I enjoyed reading this book. Was a nice story about a girl who wants to make more friends. It's also a very sweet story in my opinion. Like how he helps her. I also like the setting of the book. Very curious to what his deal is with that one girl. So i will definitely continue this serie. What i also like it's that it is a manga, so it's very easy and fast to read.

It was okay over all. I think I'd like to read the second volume before making a decision. The MMC is kind of meh and Kusunoki is sweet but seems to have more depth than the MMC. Also, im so tired of men having one bad experience with women and using that as their justification to be jerks. ( and the woman in question here Wasn't even mean to him directly he overheard something)

Kusonoki was considered a loser middle school along with her library buddy Shizuki. Both of them were painfully shy, and because of this and other reasons, they were bullied to the point that unbeknownst to each other, they had a complete glow up for their first year in high school. Now, Shizuki is exactly where he wants to be in the high school hierarchy, and he assumed Kusonoki is feeling the same. Except she's not while Kunsonoki make look the part of a glow up, that's about it, she still can't talk to anyone and she's determined that Shizuki is going to be her first friend whether he likes it or not!

As a kid who was teased in middle school, I actually opted to get homeschooled because my last middle school had been awful. This was pretty spot on. Especially in terms of what Kusonoki goes through, guys think you're "hot," girls think you're stuck up, and now you are a pariah. When you are genuinely terrified of talking to people. And oddly enough, I actually met the human who is my husband today during this time frame, so this hit me right in all of the feels. I also wouldn't say I enjoyed but definitely understood Shizuki's getting physically ill when he had to talk to a girl, I had that level of anxiety when it came to talking to anyone really so again pretty accurate for me there too.

The art is definitely gorgeous as well, and I really loved the fact that the girl who pushes Shizuki over the edge has snake eyes. That definitely was a nice touch.

Overall, definitely recommend this one really for anyone who has been on either side of the bullying spectrum, but if you were a middle school geek like me this will probably hit you just the same as it did me. It's just relatable enough that you don't get too emotional over it, if that makes sense.


As always, thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eArc

The art style is right up my alley, it's cute and pretty but isn't fanservice-y. The expressions and poses seem good to me. It feels like it would adapt very well to an anime as well. It was a very quick read for me as it's under 200 pages.

It is a somewhat typical school-life manga. It reads a little similar to Kimi ni Todoke in that the girl is a little awkward and strange and it causes misunderstandings at times... but it's kind of the same for the boy. And she's the one who's popular but only via the rumor mill. So maybe it's a stretch but if you like a story where the characters develop, i think this will appeal. In my opinion it isn't revolutionary but I think it's a good casual read for most people.

This was pretty cute in the end. Basically two losers in middle school change up their image to make them much more popular in High School.

Except they're still the same inside. The girl here really attaches herself to this guy who is equally kind of a loser, and a bit of a dick, but he can't see she obviously likes him. So there's a lot of miscommunication, but in their hearts we know, they gonna fall for each other. Some cute situations, good art, fun all around. If want a laid back rom-com comedy this is pretty good!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-book ARC!
4 stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, taking two characters who have high school glow-ups and tossing them together, with Shizuki succeeding but only aiming for mid-tier popularity and then Kusunoki, who appears to have nailed things to being super popular, but she is still her old self personality wise. It's overall pretty blah that they felt like they had to change so much, so it was nice that their bond really solidifies as they learn each other's true personalities under the glow ups. I hope it continues that way, because they should really be loved for who they are, not how they look. The art is very cutesy, and I'm very curious to see how stuff will develop, both with Kusunoki figuring herself out and Shizuki dealing with the girl who traumatized him. Hopefully can continue this manga at some point!

It was cute. But Kusunoki was a little extra for me. Ease into friendship. Very extreme on both ends hanging out at school, lunch, wanting to talk every night or completely ignoring him at school. The art for the other girl was weird. I felt like she was part of a different manga.

I thought this was really cute! Love the way their new friendship is opening them both up to caring about others in a different way, I reckon I’ll continue it when vol 2 comes out :)

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

Two middle school outcasts meet again in high school after putting in the work for their (separate but somehow mutual) high school glow ups! But where our MC Shizuki worked on how to talk to people (well, boys, at least), Kusunoki's still shy and can't really talk to anyone except Shizuki! Will Kusunoki learn to connect with other people? Does she even want to? Is there a little something between the two, even from the outcast era?

This is a pretty cute high school manga and the writing is more or less on the wall toward where the romance aspect is going, but that's fine because that's the point of manga like this. I'm going to keep reading because I do want to know what's up with the other girl, why her name is different but the spooky vibes are still there.......

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

This is part one and the book delivered in all that I wished to read after reading the blurb of this book
The characters were amazing and the plotline was well written and well paced. I am excited to read next part now.

This manga was quite infesting for me. I like that they both were trying to be someone new in high school. But he needs to get over himself and she is so adorable. I want to see maybe a bit of the backstory, cause I think she always had a crush on him.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm very curious to find out what's going to happen next!
I like the characterisation of the protagonists, it's fun but also compelling. I really enjoyed watching them become actual friends almost without meaning to. The plot has started quite simple, but there's a lot of potential for intrigue, drama and character development.
A lot of the scenes were also very cute and I liked the drawing style too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for a free copy of this book.

I thought this first volume was really cute.

The premise is interesting and it was enjoyable to see the characters interactions. I would say some things happen a bit too fast but sometimes that's just the nature of a first volume and trying to get the reader hooked and everything moving to develop in later volumes.

The part where MC rings Kusunoki and they stay talking on the phone for over an hour was really really sweet.

In a lot of respects they just seem like two socially awkward kids trying to figure out high school together. Will I pick up volume 2? Probably if in the future I want something sweet and lighthearted to blast through.

It's a pretty decent slice of life, so far. I love how both the main characters have the same issue, but from opposite sides. I am interested to see what happens next.

This had all the potential to become an "a loser becomes hot in high school and wants revenge on those who teased him," kind of story. Thankfully, it's not fully about that. We have two nerds who are trying the "new you" thing in high school. The nice thing is, that these two were friends-ish before their makeovers, so, it really becomes more about Kusunoki trying to come out of her shell and genuinely make an effort to better herself where she's still lacking. He's the one with the emotional baggage. And yet, even the cool girl who gave him vomit inducing trauma, has the potential to grow and do better and or not be as bad as she first appears. I like what I'm seeing so far!

A surprisingly fun read! The story has some classic tropes you see in high school manga, but I thought it was done in a fun and modern way. I like that the characters, despite having their glow ups, didn't change in an unrealistic way since Kusunoki still feels awkward around her peers due to her experiences in middle school. The art was cute and the pacing was great. I'm excited to see what else is in store for them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the opportunity to read this volume!

I really enjoyed this! Both FMC and MMC experience a “glow-up” and go to a new school where no one knows them! FMC has problems communicating with new people so MMC agrees to be her friend for training. Obviously there’s more on the cards here.

Reminded me a little of Komi Can’t Communicate but with a more fleshed out story. Kusunoki comes across as autistic coded in some instances (missing social cues etc) but that’s just my head canon.

All in all, a cute story with potential.

Cute story of two high-schoolers working through their insecurities together. Shizuki and Kusunoki both used to be awkward outcasts in their previous school, but both have remade themselves for the high school. Unlike Shizuki though, Kusunoki hasn’t thought to improve her people skills too, just her looks. So she asks Shizuki to help her. He’s a bit of a push-over and reluctantly agrees to help until she finds real friends. Little does he know, she wants to be friends with him.

Fun and awkward stories about high school life with good illustrations. The friendship doesn’t get far in this first volume, and it would be fun to read more.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the ARC. I thought overall, this is a great start to the manga! It’s looking to be quite an endearing and fun coming of age story. The art style is also very engaging and expressive, which complements the story and its characters well. I am looking forward to continuing the manga to see how the story unfolds and how the characters evolve throughout the series!