Sakuraii is a model student but has a fatal flaw – she absolutely sucks at tests. If it weren’t for tests, she’d have no trouble at all getting into her school of choice, but alas… . Her teacher makes her an offer she really cannot refuse. If Sakuraii convinces a fellow classmate who has not come to class all year to show up to school, the teacher will give Sakuraii a glowing recommendation.  So, there is Sakuraii, standing in front of Honda’s house, trying to find a convincing argument to get the girl back to school. Honda, it turns out is a pretty chill person. She agrees to help Sakuraii out, but only if she gets one “wish” a day from the other girl. Fearing the worst,  Sakuraii accept the terms and indeed, the first wish is a kiss. As days stretch on Honda’s wishes range from walking home together to going on a date and Sakuraii starts to find that she’s enjoying her time with Honda. Which is good, because the teacher has added a condition – not only does Honda have to come to school, she’s got to pass class.

Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai, Volume 1 (ロンリーガールに逆らえない) is a Yuri rom-com. Like most romantic comedies, we have to allow for the abrupt destruction of personal boundaries as a condition for both the “rom” and the “com” portions…. But where the premise is absolutely suited to instantly becoming unappealing, it pulls back immediately and starts the whole thing over, letting the two girls get to learn to actually like one another. As the volume ends, it steps back into the “wrong lessons to teach” lane as Honda uses her leverage to push Sakuraii’s boundaries again.

I have no idea why I don’t dislike this story, honestly, but I don’t. I like it. Kashikaze’s art is pleasant enough. The characters are likeable, except when they are not. I’m not alone, either as this book sold out almost immediately when it was first printed and it has taken me months to get this volume (in part at least because of international shipping being messed up due to the pandemic for weeks over the spring.)

Ratings:

Art – 7
Characters – 7
Story – 7, sometimes slipping downward with faithless teachers and the like
Yuri – 7
Service – 2

Overall – 7

 I want Sakuraii to get into her school and have opened up Honda’s life and the two of them to be forever altered in a positive way by their interaction. I’m still reading this monthly as it comes out in Comic Yuri Hime and I still like it. I have no idea why! ^_^