Story: 9/10
As a slice-of-life manga, don't expect too much. Half the "story" is watching the characters drive the plot themselves, which, past hindsight, is a lot more difficult to do than others give credit for. There has yet to be any giant arcs longer than Satou's past which is a shame because I would like to see the mangaka go all out like that again. They have a unique sense of humor that understands when not to take themselves seriously yet keeps it impactful to the reader. Alas, I also feel the need to bring up that this series can be distinguished from many others in that the main pairing has yet to sleep together yet are still interesting enough to drive the story forward almost completely on their own. Their love is what this series treasures, and I give so many props to the mangaka for taking this route.
Notice that I said "almost completely on their own." There are a few subplots here and there. And luckily, it's another thing I can appreciate about the story. I adore the incorporation of the two secondary pairings: Nishida/Azuma and Toranosuke/Yamanaka. The first pairing takes seven volumes before being brought in. SEVEN volumes. By then, Nishida is already a lovable character that readers can connect with; he's not there just to be gay. THAT'S how you do it yet it seems all other yaoi's love to miss that mark. Meanwhile the latter pairing ends up happening as an epilogue to an event in the main Satou/Yoshida plotline. After a few developments, it becomes a bit of a recurring secret that no one but Yoshida is in on. And there really is something special about that. Then there is the adorable hetero Akimoto/Yoko couple which proves that not every character that appears in a BL manga are necessarily going to be BL. The story manages to incorporate these four pairings in completely different ways that keeps itself fresh and still wonderfully hilarious.
Art: 9/10
At first glance, the art is nothing spectacular. The color spreads aren't as breathtaking or panels as detailed as other popular series, but you can tell it tries to hit the readers from a different perspective than that. There is the ever popular intentional derp school shot that the author loves exploiting for a laugh. You can't help but root for an artist that has the courage to make fun of themselves. Yet where the art shines is the design. The design of Yoshida is so lovably unique that you could spot and recognize his character from several miles away. Satou, although seemingly the typical good-looking love interest at first, becomes a human who expresses embarrassment, insecurity, and self-conscious anger that is well supported by the drawing of his facial expressions. Other characters such as Akimoto and Makimura draw out chuckles when they appear. And the artist actually utilizes the lack of variety in the design of the school girls as a running gag.
Characters: 10/10
By far the strongest point of this series is its characters; particularly the main Satou/Yoshida couple. Yoshida is there to break every existing troupe while Satou derails half the situations into hilarity, making for a pairing that is nothing short of a great match. Couple dynamics aside, Yoshida experiences the typical high school guy crises involving his popularity and his relationship with Satou, yet it never gets to the point where he comes off as anything but simply a likable guy who's just wondering what will happen next. But then we add on top his other more subtle traits. Traits such as his complete acceptance for who he is and that being "ugly" shouldn't drive how much fun he has in life. Traits such as how he does stand up for himself and his friends when appropriate, simply because it's part of who he is and not as a plot device. And you've got a character that is not only solid but admirable and memorable. The thing is, none of these quirks Yoshida possess are overdramatized either but rather universally accepted as just being there. As many of great writers say, "show, don't tell." And Yoshida is a prime enough example of that where he goes onto my favorite characters list.
Then we have Satou, the more inhuman one of the pairing. He comes off as a typical popular guy cliché who chases down the outcast in secret for seemingly no reason at all. At this point you'd expect some love at first sight monologue or a flashback where one single insignificant moment between him and his love interest dictates the rest of his life because shoujo sparkles. *queue fangirl fantasies here* But no. The thing is, while it can be argued he starts off that way, that's not the route the manga takes at all. For reasons actually explained, he's a sadist. Or, a sadist who's an outlier from other sadists. Now that's quite a character. By the time you get to the end of his past, you can physically see why he's in love with Yoshida. We aren't told he is, but who needs to be told when it's right in front of you? Earlier I mentioned that this pairing is what drives the story forward almost all on their own, and these two are definitely strongly written enough to do that.
Enjoyment: 10/10
There are tons of different types of series: those which appreciate their fanbase, those who love torturing them, those that feed the readers' intelligence, those bottom of the barrel mediocrities that just don't care, etc. His Favorite is of the kind that aims to capture your heart to hold it warmly in its palms and nothing else. I think a lot of people forget how these types of series are getting rarer and rarer. I feel nothing but fondness when this manga is brought up. It definitely deserves an anime adaption.
Overall: 10/10
I'm still following and buying the volumes online to this day. I just can't get enough of this manga.
