Hiyokoi

I feel like Hiyokoi is pretty much a must if you are a fan of school romances.

The story itself is nothing new (but then again, it doesn't have to). Shy girl enters school during the year because she had an accident, and gets noticed by the most popular guy. So far, so generic. But! In my opinion it was really, really well made;

- The main and side characters both are equally loveable
- It doesn't focus on dumb misunderstandings or love triangles to promote drama
- There is a lot of development on both sides (Yuushin isn't simply the popular guy who helps her overcome her shyness, he himself changes and grows over time too). Hiyorin grows from the girl hiding under the desk because she's afraid of introducing herself to someone who opens up to others and takes the initiative.
- There is actual romantic development. They start dating rather early (And there are even side-character romances developing as well)

The pacing might not be for everyone, Hiyorin is a very shy person and she really needs her time to slowly change. I felt the pacing was just fine though.

I started watching this, feeling hopeful and expectant because of the reviews but I ended up being disappointed.. I love shoujo. Cute couples making your heart flutter, endearing friendships, conflicts, self discovery.. ahh youth. But this manga, Ive felt more frustration than enjoyment.

I love the side characters and how the conflicts and rivalries were not dragged on. Basic story and settings, yet it’s done well. BUT the main character??? God I cannot stand her. The main couple were really cute and funny at first, but it got tiring to follow them. Hiyori is frustrating, too naive; and Yuushin lets her get away with everything. I understand that Hiyori is an introvert and she takes longer than others, but the problem isn’t even that... She can be so insensitive and burdensome. Cannot see any redeeming quality of her other than she looks cute. Manga plays it off with she’s learning and changing but whenever she passes a hurdle, she bounces back to being her frustrating self who always has to rely on others, also hurting them, or she just runs away. Heck even in the last chapters she was still running away. She never learns. Thank goodness she’s surrounded by nice and patient people who always support her.

My favorite part of the manga is definitely Ritsuka, followed by Kou. And also Natsuki (I wish she got more focus sigh), Tanaka, Kisaki. Tbh, I lost interest in the main couple that I just skimmed through the last ten chapters and only focused on Ritsuka’s parts. Ritsuka and Kou saved this manga.

The art is really pretty though.

I thought Hiyokoi was going to be another version of Strobe Edge. Not in a bad way since I loved Strobe Edge, and honestly manga like that are never a bad thing. But, after much thought I concluded that it’s actually just a combination of manga that make you all warm and fuzzy inside that equal Hiyokoi.

Hiyori was in an accident the first day of school (the details of said accident will make you shake your head) and because of it she missed the first few months of school. That’s not her biggest problem it seems. The one thing she’s self conscious about is her height. She is very short at 140 cm, like 4th grader short (that’s how they reference it). On her first day of class (not actually the first day) her introduction gets cut by Yuushin, the popular guy who is freakishly tall at 170 cm. He is extremely friendly to everyone and knowing of her shy nature tries to encourage her to smile more. This slice of life romance is the journey of Hiyori actually enjoying school life and making friends and something more.

Hiyokoi was slow at times, which is understandable consider our heroine is a “weird” one. A quiet, shy, and particularly short girl, who is used to being left out and unheard because of her introverted nature. When the person sitting beside her is none other than the extrovert Yuushin, she can’t help but be drawn to guy who is her polar opposite in almost every way. Hiyoki, who is nicknamed Hiyokin, decides she wants to be different and change things for herself with the help of her really good friends Riichan and Natsuki.
It has the same feel as Kimi ni Todoke and sometimes the heroine has the same innocence that is thestaple of shoujo manga everywhere. I did think it was progressing a little slower than it could have and it took me a while to actually get in the story.

The characters, for some reason I always find it harder to review the characters than the story itself. Because while I am ok with the plot having likeness with each other, I feel every character should be different. I mean if five people were put in the same scenario we’d all react differently to every situation.
That’s why even though I feel the plot is overdone in general, I do think the characters have a certain spice to them that make them memorable.

Yuushin is a classic bishie type of male lead. He is popular and loves to sleep in class. Other than random conversations he has with Hiyorin we don’t really know much about him at all in the first volume or so.
He has a sense of humor and is actually pretty charming in general, and unlike other male leads he isn’t the perfect male lead. If it wasn’t for his height he’d be an average manga guy, albeit a good looking one.

I really loved Hiyori’s friends, Riichan and Natsuki. Their personalities are fun and apart from the humor they are really good friends to Hiyorin. there are more characters that are popping in give the story a good atmosphere with their own personalities and sense of humor.

The art is easy on the eyes and delicate looking. It was drawn in a modern style of manga so if moe girls with big eyes isn’t your thing, stay away. I thought it was cute that Riichan looked so much like the Vocaloid Miku, drawn she was the most striking to me in appearance. I didn’t notice until I read the latest chapters that most 97% of the manga so far is in school or in school uniform and it amazed me I didn’t even notice at first.

All in all, it is a very nice read, the characters are funny and nice. Not a lot of drama, not really. It’s mostly sit back and get aggravated that someone could be so shy. Most short people I meet are assertive as hell. Throughout the manga you will have short stories and even characters side story that are not only funny but sweet. This mangaka has a very nice sense of humor that reflects on her work.

Story 9/10
This story is a bit of a cliche but thats completely fine with me, there is a shy girl and a outgoing hot guy who fall in love. Even so I still find it very cute, Im glad that the guy wasn't very dense even though he was to an extent, it made the story adorable. I just found it adorable which I do think was the point, I'd really recommend it. The romance was pretty good and there was humour here and there so that was nice. There were also side romances which you also couldn't help but get absorbed in.

Art 7/10
I did like the art but it wasn't one of my favourites, I didn't really enjoy the way the guys were drawn too much but it wasn't bad. I do in fact like the art style, its just a little average.

Characters 9/10
The characters are also pretty cliche, nothing new but I don't care. I loved the all, though some were cliches that I don't like they still managed to be characters that I fell in love with. All of them were very loveable and adorable. There was also development, especially with Hiyori who came to open up more. I personally love Kou the most and his development.

Enjoyment 10/10
I REALLY enjoyed this manga. It was satisfying to read and it was so cute I just couldn't help but love it.

Overall 9/10
I loved this manga and would 100% recommend it. Its a good one to start with.

The story is basically a cliche - shy girl falls in love with the most popular guy in her class-, but what is amazing is their height difference: Hiyori has an extremely small height of 140cm, while Yuushin is 190cm! She is really shy and has a hard time returning back to school, since she suffered from a serious injury that almost made her lose her school year. It will slightly remember Kimi ni Todoke, since both stories begin with the main character having trouble fitting in, but they get help from the most popular guy in class and they start having more confidence. Even though the story is a cliche, you actually get surprised with some events.

The art is incredibly clean and well drawn. Hiyori is supposed to remind us of a little chick, and she really is as cute. Particularly, I loved the art because it wasn't that usual shoujo style, such as Koukou Debut or Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu, where the boy is idealized and so handsome that makes us want to cry. It has a very cute and enjoyable aspect to it.

As said before, it slightly resembles Kimi ni Todoke since both main characters have similar personalities and begginings, but in the end Hiyori is absolutely nothing like Sawako and Yuushin is nothing like Kazehaya. Hiyori is a very cute and sweet girl, also incredibly shy and cries for almost everything. And unlike most boys in mangas, Yuushin is irresponsible, sleeps through class almost every time, is cheerful and outgoing, making him incredibly popular. He also isn't self-centered or selfish, but still he's really slow to notice the heroine's feelings. The other characters also are very good, like Ritsuka, that is Hiyori's best friend and acts like her older sister. Natsuki, who cares for Hiyori and always helps her out, and their teacher, Mittan, who is looking for love. There is also the rival, Kisaki, who isn't much of a cliche rival at all.

I enjoyed reading this because it doesn't have that much of unnecessary drama, the light cute story and not-so-deep atmosphere is really good to read just to smile and feel good for the characters. So overall I'm giving it an 8 for making me happy and making me want more.

[⋆̩] Shining Rain Review:

Hiyokoi is a simple romance to enjoy an afternoon reading manga. I think that was my conclusion after following the manga throughout all the years of its release. It is one of my favorites manga among dozens of those I have read, doesn't it have a story not unlike the conventional, honestly? it's quite cliché, but you will not fall in love with Hiyokoi for this reason, but for the development of the relationship between the main couple.

It is spontaneous and sweet, in my opinion, the two have captivating personalities despite being very different, but seeing how Hyorin is inspired by Yuushin, trying to overcome her own fears and insecurities in someone who she has fallen in love makes our hearts smile. And seeing Yuushin open up and be able to be himself freely with someone he likes without worrying about other things makes you realize that they were not made for each other, but are building up to be because they are young and are now understanding the responsibilities of sharing feelings with one another. And it’s good to realize that even the biggest problems involving the plot between them doesn’t make the relationship toxic, misunderstandings or love triangles are not the focus (just as they shouldn’t be lmao)

Seeing them learning about each other, growing up with each other, and falling in love with each other makes you want to read more and more. It's a rhythm of history that makes you want it to be like that in others too. To tell you the truth, the two probably have one of my favorite developments among all the shoujos I've read. I read the other reviews and realized that maybe this story is not for everyone, but if you haven't read it yet, give it a try, I think it's incredible and I hope you can find the same.

*Review contains spoilers*

Story 6/10
This story doesn't have anything particularly too interesting or out of the ordinary. Nothing really major or surprising happens, it is not a life changing manga, however, I liked this story. It is a cute and light romance to follow, a very easy and enjoyable read. I really liked the main character's size difference as I think this is something very relatable to for people all ages. The manga had it funny moments (like whenever Yuushin would have to squat in order to be able to hug or kiss Hiyori). I did find somethings like extra, unnecessary and annoying (such as Hiyori being extremely shy and self-conscious with Yuushin, the whole drama between Ritsuka and Hiyori; still can't believe long life friends would simply treat each other like that instead of talking things over, although I did find Ritsuka feelings understandable. Also Akiho wanting to kill herself and wanting to make Hiyori break up with Yuushin for no reason since she liked Kisaki? I really don't see why this character was added in such a somber way.)
Side note: so it seems Hiyori had a major accident that put her out of school for a very long time but other than the first day of school it was never mentioned again? not even a question by someone? like, nobody was interested into knowing what happened or even if she had any permanent consequences after the accident? she did not feel the need to talk about it, ever? So, you are telling me Hiyori is alive by a miracle but not even a finger was hanging in a weird angle, not a limp, no therapy?

Art 6/10
Art looked OK to me, I have seen better, I have seen worse. It wasn't painful in the eyes or too beautiful to handle.

Characters 7/10
Hiyori: so...where to begin? I must say I didn't find her super annoying or stupid or anything like that. I think she is likable. However, I did find her excessive shyness and self-consciousness around Yuushin too much (note the word excessive?). How is it possible Hiyorin and Yuushin dated for a whole year but she still felt uncomfortable kissing or holding hands? and, how is it possible Hiyori is so clumsy that she keeps tripping on herself? In my opinion, this was overdone throughout the story. To me, Hiyori is the least interesting of all characters.
Yuushin: He, on the other hand, saves the manga! I found Yuusin charming and for once I could understand the lead male being so popular, not just because he is the lead, but because he was actually funny, goofy, friendly and pretty much did as he pleased without really thinking about looking good or interesting to other people. He wasn't idolized or presented as unattainable. He is basically someone you would like to be friends with. This guy is soooo patient with Hiyori (dating someone you can't hold hands with, kiss or even compliment without it getting awkward or being an issue?). I think it was cute how Yuushin was as inexperienced as Hiyori in love despite being so popular.
I really liked the other characters, specially Ritsuka and Kou. Richan was very energetic and Kou was so sarcastic that I found him too amusing. At times I wasn't sure about their pairing, with Ritsuka going the extra mile for him and Kou barely following, but I preferred them over having a whole love triangle further develop with Yuushi-Hiyori-Kou. I also found funny these little hints people would make regarding Natsuki being homosexual, when she in fact was not but never tried to clarify so or seemed bothered by it, and when she does find a boyfriend, he seems to be on the very sensitive side (contrary to her).

Enjoyment 7/10
Again, I like reading and this was a cute story to invest time on. I am actually going to miss reading this. Life changing? No. Entertaining? Yes. I didn't feel like dropping it at any point.

Overall 6/10

When trying to find bad things to say about this manga, I'm at a complete loss. Hiyokoi is an extremely cute and satisfying manga about a shy, short girl who falls in love with her class's most popular and extremely tall boy. The story that ensues not only covers their developing romance, it also shows the progression of side characters' stories and experiences. Many conflicts occur within this manga, but the main character solves it with her purity and kindness. This manga also had some really good closure for the final chapters. If you are new to manga, this one is definitely a good "bang for the buck". At 67 chapters, it can easily be read in a week or so, and that was just me occasionally reading it maybe 20 - 30 mins a day. Overall, I highly recommend this heartwarming, cute and cheerful manga to anyone, any day.

So, Hiyokoi is fine. It's pretty standard, cliche, popular boy/shy girl tropey shoujo manga. If you're looking for something to pass time, Hiyokoi is fine to read, but if you're looking for a good quality manga with a solid story, you're not missing anything by skipping this one. The best way I can describe Hiyokoi is just a less funny and less enjoyable version of Kimi ni Todoke.

Personally, I think the main character is really annoying, the rivals pose no real threat, and the side conflicts all come as easily as they go. I feel reluctant to say any of this because it's pretty normal for this genre, but all these cliches come to the point where it becomes infuriating. This is especially apparent in Akiho—she comes in as this *mysterious* potential rival and then just decides to off herself just because...?? And then Kou develops feelings for what...??

By the middle-end of the manga, I just got so tired of the main couple because they'll "fight" for a minute, Hiyorin will cry, and then Hirose will be like "don't be sad!", and they'll make up. There's never any real conflict between the couple aside from Hiyorin's own insecurity regarding Hirose's popularity (girl just get over it he's popular). Honestly, the only likable character is Kou, but I think that's just because the bruting boy type is just popular within the audience. I would also say Natsuki is really funny, but she basically gets no screentime anyways.

This manga is something. I mean that both in the good and bad ways, there's the moments where I can really feel something insanely well rounded and polished for a shojo manga and then there's the moments where I simply want to skip chapters due to being unable to follow the story or having some major plot points not revealed to the characters even though they were revealed to us.

To avoid spoilers I won't go too in depth but there are various scenes where it feels like it's setting up the conflict with multiple layers and it seemingly forgets about it. Along with that the main character doesn't FEEL like she changes, though it pushes the narrative that it does, her actions may change or vary a little bit but in the end she still feels like the same character from when she was 20 chapters in.

The other problem I have is less to do with this manga specifically and more shojo manga, they rarely show any vulnerable emotion from the male MC. I get it being directed towards young girls so maybe Im just not the audience.

Besides all that, the characters are great, Ritsuka is by far my favorite and a lot of them have genuine defining character changes and aren't confined to a single quirk that defines them, though some background characters are.

The plot is great, they have some early foreshadowing and plot elements that affect the later parts greatly and all in all its pretty damn good.