How Do We Relationship? Review: Two College Women Become Girlfriends Before Either of Them Has Figured Out What That Means
by Tamifull
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Quick Take
- A yuri romance that focuses on what comes after getting together — the actual work of being in a relationship with someone, communicated honestly and without idealization
- The communication focus distinguishes this from most romance manga: characters actually talk about what they feel and need
- 10 volumes ongoing; one of the most emotionally honest yuri currently publishing in English
Who Is This Manga For?
- Yuri readers who want adult romance with genuine emotional complexity
- Anyone interested in relationship dynamics explored honestly in manga form
- Readers who want LGBTQ+ romance with communication and character depth
- Adult readers looking for ongoing yuri with substance
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: M (Mature) Content Warnings: Explicit romantic and sexual content; adult relationship dynamics; coming out themes; honest depiction of relationship difficulties
M rating — adult readers only; explicit content alongside the emotional depth.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★★ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★★ |
Story Overview
Miwa Yashiro has liked women but has not done anything about this. Saeko Tsuchiya is openly gay and has a specific plan: date someone before she graduates from college.
They start dating somewhat accidentally — a mutual agreement that benefits them both in different ways. Miwa gets to be with someone she is attracted to; Saeko gets the dating experience she wants. Neither of them planned to actually fall in love.
The series follows the relationship's development with unusual attention to what makes relationships difficult: communication failures, different emotional needs, the gap between what people feel and what they say, the work of staying together when both people are still figuring out who they are.
Characters
Miwa Yashiro — A character whose attraction to women exists alongside genuine confusion about what she wants; her development across the series is from desire to genuine knowledge of herself.
Saeko Tsuchiya — A character whose practical approach to finding a relationship conceals something less comfortable: that genuine connection is harder to manage than she planned for.
Art Style
Tamifull's art is expressive and appropriate to adult romance — character designs are appealing, the intimate scenes are handled with care, and the emotional sequences communicate feeling effectively.
Cultural Context
How Do We Relationship? ran in Weekly Big Comic Spirits beginning in 2019. The college setting and adult character age is deliberate: this is a story about adult women navigating adult relationship realities, not about high school emotions.
What I Love About It
The talking. Miwa and Saeko have conversations about what they feel, what they need, what is not working. These conversations are awkward, incomplete, sometimes failed — but they happen. Romance manga in which characters communicate rather than suffer through misunderstandings alone is genuinely unusual.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe How Do We Relationship? as the best currently-publishing yuri romance — specifically noted for the communication focus being radical for the genre, for both characters being genuinely developed, and for the series taking adult relationship dynamics seriously. Consistently cited alongside Bloom Into You as essential yuri.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The first serious conversation where one of them says something difficult — something true that she would rather not have said — and the other character has to decide what to do with it, is the series' most characteristic moment.
Similar Manga
- Bloom Into You — Yuri with similar careful character development
- Sweet Blue Flowers — Yuri with similar emotional honesty
- Failed Princesses — Yuri with similar genuine friendship foundation
- Even Though We're Adults — Adult yuri with similar explicit emotional honesty
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Miwa, Saeko, and their beginning establish the series' terms immediately.
Official English Translation Status
Viz Media is publishing the ongoing English series. 10 volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Communication focus is exceptional for the genre
- Both characters are genuinely developed
- Adult college setting appropriate for the content
- Ongoing — more coming
Cons
- Ongoing — no complete resolution available
- M-rated explicit content
- Communication focus means slower romantic pacing
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Viz Media; ongoing |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get How Do We Relationship? Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.