A Manga that feels like 'So High School' by Taylor Swift

Do You Miss the Feeling Lovely Complex Gave YOU?

Like many shoujo fans I've been chasing the high that lovely complex gave me for years. I'd read lists that said  'watch this anime if you loved lovely complex! it's totally for you!' and none of them would capture that indescribable feeling that was in lovely complex. That was until I stumbled upon this LOVELY manga, better known as "Hitting Rewind with You". This short and sweet series will quench your lovley complex thirst.

While Lovely Complex might be the anime that perfectly captures this manga's essence. Like I said above, So High School by Taylor Swift is a perfect preview, lyrically, to the essence of this series. 

 Let me help set the scene for you through song!

THE STORY <3

Meet our female lead Wakaba. You know the term peaked in high school? Well Wakaba is exactly the opposite. Now that she's in college, she has what I'd call 'reverse nostalgia'. She longs for all the firsts that come with youth

In attempt to relive her youth, just for a day, she plans her own Cinderella moment. Well, instead of going to a ball and wearing a sparkling gown, she's putting on her old high school uniform and going out on the town with a nostalgia check list. (Lucky for her it's Halloween so it's less odd).

During her day out, she's saved by a boy who she strong arms  into joining her adventure. Honestly, she knows she's gonna use him to live out her High School Cinderella fantasy. 

What happens when you meet someone under mistaken identity? What surprises will they run into and how will their two worlds collide? Trust me and give at least the first chapter a read!

The Lovely Complex of it All

The Reason I love this manga and I gave it the five star lovely complex rating, is because it understands the importance of fun and whimsy. Every moment together with this couple, like with Risa and Otani, is  fun. Wakaba is full of whimsy and gets lost in fun of every moment. The fun of fumito (our male lead) isn't that he's himself is playful, but that wakaba makes him embrace his sense of play.

I've frequently noticed in romance mangas, we see the lead fall in love and yearn, but we don't really understand how they would function together as a couple. One of the biggest parts of a relationship isn't just being attracted to someone, but being with a person who you enjoy spending time with. This manga really focuses on the 'hey we enjoy spending time together' of it all. Or as Lara Jean would say 'I like me better when I'm with you' of it all.

More than just watching them have fun together. Wakaba is a joy to watch exist. Her child like wonder at everything has readers lost in the moment too. 

This was one of my top reads of last year. I highly highllly reccomend it. To send you off I'll leave you with two songs. One that I think captures each leads feeling toward the other. Give it a listen and you'll know better who is who after your reading :)