Aki Kusaka’s series needs an anime adaptation ASAP!
Oftentimes in manga and anime, the word ‘romcom’ is used to describe a series that’s sweet and romantic. And although that’s not wrong, it can make us comedy lovers feel a bit left behind. It’s not often that one can find a romance manga that can make you belly laugh. But lucky for you, we have found a short, cute, and funny series that can do just that.
Introducing “Hayaku Shitai Futaari” (Let’s Do It Already!) by Aki Kusaka, a completed manga with nine volumes, featuring a couple that will make you laugh while filling your heart with love and adoration.
Hayaku Shitai Futaari adds a dramatic flare to a normal setting
Imagine this, you are Yuuri Haasegawa, a 16 year old high schooler from a girl’s school whose students don’t have the best reputation. You yourself are a former delinquent. One day, you meet a very serious boy named Keiichirō Katsuragi in a train, and by some twist of fate, the two of you fall in love with each other. You guys’ confession goes well, and you become boyfriend and girlfriend.
But just as you’re about to kiss your new boyfriend, he tells you that you can’t do that unless he’s at least 18 years old. He then tells you that he is from one of the most prolific families of Japan and his father and grandfather were both prime ministers!
Thus goes the premise of this wonderfully dramatic manga. Yuuri is confused, devastated, but determined to spend some time with her extremely busy boyfriend. Keiichirō wants the same, but with his stellar academics and various other important political meetings and activities, he has little to no space in his rigid routine for his girlfriend. So how will Yuuri fulfill their teenage romance dreams without getting Keiichirō kicked out of his family? You have to read the series to find out the rest.
You can’t help but fall in love with their love
Although it’s set in the modern world, Hayaku Shitai Fuutari’s premise is quite ridiculous if you think about it too deeply. But it doesn’t seem that Kusaka wanted the reader to think too hard about it. Instead, she just wants you to enjoy the dramatic Yuuri and her serious boyfriend (who can be even more hilariously dramatic than her sometimes) Keiichirō’s high school romance escapades.
There’s no “will they, won’t they” in this manga. It’s officially established in the first chapter that Yuuri and Keiichirō have just started dating. But the ridiculous loops they have to jump through just to be able to do things like normal couples make the story infinitely entertaining. From Keiichirō hijacking Yuuri’s school trip just to spend time with her, to Yuuri applying to be the maid of the Katsuragi household to be closer to him, every story twist goes above and beyond to be dramatic and funny.
Every time Yuuri fails in one of her plans to meet Keiichirō, you will feel frustrated and embarrassed on her behalf. But when you see Keiichirō go above and beyond to risk his family’s wrath just to make her happy, you will end up with a smile on your face. Due to the lengths they go through to meet each other, everything from them holding hands to finally kissing feels special. However, their romance blossoms less like a flower and more like a hilarious trainwreck.
A successful romcom that people deserve
If you value comedy as a central element in romcoms, then this manga is made for you. Other than the lovably frustrating protagonists, this series also has some amazing side characters that add value to the plot. Most importantly, it never fails to entertain you for a moment. The absurdity never falters, and neither does Yuuri’s determination to be lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. And when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, you get hilarity that tickles just right.
Hayaku Shitai Futari is a perfect mix of high school romance and comedy. The art is also beautiful and adds to the charm of the plot. This is a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and offers only love and laughter.
The series was originally published in Shueisha’s shojo magazine Margaret. Viz Media currently publishes the tankōbon volumes of the manga in English.