My Love Story "Ore Monogatari"
As always, this book was relatively new at my local library the last time I went there. There was no sticker saying when exactly it arrived, but I am just going by the pristine condition of the actual book itself. All I know is that the series has been out in the States for a relatively long time already.
(Side Note: As we move into Year Two of Coronavirus quarantine, I have seriously begun to debate on whether or not to continue the whole “found it at the library” spiel that I do, or just chalk it up as a given. Ooh, or maybe leave a special remark any time I DON’T find it at the local library? Because God knows I’m not going to the bookstore any time soon!”
For years, the big-hearted yet ugly Takeo Goda has watched girl after girl fall for his hot best friend Sunakawa instead of him, even though he was the one who actually liked them back in the first place.
The thing is, Sunakawa always turned them down, in no uncertain terms, with even a touch of meanness thrown in here and there.
So, when Takeo saves a sweet girl named Rinko Yamato from a molester on the train, and Sunakawa just happens to be there, Takeo feels like he knows where this is going. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
What follows is a looong first chapter (one of the bigger problems with the series) of Takeo failing to realize that, whenever Rinko invites him out somewhere to thank him for saving her, it is not an excuse to meet with Sunakawa.
The author of this series, Kazune Kawahara, also wrote the series “High School Debut”, which also wasn’t half bad, albeit so bog ordinary that I stopped reading after the first three volumes.
What works in this series is its blurring of the lines between believable characters and unbelievable characters. I mean, it’s believable that Takeo would not believe that an attractive girl like Rinko would be into him. The sad truth of this world is that outer beauty is all that some people see, plus, again, he has his entire history with Sunakawa backing him up. But, at the same time, it is slightly unbelievable that anyone could be so oblivious to the fact that anyone actually likes him, to the point where he and Sunakawa are forced to pull off ridiculous, anime-esque schemes in order to Takeo to hear the truth straight from Rinko’s lips, as, unsurprisingly, he does not initially take Sunakawa at his word when he tells him point-blank what is up.
There is also plenty of Japanese-style humor in the work, surprisingly, whether it be Takeo’s being forced to catch a falling I-beam and lift it off of Rinko and Sunakawa, or Takeo’s general appearance in general, looking much more like he would be more at home in something like Mob Psycho 100 or One-Punch Man.
But, believable or not, it is the characters that really drive “My Love Story”. (The artwork is detailed and pretty enough, I suppose, but that’s beside the point.) Sunakawa and Takeo are true friends and true men, where Takeo constantly puts aside his own feelings for the sake of Sunakawa and his relationships (even though they never really work out), and Sunakawa’s brusqueness actually turns out to be him standing up for Takeo when every girl who asks him out badmouths his giant friend.
There’s even something sweet about Rinko’s desiring closer physical intimacy (of the simple closeness and hand-holding kind; these are Japanese high school kids, after all), contrasting with and despite Takeo’s declaration that he will not touch her until she’s ready, out of the need to not frighten or harm her with his size and strength.
All in all, as usual, I am not disappointed that I took the time to pick up and read this manga, but I wouldn’t exactly say it left me jumping for joy or broke any new ground.
But maybe it’s right for you.
