Archive for the Takeshima Eku Category


There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… LN 1

July 28th, 2025

A girl with blonde hair embraces a girl with pink hair, who looks uncomfortable about it. They wear the same school uniform skirt of black plaid, white blouses and red ties. The blonde wears a black blazer, as well.by Eleanor Walker, Okazu Staff Writer

This series has been on my radar for a while, but with the anime now airing I took the chance to read the first novel, which is mostly covered by episodes 1-3 of the anime adaptation of the light novel There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…, Volume 1

Content warning: sexual assault

Mai Oduka has it all. Money, good looks and brains. So when former loner Renako decides to reinvent herself for high school and go to a new school where no one knows her, she of course attracts the attention of Mai. Renako becomes part of Mai’s friend group, and is stunned when Mai confesses her feelings to her. Renako, however, just wants to be friends, so they set up a contest where some days they’ll try being lovers, and other days just friends. If Mai wears her hair up, it’s a friends day, if it’s down, it’s a lovers day.

I like the premise, it’s silly and a little bit of wish fulfillment for those who want to imagine how the other side lives and date the most popular girl in school. I just wish the author understood consent. There is one particular chapter in this volume where Mai and Renako end up in a hotel room because of course they do, and of course they end up naked together as well. I would describe what Mai does to Renako at this point as sexual assault. If you (supposedly) love someone, you listen to them when they say no. Granted, Mai does apologise later and says she got carried away, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

From this point, feelings start to get a little more messy. Mai tries to put Renako out of her mind, and hosts a private party to find a new partner. After a confrontation with Satsuki (another member of the group who has the potential to be very interesting), Renako dashes to find Mai and they quite literally kiss and make up. I must applaud whoever came up with the pun “friends with Rena-fits” at this point, as that’s how their relationship is going to proceed into volume 2. Not quite friends, not quite lovers. I do wonder if the reason Mai likes Renako so much is that she treats her relatively normally and actually says no to her, when she’s spent her entire life getting what she wants as soon as she wants it.

A potentially much more interesting development is Renako and Ajisai’s relationship. Ajisai is another member of the friend group, described as “the class archangel” but there seems to be more to her than just that. She has siblings who she has to care for and it turns out she’s also into video games, so while Mai is away working in France, Renako invites Ajisai over to play games with her. Renako has a little bit of a crush on Ajisai and does tell her that, so I’m interested to see where that goes, although I’d be very surprised if she ends up with anyone other than Mai.

Overall, this book is more complicated that it first seems. What seems to be a very shallow, over the top, harem-ish premise actually has some interesting characters in there. Renako’s reaction to being assaulted is also surprisingly realistic, she blames herself for not being firm enough with her boundaries and feels bad for slapping Mai. Girl, you are not the problem here. I was heartened to see that the most popular comment on episode 3 of the anime on YouTube at the time of writing was “The word of the day is consent”. Maybe there’s hope for the internet after all.

Ratings:

Art – 7 I do enjoy Eku Takeshima’s art
Story – 6 This would have been a lot higher if there was no sexual assault.
Characters – 7 So far the side characters are more interesting than the main couple.
Service – 6 A few illustrations but nothing too indecent.
Yuri – 7 It gets better as it goes on.

Overall – 7 I just hope there’s no more sexual assault in the next volumes.





Whisper Me A Love Song, Volume 7 and Volume 8

May 7th, 2024

Shiho has what we used to call a “difficult” personality. She appears to make decisions that work against her best interests more often than not. Should you happen to point it out to her, you become the problem. In Whisper Me A Love Song,  Volume 7 and Volume 8, Himari finally helps Shiho to see that the problem is that Shiho has piled every one of her issues up to form a barrier between her and Aki…and, really, she likes Aki, it’s just that all that stuff has kept her from admitting it. With the high tension of the school festival filling the air, will Shiho break permanently with her former bandmate, or open a new chapter between them?

When we learn, finally, what Shiho’s issue is – it is a perfect moment. Yes, of course, his would affect her and yes, of course, someone as high-strung and “difficult” as she iswould retreat into herself, finding fault with everyone around her, rather than taking a look at herself. But Shiho also comes off as selfish and willful here. When the penny finally drops and she sees what she is doing, it is very satisfying. We (and Himari) are immediately hopeful that Shiho will figure out how to build a healthier relationship with Aki.

In the mean time, back in mostly-functional relationship land, Himari and Yori enjoy their first school festival together with all the little joys and moritifcations that brings.

And then the Battle of the Bands begin and Lauraley comes out swinging. Who will win is not nearly as important as what will happen after that, but our little angel, Himari has shepherded her sempai into a situation that is much more likely to be win-win. Good on her.

These volumes are perfect high school drama. Just a teeny little bit of real world drama, and a lot of adorable love-love, unencumbered by concerns of growing up in a hostile world, centering on good friends, and having fun playing music. It’s the perfect recipe for fulfilling high school years.

Thanks to the team at Kodansha for doing a top-notch job with the character voices, so that when we hear them speaking in the anime – streaming now on HIDIVE – they really sound exactly the way we imagined they would. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 8

Overall – 9