How I Met My Soulmate is on my top ten of favorite mangas. It's corny in all the right places for the shoujo genre, but also has the depth that makes it stand out from the rest. The plot is layered with not just arcs and events, but also character development for later on that I can see the author trying to develop even in the first volume.

It's also quite rare to come across shoujo that center around young adult/college life, so this was refreshing to see! Very excited to see how the rest of the story plays out!

Super cute and swoon-worthy! The chemistry between the main characters is downright adorable, with sparks flying all over the place. Not a big fan of love triangles though, so hopefully the plot won't dwell on that aspect too much.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Rating: 4.57 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Cover (+art): 5/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Shojo
-Contemporary: 5/5
-Romance: 4/5
-Shojo: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

Really enjoyed this manga. It got me loudly talking about it to my poor partner. Lol. The story is cute, kind of typical in a way, but it doesn't bother me. I am rooting for you Iori!

I'm excited that this story is licensed! I've read some unofficial translations.

First the art. Gosh Anashin always has the most beautiful art. Waiting for Spring was my first intro to this mangaka's work and the art itself is so aesthetic.

Yuki is a sweet and shy protagonist and volume 1 is very much a slice of life getting to know some of the main characters. It jumps right into introducing the two male leads, one who she has a not so meet cute and one who she liked in high school

It's a fun pickup for people who are looking for characters navigating life and romance.

Such a nice light read! I had some problems with how the manga showed up on the netgalley app which made it difficult to read but otherwise it was wonderful. I'm rooting for Iori and I'm excited to read volume 2!

THIS WAS SO CUTE

The characters, the chemistry, THE CHEMISTRY. I was genuinely kicking my feet and giggling. The MC is so cute that if she ever gets hurt I will hurt someone. The love interests are both cute even if I’m rooting for one more than the other. Overall I would definitely recommend!!

I really enjoyed reading this story!!! The story is well written; I think it had a very nice flow and as the story progressed I found my love for the characters growing exponentially. I also really enjoyed the art style and think the panels were well placed. I'm super excited to continue this series and can't wait for the next volume to release!!!

This was so so much fun and I zoomed through it in one sitting. A tooth rotting sweet romance with two swoon worthy love interests, what’s not to love? I actually have no idea who I would prefer Yuuki to end up with out of the two, but my favourite at the moment is Iori! For a graphic novel, the characters were so well fleshed out in such a short period of time, and the relationships and backstory between each character creates endless possibilities for the rest of the volumes and the eventual conclusion. The illustration was BEAUTIFUL and I can’t wait to dive back into the story with volume 2. Quick, fun story with equally enticing characters and plot.

The illustrations were nice, but I found it kind of boring. Not really my thing, but it wasn't bad. I wish there were more depth to the story honestly, and I didn't really like the male love interest, Iori.

I only read about half of this ARC from Netgalley. The main characters did not grab me, as they seemed a bit superficial to me. I also prefer more realistic looking drawings in manga or graphic novels. This story about a college student looking for her soul mate will appeal to some readers but didn't compel me.

Honestly, I was invested in reading this because of the cover. Yet, it turns out SO GOOD!! It is a quick, light-hearted story about Honda (20) who wants to meet her soulmate. I couldn't put it down so I finished it in one sitting. I recommend this for those who love cute-fluffy romance.
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE VOL. 2!!

This one was super cute! Yuuki is a college student who doesn't just want a casual fling but to find her soulmate. Her friend, funnily enough, suggests that they try going out to a club to get Yuuki back out there. Of course, she meets someone there who isn't exactly who he seems to be. I love seeing slightly older characters. The high-school romances are just a dime a dozen these days for what is being published in English. For a first volume, it's pretty solid. This is definitely one that I will put on my buy list and will likely be following the series!

I was sold on the cover and then the story took my heart. I read this in one sitting and am now devastated that volume two isn’t out yet. This is the exact reason why I let my series marinate for a long time.

Yuki, our main character, is looking for her soulmate and has a chance encounter at a pub with Iori. But to spice things up, she meets her high school crush Seno one again through a friend from a mixer.

This story is quite common to many shoujo romance manga series. The only difference here is that it’s set in a college setting with adults and perhaps what seems to be more mature and composed characters. The story is well paced with characters settling into their designated roles quite quickly, as well as the plot moves forward with an air of uncertainty and misunderstandings.

Iori’s character is idealistic. So it’s no surprise that many, including myself, love him. He’s hard working, caring, supportive and adorable. Coupled with his character design his character stands out in the story the most. On the contrary, Seno’s character worries me but I guess we’ll see what unfolds in the next volume. It’ll be interesting to see if and how these characters change as the story unfolds.

The artwork is really beautiful. It emits a soft, gentle shoujo vibe and a lot of the scenes are beautiful. I like how this manga plays with the angles by not utilizing the usual front and side poses, but going for aerial and elevated positions. The artwork complements the panel layout and speech bubbles making this an easy to read manga.

Overall, I’m glad I picked up this manga because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s not a unique concept, but the characters and pacing are making this an interesting read. I’m looking forward to picking up volume two as soon as possible!

A brilliant start of a series! It's refreshing to see a storyline where the main characters are older, and the art designs for the characters, particularly Lori's changing appearances, are simply perfect. Initially expecting a jerk personality from Lori, I was pleasantly surprised by the turnaround in his character. The dynamic between Yuuki and Lori reminds me of Haruna and Yoh from 'High School Debut,' where a shared goal leads to unexpected closeness and romantic tension.

'How I Met My Soulmate' Vol. 1 unfolds a sweet and romantic manga centered around Yuuki, a shy young woman on a quest to find her soulmate. The unexpected friendship between Yuuki and Lori, sparked by a not-so-great first impression, adds an engaging twist. As they navigate the challenges of identifying Yuuki's soulmate, the plot takes delightful turns, and the character dynamics evoke relatability.

The manga's beautiful art, intricate character details, and scenic depictions drew me in from the start. The romance, featuring characters in their twenties, is well-suited for college-age readers and beyond. The storyline touches on the universal theme of searching for a soulmate, offering encouragement to shy individuals entering the dating world.

The love triangle trope introduces an element of cute romantic tension, with Yuuki developing feelings for not just one but two adorable guys. Volume one sets the stage for a captivating story, leaving room for the characters' backstories to unfold in subsequent volumes. I'm eagerly anticipating more from this series and will definitely be continuing the journey with 'How I Met My Soulmate.'

This manga was so good!! Literally obsessed with the art style, the characters and the story omg.
I couldn’t stop reading so I finished it in one sitting and I can’t wait to read part 2!!
I really liked how Iori is trying to help Yuuki find her soulmate, but isth I don’t trust Seno!!
Definitely recommending it to my manga fan friends!

I like the art so much! I think the storyline is not that heavy. Such and light read. IDK how I feel about triangle love trope though.

I don’t really feel very comfortable giving this book a star rating but I have to for the app. I don’t think I’m the audience this book is aiming at. I don’t think it’s a bad book, just not my taste.

My Thoughts:


This manga reminds me of being at Tokyo Disney where the young people come to be seen and the young males look a little more androgynous, going for the tall, slim look, clean shaven, longer bleached hair. In this initial manga of a new series, the protagonist, Yuuki is in college in Tokyo looking for her "MRS" (rather than looking for a career). This first volume sets up the love triangle, with a bad boy and a complicated childhood crush.

Readers who like the Shoujo manga (those stories made specifically for YA and tween girls) will enjoy this series. Although most of the Shoujo manga take place in high school, this college one with a 20 year old protagonist may appeal to older YA audiences (females). Perhaps males will read this, but the target audience is really the young female. While this series has all the tropes of a shoujo manga, the potential of this series to stand out comes in the form of Seno, Yuuki's childhood crush. He is worth following in the next volume of this series.

From the Publisher:
Yuuki is a 20-year-old college sophomore who has wished for one thing since moving to Tokyo: to find her soulmate. Growing a bit desperate after a long drought, she goes along with a friend to a club for the first time. Her friend thrives, but it's chaotic and loud...just not Yuuki's scene. Just when Yuuki begins to despair that she'll ever find a real, adult relationship, she meets Iori, a man with bleached hair and a slightly scary demeanor...but first impressions don't always tell the whole story. Could destiny still have more cards to play?

Publication Information:
Author, artist: Anashin

Publisher: Kodansha Comics (December 12, 2023)

Print length: 216 pages

This manga just raised the bar for all others way high.

It was funny, yet sincere, and full of cute moments that made me want to giggle and kick my feet. The art had me screaming with how gorgeous it looked, and I’m officially craving the entire series like- right now.

If you like manga or want to get into reading it, this is definitely a great read. 100% recommend

This is great if you want to start a quick romance manga. I like the main protagonist’s optimism and the grumpy aspect of Lori. I would continue this story after the 1st. The storyline is somewhat predictable because the lore goes once you stop looking for the one you’ll find them. Welp. That’s definitely the case or could be the case here. Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for this manga!!