"The meaning of the phrase 'Yukishiro' is about the image of love."

I love Senryuu Shoujo. Out of all the manga I've currently ever read, Senryuu Shoujo comes out on top with a solid 10/10. This is what I want, a rom-com with little to no forced drama, an extremely cute couple, and a fantastic art style. The story may seem to be a long burn to others, but to me, it feels like their endurance of love.

The story itself comes to be as straight-forward and simple as it gets. Nanako, a girl who has trouble communicating normally and uses Senryuu, a form of Haiku, to talk to people. And Eiji, an ex-delinquent who is looking for people to simply talk to. Everyone fears him except Nanako, who kindly approaches him and there begins their long-winded journey of love. The journey is an extremely long one, stretching over 140 chapters before the actual romance plots actually come into play. Not that it didn’t before, just not as focused. Every chapter just feels like a ball of fluff and cuteness, tugging on your heartstrings and making you want more of it, which they deliver a solid 185 chapters of it. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

As for art goes, Igarashi-sensei has come a long way with his art to be frankly honest. The first few chapters of Senryuu Shoujo has good art, but nothing compared to the final few chapters. The progression and improvement of his art style just led me to appreciate the manga even more, and also shows that Igarashi really enjoyed drawing for the manga. The cover arts are something I could literally hang up on my wall and be proud to show to all my weebs. You can argue and say artists such as Murata or Araki can do better, but come on here, for a rom-com this is one of the best we can get.

Eiji x Nanako has to be the cutest couple ever, like no jokes. The series could have ended in let’s say 50 chapters but it’s because it’s this long is what caused such bonds to happen. Their day-to-day conversations with each other are literally the definition of melting, and the development that grows within these characters is great and worth applauding. Other characters such as Amane, Kino, Tao, and even Koto chip in into the interactions just to make them that much more interesting. There’s this sense of naturalism placed into the series when it’s not just about both of them, but many things are happening to each of the characters. And Igarashi manages to develop all of them to a point where we can appreciate and understand what the characters are doing. They are given a personality, not a script. That’s what I felt really stood Senryuu Shoujo out from many other rom-com, personality, and liveliness.

On the whole, Senryuu Shoujo to me is a masterpiece. Calling this the epitome of rom-com would just be my own personal opinion since I’m sure others can disagree with me. But, what I can say is, it’s cute, the romance is simply endearing, and it’s got itself a 10/10 from me. If you’re looking for this kind of thing, believe me, you have come to the right place as Senryuu Shoujo will fill up your needs as you please.