It’s been a while since I’ve read a shoujo manga that made me squeal so much. I was recommended “Love So Life” by a friend of mine many years ago and while the cover looked cute, I was annoyed by its being incomplete at that time. I’m a fast reader, so it’s even worse when the manga is still updating. Nevertheless, I kept it on my list to read and when it was done, I read it quite quickly, only stopping when I had to focus on finals. The friend that had recommended it to me said that she loved fluffy shoujo series that were over-the-top adorable, and while I looked at some of the others she suggested, “Love So Life” took the cake for cutest shoujo. I’m sure if you read through the first few chapters, you’ll know exactly what I mean whether or not you’re familiar with the shoujo genre.

Already the synopsis paints the manga as a sweet little story from the beginning: a teenaged girl who is good with kids and lives in an orphanage is hired as a babysitter for the twins of a busy news reporting uncle. Shiharu is young and pure as an angel, and Matsunaga is attractive and extremely grateful he’ll have a hand with these kids that aren’t his. The questions you’ll probably have are (1) what happened to Shiharu’s parents? (2) What are these kids like? And (3) how handsome is Matsunaga exactly?

The answers to all these inquiries and more are answered fairly neatly in the length of this manga. If you’re down for a lovely and light slice of life manga, this is definitely it. I know a lot of people enjoy manga that instantly captures your attention and keeps you riveted and furiously flipping the pages, but “Love So Life” is so pleasantly relaxing. It does indeed become addicting, but it’s certainly not a stressful read.

I must give credit to the mangaka for being so incredibly creative. Almost every chapter is a new situation with the twins. Shiharu is always trying to find a way to keep them occupied and teach them something new while keeping them out of trouble. She constantly remembers what her mother taught her and what she observes from other children to work better with the ones that she is in charge of. I was never bored while reading this. Realistically, there are a lot of things children are up to, like making mischief in a kiddy pool, going trick-or-treating, meeting new friends, and so much more. Akane-chan and Aoi-chan never had a dull moment in the manga.

As to be expected, the growth of the twins over the span of the story also fostered Chiharu’s growth as a young woman. While she was already quite mature in the beginning (as described by her friends and Matsunaga-san) because she was seen being very responsible with the younger ones at the orphanage and studied dutifully, she seemed to open her eyes a little more with the help of the twins. The two of them were still emotionally growing and Shiharu became more and more attached to them, loving them like they were her family rather than some kids she had to babysit. She paid attention more and more to the feelings of those around her, which assisted in her job as a children’s caretaker.

Of course, characteristic to classic shoujo, the main love interest is Matsunaga-san, who doesn’t disappoint readers with his attractiveness. At first he appears very tired all the time from his job, so much that right after he arrives home, he collapses on the floor. As Shiharu takes care of the twins for him, he turns out to be a very nice man, always thanking Shiharu for her work, being kind to her, and thinking to include her in family plans.

The one tiny complaint I have is that the attraction between the two starts a little bit early, already in the first few chapters. I guess it’s understandable seeing that Shiharu is so cute and dependable, the kind of mother figure that Matsunaga-san admires, and Matsunaga is without a doubt good-looking, with a good career, and young-looking despite being older. The one thing that helps it is that the manga stretches their relationship for over 100 chapters, so you sort of forget about the rushing in the beginning. They are, of course, a good shipping.

The other thing I like about Love So Life is that there are a lot of things to focus on besides the twins. They definitely make up the biggest part of the plot, but there is also like I mentioned before, Shiharu’s relationship with Matsunaga, her best friend Rio’s boy problems, even a love triangle. I was never bored through the course of this manga and find it absolutely amazing that this is Kouchi’s first work.

The art style is a little bit simpler than I’m used to in shoujo, but it still does the job. The twins always look very precious with chubby faces and huge eyes. It’s so funny to see Shiharu and others being affected by how adorable they are when they say certain things or wear matching clothes. While Matsunaga is described as attractive, sometimes I found the line of his chin to be a little too long, or his face shaped a little strangely. Clothes-wise, though, I liked everyone’s selection, and hair was drawn fine.

Aside from how dense Shiharu could be sometimes when it came to her feelings and the romantic ones of others, I enjoyed this manga a whole bunch. I laughed out loud multiple times and found it very sweet at others. An avid shoujo reader would eat this up instantly, and I think a newcomer to shoujo would enjoy this immensely as well. Shiharu’s a delightful character and her interactions with the twins are pleasantly memorable. Love in many forms is present in “Love So Life,” true to its name.