Thank you to Kodansha for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Nighttime for Just Us Two, Volume 1 by Maki Miyoshi is a story about a girl, Nikaido, that feels like an outsider at school. No one remembers her name and she's invisible to everyone. On a night walk, she meets the popular guy from her class, Koga, but he presents himself as someone else... an alien that is exploring human life on earth. o.0

The first time I read the synopsis for this story I burst out laughing because... a shojo manga with an alien! Never heard about it before and sounds crazy enough that it's hard to not check it out!

I think this first volume was awesome! It was punchy and fast-paced and managed to show both Nikaido's loneliness, Koga's desperation, and Chiro-chan's happy attitude about living the human life. It was so funny!

I love how Chiro-chan (the alien) and Koga (the human) come across as two different people. Chiro-chan is bright, happy and an airhead and Koga is... well, right now he is scared and feels crazy because he wakes up somewhere else than his bed, and people talk to him about stuff he has done but doesn't remember. As a reader, you wonder along with him if he has a split personality? If not, how and why is he then a host for an alien?
This first volume brought up lots of questions I can't wait to get the answer to.

This was an interesting and quirky read about teens and how they can feel like they are a different species until they find that single one in the universe that understands them.

[Thanks, as always, to Kodansha and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.]

A girl so quiet that nobody knows her name spends her nights alone in a field. This brings her, oddly, into the orbit of Koga, the most popular boy in school. Except at night he claims to be an alien. An alien who wants to be friends, of course. But these two might be sharing more than just a body…

Well, this is a mess. I mean, not in the bad way. Just that this whole scenario is a total catastrophe for the male lead and might be the most unique rival situation I’ve ever seen, where one body is playing both roles.

It starts a little slow, but once things really start to cook, this story turns into something kind of wonderful that just made me smile for large chunks of it. I really like The Girl, who is, at least initially, quite content to be on her own. Introverts are great, so instant bonus point.

No, I’m not using her name. Not because it’s noteworthy on its own, but the scene where it’s used certainly is, a lovely moment of just being seen that she doesn’t realize she needs. Plus it leads into a very different use later on that really sets things in motion.

One of my favourite parts of this book is when she tries to go out of her comfort zone and attends an event and it goes miserably. Not because her discomfort is fun, obviously, but for those of us who are socially awkward this can be a big step that often doesn’t work and seeing this modicum of realism in a crazy story was nice.

Speaking of realism, it’s smart that the question of ‘alien or split personality’ gets thrown out almost immediately when Koga’s body begins to glow. Multiple personality disorder is done so badly that I was relieved to see it tossed to one side.

This has the added bonus of making regular Koga a bigger part of the story. I don’t love some of his actions towards The Girl, but he’s got a lot more going on than your average prettyboy. He seems well exhausted by his popularity, he clearly notices The Girl more than he lets on, and now he has something possessing him and leaving him notes.

It at least explains his actions, again, I think this is all going to end with no alien and a happy couple, but they’ve got a long way to go to get there the way it all stands right now. He’s being a jerk and she’s way too honest for her own good. Also she and the alien clearly like one another way more anyway. This is the sort of story where two really good-ish people have gotten off entirely on the wrong foot and you dearly hope they figure it out.

This is also a genuinely funny book at times, as a little bit of a bonus. There is a Splatoon joke that gave me a good laugh and then the phrase ‘sex-separated excretory station’ is trotted out, so I got a great laugh to go with it. The Girl has a ton of fun facial expressions too. It’s equal parts whimsy and serious and the balance is struck pretty well.

4.5 stars - I was going to give it 4, then 5, and now I think I’ll leave it at 4.5 with the round up. It’s very cute and charming and thinking on it a day later, I kind of want to read it all over again and that’s gotta count for something.

I hadn’t read the blurb before starting this manga so I was quite surprised when an alien arrived. This made it a bit absurd but also quite fun. I’m not a huge fan of the drawing, I feel like the faces are a bit short if you see what I mean. Otherwise, I think the story is promising a fun shojo with a bit of drama and yelling. I will read the next volumes to really judge this series but for the moment, I’m thinking “why not”.
I recommend to people okey with the alien side.
3/5

So different than what I expected. I love how bizarre the setup for this story it is. Has me wanting more details about how this even happened. Love the male lead is kind of a jerk, but has to be sweet even if just to show face. Female lead is so innocent and just doesn’t care that everyone’s kind of fake around her and takes whatever crap she has to. Intrigued for more!

This manga follows a girl named Miyako Nikaido, but nobody at school can seem to remember her name, as she’s shy, and most people don’t pay much attention to her. There’s a popular boy named Koga-kun who she runs into one night - but everything isn’t as it seems because he tells her that he’s actually an alien who takes over Koga-kun‘s body while he’s asleep! This alien wants to be friends with Nikaido, and she can’t decide whether or not to take him seriously.

I absolutely loved this manga - it was sweet and funny, and I loved all the characters - Nikaido, Kona-kun, and the alien. The art and character designs were adorable, and I loved the facial expressions that Nikaido made as she reacted to the very weird situation of an alien sharing a body with a human. This has a very absurd premise, and the absurdness turned into hilarity and wholesomeness in this story.

This manga was such a good mood booster - it’s a perfect read for when you need a cute and quick pick me up!

I can’t wait to see where this series goes, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next volume!

rating: 4.5/5

What a fun read! I haven’t laughed out loud reading a manga in a while. The story seems sweet and silly, the main character a typical lonely girl who ends up becoming friends with an alien. The dynamic of the main character being friends with the alien while being enemies with the host is so funny to read. I hope to continue this series as it releases!

I've read somewhere a manga of the same kind but I don't remember the title. I can't help but think the progress and the storyline going to depict the same way too. We shall see. Is he really what he is or does he have some sort of split personality or delusional? Only time will tell. It was a good and funny story. I can't help but sympathise with our main characters though. Can't wait to see what happens in volume 2!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the approval.

It's cute but it just didn't grab me enough to want to finish it. It's a quick read in the form of a quirky romance with a very soft sci-fi spin that has promise but didn't get off the ground in the first volume.

This manga is absurd in the most entertaining way. The premise of it sounded fun, and I emoted so hard while reading this. It was charming in some places, heartfelt in others, and ridiculously amusing. I can't wait for volume 2!

No one in school remembers Miyako’s name. She has accepted that she is a “nobody” to her peers. Then, one night, Miyako runs into a Koga – the most popular boy in school and her classmate. She, at first, believes he is teasing her by claiming to be an alien and by wanting to be her friend. However, Koga/Chiro is the only person who acknowledges Miyako’s existence.
First off, I could not help but identify and empathize with Miyako. I know how it feels to be a nobody to the people around me.
Koga and Chiro are two different personalities. Koga is manipulative. Chiro is sweet-natured and kind. The alien angle is a bit hard to accept. I think I would have liked it better if Chiro had been another personality of Koga’s.
I am on the fence about this manga. It is a quick read, but I am uncertain if I want to continue with it.

This was a surprisingly quick read. I am still not sure what to think about the plot though. I think I am going to be upset if Chiro-chan isn't real, unless this is handled very deftly.

I look forward to finding out.

First off thank you netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to review this manga. This was a calming and delightful read. The art work is cute and the banter between characters is enjoyable. Even though we really only have three characters in this first book.

If you are looking for a light/fluffy shojo manga that has fake dating and a loner female character. This would be the manga for you.