College girl Ichika’s looking for love, and her new friend Kosei’s perfect—he’s kind, cute, and loves all the same movies—except he’s looking to keep it casual. She knows she must not fall for him…and yet…!

College student Ichika’s done with boys who won’t commit. She’s looking for a proper, long-term relationship…yet because of her flashy appearance, she is often misunderstood. Her determination takes her to a mixer, where after another night of frustration she bumps into Kosei. He’s totally up front: He just wants to keep things casual. Yet to Ichika’s chagrin, they immediately click, finding more and more common ground. In another universe, they could be great friends, but despite herself, Ichika goes tumbling head over heels. She knows pursuing Kohei is just getting her further and further from her LTR goals… What could one woman compromise for love?

I really like this manga. I relate to Ichika so much on a personal level. I don’t have a flashy style like she does, but I am a tall girl like her (she’s 5’7 and I’m 5’10 though) and know what it’s like to have men stay away because of it. I too have been tired of noncommittal boys and have hungered for a serious relationship. I’ve never been brave enough to go to a mixer, though, which is what Ichika tries one evening to see if she can secure herself a serious man.

She chooses an engineering department mixer believing that engineers might be more devoted and serious. But, she feels incredibly out of place and doesn’t interact well with anyone until Kosei reaches out to her and asks if she’s alright. This stirs something immediately in Ichika though she also has doubts at first, but she and Kosei hit it off well into the night.

The two exchange information and become fast friends. They’re incredibly compatible, and Ichika starts to fall for him, only to find out he has a reputation as being a bit of a player. When Ichika asks about this in a roundabout way, Kosei admits he is only interested in casual relationships and doesn’t want anything serious. Ichika also observes he tends to be quite popular with women, although Kosei downplays this.

It’s hard for Ichika because she and Kosei always have a good time together, are honest with each other, and clearly care for each other even though it’s through a friendship. Kosei admits he likes Ichika’s style, isn’t fazed by her height, and doesn’t want her to change anything about herself.

Everything about their friendship points towards a potentially amazing relationship, but based on what Kosei has said about the type of relationships he pursues, and his reputation, too, Ichika tries not to fall in love with him.

As the two get closer and closer, Ichika has a harder time keeping her emotions at bay. After a wonderful night at a festival with fireworks (which is usually very romantic for couples), Ichika confesses to Kosei, and he shoots her down. He says that Ichika deserves so much better than him, and pretty much ends it at that.

But they continue to get close and have really sweet moments together, which confuses Ichika. At last she brings up the topic of a relationship again, and Kosei reminds her that he only wants something casual. At the end of the manga he says, “Wanna try it?” But Ichika stops his advances and says, “I don’t wanna do it unless you love me.” However, she finds out that Kosei is genuinely attracted to her: “You should thank me for not going any further.” This inspires Ichika to make a vow that someday she will win him over.

I’m really rooting for Ichika. It’s kind of risky to go after someone who does not have the same level of feelings as you, so you could potentially be dooming yourself, but Ichika and Kosei are so great together that it’s confusing and they seem like they would be an amazing couple.

I’ve asked to date men who have flat-out rejected me with, “No, you don’t want me, I’m not good enough for you.” And I’ve persisted with going after them, only to find out once we start dating, they were telling me the truth. I don’t want this to happen for Ichika and Kosei.

I’m really intrigued to see how this relationship is going to go–if Ichika’s determination will doom the relationship, or if Kosei will become more serious when he realizes the great thing he and Ichika have together. I know there will be more twists and turns with their relationship, and I want to read more about it. It’s a romance manga, so I hope we’ll have an HEA when everything else is said and done. I plan on following this series all the way through.

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This manga was provided as a digital copy through NetGalley for the purposes of review. You can preorderYou Might As Well Be the One from a variety of online booksellers, or directly from Kodansha.