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恋愛ごっこ小夜曲 / Renai Gokko Sayokyoku #1
恋愛ごっこ小夜曲 1 [Renai Gokko Sayokyoku 1]
電子分冊版でキュン続出☆「恋愛ごっこ小夜曲」の合冊版がついに登場☆テレビ局勤務の明里小夜（あかり・さよ）は、話題のイケメン作曲家・古淵千弦（こぶち・ちづる）の密着取材をすることに！でも、当の作曲家サマは、「俺と恋人契約をしたら、密着取材してもいい」と言い出して……！？恋を知らない天才作曲家×仕事も恋も絶不調のどん底女子、ドキドキの契約恋愛スタート☆
First published January 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
June 6, 2022
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review]
Out filming for her job, Akari catches her boyfriend cheating on her with his actual girlfriend. While she recovers from this blow, she’s forced to take over a documentary of popular composer Chizuru, currently scoring a romantic movie. He’s got artist’s block and no dating experience, so a fake romance ensues, one that might help the two of them in the real romance department.
How played out is this trope where two people pretend to be dating and then end up together? Let me spare you the shock - it’s very played out. Moving this to an adult space is theoretically a nice touch, except it makes things even more ludicrous than they usually are in the typical high school setting. These two are very, very unbelievable.
And Chizuru might be all ‘oh, I do not know romance’, but he sure knows his way around the female form, giving Akari barely enough room to breathe at some points. Honestly, these sections where he’s getting her all hot and bothered are the best parts of the book, as they’re at least generating a little heat together.
Yes, he’s had many a woman, we learn, but apparently this isn’t enough and he needs to have a fake romance, which looks an awful lot like just doing what he always does to have many a woman. Chizuru’s problem might be Chizuru, I’m just saying.
(Also, do you really need romantic experience to write the score for a romantic film? Thank god they didn’t hire him to score a horror movie…)
Well, that happens and they’re going to fall in love and his manager’s a jerk and they sort of try and do something with the documentary angle, but it doesn’t amount to much, which is just about everything in this story if I’m perfectly honest.
Poor Akari’s just here to be slobbered over and enjoy it. The single best part of this story is the look on her face when Chizuru first puts forward this nonsense idea to help him with his work. That’s genuinely funny.
This is just so overdone and when they actually do look like they’re headed for a super-fast consummation, it naturally gets interrupted, sparing us from any distracting horniness that might have livened things up. There’s nothing here that you can’t predict if you haven’t read even a small number of romance titles.
Akari’s wacky antics only carry her so far and Chizuru is annoying. Your tolerance for broody pretty boys with hearts of gold will undoubtedly affect what you get out of this one, but it’s a bit of a snore. Neither of them is particularly interesting and the writing and art are underwhelming - the full page pictures that open the chapters are way better and hint at a story that doesn’t need such laborious crutches to be good.
2.5 stars - round up if you haven’t had enough of this style of story. Even in that genre, however, I would say that this isn’t even especially notable. Definitely not for me.
Out filming for her job, Akari catches her boyfriend cheating on her with his actual girlfriend. While she recovers from this blow, she’s forced to take over a documentary of popular composer Chizuru, currently scoring a romantic movie. He’s got artist’s block and no dating experience, so a fake romance ensues, one that might help the two of them in the real romance department.
How played out is this trope where two people pretend to be dating and then end up together? Let me spare you the shock - it’s very played out. Moving this to an adult space is theoretically a nice touch, except it makes things even more ludicrous than they usually are in the typical high school setting. These two are very, very unbelievable.
And Chizuru might be all ‘oh, I do not know romance’, but he sure knows his way around the female form, giving Akari barely enough room to breathe at some points. Honestly, these sections where he’s getting her all hot and bothered are the best parts of the book, as they’re at least generating a little heat together.
Yes, he’s had many a woman, we learn, but apparently this isn’t enough and he needs to have a fake romance, which looks an awful lot like just doing what he always does to have many a woman. Chizuru’s problem might be Chizuru, I’m just saying.
(Also, do you really need romantic experience to write the score for a romantic film? Thank god they didn’t hire him to score a horror movie…)
Well, that happens and they’re going to fall in love and his manager’s a jerk and they sort of try and do something with the documentary angle, but it doesn’t amount to much, which is just about everything in this story if I’m perfectly honest.
Poor Akari’s just here to be slobbered over and enjoy it. The single best part of this story is the look on her face when Chizuru first puts forward this nonsense idea to help him with his work. That’s genuinely funny.
This is just so overdone and when they actually do look like they’re headed for a super-fast consummation, it naturally gets interrupted, sparing us from any distracting horniness that might have livened things up. There’s nothing here that you can’t predict if you haven’t read even a small number of romance titles.
Akari’s wacky antics only carry her so far and Chizuru is annoying. Your tolerance for broody pretty boys with hearts of gold will undoubtedly affect what you get out of this one, but it’s a bit of a snore. Neither of them is particularly interesting and the writing and art are underwhelming - the full page pictures that open the chapters are way better and hint at a story that doesn’t need such laborious crutches to be good.
2.5 stars - round up if you haven’t had enough of this style of story. Even in that genre, however, I would say that this isn’t even especially notable. Definitely not for me.
June 5, 2022
My gratitude to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this series in exchange for an honest review.
Akari Sayo is tasked to interview Chizuru Kobuchi, a talented musician who's tasked to compose a theme song for a saccharine movie. The problem is that he isn't an expert in the abstract thing that is called love. The moment that Sayo landed on his doorstep, he immediately proposed to have a pretend relationship with her to create the perfect music. Nothing too special, and the whole premise reminded me of the hit movie, Music and Lyrics, although it was nothing alike in some sense. Nevertheless, this series is perfect for the hopeless souls of the self-acclaimed romantics. This series will definitely woo the loneliest of hearts!
Akari Sayo is tasked to interview Chizuru Kobuchi, a talented musician who's tasked to compose a theme song for a saccharine movie. The problem is that he isn't an expert in the abstract thing that is called love. The moment that Sayo landed on his doorstep, he immediately proposed to have a pretend relationship with her to create the perfect music. Nothing too special, and the whole premise reminded me of the hit movie, Music and Lyrics, although it was nothing alike in some sense. Nevertheless, this series is perfect for the hopeless souls of the self-acclaimed romantics. This series will definitely woo the loneliest of hearts!
June 29, 2022
Rating: 3.94 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3.75/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Genre: Romance
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!
Hated|Disliked|Liked|Loved|Favorited
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't too sure what I was getting myself into when requesting this manga. In all I am happy with how it came out. Sayo finds out her boyfriend is a cheating douche canoe and she is shoved with this major project to interview this kind of weird pianist. Some bits are kind of eyebrow raising but I am interested in seeing where this goes.
Characters: 3.75/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Genre: Romance
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!
Hated|Disliked|Liked|Loved|Favorited
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't too sure what I was getting myself into when requesting this manga. In all I am happy with how it came out. Sayo finds out her boyfriend is a cheating douche canoe and she is shoved with this major project to interview this kind of weird pianist. Some bits are kind of eyebrow raising but I am interested in seeing where this goes.
June 18, 2022
I with the best friend of the MC and manager of the other MC, this is crazy unhealthy and hurtful. Fake dating is one thing, pushing someone like this abusing power and then having "sexual interest" is another completely different. this manga is not my jam this is a big NO NO with a lot of red flags why would a composer famous need to be in relationship to compose about love?? did he never been in love? did he never write a song about love? all these concepts are so weird
July 11, 2022
3/5 stars
I received an ARC of this manga, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
After catching her boyfriend cheating on her and then having her co-worker dump a project on her, Akari Sayo doesn't think things could get any worse. The project is a documentary about Chizuru Kobuchi, a musician. However, her co-worker never mentioned that Chizuru declined to participate in the project. Unsure of what to do, Akari asks him to reconsider, and he says he'll do it on one condition–he wants her to pretend to be his lover.
I have very mixed feelings about this manga. The art is lovely, and the premise is cute. I love the fake dating trope! But this fell flat for me.
First of all, this seems more like a josei manga than a shojo. There's a lot of talk about sex, and it stops just short of an actual sex scene. Despite this, I feel like Akari acts like a high school girl.
The male main character, Chizuru, seems like a creep. He made me feel uncomfortable while reading this. He seemed to get a little better by the end, but I still dislike him.
The pacing felt rushed, and the fake dating felt kinda forced. I didn't have time to get attached to the characters or even feel sorry for Akari for getting cheated on.
Things finally seemed a bit more interesting at the end. The next volume preview made me curious about where this series will go from here, but I won't be continuing this series. As much as I love the art and enjoy this trope, I don't really have any desire to keep reading this one.
If you like josei series, then you might like this shojo series.
Content: some language, cheating, lots of talk about sex and it gets close to having a sex scene
I received an ARC of this manga, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
After catching her boyfriend cheating on her and then having her co-worker dump a project on her, Akari Sayo doesn't think things could get any worse. The project is a documentary about Chizuru Kobuchi, a musician. However, her co-worker never mentioned that Chizuru declined to participate in the project. Unsure of what to do, Akari asks him to reconsider, and he says he'll do it on one condition–he wants her to pretend to be his lover.
I have very mixed feelings about this manga. The art is lovely, and the premise is cute. I love the fake dating trope! But this fell flat for me.
First of all, this seems more like a josei manga than a shojo. There's a lot of talk about sex, and it stops just short of an actual sex scene. Despite this, I feel like Akari acts like a high school girl.
The male main character, Chizuru, seems like a creep. He made me feel uncomfortable while reading this. He seemed to get a little better by the end, but I still dislike him.
The pacing felt rushed, and the fake dating felt kinda forced. I didn't have time to get attached to the characters or even feel sorry for Akari for getting cheated on.
Things finally seemed a bit more interesting at the end. The next volume preview made me curious about where this series will go from here, but I won't be continuing this series. As much as I love the art and enjoy this trope, I don't really have any desire to keep reading this one.
If you like josei series, then you might like this shojo series.
Content: some language, cheating, lots of talk about sex and it gets close to having a sex scene
July 16, 2022
Is it insta-love that he just doesn't understand or just lust? If you think that's a deep philosophical question, A Serenade for Pretend Lovers may be the book for you. Taking the "fake couple" romance trope and combining it with "really, this is for work," the story follows documentary director Sayo and composer Chizuru as they stumble into...something. Chizuru, a brilliant composer, has the emotional intelligence of a hedgehog, and he somewhat sadly takes it to mean that he doesn't know what love is. Sayo, who's just found out that she's the other woman her boyfriend's been cheating with (and how she thought "allergic to metal" was a viable explanation for why he didn't get them rings, I don't know), was just stuck with a project about Chizuru and isn't quite sure what to do with it. When he reveals that he's stuck composing a love song and needs her help as his fake lover, she feels a bit backed into a corner by the whole thing and ends up agreeing.
All told, it's not a terrible book, it just doesn't do much to distinguish itself from any others. If "serviceable" is what you want in your romance manga, give this a try.
All told, it's not a terrible book, it just doesn't do much to distinguish itself from any others. If "serviceable" is what you want in your romance manga, give this a try.
June 8, 2022
Out filming for her job at a TV station, Akari spots her boyfriend cheating on her, but then comes to realize that she's actually the one he's cheating on with his WIFE! Then, she gets dumped with filming a composer who had tried to back out of being filmed for a story by the TV station. However, Akari goes anyway and soon finds herself being offered a position as his fake lover so that he can understand the kind of emotions that should be expressed in the soundtrack. And, of course, she accepts.
I always jump for the romance titles that feature adults because we get so few of them, but there's not much other than the spicy scenes in this one. The art is cute and fluffy, and I'd say that the story matches. It definitely has an audience, but I probably won't be tempted to pick up volume 2.
I always jump for the romance titles that feature adults because we get so few of them, but there's not much other than the spicy scenes in this one. The art is cute and fluffy, and I'd say that the story matches. It definitely has an audience, but I probably won't be tempted to pick up volume 2.
June 20, 2022
I enjoyed it, it was a cute little read just a bit too fast for me. I am still going to pick up the volume 2 tho because I did find them pretty cute together and I want to read more about them and how the fake relationship will progress. I really liked the art style as well, it was soo pretty.
About the book :
Akari Sayo works at a TV station, and was on the job when
she just happened to see her boyfriend~who just
happened to be cheating on her. Before she can resolve
anything, she's asked to manage a documentary about a
musician, Chizuru Kobuchi...but when he tries to shut her
out, she barges in, determined to do her job right! But
moments later, when he learns her name…he asks her to be
his lover? Akari's having a long day, and it looks like it isn't
over yet!
About the book :
Akari Sayo works at a TV station, and was on the job when
she just happened to see her boyfriend~who just
happened to be cheating on her. Before she can resolve
anything, she's asked to manage a documentary about a
musician, Chizuru Kobuchi...but when he tries to shut her
out, she barges in, determined to do her job right! But
moments later, when he learns her name…he asks her to be
his lover? Akari's having a long day, and it looks like it isn't
over yet!
June 6, 2022
(First of all, thank you so much NetGalley, publisher, and author, for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Synopsis: Akari Sayo works at a TV station, and was on the job when she just happened to see her boyfriend—who just happened to be cheating on her. Before she can resolve anything, she's asked to manage a documentary about a musician, Chizuru Kobuchi...but when he tries to shut her out, she barges in, determined to do her job right! But moments later, when he learns her name...he asks her to be his lover? Akari's having a long day, and it looks like it isn't over yet!
As always, this book caught my eye first of all because of the cover. It has beautiful drawings, and it's easy to read. Even though the kissing and fake relationship does not make sense to me at all because of the quick development I am curious of how love will appear in both of them in next volumes.
Synopsis: Akari Sayo works at a TV station, and was on the job when she just happened to see her boyfriend—who just happened to be cheating on her. Before she can resolve anything, she's asked to manage a documentary about a musician, Chizuru Kobuchi...but when he tries to shut her out, she barges in, determined to do her job right! But moments later, when he learns her name...he asks her to be his lover? Akari's having a long day, and it looks like it isn't over yet!
As always, this book caught my eye first of all because of the cover. It has beautiful drawings, and it's easy to read. Even though the kissing and fake relationship does not make sense to me at all because of the quick development I am curious of how love will appear in both of them in next volumes.
February 14, 2023
No, I'm simply not on board with anything that happened here. The justification for this fake dating scenario is weaker than a soaking wet sheet of 1-ply toilet paper. Has the main character here ever had a job before??? The way she instantly accepted "I'm working on an assignment where I have to film/interview this guy for 12+ hours every day and I'm in a pretend relationship with him where mostly we just make out because he says that helps him compose music better" as a totally normal collection of things to be happening AT WORK... unacceptable. I'm not expecting the deepest literary masterpiece from every manga I read, but a CRUMB of reality would really help here.
June 17, 2022
I love this one! The whole concept of a musician trying something new, and entering a fake dating relationship to help inspire his music is amazing! He is truly such a recluse. He doesn't understand dating, and it's going to be a wild ride as he gets it figured out.
The art in this series is stunning, and I really love both of the main characters. I'm very excited about the second volume.
The art in this series is stunning, and I really love both of the main characters. I'm very excited about the second volume.
June 6, 2022
Big thanks to Kodansha Comics for the e-ARC of this manga. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Overall 2.5 rounded up to 3 based on enjoyment.
I liked the premise of this as bd thought it had a good set up but was kind of hoping for more. I am looking forward to the next volume though!
Overall 2.5 rounded up to 3 based on enjoyment.
I liked the premise of this as bd thought it had a good set up but was kind of hoping for more. I am looking forward to the next volume though!
July 13, 2021
this was horrible :)
Read
June 6, 2022Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
tl;dr
A fake lovers tale with pleasant artwork and lots of page space dedicated to sexy moments. A great easy read, although a little light on plot.
About
Akari Sayo is having a bad day. She's caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and even worse, it turns out SHE'S the the one he's keeping on the side, and the other woman is the one he's serious about. On top of that, she's just had a difficult new job dropped on her - filming a documentary of a composer who keeps refusing her company's requests. But when the composer learns her name, he suddenly asks her to pretend to be his lover! Maybe a fake relationship is just what this broken heart needs.
What I Liked
Shoujo manga has such a wide range of emotion, from tearjerkers that dig through deepest corners of the heart, to light and ephemeral candy-coated tales to excite. A Serenade for Pretend Lovers sits pretty firmly in the second category, at least for now. This is a great read for anyone looking for a breezy and sensual jaunt, with just enough plot to tie sexy moments together. Characters and plot points are painted quickly with a wide brush, leaving most of the space in the story for kisses, physical intimacy, and a scene that gets very near to sex before it's interrupted. Of all the cast, the main character's best friend Izumi is probably my favorite. She seems pretty smart, and I like her style. Artwork is pretty straightforward shoujo fare in the best way - delicate lines, copious use of tones, and easy-to-follow paneling. The design for the love interest Chizuru in particular is pleasantly unique for shoujo, and I love how he looks. Localization is also straightforward, with nothing too clunky to read.
What Wasn't For Me
My favorite part of the fake lovers trope is when the characters have to act out their relationship in public. This volume didn't have any of that (although the preview indicates we'll might see some in the next volume), so the readers haven't yet gotten the full juicy drama notes of the heroine running into her ex while she's on a fake date. The plot is interesting enough that I'm actually kind of disappointed we didn't get more of it.
tl;dr
A fake lovers tale with pleasant artwork and lots of page space dedicated to sexy moments. A great easy read, although a little light on plot.
About
Akari Sayo is having a bad day. She's caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and even worse, it turns out SHE'S the the one he's keeping on the side, and the other woman is the one he's serious about. On top of that, she's just had a difficult new job dropped on her - filming a documentary of a composer who keeps refusing her company's requests. But when the composer learns her name, he suddenly asks her to pretend to be his lover! Maybe a fake relationship is just what this broken heart needs.
What I Liked
Shoujo manga has such a wide range of emotion, from tearjerkers that dig through deepest corners of the heart, to light and ephemeral candy-coated tales to excite. A Serenade for Pretend Lovers sits pretty firmly in the second category, at least for now. This is a great read for anyone looking for a breezy and sensual jaunt, with just enough plot to tie sexy moments together. Characters and plot points are painted quickly with a wide brush, leaving most of the space in the story for kisses, physical intimacy, and a scene that gets very near to sex before it's interrupted. Of all the cast, the main character's best friend Izumi is probably my favorite. She seems pretty smart, and I like her style. Artwork is pretty straightforward shoujo fare in the best way - delicate lines, copious use of tones, and easy-to-follow paneling. The design for the love interest Chizuru in particular is pleasantly unique for shoujo, and I love how he looks. Localization is also straightforward, with nothing too clunky to read.
What Wasn't For Me
My favorite part of the fake lovers trope is when the characters have to act out their relationship in public. This volume didn't have any of that (although the preview indicates we'll might see some in the next volume), so the readers haven't yet gotten the full juicy drama notes of the heroine running into her ex while she's on a fake date. The plot is interesting enough that I'm actually kind of disappointed we didn't get more of it.
June 22, 2022
Thank you so much to the author, Kodansha Comics, and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC!
This review contains my honest and unbiased thoughts and opinions. 🌸
This definitely surprised me a bit, I wasn't quite expecting the storyline but found it enjoyable and one that I can't wait to continue. The art is truly stunning, the characters relatable and interesting. I did feel the beginning was a tiny bit rushed, happening super quick but not too distracting as it got us into the true story and things just smoothly carried for the rest of the book... ending much too quickly!
I love storylines based around the arts and this one features a musician who has never experienced love yet is trying to compose music for a love story. Enter the female MC who just witnessed her bf cheating... while out filming for her job! Yep, all caught on camera! Afterwards, she visits the musician to film a documentary of him only to be met with the surprise request of fake dating so he can experience a relationship.
Definitely a fun, enjoyable story and I can't wait for volume 2!
This review contains my honest and unbiased thoughts and opinions. 🌸
This definitely surprised me a bit, I wasn't quite expecting the storyline but found it enjoyable and one that I can't wait to continue. The art is truly stunning, the characters relatable and interesting. I did feel the beginning was a tiny bit rushed, happening super quick but not too distracting as it got us into the true story and things just smoothly carried for the rest of the book... ending much too quickly!
I love storylines based around the arts and this one features a musician who has never experienced love yet is trying to compose music for a love story. Enter the female MC who just witnessed her bf cheating... while out filming for her job! Yep, all caught on camera! Afterwards, she visits the musician to film a documentary of him only to be met with the surprise request of fake dating so he can experience a relationship.
Definitely a fun, enjoyable story and I can't wait for volume 2!
June 26, 2022
**There are spoilers in this review**
I’m sad to give this 1 star only because from the cover and description, I thought this would be a cute manga to read.
Though the art is cute and the concept is something that you could make a good story out of, this failed to be executed well. I’m aware that this is only the first volume of the series but I don’t think that I will be reading any more of it.
The main character is Sayo Akari, a woman who needs to interview a musician - Chizuru Kobuchi - for 12 hours a day as a special feature.
When she arrives at his house he immediately says that he didn’t consent to her recording/interviewing him as he is overworked but as soon as he finds out her name, he changed his tone entirely. This is because her name is written with the Japanese characters for serenade and he took it as a sign that she would be able to help him with the song he’s struggling to write. It wouldn’t be weird if he then didn’t ask her to be in a fake relationship with him and then quite promptly oversteps boundaries.
He kisses her without consent and then abuses his position to try to become intimate with her the third time they meet? I didn’t like that at all and found it creepy. Thankfully, before he could do anything other than take her bra off, his manager knocks on the door and pretty much forced the reporter to go home because she will ‘hinder the composers work on the serenade’. Oh, and he also lets her and the readers know Chizuru is familiar with women as she’s one of many he has had to kick out before.
Another thing, how did we just immediately skip past the fact that her boyfriend was actually married and she spotted him with his wife at the start? Literally that was all we heard about that. No saying that she broke up with him. Honestly if I were her, I would have gone up to him and his wife and let her know about the affair because no one deserves to be married to a cheater :)
The only person with a brain in this book is her best friend that she met up with for a coffee. She said that Sayo was in over her head and that she probably shouldn’t agree to be pseudo-lovers with the composer but obviously her advice was ignored.
Honestly, just as I thought the reasoning\ were weird and this couldn’t get any worse, Sayo goes to Chizuru’s house at past midnight JUST so he could act out a scene from the movie script - hug her from behind and kiss her. He didn’t even like the kiss and told her to do it “properly” aka French kiss him and not just give him a peck. Um. Okay? I would never have gone over to someone I have just met’s house alone at a moments notice, especially at that time because god knows what could happen. She doesn’t know him, nor what he’s like. For all she knows he could literally be a murderer but guess what? Common sense DOESN’T EXIST in this book.
After she gets there and all this happens, they go to the basement to work and she records him for a little while before falling asleep. When she wakes up, his manager comes back and once again lectures her saying she is hindering his performance. Oh, but there’s plot armour that saves the day! The serenade composition he was struggling to write? Yeah, it’s done. In one night. After he had been struggling for ages and was worried he wouldn’t meet his deadline in a few weeks. Strange.
Honestly apart from the artwork I can’t find anything good about this book. Sure it’s cute and sweet in style and concept, but as I said before, it’s horribly executed and I’m upset it wasn’t any better.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me free arc in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sad to give this 1 star only because from the cover and description, I thought this would be a cute manga to read.
Though the art is cute and the concept is something that you could make a good story out of, this failed to be executed well. I’m aware that this is only the first volume of the series but I don’t think that I will be reading any more of it.
The main character is Sayo Akari, a woman who needs to interview a musician - Chizuru Kobuchi - for 12 hours a day as a special feature.
When she arrives at his house he immediately says that he didn’t consent to her recording/interviewing him as he is overworked but as soon as he finds out her name, he changed his tone entirely. This is because her name is written with the Japanese characters for serenade and he took it as a sign that she would be able to help him with the song he’s struggling to write. It wouldn’t be weird if he then didn’t ask her to be in a fake relationship with him and then quite promptly oversteps boundaries.
He kisses her without consent and then abuses his position to try to become intimate with her the third time they meet? I didn’t like that at all and found it creepy. Thankfully, before he could do anything other than take her bra off, his manager knocks on the door and pretty much forced the reporter to go home because she will ‘hinder the composers work on the serenade’. Oh, and he also lets her and the readers know Chizuru is familiar with women as she’s one of many he has had to kick out before.
Another thing, how did we just immediately skip past the fact that her boyfriend was actually married and she spotted him with his wife at the start? Literally that was all we heard about that. No saying that she broke up with him. Honestly if I were her, I would have gone up to him and his wife and let her know about the affair because no one deserves to be married to a cheater :)
The only person with a brain in this book is her best friend that she met up with for a coffee. She said that Sayo was in over her head and that she probably shouldn’t agree to be pseudo-lovers with the composer but obviously her advice was ignored.
Honestly, just as I thought the reasoning\ were weird and this couldn’t get any worse, Sayo goes to Chizuru’s house at past midnight JUST so he could act out a scene from the movie script - hug her from behind and kiss her. He didn’t even like the kiss and told her to do it “properly” aka French kiss him and not just give him a peck. Um. Okay? I would never have gone over to someone I have just met’s house alone at a moments notice, especially at that time because god knows what could happen. She doesn’t know him, nor what he’s like. For all she knows he could literally be a murderer but guess what? Common sense DOESN’T EXIST in this book.
After she gets there and all this happens, they go to the basement to work and she records him for a little while before falling asleep. When she wakes up, his manager comes back and once again lectures her saying she is hindering his performance. Oh, but there’s plot armour that saves the day! The serenade composition he was struggling to write? Yeah, it’s done. In one night. After he had been struggling for ages and was worried he wouldn’t meet his deadline in a few weeks. Strange.
Honestly apart from the artwork I can’t find anything good about this book. Sure it’s cute and sweet in style and concept, but as I said before, it’s horribly executed and I’m upset it wasn’t any better.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me free arc in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC in exchange for my review
This story was a bit weird. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes but there is no build-up, it feels like the two main characters too quickly develop feelings for each other. I liked that the story had a more mature voice and it doesn’t shy away from the characters getting into more spicy scenes, but there was no pretend. At the end of the first volume, she was already having feelings for him. The reasons behind their fake dating were not so justifiable. Chizuru wants to pretend he dates Sayo to write the soundtrack of a romance movie and he claims he doesn’t have much experience but he doesn’t act that way.
The art is beautiful, there is no denying it, but the story didn’t make me crazy enough that I want to read the second volume.
This story was a bit weird. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes but there is no build-up, it feels like the two main characters too quickly develop feelings for each other. I liked that the story had a more mature voice and it doesn’t shy away from the characters getting into more spicy scenes, but there was no pretend. At the end of the first volume, she was already having feelings for him. The reasons behind their fake dating were not so justifiable. Chizuru wants to pretend he dates Sayo to write the soundtrack of a romance movie and he claims he doesn’t have much experience but he doesn’t act that way.
The art is beautiful, there is no denying it, but the story didn’t make me crazy enough that I want to read the second volume.
June 30, 2022
This manga was super cute. The art style is exactly what I prefer in a manga. Things happen a little quicker than they typically would in a book, but the same could be said for much of the manga I've read over the years where events tend to be a bit pacier. Works for my brain if I'm being honest, but may not work for yours. I thought Sayo was an adorable lead and I hope things work for her and Chizuru.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series when I can get my hands on it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this manga for an honest review.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series when I can get my hands on it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this manga for an honest review.
June 24, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an arc of this manga in exchange for an honest review. This read definitely surprised me. I wasn't quite expecting the storyline and found it a little rushed. There w
as one part that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. However I did still find it enjoyable and one that I will continue. Page 94 had me laughing so much. The art is truly stunning, the characters are relatable and interesting. I will be picking up volume 2.
as one part that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. However I did still find it enjoyable and one that I will continue. Page 94 had me laughing so much. The art is truly stunning, the characters are relatable and interesting. I will be picking up volume 2.
June 14, 2022
it was a cute little read, although it was extremely fast paced, a bit much got my liking, but if it were drawn out more over a few volumes with a slow burn, i’d enjoy it a lot more. i like the art work regardless of that though. it’s definitely a more mature read, and am looking forward to the next volumes.
**arc received via netgalley
**arc received via netgalley
June 9, 2022
This one is clearly an adult rated romance, but not crazy R rated. Can't quite tell if it might be in the future though. I am hoping the characters back off on the risqué bits and have more sweet moments as they discover what love means.
June 18, 2022
Fake dating but with a composer instead of the usual suspects (idol, actor etc) and it was actually really fun!
July 1, 2022
Plot - 3 ⭐
Character - 3 ⭐
Writing Style - 3 ⭐
World Building - 3 ⭐
Art - 3 ⭐
Cover - 3 ⭐
Overall - 3 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Not my cup of tea for this kind of prompt where the character need to be a pretended lovers so that he/she can actually feels what love is...
Character - 3 ⭐
Writing Style - 3 ⭐
World Building - 3 ⭐
Art - 3 ⭐
Cover - 3 ⭐
Overall - 3 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Not my cup of tea for this kind of prompt where the character need to be a pretended lovers so that he/she can actually feels what love is...
October 9, 2023
1.5 stars
The bar is really be low.
RTC
The bar is really be low.
RTC
December 11, 2024
Can't finish this. I was bored and irritated reading this.
July 3, 2022
While it’s tropey AH, I really did enjoy it. I was in the mood for it and it worked for me, to the point that I want to read the next volume. I’m just a sucker for “fake romance that ends up real”. I guess I just want to see the MC H fall off his high horse and have “ba-dum” moments, lol. 4, lovely artwork and while the storyline has been used before I enjoyed it, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2022
~ Thank you so much netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review ~
The art was my favorite part of this for sure. Especially the hair and eyes, I thought the stylization of them was lovely. I feel like it’s hard to get to know characters super well in the first volume of a manga series, so I can’t say I became super attached to either, but I was still intrigued to see how they would progress. The plot was probably my least favorite thing about this, as everything progressed so quickly I found it hard to take seriously. However despite that, I did actually feel a lot of chemistry between the two, so I found their dynamic was developed well. I think if things had slowed down a little, I could have possibly processed it better. I did still enjoy it and recommend it for fans who enjoy shoujo but want a bit more mature content.
~ Mentioned in this video on my channel, skip to 17:33 ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIipl...
The art was my favorite part of this for sure. Especially the hair and eyes, I thought the stylization of them was lovely. I feel like it’s hard to get to know characters super well in the first volume of a manga series, so I can’t say I became super attached to either, but I was still intrigued to see how they would progress. The plot was probably my least favorite thing about this, as everything progressed so quickly I found it hard to take seriously. However despite that, I did actually feel a lot of chemistry between the two, so I found their dynamic was developed well. I think if things had slowed down a little, I could have possibly processed it better. I did still enjoy it and recommend it for fans who enjoy shoujo but want a bit more mature content.
~ Mentioned in this video on my channel, skip to 17:33 ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIipl...
June 20, 2022
Cute manga, characters are well drawn and the plot is interesting. Some of the scenes just feel unnatural and uncomfortable which is not really how you want to feel when reading a manga. It felt like the MC was forcing herself to go along and that is not enjoyable personally to read.
June 24, 2022
1 star
Sayo is given the task to personally film and interview Chizuru, but this goes way beyond that. Chizuru was bold enough to ask Sayo to be his lover, and she accepted disappointingly quickly. It is clear that Chizuru is utterly consumed with lust, and he even admits that all couples do in a relationships is have sex. Poor Sayo agrees, even a bit reluctantly, all for her job, which is a bit dumb. She accepts to be his pretend lover for her job... and I'm not sure why she is even feels attracted to him. This story has no proper plot progression, which is a major red flag.
okay, wait..
This is an insta-love story, meaning the characters immediately find interest in each other and they act on it... pretty quickly
The male lead is used to bringing girls around constantly to relieve himself (manager revealed this), and he seems no different when it comes to the female lead.. which, I am so sorry for her. There was no good plot progression, this went from 0 to 100 really quickly, like woah!
so, to read or not to read?
I am a bit iffy if I will even read the second volume, because if the plot continues as is, this doesn't seem like a good story overall. It is really is up to you if you'd like a rushed story with mature scenes. So if you are looking for that, here you are. Otherwise, I'd say, wait until the other volumes are out before making your final decision whether to read or not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Team for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
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