Girlfriend, Girlfriend

Schoolboyz May 23, 2023

6

Stupidly funny (Minor spoilers) When I first started the anime for Girlfriend, Girlfriend, I was hardly a fan. With the manga now concluded, I can definitely say I'll miss reading this one. The plot is simple, Naoya Mukai asks his girlfriend if he's allowed to date another girl at the same time -- from there, hijinx ensue. The series follows Naoya as he slowly builds his harem and tries to keep them all happy. The plot doesn't get much deeper than that, but I find that to be a strength. Girlfriend, Girlfriend doesn't take itself seriously at all, which makes for a ton of stupid but hilarious scenes to enjoy. The comedy is well done and often had me laughing out loud. Everyone is always over the top yet it manages to not get too repetitive, making for constant entertaining chapters. Once you expect to not expect a deep narrative, the manga is quite enjoyable for what its worth. The art is great as well. Hiroyuki adds really beautiful double page spreads that seriously helps bring out the girls very expressive and detailed features. The characters aren't that deep, but make for some good gags. Across the 4 main girls, I was a little sad to see how the manga does a poor job at giving each of the girls equal screen time. Saki, despite being the main/ first girl, felt pretty unwhelming in comparison to the other 3, even though a lot of the major serious scenes depend on her input. Similarly, when there are chapters legitimately intended to be taken seriously for the narrative, I never truly felt it reached the depth it had the potential for. Mirika's major arc for example, which directly leads to the conclusion of the series, never gets the chance to show its results and makes it feel like she's kinda just there by the end. Unfortunately the ending of the series felt uncharacteristically lacking to me. I would have liked to see a small glimpse of Naoyo and the girls in the future, but the last chapter kind of just ends like any other, for better or worse. The series certainly could have done SO MUCH more with it's premise, so it was sad to see it end the way it did. Perhaps if Hiroyuki ever returns to write an epilogue chapter, I'd be able to appreciate the ending a little more. Girlfriend, Girlfriend is not for everyone -- people who expect emotionally investing romances are not going to find that here. But if you love a quick read that will make you laugh with good art, I definitely recommend giving it a shot for fun.

Akagitsune92 Mar 12, 2023

5

TLDR: starts as a good unique romantic comedy that fizzles to a typical ecchi/harem This had such potential but just started to fall shorter and shorter the further it goes. it's set up to be a really funny rom-com about poly/triad relationships and starts out as much. Problem is it just keeps missing the mark in some ways. It's very funny and I find myself out loud laughing multiple times. But there are some relationships that make no sense. it starts with the three main characters starting a relationship and it's set up so the first girl seems like she'd also want to date the second girl, but it just never happens. from there, there is a third girl who just seems to come out of nowhere to be a plot point to transfer this into a harem and then another plot point with a fourth girl that feels like a she is going to confess to the first girl as she is so protective of her...but suprise fourth girl likes the main guy. It really just went from a unique polyamorous story to a quasi harem, albeit it makes fun of the genre. the characters referring to this mutual relationship as "two-timing" gets old quick. Even if it's not a mutual triad, this is an amicable love triangle. It gets old quick when the characters keep acting like he's a cheater, despite the comedic effect. Plus it's heavily stated the first girl is attracted to the second girl, but they're "rivals" even then I still appreciated it until it became heavy in the ecchi aspect. It doesn't mesh. It feels like the editor started telling the author to crank up the harem/ecchi aspect later in the chapters to the point it doesn't even feel the same. I'm going to keep reading as it's still funny and I'm still invested, just really disappointed it didn't live up to the premise it set for itself. EDIT: after completing it, I gotta say to summarize this whole manga, good premise bad execution. There was so much good content to play with and the author just really missed the whole target. Without repeating the above, Read it for fun but DO NOT expect it to be satisfying.

Loai Dec 9, 2020

8

It's great, hilarious and with a beautiful art, I highly recommend it if you're looking for a Manga with not that much story but into the comedy side. [UPDATE SPOILER FREE]  "Kanojo mo Kanojo" is essentially a story about Naoya, who has a girlfriend, and receives a confession from another girl, Nagisa. He suggests the idea of two-timing to his girlfriend, Saki, but she initially rejects it. However, in the end, she accepts the arrangement. The main focus of the story revolves around their daily lives as they adapt to this unique relationship. The author, Hiroyuki, known for "Aho Girl," presents it as a romantic comedy with slight drama. The plot progresses quite quickly, which can be attributed to the abundant comedy in the story. There aren't many character introductions, starting with three characters and later expanding to five main characters after a few chapters. The storytelling style is relaxing and enjoyable, largely due to the comedic elements. Considering the two-timing aspect, there isn't a significant amount of character development. We do see glimpses of characters expressing their true feelings, but their daily lives continue without much change. The artwork is amazing, with detailed and beautiful character expressions. The way Saki's violence towards Naoya is depicted is well-drawn. Overall, the manga is funny, and that's what kept me engaged until the end. It's impressive how it transitions from drama to comedy, allowing you to forget the serious moments. There aren't many strong emotions or thought-provoking elements; it's simply relaxing and hilarious. While I wanted to see more depth in the characters, I understand that it's a trade-off for the comedic focus. Additionally, the story arcs transition quite rapidly without delving deeply into any particular aspect. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this manga as a source of humor. The story itself wasn't particularly captivating or unique, but it provided predictable laughs. Among the characters, Saki stood out the most, but I grew to like Shino and Rika more as the story reached its climax. I recommend "Kanojo mo Kanojo" if you're seeking a funny story with minimal drama and thought-provoking elements. It's an enjoyable read for those who appreciate humor in their manga.