Namaikizakari.
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To start off, here are the things that makes this Shoujo manga special
1. Really unique MC, not a wimp like 90% of you YES I'M TALKING TO YOU TOO RAKU ICHIJOOU
2. Senpaii, older girl which is in my opinion a kuudere?, but really likeable
3. A heartwarming story

^Art
The art is great, not the best but definitely one of the better ones.
Detailed characters

^Story & Characters
... The story is original, it makes you want to read more and more until you see that there are no chapters left and you start crying
Jokes aside, great characters, great art, rather light hearted, not so much drama

Recommended!

Namaikizakari can be the favourite shoujo manga for those, who are fed up with the following elements:
- waiting 30 chapters for the first eye contact,
- annoying male/female friends with unnecessary advices,
- created comedy or drama and fillers,
- cat/dog or any other pet,
- the annual school events (cultural festival...)

The list could go on, but one thing is sure: Namaikizakari is one of the most entertaining and exciting shoujo manga, that I've ever read. And it can be all thanked to the frame given by basketball, the characters who are acting like normal people and especially to the main male character, Naruse, who is not gonna wait ... 30 chapters :)

Story (no spoilers): The main characters are the members of the basketball team (Naruse is a player and Yuki sempai is the manager of the team). But basketball is not just a cool background. You can see their effort, how they share their happy and sad moments connecting to sport and how they learn to support each other. During that time, not just their team and their skills are developing, but their relationship as well.

Characters: The characters are just great; their personalities seem to be simple (Naruse, the dashing guy and Yuki is the cold, tsundere type). But they are much more complex and thanks to each other they are developing and learning about themselves. There are only a few supporting characters, but there is no need: the inner monologues of Yuki are really entertaining and Naruse always says whatever he wants :)

Artwork: The artwork is really expressive and unique, the sport scenes are especially outstanding.

As an overall evaluation I can say that it is a highly recommended manga for all shoujo fans and for anyone else, who is interested in an entertaining story without any cliches.

(This review may contain minor spoilers on events that happen in further chapters. Please proceed reading, with the risk that there are spoilers)

Namaikizakari took most of what would be considered a sports manga and somehow made it into a shoujo-sports manga. But I`d have to say that I loved it! It had all the concepts needed to please the readers (without being so cliché); the romance (It was sweet, the way how Yuki found herself falling in love with Shou), the sports, , and the comedy (I found myself laughing at one part, looking at the screen and laughing again).

The story of Namaikizakari starts ... off with pretty rocky between the two main characters. But as the story and the characters developed, I found myself wanting the next chapter already. The real point that made the story so beautiful was that it took most clichés that happen in shoujo manga, and twisted it so it was unique in its own way.

But Namaikizakari is a sports manga, that`s for sure. This is probably one of the biggest elements that many other shoujo-sports manga fail at capturing. But as I read Namaikizakari, I knew that this was one that would not fail at capturing those moments. It showed me what it means to lose, but not to give up as well, which to me, is the true meaning of a sports manga.

Character Development. Something that not a lot of mangas succeed at, some pass barely at, and some just majorly fail at. Reading 15 chapters lead me thinking about their development, which was pretty big, thinking about how they started. Naruse Shou started off as just a perverted first year (later second year) that was good at playing basketball (but Yuki describes him as a cocky, self-indulgent, obnoxious, brazen, and younger kouhai). But after falling for Yuki, he changed. He has a sweet side, like when he attempted to cheer her up when she found out that her love interest (former love interest now) got a girlfriend.

Yuki is the manager of the basketball team. She is a person that rarely expresses her feeling and is really strong female character that's hardworking and strong willed when it comes to the basketball team. At first she was in love with the former captain of the basketball team, but Shou somewhat forced his way into her heart. The romance between her and Shou is really sweet, as Shou forcefully tries to play moves on her and her strong resistance against his actions. In the end, of course Shou gets his way. I really love how the author shaped this character to not be like the generic shoujo heroine.

The art of Namaikizakari is beautiful on all aspects- such as the romance scenes and the sports scenes. I also really loved the author's previous works, so the art really got me here.

I really enjoyed reading Namaikizakari. It had all the aspects a shoujo-sports manga should have- maybe even more! This manga really deserved the overall score I gave (which is a 9). I hope to read more of this manga in the future.

(I might edit this review as it goes along)

This is my first Manga to EVER read and this is my first Manga review, (DUH!). So here goes. So far, there are only 4 chapters and I have went from screaming like a 5 YO who got a new doll to going "AWWW~!!!" and to wanting to throw my laptop out of the window. I absolutely LOVE how Naruse is so open about his love and Yuki is so confused about her feelings and tries to push Naruse away but that only makes Naruse like her more. And whenever Naruse says, "Yuki-senpai" I picture him saying it like this, "Yu-ki-sen-pai." and I also like ... how Yuki is a year OLDER than Naruse, but in the adult world age doesn't matter. All in All, I LOVE this Manga and I will continue to read it till the end.

10/10
Made my heart skip bruh
Loved it because romance sucks but this makes me wanna get into it
Naruse best boy 9/10 in looks so hot
Main girl was a bit annoying but she's fine as heck too
The misunderstandings were the worst got me jumping on my bed and rolling down the wall
I hope they make this an anime lol
imo Shou is hot hot hot
I simp
Ion wanna write more. Fine.
Hated how it got dragged on to after high school and hated the fact they introduced the worst kind of "boys" I also hated the fact they made them all fall for the main girl like nooo ... leave some for me.
The other girls were a bit annoying plus main girl shouldn't be so worked up over everything just let him kiss your lucky @ss.

So late on this manga but I finished it yesterday and absolutely loved it! The artwork is nice and progressively gets better, I loved how fast pace the story was. usually, we need to wait a bit longer for the romance to begin but the ML was straightforward about it. Need a bit of patience with the FL as she can have some very annoying moments, but the whole point is their growth development and them navigating their relationship all through high school :) some moments were frustrating but overall the story is sooooo cute and I'd die to have a boyfriend like Naruse :3 ... <3 so excited to read the last few chapters releasing this March!

I finished all 113 chapters and spent 3 days reading all of them. I’m still on high after reading, so here are my thoughts about this manga.

The plot hasn’t worn me out yet. I’ve been reading a lot of shoujo manga and some of them have women leads who always resort to crying and pushing away their partners before they realise they love the other person. Although Namaikizakari started off that way, the author didn’t consume so many chapters just for Machida to realize her feelings for Naruse. I didn’t reach that point where I get frustrated with the main lead, which usually happens ... when reading/watching other manga/anime.

I also appreciate that the author doesn’t linger on some issues for too long, to the point where you might be pulling your hair due to frustration. For the most parts, she allots a healthy amount of chapters for each issue, and wraps it up quite nicely (except, maybe, for the love triangle lol). Her pacing of the story is also nice. It’s my first time to read a shoujo manga where their love story is taken on university-level. Usually, the ones I read only circulate on their high school lives, but Namaikizakari is different.

It’s also a breath of fresh air to see a strong main lead. She doesn’t cry all the time (which other main leads do a lot)! There may be times when she’s struggling to understand her and other people’s feelings, but she eventually reaches a realization and acts upon it to make things right. For some people, I believe, her character development is slow, but for me, she’s still tolerable. Haha.

I also like the other characters especially Usami. If she were real, then it would have been great to have her as a friend. She’s always there to support anyone—to a fault, perhaps—and perceptive of other people’s feelings, as opposed to Machida lol. Her face is so expressive, so I find her reactions so comical. Both Naruse and Machida’s families are also adorable in their ways. Even their friends and/or teammates are funny, too.

One thing that people might find annoying, though, is Hakamada. If you read it, you might end up hating him for his hard-headedness. At this point, it seems like the author still hasn’t figured out what to do with him.

Overall, I enjoy the manga. I find myself laughing so hard because of the characters. I find the plot realistic, and I very much appreciate that the author doesn’t add unnecessary twists and turns to make the manga dramatic. It’s an easy read, so I suggest people to try it out.

out of all manga that i could read, i cant believe i read a shoujo manga and really got obsessed with it.

maybe it's just that i have a big guy's body with a little girl's heart. but enough with that, lets just get straight in with the review.

i cant really compare to any manga due to the fact that i think its my first time reading shoujo manga. well i can compare it with the anime Maid sama though. both of them really put on some similar vibes.
but what differs them is that amount of insecurities that i got while reading this manga. its ... just so intense to see those 2 rivals. and with that, they have really made this manga a ton of blast. though its not over yet.
im just craving for some more omg.
a side from all of that, this manga really shows you want a relationship really is between two lovers. just the amount of realisticness that they have put into it made it so relatable to the real world. i just cant stop smiling or grinning to my self when they managed to find some solutions in their relationship problems and doing all of that kiss and make up stuff.
damn i love this manga so much. well theres some part that i dont really like such as shizuka being a little bitch. well i think that's what makes this manga special. that amount of uneasiness that they left to the viewer so that they are craving for more chapters.

for story wise, they really know how to make slice of life really enjoyable. im just happy that they manage to balance the comedy with romance. tbh the story really makes me sad, i feel like i want to go back to highschool lol. god please revive me to another world so that i can live my highschool life again.

for art, well nothing special i guess. i love how they manage to portray all of the characters expression.

for characters, well since it's a slice of life romance, the amount of character development that they have done is just remarkable. its just that you really feel proud of them because you know what they all have been through. i just love it so much.

for enjoyment, well i dont need to say anything other than the fact that i didn't sleep for a day even though i have class (i didnt sleep literally for 30 hours just to read this).

overall, i enjoy it from top to bottom and looking forward for what this manga has to offer more. seriously though, if you are reading this review and you haven't read the manga, i can assure you that you will have a good time reading this.

Story (8/10)
I'm a sucker for the premise itself, but the story itself is absolutely hilarious and fluffy. If you're up for a feelsy story, then yeah, this will make you squeal with joy and happiness (although sometimes you may end up pounding your fists on the table... like I do).

In the midst of all the fluff, there are some pretty enlightening messages too. Besides, I really like how the basketball matches here are pretty realistic (especially after having watched Kuroko no Basket... don't get me wrong by the way I love Kuroko no Basket a lot). The only thing that bothers me is the ... conflicts are kinda contrived, and some scenes are pretty typical so you'll get this deja vu feel, but well that's pretty normal for a shoujo manga and the things that happen here aren't as ridiculous as some other shoujo manga I've read, so I'm all right xD

Flow-wise, it's actually paced well, even if some things are dragged out a little (like the whole relationship... oh god...) but well, I'm not very surprised.

At least, I'm happy that no one's a secret child from America or London or has a super tragic family background. Yet. Please don't disappoint me, Namai...


Characters (9/10)
General
It's basically Naruse and Yuki's show lol- Jkjk there are some side characters who actually stand out to me a lot. But generally the characters have pretty good chemistry and I find myself loving them all, even if we may not know every single character individually. The good thing is that Namaikizakari doesn't have the typical 'bad guy' or 'bad girl' (like we totally have enough of those), but those fangirls are really annoying. Like I get Naruse is hot, but seriously? Stalking him 24/7? It's as if normal female high school students don't have anything to do with their lives... But well, this is a shoujo manga, so I'll put away my excessive realism xD

Yuki
Yuki is like a mix of a tsundere and a kuudere. More on the kuudere side, but she shows more emotions than a normal kuudere. But at least, she has a reason for being 'tsun' as we call it. I find her pretty relatable, because she kinda reminds me of me somehow (except I'm less smart and reliable... /sobs sobs), but she's the kind of person who can't multitask. She also shoulders a lot of burden on herself. The refreshing thing about Yuki is that even though she dragged the saying-I-like-you-to-Naruse part, she admitted it to herself (in her head), which is not what normal tsunderes do. She acknowledges her feelings, but she's just really bad at expressing them, and chooses to run away instead. Yeah, it gets annoying, but then I'll probably do that if I were her so I kinda forgive her for that... lol.

Still, she's a pretty admirable character, because she always works behind-the-scenes, and is always determined to reach her goals. She's always selfless even if she doesn't show it in front of others. Also, the story really portrays that manager-basketball club relationship well, because I totally imagine Yuki being like the older sister of a bunch of kids. HOW I WANT AN OLDER SISTER LIKE YUKIII

Also, her family is absolutely adorbs. ; u ;

Naruse
Naruse is that popular guy who's handsome but is pretty much a jerk blahblah. If you read Kaichou wa Maid sama, he reminds me a lot of Usui (perverted, smart blabla), in my opinion, except that Naruse is a lot more clingy and stuck-up. Because I swear Naruse and Yuki kiss like every. single. chapter. Lol the skinship is just overwhelming. But what he has which Usui kind of lacks (sorry Usui, I still love you) is development. He really does change for the better. From someone who didn't give a damn about anyone at the past, he starts to care for his teammates, even the feelings of the girls who confessed to him etc, and it's really heartwarming to see. Heck, he even showed a really mature side to him later on, which is really evident when you compare his interactions with Yuki now vs then.

At the same time, he retains everything that's unique to him, like him being blunt and forgetting things easily, even if they mean a lot to the other person... But well, it's Naruse-style. So it's okay. xD

Hakamada
I'm okay with him, although I think the story exaggerated his girl-phobia a lot. But he does remind me of Yuki, with how passionate he is for basketball and determined to complete his goals. That makes me admire him a lot.

Arisa
Arisa surprised me a lot, because I thought she would be that typical stuck-up girl but she's actually really nice and easygoing. A girl who likes the main guy but isn't painted out to be a horrid person! What a miracle! Special shoutout to Rina too, who's nothing but lovable with Kido ; u ;

Himeno
She's a pretty late addition but I love how she is not afraid to face her fears. Like Yuki, she kinda reminds me of me but she takes advice better than I can (sadly...)

Relationships
Naruse and Yuki's relationship is basically a Tom-and-Jerry relationship, with Naruse being Tom and Yuki being Jerry. Their chemistry is the bomb, although sometimes I do feel like smacking both of them (particularly Yuki) for being so stupid. I guess that's the joy of young love... I do wish their relationship will be able to develop on a more mature level someday, even though it's really fun to see them be jealous at each other like two idiots xP I also particularly like Yuki and Himeno's relationship, because Yuki is like being such a supportive senior to her junior and it's just- cute. :D


Art (9/10)
I really like Namai's art style. The characters are drawn very cleanly(?) and the cutting isn't too confusing. Naruse is especially eye-catching (though I guess that's a given...) The other characters are also drawn with pretty distinctive traits, so it's easy to recognise them.


Enjoyment (9/10)
THUMBS UP! It's just so fluffy and fun, although I do wish they would take a break from all that kissing lol (maybe I'm light-hearted ~.~) and that Yuki would be 'nicer' to Naruse for once lmao. But still it's her wacky charm. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and the fact that I marathoned 58 chapters in 2 days despite having some work going on kinda show that.


Overall (9/10)

Recommended for:
; Relatable but fun characters
; Tom-and-Jerry relationship
; Flufffff
; The occasional meaningful messages
; Finally, the main character isn't stupid... Finally, no more tragic backstories... Finally, no solely evil characters...
; Kisses

Not recommended for:
; Yuki being such a wimp most of the time. But to cut her off some slack, she did have a reason and she's progressing a little now xD

Overall, this is a really good shoujo manga so if you love reading shoujo mangas, then yeah this is probably the one for you! :D

If you’re looking for romantic manga with a flat face-adorable character who can make you laugh hard, furious and flushed at the same time, you should try read this manga!

Story: 10/10
well...I'm not gonna blabbering the story here because you can see that at synopsis. And if you want to know more....just read the manga directly.
However this manga is about kouhai-senpai "romantic-relationship" in basketball club.
I think the story and the plot are awesome! When I started read the first chapter, I feel like…wow! The opening story is really interesting and reading next chapter just make me want some more.

Art: 10/10
Good job Miyuki sensei! The art is ... beautiful and great! It’s really suit to the dialogue and the situation.

Character: 10/10
The most awesome in this manga is the character itself. I can’t withstand with Naruse (kouhai). I mean…how can he teased Yuki (senpai) so many times with a flat face like that? He’s just funny, romantic, adorable, badass, and also a lovable character. And Yuki…I like the way she doing a monologue. It’s so entertaining.

Over all: 10/10
I really love and enjoyed this manga. It’s worth to read and I think I’m gonna re-read this next time.

This manga deserves a little bit more attention. 8/10

I personally view this to be a little bit focused on the romance more than the basketball aspect but they are similarly cliche in the romance plot and basketball rivalry part.

But what stood out in this manga is the character progress and also the enjoyment I felt reading through it and relating with the characters.

Story: 8/10 Art: 9/10
This manga is basically a coach-ace player kind of relationship. Although there's a lot of cliche, the progress is fast and the scenes still deliver the exciting romance feels~

Character: 9/10
And this is what I would like to ... focus on.

The most interesting part of this manga is on the smooth progression of the characters in terms of relating with all those happening around them - love, family, basketball, rivalry - and in that process, the flaws of each character are presented and what I like the most is the characters action to answer those flaws they discovered

Despite the iron-will and independent persona, Yuki is aware that she has to change and improve on herself to add Shou in her life that's already filled with responsibilities. Aside from this, I found Yuki's tsundere moments a bit cute and not disastrous, because it's evident that she is trying to become more honest but sometimes, she just can't lol

Shou is still an intriguing character for me because although he looks almost perfect (looks, grades, coolness, ability), he's just not and again for the same reason that the story presented the character's awareness of their flaws. As for the character progress, I found his patience to be the most freaking adorable in this manga because he was a playboy and technically speaking, he will lose a lot of time with Yuki once she graduates. Aside from that, I think there's still more to see with Shou's character on how Yuki got his attention and on his motivation towards basketball.

Enjoyment: 9/10
So for the reason above, I really enjoyed this manga and I'm even rereading this when I'm lazy to start a new one. The romance feels are still spot on and the main characters are still adorable throughout the drama, comedy and romance in this manga.

So... i went to Manga Rock something like two days ago and searched for some... romantic stuff y'know (yes i'm in that period) and a manga named ''Namaikizakari'' popped in front of me and slapped me while screaming ''READ ME YOU SHITHEAD'' So i started it, and now i'm crying because i know that this has to come to an end... Love this manga, one of the most beautiful romance i've ever seen/read.
If you like romance you MUST read it.

All the character have their role you know? And every one of them is interactive, not like in some mangas where every character that's not ... the main or the main's crush is throwed away like some trash bags.

It's funny. it's intens. It's very, very, very romantic. And
It made me addicted. It's one of the most beautiful masterpiece i've ever had between my hands.

Omg I actually love this manga so much, I think it might be my favourite ever at this moment. Everything about it is just totally for me, the art the story the characters– LOVE.

I love how there's a balance between the romance and the plot, and it doesn't feel like "filler" chapters. It's so cute, fun, sweet, funny, and hot all at the same time and I cannot wait to finish this manga.

I love watching the growth and development of both the plot and the characters, I feel like this manga really goes in depth in the story behind the characters and I know some ... people complain about the beginning being slow for them to realise their feelings– but it just added to the anticipation!! Besides, 20-30 chapters goes by pretty quickly ;-)

I'm so looking forward to more chapters, I can't wait for the releases!!

I have stumbled upon a RARE PIECE OF ART. I can say that this was definitely the best shoujo manga I have read so far. The fact that the more and more they spend time with each other, the more and more they develop their relationship. It can really catch the viewer's eyes.

Also I like that there's a touch of comedy once in a while, and also Keep this up!!!! I want MORE volumes!! MORE chapters!!! More Shou x Yuki momentss. AAAHHH I LOVE THISSS!!!!

Also, for those readers who are tired of waiting for really long progress, THIS MANGA IS JUST FOR YOU!! You don't ... have to wait 30 chapters just to see the development since both of them are pretty straightforward sometimes.

This definitely show their own flaws and finding problems to fix it, it shows excitement, love, and how to balance work,school and romance. THIS IS JUST TOO GOOOOOD!!!

P.S
I am not really into basketball, but reading this manga made me want to join the Winter cup ( hehhehe ~w~)

DEFINITELY 1000/100 WOULD RECOMMEND!!!!!!!! <3<3<3<3<3

I really enjoyed this manga, it really is one of the best shojo manga I have ever read. The main two characters are really well developed and I love the way their relationship develops.
This next bit is not necessarily a criticism of the manga, but as a woman Shizuka scares me. Although in other shojo manga there has been second leads who refuse to give up even after the main girl is in a relationship (i.e. Hinata from Kaicho wa Maid-sama) something about Shizuka's persistence, his visiting Yuki's school to meet her (prompting his other team members to call him a stalker) and perhaps ... the strength difference of him over her when he tried to be forceful towards her, all result in a particularly terrifying character for me, especially as he is portrayed as a "nice" character. I suppose this creates a believable character, but I wish the continued portrayal of these types of men in manga would not cause men to believe this is acceptable or attractive to women.

I dropped this at chapter 48. It's a shame because this manga had so much potential to be amazing but was ruined by unnecessary drama and lack of character development. At first everything was good, the story was progressing well and I liked all the characters. But then the second leads started to interfere and it honestly was just so stupid. Like there was literally no need for them to exist in the story. It was also really annoying how Yuki took so long to accept his confession, like girl you know you like him, why tf are you hesitating so much to date ... him? Anyways after they finally got together the rest of the chapters should have just been cute moments developing their relationship and maybe a sneak peak into their future life. But it's clear that it's being dragged by the creator for cash.

Well what can I say...its just the cutest thing I've ever read. Seriously its demonically cute! There was one point where it the cuteness level just started to explode, I just threw my laptop and hid under my blanket...its that cute. =^.^=
In all seriousness though the story as well as the characters are very enjoyable and will definitely have you laughing and smiling.The art is pretty good definitely high up there. I really recommend reading this manga I managed to read it pretty quickly as it just draws you in to continue reading. Highly recommended 10/10. ^-^
A must read in my eyes.

i just started reading this online and i just cant stop, already up to chapter 5 and i think i will be done by the end of the day if i continue : 10/10 *Sidenote i really think when this is far enough ahead it REALLY needs an anime* i dont read alot of manga because i dont really find it entertaining like an anime, but in only 5 chapters ive found myself laughing out loud at least twice a chapter, the fact that the Senpai/Kouhai relationship is switched (Female senpai/Male Kouhai) is great because the normal respect a female junior would show ... just isnt htere for the guy, the art is done nicely the story is GREAT and as the maybe 6th or 7th manga ive read i have to rate it as #1 in my personal books.

A very good romance manga. It is very long, but does not feel drawn out while reading because the plot spans over several years. It's basically the Shoujo equivalent to the good One Piece arcs.

Due to the length, the characters grow on the reader after a while and it's very enjoyable to see the relationship proceed. Naruse's shenanigans are funny most of the time, the side characters have a good balance between serious and funny (Abe and Amamiya best Comedic Relief). The side ships were also fine. In general, the reaction of the characters were mostly understandable and it was possible to immerse and ... feel with the characters.

It may not be 10/10 for everyone because some drama wasn't that necessary, but I definitely recommend it.

Personally, when I read romance shoujo, I am constantly looking for characters such as these in the manga. I loveeeee the dynamics between shou and yuki because yuki totally reminds me of myself. Shou is the classic mysterious guy that you find out little by little as the story goes on. But the dynamics between the two and their development is why I gave it a 10.

The story would have gotten a 10 from me however it seems that many other shoujo's with a tsundere character seems to have similar plot lines however, the story was able to capture it in an entirely different way.

The ... art work is really good too but again, it's very similar to others however you can see how touching some scenes are based on the art.

I super enjoyed this manga to the point where I'm hunting down blogs and looking to possibly find the scans in other languages because it's just so good! So overall it's definitely a 10!!!!!!!! However, this manga is still on going and my heart is shattered by this lol. Wishing to find the latest chapters!!!!