I think these two reviews sum up this manga. Particularly, this from daisybuttercup,



And this from hatsumimi99,



hatsumimi99 is right on the central theme of this story and how Yori's actions are defined by them. On the surface, Yori is the woman who has it all. She is good at her job, she's not unattractive, and she's self-sufficient. However, this manga opens with her overhearing two of her colleagues degrading her for those very things by calling her an "unmarried noble" (an unmarried person living affluently) and "loser dog" (a woman over 30 without children). So from the first page of this manga, we get an idea of the world Yori lives him without being beat of the head with it: she's defective because she's not married and she's defective, once more, for not having children. Yori counters this with humor, calling them clueless and herself a "bloom flower." However, this whole interaction is sandwiched between unexplained attacks of sneezing, which is both an omen and an indication that this opening scene is pivotal to the story that is about to play out.

This is kind of where daisybuttercup's review hits the core of these characters: Maki and Yori are two people who are deeply unhappy with the choices they've made in life, maybe because they thought these choices would make them happier. They are the architects of their own unhappiness because they didn't bother (or maybe have the courage) to try and seize what would have really made them happy. Instead, they both settled for replicas of the real thing. And then when the real thing does come along, they take what they can get in their own emotionally stunted way.

I do have some thoughts on who really has the power in this relationship though. Everyone seems to think the male lead is leading and Yori is following. But we see so very clearly how much Maki is obsessed with Yori -- I mean, come on, to the point of marrying (or my theory, paying for the surgery to make a woman look like) a clone of her. She holds all the calm cards here, Maki moves with desperation rather than dominance. We see their dynamic shift more openly in the later chapters, but from the beginning Yori could always say 'no.' Even when she slept with him the first time, she had such a flimsy reason for doing it...but she wanted to do it. Someone like Yori just needs an excuse to do it (as an apology for accusing him of stealing, lol) because if she just said "oh, he's offering and I haven't had sex in so long and yes yes yes," it just validates all the things people say about her -- she's lonely and defective and a "loser."

I think that's what people are reacting to -- without keeping everything in context, it feels trashy when the author is really trying to tell a story. However, admittedly, just because someone is trying to tell a story doesn't mean it always lands or it will be your cup of tea (sometimes this isn't the story you care to be told, even if you understand all their motivations...you can still think they're acting like idiots, I think this is fair.) For me, some of the dialogue did lean toward dramatic and eye-rolly, but I generally like the themes presented.

This manga has a quite unique tone at first but then gradually it turns to be that kind of low level depression shared between two overly moody and beaten up people. This type of story would have my tears ten years ago, but now it's just miserable to read, nothing positive come out of it at all.

I need a more level-headed female lead, this girl-looking-woman seems fine at first but then she again falls into the recurrent routine of getting aroused by being harrased. And all the just sex no emotion thing is so corny and ridiculously toxic that I could not work up the energy for another page. The male lead is an angsty douche who seems to take part in too many toxic relationships in which both parties either f*cking or unreasonably yearning. And though I have not come to the point why his wife looks like the female lead, but the potential replacement cliche is on its way and I am heading to an exit.

Love the fact that the tag immature adult is included, super accurate

... Last updated on November 24th, 2020, 10:20am

It's already 114 days since this was last updated and it is too bad. I was trying to find a josei and I stumbled into this manga. I started reading and I immediately loved the story, it's very unique and very interesting. I hope the scanlators would update this because I really want to continue reading this so bad

...but I'm so glad that I'm reading this! It was a lot better than I thought it would be. I was first reading this because apparently the main male lead is stalkerish (which I like lol), but that was just icing on the cake. It might be weird for me a 24 year old to say this, but in a way, I can relate to the main female lead in some ways and I don't think she's weak per se (I guess having an affair makes you one lol). I'm honestly shipping them, but I know I don't think it will work out (obviously). The art is not pretty and can even be disproportionate, but I love it too. Overall, like the tags says yes it will have affairs, so if you're not a fan do not read this. I definitely agree of what hatsumimi99 said, kudos for the translations~

The last user who suggested that this is a high school romance dressed up in an adult setting clearly doesn't know contemporary Japanese women very well. I chose to translate this series because this IS a reality for a lot of women, and Nishi Keiko is well-versed in the emotional and psychological aspects of being in such a relationship. And when it comes to being single and forty, this woman knows her subject well.

Yori is a career-woman searching for the meaning of love at a point in her life where most women are already married with children. Myself being a career-woman, thirty and single, I hope never to find myself in her situation. But the frames where Yori agonizes over love and loneliness are thoughts that constantly flood my mind, even though I've learned to enjoy my time alone. I don't condone her actions, but I understand them. Was it Jane Austen who wrote, we are all fools in love?

Recently on a Japanese variety show, they brought a panel of "judges" (Comedy Duo Black Mayo's "Butsu-Butsu" half was one of them) to evaluate 60 single women in their 30's and 40's. Out of 60 women, 2/3rds admitted to having had an affair with a married man. A few women explained that they were looking for love and felt that the love was real. Sufficed to say, everyone was shocked and wanted to convince them otherwise, until a young student from the Literature Club at Tokyo U spoke up in her defense.

Perhaps if you only look at things above the surface, or your inhibitions about marital affairs and sex prevents you from wanting to delve any deeper into the characters, then I say, down the road, if you are still single and struggling in relationships, maybe that will be a good time to come back and read this manga again.

... Last updated on June 1st, 2016, 10:44am

I really got into this one at the beginning. I hate school age romance and I thought this would end up being more my speed. Little did I know that after a few chapters we arrive at the same high school situations with middle aged adults... then I prayed that it would forsake the title of romance and the woman would be worthy of my original high opinion of her. However, it didn't happen. Trying to play the just sex affair card is like a teenager trying to look and act like an adult without really having any idea of how to be an adult. She is supposed to be 40? Ridiculous. After the first few chapters I started missing the high school romance stories which is really saying something. I wish someone would do a romance with older more mature characters but actually get it right and then step all over this trash... seriously both of them have the maturity level of teens it's like they never grew up and are playing at being adults. Adults will most likely see this comic for what it really is within the first 7 or so chapters. I was actually quite surprised when I looked at the creators profile to find a woman who is old enough to know that this is just a overly dramatic high school romance dressed up as one between adult characters. Don't get me wrong. There are all sorts of people out there and some never grow up. This is a story about those type of people.

At first I was merely skimming to see the art and the pacing in panels. "Are you ovulating today?" and "I'm having a blast" parts drew me in. I properly read from the top and now I am so hooked till chapter 5. The banters were really interesting and the illustrations present smooth characterization and actions that this manga is easy to read and enjoy. I hope Maki and Iwatani will end up with each other. I am sucker for love that started since childhood of a male chara.

Hehe, I just hope this manga won't turn into some shallow romance later.

I had rated this quite high because of its interesting first chapter, but my opinion of it went way down once it seemed to be turning into

This one is very interesting. I really like josei mangas and this one could be my new fav. The plot is good, it has a very mysterious plot. I mean why do they look the same? I really like the male lead. It has a mature ambiance for readers searching for a different type of manga. I really recommend you reading this one!