Danica Davidson
February 20, 2024 
How I Met My Soulmate stars 20-year-old college student Yuuki, who is hoping to find her soulmate. Her friend drags her to a mixer, where Yuuki just ends up hanging around with a drunk guy, trying to help him feel better. Drunk as he is, he warns Yuuki that some guys out there are real creeps, so she ought to be careful.
After he’s sobered up, he feels really bad for what he put her through, and wants to apologize and make amends. When Yuuki goes to see the man, Iori, he looks different, which throws her off. She thought he was someone else in the crowd. He gives an explanation, but things still feel up in the air. Yuuki wants him to help her find a soulmate, so he starts being something of a matchmaker, and inadvertently gets her back on contact with Seno, a boy she had a crush on in middle school. Seno is back in the picture, but there are some questions about what kind of person he really is. Apparently he’s been saying and doing cruel things behind Yuuki’s back. Or is that all a misunderstanding? At the same time, Iori and Yuuki are growing closer. But can she fully trust either one? Iori seems like he’s the guy the readers should be rooting for, though he has some suspicious things about him, too.
How I Met My Soulmate takes on the common ground of shojo romance, but rather than being cliché, it breathes real life into the story. This is done through likable characters, attractive art, and a few plot twists. The whole manga feels charming, and it does a good job of ending on a cliffhanger. There are a number of places where it could go from here, and it already has passion and intrigue going on. Anashin, the mangaka, is also the creator of the manga Waiting for Spring, so any fans of that series ought to check this one out. How I Met My Soulmate would probably be the best fit with fans of shojo manga who want something a little different but not too different.
Story & Art: Anashin
Publisher: Kodansha USA
Translator: Sawa Matsueda Savage
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
