The Story of Our Unlikely Love is one of those manga that I enjoyed but ultimately have mixed feelings about. Its sort of how I feel about the Maidsama anime. Maidsama is funny and entertaining but I could not stand the male lead and it generally made me uncomfortable. I didnt completely hate it and Id revisit it but it wasnt something Id exactly call great. I feel similarly about this manga. Its very funny and I enjoyed reading it but I was also frequently uncomfortable just like with Maidsama. Its kind of funny because there was a scene that was basically a copypaste of a Maidsama scene that I hated. Anyways enough of the Maidsama comparisons. Lets get to the plot. Chihiro Hiyoshi is the class representative. Shes very straitlaced and kindhearted but she also cant say no to anyone. In a twist of fate she becomes entangled with her classmate Haruka Kisaragi who is known for constantly skipping class. These two high schoolers are polar opposites but they cant seem to stay away from each other. The story is a slice of life romcom focusing on the two characters becoming closer and encouraging each other to improve. Kisaragi helps Hiyoshi stand up for herself and work on saying no and Hiyoshi helps Kisaragi care more and try harder. Kisaragi is also being chased around by delinquents frequently for some reason. I cant remember if that was connected to the basketball tournament or not. They threaten to rape Hiyoshi a couple of times which was completely unnecessary. At least that isnt romanticized and they use a recording of those threats as leverage to keep them from hurting others. I did appreciate that in the random fights with the delinquents Hiyoshi helps to protect Kisaragi a few times even though Kisaragis usually the one doing the saving. Other than the rape threats from the delinquents Kisaragi also frequently tells Hiyoshi that he wants to do whatever he whatever he wants with her. Stuff like I protected you so you cant complain if I do whatever I want with you. He says stuff like that like 34 times which is impressive in a 9chapter manga. Theres a scene where he gives her a hickey to keep her from wearing her bikini in front of guys. Its a one for one copy of a scene in Maidsama where Usui doesnt want Misaki to wear a bikini in front of other guys so he gives her a hickey. I just hate the controlling aspect and how it comes from a protecting women from being assaulted perspective when their attire is not the issue. Its the guys possessiveness and control issues. In The Story of Our Unlikely Love hes just upset that guys are looking in her general direction. Her swimsuit was even a normal swimsuit and not even the slightest bit more revealing than the average twopiece. It just made me so angry. As for the characters we only really met our two leads. Hiyoshi is super relatable since I also struggle with turning people down and saying no. I appreciated how despite having a challenging time with taking time with standing up for herself she wasnt a shy or timid character. Shes extroverted and independent. She was a refreshing character. As for Kisaragi I generally liked him because he was very chaotic and he made me laugh with his spontaneous actions. Hes just so carefree and yet perceptive. However he kind of ruined himself for me with the stuff he did that I detailed in the above paragraph. The art was incredibly beautiful. I love the character designs. Hiyoshis design kind of reminded me of the FL from Hayakku Shitai Futari except in a different style. Both the leads were adorable looking. The art is definitely a strong point for this manga. As Ive said I have mixed feelings about this. At its strongest its an adorable romcom but at its worst we get to see some awful behavior. I generally enjoyed it but I cant give it a higher rating than a 7/10 because it bothered me so much. Its a shame because I enjoyed reading it and I appreciated the character dynamic.