I enjoyed the story and the characters, but it didn't feel like a book for me.
There were some awkward moments between the characters who had only recently met, and their personalities were a bit extreme.
But I think someone will enjoy the book, as it has beautiful illustrations and the story has potential.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this ARC.

When I started this manga I thought it would be a 3 star read but as I got farther into it, I realized I really did not like it. The main love interest acts like a child and yet it is romanticized which really creeped me out. Not only that, but she also acted like a cat and licked the main character (without permission) which was not something I wanted to see or even expected. Also, the characters kinda seemed one dimensional and it took away from my enjoyment. The only redeeming aspects of the love interest were her intelligence and athletic ability, but we barely got to see her show how smart she was since all the book focused on was making her into a crybaby. And the praise dynamic made it seem like she was a child and her mom was comforting her, which made the romance aspects really uncomfortable and gross. Overall, I am rating this manga 1 star since I did not like the characters or the plot. I forced myself to finish the book and I kinda regret it.

Actual rating: 4.5

I love a good trope spun on its head and this is exactly what we’re getting in this manga. It’s so absurd and funny in exactly the way it needs to be in order to cut and jab, but then pull back and be soft in certain moments. Ichigo is our stereotypical underclassman - small, cute, overlooked because she’s too girlish, and Yaya is our stereotypical class princess - who appears stoic and perfect at everything. Turns out Yaya is desperate for validation and sucks at pretty much everything that isn’t studying. Her falling for Ichigo is adorable and hilarious to watch because we see Ichigo’s assumed image of her shatter into a thousand pieces at the same time.

I also really enjoy the power dynamic in the relationship. Usually one will have an uncomfortable amount of power over the other, but I feel like this relationship is balanced really well with Ichigo holding her own and shutting down advances that she doesn’t want yet. I’d even say that the power balance leads towards Ichigo.

This book was so fun, so silly, with just the right edge of humour it needs to satire these yuri stereotypes. I would be super ready to continue the series.

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

.....Is this normal for yuri because wow this was pretty terrible. Suo is ridiculous and insufferable, behaving like a toddler having a tantrum all the time. So much so that it borderline feels like a fetish thing. There's zero substance to the story and there was nothing to entice me to continue with later volumes to see the romance unfold.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hinamori has had a crush on Suo since middle school, but after being turned down, Hinamori has admired her from afar, determined to be the mature, cool girl that Suo would date. One afternoon, Hinamori runs into Suo in the nurses office, and everything changes because it turns out Suo isn't the cool, honor student she wants everyone to believe she is! She's just a bundle of insecurities with a kindergarten need to be praised, and she's decided the Hinamori is just the girl she needs!

I enjoyed this, although I think Suo takes her neediness a little bit too far. I mean, I get her being insecure. Honestly, that makes a lot of sense, but the digressing to saying things like "fingie" for finger takes it a bit far.

I also would have really liked to see some more serious conversations between Hinamori and Suo. I get that Suo seems to not be able to handle anything that takes the emotional maturity of a human above the age of five where Hinamori is concerned but without some sort of conversation that gives more of hint of *why* Suo chooses to put herself under all of this pressure it makes the story feel vapid at best. Especially when the overworked honor student who becomes a complete child in her downtime is a storyline that's been done before. I'm hoping volume two may go a bit into her background and her real feelings. Hinamori has the patience of a saint, though. Crush or not, there's no way I'd put up with this kind of behavior from someone.

The art is great as well, and while the character designs are definitely trope-y for this genre, I was okay with that.

Overall, I think this series has promise, at least in the sense that it's just a cute little fun read. Even if it doesn't get more serious in terms of Suo's immaturity and insecurities, if you take it at face value, you won't be disappointed.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eArc!

Very cutesy art style for a weirdly cute story.
Yaya Suo is definitely a character, but Ichigo and Yaya together were sweet. I loved the dynamic between them, which felt a bit black cat vs hyper kitten, the banter and the slow almost friendship they were building.

A fun and sweet read, but don’t know if it captivated me enough to continue the story.

Very much a farcical take showing the soon to be intertwined lives of two girls. This comic is very different, at least in my experience. Ichigo, a ‘strawberry’ sweet student. Hidden in full sight of the class princess, admiring her from afar. Yaya, that perfect class princess, top of everything. But ‘oh no’, out of the class’ public eye it turns out she is a complete mess, hopeless at so many things. Ichigo falls into Yaya’s almost maniacal sphere, providing support; trying at times to extricate herself, but then becoming beholden to Yaya’s magical draw. Each chapter is equally appealing as it is utterly silly, following this same pattern. As you read through the comic Ichigo seems unsure if Yaya has feelings for her. But seems to wish that is the case. Thank you you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this volume.

Basic premise our main character Ichigo has a thing for our cool and confident top of the class Suo. Ichigo’s sexuality is clearly and confidently stated here which is refreshing. She likes girls - now let’s move on! Her senpai, Suo is actually not what she seems and Ichigo ends up in having to become her main comfort person.

There’s a ton of repetition in the story and Suo comes across as extremely irritating at times. It wasn’t for me!

The premise of this manga is that the popular upperclassman meets the average underclassman. It’s a well-used plot but if done right it can still be entertaining. After all, it’s not the destination but the journey. Based on this volume alone Spoil Me Plzzz, Hinamori-san! has the potential to be a well-loved yuri.

Both Ichigo and Yaya are characters that have depth. Ichigo is romantically reserved and blunt in her speech but still willing to go along with Yaya’s antics. Mentally she’s very level-headed and honest. Yaya appears elegant but her true self is a bit overzealous and bratty. She also shows signs of obsession.

Overall I found Yaya’s antics to be funny and endearing. When paired with Ichigo’s blunt initial responses it left me wanting the volume to go on forever.

The sexual tension between them is otherworldly but also seemingly innocent. It’s hard to tell if Yaya is purposely baiting Ichigo or if her off-handed comments are another aspect of her personality.

This wasn't it for me. I thought the art was fantastic and the idea of the story is great, but the execution fell flat. Instead of being cute I found the characters annoying. The plot didn't really go anywhere, it was just weird a a little stagnant. I really like the concept but hope the second volume has more depth.

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

The monkey’s paw quickly bends for Hinamori, who wants to turn the head of the school’s perfect student, Suo. And turn her head she does, but Suo is not quite the pinnacle of perfection she portrays herself as. Actually, she might be the exact opposite.

Uh, hmm, okay. So, what is the definition of a story that’s kind of awful, yet you inadvertently have a good enough time? I wouldn’t call this a full recommend, caveats abound, but I would be lying if I said I won’t be buying the next one.

Let’s just call it The <i>Citrus</i> Effect, since this is also a wildly ridiculous yuri that I’ll be keeping up with for at least one more volume.

And that’s despite Suo being magnificently annoying. Crushed by the weight of expectations - the story at least makes sense in its way - she’s so happy to be infantilized that it’s a wonder she doesn’t try to crawl back in the womb.

Her outbursts are ridiculous, but they also make enough sense when it’s later shown how much effort she puts into maintaining the facade she doesn’t even want. There is a more serious version of this that just kills, I wager.

Which leaves poor Hinamori wearing the big girl pants and giving the school’s most perfect person an overdose of continued reaffirmation. Hinamori was herself rejected by her middle school sempai for being too kiddie, so the irony is thick.

(One thing I do want to call out is how absolutely matter-of-fact Hinamori is about her sexuality. I love that she just tosses out that she’s into girls and we move along from it. There’s no grand sexual awakening and that’s kind of a neat change. She just is what she is.)

There’s some humour here, or attempts at least, and some of it is amusing in that sad and pathetic sort of way. Suo is so desperate for praise, which somehow eludes her despite her position atop the school’s social caste, that she will do just about anything.

From scaring off a cat, then becoming a cat, to being a wee bit of a creeper when it comes to Hinamori, all the bases are covered. If you don’t see what’s coming when she’s cut her finger and in the nurse’s office alone with Hinamori, well, give it a few manga.

There’s almost no variation to each chapter. Suo is unflappable until Hinamori gets her alone and then Suo folds in on herself like she’s a singularity. Hinamori eventually gives her what she wants and then it’s on to the next escapade.

I will say, the last chapter is what makes me want to read more of this. There’s a plot about sports day that goes very foolishly astray when Hinamori cheers Suo on, yet what Suo interprets that as is something else entirely. That moment is also the best gag in the whole volume.

Suo’s reaction and Hinamori’s realization that maybe Suo’s not quite as annoying as she originally thought are the clear springboard for yuri to come and it makes for a far stronger chapter than anything that came before.

This is not a story for everybody. It’s not even a story for most people, as I am wont to say now and then. There are red flags, horrible characters, and all sorts of awkward. But, I’m still here and still intend to read more and, even with the old ‘yuri bump’, I don’t think that’s only due to the genre.

2.5 stars - I’m probably being super generous even. Worth a try, but it’s a tough pill to swallow that has no payoff this time around, yet it just might in the next volume.

A girl has a crush on her senpai who is top of the class and loved by everyone. But when she sees her true self, she realizes her crush is more of a mess then she thought. A school girl romance with a top academic student desperate for praise and attention, and the fellow student who she's set her sights on. Honestly this is about what you would expect. Fun and funny chapters, though I do wish there was a little more story. It very much felt like one shots.

Kinda repetitive, very silly. I definitely like the idea of the cool perfect honors student actually being childish / wanting to be spoiled, but in reality it was just too Much. Like how did she function before the events of the story if she’s this much of a disaster?

Also, Ichigo’s responses were shockingly shallow as well. There was little to no introspection; she just rolled with it, even as things got increasingly silly and out of hand.

I need a bit more depth, even in a silly slice of life comedy

It was a quick read and there were parts that were cute but it ultimately wasn’t for me. i think the author has a good grip on humor timing, but im just not sold on the characters.