2.5 stars

Cute indeed. The only issue is... I couldn't empathize with the characters. Like, why do you like Ayumu? I could see she liked him, but I would have liked to read more of their background story. But one this is sure, I don't think I'll be picking up it's subsequent parts :((
However, the character designs were amazing!!

This was a very cute read that revolves the love between high schoolers. Its quite cute actually.

The story revolves around Ayumu, an unassuming high school student with a not-so-secret crush on his best friend, Natsuki. Ayumu's dilemma of whether to confess his feelings or not is a central theme, and it's portrayed with both humor and sensitivity. The manga's ability to capture the awkwardness and sweet moments of young love makes it a standout feature.

The pacing is well-balanced, with a mix of light-hearted comedic moments and poignant reflections on the characters' feelings. This balance keeps the story engaging and relatable, making it easy for readers to connect with the characters' experiences. For me, its a quite a standard story for a high school love, but it got me giggling at some of their antiques.

Overall, it was a read that I will recommend for a light read.

3.65🌟

I found this to be very repetitive with short and similar chapters. I personally don't think I'll continue reading this series but I can also see why lots of people love this as Ayumu is very stubborn in refusing to admit his crush until he wins a game of shogi.

I really liked that there is also a Shogi guide at the beginning. Very cool to help readers understand the game going on.

ireally enjoyed this manga and I was a bit unsure at first as I knew nothing about the game Shogi, however there is an explanation at the start which helped with this, and if like me you don't understand and haven’t played Shogi you’ll still enjoy this and won’t be lost. It’s a fun and interesting read and I’m definitely going to read the next
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a such a cute read and really good for the fans of Kaguya-sama Love is War. Two people who have feelings for each other either won't admit first.

A sweet slice of life manga. As a huge fan of manga, I was a little bit disappointed as to just how slow this storyline is. Whilst I do love a cute, sedate slice-of-life, which this undoubtedly is, the story was simply a bit too slow for me. Cute drawing style and a sweet premise, if you are looking for a really relaxed read then this is for you.

Super cute even though I couldn't quite follow the bits about game play. The art style is cute and the plot is just as enjoyable!

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This is a combination of the anime Chihayafuru and the manga Our Precious Conversations with a 4koma panel style. Because of the style, it can seem to be too episodic at times so if that bothers you, do not read this. Otherwise if you love high school characters falling in love one being very stoic and one being more bubbly check it out. Definitely perfect for fans of Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun. Overall, this is a fantastic manga series to start and I have to give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

It's cute but I really was expecting something else. I think I will read the 2nd volume and see if I will continue with the series or not.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was fantastic! Fun, adorable, and surprisingly informative with lovely art to boot!

Yaotome and Ayumu made such a great couple; they had amazing chemistry and banter and it was enjoyable watching them skirt around each other throughout this vol with a smattering of "will they, won't they" moments.

Surprisingly, this romance shojo manga taught me quite a bit about the game Shogi. The detailed explanation at the beginning of the manga certainly went some ways towards introducing the game, but truth be told I still didn't understand it. It was nice to see the little game breakdowns in between each game though, and I imagine this would be seen as a welcome inclusion for any Shogi players reading this vol. If you don't understand or have never played Shogi then don't worry! You can still be as clueless about it as me and be able to enjoy this manga.

I can't wait to see what comes next for this adorable pair and I loved that by the end I was truly left wondering "When Will Ayumu Make His Move?"

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? Vol. 1 caught my eye as the cover and title are actually pretty cute! This is perfect for readers who love it when romance and humor come together in manga, as there is undoubtedly a fair amount of both. Also, it's from the creator of Teasing Master Takagi-san.

Yaotome and Ayumu both have feelings for each other. Yaotome is perfectly fine with doing something about those feelings, but she wants Ayumu to make the first move. Unfortunately for both of them, Ayumu has made himself a promise.

His promise is that he will not declare his feelings for Yaotome until after he beats her fair and square in a game of shogi. This might not ordinarily be a problem, but Yaotome hosts a shogi club (a two-person club, mind you), and she is extremely talented...where Ayumu...well, let's just say he's still learning.

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? Vol. 1 is a quick, fun, and charming read. It doesn't take much to understand the core concept – where this series shines is with the characters. Ayumu and Yaotome both have strong personalities, not to mention strong feelings for one another. And yet they keep dancing around and around, neither being fully willing to share how they feel.

In Ayumu's case, his unwillingness to share his feelings due to a promise he made (to himself) is pretty comical at times. It's cute that he's trying too hard with Yaotome, but sometimes it feels like he's lost the forest for the trees.

Almost forgot to review this one. It's just okay. This is a romance involving two characters who play shogi together. The girl wants the guy to confess, but the guy has put a condition on himself that he can't confess unless he beats her in their games of shogi. Unfortunately, she's a pro and he's far from her skill level. It's a very chill read, and I'm sure readers who are fans of shogi might find it more engaging than I did. There's very few points in the manga that feel memorable or unique. They have the concept, they have the set-up, but now what? How do you keep this petty conflict going in the long run? Where is this going? Where are any other characters for that matter?

This manga grew on me. This is a manga centered around the game of shogi and 2 people who play it. The beginning of the manga shares an extensive beginner's guide to shogi, so if you're interested, it's a nice read. I was more interested in the relationship between Ayumu and Yaotome so I mostly skimmed through the shogi bits (pages throughout the manga of their shogi games which shows their moves and the gameplay). I really liked how Ayumu never fully admits his crush on Yaotome, but he keeps her guessing by saying or doing affectionate things. Their dynamic is just so precious and so fun to read about. I can't wait to read the next volume! I'll definitely be continuing with this manga.

4.5/5 Stars

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher Kodansha Comics for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.8 stars
This is a short compilation of sort of a slice of life romance manga which I actually enjoy. The format of the manga is in what I will called short episodes of the character's life. This is too cute 😩😩. The two characters in here are in a shogi club and they were the only members of the club so they always play matches with each other. Ayumu obviously had crush on his senior but he aimed to beat his seniot before confessing.

However, I don't think he can resist from ocassionally slipping his confessions here and there, its so freakin cute btw 😂😂. The plot are mostly about them interacting with each other so nothing much is going on in Volume 1 but its still so fun to read.

Very enjoyable read! The characters are cute and (speaking from an older perspective) easily transport you back to the cringy/high excitement feelings of teen years. As a bonus, you also learn a bit about shogi.

I read this as an ebook (especially enjoyable as reading it on my computer allowed me to enjoy the artwork more) but I am seriously considering buying a physical copy of this too - partly so I can easily dip into it and partly in order to share with my friends and daughter. I'm also very looking forward to grabbing future volumes and seeing how the characters' relationship progresses.

From the author of Teasing Master Takagi-san, I was curious to see what direction Yamamoto would take with Will Ayumu Make His Move? The romantic comedy is similar to Takagi-san but centers around Shogi, also known as Japanese chess. It can be a little challenging to follow if you aren't familiar with the game but the translation notes and extra material are welcomed. But, it is a fun show to see the two high schoolers do battle around Shogi and their romantic interests.

Ayumi and Yaotome’s relationship starts off to a wonderful start as they progress beyond the world of shogi. It’s only a matter of time until one of them slips and adds to the lovable chaos of will they or won’t they. They have a wonderful relationship that can withstand the pain of playing jokes at each other as they search for a romance. They don’t have to worry about taking it too far since their relationship can withstand it.

There are limits to how far this sort of joking romance can last and it’s already hitting its limit with this first volume. After a while, it’s bound to get boring and lose its charm. It’s fine for this volume because it’s still new and fresh. It’s going to need something to shake things up and Ayumu hints that there are going to be elements to disturb the fake peace between Ayumu and Yaotome.

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? Volume 1, by Soichiro Yamamoto is a manga style graphic novel. Yaotome's the president of the shogi club at her high school, and she's pretty sure that Ayumu, an underclassman and the only other member of the club, has a huge crush on her. They get together to play shogi every day after school, but no matter what she does, she can't seem to get him to confess his feelings! What she doesn't know is that Ayumu has made a pact with himself to reveal his love only after he's beaten Yaotome at shogi for the first time.

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? is a cute 'will they won't they' story. Yaotome and Ayumu are fun to watch as they talk and flirt, but never really admit out loud that they like each other. The nerves, embarrassment, and awkwardness is well displayed in the artwork and the text. I could feel the frustration along with Yaotome, but still was annoyed that she never took the initiative and said that she liked him or asked him out first. I liked getting to learn a bit about he game shogi, which I have seen before but still do not get- but I am horrible with chess too so that is not a surprise. I would love to see this series continue, and have the cast of characters and locations grow a bit. The heart of the story will always be this couple, but other friends and activities could add some depth and drama to the story instead of just recycling the same basic conversation. I still liked the story, and want to know how they finally get together, but I feel like there could be some more twists in future installments for added interest.

I struggled to enjoy this manga, unlike Yamamoto's other series, "Teasing Master Takagi-san." I've never been interested in shogi so that may be part of the problem, but it's really just a cover for the romance budding between the two main characters.
It's obvious that Ayumu and Yaotome have feelings for each other, but Ayumu won't admit it until he beats her at shogi. As the only two members, they spend their time after school playing while awkwardly flirting. I'm not a fan of slow reads like this, but people who enjoy Kaguya-sama, Love is War may like it. I find the slow place agitating and tense, especially since we don't know why Ayumu has set these stipulations for himself. While it is rather cute and sweet, it just doesn't have the same playful teasing storyline that I enjoy so much in the "Takagi-san" series.