I've been seeing this title on my mutals' manga recommendation posts and wanted to give it a go for quite some time, and I'm so glad I finally caved and read it.
Is Love the Answer? is a beautiful story about self-discovery, about being confused and coming to terms with your sexual, romantic and gender identity and becoming comfortable with yourself the way you are. I loved watching Chika find the answers she was looking for while also making a group of friends she feels happy with and comfortable around.
Author very thoughtfully made the story both informative and sweet at the same time, with well rounded, unique characters and plot. The art is absolutely beautiful as well, I especially loved the outer space x Chika moments. Though my favorite part was probably how manga challenges the term "normal" and how our characters come to understand how much insisting on "normal" makes our world smaller and unhappier when we take it as a reference for what we should be, or how our life should look like.
I really can't recommend this enough if you'd like to know more about aroace identities or if you're looking for a coming of age story that is absolutely heart-warming and has a diverse cast of characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love can save people and destroy them


Beautiful. A truly emotional and very significant story.
There are very few asexual representations in manga, I really appreciated this one.
It feels like being in the protagonist's place and experiencing with her the anxiety of being "normal" and not knowing how to move forward.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored my time reading this manga! I myself identify as asexual, and Chika's feelings regarding feeling alienated from other people because of her disinterest in relationships and romance really hit home. Since there was no romance, it really gave the author the opportunity to create strong platonic bonds between Chika and her new friends, and they did such an incredible job of it! Chika's bonds with Ishii, Moto, Ito and Ume were developed beautifully, and their encouragement and support of Chika really carried this book.

I also really loved how everyone's identites were never 'perfect'. Even Chika's relationship with her sexual, romantic and gender identity isnt exactly answered by the end of the book, but it's because it's something so personal to her and something she can explore and find an answer to at any time, and everyone around her will support her along the way. This book is only the beginning of Chika discovering herself, and it's handled beautifully. The manga also did a great job at educating the reader in an organic way that never felt forced into the story, and instead helped along Chika understand different identities as well.

I do think the queer-platonic(?) relationship with Ume felt a little rushed, but it could be due to the fact that the author spent all 256 pages fleshing out everyone that it felt very sudden to me, but I appreciate that it's something the two are still working towards and it's very early days for them.

Overall, i really enjoyed this manga, and strongly recommend it to anyone looking to learn about asexuality, or even other identities, whilst also watching the main character learn and grow with them along the way.

Good book, good story, good representation but a little too short in my opinion. The art style is nice and the characters are unique but could’ve been a bit more fleshed out.

Chika wants to be 'normal', experiencing pressure to justify who they are to others. Through relationships and experience, Chika develops a deeper understanding of who they are and the liberation from conforming to social norms. The freedom to be oneself.

A nice, easy read for those wanting to gain insight into various gender and sexual identities with a focus on ACE. The artwork, especially the chapter pages, are out of this world.

Heartstopper but the MC is Ace. This deserves more hype. Loved, loved, loved it. Chika didn't have good experiences in school and she hopes for a fresh start while constantly struggling with the 'idea' of normal i.e., being a girl she should kiss a boy, like them and be attracted to them.

I adore this book. I love how she figured out what feels right in the moment while also accepting the fact that it can change anytime.

i loved everything about this. The art style was adorable. I am obsessed with our main characters, she was great to follow. I wanted to hug her and tell her she was okay. I really appreciate the conversation around asexual and queer identities. As someone who is ace, this felt like the kind of book i wish i had picked up earlier in my life, a book that would’ve help my younger self SO MUCH.

Chika has often been called an alien for not having any interest in romantic and sexual relationships. When she comes to college, she hopes to build friendships that don't center around romance talk much but she quickly finds out that college isn't really different from high school on that front.

However, she meets a very intriguing professor who helps her find tools to understand herself more. Begins a journey of finding out if love and romance are really as important as everyone makes them out to be, or if there are other answers out there.

This manga was quite cute and I appreciate the fact that it shows that sexual identity doesn't have to be limited by labels, rather they are tools to help is understand ourselves more and to help us talk about it.

It's very straight to the point in its approach in a way that almost makes it feel like an Asexuality 101 course, which isn't bad but I prefer books to have more substance.

That aspect kind of improved toward the end but then, some wording around the topic of boundaries and consent rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like that aspect of the story was too ambiguous, because it was treated in a somewhat silly way that doesn't fit the seriousness of the topic, in my opinion.

Still, it was a very sweet book, the art is good and I loved seeing Chika finally having friends who she could be comfortable with.

I'm not too sure if I would recommend this unfortunately because I feel like a lot could've been better about this story.

Rating: 1.5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so. This. I loved it. In case y'all didn't know, for the most part sexuality isn't discussed in Japan. There's not really the homophobia that we see in America, but a lot of people refuse to discuss it, and don't really have a clue about different kinds of identities. The culture is starting to change, and I don't know everything happening over there, so definitely do your own research. I can say though that most manga doesn't have any queer sort of aspect, and if it does, it's either boys love (which I find is mostly written for straight women) or it's somewhat obscure and hard to find. So when I saw this manga on NetGalley, I absolutely jumped at the chance to read this. It follows a young woman discovering her identity as asexual and aromantic, or not experiencing any sexual or romantic feelings. Throughout the story, multiple identities and sexualities are discovered. I will say there are some content warnings that go with this book, so be aware of those.

Definitely worth the read, and I highly recommend for anybody who loves manga and is looking for queer reads.

This is such a wonderfully sweet manga. I'm so glad stories like these are getting published so they can make it into needed hands.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the review.

When I saw that the story was about asexuality I wanted to read it. It is not common to find a manga that deals with this topic. Well, it's actually not normal to find readings with asexual CHARACTERS.

We are not a majority group and I think there is also a lot of ignorance on the subject, on how a person really feels... is it normal? Don't you have something you're missing? Well, there are thousands of questions that arise from ignorance that this manga solves very well.

I found it entertaining, rich in content and also that it reflected a part of my reality very well.

I celebrate that there are stories like these that show that there is no single way to experience relationships with people.

Thanks Kodansha Comics for the ARC I read through NetGalley.

Adorable and nuanced and exceeded my expectations in practically every way. I love how Chika was dissatisfied with the "normal" label and is now dissatisfied with the asexual label, but it's the best she has for the moment. I wasn't expecting it to challenge comphet so intensely, which is awesome. The celebration of friendship and platonic relationships FTW. So refreshing to see ace and LGBTQ subjects handled this well, Love it.

"Is Love The Answer?" by Uta Isaki is a poignant exploration of aspec identity and the varied experiences across the spectrum.

Isaki gradually builds the narrative of Chika, our protagonist, who goes from feeling alienated & isolated amongst her peers to finding her community where is understood, meanwhile understanding & figuring out her own identity.

This book is like a balm to an aromantic, asexual, aroace soul & the importance it lays on people accepting you for who you are instead of being judgemental for being 'not normal' as per their standards.

Is Love The Answer? is a healing book & one that I would be coming back to more in the future.

Highly recommended reading for anyone exploring the 'A' of LGBTQIA+ identities.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for honest reviews.

As someone who falls under the asexual umbrella, this manga hit on so many things I've experienced myself. The alienation, the wanting to understand humans better, the attempts at trying to communicate what is going on inside without the words for it and later with the words for it but still dealing with being "other." It was beautifully done and so touching. I love it.

4.5 Stars

I am impressed with Is Love the Answer and would heartily recommend this. Our main character Chika navigates learning about her sexuality. She feels that “normal” and “romance” are alien to her and struggles. As she begins collage, she discovers the word asexual and what that means to her.

What I really loved about this story is that the author is very clear about how words like asexual, gay, bi, etc aren’t meant to be a box to fit in. That there are endless ways for being asexual for example and that just because your way isn’t the same as others doesn’t mean it’s not valid. Also choosing a definition doesn’t mean it summarises you or that that is what you’ll identify as forever.

A very poignant look into a young adult discovering her aroace identity and finding community. The art is gorgeous and I really appreciated the space metaphors. I'm sad that I didn't know about this book earlier, but will definitely try to grab it as a backlist for my teen room.

A good manga for teens who are also going through periods of self discovery in terms of their sexuality. The first chapter felt more intense than the rest of the book with bullying and sexual assault depictions. The story quickly lightens as the protagonist makes friends and discovers more about sexual minorities. Learning about the other characters' experiences and watching them all connect is very sweet. They even redeem a few characters who are cruel to our protagonist initially. The definitions are a bit over the top if you are already familiar with LGBT terminology, but could be helpful for a younger reader. I found the experiences of each character more valuable than the definitions.

4.5 Stars

this manga was very heartwarming for me. It follows Chika, a girl who desperately tries to fit in and to be “normal.” But, she struggles to fit into the normal box and finds herself in a journey of self discovery.

As someone who finds themselves on the aroace spectrum, it was really refreshing to see a wonderful representation of the variations with the label. It explores the fact that not every person that identifies as Ace is completely barred from anything more than romantic and that it’s ok to not be repulsed by it if you are Ace.

It’s a wonderful coming of age story for anyone that feels like that could be them or someone who wants to understand more. Plus the artwork is beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for a review!

As an asexual person myself, I really enjoyed this manga. Seeing my flag on the cover was so incredibly exciting, I had to pick it up right away.

I see so much of myself in Chika. I don't identify as aromantic, but I do id as asexual, and so much of her journey to finding herself feels like my own. She experiences all the same emotions I remember when I hit college and learned more about myself.

The supporting cast was also great. I enjoyed how diverse the representation was when it comes to relationships, especially the addition of what reads as queerplatonic relationships, as someone who is in one myself. Seeing Chika find friends that actually support her and learn all these new types of relationships, it was great to see.

I also really appreciate the inclusion of definitions and references. I think it's a great book for someone who may be exploring their own sexuality.

The art is also fantastic. I love the panels, especially the one with all the stars when she realizes she's the not the only one with these experiences.

This was such a cute and beautiful read. I finished it one sitting only and absolutely love it. The tropes were my favourite ones this it added more interest while I was reading this one.