This series was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025, and volume 1 did not disappoint!
Chapter 1
High school Freshman Otogi Katsura’s life revolves around the mask she shows to the world. She considers herself a great actress in this regard and is proud to be known as her school’s Madonna. As the class president, she is idolized by those around her. Beside her is the also seemingly perfect vice president, Toki Ninomae.
Toki is so gentlemanly that even Otogi finds herself charmed by him. (Typically, the school’s Madonna doesn’t give other boys the time of day.)
Otogi meets with an unnamed friend at a cafe and tells her friend all about Toki, or as she likes to call Ikkoku. (Otogi read the Kanji of his name wrong when she first met Toki and now uses it as a sort of nickname that only she knows.) When Otogi says that Toki would make an ideal first boyfriend, her friend comments that Otogi has finally met her match since Toki hasn’t fallen for her yet.
Knowing that her angelic personality is a facade, Otogi begins to suspect that Toki may also have another side to him. Otogi begins trying to observe him to see if he lets his mask slip, but Toki seems practically perfect in every way, and Otogi quickly gives up on her hypothesis.
One day, Otogi is caught off guard by cramps. (Bless this manga for acknowledging the fact that periods exist and are infinitely annoying.) The prince, known as Toki, is kind and observant enough to notice that she’s in pain and takes her to the nurse’s office. Toki even stays by her side as she falls asleep. Otogi feels terrible for ever having doubted how genuine he is. After leaving the nurse’s office, the two decide to head home.
While waiting for the train, a creep with nothing better to do starts hitting on Otogi. Our heroine is itching to tell him to get lost, but she doesn’t want to lose her cool in front of Toki.
Since Otogi doesn’t immediately respond, the McCreeperson and his friends continue talking about her as if she isn’t sitting there. Before Otogi can think of an angelic facade-level answer, Toki intervenes and asks the boys to stop bothering Otogi. They immediately start teasing him, saying he looks like a girl with his long hair. Toki keeps his cool against the wannabe thugs even when they throw some pretty strong foul language his way. Otogi decides she won’t put up with this nonsense anymore and lets the boys have a taste of her true personality.
The creeps are taken aback when they realize the only thing stronger than Otogi’s face card is her mouth. Toki, much to Otogi’s surprise, is impressed. Toki shows his true colors and tells the losers to scram because they are out of their league.
Otogi is surprised to discover that Toki is so cool ice is jealous of him. Toki is pleasantly surprised that Otogi has another side to her and doesn’t mind if his cover is blown as long as it’s their little secret. Otogi has a slight crisis as she realizes she might like bad boy Toki even more than his angelic facade.
Chapter 2
The school’s Madonna, A.K.A. Otogi, is having a hard time with the fact that Toki has another side to him, which she has now dubbed “Dark Ikkoku.” (Instantly reminded me of “Dark Haru” from Fruits Basket.)
The following day at school, Otogi can’t keep her eyes off Toki as she waits to see if he slips up and reveals “Dark Ikkoku.” When Toki asks to speak to her alone, Otogi thinks that it is to discuss what happened after school yesterday but is surprised to discover that a student has come to them for help.
A classmate (Mori-san) reveals that their lit teacher, Seki-sensei, has begun making her feel uncomfortable ever since she turned in some homework late. At first, she didn’t think much of his request to help clean up after school, but soon, it turned into multiple requests, and she felt pressured to give him her number. Seeing their classmate in such distress, Otogi and Toki know they must do something about the situation. Otogi gives slimeball-sensei the stare-down during their next class with him, and Toki insists that she let him handle it.
Toki surprises Otogi when he asks the teacher straight out if he has an inappropriate relationship with their classmate Mori-san. The teacher immediately denies any wrongdoing, and Toki seemingly leaves things as is. Upset by Toki’s inaction, Otogi decides she’ll just have to take matters into her own hands. (Honestly, Otogi should know better than to doubt him. Toki is for the girls.) Otogi doesn’t tell Toki she intends to formulate her own plan. Before they part for the day, Toki makes it known that he is well aware that Otogi has been peeping at him all day. Dark Ikkoku is in the building.
Otogi lays a trap for slimeball-sensei and asks him to meet her at the park. At first, Otogi thinks she has everything under control but is creeped out when Sensei hugs her too enthusiastically.
Toki arrives in the nick of time. He takes a picture of the overly enthusiastic embrace and reveals that he has more evidence against the teacher. The supposedly casual conversation he had with the teacher? It was so Toki could bug the room and be aware of every inappropriate thing the teacher said out loud. Toki tells the teacher that his career is over with the mountain of evidence against him. When the teacher tries to threaten Toki, he tells him to get a life.
Otogi’s crush grows stronger after she witnesses this display of bravery from Toki. Toki offers to hug Otogi to help her forget slimeball-sensei’s hug, but she declines, acting tough by treating Toki to a death glare.
Chapter 3
Otogi isn’t feeling quite like herself. The only thing wrong with her is lovesickness. She’ll survive. While leaving school one afternoon, Otogi finds a note from Toki in her shoe locker. He invites her to meet him for tea on Saturday. Otogi’s heart goes into overdrive as she contemplates whether or not this is a date. She e-mailed Toki, agreeing to meet him at a cafe. She berates herself for responding to his invitation so quickly.
Otogi is surprised to learn that Toki often helps a childhood friend whom he treats as an older brother at the cafe he owns. Toki idolizes Gen-san to the point where he copied the undercut hairstyle Gen-san sported in his youth.
Otogi finds Toki and Gen-san’s closeness adorable. She and Gen-san start chatting, and Gen-san reveals how happy he was that Toki wanted him to meet Otogi. Toki told Gen-san that he’s able to be himself with Otogi.
Gen-san is about to spill the tea about whether or not Toki thinks of Otogi as his girlfriend, but Toki stops him. (Boo.)
Everyone had a good time at the cafe, and Toki reassured her that Otogi was welcome back anytime. Each kind word from Toki is another of Cupid’s arrows in Otogi’s heart. Toki walks Otogi part of the way home and shields her when he sees students from their school nearby.
As Otogi and Toki say goodbye, Otogi realizes she’s falling hard for Toki. What’s a girl to do?
Chapter 4
Otogi feels awkward and shy when she runs into Toki on the train to school. She tries to avoid him, but Beni, her previously unnamed bestie, sneezes loud enough to wake the dead, and she says hello to Toki. Toki chuckles in response. When they arrive at school, Otogi and her classmates have an impromptu cake party because Otogi’s fan club brought her a ton of sweets. They invite Toki to join them, and they all fall for his princely facade.
Toki and Otogi leave the classroom together when they are approached by a classmate who introduces himself and permits Otogi to call him by his first name, Nene-kun. Otogi is surprised by his friendliness and is thrown for a loop when he suddenly asks her if she likes Toki.
For a moment, Otogi is nervous, trying to think of the motive behind Nene-kun’s question. When she answers Nene-kun by saying she respects Toki, he seems innocent enough when Nene-kun says she is the first person not to gush about how much she loves Toki. Otogi thinks Nene-kun may be just an innocent idiot.
Nene-kun seems to be a Toki fanboy and only stops gushing about Toki when his twin brother, Nono, drags him away. Toki reappears after slipping away during Nene-kun’s happy exchange with Otogi. The presidential duo stopped to chat after running a quick errand for a teacher. Toki reveals that Nene-kun has been following him around lately and is a bit of a nuisance. Otogi says good luck getting rid of him, Toki, because Nene-kun thinks you’re perfect. Toki jokingly asks if Otogi believes he’s perfect too, but she confidently says she is the most perfect being. Otogi’s response shook Toki to the core for a moment.
Toki let’s Otogi have her moment while she sings her own praises before he chuckles and admits that she is pretty amazing. He says that the two sides of her personality make her interesting, and it’s one of the things he likes about her. Before Otogi and Toki part ways for the day, Otogi calls out to him by calling him “Ikkoku” out loud, her secret nickname for him. It wasn’t Otogi’s intention to call him Ikkoku, but she wanted to get his attention quickly so no one would notice the undercut in his hair.
Toki thanks her and then asks her who is Ikkoku.? Is it his nickname? Otogi admits that is her nickname for him, and he permits Otogi to call him that when they’re alone. Otogi responds by saying, “See you tomorrow, Ikkoku. When Toki responds, Otogi’s heart melts. Our girl’s got it bad.
Impressions: Absolute 10/10 I haven’t been this enamored with volume 1 of a series in years. Otogi is a breath of fresh air as a protagonist. The series gives definite Kare Kano vibes. I really like Toki too. He could easily be the long-haired love interest in an otome game. I really love the art style as well. Mangaka Coco Uzuki is definitely one to watch. I would recommend the series for readers fourteen and up based on some of the strong language in chapter one. Also, the teacher’s actions. in chapter two may be triggering for some readers. Although nothing graphic was said or shown. I can’t wait for volume two!
