My Senpai Is Annoying Review: The Senpai Who Is Too Loud Is Also Very Kind and She Has Noticed
by Shiromanta
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Quick Take
- Office romance slice of life where the romantic tension is slow, the workplace is depicted as a real workplace, and both protagonists are adults with adult lives and jobs
- Futaba's combination of genuine competence and romantic obliviousness is the series' most consistent pleasure
- 14+ volumes ongoing; the workplace setting gives it a different texture than school romance manga
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want romance manga with adult characters in actual workplaces
- Anyone who enjoys slow-burn romantic development where neither character is fully aware of the situation
- Fans of office slice of life where the work is as interesting as the romance
- Readers who want gentler romance without the melodrama of shōjo conventions
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Workplace romance; the protagonists are colleagues; age gap between Futaba and Takeda exists but is not the series' primary concern
The T rating is accurate.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★☆☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★☆ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★☆☆ |
Story Overview
Futaba Igarashi is a young office worker who is small, serious, and competent at her job. Her senpai Harumi Takeda is large, cheerful, and treats her with a fondness that he expresses as slightly annoying elder-sibling behavior — carrying things for her, introducing her proudly to clients, being too loud in the office, and generally failing to notice that she is an adult.
She is slowly developing feelings for him and is genuinely annoyed about this. The series follows both the slow development of the romance and the daily life of their workplace — their colleagues' relationships, work projects, after-work gatherings, and the ordinary texture of adult working life.
Characters
Futaba Igarashi — Her competence and her emotional self-awareness (she knows exactly what is happening and won't admit it) is the comedy. She is a satisfying protagonist because she is genuinely capable at everything except the current situation.
Harumi Takeda — His fondness for Futaba is genuine without being aware of itself as romantic. He is the larger person who is somehow less emotionally aware of the situation than she is.
Art Style
Shiromanta's art handles the height difference between the two protagonists as a consistent visual comedy and visual tenderness tool — Takeda's size relative to Futaba is the art's most consistent physical comedy. The workplace environments are rendered with enough specificity to feel real.
Cultural Context
My Senpai Is Annoying is set in a Japanese office environment — the senpai/kōhai dynamic (senior/junior colleague relationship) is culturally specific and central to the premise. The series depicts Japanese workplace culture accurately enough that the dynamics are legible without explanation.
What I Love About It
The chapters that follow Futaba's friends — other young women in different relationship situations — provide contrast that makes Futaba's specific situation more legible. The ensemble adds dimension to what could be a narrower romantic focus.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe My Senpai Is Annoying as one of the most reliably pleasant romance manga available — the workplace setting and the adult protagonists give it a different quality than high school romance. Futaba's specific combination of competence and emotional difficulty is consistently cited as the series' primary appeal.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The chapter where Takeda does something that makes unmistakably clear his specific feelings toward Futaba — and her reaction reveals how long she has been trying not to notice — is the series' most emotionally satisfying single chapter.
Similar Manga
- Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku — Office romance, adult protagonists
- The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague — Office romance with supernatural element
- The Way of the Househusband — Office-adjacent comedy, married couple
- Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun — Romantic comedy with workplace setting
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Futaba and Takeda's working relationship and the first signs of the romantic dynamic.
Official English Translation Status
Seven Seas publishes the English edition. Ongoing; multiple volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The adult workplace setting distinguishes it from school romance manga
- Futaba is a genuinely enjoyable protagonist
- The slow-burn development is handled without frustrating withholding
- The ensemble adds dimension
Cons
- The slow-burn pace may frustrate readers wanting faster romantic development
- Ongoing — no complete ending yet
- The comedy is gentle rather than sharp
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Seven Seas; ongoing |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get My Senpai Is Annoying Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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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.