Analysis: Avoiding the Loser Heroine Trope in "Properly Say You Love Me"
There is some really interesting news for manga fans today. Volume 1 of Akakei’s new series, A Child Musou Who Can Properly Say I Love You, has finally been released on February 27th. Published under KADOKAWA’s Dengeki Comics NEXT imprint, this manga is actually a comic adaptation based on the popular light novel written by Nana Nana. It is quite a fresh take on the standard school romance genre that we see so often.
The story revolves around a high school boy named Izumi Sumie. Now, Izumi is your typical dense protagonist who honestly has no clue about what is going on around him. But the catch is that there are actually three very beautiful girls in his life who have deep feelings for him. However, they are all stuck in that classic "friend zone" or "fiancé zone" because they just cannot bring themselves to be honest about their emotions. This is exactly why the girl who can properly say i love you is unstoppable in this kind of high-stakes romantic setting.
Meet the Main Heroines of the Series
The three girls who are already in the race for Izumi’s heart have very different personalities, making the dynamic quite fun to read:
- Amane Amasaki: She is a stylish gal who pretends to be indifferent but secretly takes study lessons from Izumi when no one is watching.
- Byakua Shiragiku: A former fiancé and the current student council president. She acts very cool and professional in public but shows a very caring, "older sister" side to Izumi in private.
- Haru Kasuga: A hot-headed and energetic junior who belongs to the same club as Izumi.
Even though these three have been around him for a long time, the balance of power gets completely disrupted when a transfer student named Nanase Nanase enters the scene. Unlike the others who are overthinking everything, Nanase just goes straight for it. She outsmarts the trio by simply confessing her love and asking Izumi to go out with her. It really shows why the girl who can properly say i love you is unstoppable because she doesn't waste time with misunderstandings.
The manga beautifully depicts this fierce "heroine race" where the arrival of a girl who can "properly say she likes someone" forces everyone else to step up their game or lose out. If you are tired of romances that drag on forever without any progress, this series is definitely a breath of fresh air for you.
