Heroine Shikkaku

The reason why I would rate this anime as relatively high is the character development that happens throughout it. The art was okay, but the facial expressions Hatori makes creates a more lighthearted feel to an otherwise pretty deep story.

I'll start off with Rita, the main love interest. He has a lot of issues and had to deal with his lack of motherhood which ended in him becoming sort of the "brooding bad-boy" type. He realizes that he took MC for granted in the end.

Hatori, is a good character. She has an ego to view herself as the main heroine of her story, but that gets shattered and she has to come to terms with the fact that everyone is a main character in their own lives, their own stories. Her experiences with Hiromitsu helped her develop as a character even more. I like her for the fact that she is strong-willed. People find her as an MC annoying but it's undeniable that her unshakable love for Rita is admirable, despite it causing her heartbreak. She can't help but care but she realizes that maybe her care isn't exactly rooted in the best of reasons.

Hiromitsu, is somewhat bland in my opinion, but is still a good character. There's nothing much for me to say about him because I wish he was fleshed out more, but he was kind of a tool for the author to develop Hatori and he served his purpose well enough. The typical player type that falls in love with a girl because she rejects him, and turns out to be a total sweetheart.

Now, Adachi. A bullied girl who Rita takes pity on, therefore, in my opinion, her character was treated as pitiable. MC views her as the "villain", but in the end, Adachi is still a nice girl. Because it was in Hatori's perspective, her actions come off as despicable and taking advantage of Rita's kindness, she is still the nice, shy, quiet girl who gets bullied and provides a rival that Hatori just can't hate at the end of the day.

These characters served their purpose and framed a story which has a moral that one should take to heart. I agree with the fact that she was hopelessly pining for something that might have never happened and was treated poorly, but that's just the reality of the situation. Love may not always be returned, but effort is required to at least get somewhere. You may like the manga, you may not, but the author conveyed their message well.

Story -10
Art-8
Character-9
Enjoyment-10
Overall-10

I like the story very well, plus the characters were not bad.
The enjoyment i get from reading this manga is priceless.
the flow of the story can be predictable at times, but will still keep u from reading.
i dont particularly hate a character, and the heroine is quite unique and funny. the concept of the story is pretty realistic too since every girl has always been wanting to be the heroine of their own love story.

Recommended!!!

This is not spoil free.

Okay, so I came here upon reading Sensei Kunshu because I find it really good. It was funny and interesting and that's where I learned about the existence of the younger Hiromatsu which I assumed to be the hero of the story. But I guessed wrong.

Story 4/10

The start of Heroine Shikkaku was pretty okay, common and predictable, yet funny. However as the story unfolds, the funny parts were little by little replaced with annoyance. There's just this two interesting characters that made me go on.

Characters

2/10

The female lead is incredibly annoying. She's so stucked up with the idea of being heroine you'll get fed up. She's utterly stupid, it's like she's brainless that she can't even analyze things or realize an obvious mistake without depending on her friend Nakajima. There's no character development. Her 'relentlessness' which was supposed to be her good trait somehow irks me anyway. For fucking 5 years of having an unrequited love, and then got turned down for how many times, piled up with so many failed attempts to steal a boyfriend of someone. Wow. Hatori really knows how to make a fool out of herself. A disgrace, rather. I was VERY dissappointed that she didn't end up with Hiromitsu (the very reason I read it, because I honestly thought he was the male lead, that hero that is a breath of fresh air and would save Hikori from her one sided love with Rita) BUT I am glad that they she didn't end up with him after cause she doesn't deserve his goodness.

Rita

God. I don't like him at all. He doesn't even give a strong impression of a hero. He was a jerk and he even became more of a jerk when he tried to win Hikorin back from Hiromitsu.

Nakajima

She's the only sane character in the story...if only she doesn't give too perfect advices. It's like she's the very writer of the story for knowing everything and emphathizing with everyone around her.

Hiromitsu

He may have a very sly appearance at first, but his development (the only good development I notice) towards the end made me root for him more. He wasn't annoying, and he's goddamn understanding. He turned out to be a good man at the end so he doesn't really deserve Hatori. Let's just assume that Hatori not choosing him was his punishment for being a womanizer before (lol).

Art

8/10

It was indeed very good, the art. The troll faces are hilarious. It kind of changed at the end though but I stilllove it ♡


Enjoyment

5/10

Half annoyed, half enjoyed

Overall rating

6/10

Like any other shoujo manga, the story is about the love story of the heroine, Hatori, and her unrequited love for her childhood friend, Rita. Hatori believes that Rita is the perfect hero.. so she has to be the perfect heroine for him!

Hatori is in love with Rita for almost five years. And since Rita treats her special because they are childhood friends, Hatori believes that she is the perfect match for him. But now, for the first time, Rita is having a serious relationship with his girlfriend. Should Hatori be supportive and try her best to move on? Or she would keep on loving Rita and make him fall in love with her instead?
"Heroine Shikkaku", by Koda Momoko, reveals a heartbreaking experience of a long term unrequited love.

Hatori is a wimpy girl who will cry in the background while watching her prince getting all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend. This girl is bratty, spoiled, self-centered, mean, and just stupidly selfish. Hatori, the main heroine, stands from what she believes in throughout the story. People may find her annoying, rebellious and some kind of a bitch. But who cares? She's in love and she's experiencing the pain of a lifetime!

The thing about the manga is that it's not covered with sugar-coating, but shows the bitterness of being left out-- of finding your long term crush happy with someone else. You'll witness the wasted efforts of every characters and feel sad like they were. Also, another thing that you'll love is that the story isn't that deep for it to be hard to picture yourself in the characters' shoes. It gives you the ability to think over the character’s actions and think about it like if you were them.

Rita lacks of understanding and communication and that drives our heroine in confusion and circles. It might be annoying that he's not being straightforward, but if you were in his shoes, you may find his actions a little bit reasonable. Isn't it hard to gamble your friendship over romantic love? He has been friends with Hatori for so long and maybe he just can't afford to lose her.

The art was neutral. It's not displeasing to the eyes yet not that good either. But I love how the artist tends to make funny facial expressions of the heroine. Hatori's reactions are always the best and I find myself looking for more funny faces of her.

Finishing the manga was like breath of fresh air-- it is unlike any other. And after reading this, you may change your perspective about being a "rival". The casts were all charming and you'll hope to read for more of them. The manga might be full of cliches, but Koda Momoko had found a way to make it more exciting and thrilling.

"Heroine Shikkaku" by Koda Momoko, a heartwarming, heartbreaking, laugh-triggering story that you'll ever read.

I feel like I was so generous with my scores...

Having recently re-read Heroine Shikkaku, I can safely confirm that it is the most frustrating shoujo manga that I have ever read. The actual plot is not bad, in fact it is quite generic, but what ruins it for me are the characters. Since shoujo manga revolve so heavily around the hero and heroine, those two characters need to be somewhat likeable.

Hatori and Rita, the "hero" and "heroine" (note quotation marks for sarcasm) in this manga, do not fit that requirement. Hatori is selfish, obnoxious, dramatic, and most annoyingly, hypocritical. Rita is more bearable, but he is still oblivious and frustrating in his inability to make decisions. If their characters were even the tiniest bit likeable, this manga would have been decent.

The only reason my scores are as high as they are is because of the story, and a few characters that absolutely saved this train wreck of a manga. Like I said, the story is quite generic, you can read the synopsis. So it's not bad, just similar to other shoujo manga. The characters that saved this manga for me are Hiromitsu-kun and Nakajima (I only re-read this manga because of them). They are the voice of common sense in this manga. Everything you want to scream at Hatori and Rita, Nakajima and Hiromitsu say for you. They are truly lovely characters. I won't say any more because of spoilers.

Another plus about this manga is the art. I think it's quite nice. The few times I did laugh while reading this was because of the art lol. Also, I can't deny that Rita is handsome. I mean, come on.

Obviously, you should read this manga for yourself because you might like it. However, I will not be surprised if you can't get to the end because of Hatori's dumbfounding hypocrisy. I'm serious, she's annoying lol. But good luck. x

First and foremost, there is one thing you should know: my score is a 5 for this manga.

Who should read this: People that love unrequited love mangas .

Who should avoid this: People that hate unrequited love stories, especially ones that get nowhere.

Story: Honestly, I've been seeing this manga everywhere for sometime now, and I was deciding on whether to read it or not. It's a shoujo manga and comedic, which makes it all the more better. But after reading about a few chapters, the plot really start to drag out. Just how long can this girl like her childhood friend for? Then shabam, an addition of a new hottie into the plot. Ok...starting to get somewhere, but nope, the girl is still thinking about her unrequited love. Honestly, at this point, I can't even tell who she's going to end up with (I don't know about you guys but I think with stories where you can tell who ends up with who makes the characters more 3 dimensional). So, since the plot got draggy and basically going nowhere, at many times just plunging the story back to square one, I've decided to drop it.

Art: I love the art. Yes, I had many bad things to say about the plot, but the art is so pretty (although at times, it can be scary? and maybe even disturbing? You will know what I mean when you read it)

Character: I dislike the heroine. She definitely has a snappy mouth and can stand up for herself when cornered by other girls but honestly she cannot stand up for herself when against, well, herself. She has so many conflicting feelings and has to very often rely on her best friend for help (like in every chapter...) Even though she's the main character, she's just so flat and 2D as a heroine, and that's part of the reason why I dropped this manga.

Her childhood friend is more 3 dimensional than her; he actually has a past that we the readers might actually relate to; so sometimes, I think, ahh so that's why he's doing this or that.

The secondary guy character that pops up in the heroine's life is another hottie that is liked by many girls in their school (what's new?). I honestly can't tell his true motives. Is he just playing around( then that makes him 2D as well) or does he actually like her (if he does, I can't tell).

Ok, this might've turned into a rant. But this is what I thought. If you hate a story that gets nowhere even after 9 chapters, then I suggest not reading this one. Good luck and happy reading!

what captivated me most about heroine shikkaku was probably the way the story is introduced. hatori is what you'd call a flawed heroine---and i was digging this entire vibe. i thought that okay, this is going to be one of those mangas where the clueless, selfish, and idiotic main character will change for the better, and find love along the way.

LOL NO

before i get into the bad parts of the manga, i wanna give props to the good ones first. the art is pretty, and the side characters are very likeable. in fact, even more likeable than the main characters. besides the point, i liked a certain part about hatori, no matter how much i trash talked her, lol. she's very honest, unlike the generic blushing and flustered shoujo manga leads. she says what's in her mind, acts like a normal person would do, and isn't sickeningly sweet to the point it's unrealistic. she keeps it real. also, the manga's funny af LMFAO. the many ways hatori tries to overthrow a certain relationship is so comical. you'd find that you'll enjoy the entire series, but the end kinda, you know, fucks it up for you.

[bad parts start here LMFAO]

noww i don't wanna sound like a shorewashed, generic shoujo manga reader and start throwing dirt on whoever hatori ended up with in the end. let's talk about hatori instead. straight to the point, this binch never flourished into a proper heroine, or even a likeable villain. she barely had any character development. sure, in the end, they worded the heroine pitch differently, but really, it's all sugarcoated justification of how a selfish heroine ended up getting things her way, leaving brokenhearted characters in the dust.

Without spoiling anything (I hope), I think this was a great manga with a LOT of potential - but was wasted away on a typical ending.

Contrary to other reviewers, I think the heroine's personality is a breath of fresh air. She is extremely painfully embarrassing at times, giving severe second hand embarrassment to the readers that might make you cringe but also laugh at the same time (her meeting with Hiromitsu, for example, is one of my favourite events in the manga.) She's not your typical, meek "I'll be happy as long as the one I love is happy too!" type in shoujo manga that I can admire but not sympathise with. Instead, she pushes for her goal over and over. However the mangaka's main fault is that Hatori never really grows from this. She pushes and pushes and she comes to an understanding, but does she mature? Does she develop, along with her love? No, she doesn't!

Additionally, I believe that a certain side character's sudden personality change and a certain character's interest in the heroine (or more than one) should have been developed a bit more. It all seemed very rushed and shelved in. I like Hatori's character, truly, but others' needed more work.

The art style is fairly cute. It's very shoujo-like, and while not my style, it portrays emotions well.

Story wise, it's the rushed last ten or so chapters that are really disappointing. I would much rather the mangaka had taken MORE time to develop the story and perhaps allow Hatori the chance to properly grow than to take the "safe route". As for the ending, I was sorely disappointed, but the last few pages where at least Hatori learns something, was nice.

Other than that, I think this is a manga worth experiencing - I've been told the live action is better if you wish to invest as little time as possible - purely because the premise is very different to your typical shoujo. Yet sadly, the manga eventually returns to the road oft-travelled.

You can just skip to the end if you want to.

Characters (I don't hate the heroine)

If you're like me the thing that's making you hesitate are the characters. You read this in the other reviews before "the main characters are so annoying and I hate them". I can see where their coming from but guess what. I don't actually hate the heroine. Feel free to double check that you read it correctly. I was very reluctant to give this manga a try because I heard such bad things about her but honestly I found her to be an interesting character. It's refreshing to see such a selfish character in a manga and I really liked her dynamic with Adachi (The girlfriend of the guy she likes). Interesting and ironic when your telling your rival your trying to steal her guy so stand up and fight back otherwise you will take him away. If there is anyone you should hate it is with no doubt Rita. I swear he repeatedly he keeps leading the girls on, cheating, and is so indecisive. I hate him more then I hate Makato (school days). Because at least school days know that their character is trash and he's meant to be. But Rita nooooo what are you talking about he was always a good guy. No he wasn't. And I hate this manga for even making him seem like that in the end. Like he can do no wrong and just plays hero. I don't blame the heroine when Rita is giving her such mixed signals and playing with her.

All in all the answers to your question
"is this worth a read ?"

My answer is if you like drama or feeling frustration. Yeah knock yourself out. A good well plot romance?? stay away. Far away.

It's worth a read if you want to see an interesting dynamic between the two rival girls and how they deal with each other. It's not sugar coated. It's not meant for sweet lovey dovey stuff. And that's why I liked it cuz it was a refreshing change from the shoujo I read. The characters don't have the whole "misunderstanding" nope the drama is meant to happen. created from the characters themselves. purposely. and their well aware of that.

"I still don't know if I should read it "
Read a couple chapters if you hate the characters that much you'll finish soon. If your still okay you might survive till the end.

I'm gonna say here the only regrets I have of reading this manga is the end. Probably the worst ending I ever read tbh. I would have actually not much to complain about and so would other people if the ending was different. And yes I did find the manga alright. And there were things I enjoyed. Otherwise I would not have let myself sit through torture reading it all. I hoped my review helped you.

I was reading a few reviews on this manga and a lot of people seem to not enjoy it but I really, really did.

If you're a person that really enjoys the complications of relationships and unrequited love, then this would definitely be a great manga to read. The character development for each character is awesome and not one of them are lacking. You totally see their growth throughout the manga. One problem I personally did not like with the manga (and I could understand some people a little bit) is that Hitoryi, the main character is over emotional and definitely cries a lot but she still does a lot of growing in it until the end.

I personally like the complexity of each relationship and their dynamics so I definitely enjoyed it.

Again however, if you aren't into main characters who have different personalities and are complex and overemotional, this might not be a good one for you. If you do enjoy it though, I'd definitely recommend it.

Lastly, the only 2 reasons I didn't give this manga a 10 is because it was a little tragic if you can sympathize with each character and I personally didn't want the outcome to be that way. Other than that it was great!