Eriko Ichimura is invisible. From her plain looks to her boring personality, no one at school is able to remember she exists. Resigned to her fate, Eriko makes an online personality where she tweets out her romantic fantasies to the world as Lovesick Ellie. The catch? She uses the cutest boy in school as her fake boyfriend.
But not all is as it seems with popular boy Ohmi. He is sweet and kind to everyone around him, but hides a dangerously sharp tongue behind his smile. When the two accidentally discover the other’s secret, they form a sort of pact to keep things in the dark. What lies in store for this pervy girl and two-faced boy as they try to navigate their newfound bond?
The Good
Lovesick Ellie is a simple and cute story about a girl wanting to be seen and a boy wanting to be heard. The two’s unlikely friendship puts them in a plethora of funny and serious situations that keeps the action moving.
The art is cute and clean, and the translation is great. It was fun seeing how the two reacted to each other’s hidden sides, and as the story progressed, I enjoyed watching them open up to each other more.
The Bad
I’ve gotta be honest, Lovesick Ellie just didn’t snag my attention. Eriko and Ohmi felt very flat as main characters and their interactions came off as forced and contrived most of the time. This story is very similar to And Yet, You Are So Sweet, but without being laugh-out-loud funny or feeling like the main character’s interactions were authentic.
Much of the drama in this volume involved miscommunication between Eriko and Ohmi. Not only is this a heavily overused trope, but how these scenarios played out were confusing and boring. In fact, many of the plots didn’t work, and I think it’s mostly because the character development is lacking. Instead of a gradual progression that the readers can follow, the character growth jumps around with no sense of continuity.
The Verdict
Lovesick Ellie was just okay. For big fans of rom-coms, it’s still worth checking out if the premise is something you’re interested in. However, I think there are other series that use these same tropes in much better ways. For now, I’m holding off on getting volume 2.
You can purchase Volume 1 of Ima Koi – Now I’m In Love on Right Stuf Anime!
Credits
Story and Art: Fujimomo
Translation: Ursula Ku
Lettering: Allen Berry
Additional Lettering and Layout: Lys Blakeslee
Editing: Sarah Tilson, Vanessa Tenazas
Publisher: Kiichiro Sugawara
Published in the United States by Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC.
If you’re interested in Lovesick Ellie, you might like…
The Good
- Good translation
- Cute artwork
The Bad
- Character development isn't consistent
- Relies on overused tropes that have a poor execution
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