When reading Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You Volume 1 I was struck by the beautiful art that filled the pages. This book was truly beautiful. Making the book fun to read along with an absolutely adorable storyline. If you like friends to lovers this book is definitely for you. With a slow-burn love triangle and a confused damsel in distress, this book takes you on a fun journey through Mizuha's love life.

A cute story with beautifully drawn art! Mizuha reflects back on the special days of school with her four best friends: their lives, adventures, and love stories amid the changes caused by the pandemic. Since this is only the first volume, these chapters primarily set up the story and characters without getting very far in the development of either. But there are indications of deep characters, complex relationships, and sweet friendships and love to come. I expect great things from the continuing volumes of this story and am excited to read them!

Story: It has been a while since I've read a lot of Shoujo and I'm not exactly the age group this manga is meant for. But the story pulled me back to when I couldn't stop reading shoujo manga. It is fun to have felt a bit like being 14 again, getting all sucked up into these messy love stories that actually are so unrealisitic. I am a bit afraid to go on with this book as it didn't really mention in the description that this will turn out to be a reversed harem, which with at least 4 guys seeming to have a crush on her, it is. This way there's a bunch of people going to get hurt which kind of always makes it hard to read these stories. But still the cliffhanger on this volume makes me want to pick up the next one in a heartbeat (sadly I need to wait til it releases...). Also I like that the author actually fitted the pandemic into her work. At the first mention I would have loved the pandemic to be actually called by its name and to not just be called a 'weird illness'. But later in the manga it was mentioned in a less unrealisitic way. I simply don't see anybody describing covid with 'weird' these days.
Overall the characters are pretty generic. I am not surprised by this and I honestly don't think Shoujo is something to read if you're looking for the most original idea. Though I would have wished for a bit more character developement on the senpai, considering the ending of this volume. But I really liked the way the friendship between all these guys worked.
The Story of this volume is a 4/5.

Art: The artstyle is pretty, not too different from many other shoujo manga but the characters are distinguishable and the guys are hot and the girl is cute. I also like the small chibi pun scenes. As with the story it was on the good but generic side, so also a 4/5.

A sweet pandemic high school friends to lovers, GIMME!
Sweetly drawn and beginning with a 2030 version of the MC, looking back on her high school life in 2020, it had a group of friends, one girl and four boys living their lives in a pandemic and the hardships of it. (I hope it dives into it for future volumes)

I am not sure if the other male friends are also going to be in love with her or want the pair together and stop being a nuisance, but I'm hoping for maybe one to also be in love or for them all to be friends because it would be very refreshing!

ALSO, HOW DARE SENPAI SAY THAT AT THE END?! I AM GONNA FIGHT HIM! HE KNEW AND STILL DID IT!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You, Volume 1 was beautifully drawn and set up a lot of important elements that will hopefully be explored in later volumes. The main story is a recollection of events from Mizuha Nishino's high school days 10 years prior.

It's Mizuha's 17th birthday, but it hasn't been going well. Her dad forgot, and her longtime crush turns her down. But then one of Mizuha's childhood friends confesses to her and forces her to reconsider her feelings and what a change in relationship could mean for the two of them.

The pacing was little quick, and but the way the story that was set up left enough hanging that I'm interested in picking up the next volume.

Art and Story: Haruka Mitsui
Translation: Melissa Chiam/amimaru
Lettering: Juan Marcos Rivera/amimaru

AHH I knew by the title right away that this manga was going to ruin me. And it did. Mizuho confesses her love to her crush but he rejects her harshly. As she is trying to console herself, her childhood friend confesses his love other and now she can't stop thinking about him! The art in this manga is beautiful. There so many beautiful boys to make you drool. Mizuho is a very relatable character. She grew up with a groups boy so they are like brothers to her. It's /weird/ to consider a brother as something more but she can't stop staring at Kizuki after he shared his love with her and showed her intimate moments of kindness and small acts of love. Aside from the love story, Mizuho is trying to be a manga artist but her storylines are average according to her teacher. She needs to experience a real love story to inspire her before she can write a good manga but she is at a loss. How is she supposed to get inspired when her crush won't even acknowledge her?
THE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END. Omg I am so excited for this manga. It hurts me that I know I have to wait a long time for the next. I am so excited for this story and the beautiful characters to realize their love for each other and goals in life. I like how inklings of the pandemic is scattered in the story making it SO MUCH more real. This is a MUST READ if you are a fan of romance and manga.