Imagine a typical shoujo manga, but the male and female lead actually seem to have an equal investment and mutually enjoy each other. Radical, I know. Now imagine that, but also the female lead has actual romantic and sexual agency. Borderline revolutionary. (It's not even 'strong woman, submissive man,' it's just...two equal partners, who both want each other and both occasionally make a first move. A feminine girl who doesn't just exist solely to cry and swoon over a cute boy.)
Now make it a little erotic, a bit naïve, and you have this comic. It follows a lot of the usual narrative beats of a high school romcom (and some of the same silly tropes...why are they hiding their relationship?), but it feels so much better because the relationship is healthy and realistic. Both parties act like normal people...I wish more f/m romance was written this way.
