Warning: The following contains spoilers for You And I Are Polar Opposites!!
Summary
This should be especially exciting for veteran romance manga readers, sinceYou And I Are Polar Oppositesbreaks almost every big shojo and shonen romance trope in the first chapter and subsequent installments immediately thereafter. Miyu Suzuki, who’s afflicted with a condition that seems to plague most high schoolers in shojo by being incapable of confessing to the boy she likes,surprisingly summons up the courage by the end of the first chapter.
Her love interest, Yusuke Tani, breaks all the stereotypes that are associated with quiet, awkward types like himself during the same brief time frame. He not only accepts Miyu’s advances but makes the first move, which is what helps Miyu take the plunge. Moreover, that first move is quite massivesince it involves taking the initiative by holding her hand.
You And I Are Polar Opposites Features a Couple That Communicates
Created by Kocha Agasawa
Incredibly, that sudden instance of hand-holding was not only unexpected for obvious reasons, but because the scene had been focused on Miyu struggling with whethershewould hold Yusuke’s hand. In most cases, the build up would have lasted much longer and possibly even been derailed to prolong the suspense until a later chapter. However, this never happened. Except for some random comments, the manga gave no hints that suggested Yusuke had feelings for Miyu before that moment. These aforementioned random comments only implied that, instead of not liking her outright as Miyu’s friends suspected, he was just pleasantly indifferent.
While a stunning upset of so many norms for any first chapter,You And I Are Polar Oppositesquickly adopts an innovative formula that persists for numerous chapters wherein the manga almost immediately solves all forms of potential conflict that are introduced at the beginning of each installment.
These developments come as part of another type of dynamic that is almost unheard of in any romance series. Suzuki and Tani actually communicate with each other and say exactly what’s on their minds. Almost every problem in shojo and shonen romances is caused by mutual misunderstanding that could have actually been rectified if the couple weren’t lacking in communication.
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Many of these potential forms of conflict are based on other established tropes, such as the ostracized boy avoiding his popular girlfriend in school because he’s under the assumption that being seen with her could ruin her social standing when, in truth, she doesn’t care and just wants to be with him. So, when they solve these issues by actually communicating, the subversion is even more pronounced. Understandably, either an overall lack or quick resolution of any form of major conflict could definitely negatively impact reader enjoyment, but, rather appropriately, it’s how drasticallythe series stays true to its name by portrayingthem as polar opposites that makes up for the lack of conflict.
You And I Are Polar Oppositesalso begins exploring friendships within these first six chapters. This is one ofromance anime’s most overlooked strengths; inYou And I Are Polar Opposites, the first character who receives this treatment is Taina, and his contribution to this trope is more based on his own internal reactions to Suzuki and Tani’s unconventional relationship as he interacts with them and the other friends within their social circle. The journey that he experiences causes Taina towrestle with his own biases before coming to a stunning realization about himself and the relationship between Suzuki and Tani.
The Protagonist Is A Lot Like The Most Iconic and Beloved Heroes of Action Shonen
Interestingly, You And I Are Polar Opposites plays with a variety of character tropes
Additionally,You And I Are Polar Oppositesgives a humorous call-out to shonen manga in chapter #2 despite being part of that demographic, which might hint at why the series made it onto the Shonen Jump app. The determination and resolve that Suzuki embraces to become the strongest girlfriend causes her friends to note that she shouldn’t try so hard to be “extra shonen”.
Although there are many romances targeted at the shonen demographic, romance is usually attributed toshojo and joseifor obvious reasons, which is what the aforementioned scene hints at, so it’s possible that Suzuki’s over-the-top personality that seems to match those of the most well-known and beloved heroes in action shonen helped get it added to the Shonen Jump app.
Even though Shueisha created MANGA Plus to expand its audience, past precedent indicates that such series that get added to theShonen Jumpapp increases the likelihood that they could receive an anime adaptation. While this is good news for fans ofYou And I Are Polar Opposites, it’s also a clear indication of the fact that, even though there are romances for shonen readers, there’s a massive appeal for characters who espouse the personas of action shonen heroes, and hopefully this will get more readers intoYou And I Are Polar Oppositesother than the fact that it istaking shojo and josei tropes head on.
