Manga Monday: Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Vol. 1

Series: Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms #1
Author/Artist: Ran Kuze
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: March 8, 2022

I want to preface this review by acknowledging that my rating seems to be running counter to the norm on Goodreads. Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Vol. 1 has a decent rating (around three and a half stars). I’m not giving it that much because I have some significant concerns with the story. But I’ll discuss that more in a moment.

Mona is, without a doubt, the cutest girl in her school – and she knows it. She wears her cuteness like armor, using it to get what she wants. That is until Medaka Kuroiwa arrives. For some reason, her cuteness doesn’t seem to be getting through to him.

Medaka is a new student at the school, which is his first of this kind. Before now, he had spent his whole life living in a temple, training to be a monk. To say that he’s dealing with a bit of a culture shock would be an understatement.

So this series initially caught my attention because it sounded like a cute romance. However, I would not describe anything in this story as a romance. Mona is actively chasing Medaka around the school, doing everything she can to make him fall for her.

My issue with Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Vol. 1: it’s problematic. Suppose you’re having trouble seeing why this is a problem. Try flipping the gender of the characters. Mona is harassing a guy that told her no, going so far as to put the two of them in awkward situations (which some would describe more harshly if we’re being honest here).

The lack of consent and awareness is alarming. It made it impossible to enjoy the story. So instead of a relaxing and fun romance, I got to read something that frustrated me to no end. Disappointing.

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.