Danica Davidson
August 9, 2021 
I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School is a delightfully warped romantic comedy. The main character, Unoki, acknowledges on the first page that he’s always been a wimp, and he’s bullied all the time. But, none of that prepared him for the ultra bully he has to deal with now, one that makes him shudder just to think about . . .
He sees that bully again, and it’s not some musclebound guy or towering giant full of menace. It’s a girl.
Her name is Toramaru. She’s the “top troublemaker” in school and “the boss.” She’s claimed him as her property, and he’s so feeble he just goes along with it, seeing her as a looming demon when others might just see her as a cute schoolgirl.
What he doesn’t realize is that she’s head-over-heels in love with him.
“What kind of grave do you prefer?” she’ll ask him. She’s thinking that they’ll be together forever, so they might as well set up their plans for how they’re laid to rest. It’s loving and romantic.
He hears “What kind of grave do you prefer?” and all he can think is that she’s going to kill him.
And so we have a comedy of errors, where neither can properly communicate with the other, and they both have misunderstandings. The trope of the dominant sexy female with the submissive male is known in manga, but the creator’s storytelling and art abilities keep it feeling fresh and fun. The humor is greatly done, bringing out plenty of laughs through the pages. It also ends with something of a cliffhanger, and while it has a few sweet moments, like when Unoki saves a cat, it’s mostly just plain zany and funny. Obviously being someone’s property and thinking you’re going to be killed would not be funny in real life, but this manga likes to go to those ridiculous extremes as a form of escapism and silliness. This is the kind of manga that can help a reader blow off steam or relax at the end of a day. The way it’s written has it aimed more for a male audience, but it’s enjoyable for anyone.
I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School will officially be released on August 17 from One Peace Books and is now available for preorder. It’s known as Pashiri na Boku to Koi-suru Bancho-san in Japanese and has been a hit over there.
Story & Art: Ui Kashima
Publisher: One Peace Books
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
