This weeks Shoujo Manga Review is about You got Me Sempai.
Official summary on Kodansha: Serina arrives at school one day to discover her desk has been vandalized—someone’s scratched the lyrics to a love song in it … and that someone turns out to be Mizukawa-sempai, a boy who’s one year her senior! She wants to get to know him better, but if his frosty demeanor is any indication, she doesn’t have a chance! But it seems he might be awkward—not simply mean—and before she knows it, she’s asking him out … ! With each passing day, her heart races a little faster!…Read here: You got me Sempai.
You Got me Sempai! Short Shoujo Manga Review:
I.love.this.Shoujo. To be honest, at first, I thought it’s going a bit fast because Serina develops feelings for Mizukawa in literally the first 10 panels. Moreover, they get together in the first chapter but somehow it works. Both of them communicate openly and throughout their relationship, they show a level of maturity. You Got me Sempai is probably the most down-to-earth and fluffy (except for Volumes 7 and 8) new Shoujo you can find. There are many heart-squeezing moments, trust me you won’t regret reading it.
You Got me Sempai! Longer Shoujo Manga Review:
This review may contain some spoilers, so don’t read it if you want to experience this Shoujo with a blank page in your mind. First of all, I find the premise under which they meet interesting: Mizukawa scribbles this onto Serina’s desk:
„Every fight leaves us that much happier
All the time, we get a little closer together
Maybe our love won’t change the world
But I think It’s safe to say, I was born to love you“
Serina then confronts Mizukawa about the lyrics and he tells her he likes it cause it says „happiness doesn’t come that easily“, which could be seen as the theme of this Shoujo. Both of the Mcs really work for their relationship. First, it’s Serina who tries (and succeeds) to persuade Mizukawa into liking her, and then the tides turn and Mizukawa is the one who finds himself chasing after Serina.
There are so many lovely interactions between them. Mizukawa really tries to be a good boyfriend to Serina and vice versa. Furthermore, I like the pacing of this Shoujo. There are often several panels for one situation and as a result, you feel like you are somehow in the moment with them. Here is what I mean, although it’s not the best example:
Shoujo Manga Review – Here is an overview if you are the skimming type:
What I love about You Got me Sempai:
- The female lead Serina is very forward
- The male lead Mizukawa is extremely smooth. To this, I will only show you one picture. You will know what I mean when you read it:
(C) Azusa Mase / Kodansha Ltd. - You get interactions between them almost every chapter
- The relationship feels mature and realistic (They want to hold hands, kiss, touch, etc. and don’t pass out while holding hands (authors please stop))
- They fight and makeup and best of all: they COMMUNICATE
- The Doki Doki is real in this one (yeah I know, I cringed a little at myself too)
- The love isn’t unconditional – they both work for it
Possible critique:
- The lack of backgrounds in the panels (sometimes the art feels a bit too like a sketch because of that)
- The second love interest is pretty unnecessary in my opinion
- All the side characters are not that fleshed out
- I don’t particularly like the „I have to work/study, so we can’t see each other at all“-trope – But the way the author handles it is nice and how he portrays Serina’s thoughts and doubts because of that.
And one last thing, if you are wondering, why it’s written Sempai and not Senpai. I looked it up and apparently, Sempai is an outdated version that’s not used anymore in Japanese. And for the readers who need to develop their weebness a bit more: Senpai refers to a person that has been longer in an organization than you – be it your job, school, or something else. So not the age matters, but your experience. That’s why “teach me Senpai” makes so much sense…
You want to read another Shoujo Review? Go this way: Lovesick Ellie.
