Gwyn J.

“Say I Love You” is an older manga series- published in Japan in 2008 but released in the US in 2014, but it is a good series nevertheless. The main character is Mei Tachibana, who has struggled with so many issues growing up. She doesn’t have any friends, doesn’t want to make any friends and not interested in guys. And because of her sour personality, most of the kids at her high school make fun of her.

All of the main and supporting characters have their own problems they are struggling with, even Yamato, a very popular and very handsome guy that shows interest in Mei. Volume one focuses on Mei, Yamato, Asami, and Nakanishi more so than the others in the book. Nakanishi, Yamato’s friend, is girl crazy and obsessed with Asami’s busty chest. Nakanishi comes off as a slimeball as he is the one that talks badly about Mei to Yamato before “accidentally” knocking her onto the school’s floor. But not only does he do that, but as they go up the stairs for morning assembly, Nakanishi sees that Mei is wearing a knee length skirt, instead of a short one like the rest of the girls. He gives it a few tugs, and Mei turns around and to Yamato’s surprise she gives him a roundhouse kick, knocking him down. Yamato is strangely impressed by this, meanwhile Yamato fans leave her a nasty note in her locker as well as tacks for her to step on.

Yamato approaches Mei and tries his best to befriend her. He does apologize for his friend’s behavior. He manages to give her his phone number if she ever needs to call him, although she initially denied exchanging phone numbers. But having his number actually saves her from a bad evening involving a stalker, and Yamato comes to her rescue at a convenience store.

The character development after this event is really good, and there is already a nice change in Mei. It’s a very slow change in the beginning, but she manages to even become friends with Nakanishi along with Asami. The story isn’t rushed, but at a decent pace where the four characters are all focused on equally. Aiko and Masashi aren’t really focused on until the next few volumes.

Mei starts to have a variety of strange feelings, from questioning why Yamato is interested in her, to jealousy when she finds out a girl he had a crush on was at a karaoke place with Yamato. Mei goes on a walk to the karaoke place and Yamato catches her spying. He approaches her and calls her out for why she was there and asking about the girl that was with him. Yamato kisses her, and Mei tries to push him away, saying she doesn’t like being kissed by someone that doesn’t have feelings for her. Yamato kisses her more, and then asks Mei if she likes him. She tells him when she thinks about him, her chest hurts. He kisses her again, and that’s how they become a couple.

Towards the end of the volume, Yamato reveals to Mei his own past, and that he is nowhere near perfect as others thinks he is. He tells Mei about a friend he had that had been bullied to the point that he left school, and Yamato did nothing to help him, except to meet with him at a building and talk. Yamato thinks he is pathetic, but Mei doesn’t think so. She actually prefers seeing that side of Yamato, because he is more human.

A whole lot of events take place for being the first volume- not all manga series do that from what I have seen, at least not as well-written as this. The struggles the characters go through are so real, you can feel happy for them, or feel sorry for them, such as Mei’s case. The series is a definite must-read, all the way up until the end, which is Volume 18, and I will continue to review each volume.