Midori drops her wallet and is struggling to get it back from a group of older boys when her classmate Ichijo steps in and helps. Before she can properly thank him, he leaves with his two friends. Turns out they are a tight knit group of friends. So when all three of them stop coming to school, rumors run rampant.

Poor Midori is basically blackmailed into getting the boys back into class by the chairman of the school. This begins a fairly long quest to keep the boys up to date with their homework while she tries to convince them to return. Discovering the reason they won't go back, Midori takes matters into her own hands and gets herself into a bit of trouble. Fortunately the boys like her enough to come to her rescue and their precarious friendship seems to take off as the chairman manipulates their deal to ensure Midori is stuck babysitting the boys (making sure they don't fail for starters) until the day they all graduate.

so what did I think?

The storyline is something of a familiar one (it's been done before), but none the less I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a lot of potential for it to go many different ways as this is just the first volume. Midori's crush is pretty cute, even as she tries to wrangle in all three boys. The art is absolutely lovely and I will CERTAINLY be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series!

*DISCLAIMER* I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. I only accept books I think I’d like because life is too short to waste on bad books. That said if I don’t like a book, I’ll say so, free or not. With that out of the way, onto the review:


Main cast of characters:
-Midori Nanami - a very sweet but slightly awkward freshman, her dad left the family in serious debt

-Rei Ichijo - lives alone, son of the head of the Ichijo conglomerate, his mom died a few years ago

-Yukinojo Ieri - son of doctor / owner of a clinic

-Chihiro Goshima - successor to the Goshima gang


One line review: As a punishment for violating her school’s rules about employment, Midori must encourage three troubled boys to go back to school or risk losing her scholarship


Slightly longer review: On Midori’s first day of high school she loses her wallet. A group of “Not so sweet” boys (Rei, Yukinojo, and Chihiro) see other boys trying to take the money from it and prevent that then hand her wallet back to her.

After that day Midori sees the boys, specifically Rei, in a new light. There’s rumors about the boys. They don’t have the best reputation. Then they disappear from school. The rumors seem to grow and grow.

Then the chairman of Midori’s school catches her violating the school’s rules on employment. She really really needs a job. Her dad left the family and he did so after running up a lot of debt that they’re now stuck with. Midori’s mom already works day and night and Midori doesn’t want her younger brother to have to take on a job so young. She begs the chairman to let her work. They reach a compromise - bring the three boys back to school. Midori does that and so much for the boys. Do they appreciate it? Does Midori like Rei? Are the boys really the trouble everyone thinks they are?

The chairman keeps moving the goalpost but does finally find Midori a job, is it a coincidence that’s it’s at the boys favorite restaurant?

Super cute story about an awkward girl, some boys who have maybe earned their reps despite not being nearly the bad boys that most see them as. A bit of fairly awkward flirting. Oh and there’s even a super cute dog.

I’d gladly read more of this series.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute & innocent manga! It left off on such a cliffhanger, I hope the next one comes out soon. It was a nice introduction to mangas, can’t wait to read more from this genre in the future.

Midori Nanami is your typical shoujo protagonist. She’s sweet, well-meaning and kind of an airhead. On her first day of high school, Midori drops her wallet with her family’s weekly food budget in, only for it to be reclaimed by one of her new classmates, Ichijo. Ichijo and his two friends Ieiri and Goshima keep themselves to themselves, and there are tonnes of rumours swirling round school about them, some true and some not so much. When Midori is caught coming out of her part-time job, the highschool chairman strikes her a deal – get Ichijo and co. to attend school regularly, and he’ll help her find a school-sanctioned job.

I’ve read the mangaka’s other work, Love in Focus and That Wolf-Boy Is Mine!, and Those Not-So Sweet Boys does bear some similarities. This is more obvious with That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! with the inclusion of a group of boys that the protagonist gets close to, some more willingly than others. Those Not-So Sweet Boys isn’t a cut and copy though – for one thing, none of the boys can change into animals, or haven’t done yet anyway! The mangaka’s previous two manga feature wonderful characterisation and deep relationships, and Those Not-So Sweet Boys is no different.

Whilst it certainly feels that Ichijo is being set up to be the canon romance, Ieiri and Goshima are also awarded the same development. Whilst the opening volume admittedly focuses on Ichijo primarily, there’s a lot introduced which will open up Ieiri and Goshima in future volumes, making it more difficult for the reader to decide who to root for.

The title of the manga is an interesting one to me, as none of the boys seem particularly ‘not-so sweet’. Once you know a little about their backstories, they all seem to have their reasons for wanting to isolate themselves, and whilst they act a little distant towards Midori, none of them are outwardly cruel to her.

Midori is very aware of the effect the boys have on her early on, which is interesting to see, as normally it takes shoujo protagonists a long time to realise they have feelings for anyone. I hope that future volumes focus on Midori understanding her feelings, rather than rejecting them, and there’s certainly a lot of promise for romance in Midori’s near future.

Volume 1 of Those Not-So Sweet Boys was a great introduction to the story. It made me really care about all of the characters, and I look forward to continuing the manga in the future. Those Not-So Sweet Boys offers the perfect blend of romance, drama and comedy, and was a joy to read.

xx

This one was exactly what I was hoping it would be! We follow our main character as she is tasked with attempting to get these three seemingly bad boys to attend school and participate.

I didn’t like how she was roped into it— the chairman was incredibly manipulative but I was glad to see that our main character was aware of that and didn’t take it lightly.

Her friendship with the boys was so cute! I really liked how that developed and I am so keen to see where those relationships go in future volumes. I’m torn on which boy is my favourite, they all are so similar and yet also so different.

The way they grew to care for the main character really warmed my heart and made this story extra sweet. I’m excited to read more!

4/5⭐️

TW: death of a parent.

This manga opens with Midori having lost her wallet and retracing her steps to find it. Instead, she finds a group of boys fighting over who gets to keep it. Then Rei Ichijo gets it from them and returns it to her. Before she can say thanks he walks away. She plans to confront him in class and thank him but he doesn’t turn up. That’s when she learns that he and his two friends were suspended and many rumours are going around the class suggesting that they aren't good boys to be around.

Midori has had a rough life, with her father abandoning her family and leaving them in a lot of debt. She works part time around school to help her mother earn extra money to pay off the debts and put food on the table and it's clear that both Midori and her brother have had to grow up too quickly in order to help their mother and survive. However, the chairman of her school discovers that she has been working and threatens to suspend her and take her scholarship away. However, he has researched her and knows about her family and so offers to give her a deal: if she can the three 'bad' guys back at school then he will get her a school approved job. The catch: she has two weeks to get them back in time for midterms.

This is easier said then done but Midori is determined to get the boys back at school, trying to help them with notes for the upcoming tests and trying to get close to them. After persevering, she gets close to the boys and learns the truth of why they were suspended. She becomes determined to help find the truth and help the boys not be in trouble anymore with the real culprit getting in trouble instead. The chairman apologises to the boys and thanks Midori, but then reveals one catch in the plan: she now needs to see the boys through to graduation. He meets his side of the deal and she begins working in a restaurant: somewhere the boys frequent and leads to them all becoming closer.

This was lovely and showed that you don't always know what's going on in private: whether that's someone who is trouble constantly, or someone who is high performing and appears to be the perfect student. I would be interested in seeing where the future volumes of this manga will go and whether Rei and Midori will become closer or not.

At first glance, this manga looks like a typical reverse harem. But actually, it reminds me a bit of the psychological/emotional journey in Fruits Basket. Although we are in a story with a female protagonist and two or more male characters, in this volume at least the crucial drama and plot isn’t romance centered. This is a story about perception and friendship. The title gives us a lot of the thematic focus here. The three boys are viewed to be criminals and less than savory folks. However our protagonist Midori how’s the chance to see them beyond the bad-boy reps they’ve allowed themselves to gain. That alone is enough to keep me hooked for the second volume. Add an adorable corgi and some unresolved plot points, and I absolutely have to get volume two. If you’re looking for a manga that wants to examine friendship, obligation, and society’s expectations , pick up this sweet story.

Ekk I need more asap. I loved love loved this book! I pretty much devoured it when I should've just read slower or something because I was really enjoying it. I loved everything about Midori she was such a cute characters, hard working and does everything she can for those she cares about. Arg I wish I read it slower but then again I have the option of reading this over again because of how cute it was. I think I might just do that going to have to keep my eye out for what's next for these characters and I can't wait.

“If a guy is good-looking, he can’t be that bad”
Thank you Netgalley for giving me a warm slice of life manga with a charming protagonist , Nanami who is charge of three “supposed” delinquents. It’s super cute. I would recommend reading this manga if you want something more casual and sweet even though it discusses broken families, stereotypes, and classism.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

The trope of good girl gets roped into helping "bad" boy is one of my favorites. This manga magnifies that by three "bad" boys. I really enjoyed this first volume. So far I like what I've read and can see a lot of potential in the story as characters are further developed. The art worth was very pretty and the cover design is what originally caught my eye.

As for characters, I think this first volume didn't flesh all the important ones out as much as it probably could. It did a good job if setting up the story, but it left me wishing I knew a bit more about some of the characters because I found myself wondering why they were a big part of the story. I'm sure this will be resolved in future volumes though.

I adored this; I can't wait to see what the rest of the series holds!

I loved the character dynamic and the little romance throughout; I feel like this will be an incredible, heart-fluttering romance, and I need more immediately!!

The artwork is stunning; I loved every page!!

The plot was well written, the kindness and troubles show equally through both parties, and I feel like their bonds and connections will only grow more, which I'm excited to see. I would love to see more of the boys perspective; I think that could be super fun, especially if they all have similar feelings.

This was an incredibly light-hearted, stomach fluttering romance that I would highly recommend!

I was excited to start this manga, as you can see from the blurb the story isn't so unique but I fell in love with the characters nonetheless.

Midori Nanami has financial difficulties since her father left the family without to settle his debts, so she has to go to school and to work, but this is against the school's rules. When the chairman of the school board finds out she works, he makes her an offer she can't refuse, she has to get her three classmates to come back to school and to get a test in exchange of his silence. The task is not easy but she gives it everything she has, will she succeed to keep her scolarship and to befriend those guys?

I liked the main characters, Midori is a sweet girl and the guys are all precious, even if at first sight they look like a group of thugs. Fortunately our heroine doesn't mind their exterior and try to find and to show to the world their true selves. Between Rei, Chihiro and Yukinojo I have my favourite but I'll keep it for me, I really wish they show their hearts more and more and I cheer for their happiness.

The art style is gorgeous, the dialogues are easy to follow and with that ending I can't wait to read next volume.

Those Not-So-Sweet Boys follows Midori, a hardworking high school student who works part time to support her family after her father left leaving them with debts. When the chairman of her school finds out she is working despite the school's rule forbidding students to have a job, he makes her an offer: bring the suspended delinquents back to campus and he'll let her stay. Midori finds herself in charge of a trio of bad boys.

This was a yes from me. As a fan of slice of life and shoujo works, I found the storyline compelling from the start. The art was beautiful, and I can see this being set up as a really successful series. The characters felt genuine, and I liked the relationships I could see forming. The friendships between Midori and the other characters are primed for funny and sweet moments. I would reccomend!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>85% ★★★★☆</b>

<b> Plot </b>
We have this girl Midori whose father stolen everything of the family and just vanished. Now she's going to a nice school and working, although this is against the rules. Someone is going to discover this and she will only can work if she can bring three guys back to school.

<b> Execution </b>
It's shoujo. The plot is almost the same as almost every high school shoujo or dorama, so I liked it. It's cute, the story is cute, I liked Midori and she's really genuine. I love this plot of the cute and happy girl who tries to help the quiet and mysterious guy. All I can say is that is well done, I liked it. She don't drop the ball and make this be the same thing as always, so it's a nice read for anyone who wants a cute fluffy.

<b> Characters </b>
I likes Midori and Ichijo. He's not a bad guy, he's actually pretty nice. Midori is a nice happy girl and she also have the background, you can see why she's happy. I wanted to know more about her female friends (I didn't get if some of the girls are her friends or not) and about her brother, so I'll surely keep reading this.

<b> Romance </b>
Cute, fluffy and not-troublesome.

<b> Trigger Warnings </b>
None. This is just cute, nothing bad happens.

Thanks to NetGalley to give me the chance of reading this book, I liked a lot!

This story is short, sweet, and fun! Midori is a sweet high school girl tasted with getting three “infamous” boys back in school. Elements of this story reminded me of my favorite parts of Boys Over Flowers and I enjoyed that a lot. I’m enjoying seeing Midori’s friendship grow with the boys and am interested to see how things will turn out with at least one of the boys being interested in her. I loved her interactions with them trying to win them over so they would come back to school. Though Midori is a sweet person, she is also capable of telling it like it is when the situation calls for it!

I cannot wait for volume two to come out and cannot wait to get my hands on this one!

The typical manga I enjoy. A heart strong girl with optimistics views of the world trying to help three boys that struggles with some family issues. I adored this manga! Nanami was such a strong characters, and I loved her interactions with Ichijo ( I ship them so freaking much urgh) and her sweet conversations with Goshma!!! The only character that I~m still wary is Ieiri...because of what he said at the end of the volume...I'm tense.

I found this manga’s story a bit intriguing. The set-up is interesting as well; the girl wants to thank the boys for saving her but finds it hard to approach them. Until the school provides an opportunity to do so, I can see to budding romance happening between her and one of the boys, but it seems like they don’t realize it is what it is. Lol

Looking forward to the next installment of the series!

I’m not so much into book romance but when it comes to shojo…I’m not very difficult I believe xD
This manga is so sweet. I do hope there are some twists later on in the series, but even if there are none, I don’t mind. It is a traditional romance at school but here, we have a harem of three really handsome boys. The main heroine is very kind and cute but don’t worry, she is not too naïve. She is so sweet though. I loved the drawings; they make the story so sweet and wholesome. I can’t wait to learn more about each character in the next volume and see what happens between them. I have nothing else to say because I just loved it. I definitely recommend it.
5/5

This is a story were a girl is tricked into babysitting three high school boys cuz her family is in debt and she took a job (prohibited by her school) so her counselor is taking advantage of that.
I mean, there's also the beginning of romance, but c'mon there wasn't another way of starting a friendship between this girl and the three boys??

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this! I think it had many strong points in the story and I really liked the main character, she wasn't annoying and actually had some back bone where most characters lack backbone in the usual manga I read. I really enjoyed it and I thought it added spark to the story and its surroundings, I enjoyed the idea of the three guys being in a group together and thought it added to the story in exchange for the MC to get closer to them.

I think this manga has a lot of potential and I'd love to read the next volume, perhaps i might even buy it when it comes out