I absolutely adored 'Is Love the Answer' by Uta Isaki. This manga was a beautiful 5 star read for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. One of the aspects I loved most about it is how the main female character explores her sexual orientation in such a raw manner, it captured me emotionally. The portrayal of her fear and uncertainty about her identity and whether she was right in how she identifies, how she struggles to find what she identifies as without the knowledge was incredibly poignant. The questions she grapples with are so real and relatable, beautifully expressed throughout the manga.

There were moments that truly tugged at my heartstrings, making me tear up for the female main character. This manga provides a heartfelt voice to the questions many individuals in the LGBTQ community face. It also offers those who may not share the same orientation a chance to empathize and understand the emotions and struggles involved. The representation in this manga is crucial, allowing people to feel seen and heard – a rarity that resonated deeply with me. I love seeing this representation, and that it can change too. To discover one self is beautiful.

I'm grateful to the author for creating such a beautiful and impactful piece. I recommended it to a friend who identifies as Asexual, and they called me crying after reading it. They had never encountered such representation before and they felt very seen and heard.

'Is Love the Answer' is a true slice of life that touches the heart and soul. It's a masterpiece that fosters connection and understanding. Beautiful, Stunning, and very real.

4.5 rounded up to a 5

I love how Uta Isaki has presented asexuality in this work. It shows the euphoria of finding yourself and also the doubt that comes next, especially when one doesn't feel like they fit fully under the standard definition of the label.

The story also explores other themes such as friendship and the definition of romance. I liked how it also mentioned fanfics and the pressure to like the things that one's peers like.

I don't normally read manga or comics, but this made me want to venture out and try more. I just need to remember to read the text bubbles from right to left.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for a copy of Is Love the Answer?

"A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual."

I'm so happy this exists -- and in a manga format!! A great representation for those who are exploring or wanting to learn more about ace. I love how the author included a discussion about fluidity and how people explore and change as we grow and get older.

Great resource for teachers, parents, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc. out there!

I am so excited this exists in the world! The art is beautiful and the story is very thorough with great explanations of aspec.

I would recommend this for anyone curious about ace/aro or looking for good representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Describes a variety of people who identify as LGBTQA+ in an open-minded and sensitive way. Emphasises the fluidity of sexuality and gender along with what is considered normal. Eloquent and heartwarming art. Creates discussions that reveal new perspectives on life. Complex characters that resemble real people. Enlightening themes that reveal parts of the self. Emotionally engaging that can be relatable for many. Fast-paced plot that has surface-level character interactions. Presents feelings of wonder and bewilderment. Recommended for those looking to learn something about themselves and others. Overall, a very good read.

A different kind of manga that is also informative for a lot of people. There are some good descriptions of various orientations found in the LGBTQA+ categories. This particularly focuses on asexual and the difficulties the mc is having feeling so different from her peers and what is the expected "normal". This manga is a coming of age and a type of coming out story. There's a focus on how sexual and gender identities are often fluid and how one identifies one day doesn't necessarily mean they will always identify that way. People change and their sexual and/or gender identities can too. People are on a spectrum and that shifts throughout life. I think this is a great reminder for all. Labels can be helpful to remind someone they arent alone but no label is going to fit completely as we are all different and all constantly changing.
I recommend this for anyone wanting good representation in a manga. Also the artwork is lovely and does a good job of portraying the characters.

Was accepted to read this through Netgalley. What I didn't know was that this book is already published! And I may be adding it to my shelf sometime in the future!

Manga follows our MC who doesn't understand romance. Only that "normal" people feel it. When she arrives to college her world is open to all the possibilities of sexuality. One of them being Asexual.

As someone who, somewhat, recently figured out they were Demiromantic I wish I had this manga when I was in school. Never knew why I didn't have crushes on people. Why I, when I did date someone, break up with them only weeks into dating. Reading about someone else going through something similar was wonderful. I would highly recomend this manga for people to read even if they aren't a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The only 'complaint' is I wished the author delved deeper into the story. Not just briefly going over what was explained.

This manga is amazing. I'd encourage everyone to read it, regardless of how they feel about love and attraction themselves. It will expand your vision.
It was lovely seeing so many varied characters. The representation in this story is so well written, they feel like complex and real people. And if you're on the ace spectrum (or curious about it), it's a must-read. Also for people who like reading stories where friendship is the main focus, or queer-platonic relationships.

My only complaint would be that I thought it was a series! But it's only a stand-alone manga. I am praying that at some point it will be continued, because it's so worth it.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this comic in exchange for an honest review. #IsLovetheAnswer #NetGalley

This comic is about Chika, a young woman at the end of her high school years, getting her first romantic experiences, feeling doubt about the importance of romance, desire and physical intimacy in her life. When she enters college and meets new people, she figures out she might be asexual and then goes on a journey of self discovery.

I liked the comic, I think it's a realistic coming-of-age story and informative as well. I would recommend reading it a chapter or two at a time, I felt overloaded with information reading it in one go. Also please be advised, there is an attempted sexual assault in chapter one.

I would recommend it to anyone being curious about asexuality!

I really love this book. The portrayal of asexual and aromantic coming-of-age experiences is incredibly accurate.

It strikes a good balance between being informative and emotionally engaging. However, I felt it was a bit overloaded with information at times. Perhaps this is because I read it sporadically over a long period, which is my own fault.

The artwork is exceptional, and the characters are wonderfully unique and heartwarming.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about the ace/aro spectrum or seeking authentic representation.

First of all a big thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this to read and review.

This was my first foray into manga and all though I got confused at first at actually reading it, I really enjoyed this. It was a cute and fun manga and one that’s needed in my opinion. There’s not much out there about ace that I’ve seen. I definitely think I’ll try manga again in the future.

This was good. I liked the story, the main character and the setting. However, it was a bit confusing at times. I had no idea what was going on, it kinda jumped from one scene to the next and I had trouble with the timeline.
Still, overall, a good, fast read with interesting characters and I really enjoyed going through this journey with the main character.

A wonderful dive in to asexuality and identity in this one!

I've never read a manga that had an asexual main character and as someone under the asexual umbrella I was really pleased with this one! I think this oneshot has an incredible amount of information and exploration in to the differences Chika feels from her classmates and friends. Finding herself a new community and surrounding herself with supportive people as she explores deeper in to herself was so refreshing to see. I think the message, art and overall characters are excellent in this one!

There were some bits in this manga that were a little slow and took me a while to get through, but overall I really enjoyed it. I liked the exploration of sexuality and the discussions had around sexual and romantic attraction. There's also a fun cast of characters and a very sweet found-family dynamic by the end of the story that I really enjoyed.

The way this volume resonated with me...

Chika doesn't get excited about romance the way her school friends do, and their attempts to "help" do more damage than not. When she heads off to Tokyo for university, she's sure the fresh start with change everything - and yet the same assumptions and expectations plague her there. Lost in her frustration and sadness, feeling alienated and alone, she meets a professor who gives her hope and sets her on a path of self discovery.

Reading about Chika's relief at discovering she isn't an anomaly and her excitement to understand more made me tear up with its realness. Watching her grow into herself and bloom with confidence is such a joy. She learns to dig deeper and question societal "norms" for their value and worthiness. She builds wonderful friendships and stands up for herself to others who are insensitive.

This book contains several inserts of detailed explanations of terms, helpful for readers to whom the concepts are new and entirely skippable for those to whom the information is well-known. The art is pretty and the emotion is so clear.

Chika considers herself alien because, unlike her friends and other peers, she never felt any romantic or sexual attraction, while her friends assure her by saying, “You just need the right guy.”

Chika is desperate to understand what “normal” means, as everyone around her seems to be talking about it. She has been on a journey of self-discovery regarding her sexuality, which has been enlightening. In college, she made friends with whom she could openly discuss her difficulties with romantic attraction. Her professor and friends supported her in coming to the realization that she identifies as asexual.

The characters were portrayed in a very realistic manner. I like that the author took the time to explain different concepts. We also get different viewpoints on societal normalcy, romantic and sexual attraction, and sexual orientation.

I loved the artwork; it was beautiful. All the characters were enjoyable.

It was an enjoyable and informative read.

As someone who never read or knew much about asexuality . It was interesting to see a young woman in college navigate coming to terms with her sexuality and different interactioms she had with other people .

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Is Love The Answer? is a manga "collection" of volumes 1-4 of the series.
This manga features a main character that identifies as aromantic & asexual. She explores and comes to term with her identity throughout the series as she goes from high school to college. We see her come into her own, so to speak, moreso in her college years as she starts to feel more comfortable and realize that there is NOTHING wrong with her as she once felt.

The book was great. The sensitive topic was explored beautifully, and I have a feeling many young adults and older adults will relate to her journey.

This was a great manga to read if you wanted to get to know more about aroace as a whole! Really educational and diverse!

Loved the main friend group dynamic! So cute!!

Chika's exploration of what it means to be "normal" in regards to romantic relationships is a beautiful coming-of-age story. When she goes to college she meets many new people and discovers that there is no one correct way to define romance.

Recommended for: readers looking for ace/asexual representation

Content warning: attempted sexual assault

I received a digital copy of this manga from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.