Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 14, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: July 2018

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kae here for one last huzzah! I went all the way to Shiga to tell Mutsumi-senpai he's the only one for me! There, we ended up spending the night together in a hotel, and ... !!! Well, let's just say things would have gone a little differently if it was one of my BL ships!

And remember how Mutsumi-senpai is graduating this year? He suggested that we spend time making as many memories as we can, but also says his dream college is all the way in Kyoto...

Aaahh, what do I do?! I don't want him to give up on his dream! Will we find our happy ending, or is that the sort of thing that only happens in doujinshi?

Review:

This series wrapped up rather sweetly. The last hurdle for Kae and Mutsumi is graduation, as college can be a big change. It causes some worry for a brief period, as they're also starting to deal with intimacy between them at the same time.

The epilogue featured a big time skip at the end, and I wasn't terribly surprised. This is a bit of a stereotypical series, so it made sense for it to use this theme as well. I think it worked relatively well, though, and that Kae's fluctuating weight ended up being a running thing.

I enjoyed this series overall. It had good and bad moments, but I think it used its humor to the best of its ability to make it work. It was a fun read.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 13, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 12. 14.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Heya! Kae again! I can hardly believe that Mutsumi-senpai and I are a couple! And on top of that, Mirage Saga has a sequel?! Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

But maybe I'm not in paradise, after all...I got carried away with the Mirage Saga Event and ended up ditching my date with Mutsumi-senpai to spend time with his friend, Yashiro!

And when Mutusmi-senpai finds out about everything, he forces me to face and unthinkable question: who do I love more, Shion or Mutsumi-senpai?! Ohhh...what will I do? Do I go with boys love or the boy I love?!

Review:

Kae is forced to make the true decision in this volume: the real boy (Mutsumi) or her anime obsession (Shion)?

It's a hard decision for her, because she's truly obsessed with her fictional boys, and it's hard to give that up. When there's a special event, she automatically must go, even if Mutsumi wants to do something instead. Mutsumi lets her get away with it for longer than he should, but he's also the only one who sees the real issue. He understands what the true reason behind all this is, and doesn't blame someone else unnecessarily.

It's nice to see the gang still help each other despite being rejected; they're all still friends. I also liked that Kae's competition ended up being the real life version of her fantasies. It was a little cliché, but I also appreciated it, and how it was handled for the most part.

The next part is the conclusion, and I look forward to seeing how it wraps up. I like that instead of making her harem decision be the final one, it made her go through these things as well. Because she is an odd character, and can be a hard girlfriend to have, and it's good they both had to face that.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 12, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: 2017

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: Yes.

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Volume: 1. 11. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hiya! It’s me, Kae. Everyone came all the way to Hokkaido to rescue me from Tah-kun, but just as we were getting away, Mutsumi-senpai fell from a cliff and hit his head! Now Mutsumi-senpai is in the hospital and won’t wake up! But no matter how long it takes, I refuse to leave his side until he’s conscious again. It’s my fault that he’s here, and I’m going to do everything in my power to bring him out of his coma—even if I have to draw some magic circles and call upon a few spirits! But will my otaku skills really be enough to bring him back? Or will I have to borrow a method from a fairy tale to wake this sleeping bishonen? Either way, this experience has made me realize something about Mutsumi-senpai, and when he wakes up, I may just finally make my decision …

Review:

Mutsumi is in a coma for most of this volume. Of course, Kae is extremely worried and refuses to leave him unless absolutely necessary. It makes sense, given her history, that she worries herself skinny again.

I can honestly say that I didn't expect this to be the outcome of the harem. Even as this plot line started, I was doubtful. I still thought something else was going to come along to dramatize it or change Kae's mind. After reading that the author intended for this from the beginning, I accept it, though I'm still surprised.

I will admit that he's probably my second choice—I've been voting for Igarashi from the beginning, and he's still my favorite. But Mutsumi is also very sweet and I think he works with Kae, for the most part.

Now that they're official, though, we get to see how their dynamic is actually going to work. Kae is still a crazy otaku, and sometimes that comes first for her. He's rather supportive, but he might have to draw the line at a few things. I'm intrigued to see how this develops, and how they compromise for each other and discuss these things.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 11, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: June 2017

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: Some.

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

Volume: 1. 10. 12.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's Kae, coming to you from a crazy situation! After running into my childhood friend, Mitsuboshi, at a voice actor event, I was excited to introduce him to everyone. But something wasn't right about Mitsuboshi, and now he's tricked me and separated me from the group!

He has an extreme plan to keep me from Shima and the guys forever, and it's going to take everyone's efforts together to stop him. I've grown so much with the help of my friends, but Mitsuboshi just wants to keep the old me. Can we stop him before it's too late, and will someone have to put themselves in danger?

Special bonus story! If you thought what happened with Mitsuboshi was wild, wait until you see what happens when we fall prey to a body-switching mystery! With the boys' bodies, I can finally take all the BL-inspired photos I want! Oh, and I guess we should solve the mystery too...

Review:

This is one of the first long-standing plots that we've seen, which makes me wonder if the series will continue to be more serious as it reaches its end.

The previous volume ended with Kae being kidnapped, and this volume continues with Mitsuboshi's crazy plans to take Kae away, keep her as her old self, and force her to marry him. This plot line goes a bit crazy, honestly. I appreciate that Kae doesn't just let it happen, and even attempts to run away. She also protests and refuses him, and even tries to explain to him why he's wrong.

He's just a crazy obsessed person at this point, though.

This volume ends in, honestly, an even worse cliffhanger than the previous one. Similarly to the previous one, though, I still don't think anything serious is going to happen, I'm sure it'll all turn out okay. But it still has me worried for the moment, and eager to start the next one.

I think that the reason the crazy plot line of this series works, is because of the way the humor is done, and how it doesn't take itself seriously, at all. It feels a bit like a childish cartoon; everything is exaggerated and over-the-top and crazy, and the villain's motives and character are a bit weak, and sometimes the issues it handles are a bit sketchy, and yet it's still entertaining to read. It's not meant to be serious, and I think that's part of why it works.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 10, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: April 2017

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hey, Kae here! After confronting my feelings and Mutsumi-senpai reassuring me to take my time, things have calmed down again.

Shima-chan and I are super pumped to meet the voice actors of our beloved Akane and Master. But at the event, something shocking happens. It turns out that Akane is none other than my childhood friend, Tah-kun!
Though we haven't seen each other in forever, he transfers to my school and asks for my support. I don't see why he can't join in on the fun! The others don't seem too happy, though. Before long, I'm worried, too, because Tah-kun is weak and gets sick almost every day.

I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help a friend, but why does everyone else seem so wary of him? Even Mutsumi-senpai is on guard! Is there something I don't know about Tah-kun?

Review:

Given how far in the series we are, I don't really appreciate them throwing in a new guy character, a supposed childhood friend of Kae's. He's her favorite voice actor, and for some reason she never realized it. And then he conveniently gets transferred to her class.

At this point, it's a little annoying, and seems a little unnecessary, but okay, sure.

Aside from my annoyance at this, it also makes sense that he's evil. I do appreciate, at least, that they were both big kids growing up, and did seem actually close. Kae still tries to protect him, and then they throw in the surprise of him fattening her back up. He's under the ideal that they didn't like her when she was big, and are solely shallow.

It is another point of contention, how she so easily goes from being tiny to huge—but I'm going to let that go, and be interested to see how they all react in the next one, instead. There's really only one way this could go, so I'm probably not going to be surprised, but still.

I do wish this series dealt with these issues better, though.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 9, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: February 2017

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once again, it's me, Kae! It's so great that the whole group is staying together, and even Shinomiya-kun is opening up more.

These friend are more than I could ask for, but if I had to say what I want for my birthday...I'm sure there's plenty of exclusive anime merch worth wishing for. It looks like the whole gang is fired up to throw the otaku party of my dreams! But the birthday festivities lead to a heartfelt confession from Igarashi-kun, and it's too big to ignore! Things are also spurred on by the arrival of a gorgeous senpai from the boys' past...

...This cool beauty, Kotoha-senpai, has some blunt words for me about dealing with everyone's feelings. Everyone puts their heart into making me feel special, so I can't leave them hanging. But can I figure out how to deal with 3D love?!

Review:

At first, we get some fun episodic chapters. Shinomiya is living alone and being stalked, then afterward, it's Serinuma's birthday and everyone is working hard to find the perfect presents. Of course, Igarashi wins, in my opinion.

Afterward, Igarashi's possible-ex shows up. She's a nice girl, and she gives Serinuma a reality check. It's a much needed reminder for her, but it ends in a battle that doesn't really solve anything. It gives me possible hope that something might be decided soon? But it might be misguided, if that cliffhanger just leads to another harem member.

This series is fun, and I do enjoy it. But, to be honest, I don't love all of the characters, and sometime the focus on certain ones makes me disinterested. I would also like to see a conclusion at some point, which I didn't see coming any time soon--but after checking that it has, I might have to catch up with this series.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me, Volume 8, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 2016

Volumes: 13+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kae reporting! After Nanashima makes a shocking move to declare his feelings, I just don't know what to think. He's always been hot-blooded, but where do we stand now?

There's a more important man to worry about, though...my dad! He's been away for a long time, and my new look-and new friends-take him by surprise. He doesn't know what to think now that his little girl is so popular, so he sets out to do some research of his own.

It's also a rocky time with Shinomiya-kun when he finds out his parents are moving back to Norway?! He's our precious friend, but even his feelings for me could grow cold when I'm creeped out by his cold-blooded pet, Thor. I've got to make this right! will the guys and I be able to convince him to stay?

Review:

I took a bit of a break, but this series is still really fun.

In this volume, we get the fall out from when Nana accidentally pushed himself on Kae. It freaks her out, and it's very understandable. I liked seeing how it was handled, by both of them, and seeing Igarashi's acknowledgment of what it meant for progress.

After that, we get to meet Kae's overprotective father, which is mostly just fun.

The latter half of the volume is taken up with Shinomiya. He's always been a bit of loner, he's been bullied, and now he's supposed to be moving away. I did like the interaction about his iguana, and the meaning behind all of that. While I was not surprised by the ending, it did feel a little anticlimactic, to me. After all the build up, his parents were just fine with it, which seemed odd to me.

Igarashi is still my favorite, and I want more of him. But other than that, this was a fun volume.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 7, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: October 2016

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's me, Kae! After resolving my differences with Shima-chan, the gang is all together again for a special trip to visit the shrine of a beloved anime character...I mean, historical figure! Things get steamy at a hot springs inn-communal baths, pillow fights--seeing these gorgeous guys together is just too much!!

But it's not all fun and fantasies when Igarashi buckles down to win me over. Are these feelings I get around him something more than friendship? Mustumi-senpai has also stayed close after his confession, and a strange turn of events o our vacation gives him the chance for more alone time with me.

Back at home, the other boys' progress has Nanashima feeling left out in the cold, without some otaku common ground, he doesn't know how to get closer, but his little sister's anime obsession might be the answer he needs! He's really working hard now, and after all that effort, he makes a shocking move to declare his feelings.

Review:

The yaoi teasing moments in this series makes me interested to read her actual yaoi series. I bet they're good.

The group takes a trip at the beginning of the volume, in which there are some sticky situations, a life or death moment, and a ghost curse. There is one weird moment that I would feel more worried about, if Mutsumi had any bad intentions at all toward Kae, though it is still questionable. Then Nana tries upping his standing with Kae, only to pass out because of working too much at a part time job.

I like the way that Igarashi is trying to get Kae's attention, to be honest. He's slowly working her toward being comfortable around him, and I like it. Mutsumi is also great, because he genuinely cares and is honest about it; he has no underhanded thoughts ever.

That cliffhanger should lead to something fun, I'm sure. This series is always fun to read more of.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 6, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: August 2016

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's Kae, again! After the heart-stopping showdown between the Mutsumi brothers, things looked like they might finally settle down again, but a bold confession from Mutsumi-sempai spurs all the boys into action!

It's like a real life otome game as everyone tries to plan the best romantic afternoon, but it's so much pressure to choose, much less think about having a boyfriend! Especially when there are bigger problems to worry about...

Shima-chan and I are all fired up about a new anime that's perfect for us fujoshi, but we end up not seeing eye to eye! Can a friendship built on boys' love survive a vicious shipping war?!

Review:

We see the boys fighting as they try to keep Mutsumi from confessing to Kae, which doesn't seem to help their chances of her falling for them, if you ask me. This results in a trial date for everyone.

But, of course, there are no answers coming, as is proven when Kae becomes obsessed with yet another fictional boy instead of any of the real ones in front of her.

After that, Kae and Shima have a true fujoshi fight when their yaoi ship doesn't quite match up. It's a fun reprieve, and it's nice to see the geeking stories again.

This series is plain fun. It's girly, geeky comedy at its best. It's always fun to read more of it.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 5, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: June 2016

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: Yes.

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Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kae here! Summer vacation is over, but back at school, even cool gentlemanly Mutsumi-senpai is turning up the heat around me, so I guess even he has an intense side?

I'm seeing his passion even more now that his older brother, Mr. Mutsumi, has become a student-teacher at our school...and wants to whisk me away from all four boys!

It's brother vs. brother as the Mutsumi men both try to win my affections, but I'm enjoying this action! A fiery battle between two gorgeous bothers and a teacher-student setup?!

I never thought I'd get to see so much taboo in the flesh! I wonder if the boys can outwit such a mischievous older man...

Review:

This volume focuses on Asuma, the quiet guy who just goes along with everything they do. Him and Kae seem to just have a nice friendship going, but Shima is the one who points out that maybe Asuma isn’t really in the running for romance.

The group goes on a treasure hunt, and Asuma starts questioning his feelings for Kae. And then Asuma’s big brother shows up and starts teaching at their school. Kazuma is a nice guy, and a flirt to everyone in his vicinity (even the guys, which I appreciate), and he enjoys picking on his little brother when he can. This pushes Asuma to feeling protective and jealous over Kae, and thus the cute cliffhanger.

This series is just a lot of fun to me. I enjoy the characters and all the fandom references. I’m hoping we get to see more of Igarashi, and even Shima, in the next volume. Those are my favorites.

Manga Review: Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volume 4, by Junko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: April 2016

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hi again! It’s me, Kae! After sweating it out with the boys, I’ve slimmed down again, but the fujoshi in me will never fade away!

After everything that happened in the last volume, Igarashi has now fallen in love with the true me. He’s decided to continue his pursuit, but this time, he means business!

Igarashi’s new resolve also spurs a change in Nanashima, and he doubles his efforts to win me over. It’s great that they’re both so fired up, but what’s firing me up is the thought of them possibly getting hot and heavy with each other…

Includes extras such as a White Day-themed bonus comic and sketches of never-before-revealed character designs!

Review:

Another delightful volume. I just can’t get enough.

In this volume, we find out that there was a competition between Nana and Igarashi when they were younger, only Nana decided he could never win and gave up. Kae roots them on until Nana agrees to be motivated. Lots of yaoi inducing moments here as well.

Then there’s a beach trip, with lots of swim suit shots, and a point where they all get lost in the woods. This is really about Shinomiya, though, and his low self-confidence. He thinks he’s the weak one, the one Kae won’t fall for, and so Kae has to give him some attention to boost his ego.

Igarashi is my favorite here, and I also enjoy Kae’s friendship with Mutsumi. Even Nishina intrigues me. This volume was fun and light, and showed an insight into a couple of the more background boys. I look forward to picking up the next one.