Photo: Kodansha
Writer/Artist: Nico Nicholson
Author: Jamil Stewart
Translator: Matt Traybaugh
Publisher: Kodansha USA
Publication date: November 28, 2023
Price: $12.99
Rating: 13+
Genre: Manga (JPN), Romance, School Life, Comedy
Review rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars (recommended)
If you’ve ever thought, “Being a new anime fan is easy,” I highly recommend Nico Nicholson’s My Lovesick Life as a 90s Geek. In this series, Megumi Sato, a 42-year-old divorced mother and secret otaku, takes us into the moments of unrequited love in high school.
Megumi can’t believe that anime and manga are now socially accepted. She begins to remember how, when she was a teenager, she desperately tried to hide the fact that she liked manga and anime. Megumi transfers to a new school and sees it as an opportunity to rebrand herself. She wants to make a good first impression, and her introduction surprised the class.
My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku, Kodansha
Thankfully, the class president, Masamune Kaji, calmed the tension and spoke to me first. While talking with her classmates, she begins to wonder if anyone will accept her for who she really is. She hides her interests now because she doesn’t want to be left out for being a nerd like she was at her previous school.
After showing her around the school, her classmates take her to Masamune’s basketball practice. She couldn’t help but notice that he looked like Rukawa from Slam Dunk with his hair down. He offered to take her to the bus stop after practice, but fans were furious. On her way to the station, Megumi can’t help but create a scenario in her head.
My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku, Kodansha
The two start a conversation, and Megumi thinks that she might be able to have a normal high school romance without having to hide the fact that she’s an otaku. She asks him what he thinks about nerds, and he gives her an answer that dashes her hopes. “I despise them.”
Megumi desperately reads the girls’ manga she finds in search of advice, but the heroine realizes that she won’t get her happy ending unless she makes an effort. Even though Masamune despises otakus, he doesn’t know that she is an otaku. All she had to do was hide that part of herself, it should be easy enough, right?
Anime trends and girl metaphors
In recent years, anime and manga have become increasingly popular. Gone are the days when anime fans had to watch their favorite shows in multiple episodes on YouTube. Anime has gradually become popular and is now represented in various industries.
There have also been many collaborations with fashion brands, such as “Dolce & Gabbana x Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon.” In 2023, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets announced their season schedule using the ending credits animation from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 as a template. Award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion also incorporates anime references and animation into her latest music video. Her latest release is a music video for Neva Play, a collaboration with BTS’s RM (Kim Namjoon) that combines animations of her and RM with live-action shots of Megan. RM’s outfit also seems to be inspired by the spikes from Cowboy Bebop.
Photo includes: Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon, Dolce & Gabbana x Jujutsu Kaisen, NBA Denver Nuggets 2023 Season Schedule Promotion, Megan Thee Stallion feat. BTS’ RM in Neva Play music video
Megumi, who was bullied for liking anime and manga, can’t understand how popular her otaku hobbies have become. As a 90’s geek, I enjoyed the way My Lovesick Life highlighted how dramatically different being a 90’s fan was compared to today.
Megumi being an otaku was the perfect way to poke fun at a common trope in love stories. Throughout the volume, there are moments when Megumi and Masamune are magically alone, and each time Megumi points out how similar her situation is to scenes in girls’ manga.
My Lovesick Life as a 90s Otaku, Kodansha
A situation like this can be the perfect springboard for a great romance, but there’s no denying that the fabricated moments can seem a little cheesy at first. My lovesick life as a 90’s otaku leans into these moments, and it was interesting to see Megumi’s internal panic being forced against Masamune by such a force.
Volume 1 was a great start to this series. I’m interested to see if Megumi stays true to herself and ultimately shares her otaku interests with Masamune and her classmates. I was also grateful that Megumi is 42 years old. Many of today’s romance stories focus on high school and college romances, so it was a nice change of pace to see older characters.
It will be interesting to see if there will be any progress in her love life as an adult. Megumi says that now that she is a divorced adult, it is not easy to love as freely as she did when she was a teenager. Her daughter encourages her to find love, so I can’t wait to see what it’s like for her to fall in love as an adult.
Kodansha USA currently has volumes 1 through 4 available in print and digital editions for $12.99 (print) or $7.99 (digital). If you’re looking for some 90’s nostalgia, check out My Lovesick Life as a 90’s Geek. If you have already read this series, what do you think? Comment below!
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