You Got Me Sempai Manga Review – A Good Blend of Cuteness & Drama

Mase. Volume 3 Cover Art Cropped, You Got Me, Sempai!, Kodansha.

You Got Me Sempai! – Plot Summary

The story begins with a freshman high school student, Serina Koshino, who notices some writing on her class desk one day.

It appeared to be a boy’s handwriting, likely from a second or third year student who used her desk during a committee meeting. He had written some rather sappy love song lyrics on her desk, which Serina and her friend have a good laugh about; claiming this kind of guy could never be “a catch,” or that maybe he was a creep.

Serina actually thinks the lyrics are kind of nice, but proceeds to leave a sort of teasing message on the desk anyway. Left curious, she decides to take a peek into the classroom at the next committee meeting to find the culprit of the desk-scribblings.

Much to her surprise, the guy in question—Asuma Mizukawa—is actually very attractive; so she can’t help but want to get closer to him. She follows him into the computer room with her heart pounding, and tries to ask him how to use the computer in hopes of getting his attention.

Unfortunately for Serina, he immediately gives her the cold shoulder. Just as she was feeling disappointed and thinking of leaving, he reveals his inner kindness and helps her anyway. With this sort of unexpected switch in personality, Serina is left smitten, and quickly begins to pursue his heart.

After this fun little set-up, You Got Me Sempai (also known as Mairimashita Senpai) sets off a fast-paced and super cute romance!

Why You Should Read You Got Me Sempai!

Plot:

I’ll be honest… I judged this book by its cover (gasp). I saw the volume 1 cover for this series and thought the story was just not going to he my kind of thing. However, after seeing the praise this manga got online, I decided to give it a shot.

The very first chapter really hooked me! A sort of unique art style, interesting characters, and a cute premise to boot? The plot only gets better and better, too. I’d been missing out on a manga that’s just to my tastes, haha. A tooth-achingly sweet, mushy, and cheesy romance!!

I think this adorable shoujo romance is perfect for those who enjoy “early love” romances as these characters are experiencing many firsts when it comes to dating and love.

It’s also pretty fast-paced, allowing you to enjoy romantic developments even from the very first chapter. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the story feel any less exciting or cute, though.

Many shoujos like to make the creation of the relationship (like a confession) or the first kiss the end of the story, but You Got Me Sempai actually gets that first step over with insanely quick.

It then jumps right into the developing relationship and the unique challenges that these two youths overcome as they stay together, grow as people, and decide on career paths.

I typically don’t enjoy fast-paced romances, but the romance in this series was so delightfully cheesy and romanticized that it made up for it completely. I think this manga did a great job at capturing the excitement of a youthful romantic relationship.

In this manga’s portrayal of an exciting romance, it surprisingly captured the experiences of not just the female lead, but also the male lead! Not always directly from his point of view or thoughts—but he is very present throughout the entire series.

He’s not just a secondary role, and instead actively plays a part in the entire romance. There are many scenes involving Mizukawa even when Serina is not present.

Understandably, many shoujos focus almost entirely on the heroine’s feelings; which makes sense given the demographic these series target. And admittedly, this manga slightly leans more into Serina’s experience overall.

However, I personally think there’s tons of value in seeing the male lead’s emotions, too. This mangaka clearly feels this way as well, as you can really feel how much Mizukawa cares for Serina as their relationship progresses. It’s super cute, and honestly made me raise my standards for male lead characters even higher.

It’s just nice to see the male lead also put forth a ton of effort, be embarrassed, and have those totally-in-love expressions towards the object of his affection—all things that I feel like are often portrayed exclusively by the heroine in a lot of shoujo. You Got Me Sempai, on the other hand, portrays a male lead that is steadily falling more and more in love.

Not only does he often go out of his way or step outside his comfort zone for Serina’s sake, but he also makes his emotions and feelings very clear verbally.

I’m big on words of affirmation, so this series really checked all the boxes in terms of what I enjoy in a shoujo romance! If you like very “quotable” moments or declarations of love, you’re sure to enjoy it, too.

Mase. Volume 8 Cover Art, You Got Me, Sempai!, Kodansha.

Outside of the mushy romance in this series, there was some unexpected drama! I genuinely thought this manga would stay fluffy and sweet all the way through, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a realistic portrayal of a young couple that experiences petty arguments, jealousy, and more serious challenges later on.

I’ll clarify that the drama in this manga feels a bit different from other shoujos despite using a ton of super common shoujo tropes. Perhaps it was because the two characters had such frequent communication and didn’t drag problems out for no reason.

Instead they acknowledged their feelings or problems often and quickly; which felt surprisingly mature for the characters’ ages.

Most importantly, the drama and conflict isn’t annoying. Rather than unnecessary arguments, the conflict in You Got Me Sempai addresses a realistic part of relationships that many romances ignore—commitment, compromising, and actually making a relationship work with more than just the power of love.

Although their relationship starts off spontaneously, these two characters learn that love is something that doesn’t just happen on its own. They actually have to nurture their relationship and make an effort for their love to grow into something truly beautiful.

Characters:

Both of the main characters in You Got Me Sempai had such fun personalities, and I ended up liking them so much more than I expected.

Firstly, I love Serina’s characterization at the start. She’s a normal high school girl, ready to join her friends’ teasing of others in a mostly friendly but mildly judgy sort of manner—but then quickly eats her own words when she falls in love with the guy in question at first sight, haha.

Despite seeming a little bit shallow at first, her character is quickly revealed to be a very earnest girl who cherishes her feelings of love. She is incredibly cute, and it’s impossible for Mizukawa to miss that!

If you remember from earlier, I said that I judged the volume one cover of this manga. It made me think Serina would be reduced to an oblivious, helpless character who would basically just be along for the ride in terms of the romance. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Serina turned out to be a romance go-getter. She wasn’t afraid of initiating intimacy or creating romantic moments herself, and clearly wanted to put in a lot of effort into her first relationship. I really liked her character!

The same goes for Asuma Mizukawa. I like characters like him anyway (the mildly grouchy type with a soft side) but he was much more romantic and honest than I expected, which made his character even more fun.

He changes little by little into a completely head-over-heels-in-love teen, which was just so cute. It felt like Mizukawa knew this relationship was affecting him and revealing a new side to his personality, and that only made him open up more. Despite the sort of “grumpy” character persona he was given, he got very serious about many things like school, sports, and his relationship.

Overall, he was very likable from start to finish!

Art:

When I first started You Got Me Sempai, I really liked the art style… it had so much charm, especially in the character designs. They look sort of plain but in a really cute and down-to-earth sort of way.

Unfortunately, over the course of the manga the art slowly leans more into a modern look. The characters also become less soft and more sharp—if that makes sense, haha. I can’t tell if it was supposed to show the characters aging a little or if it was just a stylistic choice, but their looks shifted quite a bit. They honestly felt like completely different people in some panels.

Mase. Volume 6 Cover Art, You Got Me, Sempai!, Kodansha.

Despite these inconsistencies, there’s lots of great expressions throughout this series from both of the main characters. For example, in the very first chapter, I really liked the desperation on Serina’s face once she falls in love; and the super sweet feelings that show on Mizukawa’s face as he begins to learn of Serina’s true self (and romantic feelings for him).

Although the manga lost that some of that original charm it had at the start, I still enjoyed the art style overall.

Any Cons?

I’ll get right to it… there’s a second male lead in this shoujo that sticks around all the way to the end.

Honestly, his character isn’t all that meddling especially when compared to other shoujo manga, but I still feel like this manga could have excluded this trope entirely and been perfectly fine. He was kind of just there, inviting the reader to his pity-parties every so often—I didn’t hate him, but his character was just unnecessary.

I could also do without the siblings being a part of the story. They served such little purpose that them being included felt sort of random and out of place. I also found them all incredibly strange.

Lastly and least importantly (and maybe not even a con for some), I wanted to note that this couple chooses some really interesting locations to initiate their intimacy. Maybe I’m just a stick in the mud, but I often found their locations of choosing or timing to be sort of dumbfounding, haha.

More In-Depth Review (Warning: Spoilers!)

I wanted to touch upon the drama a bit more in You Got Me Sempai, which mostly starts around volume 7.

Up to now, the characters have had your normal relationship challenges—exes showing up, potential rivals sticking their noses where they don’t belong, petty quarrels involving jealousy, and overcoming that first mature hurdle of intimacy as a young couple.

It all really starts to kick off when they reach a time where Mizukawa has to double down on studying for entrance exams. Things start off fine; the couple acknowledges that they’ll be seeing each other less and that they’ll be okay even with less time together. They study, work, attend concerts, and have a good time over the summer.

But, Mizukawa’s studying really pays off, and his teachers advise him to aim even higher—further reducing what little free time he had previously.

With this set-up, the drama in this manga takes a realistic and meaningful take on the “forced time apart” trope.

Rather than forcing them apart via coincidence, the series makes these characters actually learn how to deal with their feelings and relationship during new life changes; particularly as they become young adults finding what is is they want to do in life.

When Mizukawa starts focusing on studying more and aiming high for his school of choice, he prioritizes these goals, and in the process neglects his girlfriend. He didn’t really give her any chance to support him, nor does he seem to consider how much she struggles during this time.

At the same time, Serina struggles with her independence and being able to cope with time apart. She doubts Mizukawa’s feelings for her, and is stuck between “being a good girlfriend” and fulfilling her own needs. She selfishly only considers her own needs and feelings, just as Mizukawa is doing for himself, too.

These two have to find a balance here, as they acknowledge that this won’t be the only time they experience these kind of trials and time apart. Unsure of the future and what it holds for them in terms of their relationship, they decide to test their trust and love for each other by taking a break until Christmas.

Mase. Volume 5 Cover Art, You Got Me, Sempai!, Kodansha.

Months roll past where they only see each other once in a while, and things start to become awkward and mildly desperate. The flame seemingly begins to die, as things don’t feel so full of love the way they once did. Their friends and peers even begin to wonder if they broke up.

This arc of You Got Me Sempai feels really important for both characters’ individual growth, and eventually allows their relationship to grow as a result.

They start at two ends of the same issue—Mizukawa being too independent and trying to handle everything himself, and Serina too reliant and lacking independence. As a result, they give each other nothing. Mizukawa doesn’t receive support for his goals, and Serina is neglected in their relationship.

Therefore, the two have to learn to compromise a bit. Serina has to learn to become more mature and independent, and Mizukawa has to find a balance between reaching his goals and not completely disregarding his love life.

The real test ends up being whether these two have enough love to make a lasting change, or if they will give up on their relationship entirely. They are both approached by other potential love interests, but thankfully they both hold out for each other.

By the time they meet again for Christmas, Serina has learned to see Mizukawa’s love for her in ways she didn’t notice before, and in ways that don’t require him to necessarily cater to her.

She considers his feelings more, and wants to become someone he can actually rely on, too. She is able to trust in him and become stronger because of it.

Mizukawa realizes how much he needs Serina, too. I really like his side of this arc, as it shows how much he’s grown since the beginning of the manga, where he reluctantly agreed to date Serina before really even knowing her name.

He even admits that he didn’t actually like that song he wrote on her desk, but now hopes that they can become something like what the lyrics describe.

They both realize that no matter what ups and downs they experience in their relationship, they want it to be with each other.

From these successes, the story fast fowards a bit to Serina supporting Mizukawa mentally and physically for his tests. They celebrate his wins together wholeheartedly, without any lingering feelings of loneliness or regret.

They accept that more difficult times will come, but that they can work through it.

I really liked seeing this shown lightly towards the very end. Both of them are shown in college, meeting new people, making future plans, but still enjoying each other’s company now and then—even if they don’t see each other as often as before.

They don’t seem to be dragged down by their separation, but instead are both stronger now and excited to share with each other the things they experience in their separate lives. Yet, in the mature and realistic fashion that this manga took, they still have their slip-ups and moments of failing.

Luckily, their love was strong enough to help support those momentary pitfalls; and the manga ends with the couple seeming more in love and as determined as ever to allow their relationship to grow even more towards the future. A great ending!

Final Thoughts

This shoujo manga really took me by surprise with its super youthful and absolutely adorable romance that slowly tackles unexpectedly mature concepts and topics.

It still has all of the usual enjoyable shoujo tropes and scenarios, yet not too many any of the more annoying kinds—so shoujo lovers will surely enjoy this story.

This manga is almost entirely romance-focused and has a very mushy, cheesy approach to it; so as long as you enjoy that sort of thing, You Got Me Sempai is sure to become a favorite!

Disclaimer: Any volume covers or official promotional 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: Mase, Azusa. You Got Me, Sempai!, Kodansha, 2018.

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