My Love Story!! Review: A Large Intimidating Boy Falls in Love and Cannot Believe It Goes Well

Quick Take

• The most cheerful manga I know — the romance starts working almost immediately and the series is about how two good people make a good relationship
• Takeo Gouda is one of manga's best male protagonists: large, kind, loyal, completely without guile
• 13 volumes complete; pure happiness

Who Is This Manga For?

• Readers who want romance manga that isn't about obstacles and misunderstandings
• Anyone who finds typical will-they-won't-they manga exhausting
• Fans of good-person romance where the characters actually deserve each other
• Readers looking for complete feel-good manga

Content Warnings & Age Rating

Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Pure romantic content; nothing concerning; one of the gentlest manga available

T rating — appropriate for all readers.

Yu's Rating

Category	Score
Story Depth	★★★★☆
Art Style	★★★★☆
Character Development	★★★★☆
Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers	★★★★★
Reread Value	★★★★★

Story Overview

Takeo Gouda is large and looks intimidating. Girls have always gone past him to his handsome best friend Sunakawa. This has been Takeo's experience his whole life and he has accepted it as simply how things are.

Then he saves Rinko Yamato from a groper on a train. She falls in love with Takeo, not Sunakawa. Takeo cannot believe this and spends considerable time trying to help her end up with Sunakawa instead.

She wants Takeo.

The series follows their relationship after this is established — not obstacles to the relationship but the relationship itself, how two good people figure out how to be together.

Characters

Takeo Gouda — One of manga's most genuinely good male protagonists; his loyalty, straightforwardness, and complete inability to see his own good qualities make him exceptional.

Rinko Yamato — She chose Takeo, she knows why she chose Takeo, and her certainty is the series' emotional foundation.

Makoto Sunakawa — Takeo's best friend; his consistent support for Takeo's happiness, refusing the girls who spoke badly of Takeo even before he knew why, is the series' most affecting background detail.

Art Style

Aruko's art is clean and expressive — Takeo's large character design is rendered with affection rather than as comedy prop. The contrast between Takeo and Yamato's appearance is handled warmly.

Cultural Context

My Love Story!! ran in Bessatsu Margaret. It was created by the writer of High School Debut with art by a different artist, combining Kawahara's skill at earnest romantic characters with Aruko's distinctive visual approach.

What I Love About It

Sunakawa. He has refused girls his entire life because they spoke disparagingly about Takeo. This is revealed gradually rather than announced. His quiet protection of his best friend is the series' best kept background warmth.

What English-Speaking Fans Say

Western readers describe My Love Story!! as the antidote to misunderstanding-based romance manga — specifically noted for Takeo being an exceptional male protagonist, for the relationship working from early on rather than being delayed artificially, and for the warmth being genuine rather than saccharine. Consistently recommended as the best pure romance manga currently available in English.

Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning

The scene where Sunakawa's history of refusing girls who criticized Takeo is finally explained — when the extent of his friendship becomes clear — is the series' most affecting single reveal.

Similar Manga

• High School Debut — Kawahara's previous work with similar earnestness
• Kimi ni Todoke — Pure high school romance with similar warmth
• Maid Sama — Romance with unconventional male lead dynamic
• Toradora — Romance that uses obstacles more than this one

Reading Order / Where to Start

Volume 1 — Takeo and Yamato meet in the first chapter.

Official English Translation Status

Viz Media published the complete 13-volume English series.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Takeo is one of manga's best male protagonists
• Romance works from early on — not obstacles-based
• Sunakawa is an exceptional best friend character
• Complete and feels complete

Cons

• Very gentle — not for readers who want drama
• Stakes are deliberately low
• May feel too simple for some readers

Format Comparison

Format	Notes
Individual Volumes	Viz Media; complete 13 volumes
Digital	Available

Where to Buy

Get My Love Story!! Vol. 1 on Amazon →

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