. He wants to not be a thug, but people don't give him a chance. That is until Yukiko literally runs into him and Morio is in love because she "sees" him through her hands. Since she is visually impaired his look does not scare her and that makes him melt and gush. Her seeing him beyond the outside gives him the confidence to do better for her. It is like Morio could grow up to be the house husband from The Way of the House Husband.

I like this new look at Asian male masculinity.

From the Publisher:
Morio Kurokawa is the toughest-looking tough guy around. Yukiko Akaza is a self-possessed girl with a vision impairment attending a school for the blind. The whole city fears Morio, but Yukiko sees the real him—he’s a soft sweetheart who’s just searching for his place in the world!

Mori the Black Panther has won over a hundred fights. He’s beloved by his goons and feared by the public. But now, he faces his biggest challenge yet when he meets Yukiko…and falls in love at first sight! Can Morio outgrow his delinquent roots and turn over a new leaf for his unexpected love?

Publication information:

Author/artist: Uoyama
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC (April 18, 2023)