Asahina Wakaba to ○○ na Kareshi
Asahina Wakaba & Her Chubby-Chubby Boyfriend

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More Like a 9.5 but basically this just slaps. Only reason it aint a 10 is cause nothing is perfect, and the one vital mistake this manga has is that it only has 18 chapters. Most wholesome Manga you've ever seen in your life basically so if you like a wholesome romance, you need this in your life.
That really it but I have to write more to submit this review, but there aint much more to say cause it just is amazing. Period. My current favorite romance manga for sure I'd say. Im a sucker for wholesome stuff. SO, all in all, you need ... to read this. The end.

I feel compelled to write a review for this manga as I had absolutely zero expectations going into it and now having finished it, I can safely say it is easily one of my favorite romance mangas. Truth be told, the only thing that led me to read this was the cover art, because the synopsis sure leaves quite a bit to be desired and the main male lead is ugly... But I found myself speedrunning through this manga and I was pleasantly surprised... No, actually pleasantly is an understatement, I was extremely surprised. What I got was a believable and wholesome romance with it's ... own trials and challenges, and a male lead who is one of the GOATs. So much so that he deserves his own paragraph. So without further ado, let me introduce you.

Haruto Iruma... Boy oh boy, did he carry this manga hard. Although on the exterior, he's got absolutely nothing going for him and he is an otaku tragic, we quickly see that there's more than meets the eye through none other than the lens of the female lead. Iruma is peak comedy and not in a way that makes the reader laugh at him. Honestly, every time he shows up, he always steals the show... But his purpose is not purely comedic relief; he's got his own circumstances and despite all he's going through, he still manages to be warm, kind and empathetic. As a certain character quotes, "He was as warm and refreshing as the sun itself, while also as gentle as a spring breeze". Most importantly however; he's relatable and I can easily put myself in his shoes, and not just because he's ugly. So yeah, he's a GOAT.

Now, you would think that putting so much into the male main lead would cause the rest of the cast to suffer, but it's actually the opposite. The supporting cast, well... they do exactly as they say, they support the main characters. They aren't the most fleshed out, but they don't need to be. They are there to make the main characters shine, and they do just that.

I guess we have to talk about the female lead as well, Asahina Wakaba. The story is written from her perspective and I am glad that it is because we can clearly see that she is not perfect, not by any means. She is a character with many faults and that is what makes her a good character. Not going to spoil anything, but it's these imperfections really makes their relationship shine and grow despite how different they appear on the outside.

The art? There's nothing much to say other than that it's really good. It's what drew me in initially and it didn't disappoint. It's not the most stunning by any means, but there is clearly a lot of thought and attention to detail here. This is clearly illustrated in the subtle detail changes which occur depending on the nature of the scene. When it's a happy moment, the lines and drawings will be soft and mellow. In contrast, when the scene is gloomy or colder in nature, they will be sharp and precise. The art does an excellent job at highlighting and expressing in first person, Wakaba's state of mind and emotions at the current moment.

The only flaw I have about this manga is that it's only 18 chapters and the ending felt slightly rushed. This didn't detract from my enjoyment of it much, but it did leave me wanting more and feeling a bit empty after it was over. Let's be real though, not many manga to pull off a compelling, wholesome and heartfelt story with great character depth and growth in the first place, let alone in merely 18 chapters.

In summary, this manga is a real gem. In just 18 chapters, it managed to make me emotionally invested with the characters, feeling for their struggles and also finding joy in their happiness. The author really went the whole nine yards to deliver, and man did he deliver. So yeah, read this manga, it's fucking good.

Rather confusing and seems aimlessly for the most part.

The author seemingly couldn't decide where the story was heading and crammed it all together hoping it would mix, but many of the plot points introduced have lackluster progression or are presented in such a luke warm way without much care for the drama it's supposed to introduce.

Is it a revenge against bully story? Is it a unlikely romance story? Is it a family drama? It's many plots mixed together that weren't blended enough to leave impact.

Wakaba is so boring, they make her so meek (so that you feel bad for her) to the point where she ... doesn't really do anything...like, at all. Even during scenes where it would've really fit for her to be courageous and finally speak her mind. For majority of the manga the other characters talk for her, it isn't until the very last chapter where she seemed to have changed. At the very end, where we the audience won't be able to see her anymore. She wasn't really meek in a Moe sense either (Like Bocchi from Bocchi the Rock) she was just really boring.

Haruto is, um, he's certainly there. I don't have much to say about him. Despite him and Wakaba having multiple scenes together he doesn't really shine in them. I mean he's friendly and cheerful and...uh...oh he's an otaku too. And he has a super tragic backstory. That's something.

Yeah I didn't like the main couple very much.

Perhaps that contributed as to why I didn't enjoy this, but despite my grievance with the characters (the side ones barely have any screentime) I can at the very least say the art is good and it's a neat concept that I wish had some better presentation.