A new kind of twisted love comedy! New manga release reviewed by JC Hallows.

Corporate wage slave Takahashi has never had a girlfriend — until he tries out a dating app and finds what seems to be the perfect match. Pretty, young, and successful, Nanase’s got it all…except for sanity! In fact, Nanase’s had her eyes on Takahashi for a long time, and is willing to give him everything he wants, whether he likes it or not. A different kind of love comedy is about to unfold!

Nanase-san’s Crazy Love Obsession is a romantic comedy with a definitely eye-catching premise — the heroine of the story is more than a little unhinged. Their first date goes well…until Takahashi gets a look at her apartment filled with pictures of him, and she tells him she’s bought the apartment for the two of them! Nanase seems to have had her eye on Takahashi for longer than he realized, and even though he initially rejects her, circumstances push them back together.

Right off the bat, Nanase-san turns a lot of the typical romance tropes on their heads. In some ways Nanase almost seems to be Takahashi’s dream girl — rich, beautiful, and head-over-heels in love — but her stalker-like intensity and bizarre demands make her more like something out of a nightmare. Nanase’s is definitely a character who might even be the villain in a darker, more realistic story, so it should be quite interesting to find out more about her and how she ended up so overwhelmingly devoted to the protagonist, who by his own admission isn’t anything special. The art isn’t trying anything new, but it does what it’s supposed to and doesn’t get in the way of the story.

As a romance, the story going forward will likely focus on the developing relationship between Takahashi and Nanase, but there’s already the promise of an interesting cast of side characters. The main conflict of the story seems like it’s going to be Nanase and Takahashi’s clashing personalities, so it’ll be interesting to see how the various characters react to Nanase’s creepiness…and, for readers who like things on the steamier side, there’s also the definite promise of things heating up later on with Nanase’s absolute devotion (and the unusual “punishments” she dreams up for her not-quite-boyfriend).

All in all, this premise isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for a romantic comedy that runs well off the beaten path and features a heroine who is, as the title suggests, absolutely obsessed, this might be right up your alley.

Nanase-san’s Crazy Love Obsession is releasing January 8, on the Mangamo app on iOS and Android. The first 3 chapters are available to read for free.