Most main female characters in shojo manga have little-to-no experience with romance. They’ve never had a boyfriend, have never been kissed, and often have never even had a crush before they fall for the story’s main male lead.
Then there’s Love Me, Love Me Not‘s Akari.
When reading Love Me, Love Me Not, which follows the love square among fast-friends Akari and Yuna — the heroines of this manga — and Kazu and Rio, Akari’s character stood out to me immediately. I found her to be refreshing: she’s not shy about talking to guys or dating, and points out Yuna’s naiveté that one day she’ll meet the person she’s destined to fall in love with without being proactive.
When her long-distance relationship with boyfriend Ryosuke comes to an end in volume 1 of the series, Yuna judges Akari for seemingly not being upset about the break-up, and she assumes that Akari has never seriously been in love. But there’s more than meets the eye: it turns out Akari is indeed hurt, and Yuna’s childhood friend Kazu is the first person to realize this.
After Kazu catches Akari crying over the break-up, the two develop a rapport where they become each other’s confidante about their troubles at home. Akari finds herself quickly falling for Kazu, who acts very casual and familiar around her simply because he’s never looked at girls romantically before.
I have to say I love the Akari-Kazu pairing because there’s no other couple quite like them in any other manga I’ve read. While many other manga feature pairings like Yuna and Rio (the shy, innocent girl and the playboy), there aren’t many dynamics like Akari’s and Kazu’s, where the female character has more romantic experience. A major reason why I wanted to cast attention to this pairing is because while I often see praise for Yuna and Rio, or Yuna’s character development, I rarely see Akari and Kazu’s romance highlighted in the same way.
At first glance, Kazu seems like any other childhood best friend character (although he plays that role for Yuna rather than Akari). He’s not especially cool or popular, his grades are average, and of course, he’s never had a girlfriend. But as it turns out, Kazu is pretending to be average because of his older brother, who ended up pursuing a career that their parents disapproved of, which caused conflict at home. By being “middle of the road,” he won’t create any high expectations, nor will he disappoint his family.
Although Kazu is shown to love movies, for much of the series he refuses to admit that he wants to become a film director not only because he knows his family will disapprove, but because he’s afraid to fail. And therein is the real conflict for this character: deep down, Kazu has many insecurities, and falling for Akari brings them to light. Similarly, Akari also faces insecurities that she’s a shallow person who hasn’t grown as much as her friends, and fears she is unworthy of Kazu while she harbors seemingly unrequited feelings.
A major reason I love Akari and Kazu together is because Kazu is the first person Akari chose for herself. In her previous relationships, Akari was certain that a guy was interested in her before she would start falling for him or confess her feelings. But when Kazu earnestly listens to her after she explains why she doesn’t feel comfortable at home — a result of her mom being twice-divorced and later, her parents arguing — she falls for him not only because of his kindness, but because he’s not shallow, unlike many of the playboys who go after Akari simply because she’s pretty. Kazu becomes the first person Akari is willing to take risks and go “all in” for.
Their unhappiness with their home lives and the fact that they both feel as though they must play roles in their families connect the characters in a deeper way, bonding them as they cheer each other on. Although it was frustrating as a reader to see Kazu stall on confessing his feelings to Akari, completely unaware that she felt the same way, I understood why Kazu felt he needed to stand up to his family before pursuing her.
The scene in volume eight where Kazu and Akari play tag on Christmas is probably my favorite in the manga. Akari and Kazu reveal their career dreams to each other while Akari fails miserably at catching Kazu: until he lets her catch him. It’s sweet, slightly flirty, but has an undercurrent of melancholy because it’s obvious they each want more than friendship.
There are many things I love about Love Me, Love Me Not, which ranks neck-and-neck with Ao Haru Ride as my favorite Io Sakisaka series. But one unique element that I appreciate about this series is that it gives us two female leads to root for, and I often found myself relating to both Yuna and Akari even though the characters are so different. Which pairing or characters were your favorite in this series? Share your thoughts, guys!
Shojo Corner 