The Spring 2025 Manga Guide

I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class

What's It About? 

Arch enemies Hojou Saito and Sakuramori Akane are notorious across their high school for their bitter rivalry. Every day is a new battleground, filled with constant bickering and fiery clashes. But everything changes when Saito's domineering grandfather delivers a shocking ultimatum: marry his rival, or lose the family business to the dog! Reluctantly, Saito agrees, and to his surprise--so does Akane. Now, the two must navigate life as an unlikely couple, sharing a house, meals, and even a bed...without tearing each other apart! Can they keep their embarrassing marriage a secret from their classmates? And what could have possibly motivated Akane to agree to this arrangement in the first place?

I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class has a story by Amano Seiju and art by Mosskonbu, with English translation by Avery Hutley. Jennifer Skarupa lettered this volume. Published by Seven Seas (March 4, 2025). Rated Older Teen.

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Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a mean plot. I Got Married to the Girl I Hate Most in Class is nothing if not that, at least for the majority of this volume: the circumstances that are contrived to bring Saito and Akane together are so enraging that if I weren't required to review the first volume, I wouldn't. I don't often hate with such vehemence, so that should tell you something, even if that “something” is “Wow, Rebecca gets worked up about some kind of weird things.”

The issue is the way Saito and Akane are manipulated by their supposedly loving grandparents. While we don't know what Akane's grandmother is holding over her head, Saito's grandfather is willing to destroy his own company rather than hand it over to a grandson who won't bend to his whims. Even worse, later chapters of the book reveal that Saito's parents were neglectful, so his grandfather is the only real parental figure he has had in his life. For that man to then turn around and become vicious is a major betrayal, and it doesn't matter if the marriage between Saito and Akane is being framed, at least in part, as “for their own good.” The fact of the matter is that these two kids are being forced to marry each other and live together, even sleeping in the same bed, to allow their grandparents to live through them.

Oh, the book tries to frame it as funny. It's heavily implied that Akane has a crush on Saito and is too tsun to bother being dere. Still, as a character, she's also a relic of the bad old days of manga rom-coms —the kind of girl who lashes out physically at any imagined slight, and that, frankly, makes her both exhausting and off-putting. Saito is just muddling through the situation, but Akane makes it nearly impossible for him to do that in a way that's even a little comfortable for him. Yes, his meal skills and cleaning schedule are abysmal, but the way she goes about helping (or rather, correcting) him doesn't take him into consideration. While there's no way she could know about his family situation, she also doesn't try at all.

The art is about the only thing I can list as a draw for this volume. Sure, it has zero idea how breasts work (at one point, friend Himari's seem almost prehensile), but there's a pleasant softness to it, and the color images are very nice. The translation is solid, too, so if you're not as immediately put off by the premise as I am, I suspect you'll have a good time. But if mean and contrived stories aren't your idea of a romantic comedy, it's safe to skip this series.

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MrAJCosplay
Rating:

I'll be honest, I was ready to hate this series with every fiber of my being. I thought the setup was lazy, the execution was nonsensical, and the jokes weren't that funny. This is one of the most forced romantic comedy scenarios I've seen for a long time, but unlike something like 100 Girlfriends, there wasn't any over-the-top exaggeration. We have two main characters who hate each other and are forced to get married at the incredibly selfish whims of their grandparents. I'm rolling my eyes at the misunderstandings and wacky hijinks.

But then something happens, something that I very rarely see in romantic comedies. The two leads sit down and talk with each other. There comes a point halfway through the book where they realize they need to make the most of their uncomfortable situation, because the trade-off for this living arrangement will allow them to achieve their dreams. These two are not a couple, but it's clear that there has been a lot of animosity between them over the years, as they often fight. Now they are forced to sit down and discuss things like boundaries and personal interests for the sake of stable collaboration, and it works. The two compromise like a legitimate couple, help out around the house, are wary of each other's boundaries, and apologize for previous misunderstandings.

This leads to the more romantically charged atmosphere of the story, and I believe it. A few conversations help them overcome a hurdle they weren't able to overcome initially, which was arguably the source of much of their animosity. But now that they are seeing each other as people, I believe the romance is blossoming between them. I want to see where this relationship goes. The artwork is adorable, taking advantage of little chibi versions of the characters to punctuate comedic timing. This one is a tricky recommendation because while I do think the first third of the book is genuinely frustrating as someone who loves their romantic comedy tropes, I also think that if you can get over that hump, you will lot of potential for a believable dynamic between our two leads.