What's It About?

Amane hadn't seriously liked anyone since back in middle school. He learned how painful it was to be laughed at for sharing your feelings and had sworn off ever since. Now, Amane's just transferred to a new High School in Enoshima, where he meets Ryuuji, a boy in his class. Fast friends, the jaded Amane quickly warms up to the eager Ryuuji—but that warmth continues to grow into feelings much deeper than friendship.

If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love has story and art by Maru Kubota, with English translation by Avery Hutley and lettering by Elena Pizarro Lanzas. Published by Yen Press (March 25, 2025). Rated T+.

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Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

How long have you been laughing at yourself? With that one line, Ryuuji manages to wriggle through all of Amane's defenses in this very sweet BL tale. Amane's just moved to Enoshima to live with his grandmother after what sounds like years of neglect from his purportedly busy parents. A victim of perpetual loneliness, Amane seems to have come to equate sex with love, or at least to decide that the former is better without bothering about the latter. And yes, he has been laughing to ease the pain for a long time, even if he's not fully aware that that's what he's been doing.

In a lot of ways, there's not much that stands out about this volume. The art is okay but not great; the story is sweet, but it lacks substance. But mostly that's when you take the book at its surface value; seen that way, it really is a dime a dozen sort of romance. But what makes this worth reading is the way that Ryuuji helps Amane to see himself more clearly. Amane hasn't been able to see his loneliness for what it is, nor has he realized that he fully expects homophobia from everyone he comes out to. The first boy he confessed to acted like being gay was a joke, so to save face, Amane just laughed along with him and never bothered to stop.

It's not something that's fully explored in this volume, but there's enough subtext to make it an interesting topic. One scene of Amane sitting with his school friends before his move has him desperately trying not to get pulled into a discussion about liking girls; we can see him trying to figure out how to tell them the truth. He's spared (more or less) by a friend saying that if Amane doesn't like girls he must be into MILFs, which in itself says something about how far queer is from their collective radar. Later this is contrasted with girls at his new school attempting to grill Amane on his love life only to have Ryuuji come in and casually put a stop to it – not because he's uncomfortable, but because he knows Amane is.

That's just one of many little ways Ryuuji shows Amane he cares, even if that hasn't really come into the idea of romance yet. Amane's more afraid that he's beginning to fall for Ryuuji, and given that his past relationships were just based on sex and his friendships were at least a little shallow because of his fear of coming out, he's really not sure what to do. All of this is to say that I feel like If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love's first volume has done a good job of laying the groundwork for an even better second volume. This is sweet, and as we watch the boys interact with each other, it's easy to see that it could get even sweeter going forward. That's enough to make it worth reading, even if this volume settles comfortably for just being a flat “good.”

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Dee
Rating:

Some BL exist in a gay utopia, a world slightly to the left of our own where homophobia doesn't exist and men fall in love without anyone batting an eye. There's value to these idyllic worlds, both as escapism and as depictions for how the world could be. That said, I'm often drawn to BL that touch on queer awakenings and address real-world heteronormativity, which is probably why If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love worked so well for me.

High school freshman Amane is openly gay from the first page. He has (PG-rated) hookups with guys and checks out his classmates during gym, all while joking about his sexuality and insisting he'll never fall in love. We learn over time that Amane uses humor to protect himself, because the last time he tried to come out to someone, his crush responded with mockery and disgust. It's an aching depiction of the more common, mundane types of bigotry queer folks face, and shows how deep dismissal can cut.

With that memory in Amane's past, it's easy to see why he falls so hard and fast for Ryuuji, a naturally kind person who accepts Amane without question. Their relationship is sweet with a touch of sauciness, as they have a teasing dynamic where they can poke fun at each other's quirks—Ryuuji's “old man” personality, Amane's terrible stamina—while still supporting and caring for one another.

With as strong as the character writing is here, it's an extra shame the art is so rough. The boys often have that flat paper doll look to them that's common with inexperienced artists, and the manga creator struggles to maintain proportions when drawing uncommon angles. It's not distractingly bad (and I'll take personality over perfection any day of the week), but it can detract from the story, especially during more intimate scenes. Sparse backgrounds and food fare better thanks to some gritty cross-hatching, and there are some cute round comedic figures and an A+ fat cat. Still, this feels very much like an early effort, with all the messiness that entails.

Still, the story outweighs the visuals for me, hence my above-average rating. If Kubota continues to grow as an artist, this series could develop into a hidden gem. But it isn't there quite yet.

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Lauren Orsini
Rating:

If a romance is going to rely on tropes, it might as well be tropes I enjoy, and I love a good slutty uke meets puppy dog seme story. This is a high school BL on the lighter side featuring a transfer student to Enoshima who has sworn off falling in love. You'll never guess what happens next! This typical love story follows all the expected beats—indirect kisses, a trip to the bathhouse, taking care of each other while one person is sick. For that reason, I didn't find it particularly memorable. But the story's focus on uke Amane healing from his past trauma and learning that he is worthy of love will resonate with some readers.

Amane considers himself above the concept of love; he's fine with a series of one-night stands, thank you very much. But after he moves to Enoshima and has a saccharine meet-cute involving an airborne cat right at the ferry station, Amane finds his resolve already wavering. “Oh… It's Mr. Right,” he thinks immediately upon meeting Ryuuji. Indeed, Ryuuji is exactly the person who Amane needed to meet to undergo a serious self-examination. Ever since a middle school friend laughed at Amane for being gay, Amane has been making a joke of himself to avoid getting hurt again. But Ryuuji doesn't think it's funny. This purehearted boy isn't even afraid to visit the bathhouse with Amane even after he knows Amane's preferences. He rescues Amane from some coeds who are grilling him about his nonexistent taste in girls. And above all, he never stops giving his time and attention to Amane—his guidance with directions, his umbrella in the rain, his ice cream when Amane's spills out of his cone. People sometimes say “X will fix me,” but in Amane's case, Ryuuji really will fix him. But for all his kindness, Ryuuji is still an enigma. Is he just a super nice guy, or does he like Amane back?

It isn't clear, but I think it'd be better if If It’s You, I Might Try Falling in Love is the first volume in a series rather than a standalone. It's only at the end of this gentle, healing book that we get any insight into Ryuuji's side of the story, but even then, it's simply the reveal that Ryuuji has no idea what Amane is thinking any more than Amane can guess his own feelings. With only one romantic lead who experiences any character development, this remains a surface-level fantasy about how meeting the right guy can solve all of your problems, no work on your part required.

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