A yandere guy who's so obsessed he reaches enlightenment

After searching for a good shoujo rom-com with SAME-AGED love interests (looking at u Promise Cinderella & Takane to Hana...) I have finally found one. This manga was really not what I expected at ALL.

First of all, when picking this up, do not be alarmed at the speed of progression in the first chapter. I'm not really sure if it's a spoiler but they literally start dating after one day of hanging out I too, was shook and felt my expectations fall, thinking it was a super plain and typical romance BUT as I read on I realised that this was just a testament to how dumb (said affectionately) the two main characters are. They're basically a parody of the Naive Girl x the Guy who only thinks about romance (and has way too much time on his hands) pair, so don't let this bother you because chapter 2 is where things start unravelling.

So back to the title of this review, the guy, Kusakabe, has ISSUES. Major ones. Theres being heavy in a relationship, there's taking possessiveness a little too far, and THEN there's whatever the heck this guy has going on.
In the first few chapters his red flags start showing and eventually the girl, Iroha, starts noticing. When Kusakabe decides to open up about his issues, Iroha, having no prior romantic experience has nothing to compare this "heaviness" with, and takes in each confession with optimism, which throws him for a loop.
Her friends, the only ones with two braincells to rub together at this point, worry and rightly so. Their naive little girl is happily skipping on over into the claws of a wolf and could get eaten at any time. Amazingly though, Kusakabe is the one who'll be facing the Herculean trials, and the friends, seeming to realise this, cede and adopt him intro their group.
And thus, the circus, consisting of Kasukabe, Iroha and both their friend groups is born.

Points I love about this manga:

• The lack of avoidable misunderstandings.

You'd think a manga with a naive protagonist and a possessive male lead would be a breeding ground for misunderstandings but boy, do they power through them. Love interests? Exes? You've come to the wrong place, please leave before being obliterated.
Not only do the main two (unwittingly) excel in communication, with a friendship group consisting of both sides, there is little to no privacy and all the antics are discussed in hilarious detail. Also Kusakabe may or may not be a pro at interrogating people... but just like Iroha, we shall laugh that off.

• The ART

The illustration is so cutee and the expressions give me so much life. The diversity in Kusakabe's expressions is the funniest thing ever and I would recommend checking out the manga just to see the way he snaps.
His face when he was arguing with a 5yr old was pure comedy. And also his face when he addresses other males as insects... so true bestie!!

• The progress

You'd think a possessive guy who always has a free house to himself would try to, y'know, trap the person they like there at every opportunity. Especially after the first few chapters, it seems like you know where it's going and so you prepare yourself to either be faced with doki doki or cringe... BUT you can relax, kinda.
Although he uses some petty tactics to try and get some flirty action in the beginning, something within him changes after the Kyoto trip arc and he starts to he realises how much he can trust Iroha. To someone who's used to keeping his jealousy festering she's a huge breath of fresh air and basically becomes a goddess to him at this point. He's down so bad the word simp doesn't cover it.
That's not to say there aren't doki doki moments, there are but the balance of power within them are different from what I'd originally expected and I'm so glad things of that nature don't feel forced or rushed.
Her friends are super supportive in making sure that she never feels pressured too, so I'm sure this'll be a manga that doesn't leave you feeling icky despite how obviously yandere the main guy is.

Overall I super recommend this manga to people who are looking for an entertaining read!!