This was a really cute story with a big mixup all caused by an eraser. Stay tuned to the very last page because the mixup gets even worse! I do appreciate that the two boys explore whether they could possibly have feelings for each other without having a moment of "wait, am I gay? I can't be gay!" It is just a natural thing they consider as part of life.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

I'm usually not one for a plot driven completely by misunderstandings and no communication, but the lightheartedness of this volume was very refreshing. Aoki, the main character forgets his eraser during a test. He is able to borrow one from his crush and seat neighbor Hashimoto, only to find that she's carved IDA <3 on it. When Aoki drops the eraser and it's mistakenly picked up by Ida, a series of misunderstandings propel the plot into a lighthearted, chaotic, love story between two young men.

What I loved most was the main character. Aoki is straightforward (despite the circumstances), open minded, and sweet. When he suspects Hashimoto likes Ida, he supports her. And when he realizes his own feelings for Ida (because hello it's a BL manga) he's honest and up front with Hashimoto. Ida is also honest with himself. The main four characters are refreshingly real and the story is sweet.

4/5 stars

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 1 by Wataru Hinekure is a strong romantic comedy with lots of twists and turns that, while sometimes embarrassing for the characters, are a lot of fun for the readers. My Love Mix-Up! will be enjoyed by manga readers but also teens who enjoy YA Romance novels as well. Highly recommended.

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, who sits next to him in class. One day his friend Aida, Akkun for short, refuses to lend him an eraser, so Hashimoto does...and when he takes off the paper sleeve, he finds that it says "IDA" with a heart! Realizing that this must mean that Hashimoto likes <i>Ida</i>, who sits in front of him, Aoki freaks out and drops the eraser - which Ida picks up. In order to save Hashimoto's secret, Aoki pretends that <i>he's</i> the one who likes Ida, and then Ida takes him seriously and wants to "start as friends" while he figures his feelings out, at which point Aoki starts to fall for him for real, which feels like a betrayal of both his feelings and Hashimoto's...except that isn't that eraser superstition about how when you wear the person's name off the eraser they'll like you back? And who is that who refused to lend Aoki an eraser in the first place...?

This book, despite only really focusing on four characters, has enough love geometry to put <i>Marmalade Boy</i> to shame. It's silly, ridiculous, and absolutely a ton of fun. In large part that's because Ida isn't upset that another boy likes him, nor does he just reject Aoki out of hand because "ew, gay." There's an earnestness to all of the characters that's really charming, and even when Aoki realizes that Ida's a great guy and he might really be falling for him, all it takes is two people reminding him that there's nothing to be ashamed about to walk him back from believing that he's "weird." It's a comedy with its heart in the absolute right place and I'm really looking forward to how Aoki will make his own life more difficult (and how Hashimoto and Ida will talk him back) in the next volume.

Also, this has another one of Viz's great ratings explanations. You'll be relieved to know that "no cinnamon rolls were harmed in the production of" <i>My Love Mix-Up</i>.

What a light and delightful comedy of errors—I look forward to reading more of these characters’ mishaps as they navigate love and friendship with one another.

Man, this was hilarious!

I thought I was getting another love triangle romance, but this was a breath of fresh air. I never laughed so much reading a manga, and the romantic element has my heart singing.

At first, it seems tropey as hell. Miscommunication, love triangles, etc, but it worked. All the characters have great personalities, they work do well off each other, and the romance felt natural. Yes, it started off with miscommunication, but the genuine feelings that grew from them make it so sweet.

But the comedy is top notch. The main character makes the greatest faces ever, and the comedic timing had me cackling. I can’t wait for the second volume. That cliff hanger promises more wacky shenanigans to ensue.

This is a really cute shojo series, off to a great start! The confusion starts almost immediately when Aoki's crush, Hashimoto lends him an eraser that has her crush's name on it, and this happens to be Ida, the boy that sits in front of Aoki. Miscommunication and Aoki wanting to protect Hashimoto's secret means that now Ida thinks Aoki likes him. The typical slice of life school romance hijinks go down, with the characters forming strong friendships and going through the school's cultural festival together. All the interaction has Aoki thinking that he actually has a crush on Ida after all, and has no clue what to do about it. This first volume sets up the tone of the series very well, it's full of humor and fun character interactions, the friendship between Aoki and Hashimoto is particularly sweet, and I like seeing Aoki and Ida getting to know each other better, since they start off basically as strangers. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series!

My Love Mix-Up by Wataru Hinekure was such a delightful read!!!

I love these newer concepts in manga where love is love, no matter gender and there’s no prejudice at all. It’s really refreshing and light and it makes me happy.

I’m very interested to see how this story pans out, so I’ll be keeping my eye out.

And the ending was so cute!

This manga is a romance story with simple and cute plot. It was easy to read and not put down until you’re done. The story is wholesome and will make you laugh. The ending was completely amazing and was something that wasn’t expected. The art style completed the story beautifully and made the read that much more enjoyable.

Debut writer Wataru Hinekure teams up with seasoned artist Aruko (My Love Story!!) for this adorable romcom abundant with misunderstandings. When Aoki borrows an eraser from his crush Hashimoto he's surprised to find it's been engraved with the name Ida and a little heart. He's even more surprised when he's caught red-handed holding the eraser by Ida himself! In order to protect Hashimoto's first love he maintains the charade and a comedy of error ensures.

I have been super excited for the English release of this series and the first volume does not disappoint! Aruko's art is fairly simple here but the range of expressions she employs really brings the laughs. Both Aoki and Ida take center stage in this volume and are quick to endear you to them, I'm looking forward to getting to know Hashimoto more too next volume! This is definitely an instant buy for me.

My Love Mix Up is a story about a teenage boy who pretends to have a crush on another boy, which leads to a series of circumstances that the characters find confusing and embarrassing but which are funny and adorable to the readers. I became invested in this story quickly and really enjoyed reading it. I think teens, especially those who already enjoy manga, will enjoy this book as well. Looking forward to future volumes!

This was EXTREMELY cute. The premise (protagonist borrows an eraser from the girl he has a crush on, she's written the name of another boy on it, protagonist drops it in front of that boy who now assumes that HE has a crush on him, protagonist is too worried about embarrassing his crush in front of HER crush to explain the mix-up, and the supposed object of their mutual affections is trying so hard not to hurt protagonist's (nonexistent) feelings that he ends up... having feelings) is just the kind of wacky yet wholesome nonsense that I like in a manga. I especially appreciated that the protagonist and his female crush ended up becoming good friends! The art is done by the same artist as My Love Story!!, so it's a very sweet shoujo aesthetic. If you've ever thought "I want to read a sweet, silly shoujo high school romance, but I want it to be queer", this is the title for you. Obviously no promises about how the story will progress in subsequent volumes, but I really liked the first one!

I absolutely adored this book, and am extremely excited to see how Aoki and Ida end up. I do get some 'Blue Flag' (Kaito - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51086632-blue-flag-vol-1?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=EMfNsZqo8X&rank=2) vibes from the concept; which is great because I absolutely loved the story.

A case of mistaken crushes is underway!
Aoki has been crushing on sweet, helpful Hashimoto, a girl who sits next to him in class. When asking to borrow an eraser from Hashimoto for a pop quiz, Aoki finds writing on her eraser and realizes Hashimoto's crushing on another classmate IDA. Caught off-guard, Aoki drops said eraser is picked up by none other than Ida, himself.

Not wanting to ruin Hashimoto's secret crush, Aoki takes the fall and claims the eraser to be his; confusing Ida into thinking Aoki has a crush on him instead. Watch the confusion ensue, and the love blossom all because of a little white lie.

OH MY GOD I haven't read a manga that made me feel good like this in years!!! I'm so so excited to read more! I adore how wholesome the characters are, and I'm so happy to be reading a queer romance that isn't hyper sexualized yaoi.