At first glance, it's easy to mistake it as another shoujo manga romanticizing unhealthy and obsessive behaviors. I would definitely be wary of that if you're easily uncomfortable with that, or you've had bad situations relating to that. I don't blame you for steering clear of this manga.

HOWEVER. I do implore you to push through it. Because unlike other shoujos which might romanticize this behavior, this manga actively addresses it as a problem that the male lead Hananoi has and struggles with -- and something that slowly starts to change as the story goes on. I say this too as someone who has dealt with my own huge personal codependency problems, and knows intimately the struggle it takes to overcome them. Yeah, some of his obsessive behavior is played for laughs, and at this point in the story, quite a bit of it still remains, but you can tell, bit by bit, he's working towards dealing with his demons.

I'd also like to note, without going too much into it, that a lot of his maladaptive behaviors have plot-related explanations behind them, and in a lot of ways they stem more from insecurity and trauma than just simply being a character trait he has. Just know that whatever you see, there IS a reason behind it, even if you don't know it at the time.

The real star of the show though is Hotaru, the main female lead. Sweet, caring, and exceptionally considerate, and someone who cares deeply about her family and friends. Someone whose silliness is a different brand of cutesy compared to many other shoujo leads I've seen. She has an aura that almost feels like going into a relaxing hot bath -- seeing her just soothes me. It's also not very often to see a character who loves food so explicitly that isn't played off as a joke, and as a fellow food-lover who knows how much it can bring people together, I think that's really wonderful. And more than that, she's a natural counter for Hananoi's unhealthy tendancies; setting boundaries, asking for what the other wants, so on and so forth. "If love means that only one of us gets to be happy, then screw love!" she says in the first chapter, and I think it's that worldview that is what pushes Hananoi towards a healthier path.

I really really love this manga. It has a lot of sweetness and fluff for sure, but it's definitely a lot deeper than it lets on. I have a lot of joy of seeing them work through their relationships, both past and present, and I really am excited to see what new development happens next.

... Last updated on November 4th, 2020, 8:17pm

This seems like your average shoujo. Plain Jane FMC hot bishounen MMC.

Then you realize that the male MC Hananoi is kinda throwing red flags all over with his possessive clingy love-bombing. And instead of glossing over or romanticizing his behavior the author does a good job of getting the female main to break out of his toxic mentality

Though out the plot hotaru tries her best to integrate Hananoi into her social group despite his coldness towards them and his attempt to isolate Hotaru from her friend group, which doesn’t work

I think what really helps Hotaru break the mold of falling into toxicity is the fact that she herself got some trauma that she’s working through from when she’s younger. She makes it clear she isn’t entirely perfect and that she’s just trying to make the best of her world rn

Hotaru really isn’t anything special and the author doesn’t try to make her Mary Sue she’s just a really nice girl who’s trying her best at the peak of her youth. She actually does a good job of trying to explain to Hananoi why being excessively love-bombing and possessive won’t get her to automatically “”love” him right away and he’s actually receptive of that! (Surprisingly)

Also without really giving much away there’s actually a surprising twist about Hananoi that doesn’t reveal itself until mid way

The manga really illustrates the concept of “seishun” well I think. Looking forward to reading it more and seeing the ending

... Last updated on April 13th, 2021, 10:32am

This is the type of story that is my personal favorite. Similar to Koi Dano Ai Dano in that the female lead is rational, not interested in love (at first), and somewhat plain. The female in this story is kinder and acts a little cuter. I really like her.
My concern is with the male lead. I fear he may be putting the female lead into a box and cutting her off from her important family and friends. We’ll see how it progresses but the male lead is kind of scary sometimes.

I love the leads. Hananoi is an oddball, and everyone acknowledges it. He will go really, really far for the one he loves. It is not portrayed in a positive way, more like an issue to be resolved, which is is lovely and unusual in itself. He is at the same time lovely and creepy, so you'll get a bit ambivalent about him, I'm sure.

The plot is very serene, in a way. So far the only issues their relationship has is her naivety (a bit) and his self-destructive behavior; he loves her to death and is excessive, possessive and just cares about her, so there are doubts and shit. Even tho there are support character, I don't think we'll get any love rival in the near future.

She is unsure about love, but as the story progresses she learns more about it and herself. Hotaru, the FL is lovely. She is calm, collected and kind. In my opinion, not plain at all. Even her character design is memorable.

I feel like the story is more about how they evolve as a couple and better each other than anything. In the second chapter they are already a couple, but it feel so organic. So, in my opinion, not a cliche.
The story also has a lot of subtleties, so keep an eye.

... Last updated on August 21st, 2019, 9:49pm

This story is not for you who doesn't like flawed characters.

This is the first time I am crying while reading manga that is not supposed to make me cry. I am similar with Hananoi-kun, "heavy" and have tendency to be manipulative but it's not because I want to be like that, maybe I just don't know how to love someone normally and too anxious for them to disappear because of my past. So yeah, this manga really touch my heart and I honestly need someone like Hotaru in my life, I hope I will meet someone like her one day.

I know many people will have problem with his attitude, but this is story about character development and relationship development, what's wrong with flawed character try to be better? He changes slowly so you can't see his change just one chapter then BOOM he changes. Or you mean to say someone like me doesn't have the right to be loved and change?

I know his behavior is kinda stalkerish but I also know he also try to limit himself, his feeling is genuine, and this is what the female lead see but many reader fail to see. Their relationship is far from toxic because she knows how to make his world wider, make him change and compromise while at the same time the male lead also help her to understand how to understand love and experience new things. Their relationship is trial and error but they communicate well, compromise and change to be better. Their relationship feels real.

Other than that, the character is really real and that's also the reason why I feel what Hananoi-kun feel and I understand how Hotaru feel. And the art of this author is always nice so nothing to complain.

I also recommend to read author other works.

... Last updated on June 28th, 2021, 4:30pm

I've read a lot of shojo over the years, and at a certain point they all start blending together. This is one of the few series that I find to be actually memorable and genuinely curious about where it's going.

It initially threw me off in the first volume, because the male lead Hananoi, was throwing out all kinds of red flags...he fell in the love with our FMC Hotaru immediately after a kind gesture, he takes emotions to the extreme and is totally self-destructive (in the name of love). He is also generally unkind or unfriendly to anyone accept Hotaru. My first reaction was, "Oh god PLEASE don't let the author paint this behavior as romantic or healthy," because shojos have a tendency to pain unhealthy behaviors as romantic. Hotaru's very first reaction to his extreme nature made me much more hopeful though, as she immediately tries to set him straight by telling him he shouldn't be doing these kinds of things. It's dangerous to place all of your hopes and happiness on a single person like Hananoi does, because you then 1) make them responsible for your feelings and 2) make yourself isolated and much more likely to get hurt when they inevitably can't live up to your super high expectations.

The story hasn't been perfect in addressing all these red flags, but I'm really hoping that this series will go the route of actively addressing the obsessive nature of Hananoi. He strikes me as someone who sees no worth in himself and seeks validation through romantic partners. So I hope Hotaru can help him learn how to be happy and comfortable on his own, and show him that the extreme people-pleaser attitude he has towards Hotaru isn't good for either of them.

Anyways, I find this take on the obsessive male lead trope to be really interesting since, in my opinion, it seems to stem from a place of fear (of being alone/without love) rather than a place of possessiveness.

Side note, the art is gorgeous and Hotaru's character design is wonderful - I've never seen a female protagonist that looks like her!

The male lead is a little sick in the mind lol jk but not really, I'd say he's strong-willed (stubborn) or deviant (masochist?) except not in sexual way.
The female lead is probably one of the most ordinary and rational girl ever. I'd love to be her friend!
The plot is well, manga-ish obviously, as I couldn't imagine love trial irl, but it's not a bad thing at all.

I’m so happy I found this manga. I love the characters.

In so many shoujo mangas, the main character(usually the girl) is always so annoying. Like, she blushes every panel despite saying, “oh, I don’t like guys.” I hate that type of Mc. They’re always so sensitive and overthink things too much.

However, this time, I really like Hotaru’s character. She still blushes of course, but not every page like most other mangas. I’m really glad she keeps a rational head, and she really does look clueless about love(unlike other mangas).

I also love Hananoi-kun, there’s definitely something off about him, but I still love him XD I think I just really like faithful guys.

So far it's a really good read and one of the only mangas I remember to check in on once in a while for updates... Everything about it is top notch (the characters, art, story, romance). The only thing I will mention that puts me on edge is all the red flags that show up every now and then with Hananoi's (male lead) character and his affection for Hotaru (female lead). I'm excited for the next chapters to come out, but also terrified about my theory on who "Hananoi" really is.

I love how pure ML is lol. FL is pure too, but in a slightly different way from ML. I thought it would just be a sweet, fluffy ride (with minimal angst), but then a second ML walked in. It was almost looking like he would get away with actually being a sweet platonic relationship...and then reality came and smacked me in the face and second ML is now catching feels. UGH.