I'm a huge smut fan (go ahead, sue me), but the thing is, I only read smut because it's a guilty pleasure. The characters and storyline? Don't care. But Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu is a series that has conquered me completely in a way more than just reading it for the smut as originally planned.

In most smut series, the girl is a defenseless idiot, and it leaves you thinking most of the time just what the hell the males see in her. It's always the same rinse-and-repeat plot of "haha, I'm an evil douchebag, I shall take your virginity away" and the girls, being idiots, always think the same of "ohhh no, please don't touch me!" but over time, they fall for the guy and think "ohhh, I don't care if he doesn't love me, he can go ahead and fuck me all he wants".

In Kyou Koi, the male is still the douchebag who wants to screw the girl just for the sake of screwing her. And Tsubaki, of course, stands by the whole "ohhhh no, dont touch" that follows, as mentioned above.

HOWEVER, the difference between this is I actually felt something for Tsubaki. Even after she fell for the guy (typical shoujo), she stood by her decisions and morals of say, not letting Kyouta touch or kiss her if he didn't mean it. Basically, she didn't want to be toyed around with.

Even if she is pathetic when compared to any other girl in the universe, in shoujo, the girl standing by her previous morals and crap even after falling in love is HUGE. Normally it's "oh shit, I fell in love. k lets forget about everything else, my morals go out the window". I liked that Tsubaki didn't suddenly decide to become Kyouta's plaything just because she fell in love. During their first date, she gets pissed that Kyouta is in it for the sex, and when he's about to put the moves on, she gets pissed at him and ditches him, dissing him on being just a womanizer ("Is this how you treat all girls?" or something like that).

Then when she's at school, and she walks in on Kyouta and that other girl, and then Kyouta wants to touch her and shit, she gets pissed and says "Don't touch me if you don't mean it." That seriously formed a knot in my stomach of pity and sadness for Tsubaki, and I was shocked that I could actually feel for her. Tsubaki, a shoujo character!

I liked that she stood by her morals, no matter what. And when the whole sex situation comes up, she still goes by her morals of wanting to walk down the virgin aisle. Of course, as most teenagers, she gets pressured into having sex. She almost gives in, but is terrified of it (so at least she doesn't think "Oh god, I'll give him my virginity because I love him so much and I want him"), and I honestly don't think she would have gone through with it either way.

Then they don't end up smeckzing, cause Kyouta turns out to be not such a huge prick and actually takes her feelings into consideration then, and promises her not to rush her into anything (A shoujo male saying that. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!). I was so shocked. For once, a male lead takes the girl's morals and feelings into consideration! For once, he doesn't say "fuck it" and screws her anyway! Wow!

I know that this isn't much to go by, and it isn't that impressive overall, but if you compare it to other Minami Kanan series or most shoujos out there, Kyouta and Tsubaki are pretty much amazing.

Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu stands by it's shoujo roots, yet unlike most shoujos, there's actual character development (especially in Kyouta) and the plot itself doesn't revolve around sex, sex, and sex. In fact, there's no sex at all!

It's quite shocking, really. But I enjoy this series. It's a nice change from those asshole-playboys-target-defenseless-females manga out there.

I'm surprised to say I'm not as disappointed with this series as I thought I would be when I first started reading it. Now this, along with Hapi Mari, are the only series I'm following very closely. I've given up on reading manga for the most part. : P

Good job, Minami Kanan. You finally learned to write not such shit series.

EDIT: I feel I gotta add this, after re-reading the first 3 volumes of the series (volume 2's quality just is... *shudder*). I think I understand the reason why my heart breaks for Tsubaki near the beginning. I can relate to her. Can't all the girls here? I know how it is having an unrequited love, particularly one that's not serious about relationships. & I know a lot girls think "a fling is better than nothing", but take it from me, that fling will just cause more pain & emotional attachment, so it is not something you want.

It's... it's so sad. ;__;