Is You and I Are Polar Opposites, a romcom written and illustrated by Kocha Agasawa, one of the best manga romcoms of 2024? Originally a one-shot manga written and illustrated by Kocha Agasawa, Shueisha’s Shonen Jump serialized it in 2022.
Is the manga complete? The manga concluded recently in November 2024, and with it came an anime adaptation announcement. The anime adaptation is a ways away, its release date will be sometime in January 2026.
One of many adaptations that animation studios announced this year, alongside SAKAMOTO DAYS and Kaoru Hana.
Synopsis
Miyu Suzuki, an energetic girl who can’t help but follow the crowd, finds herself drawn to Yusuke Tani, a quiet boy who can easily speak his mind. Enter: the serialization of a hit one-shot! A story for anyone who wants to enjoy love! This down-to-earth, relatable rom-com is ready to pull at your heartstrings!Synopsis from Official Shueisha Website
You and I are Polar Opposites Review
An Overused RomCom Trope
It’s a common story, an extrovert bubbly girl falls in love with the shy quiet guy in class. This is a classic romcom trope. If you’re looking for something unique, this story isn’t it. You may want to give Yakuza Fiancé a chance.
But the fans still seem to love it. In 2022, You and I Are Polar Opposites was nominated in the Next Manga Awards. It won first runner-up in the Web Manga Category. On the forums of the anime adaptation announcement, a lot of commenters were excited about it.
The Artstyle
The artstyle isn’t anything amazing, it’s pretty plain. But that doesn’t mean there’s no effort in the artstyle. Kocha Agasawa still draws great panels, as seen above.
However it’s not what makes it stand out to me. Some of the reaction faces are funny though.
What Keeps the Fans Reading This Manga?
Based on my reading of the manga, I believe the characters are the primary appeal. They’re both hilarious, especially Miyu Suzuki. She overthinks everything, and the facial expressions she has are top tier.
Yusuke Tani can be hilarious by mistake sometimes. His character is blunt and straightforward, the other characters get caught off guard.
The romance that the main duo have isn’t unique. But what I think the readers love is that they get to see both of their perspectives. Sometimes in romcoms, the audience sees the perspective of one person more than the other.
An example from other manga romcoms is My Dress-Up Darling. The majority of the time the audience only sees Marin’s point of view. In Blue Box, we see more of Taiki’s feelings than Chinatsus.
Would I Recommend You Read It?
You and I Are Polar Opposites is a fun read, from what I’ve read so far. If you are just looking for cute fluffy romance, this is a good read. It isn’t a manga I would prioritize on my reading list or anything.
I would suggest reading a couple chapters, around 5-10. If you like it keep going, if you don’t you won’t be missing a lot. I would say wait for the anime, maybe the animators and voice actors can make it come to life.
If you are looking for the best manga romcoms of 2024 I suggest Blue Box and Kaoru Hana. These two are at the top of my personal list right now, and got popular this year. Blue Box currently has an anime as well, and the latter is getting one sometime next year. Another good romance is Kowloon Generic Romance, which however doesn’t have that much comedy. It’s more of a drama romance I would say.
Can it be called one of the best manga romcoms of 2024? I don’t think it does honestly. But it doesn’t mean that it’s a terrible manga. There’s just other manga that I would rather give that title to.
