Love Me Love Me Not is published in English by VIZ Media‘s ShojoBeat imprint. The series has focused on the lives of high schoolers, Yuna, Akari, Rio, and Kazuomi who’s friendships and romantic feelings have resulted in a collision between their assumptions, their wants, and reality. Now a full love quadrangle of epic shojo proportions, Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 reminds readers that while adult love may be complicated, it doesn’t hold a candle to high school romances.
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Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 is written and illustrated by Io Sakisaka, with translation by JN Productions and touch-up art and lettering by Sarah Linsley. At the end of the last volume, readers got the chance to see Rio’s feelings for Akari finally begin to reveal themselves as she makes her way into his dreams. Now, in Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 the romances start to bloom but none of our main characters have the wherewithal to beat back their own assumptions, start asking questions, and listen to what their crushes are saying. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a high school romance.
After dreaming about kissing Yuna, Rio can’t stop thinking about her. Yuna, on the other hand, has accepted her place as Rio’s friend and continues to push her thoughts of pursuing him aside. Meanwhile, Akari pursues Kazuomi, but it turns out that he may have seen something on that fateful rainy day that threw Rio and Akari’s step-sibling relationship into a tailspin.
Truth be told, this entire plot could be solved if the characters just decided to listen to one another instead of letting their actions be driven by their assumptions of situations. While this is a common romance trope that winds up overdone and tiresome, this isn’t the case with Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5. Sakisaka’s writing feels authentic to the uncertainty of teenage romance. Each character is propelled by their insecurities and grounded by their dreams, it’s where they conflict with each other where the drama takes place. And that’s the point of it all.
Additionally, the dreamy quality to the light linework of Sakisaka’s art helps to showcase the wispy way each emotion in the story builds on others. Without giving too much away, the art and the emotion put into is one of the main reasons why I’m excited about the next volume in this series. As jealousy becomes a harsher emotion that each of the characters has to confront, I’m curious as to how Sakisaka’s soft art will rise to meet it.
With Ao Haru Ride completed, now is the perfect time to jump into Love Me Love Me Not. To put it simply, while the relationships just get messier, the commentary on the importance of platonic intimacy, growing friendships, and putting other’s needs before your own. Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 is showcasing each character’s growth not only in their relationships but alone as well, which makes the romance all the more enjoyable to read.
Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 is available from booksellers November 3, 2020.
Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5
TL;DR
With Ao Haru Ride completed, now is the perfect time to jump into Love Me Love Me Not. To put it simply, while the relationships just get messier, the commentary on the importance of platonic intimacy, growing friendships and putting other’s needs before your own. Love Me Love Me Not Volume 5 is showcasing each character’s growth not only in their relationships but alone as well, which makes the romance all the more enjoyable to read.
