I love manga but this one just wasn’t interesting enough for me. The plot was ok but the characters weren’t compelling enough for me.

This manga felt like a hot mess. It was amusing I guess? But really all over the place and the main character is unbearable. At one point she does a voice over of what she imagines the thoughts of another character are… And confusing things like that happen throughout, to the point where I really was not sure what I was reading. A lot of characters are introduced but you don’t actually get to know any of them.

I understand this is a series and hopefully the mc evolves but I wouldn’t want to call this first book an LGBTQ+ story. Aoi’s character is somewhat butch, but the mc (who I’m assuming is supposed to fall in love with Aoi) at this point is just a menace, and it’s not sweet or romantic or even explicitly queer. This one lost me.

Thank you for this free copy! I really did enjoy it, it was a breath of fresh air during the downtimes and totally fun.

If you are an anime/mange fan who loves cute YURI stories, THIS IS FOR YOU!!! This is the story of self-discovery, lost love and so much more. Full and full of adorable moments with the cutest art. It’s told between flashbacks where you get to see Lovely moments between the main character and her love

This manga is off to a good start. It lays out the story in such a way that you are curious to know what will happen next. Of course it has the clichés that you expect from a romance.

It has good drawing, cute characters and I can't wait for the next volumen. Recommended.

Definitely one that has the potential to pull on heartstrings with sweet art to match. Interested in seeing how this one goes.

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba is the first manga in the series written by Hazuki Tateoka, It's a sweet Shoujo-Ai ( 少女愛 or girl love) manga, which explores lost love, self discovery, and romance.

The illustrations very well made with clean lines, beautiful backgrounds, and well made characters. The plot is simple and followed a similar line of events as other Yuri Manga but it was very cute and in a way nostalgic.

It is a great novel for readers who are just starting out to read manga and it's absolutely worth investing in the future parts of the series.

Solid start to a Yuri manga series. The characters were adorable and some of them were way over the top in a good way. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series to see what is left in the story line.

This was a really good start to a yuri manga series that I now definitely plan to continue! The first volume left me with a lot of questions, which I could tell was the intent. I do wish that the reasoning behind Sahoko's abrupt fascination with Aoi was explored a little more, but I do realize that most manga requires at least a little suspension of disbelief. Overall I was very pleased with the story, and the art is incredibly gorgeous. I look forward to reading more volumes in the future!

4 Stars
I loved this manga, it was such a sweet sapphic romance story. Once again I forgot to write a review right after reading but the memories of the manga are nothing but good.

3/5

Thought this looked and sounded interesting but I missed my chance to read it no!!! I'm giving it three stars instead of two because I almost never see yuri manga up for arc reviews and I will get ahold of a copy eventually!

Thanks to NetGally for the ARC

Overall, a sweet manga that tells the tale of Sahoko's infatuation with Aoi. Her shallow personality stems from a history being the "ugly" outsider in middle school. She admires Aoi, who seems to effortlessly gain popularity.

I would have preferred if I got read more about the girls when they were older and then have flashbacks to the past.

Nonetheless, if you're looking for a yuri manga that is not explicit, then this would not be a bad place to start.

This was such a cute read and I really loved the art style in this manga! It was very light-hearted and I defiantly want to carry on with this manga collection!

I enjoyed the manga Masamune's Revenge, so I was excited to learn there was a yuri manga by the same author. The angst between the Saho and Aoi characters were well done, and I especially enjoyed the character of Anna. It was only volume 1 but I am wishing for her happiness. These type of manga always have someone having unrequited love or feelings that they want to say but cannot. I always like siding with a side character or underdog in these situations. Since this is just the first volume, there isn't much I feel to the story line. It is the typical popular girl meets another girl who is completely different from her and she can't pinpoint why but wants to get close to her. Aoi does seem to have some deeper issues plaguing her that I hope the next volume addresses more. The art is nice, and it is setting up to be a slow burn relationship in any case. I look forward to the next volume!

I'm sorry but this was just terrible. The characters were so whiny and the story wasn't picking up at all, so in the end I dnf'd it.

Looks Don’t Matter When You Don’t Have the Right Personalities – Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetera (Chasing After Aoi Koishiba) Vol.1 Manga Review

Who Are These Side-Characters?

Mangaka: Takeoka, Hazuki (Story) and Fly (Art)
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Genre: Drama, School, Shoujo Ai, Shounen
Published: April 2021 - Ongoing

Sahoko is one of the popular girls in high school and had many friends. She tends to be the center of attention at reunions as the people from her past try to catch up with her. But there is one person she wants to reconnect with, Aoi Koshiba, her classmate and first love. Aoi Koshiba’s talent in basketball made it easy for her to socialise with pretty much anyone in the school. The two girls lives take a new turn when the share unexpected kiss.
--- Spoilers Ahead ---

Discussion Time

This story depicts the joyful experience between high school students, which later turned into regrets during their adulthood. The reasons? Well, that is where we have to find out by reading this series. The character designs and personalities they possessed makes them memorable and sometimes interesting in their own right for a school setting. It also shows how life can be unexpected and how individuals see one another with everything they have in their lives.

Why You Should Read Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetera (Chasing After Aoi Koishiba)

1. The Dark Side of Having Good Looks

Sahoko may be popular or lovely on the outside, but that isn’t who she is if you’re close to her or able to see who she is. She is the kind of person who judges a person by their looks instead of getting to know them personally. That is why she forces herself to focus on her facial features and creates a fake persona to blend into society. She has to learn that looks aren’t everything even if you have those good looks yourself. You never know who would be your significant other. Wink. Wink.


2. Memorable High School Experience

We know that high school for many people is the golden age of their youth. The same can be said for the characters in this story. We meet the people and get exposed to different ideas that shape us into who we are as adults. The members of the Home EC club including Aoi and Sahoko share this experience as the diverse member expose each other to different ideas and cultural norms.

3. Side Characters

We know that the main characters are important in this series, but we can’t help but find the side characters interesting. The way they concoct a plan to persuade Sahoko in joining the Home EC club. Their thoughts and interactions with her bring out unexpected sides of her and others. Sometimes it can be dramatic and funny, and other times can be serious.

Why You Should Skip Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetera (Chasing After Aoi Koishiba)

1. Odd First Impression

The first meeting between Aoi and Sahoko didn’t go as smoothly as Sahoko had planned. She frankly came across as a real weirdo. The oddness continues in her effort to apologized using the school PA system which only made her seem a little stalker-y. We know that some of you don’t find the comedy in that kind of obsessive behavior so be warned.

Final Thoughts

Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetera (Chasing After Aoi Koishiba) is a yuri manga about a popular girl, who is hides her trueself from others and a tomboy who has garnered the respect of many in the student body. It depicts the complicated relationship and how difficult it can be to express your feelings to a person of properly and how much regret one carries during adulthood. The side characters felt like they are on par with the main characters as they are fun to hang out with.

Other than these, the story has a bit of a stalking element where Sahoko goes out of her way to locate and meet Aoi, which can be creepy to some of you. If you are interested in reading a yuri manga focused on the tale of two oppsites trying to find where they fit in each others lives this might be a manga for you.
By. Nobodies17

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba opens with a high school reunion where Sahoko is disappointed to learn that Aoi Koshiba won't be there. After that initial scene, we go back in time and learn how Sahoko first met Aoi and what happened between them.

At 17, Sahoko is part of the "IT-girls". She lives for her Instagram feed and the likes she gets, only hangs out with other IT-girls and only does ~cool activities. She's worked hard to climb the popularity ladder, but now at the top, she doesn't seem to be enjoying herself very much.

When she first noticed Aoi, Sahoko admired her. Aoi is effortlessly liked by everyone. She doesn't seem to care what the other students think of her and she appears to have a lot of fun hanging out with all sorts of people, jocks to nerds alike.

In this first volume, we see how Sahoko becomes infatuated with her and her admiration for this mysterious Aoi might be an actual crush!

The last time I reviewed a manga I mentioned I didn't think I liked mangas and that book was an exception... Well, I enjoyed Chasing After Aoi Koshiba as well, so I'm thinking maybe I enjoy mangas, but they need to be sapphic ✌🏻 and I have to space them out.

This manga was really adorable. The illustrations were pretty and the story was fluid and engaging.

Most of the time, my problem with mangas is that I find them problematic, but this first volume was okay. I'm curious to see how her friends will handle her coming out in the upcoming volumes. I also suspect we might be getting a love triangle? We shall see!

TL;DR - This Yuri manga is another winner, you should give it a try!

Thanks to Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC

*Screams*

*Ahem*

THIS WAS AMAZING!
If you love Yuri manga, and wlw romance this is for you for sure. The art style is well done, I loved the character design of both main characters and background/settings, and the FASHION was so great. It was a fun read with a cute love story told in both real time and with flashbacks. I can't wait to see it developed into an anime (because it should be).

This was sapphic beauty! I love these characters and the school setting as well! The drawing was definitely up my alley. Can’t wait to see more from this author!
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy of this book 😊

I really enjoyed this manga! Volume 1 of Chasing After Aoi Koshiba opens up at a high school reunion, where the main character, Narita, is hoping to see an old friend (the title character, Aoi Koshiba). Throughout the rest of the volume, we see flashbacks to how the two met in school, and how their relationship began. It's a very cute, innocent, slow burn story of high school romance. It ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm interested to see what happens in this series! It looks like we're in for quite the twist.

The artwork was also incredible, and I loved the details in every scene. If you're looking for a fluffy f/f romance, I recommend this series! Thank you to the publisher Kodansha Comics for an electronic copy via NetGalley.