“I love you so much…that I want to eat you up!”
About In So Deep, It’s Love Already
In So Deep, It’s Love Already is a shojo manga series by Reida Soragaki, published in English print by TOKYOPOP. In it, we meet Momoka Kirino, a high school student who has sworn off loving real boys. Instead, she will fan over her “oshis,” fictional and real. When a new transfer student, Shuuto Kametani, arrives with tsundere vibes, Kirino decides he will be her new oshi to stan.
As it turns out, Kametani is rough around the edges because he gets incredibly red around girls. He acts mean to them to steer them away. This makes Kirino like him more, and she decides to start helping him overcome this phenomena. As the two start getting closer, we have to wonder if Kirino only likes Kametani as a fan or something more…
My Thoughts
Give me shenanigans and I am sold. In So Deep, It’s Love Already is so chaotic, at no point could I predict what would happen next. First of all, stanning idols and anime characters is one thing, but stanning a real live person based on perceived vibes is kind of intense. For Kirino though, her stanning knows no logic or bounds. She’s making up things as she goes, like deciding Kametani’s “color” and painting her nails to match. She’s watching out for him, so people don’t view him in a negative light. She picked her real life oshi and went full throttle. Listen, some of her stanning can be a little cringe, but Kirino is free.
I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this story. It’s always great to see a main character who is intense, even to the point of being a bit wacky. Does Kirino stanning Kametani make sense? No, but it doesn’t have to. Kirino is dedicated and willing to do all it takes to be the best stan ever. I also like how being a fan of Kametani blurs the line for her (and him) of whether she’s acting based on being a fan or if she’s genuinely starting to like him.
It is so fun to see a main character like Kirino, so unashamed of who she is and her likes. There’s this charm to her, as she’s being so bold and direct with Kametani, under the purpose of “stanning her oshi.” It almost reminds me of a Risa, in Lovely Complex. Completely aware of who she is and what she wants and moving forward in that direction. Girls like this are so fun to watch and root for because they feel so alive. Initially, her and her “stanning” feels superficial, but as this first volume progresses, we get to dive into Kirino a little bit and see how her “oshi” culture, is helping her heal from a heartbreak.
Things may look different after Kirino realizes her feelings are of love and not “stanning” but I surely hope not. I am loving Kirino just the way she is.
Where to Buy In So Deep, It’s Love Already, Volume 1
In So Deep, It’s Love Already, Volume 1
Manga by Reida Soragaki
Translator: Katie Kimura
Editor: Becca Chen
Retouching and Lettering: Vibrant Publishing Studio
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
In So Deep, It’s Love Already, Volume 1 is available for preorder now and will be released on February 3.
Thanks TOKYOPOP for the ARC!
