Review: Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up

Manga

26 Sept

A funny romantic comedy about two high school nerds who went to a new school where they both had their “glow-up” debut.

Photo of the manga Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up 1 by Mitsuki Mii

When Shizuki was rejected by his heartthrob, he was not only left with a broken heart, but also became pretty-girl-phobic on top of it. He decides to opt for a fresh start: new school, new looks, new friends and a healthy portion of confidence as the icing on the cake. Shizuki selects a school where no one knows his secret former self, allowing him to start anew as a blank canvas. To avoid any incidents and not trigger his phobia, he strictly avoids having eye contact with all the popular girls… until one day, when the prettiest and most sought-after girl in school asks him for help!

The cute blonde turns out to be his dreadfully nerdy and totally unpopular former library “companion” with whom he never spoke a word. Not much has changed at least in that respect; fellow ex-outcast Kusunoki is still as shy and socially awkward as she used to be and only managed to upgrade her appearance, not her social skills – when it comes to looks she definitely reached max level. Unable to speak to her peers, she’s not able to put her looks to good use and begs none other than the seemingly confident Shizuki for help.

Shizuki however, wants to decline instantly. Not only does the cute Kusunoki challenge his deepest fears, but she also knows what an unpopular boy he used to be and could threaten his newly accomplished status. But due to Kusunoki’s clumsy cute demeanour, Shizuki gets roped into helping her overcome her social anxiety. From now on Shizuki has to navigate both his phobia and the extra level of attention he receives as he spends a lot of time with the school’s most popular girl…

My Reading Experience

I had a great time reading Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up. It’s funny, cute and features clumsy nerds who try to become popular kids – ever since I read Wotakoi, Love Is Hard For Otaku, “nerds trying to be normies” has become one of my favourite tropes. Apart from that, I also loved the art style. The drawings are pretty and the character’s emotions are nicely developed. A bit over the top, yes, but that makes it extra fun in my opinion.

Who Would Enjoy This Manga?

Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up is great for readers who enjoy a cute and funny rom-com with pretty artwork. Otakus and nerds who like the genre will be able to empathise with the former-ducklings-now-turned-swans and might enjoy it even more – at least I do, hehe! If you love Wotakoi, Love Is Hard For Otaku or Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, you will definitely have a great time with this manga.