The World’s Greatest First Love by Shungiku Nakamura (Yaoi manga - missing volumes drama!)
If you like Yaoi (BL, or “boys love”) manga with Shojo vibes then I have just landed upon the perfect series for you. ‘The World’s Greatest First Love’ by Shungiku Nakamura published originally in Japan in 2008, with English release beginning in 2013. There are currently 15 volumes and from what I can tell the series is still ongoing.
This blog post has a long title, but this yaoi manga itself has a long as heck title too so this is what I’m working with. The word for word title is actually ‘The World’s Greatest First Love: The Case of Ritsu Onedera’. Just trips off the tongue, right?
Here’s the synopsis:
“When Ritsu Onodera changes jobs, looking for a fresh start, he's not exactly thrilled when his new boss turns out to be his old flame. Ritsu's determined to leave all that in the past - but how can he when his boss is just as determined that they have a future?
Tired of accusations that family connections got him his current position, Ritsu Onodera quits his job as an editor at his father's company and transfers to Marukawa Publishing. Once there, he is assigned to the shojo manga editorial department - something he has no interest in and no experience with! Having sworn he'd never fall in love again, the last thing he wants to do is work on love stories. To make matters worse, it turns out that his overbearing boss, Masamune Takano, is actually his first love from high school!”
Content warning: If you’re new to Yaoi then please do note that it does contain content that is mature, including images of male nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.
Uh, firstly, before I even get into my thoughts on this series… WHERE THE HECK ARE VOLUMES 4 & 5?
I have 1-3 and I can get 6 onwards, but voumes 4 and 5 literally do not exist in English. Not secondhand, not on eBay, not imported from the US. The publisher (Simon and Schuster seems to handle SUBlime titles in the UK) offers no solution either.
So my only option is to scour fan forums for the full synopsis for those volumes and skip ahead. It is what it is. But it’s also something to be aware of if you’re thinking about trying this series.
What do I like most about this series?
It’s meta. Ritsu Onedera works as an editor for a shojo manga publisher and there is a lot of insight into how that industry works. I love this kind of informational element, especially when it’s done in a cutesy kind of way (see: ‘Yuri!!! On ICE’). I also really enjoy that there is just enough emotional pull to keep me hooked, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Very much a “rom com”.
The relationship between Onedera and Tanako is quintessentially Yaoi too. It’s the style of dynamic you see time and time again, but why fix what isn’t broken?
Was there anything I didn’t like?
I mean, I’m only 3 books down, so I don’t have a full picture yet. But what I will say is that there is a tendancy towards sexual pressure in a lot of Yaoi titles, and I think that’s the same here. What I will say is that if you’re not familiar with this trope, or this idea that one of the engaged parties in a sexual act should at least pretend that they don’t want to be doing it, then this aspect might shock you.
Ask Google about it. But it does make consent a bit of a murky topic. No one feels like they have been taken advantage of, however, that’s very clear.
Overall
I haven’t been drawn into a manga series in this way for a long time. My all time favourite manga is ‘Fruits Basket’ by Natsuki Takaya and so everything gets held up to that high standard. ‘The World’s Greatest First Love’ has a similar vibe, and it’s drawn in the art style that I adore.
What can I say? I’m simping.
If you know the secret to getting your hands on those missing volumes then please do tell.
What’s your favourite manga? Drop me a message on IG!
Written by Sarah
