It's Not Meguro-san's First Time Review: Two Adults Who Are Not Inexperienced Navigate Romance With Surprising Honesty
by Tamifull
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Quick Take
- The workplace romance that treats its adult characters as adults — both leads have histories, neither performs innocence, and the romance develops with the specific complications of actual adult relationships
- Meguro is an unusual manga heroine: not conventionally appealing in the romance heroine sense, not pretending to be, and entirely herself
- 9 volumes complete; a complete adult romance manga that fills a specific gap in the genre
Who Is This Manga For?
- Adult readers who want romance manga with adult characters and adult relationship dynamics
- Anyone tired of high school romance and wanting the equivalent for working adults
- Fans of completed romance manga with genuine character development
- Readers who want romance where "experience" is treated honestly rather than avoided
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T+ (Older Teen) Content Warnings: Adult relationship content including the acknowledgment of previous sexual relationships; mature relationship themes; workplace romance dynamics
The T+ rating is appropriate for adult relationship content.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★☆ |
Story Overview
Seiya Furutachi works with Ryo Meguro. Meguro is strange — she reads the air in situations differently than others expect, she responds to social conventions literally when everyone else responds to them socially, and she does not perform the approachability that her workplace role might suggest. Furutachi confesses to her anyway.
Both of them have previous relationship experience. This shapes their dynamic in ways that more conventional romance manga would not address — they make assumptions based on experience, they have habits from previous relationships, and they navigate the specific complications of two people who are not starting entirely fresh.
Characters
Ryo Meguro — Her specific quality is a kind of social directness that reads as coldness but is actually precision. She means what she says and says what she means, which creates difficulties in social situations that expect performance. Her development involves learning that Furutachi responds to this rather than despite it.
Seiya Furutachi — His decision to confess to Meguro — aware that she is unusual, attracted to her specifically — establishes him as someone interested in who she actually is rather than who he wants her to be. This premise is then tested across 9 volumes.
Art Style
Tamifull's art handles the workplace setting and the character interactions with clean precision. Meguro's specific expressions — the way she looks when she is processing something versus when she has decided something — are the series' primary visual asset.
Cultural Context
It's Not Meguro-san's First Time engages with Japanese workplace culture and the adult romance conventions that operate in that space. The series is notably honest about the gap between the romance manga convention of inexperience and the actual experience most adults bring to relationships.
What I Love About It
The chapters where Furutachi and Meguro navigate a misunderstanding that comes from their different approaches to communication — and resolve it by actually talking to each other rather than through dramatic misunderstanding escalation — are the series' most adult content. It trusts its characters to behave like adults.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe It's Not Meguro-san's First Time as the romance manga they have been waiting for — adult characters, adult situations, actual communication. Meguro is consistently cited as one of the most refreshing romance heroines in recent manga.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The conversation where Furutachi and Meguro acknowledge what both of them know about the other's past — and decide what this means for what they are to each other — is the series' most complete adult relationship moment.
Similar Manga
- Wotakoi — Adult workplace romance, lighter tone
- Sweat and Soap — Adult workplace romance, different dynamic
- My Senpai Is Annoying — Workplace romance, lighter
- What Did You Eat Yesterday? — Adult relationship manga with daily life focus
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Furutachi's confession.
Official English Translation Status
Kodansha Comics published all 9 volumes. Complete and available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Adult characters handled as adults throughout
- Complete 9-volume arc with genuine romantic development
- Meguro is an exceptional heroine
- The communication approach is adult and honest
Cons
- The T+ adult relationship content will not suit younger readers or those wanting lighter romance
- Meguro's specific social style may frustrate some readers
- The workplace setting limits narrative scope
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Kodansha Comics; complete |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get It's Not Meguro-san's First Time Vol. 1 on Amazon →
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
*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.