Kanisawa, Cover Art, Futarijime Romantic, Kodansha.
Futarijime Romantic – Information
Author of Story: Chihiro Kanisawa
Chapter Count: 3 Volumes, 12 chapters
Status: Completed
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- None
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Futarijime Romantic – Plot Summary
Kumamori Kokomi is a second year high schooler who loves being in love. She seems to find the “specialness” in each moment and treasures even the smallest events as a precious memory. When she realizes a boy in her school has the same name as her first kiss (an innocent smooch she remembers from kindergarten) she immediately jumps into his life.
However, the boy she finds in her school with the name Tajima Kyouhei is very different from the Tajima she remembers as her sparkling hero! This Tajima is unromantic, stoic, and sort of rough around the edges.
He quickly becomes irritated when she asks about the kiss, and told her not to make a big deal out of something like that. But Kumamori can’t help but to still be interested in Tajima, since he doesn’t seem to be a bad guy.
This sweet and simple shoujo portrays the romance of high school experiences; where every little thing feels special and important! Kumamori makes the most out of her experiences and is determined to teach Tajima how to appreciate romantic moments, too. It’s a very cute and lovely story!
Kanisawa, Volume 1 Cover Art, Futarijime Romantic, Kodansha.
Why I Enjoyed Futarijime Romantic
For readers needing a speedy and lighthearted romance, Futarijime Romantic is a great choice. The characters are sort of funny in their own way, while making really cute romantic memories together.
They are also realistically portrayed in terms of how high schoolers act. Kumamori only thinks about falling in love and her heart is very easily swayed. She romanticizes even the littlest events!
Tajima, on the other hand, is still new to this sort of thing and finds more interest in things hilariously unrelated to romance. He was easily bothered by his friends teasing him, and he also enjoys teasing Kumamori. He still has his own special moments too, though.
I like how his character isn’t the perfect ML type, and instead he’s kind of goofy and slightly childish. Rather than the ideal gentlemanly sort of shoujo ML, he’s a bit more realistic and just being himself! And although Kumamori often says he’s dry, he doesn’t seem totally uninterested in her.
Although lots of scenes in Futarijime Romantic are overly dramatized as shoujos often do, the characters actually sort of acknowledge it, haha. It’s even a small running joke that Kumamori views the world in a romanticized way.
But she isn’t bullied for it or anything, and those around her aren’t really bothered by it. She even has a friend in class who seems totally used to it. Tajima does tease her a tiny bit, though.
The main aspect of this manga that I really enjoyed is that it sort of redefines what love is actually like at their age and perhaps in general. Kumamori is a youthful dreamer who expects prince-like behavior. She dreams of the usual romantic activities like seeing a romantic film together or frolicking on the beach.
When she gets involved with Tajima, these movie-like occurrences don’t really happen how she expects. In fact, it’s more like the opposite happens! And yet, she still is drawn to him. She sees his own special sort of charm, and her heart still flutters—just not in response to what she was expecting!
In my opinion, it’s similar to how a person can state that they have all these preferences or a type when it comes to dating, but in the end you don’t always get to choose who you fall in love with! I like this sort of realistic portrayal of love and romance. It’s awkward, silly, wholesome, and very sweet. Futarijime Romantic is exactly what you would expect from a high school romance!
Kanisawa, Volume 2 Cover Art, Futarijime Romantic, Kodansha.
I also love to see a female lead in a romantic shoujo story like this that isn’t shy and super hesitant. Kumamori knows what she wants, understands her feelings, and takes action without hesitation! She is very impulsive and rather assertive, often acting without any fear or embarrassment.
Other than how cute the characters act and how well designed their personalities are, I also love the art in Futarijime Romantic. It’s an incredibly gorgeous modern art style! I’m not sure what it is about this manga’s style compared to other modern mangas, but I really like it.
Maybe it’s how the artist chooses to create shading, or maybe where they choose to add detail onto the characters? Regardless, it’s very beautiful! Kumamori is extremely cute (I love her straight bangs) and Tajima’s handsome appearance and style is very fitting for his personality.
Many people are calling Futarijime Romantic an opposites-attract story, but honestly they aren’t so incredibly different in my opinion. Sure, Kumamori is definitely more of a romantic than Tajima, but if he were super opposed to it I don’t think he would play along so much. I think a story like Kimi ga Kirai na Koi no Hanashi has a bit more of an obvious opposites-attract trope, if you’re looking for one!
I’ve also seen some say that Tajima is a tsundere, but I personally didn’t get that vibe. I think that not having have a bubbly and romantic attitude doesn’t necessarily make a character a tsundere.
If anything, I thought his character was just more laid-back and not obsessed with love the way the FL is, and that’s okay! But, that’s just my personal opinion. Everyone may interpret the story differently!
Any Cons?
None, really. It’s a fluffy, dramatic shoujo. You may get secondhand embarrassment from Kumamori’s assertiveness though, haha! Sometimes her actions or the things she says are wild and sort of ridiculous, but that’s also her charm. I will say that I wish it was longer, but it makes for a fun quick read!
Final Thoughts
Futarijime Romantic is incredibly cute. There’s only a few volumes, but things happen so quickly that the plot just pulls you in. The characters are adorable and their interactions are fun! It truly feels like what a high school romance is supposed to be like.
I was quickly entranced by a beautiful art style and the start of a really sweet plot! I definitely recommend this short shoujo to anyone wanting a cute, wholesome manga to read.
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Kanisawa, Chihiro. Futarijime Romantic, Kodansha, 2023.
