This sequence was considered one of my most anticipated releases for 2025, and quantity 1 didn’t disappoint!
Chapter 1
Highschool Freshman Otogi Katsura’s life revolves across the masks she reveals to the world. She considers herself an ideal actress on this regard and is proud to be referred to as her faculty’s Madonna. As the category president, she is idolized by these round her. Beside her is the additionally seemingly good vice chairman, Toki Ninomae.
Toki is so gentlemanly that even Otogi finds herself charmed by him. (Sometimes, the college’s Madonna doesn’t give different boys the time of day.)
Otogi meets with an unnamed pal at a restaurant and tells her pal all about Toki, or as she likes to name Ikkoku. (Otogi learn the Kanji of his identify unsuitable when she first met Toki and now makes use of it as a kind of nickname that solely she is aware of.) When Otogi says that Toki would make a perfect first boyfriend, her pal feedback that Otogi has lastly met her match since Toki hasn’t fallen for her but.
Understanding that her angelic character is a facade, Otogi begins to suspect that Toki may have one other aspect to him. Otogi begins attempting to look at him to see if he lets his masks slip, however Toki appears virtually good in each approach, and Otogi rapidly provides up on her speculation.
Someday, Otogi is caught off guard by cramps. (Bless this manga for acknowledging the truth that durations exist and are infinitely annoying.) The prince, referred to as Toki, is form and observant sufficient to note that she’s in ache and takes her to the nurse’s workplace. Toki even stays by her aspect as she falls asleep. Otogi feels horrible for ever having doubted how real he’s. After leaving the nurse’s workplace, the 2 determine to go residence.
Whereas ready for the prepare, a creep with nothing higher to do begins hitting on Otogi. Our heroine is itching to inform him to get misplaced, however she doesn’t wish to lose her cool in entrance of Toki.
Since Otogi doesn’t instantly reply, the McCreeperson and his mates proceed speaking about her as if she isn’t sitting there. Earlier than Otogi can consider an angelic facade-level reply, Toki intervenes and asks the boys to cease bothering Otogi. They instantly begin teasing him, saying he seems like a woman along with his lengthy hair. Toki retains his cool in opposition to the wannabe thugs even after they throw some fairly robust foul language his approach. Otogi decides she received’t put up with this nonsense anymore and lets the boys have a style of her true character.
The creeps are greatly surprised after they understand the one factor stronger than Otogi’s face card is her mouth. Toki, a lot to Otogi’s shock, is impressed. Toki reveals his true colours and tells the losers to scram as a result of they’re out of their league.
Otogi is shocked to find that Toki is so cool ice is jealous of him. Toki is pleasantly shocked that Otogi has one other aspect to her and doesn’t thoughts if his cowl is blown so long as it’s their little secret. Otogi has a slight disaster as she realizes she would possibly like unhealthy boy Toki much more than his angelic facade.
Chapter 2
The college’s Madonna, A.Ok.A. Otogi, is having a tough time with the truth that Toki has one other aspect to him, which she has now dubbed “Darkish Ikkoku.” (Immediately jogged my memory of “Darkish Haru” from Fruits Basket.)
The next day at college, Otogi can’t preserve her eyes off Toki as she waits to see if he slips up and divulges “Darkish Ikkoku.” When Toki asks to talk to her alone, Otogi thinks that it’s to debate what occurred after faculty yesterday however is shocked to find {that a} pupil has come to them for assist.
A classmate (Mori-san) reveals that their lit instructor, Seki-sensei, has begun making her really feel uncomfortable ever since she turned in some homework late. At first, she didn’t suppose a lot of his request to assist clear up after faculty, however quickly, it become a number of requests, and he or she felt pressured to provide him her quantity. Seeing their classmate in such misery, Otogi and Toki know they need to do one thing in regards to the state of affairs. Otogi provides slimeball-sensei the stare-down throughout their subsequent class with him, and Toki insists that she let him deal with it.
Toki surprises Otogi when he asks the instructor straight out if he has an inappropriate relationship with their classmate Mori-san. The instructor instantly denies any wrongdoing, and Toki seemingly leaves issues as is. Upset by Toki’s inaction, Otogi decides she’ll simply should take issues into her personal fingers. (Actually, Otogi ought to know higher than to doubt him. Toki is for the women.) Otogi doesn’t inform Toki she intends to formulate her personal plan. Earlier than they half for the day, Toki makes it identified that he’s nicely conscious that Otogi has been peeping at him all day. Darkish Ikkoku is within the constructing.
Otogi lays a entice for slimeball-sensei and asks him to fulfill her on the park. At first, Otogi thinks she has every thing beneath management however is creeped out when Sensei hugs her too enthusiastically.
Toki arrives within the nick of time. He takes an image of the overly enthusiastic embrace and divulges that he has extra proof in opposition to the instructor. The supposedly informal dialog he had with the instructor? It was so Toki might bug the room and concentrate on each inappropriate factor the instructor mentioned out loud. Toki tells the instructor that his profession is over with the mountain of proof in opposition to him. When the instructor tries to threaten Toki, he tells him to get a life.
Otogi’s crush grows stronger after she witnesses this show of bravery from Toki. Toki gives to hug Otogi to assist her overlook slimeball-sensei’s hug, however she declines, performing robust by treating Toki to a demise glare.
Chapter 3
Otogi isn’t feeling fairly like herself. The one factor unsuitable together with her is lovesickness. She’ll survive. Whereas leaving faculty one afternoon, Otogi finds a notice from Toki in her shoe locker. He invitations her to fulfill him for tea on Saturday. Otogi’s coronary heart goes into overdrive as she contemplates whether or not or not this can be a date. She e-mailed Toki, agreeing to fulfill him at a restaurant. She berates herself for responding to his invitation so rapidly.
Otogi is shocked to study that Toki typically helps a childhood pal whom he treats as an older brother on the cafe he owns. Toki idolizes Gen-san to the purpose the place he copied the undercut coiffure Gen-san sported in his youth.
Otogi finds Toki and Gen-san’s closeness cute. She and Gen-san begin chatting, and Gen-san reveals how completely satisfied he was that Toki wished him to fulfill Otogi. Toki instructed Gen-san that he’s capable of be himself with Otogi.
Gen-san is about to spill the tea about whether or not or not Toki thinks of Otogi as his girlfriend, however Toki stops him. (Boo.)
Everybody had fun on the cafe, and Toki reassured her that Otogi was welcome again anytime. Every form phrase from Toki is one other of Cupid’s arrows in Otogi’s coronary heart. Toki walks Otogi a part of the way in which residence and shields her when he sees college students from their faculty close by.
As Otogi and Toki say goodbye, Otogi realizes she’s falling onerous for Toki. What’s a woman to do?
Chapter 4
Otogi feels awkward and shy when she runs into Toki on the prepare to highschool. She tries to keep away from him, however Beni, her beforehand unnamed bestie, sneezes loud sufficient to wake the lifeless, and he or she says good day to Toki. Toki chuckles in response. Once they arrive at college, Otogi and her classmates have an impromptu cake get together as a result of Otogi’s fan membership introduced her a ton of sweets. They invite Toki to hitch them, and so they all fall for his princely facade.
Toki and Otogi go away the classroom collectively when they’re approached by a classmate who introduces himself and permits Otogi to name him by his first identify, Nene-kun. Otogi is shocked by his friendliness and is thrown for a loop when he all of a sudden asks her if she likes Toki.
For a second, Otogi is nervous, attempting to think about the motive behind Nene-kun’s query. When she solutions Nene-kun by saying she respects Toki, he appears harmless sufficient when Nene-kun says she is the primary particular person to not gush about how a lot she loves Toki. Otogi thinks Nene-kun could also be simply an harmless fool.
Nene-kun appears to be a Toki fanboy and solely stops gushing about Toki when his twin brother, Nono, drags him away. Toki reappears after slipping away throughout Nene-kun’s completely satisfied alternate with Otogi. The presidential duo stopped to speak after working a fast errand for a instructor. Toki reveals that Nene-kun has been following him round currently and is a little bit of a nuisance. Otogi says good luck eliminating him, Toki, as a result of Nene-kun thinks you’re good. Toki jokingly asks if Otogi believes he’s good too, however she confidently says she is essentially the most good being. Otogi’s response shook Toki to the core for a second.
Toki let’s Otogi have her second whereas she sings her personal praises earlier than he chuckles and admits that she is fairly superb. He says that the 2 sides of her character make her attention-grabbing, and it’s one of many issues he likes about her. Earlier than Otogi and Toki half methods for the day, Otogi calls out to him by calling him “Ikkoku” out loud, her secret nickname for him. It wasn’t Otogi’s intention to name him Ikkoku, however she wished to get his consideration rapidly so nobody would discover the undercut in his hair.
Toki thanks her after which asks her who’s Ikkoku.? Is it his nickname? Otogi admits that’s her nickname for him, and he permits Otogi to name him that after they’re alone. Otogi responds by saying, “See you tomorrow, Ikkoku. When Toki responds, Otogi’s coronary heart melts. Our woman’s received it unhealthy.
Impressions: Absolute 10/10 I haven’t been this enamored with quantity 1 of a sequence in years. Otogi is a breath of contemporary air as a protagonist. The sequence provides particular Kare Kano vibes. I actually like Toki too. He might simply be the long-haired love curiosity in an otome recreation. I actually love the artwork type as nicely. Mangaka Coco Uzuki is unquestionably one to look at. I’d suggest the sequence for readers fourteen and up primarily based on a few of the robust language in chapter one. Additionally, the instructor’s actions. in chapter two could also be triggering for some readers. Though nothing graphic was mentioned or proven. I can’t look forward to quantity two!
