Is Love the Answer?
| Is Love the Answer? | |
 Cover of the volume | |
| きみのせかいに恋はない (Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Coming-of-age[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Uta Isaki |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Hatsu Kiss |
| Demographic | Josei |
| Original run | August 25, 2020 – January 25, 2021 |
| Volumes | 1 |
Is Love the Answer? (Japanese: きみのせかいに恋はない, Hepburn: Kimi no Sekai ni Koi wa Nai) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Uta Isaki. It was serialized in Kodansha's magazine Hatsu Kiss from August 2020 to January 2021, with its individual chapters collected into a single volume.
Plot
[edit]Chika has always been unique from her peers. However, this becomes particularly obvious when her peers become interested in the opposite sex. When Chika tries to find a boyfriend and fails, she realizes she does not share that interest and believes there must be something wrong with her. But upon enrolling at a university in Tokyo, she meets people who accept her for who she is and help her to understand herself better.
Publication
[edit]Written and illustrated by Uta Isaki, the series began serialization in Kodansha's Hatsu Kiss magazine on August 25, 2020.[2] The series completed its serialization on January 25, 2021.[3] The series' individual chapters were collected into a single volume, which was released digitally on March 20, 2021.[4]
In January 2022, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[5] They released the volume digitally on January 10, 2023, and in print one week later.[6]
Reception
[edit]Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network praised the story's emphasis on acceptance and personal growth. However, she also felt the story was not very conclusive.[7] A columnist for Booklist felt the story had a good balance of informational and emotional content. They also liked the artwork, describing it as "soft and evocative". They concluded by calling the series "a valuable and affirming manga about acceptance of self and others".[8] Christel Scheja of Splash Comics praised the story, particularly in the way it depicts asexuality, which he described as "touching".[9]
The series was included on the 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list by the Young Adult Library Services Association.[10] It was also selected as one of the top ten titles for teen readers on the American Library Association Rainbow Book List in the same year.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Is Love The Answer?". Kodansha USA. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ ハツキス2020 26号 08/25(水)配信！. Kiss (in Japanese). Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ ハツキス 2021 31号 01/25(月)配信！. Kiss (in Japanese). Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ きみのせかいに恋はない. Comic Days (in Japanese). Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (January 26, 2022). "Kodansha Comics Licenses Falling Drowning, Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister, Fungus and Iron, Lightning and Romance, More Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Is Love The Answer?, Volume 1". Kodansha USA. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Silverman, Rebecca (February 3, 2023). "Review: Is Love the Answer? GN". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Is Love the Answer?". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Scheja, Christel (July 7, 2024). "Comic-Besprechung - Is love the Answer?". Splash Comics (in German). Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Hazra, Adriana (March 11, 2024). "Insomniacs After School Manga Makes YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top 10 List". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Rainbow List: 2024". Booklist. March 15, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Is Love the Answer? at Anime News Network's encyclopedia