Content Warning: Cupid is Struck by Lightning Vol. 1 contains depictions of explicit sexual intimacy between high school students, as well as social situations and trauma around a facial injury that happens before the events of the manga.
Synopsis
First-year high schooler Shingo’s side hustle is playing “Cupid-for-hire,” wherein he gets information about people’s crushes for them, often in exchange for food. One day, he’s tasked with finding out more about his upperclassman Ao, who turns out to have a gloomy exterior that’s a stark contrast to Shingo’s easygoing personality. Shingo finds out that Ao has a secret, but instead of reporting back to the original requester, Shingo decides to keep the secret, and becomes closer to Ao. They eventually get together, and their sweet high school romance begins.
The Good
Cupid is Struck by Lightning Vol. 1 is a cute story about a supposedly silver-tongued first-year that completely turns into a tongue-tied fool in front of his crush. The manga runs at a brisk pace based on the sheer forwardness of Shingo, which causes an extremely awkward situation very early on when trying to get information out of Ao. But because Shingo doesn’t have the ability to wait and let things fester, any drama is usually quickly resolved. If you’re tired of BL manga where the characters spend half of the story wondering or agonizing about being gay, you don’t have to worry in this manga, as it’s never really a pain point or brought up at all.
Shingo and Ao get together really quickly, and it’s nice to read about Shingo’s experience with trying to figure out how to move to the next stage of their relationship when he doesn’t have any sexual experience. Shingo and Ao are perfect complements to each other, with Shingo’s bright demeanor being the ray of sunshine next to Ao’s raincloud personality. Shingo’s crybaby face is a joy to see, and Ao’s cool demeanor comes across well. A lot of sexy bonus comics are included at the end of the manga, as well as some color pages of art (in the digital version that was reviewed). It was nice to be able to enjoy the artist’s coloring work.
School settings aren’t usually that interesting to me, but Minta Suzumaru’s cute art and fun side characters really made the setting enjoyable. Because it’s a story about teenagers, it’s amusing and insightful to read a story about horny teenagers figuring things out in a healthy way. If you’re concerned with how some BL manga are a little too rigid with deciding who “tops” based on personality, I found Shingo and Ao deciding what works for them to be pretty natural, and they really just want to have sex so they can be closer to each other. Listening in on Shingo’s thoughts just makes everything that much more enjoyable.
Somewhere In Between
Shingo’s straightforward personality and tendency to rush headfirst might be a sticking point for some people, but I personally found it refreshing to see a character that is completely ruled by impulse. Shingo is extremely genuine, and that is probably what makes his side hustle so successful. This could be a good or bad thing, as his impulsiveness is what makes Ao get angry at him for prying into his facial scar. Shingo is self-aware enough to reflect on his actions. He acknowledges that what he asked about might have triggered Ao, and grows from that.
The Verdict
I have read and enjoyed I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love by the same artist, and I personally sometimes find high school stories to be hit-and-miss, so I wasn’t sure what to expect for Cupid is Struck by Lightning. Those worries went away immediately, and I am glad that I wasn’t disappointed. While I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love is about adults figuring it out, Cupid is Struck by Lightning is definitely about the high school experience. It’s a joy to see Shingo and Ao figuring out how to voice what they want and asking for it.
There are a lot of hallmark Japanese high school experiences that appear in the manga, but it never comes across as cliché or boring, as you’re too busy going along for the ride for whatever foolish new thing Shingo is doing. You can’t help but laugh, as he’s really endearing even when he’s experiencing the horrifying self-realization aftermath of whatever thing he just did in front of his crush without thinking about it. I also enjoyed looking at all the art in this manga; the artist transitions between comedy and drama smoothly. I would say if you want a dose of sweet high school romance that is also horny, definitely pick this up. Even though this continues in a second volume, the story ends neatly in what could be considered a self-contained manga volume, making it an easy recommendation.
Cupid is Struck by Lightning Vol.1 is available in print and digitally from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Indigo.
If you like Cupid is Struck by Lightning Vol.1, you might also like…
- Classmates by Asumiko Nakamura
- Monotone Blue by Nagabe
Credits
Story and Art: Minta Suzumaru
Translation: Tristan K. Hill
Adaptation: Hattie Trick
Lettering: Ray Steeves
Logo & Cover Design: Mariel Dágá
Copy Editor: Leighanna DeRouen
Proofreader: Krista Grady
Production Designer: Ria Linn Johnson
Editor: Lark Smith
Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment
Thank you to Seven Seas Entertainment for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
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