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.
