~ Introduction ~

Xian Jun Is an has already established herself as incredible GL manga author. Her previous and more popular work, "That Time I Was Blackmailed By the Class's Green Tea Bitch" is a true testament to both her writing and artistic skills. Following up an already amazing series is a truly momentous task. I believe Jun was not only able accomplish this, but exceed my expectations while doing so.

My Dearest Nemesis is one of the few series on this site that is not set in high school. It centers around two adult office workers, both of which are incredibly accomplished within their job. As someone who is an adult and didn't enjoy high school very much, This type setting is always a huge breath of fresh air for me. As the title suggests, This is a rivals to lovers type story, which is a setting I absolutely adore. However, while the setting is fun, what really matters is what is done with it.

~ Story ~
Honestly, there isn't too much to say about the story. It is pretty much just a regular romance, with a small bit of drama. However, regular old romances are something that are a lot more rare than you'd expect, so this one actually stands out. Pretty much every romance story I read has some kind of fantastical element to it, weather that be literal fantasy, or some kind of strange, elaborate drama plot. It's a real breath of fresh air to read just a great, no-bullshit romance every once in awhile. The story also excels in the fact that it is able to stay incredibly concise. The reason you don't see regular ol' romance that much anymore, is because they become pretty stale after a while. My Dearest Nemesis knows this, and ends before it can reach that point. However, when the story Isn't that noteworthy, It needs to rely on the characters.

~ Characters ~
As stated before the main characters of My Dearest Nemesis are rivals, long standing ones. From a very young age, Shen has been chasing Jiang, attempting to surpass her. What stems their rivalry is that, despite their competence at their job, both of them are severely lacking in social skills. Jiang is confident in a very self centered way, ignoring the existence of most people around her. She also just kind of says exactly what's on her mind, without considering what the other party may feel. On the other hand, Shen is very prone to anger and is not very good at admitting what she feels. These two differing, but similarly flawed characters work amazingly well together. This is what mainly contributes to these two having some of the best chemistry I have ever read. they were made for each other. Their similar lack of social experience is also what draws them together in such a compelling way. They are both pretty dysfunctional, but in a way that makes them perfect for each other.

~ Spoiler section ~
Despite Shen and Jiang both being a little socially dysfunctional, they are certainly not dysfunctional at being lesbians. These girls make progress SO QUICKLY, and are so incredibly in love it's adorable. One thing to note about this series, is that it is much more sexual than your average yuri manga. and the sexual content in this manga, honestly, makes me melt. It's not male-gazey at all, and feels so incredibly sweet, romantic, and cute. Another touch I love is that there is actual learning done within the intimacy. They aren't immediately perfect kissers without any prior practice, nor do they perform perfectly in bed without communicating. Intimate scenes done well are so incredibly rare to read, and in this series, they benifit it so much. I also love how this manga doesn't just end right after they get together, as they still have a lot to explore within their relationship. The one gripe I have with the ending was that the possible side couple never developed. It was looking to go in an S&M direction which I was all for, but the series ended before it got anywhere.
[Spoiler End]

~ Conclusion ~
This really is pretty much everything I want in a GL romance. Drama, but not so much that It becomes annoying. A good length, but not so long it grows stale. As stated before, I don't really get to read much pure romance stories, especially GL ones, so this one really hit exactly as it needed to. It accomplishes everything It tries to do, and I ended up actually enjoying it more than Green Tea Bitch. As always, take my rating with a grain of salt, as I am not very consistent with numbers, and change them a lot.

Score: 95