Yumiko & Hajime
Love Roma is a screwball Romantic Comedy by Minoru Toyoda, which follows Hajime Hoshino and Yumiko Negishi. The series starts off the bat with Hoshino confessing his love to Negishi. It turns into one big awkward moment and only gets more so. This turns out to be the first time they have ever really talked, Negi claims she does not even know his name.
The series progresses as they grow closer and get into a very comfortable and equally awkward relationship. They meet many side characters and have rivals in their romance, a few fights and a few make ups. The series is Slice of Life on Japanese school children and some what a Coming of Age Story for both the protagonists. The story has a very sitcom, "doing nothing" feel but is rarely boring. The wide cast of misfits provides constant entertainment because honestly, the next one is crazier than the last, and that's saying something for this series.
Love Roma started as a published one shot, and evolved into a manga series that was serialized in the seinen magazine Afternoon from 2003 to 2005. The chapters were compiled into five volumes.
This series contains examples of:
- All Men Are Perverts: Even Hoshino. Even The Stoic Tsukahara.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Negi's younger brother has few scenes but does fufill this role.
- Art Evolution: The character designs in the first chapter are notably different from subsequent ones, less stylised and slightly more realistic.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: The readers basic reaction to the end of every chapter
- Beach Episode: In universe too. Negi wants to got to the beach with Hoshino, but there are road blocks...
- Becoming the Mask: Played for Laughs when Yoko takes the role of the red queen way too seriously.
- Beta Couple: Tsukuhara and Yoko.
- Bishie Sparkle: When ever Ryou-chan has a fantasy.
- Bittersweet Ending: Hoshino leaves for college in America, but Negi agrees to wait for him, and it even hints that she may join him overseas.
- Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Lampshaded to death and back.Hoshino: "We make a good couple, we're like comedians, I'm Tsukkomi and you're Boke".
- He's not Tsukkomi, and she is not Boke... Decidedly not.
- Brutal Honesty: Hoshino never learns, does he?
- Cherry Blossoms
- Chivalrous Pervert: Hoshino will admit whenever he has dirty thoughts, often resulting in a Dope Slap.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Everyone, but most notably, Hoshino's mom.
- Cool Big Sis: Rei-chan to Hoshino, she plays it to a T.
- Costume Porn: Negishi's wedding dress.
- Deadpan Snarker: Everyone gets their moments, but Yoko and Tsukahara own this like no ones business.
- Defrosting the Ice Queen: Yoko has her moments, especially with Tsukahara, but most attempts to defrost her do not end well.
- The Ditz: Hoshino's Mom... dear god... Hoshino's Mom...shudder...
- Dope Slap: Negi pulls at least a dozen per chapter on Hoshino.
- Dysfunctional Family: Hoshino's Family has some problems. Hilarious problems... but still...
- Emotionless Girl: Yoko, the only smile she ever shows is not reassuring...
- Flower Motifs: Yoko pulls this during her Bishie Sparkle.
- Garage Band: All those secondary characters with little screen time? They have a band!
- Fortune Teller: Wada, who did you think?
- Green-Eyed Monster: If anyone hits on Hoshino or Negi, their other half will mess you UP.
- Improv: In-universe, during the school play, Hoshino saves Negi from a Concert Kiss she really doesn't want.
- The Ingenue: Both Negi and Hoshino.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Tsukahara is a Jerkass the whole series, but in a Flashback, (twice) it's shown he really cares for Hoshino.
- Lady Drunk: Negi of all people.
- Lethal Chef: Negi. At one point she describes her cooking as "evil".Hoshino: Negishi-chan's cooking... brings back bad memories..."
- Like an Old Married Couple: They literally get into an argument on if they argue or not.
- Loveable Sex Maniac: Yoshitsune.
- Love Confession: The first panel of the entire series no less.Hoshino: "Negishi-san I like you, will you go out with me?"
- Again with Negishi:"Hoshino-san I like you, will you go out with me?".
- Again with Ryou-chan to Hoshino.
- Love Letter Lunacy: It's how Ryou-chan is introduced.
- Love Triangle: a couple, but all get resolved because Hoshino and Negi love each other...
- Luminescent Blush: A lot of this.
- Mistaken for Gay: Maki when he delivers Ryou's love letter.
- Nosebleed: A rare female example.Ryou-chan: "This is the happiest day of my life! I almost had a nosebleed!"
- Not So Above It All: Negi sometimes 'causes' the zany schemes.
- Oblivious to Love: Ryou to Maki which makes you feel kinda bad for
him - Odd Couple: The whole premise of the series.
- Odd Friendship: Both the main characters have a friend who is a Deadpan Snarker which seems odd with their world views.
- Only Sane Man: Negi is the only one who doesn't willingly go with all of their crazy plans.
- Oral Fixation: Yoko usually has something in her mouth, whether it's a lollipop, the straw from a juice box, or something else.
- Pet the Dog: First chapter, they feed a stray cat.
- Phony Psychic: Wada, although they never say if she is for real, but this is realistic fiction, so most likely no.
- Quirky Household: Both Negi and Hoshino have these, but Hoshino definitely wins.
- Rule of Funny: All of the plots.
- Seemingly-Wholesome '50s Girl: Negi drifts into this, although it may not be an 'American' fifties girl.
- Slapstick: One wonders how Hoshino hasn't died yet. also the various crashes he has on bikes.
- Spooky Photographs: However we never get a clear look because Negi tears it up in defiance.
- Stalker with a Crush: Ryou delves in this a bit, she starts riding the same bus as Hoshino to watch if they break up.
- Their First Time: Hoshino and Negi, it is as awkward as you'd expect from this series, but none the less sweet.
- Tragic Dream: Ryou. Her one sided affection costs her the love of Maki
- He still hasn't given up.
- Unfinished Business: The library ghost returns at 7:07:07 every night to find her lost belongings.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Averted. They spend a really long time talking about Their First Time and it actually goes to plan... ish...
- Their first Christmas together didn't end up as they planned, unless caring for your hallucinating boyfriend was part of Negi's plan.
- Negi's plan when thought out plan for visiting Hoshiro's family goes so badly you won't even believe...
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: HE PROPOSED FROM F***ING OUTTER SPACE! that sets the bar pretty high for every one else...
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Hoshino. He wants to be an astronaut!
- White Elephant: The giraffe...
- Zany Scheme Chicken: Whenever Hoshino or Negi mentions something at the beginning of the chapter, you can bet Yoko will turn it into a huge messy convoluted scheme that spans the entire chapter.
