**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up by Mitsuki Mii is a high school romance manga about two former middle school classmates trying to reinvent themselves and make friends. The only problem is, the girl doesn't socialize well and the guy has trauma with girls. He reluctantly agrees to help her out, and they slowly start to become friends. This was a pretty cute manga volume, but it looks like there's gonna be a mean girl involved, so I might not continue this one. May be worth a try if you're a fan of school based manga though.

A sweet and funny manga about two former middle school loners finding friendship and guidance in each other following their respective high school glow ups is a plot that is both fresh and yet familiar. Who hasn’t tried to reinvent themselves when in a new environment and found that a familiar face can bring it all tumbling down. This manga is fun and sweet and beautifully illustrated.

A fun beginning to a new manga. There's a girl who's tried her hardest to "glow-up" now that she's in high school, and while it does seem to be working for the most part, she encounters new friends and foes alike who threaten to disrupt her scheme. There's plenty of humor and of course some wild shenanigans, so I think this could be a funny, adventurous romance manga!

It was a cute read!

Volume 1 left me wanting to see their relationship develop from their friendship!

The cover art and title is what drew me to this, I'll go to war for a cute pink-haired main character, but not much stood out about this for me. The premise so far is very basic, not much happened plot-wise in this volume which I guess is to be expected, but I don't feel drawn enough to any particular character to want to find out more. I thought the bonus chapter was quite sweet, the glimpse into their past sitting in the library together but by themselves, and Kusunoki being so nervous she was holding the manga upside down while pretending to read made me smile.

It was a cute little read but nothing groundbreaking . And I didn’t expected it to be .
Based on the synopsis I kinda guessed what was going to happen and it is normal for a first volume .
As for none specific opinion . I liked that the kids looked like kids . They are not portrayed older and the girls are not over sexualised which is pretty rare this days.

In this first volume we are following Keisuke Shizuki and Shizuka Kusunoki, both were outcast in middle school . Little introvert nerds that didn’t know how to make friends and were bullied by others.
But as they start highschool they decided to change their look to glow up and have the student experience they were denied.

As someone that was teased (I won’t call it bullying because back then I did not felt like a victim of bullying but the adult that I am now know that it was bullying) as a child by other kids, classmate and even teacher, I can relate to that feeling of wanting to come back someday to meet all those people with a new look and a new persona .
So the premise of this manga is suppose to fit me.

I expected a story about a girl that glow up and someone that new her secret kinda like True Beauty or Switch Girl . But the story don’t follow their path which was a good new.
Both of them changed the way they look and went to a school were they thought no one would know them .
They end up in the same class and they remember each other past. And that past actually never left them. They change their looks but not who they are.
Keisuke Shizuki is now an average guys but he still struggle because of the girl he thought like him . He’s not able to make eyes contact with cute girls.
And Shizuka Kusunoki , is still a dork . She can’t have a normal conversation. Like she have no communications skills . None.
Those issues wooed them into the idea of becoming friends to help each other.
Friendship that I think will lead to a more romantic relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This one, to me, is a combination of Komi Can't Communicate and Kubo won't let me be Invisible. At first, the story started out a bit jarring but then it redeemed itself towards the end with the character dynamics and the humor. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars

I love the contemporary and youthful art with fun characters. The plot is pretty easy and is set up pretty straightforward. Shizuki spent the summer between junior high and a new high school to get a glow up, but so did Kusunoki who was also a chubby ugly nerd who spent lunch in the library. She is in a bind because being pretty, popular, and new makes her a target for boy's attention and jealousy from girls. She asks Shizuki to help her social and conversational skills, but everyone thinks they're a couple. Also a former classmate of their now goes to their school, so it's mostly setting the stage for more high school antics for the rest of the series. It is a good pick for high school and middle school readers.

This was so cute and chill. It was so relatable too. Two middle school loners glow up for high school. Kusunoki has a problem making friends and communication, so she asks Shizuki for help. They were both bullied in middle school. Kusunoki is so sweet and kind and, though he doesn’t want to be, Shizuki is kind as well. It was so wholesome. And I have to say, I am glad there was no fan service in it that you usually see in romance manga. While I did enjoy it, there wasn’t much to it. I wouldn’t kind continuing the series, but I don’t think I will actively do so, at least not any time soon.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodanshi comics for the eARC.

Kusunoki is a high school girl trying to make friends after having a "glow up" from her middle school days. She reaches out to Shizuki, a classmate she knew from middle school who also had a successful high school "glow up". The two, sharing some comradery from similar pasts, get closer as Shizuki attempts to help Kusunoki get herself out there to make friends. I enjoyed this first volume, rooting for the two of them to grow as individuals as well as to get to know each other even more than before.

This is technically a late August release from Kodansha, but we couldn’t let it slip by! Mitsuki Mii pens this teen tale, all about the struggles of reinventing yourself for high school. After having his heart smashed by his first crush in middle school, Keisuke Shizuki transforms himself from awkward loser to cool kid. Funnily enough, past classmate Shizuka Kusunoki has had a similar glow-up… except her social skills are still lacking. She begs to be Shizuki’s friend. But there’s one problem: his past heartbreak has left him terrified of girls.

Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up is a cute and comical take on common anxieties, with a surprise rival lurking in the wings as Volume 1 closes. Fans of Komi Can’t Communicate and The Dangers in My Heart will want to follow this fresh new rom-com from its beginning. Volume 1 is now available in print and digital.

So stinkin cute!!

I really like how he's trying to navigate the friendship without trying to cross the line. But she doesn't understand it because she never had a friend before. At the same time, they don't have much experience with the opposite sex also. It took me a while to warm up to the ML but I am already starting to ship. The art is also really nice. The way Kusunoki is drawn makes her super adorable.

A sweet and lighthearted manga about two highschoolers who have had a glow up. Both Shizuki and Kusonoki used to be outsiders in primary school and now they look so different they barely recognise each other. But while Shizuki has also managed to improve his social skills, Kusunoki is still struggling to make friends. Can Shizuki help Kusonoki to come out of her shell?

I love the fact that this manga is wholesome. That means no flashing panties or naive heroines. The story was wholesome and I really enjoyed the read. Please give me more manga with relatable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-book copy!

Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up follows the titular character and her classmate Keisuke, former outcasts who have experienced a glow-up in high school. Keisuke is embracing this change and can't wait to make new friends but Kusunoki is struggling as she lacks social skills. Keisuke agrees to help her grow her social standing but wonders how this will affect his reputation. So far, this series has the potential to be a fun slice of life with a splash of romance. Kusunoki is a fun character and I like her growing relationship with Keisuke as it develops past their initial agreement. If you were a little hesitant to check this out, I implore you to try this first volume as I think it sold me on continuing with this story.

★★★★

Two former loners are determined to turn their life around in high school, but they soon realize glowing up takes a lot more than just changing their appearance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy. All opinions are my own. 

Once an outcast in middle school with a messy rejection thrown in the mix, Keisuke Shizuki is fed up and determined to glow up in high school. As long as he stays away from girls and anyone who knows of his past, he can succeed. Everything is looking up until he encounters his former middle school classmate and fellow outcast, Shizuka Kusunoki, now the prettiest girl at the new school. Despite her glow-up, Kusunoki struggles with her social skills and seeks Shizuki's help. Can Shizuki put his aversion to girls aside and help Kusunoki?

What an adorable manga! Shizuki and Kusunoki's story isn't your average high school romance storyline, and I'm really enjoying it. Their dynamic is interesting and I just love how authentic they feel. Shizuki struggles to talk to girls because his middle school crush rejected him in the worst way, and Kusunoki doesn't know how to socially interact with her peers, especially those of the opposite sex. They're an odd and unlikely pair, but they work well together.

Though I will admit Shizuki can be a bit annoying with the way he treats Kusunoki and generalizes girls. However, his character development thanks to his blossoming friendship with Kusunoki is making him more likable. I'm hopeful for more character growth in future volumes! Kusunoki is so adorable and sweet, despite her naivety. Her sweet and endearing nature really adds charm to the manga.

Overall, I think the series is up to a promising start. I'm hoping the series evolves to address and soften the gender role stereotypes as it progresses. I'm looking forward to reading volume 2 and hope you'll be tuning in as well! Let me know if you decide to give it a read~!˚₊· ͟͟͞͞♡

After being rejected by his junior high crush, Shizuki is determined to remake himself for high school. His glow up is successful, leaving him more attractive and confident as he starts at his new school. The only problem is the cute girl, Kusunoki, who remembers him from junior high. Even more problematic is that Kusunoki is determined to be friends with Shizuki so that he can help her with her own glow up. Not only can Shizuki not make eye contact with cute girls, but he doesn't want Kusunoki to reveal his secret junior high persona!

This is a sweet but mostly average entry into a new manga series. I hope to see more character development along the way to really help the reader sympathize with Shizuki, as thus far he isn't the most pleasant protaganist. It's nice to see the flickers of romance beginning and begin to glimpse where the series might go, but I imagine it will take a while to get there.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This manga was quite cute. Both characters have internal struggles that they are working to overcome. The art style is modern shojo manga which is my personal preference. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story progresses.

This was an absolutely adorable manga! Kusunoki is adorably awkward despite her aesthetic glow up, and I sincerely hope that her friendship with Shizuki blossoms from social practice to something deep and meaningful. I would be happy with a romance or a close friendship between these two former "ugly ducklings".

I also hope that Hebikawa and Kusunoki become friends and learn from one another as well. I'm not sure of Hebikawa's intentions as of now, but even if they start impurity, I hope they end up as friends.


Thank you again to NetGalley, Mitsubishi Mii and Kodansha Comics for allowing me to read the ARC!

A social outcast in middle school, Keisuke Shizuki has aimed for a mid-tier glow up for his high school debut, and nailed it. He's not aiming for top-of-the-pyramid popularity, but just to be comfortably invisible right in the middle, and everything's going fine. That is, until a girl from his middle school who's had a similar physical transformation, Shizuka Kusunoki, begs him to be her mentor.

Because, while Kusunoki has totally physically transformed her appearance, making her one of the most popular girls in school, she lacks all the social skills to go with it! Afraid that being seen with Kusunoki will draw enough attention to him to shatter the illusion he's created, Shizuki refuses at first, but relents when Kusunoki tells him she has no real friends.

Of course, Kusunoki's desperate attempts at friendship soon cause a comedy of errors, with others in class assuming they're together. Thigs are complicated further, when the girl who humiliated him in middle school also shows up in their school. Shizuki was so traumatized by her cruelty that he can't look at a girl without getting sick. But for some reason this doesn't apply to Kusunoki.

Rigid gender roles aside, I really loved this book about social outcasts who grow into a friendship in support of each other.

(Opinions are my own and do not reflect the institution I work for)

Cute manga. I read this with my 14 year old and she enjoyed it. As she is the target demographic being a highschooler. Who doesn't love a glow up. Light and easy to read.