My first AniList review + English isn’t my first language + im nervous.. HELP

I don’t read that many manga (mostly romance stuff), but Fujiyama-san wa Shishunki really caught my eye. At first, it kind of bothered me, but I kept reading. After 33 chapters, I ended up dropping it, and a few good months passed.
Back when I first started it, I was in my second year of high school. I was single, had no crushes, and honestly didn’t believe I’d ever be in a relationship. Then came a little time skip in my life. I decided to get back into reading and pick up my manga list again. At that point, I had just started seeing a girl. We’ve been going out for four months now, and I’m actually planning to ask her to be my girlfriend.
And that changed EVERYTHING.

The manga picks up a lot in the final chapters. Kanba and Fujiyama’s relationship gets way more serious, with them putting their feelings into words and finally putting a label on things. And I couldn’t have related more. I mean... we couldn’t have. I saw so much of myself in the story because of what I’m experiencing with “my Fujiyama.” I even sent her some screenshots, like the one with the New Year’s cards. That moment reminded me so much of her.

The story follows Kanba and Fujiyama, two middle schoolers in their final years. It could’ve been just another cute romance, except Fujiyama is 180 cm tall (5'11") at only 14 years old. They’re both dealing with all the awkward and emotional chaos of puberty. Kanba’s friends are pretty much your typical bunch of horny middle schoolers trying to peek into the girls' locker room. One day, Kanba accidentally sees Fujiyama changing, which creates this weird tension between them. That’s where everything starts.

The pacing is slow (but not dragging it out for 300 chapters kind of slow), and honestly, it’s just such a chill read. If I had to describe this manga in one word, it’d be cozy. It’s so nice watching their relationship grow while they try to keep it a secret from their friends.
The boys at school always make fun of Fujiyama’s height, and yeah, Kanba joins in at first. BUUUT luckily, he slowly stops doing that. There’s a point where he genuinely starts caring about not hurting Fujiyama’s feelings or making her feel insecure. That’s super clear in the later chapters (where EVERYTHING goes down, lol).

Like when he stands up for her during the Kyoto trip after a classmate mocks her height. From there, they slowly stop hiding their relationship. Later on, they even say “I love you” in front of the whole class. People gossip a bit, but honestly? Who cares? They’re in love and they’re happy.
I think the real charm of this story is how innocent their love is. Their whole relationship feels so pure. Once again, I really saw myself in that. It’s the first relationship for both of them, and you can feel them figuring it out and getting used to each other. It starts off kind of awkward and nervous, but turns into something super calm and comforting.

I love how Ojiro handles all of that. Like the moments when Kanba climbs on something to be taller than Fujiyama whether it’s to joke about her height or so she can rest her head on his chest. It’s such a small thing, but honestly, so sweet and symbolic.
Maybe my love for this story came from the break I took. In that time, I ended up living something so similar to the main couple’s journey, and it honestly COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT.