Enter Jin-Ho Myung, a seemingly regular guy, coasting through his High School life. That is until a new homeroom teacher, Hae-Young Nah enters the picture. It is by some amusing coincidences that the two have several run-ins with each other and it were these unusual circumstances that sparked an interest between the two. From there the story for this harem is rather exciting in the way that it is not so straight-forward, when compared with most of the childish harems, in the familiar High School setting, as there are plenty of twist. Another thing I appreciate is that it doesn't focus on trying to find as many ludicrous opportunities to show some panties, but rather just dealing the main issues at hand. However as the chapters go on and a lot of the romantic ties remain unsettled, the story tends to drag and actual progress occurs at a snail's pace. Also there were some very questionable moments throughout the duration of its serialization, especially towards the end.
Yet just like with some of Dal Young’s other works, the artwork is pretty much perfect for this kind of manhwa and it is really hard to find any major bad points to it. There are well drawn environments but of course your attention will be on the characters. Sure there are plenty of well-endowed, attractive young ladies, which is what makes this an ecchi romance in the first place; however the guys also look appealing and that’s a rarity within the genre. Though one thing that irked me from time to time is the perpetual blushing. Once you yourself notice it, you'll struggle to un-notice it.
Well like in any romance, the story and artwork mean nothing without the characters to help bring it all to life. UxU does that well, with some very intriguing character personalities that do not follow the usual criteria (well not always). The male protagonist is a welcome change from all the typical "loser-kuns" or the incredibly "nice guys" we find in harems, however it’s easy to have mixed feelings on Jin-Ho because of how he operates. In short, Jin-Ho can be a bit of an a-hole. Then there’s Hae-Young, who is an attractive and nicely portrayed heroine and has plenty more appealing traits. Together they make some interesting chemistry, something that's needed to make any couple or potential couple interesting, which is where I think the title fell short. Not all the girls had interesting chemistry with Jin-Ho, so in the end they felt more like side characters, than the main characters they were meant to be.
Overall UxU is one of my favourite harem titles, which really doesn't feel like a harem title, because it shows a relationship not hindered by typical indecisiveness but by society’s judgement. Yet at times it does feel like the mangaka it constantly trying to impede on any real romantic development, with some indecisiveness on the female-front. Jin-Ho can be a bit of an a-hole and his action's may irk some, but he is still a refreshing change from the norm and it was nice seeing him persevere, in his own way. It's a shame the author couldn't do the same and persevere with the quality of the story, as the story took a turn, in the final volume and degenerated into what cannot be described better than a generic Korean soap opera drama. The ending just felt cobbled together turning UxU into one of those titles that had so much potential, but screwed it up towards the end. So if you enjoy your harems or romances then be sure to check this one out, even if the story ends out of balance.
