Mushy month and have no idea how much related content of shojo I’ll cramp in but I’ve got a few ideas, doesn’t matter as they’ll eventually go up but I have to take the opportunity to dote upon a shojo absolutely adore.
In a recent episode for the FangirlTrashCan podcast, romance manga had some limelight and me, Shay and Naja discussing how our preference for Josei/mature reads is a lot stronger than it use to be. Highschool shojo settings don’t hold the same love for us all differently as it once did. That is to be expected, we’re older, the tastes evolve over the time but there a few little gems that come along and change your mind: Lovesick Ellie was one for me.
I don’t remember when it was I discovered Lovesick Ellie, honestly my only recall is browsing through amazon and coming across it. This was in late 2020, this manga wasn’t hugely popular in the west then. Only available digitally and apart of Kodansha digital first releases, only enough popularity and feedback will titles see the light of a print release. Which early last year in 2021, Kodansha surprisingly made come true that I didn’t foresee but I had that drooling face Ellie has in picture above. Desperately was a title I wanted in my own small collection and those wanting feeling had not been awakened for a long time over here.
Fantastic now the popularity growth with this series receiving a print release, right at the beginning any avid shojo lover who will grab any shojo, you’ll want this one. That’s a huge statement to make right at the start here but this was main point of this post was to pick this title up and just dive in.
Pervy Lead
I’m personally over the innocent wallflowers (a bit), shrew mice who let guys just use them as a doormat in a high school setting. God damn it elated me Ellie main female was in a different equation. Ellie has become one of my favourite females in shojo, reading the synopsis for the story “a girl who posts her inner fantasties on twitter about most popular boy at school” doesn’t sound much but Ellie’s whole character turns uninteresting to pure entertainment. Ellie has the classic traits of oddball, stays out of the crowd and keeps to herself but the level of honesty in her feelings, desire, fantasties is something I admire. A closet pervert female tweeting her inner fantasties becomes the series source of humour and Ellie makes it work so god damn well.
Everything Ellie expresses out into the void is more than relatable, her honesty, infatuation makes it so cute. Alongside that when she makes her drooling, swooning face, I lose it. Too funny stuck instead her own little fantasy moment whenever Ohmi her love interest does something. Nothing can break Ellie’s concentration there, she is hysterical when entering this state. I find her hysterical anyway realising what she may have said or or been oblivious too. Ellie’s obliviousness to some of the things around her, is some great humour and works for character well.
Boy Just As Awkward
Ohmi Ellie’s love interest source of all her tweets turned out to be an interesting protagonist too. Ohmi is your onion full of different layers, everyone around him gets nice, polite Ohmi. Until Ellie accidentally witnesses the real Ohmi who doesn’t give a rats ass about much in way of people’s feeling and will do the bare minimum. Ellie’s magic takes some time to reach Ohmi but quickly you see he’s about the same as Ellie but conflicting personality he starts out with and expands as series progresses is fulfilling to watch. Ohmi character for the first time in a long while for a shojo school setting made me curious of why acts way he does, his reasoning. I’ll say it’s nothing groundbreaking but just his character to peek my interest is a win.
Closet Pervy Blossoming Relationship
Ellie and Ohmi dynamic together I absolutely adore, both in the million and one mistakes they make and their growing, horny affections for one another. Ellie brings dynamic of “the idea of romance” from never actually experiencing the real thing for herself. Ohmi brings dynamic of ” my thousand layers of onions” closeness issues with people. Both dynamic general character traits to see in shojo but how the two flourish outwards on these traits, I love. Ellie’s million and one misunderstandings and tweets causing more trouble than they’re worth lead into hysterical misconceptions. Ohmi has his hands full there. Ohmi closed off nature is a constant crutch, Ellie unknowingly has to work with, I feel for her in that regard a lot. Both as imperfect as one another, their imperfection is beautiful to me.
This won’t be a secret either how they don’t hide the lust and sauce factor within their relationship, their are some forward confessions that certainly add spice. A bonus factor to Ellie and Ohmi relationship that you don’t get a lot in high school shojo, trust me.
I can’t wait to own all of this series in print, though I’m a bit late on purchasing the first released volume at present. Every other person I know has beaten me as usual. I was very surprised how fast this series got into my top 5 shojo but it’s staying there forever. I hope another read like this comes along in shojo high school setting to changed our minds, that setting won’t always stick to the same standard.
Let me know if you’re a fan of this series or have just picked it up yourself.!
I’ll see you in the next post everyone!
LitaKino
litakinoanimecorner.wordpress.com 
Thankyou for the shoutout and hope you check out lovesick ellie 🙂 hehe it’s a good one
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I remember I used to pretty much read every Shoujo manga I can find from “OHSHC” to “maid-sama” to “high school debut” but I guess age does play a role since I’ve stayed away from them due to so many clichés but every now and then I find some good ones such as “Rainbow days”, “Kawaii Hito”, “Daily Report About My Witch Senpai”.
“Lovesick Ellie” looks good, thanks for the recommendation!!
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