I loved the mystery aspect of this! A very nice change of pace from other romance mangas. I am very intrigued to see how the story unfolds, as we are left with many questions and mysteries surrounding Honatsu and her amnesia.

Honatsu ha appena iniziato il secondo anno di liceo e sin dall'inizio ci vengono presentati i personaggi a lei più vicini, due amici d'infanzia che l'hanno aiutata in passato ad affrontare l'amnesia che ha sconvolto la sua vita dopo un incidente.
Uno di loro sembra anche provare sentimenti per lei, e Honatsu pare voler capire meglio cosa prova a sua volta per lui, anche se non sembra del tutto convinta.
L'arrivo di un nuovo studente però sconvolge ulteriormente la vita della protagonista che cercando di avvicinarsi a questa persona per conoscerla meglio inizierà a provare nuovi e sconosciuti sentimenti.

C'è molto da scoprire in questo manga secondo me. Sebbene all'inizio lo avessi accostato al genere slice of life o romantico, è molto più probabile che si dedicherà maggiormente al mistero legato all'amnesia della protagonista. E questo sinceramente non è che mi interessi molto. La perdita di memoria è un espediente che non mi piace solitamente negli intrecci narrativi.
Sicuramente c'è qualche inghippo tra i due protagonisti maschili, riguardante la protagonista, ma ancora non è chiaro nulla. Shun sicuramente non è cattivo senza motivo, ma anzi è sicuramente tutto il contrario. Personaggi come lui ne ho visti parecchi!
Probabilmente è il tratto di disegno che mi ha spinto a leggerlo e che probabilmente mi farebbe continuare la lettura, perchè non ha una trama particolarmente interessante. Sicuramente vorrei sapere chi dei due alla fine sceglierà. L'amico o il bel tenebroso?

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Honatsu has just started her second year of high school and from the beginning we are introduced to the characters closest to her, two childhood friends who have helped her in the past to deal with the amnesia that has upset her life after an accident. .
One of them also seems to have feelings for her, and Honatsu seems to want to better understand how she feels about him, even though she doesn't seem entirely convinced.
The arrival of a new student, however, further upsets the life of the protagonist who, trying to get closer to this person to get to know her better, will begin to experience new and unknown feelings.

There is a lot to discover in the future of this manga in my opinion. Although I initially linked it to the slice of life or romantic genre, it is much more likely that it will devote itself more to the mystery linked to the protagonist's amnesia. And this honestly i don't care at all. Memory loss is a trope that I don't usually like in narrative plots.
Surely there is some catch between the two male protagonists, regarding the protagonist, but still nothing is clear. Shun is not bad for no reason, but he is definitely quite the opposite. I've seen a lot of characters like him!
It is probably the style of drawing that prompted me to read it and that would probably make me continue reading, because it does not have a particularly interesting plot right now. Surely I would like to know which of the two she will ultimately choose. The friend or the grumpy misterious one?

4.5/5

Falling Drowning contains three of some of my least favourite tropes…. and yet… and yet! I really, REALLY liked it. The characters were all interesting. They’re not my favourite characters that have ever been written, but I do like them and I understand them. The art was decent the whole way through. There were some really nice two page scenes (even though I couldn’t appreciate them reading on an iPad). I also like the stark contrast between the two main interests. And how every character is very discernible (aka great character design).
I love the physical closeness that the author made all the characters do. So many mangas don’t have the characters touch, even in small ways. So I liked how Yuko Inari displays her characters relationships through physical touch.

THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH!! I am very excited to read the next volume. You have a new fan in me, Yuko Inari.

Wow. That was a great start to a new series. I like the mystery wrapped up in the MC’s past. When are we going to find out what happened? It’s so good! I like that both boys definitely like her and we’ll get a nice love triangle going. It will definitely be a good one because I like that her feelings are underdeveloped for either guy. She’ll be able to grow and figure out what her heart wants!

This is going to be a series to watch!

(First of all, thank you so much NetGalley, publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review)

First thing got my eye was the cover (as usual), and this is so important in mangas to me because it's difficult to read a manga when you didn't like the drawings. But this, I LOVED IT.

Synopsis: Honatsu is a second-year high school student who got the flu and now is back to school while people were spreading rumors involving her childhood friend Toma (as if they are dating). She doesn't know how she feels about him although she isn't opposed to the idea. However, how do you know you love someone? This question is hard to answer and a bit more when a transfer student arrives, Shun Tachibana. Is she going to develop her friendship with Toma into love or is she going to fall for Shun?

*WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW*

I enjoyed so much the first volume. It has romance but also a bit of suspense BECAUSE SHE HAS AMNESIA! I know she knew Shun before the accident but she doesn't remember him. However, I don't get yet because it's so soon in the story why Shun is "mean" to her like to push her away but at the same time like he wants to her to remember. And why she remember her two childhood friend but not Shun? And why Toma didn't tell her about Shun before? I need to know more about it.

Waiting for the next Volume!

Falling Drowning is a new Shoujo school life manga by Yuko Inari. Honatsu is starting her second year of high school is already getting wrapped up with rumors involving childhood friend, Toma, that she has known since kindergarten. Even though Honatsu doesn’t remember her life prior to six years ago. Her friends have been there for her, she strives to excel in school and live in the moment. She is pretty blunt with her thoughts and opinions. But when a new transfer student arrives in school, Shun Tachibana, Honatsu heart doesn’t know what this feeling is. Falling? Drowning? How does she know her own heart when she isn’t sure of her past.

I absolutely loved this first volume and I am excited for this next. I believe readers who enjoyed Orange by Ichigo Takano, will enjoy the suspense aspect of this. 5 stars!

Thank you so much to Kodansha and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review.

Honatsu starting her second year of high school two weeks late due to the flu, the same time as the new transfer student. In addition Honatsu is facing rumours that she is dating her childhood friend Toma. The new transfer student is brooding and somewhat mysterious. Both boys make Honatsu question what it means to fall in love.

Loved the art style and the tropes used in this manga. I will definitely continue with the series. I am rooting for the brooding type but when am I not?

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing me with an eARC for review.

Falling Drowning is the new shojo by Yuko Inari, some romance mixed with suspense that gives the readers a sort of Orange meets Kinkyori Renai. It follows the story of Honatsu, a teenage student who comes back after the summer break to find out strange rumours about her dating her longtime boy friend, Toma. This leaves her not indifferent to the matter and, ignorant on all things related to love, Honatsu tries to untangle her feelings and figure out what she really feels for Toma. But things aren't that easy, especially when Shun, a transfer student, arrives in her class. For when the two boys encounter, or should I say, meet again after six years, some subjects re-emerge between them. Among them, the famous accident that left Honatsu with a loss of six years worth of memories.

This shojo was super nice to read. The first thing that attracted me was this beautiful cover, and now that I read the manga I can tell that it catches very well the full story. The drawings inside are as pretty. I loved the simplicity of Inari's style.

The story, too, was very entertaining. This is not new, in terms of plot, but still very enjoyable. Honatsu appears completely lost concerning her feelings, and this is something that appears often in shojos because the coming-of-age encompasses this theme. Here, Honatsu was on the borderline between being bold and being prudent; I related a lot to her, concerning that. I liked the character of Toma as well, though I thought that being too protective over Honatsu made him a bit boring and irritating sometimes. Yet he is definitely not problematic, so it's hard to dislike/hate him. He is like a ray of sunshine in Honatsu's life, if Shun doesn't become it in the future. Shun is what we might consider a bad boy, even if he isn't. He is the typical character who appears from we don't know where, who's the most disagreeable on his first day at school, and who becomes very nice (all of a sudden) when the female protagonist shows a bit of affection to him. I'm guilty of loving this kind of character (oops), so, yes, it was cliché, but it didn't particularly bother me.

On the whole, I'm very curious about where the story is going. We, readers, are left with big plot holes/secrets that will probably be unravelled in the next mangas, one of which is the connection between Honatsu and Shun. We know that he has had his heart broken with his first love, but we don't know who it is (I'll bet on Honatsu though). I read some of Inari's notes saying that the first draft of Falling Drowning was meant to direct the story on the suspense genre, not necessarily a shojo. And the end proves her point. I'm very eager to know whether the accident that cost the life of Honatsu's father and Honatsu's memories was really an accident or not.

I would encourage all shojos lovers who like a bit of mystery to read this manga!

Thank you so much again Kodansha and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this manga! It was a pleasure!

Honatsu and Toma have been friends since childhood, but since entering high school, it seems that Toma (the boy) is keen to let Honatsu know that he's up for becoming more than just friends. This is apparently obvious to all their classmates, who assume that Toma and Honatsu are already dating. But Honatsu starts to wonder... she's very comfortable with Toma and as he starts making his feelings for her more obvious, she' wonders... is this what love is supposed to feel like?

But when she encounters Shun Tachibana, a somewhat sullen and prickly transfer student who's new to her class, there's something about him that's intriguing. Since he sits in front of her in class and, like her, has missed the first two weeks of the new school term, she tries to reach out and befriend him. But a moment of kindness leads the two to have a conversation when Shun questions her uncertainty about whether she's "maybe" in love with "a boy she's really good friends with" and tells her that love feels like "falling."

From there, Falling Drowning starts hinting at some secrets from Honatsu, Toma and Shun's past that will force the three friends to face some uncomfortable questions about what love and friendship means for them.

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded and set up the tension for twists that will be revealed in future volumes. It feels like it could go down some dark paths, but it doesn't seem like it will get really twisted and horrifying as some K-dramas can get. In any case, I'm hooked from Volume 1 enough to want to see what happens next in volume 2.

Such a sweet romance manga with a hint on intrigue, I can't wait to find out what really happened! I really like both of the main guys and I'm not sure who will be picked! I don't even know who I would pick either. Both seem sweet and whilst I'm not often a fan of a love triangle, so far this didn't annoy me.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, and Yuko Inari for the opportunity to read Falling Drowning Volume 1 in exchange for an honest review.

Diving in, I thought this would be the same type of high school drama manga that there are a billion different versions of. WRONG!! This is one of the best dramas I have read and the real drama has barely even begun!

Honatsu has been friends with Toma since kindergarten. He and her best friend were there for her after a terrible accident claimed her fathers life and left Honatsu with amnesia.

Along comes transfer student Tachibana. She has never seen him before, but something about their encounters makes her heart pound, despite his cold aloofness. Tachibana seems to know about the accident, but from a single panel side conversation with his good friend, also Toma, it would seem he is somehow involved in Honatsu's past, though how has not quite been revealed, but there are some hints.

Between falling in love with her best friend and feeling something for this new person, Honatsu is trying to figure out just what it means to fall for someone and how those feelings might lead to love.

This is brilliantly written and heart-pounding. The reader can see where this story might be going, and even though it is not quite there yet, I feel like this is a series that will, at some point, make me cry. I am super eager to add this series to my collection and I can't wait to see how the drama unfolds in Volume 2!

Surprisingly, I'm a massive shoujo fan - romance in manga always hits for me, and Falling Drowning is no exception! Really enjoyed this intro into a new series - and excited to see how the story pans out in future volumes, because honestly I don't know where this one is headed...

The cover and the unique title caught my attention on this new manga series. It's broken down into four chapters, each one titled after a similar action/state. It does drift a little toward the poetic side, but then, this one is romance pure...with the promise of a little mystery as well.

Honatsu has started her second year of high school and her close connection to her friend (since childhood), Toma, has blossomed into rumors that the two are dating. Honatsu isn't sure what to do with any of this, especially since it's not true. Or maybe, it isn't. She's not sure herself if what she feels for Toma can be considered love. Then, Shun Tachibana enters the classroom, a boy who is a bit of a loner and hard to approach, which Honatsu takes as an invitation to help him, as the new kid, meld into school. But as she gets to know him, strange feelings pop up and with them, the hints that something more is at play. And all of that might have something to do with her memory loss since an accident a little while ago.

This one shows promise with the hints of secrets, a hidden past, an accident, and emotions, which come out of nowhere. The first volume lays the basis for this, more with introducing the characters than digging into any mystery. But the hints are there, and they do entice. So, I'll be keeping my eye open for Volume 2 to see if the next step offers more in this area (because this could be exciting). As to this first volume, it's a bit more slow and sweet and poetic and...well, blooming or not blooming romance.

The pacing is slow and gentle, fitting to the romantic build-up and uncertainty. Honatsu is pretty solid on the psychological end considering she lost memories during an accident. But then, she has a great support team with Toma and her best friend. She's a timid and careful, but all of this changes when guy #2 pops up. It's not a secret (well, to her but not the reader) that he's had a lot to do with her in the past, but it's not exactly clear what that is. The hints of romance hit heavy but with huge caution built in. In other words, this one is cliche and lovely and fulfills the hopes of those who pick it up for a slow, romantic, sweet read.

The illustrations are top notch and allow each character to unfold. We get a lot of character close-ups and emotions....but then, that's what this one is about. So, no fast-paced action, but that wouldn't fit.

As said, I'm curious what these secrets, past and accident will reveal. So, I am looking forward to reading on.
I am giving this one a 4.5 stars due to pacing, and rounding up.

Falling Drowning is a new romance based manga I have been desperate to get my hands on and volume one did not disappoint.
Many Thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis
Honatsu has started her second year of high school and the rumours around her romantic life are already the hot topic.

Everyone is absolutely sure she and her best friend since childhood Toma, and while she isn’t upset by the idea she’s not quite sure it’s right.

Enter transfer student Shun Tachibana- who makes what she thought was quite a simple situation all the more complicated in more ways than one.

Review:
Plot and world building- the story is set in a Japanese high school similar to those seen in many anime and manga so I have a basic knowledge of the school day and life of the teenagers in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed the first volume, The art style beautifully detailed and very clean for the story it portrayed. There were little details that stuck out on each character and it was beautifully designed throughout. The plot was fast paced, kept me engaged throughout and with beautifully interwoven emotional and romantic elements, it was a read that left me wanting much more.

Is this an original idea? No- there are a lot of love triangle manga on the market.
Did I love it anyway? Yes- the detail for me was in the beautiful art style and the genuine connections that are within the characters and how they grow around each other in different ways.

Characters and Plot
All the characters within the story were well developed and I loved the development of Honatsu when it comes to her personal feelings and feelings for both Toma and Shun.

The Romance was one of the main reasons I picked this story, and quite honestly the beautifully imagined and developed characters, the love triangle and gentle humour between them is the reason I got thoroughly addicted to the story. All the side characters within the story had a moment to show themselves, however the majority was focused on the main three characters and overall it worked well for the plot.

Final Verdict:
Overall an beautifully detailed, artistically clean manga with a sweet romance heavy plot that has me looking for volume two on the horizon.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this first volume. A coming of age story(?) shrowded with mystery.

Honatsu has just started her second year of high school, and her friendship with her childhood friend Toma appears to change. Things intensify when a new transfer student, Tachibana appears, who has a connection to her past, not only hers but also Toma's. We learn about this connection when as readers we learn that Honatsu has was in an accident that left her amnesia, from the first 11 years of her life.

I really enjoyed this read, and look forward to reading future volumes of this series!

I received an e-galley of Falling Drowning, Volume 1 by Yuko Inari from Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy manga stories about childhood friends and this first volume of Falling Drowning seems to be right up that alley - and with a little mystery tied into it. Honatsu has just started her second year of high school and her friendship seems to be changing with her childhood friend, Toma. Things get more intense when Honatsu meets a new transfer student, Tachibana, who also knows Toma. In fact, it appears that the Honatsu may be acquainted with Tachibana though she has no memory of it as an accident years ago left her without her memories from the first 11 years of her life.

I am definitely intrigued. I definitely started reading the manga for the romance but I am more intrigued by the mysterious identity of Tachibana and the circumstances around Honatsu's father's death and her memory loss. And of course, I'm feeling all sorts of conflicted feelings for Toma. I need the next volume of this manga series as soon as possible!

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Falling Drowning, Vol. 1 by Yuko Inari is a shojo manga with equal parts high school romance and mystery. The story revolves around Honatsu, who is in her second year of high school. Everyone thinks that she's dating popular boy and childhood friend, Toma. Honatsu isn't that sure yet, especially when she meets transfer student and bad boy Shun. Honatsu will have to decide which boy she wants to pursue. Without spoiling anything, I just want to add that the plot also contains some mystery elements that I wasn't expecting.

Overall, Falling Drowning, Vol. 1 is like a breath of fresh air in the crowded shojo manga scene. This book will appeal to fans of Fruits Basket and Boys Over Flowers. One highlight of this book is the absolutely gorgeous artwork. The characters are well-drawn and rank among the best of the best shojo manga artists. Another highlight of this book is the great and original storyline. I was expecting a regular high school romance and a love triangle. Instead, this book adds some new elements of suspense that I wasn't expecting at all. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of shojo manga, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

This book is honestly very confusing, but I'm also very curious to see what's going on. I have theories on Shun and his relationship with Honako before she lost her memories, and complicated feelings regarding Toma and his relationship with both of them. This is going to be an emotional series, I can tell, and I'm curious to see how things develop.

I'm so obsessed with this manga omg. It's a high school romance where you have this sort of love triangle with the childhood best friend, Toma, and the mysterious cold new guy, Shun. AND OMG. Then there's also our MC, Honatsu, who had lost her memory six years ago and is working hard because of it. I have to say, I usually am not a fan of love triangles, mostly because I feel like they're just a way for authors to add a jealousy plotline and there's obviously one couple that's a lot more favoured than the other. BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. Honatsu's interactions with Toma and Shun are amazing and they're very different but still you can feel the chemistry and tension. Nothing feels forced. I also really like the intrigue that Yuko Inari adds with Honatsu's accident.

Anyway, I cannot wait for volume 2!!

[Thanks to Kodansha and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.]

Honatsu’s father died in an accident six years ago and the then-eleven-year-old girl was stricken with the loss of her memories. Now, her friend Toma protects her and looks after her, but the mysterious Tachibana has come to school and has some connection to her as well…

Did I just describe a suspense thriller or a shojo repurposed from a suspense thriller? Clearly the latter because pretty boys are all over the place and Tachibana is a jerk but still somehow attractive and we have the most obvious case of convenient plot amnesia ever.

So, due to the prolific output of these reviews I have a few crutches I like to rely on and one of those is the word ‘crux’. Thus, the crux of this volume, to say nothing of the thrust of the translated title, is the way that Honatsu is falling for Tachibana yet also drowning in affection from Toma.

It’s interesting enough, except that even with the seeded clues and implication that Tachibana is a lot more connected to Honatsu’s past than he’s letting on, you can clearly see the rails that this book is riding on.

Tachibana has some connection to the death of Honatsu’s father, spoiler, I suppose, but there’s no way in hell that he killed the guy and undoubtedly blames himself for some action or inaction, which is just waiting to be revealed later on at some moment of maximum romance interruptus and leads to Honatsu giving him the absolution he needs while conveniently explaining the times he’s been a butt to her (he runs very mercurial and too grabby at times the whole book)

Individual moments are great - minus his aforementioned mercurial temperament, which should have Honatsu falling upward in my opinion, Tachibana and Honatsu have a fantastic scene that repurposes the ‘storage closet mishap’ trope into a fantastic bit of motivation and triumph for Honatsu (and a great joke about how they seem to fall on each other a lot).

This is a standout moment that really sells Honatsu for me and cements what this volume can be when it’s at its best. Honatsu herself is determined to move forward and she’s a really solid character in her own right, uncertain about love but interested in figuring it out.

I’m being especially picky because the elements are here for a good book and this is, with reservations, a good book and I’ll continue on with the series for sure. It’s got a lot to like and if you’re not as steeped in these clichés as, say, myself, this is an easy recommend.

I do like the different approaches - Toma clearly wants to be more to our lead and has been there for every step of Honatsu’s rehabilitation, but drowning is also tantamount to smothering and the clear downside to his way is that he’s wrapping her in emotional bubble wrap.

Conversely, her time spent with the grumpier, edgier Tachibana carries a hint of uncertainty (I mean, edgier is a rather generous term, although, as I said, he does get a little grabbier than he should) and pushes Honatsu in a far more freeing sense to overcome what holds her back.

That’s some good crux. Still, it’s already fraying towards the end, with Toma and Tachibana having a pretty pointed conversation that implies that, yet again, the long-standing childhood friend is the one about to get clobbered.

In a way, the story of the story is almost eclipsing the book. I love the mangaka’s description of how this came about and what happened to make it a shojo, plus I love the way they do their author’s notes. It’s an interesting peek behind the curtain.

3.5 stars - I think I’ll let this one have the rounded up 4 stars because I <I>was</I> intrigued, even as it has some real obvious tells about where it’s headed, and I think Honatsu is great, coming to life even with a very cliche backstory.