This manga was such a pleasant surprise. A 10/10 in my heart - though I know it lacks the universal appeal that would make me, at my current age, give a story a perfect score. I found it, titled "Aromantic (love) story" in French, in my local library, in a small city I just moved to... I lack the words to convey how much it felt like a fairy tale to me. If I'd caught myself daydreaming about a scenario like this - finding a manga about an aroace woman that I didn't even know existed in my new, small local library - I wouldhave sighed and told myself I was being embarrassing. That this manga *existed*, and was translated to French, and that I was able to find it, meant the world to me on its own.

Of course, I held my breath. Aromantic and asexual representation is rare, let alone *overwhelmingly good* rep, and I knew nothing about this manga or its author, so I made sure to stay prepared for disappointment. As you can probably tell, it thankfully did not disappoint.

This manga is overwhelmingly sincere. Futaba, a manga author in her early 30s, doesn't understand romantic or sexual attraction. She never has, but despite knowing that labels such as "asexual" exist, she fails to label herself. While I didn't personally relate to her position as someone who is, and has been, questioning her identity, I related to many aspects of her... everything: her being a woman (like me), her not experiencing romantic attraction (like me), her not experiencing sexual attraction (like me), her passions, her worries, her strengths and weaknesses. This character is deeply meaningful to me, largely due to her simple sincerity.

As she questions the overwhelming popularity of the stereotypical love story she challenged herself to create, two very different men fall for her, pressuring her, at times accidentally and at times purposefully, into giving romance a try. If Futaba's ultimately stable identity as someone who "doesn't get romantic or sexual attraction" is what brought me the most joy, I also deeply appreciate the gentleness with which these two "love interests" were written, with a deep acknowledgement of their qualities and flaws, and how they affect Futaba and her life... without a need for that overrated "romantic love" thing. (They, very importantly, both had their very own pathetic wet dog moments, which is a huge plus as far as I'm concerned. Arguably, what I look for in a man. [Aromantically and asexually.])

A simple, short story in nature, this manga is filled with care. I found many scenes very funny, and some even touching. The last volume felt a little more rushed than previous ones, for lack of a better word, but it wrapped the story up neatly. A comforting read for an adult aroace woman who didn't dare to imagine she'd see herself represented... and I'm sure an entertaining read to many other people as well. I recommend this manga warmly, as I hope other people can see themselves in Futaba like I did, and those who are allo- can empathise with her and enjoy the entertaining highs and lows of dealing with men who concern themselves with love.