Nov 20, 2025
Yawao to Katako was an overall very cute and warm read so far. I loved the protagonists; I found them both endearing, fun, interesting, even with their own faults and issues. Despite the premise giving the impression that the female lead will "embrace femininity" (thus simply playing a role she never wanted), I was pleased to see her becoming authentic rather than following a predetermined beauty standard for women. Albeit a bit cliche at some points, I found Fuijiko's journey towards self-discovery to be relatable and heart-warming.
The takeaway for me is that sometimes the lack of success in our love life has very little to
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do with our beauty, but instead it's our own self-loathing and low self-esteem that makes us undesirable and hard to approach. Finding inner peace and accepting yourself for who you are can be freeing, especially for queer people that suffer a lot from hiding their true selves.
The mention of queer people is not coincidental, this story has many queer elements to it which were refreshing and welcomed. Without giving any spoilers, I found the flamboyant male lead in this manga to be a fairly well-written character and I wish his past experiences were explored further.
Generally, I feel like this plot has so much potential for a great story, but it's maintaining a rather light-hearted approach, which isn't a flaw in itself, just not my cup of tea entirely.
Despite this, I still loved the manga and the message it tried to deliver, which can be summed up by this lovely quote that left an impression on me from the manga: "Being unpopular, ugly or fat, or a lesbian, a gay, a nerd, or an onee. Tell me, what is wrong with any of that?"
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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