Viz Media’s been pretty good about picking up Ai Yazawa manga series following Nana, such as Neighborhood Story, and I’m No Angel is the latest one. It’s also one of the more obscure ones in her catalog. After all, someone who did read Paradise Kiss would already have known about the series following Miwako’s older sister Mikako. Fortunately, while this one might be new to people, it’s a shojo manga series that features many Yazawa manga hallmarks and is quite easy to get absorbed in as a result.
Editor’s Note: There will be no spoilers for the Ai Yazawa manga series I’m No Angel below.
I’m No Angel starts with Midori beginning at a new school and being head over heels for Akira. He is the sort of guy who looks like a delinquent, due to his appearance, stoic demeanor, and the fact he rides a motorcycle, but he’s a genuinely kind and caring person. So much so that people want him to run for the student council. Midori, who is also another popular individual, uses the opportunity to get closer to him and know him. What follows is seeing what her life becomes like as she gets to know who he truly is and connect with him.
The character of Midori herself is one of the reasons why this feels so much like other Ai Yazawa works. She isn’t a stereotypical shojo heroine. I mean, in some ways she is. She’s well-liked and popular. So much so that she does end up winning a student council seat. Plus she has the whole plucky ambition that can sometimes be common with these leads. But she’s also very imperfect and flawed in certain ways. She gets really insecure somewhat easily. In particular, when she realizes there’s someone named Hiroko in Akira’s life. She also is an emotional sort of person. This can result in her doing something like climbing the wall of a bathroom stall to get the person hiding inside out or being so caught up in emotions about a situation she’s not even certain about that she’ll start crying in the middle of class. It means she’s comes across as a realistic, multifaceted heroine who does feel like an actual high school student.
Like many shojo manga series, I’m No Angel also features complicated relationship dynamics. Except like other Ai Yazawa stories, they are more intricate and involved than the typical “will they or won’t they.” Midori and Akira’s stem from being a crush, wanting to get closer, and then the sorts of insecurities and pitfalls that come from being young, inexperienced, and even selfish as you deal with your first real relationship. We also see situations like complicated family lives, which comes up with Akira and a member of his family. Complications between friendships, such as one person having feelings and perhaps another not, is another one. I’m being purposely vague to avoid spoilers, but there’s a lot going on and it isn’t coming down to tropes like “well, this newly introduced individual is now going to try and split the main couple up.”
Another way in which I’m No Angel feels like other Ai Yazawa manga series is that the priority isn’t just the relationship between the two leads. Yes, Midori, her crush on Akira, and what is obviously going to turn into a relationship between the two of them is the primary dynamic. However, we also have the other student council members. The relationship between Mamiya and Takigawa becomes another focal point. Especially toward the end of this first volume. So are the relationships between the two Hirokos in Akira’s life, with one of them the cause of issues in his relationship with Midori.
Essentially, people who already enjoy Ai Yazawa manga series will find I’m No Angel features all of the relationship dynamics and character development that are draws in other stories. The heroine feels realistic and well-rounded. The relationship between her and the male lead is complex and not exactly straightforward. Also, while this is a story about Midori and Akira possibly ending up together, it’s also about romantic and platonic relationships between other cast members too.
The first volume of I’m No Angel is available now, and Viz Media will release volume two of the Ai Yazawa on September 1, 2026.
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