Nisekoi Manga Review

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Here is my review of the manga Nisekoi, which is a love / comedy story in a yakuza/gang wars context. To make things short, I personally find that Nisekoi is a really fun manga to read. This article will give you more insights on why I like it, and why I would recommend it.

What is the Nisekoi manga about?

Nisekoi, short for “Nisekoi: False Love”, is a manga by Naoshi Komi which tells the story of Raku Ichijō, the heir of a yakuza gang. Raku, one day, gets inadvertently knocked down by a girl on his way to school. Even though this event is unfortunate, it finally gives him the opportunity to speak with the girl he loves: Kosaki Onodera.

But the pleasure is short though. The girl who knocked him down is a new transfer student in his class: Kirisaki Chitoge. Chitoge has bad temper and openly dislikes Raku who is appointed to support her the time she gets accustomed to the school.

And as if things were not bad enough, to calm down growing tensions between his gang and a new one freshly arrived in town, Raku’s father wants him to fake being in a couple with the adverse gang’s daughter. And that girl is nobody else than… Kirisaki.

Moreover, there is also that old promise Raku made 10 years ago to marry a girl. The only memory he keeps about it is a lock to which that girl holds the key…

What should you expect by reading this manga?

As I indicated in the introduction, Nisekoi is a mix of love story and comedy, with some touches of slice of life and action.

The global story is built around the complicated love situation of the heroes and the plot of the lock.

These main plots have many new characters making their apparition in the story. They come most of the time to add complexity to the love situation. But some also bring new elements to help the plot around the lock to progress.

Then, many recurring episodes will be more of a slice of life, or action at times, genre. The topics will generally be around school, gangs, pastry or strange inventions.

The episodes in themselves are really fun, with some being emotional at times. But the story stays away from the over dramatic situations.

There are many aspects that make the story fun. First, the characters are a bit awkward in the manner they express their feelings, leading to many misunderstandings. This is backed by some really comical drawings that over-amplify many of the reactions. The you have: Chitoge’s explosive personality, the jealousy of Raku’s classmates, the members of Raku’s and Kirisaki’s gangs, the parents… Basically, there are a lot of ingredients that add spice to the story.

On the visuals side, the drawing is also an excellent complement to the story. Drawings are a refined but remain of the shōnen style. Naoshi Komi makes a frequent use of exaggerated character expressions and poses which add to the comedic spirit of the manga.

Who is it for?

If you like comedy and complicated (but not dramatic) love situations, then you should love this manga.

Remember this is a shōnen manga, though. Therefore expect some cartoon style violence. And on the sexual content expect some bodies to be exposed and a few mentions of cup sizes, but nothing graphical.

Basically this makes that this manga is suitable to people around 13 or 14 and more from my point of view.

Even though the harem aspect of the manga makes it more targeted to a masculine audience, I think the story in itself can please everyone. The story is more about how to express one’s feelings than lust.

My personal conclusion

Overall, I really enjoy reading that manga. The ambience is light and fun, with a few sentimental scenes and a lot of misunderstandings. I strongly advise it if you like laughing and are not against love stories.

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Do not hesitate if you have questions and comments.

See you!

Stef