Manga Review: Love at Fourteen, Volume 3, by Fuka Mizutani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kanata and Kazuki are unwittingly pit against each other during a feud between the girls and boys, and their budding relationship is put to the test when personal feelings explode their mature facades! With their perfect student reputations also on the line, can Kanata and Kazuki reconcile their differences, or will their argument become someone else's gain?

Review:

I love how realistic this series is. It’s mature, in the way that it handles first love, and the way they’re mature characters, while insecure. The way the characters look at each other, their feelings develop, is subtle and slow, but at a steady, realistic pace.

Kanata and Kazuki have a fight, without meaning to or understanding how it happened. They try keeping up their good faces in front of their classmates. And then they make up, and it’s shy and sweet. They go out together, try to do things to impress each other. Kanata tries lip gloss, and wants Kazuki to notice.

Then there’s Nagai, who tends to show anger when he gets attention. I know some people will be uncomfortable with his developing relationship with their teacher, but I’m not. Maybe I should be, given I’m not sure how far apart in age they all are. But I kind of like how she teases him, pushes him. And how, in return, he’s starting to get to her.

And Shiki. I cannot express how pleased I am this series has straight couples (potential ones), and a gay character. I love it! She’s in love with Kanata, and I enjoy the way she thinks in third-person. She gets little chapters of thoughts, showing her feelings and growing friendship with Kanata, as well as her jealousy of Kazuki. I’m so impressed with this.

Then we got peaks of new characters at the end of the volume. I don’t know if we’ll see more of them, but I love the glimpses we get of other characters. Just little thoughts from main and side characters in snipets, the subtly showing worlds of thought and growth and work. 

I love this series already. I’m wildly impressed with the development and thought and complexity. I can’t wait for the next one, every time.