”Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki” is a work that should be talked about as a new classic of shojo manga. The story's protagonist, Yoi Takiguchi, is beautiful, gallant, and adored by the girls around her like a prince. It’s not that she enjoys it; she simply naturally appears that way. However, her ordinary daily life is greatly shaken by a chance encounter with an upperclassman, Kohaku Ichimura. ”You're incredibly beautiful” — those words represented a gaze that, for the first time, looked at her as a ”girl” rather than the prince everyone else perceived her to be. This story depicts a girl searching for her true self beyond the confines of her role, encountering love and growing not as ”the self for others,” but as her ”true self.”

Both Yoi and Kohaku are referred to as ”princes,” but their true natures are completely different. Yoi consciously keeps her distance from others, while Kohaku attracts people unconsciously. The process of these two meeting, getting to know each other, and developing romantic feelings is by no means flashy. However, each interaction is handled so carefully that it wraps the reader in a gentle, warm feeling. The way Kohaku looks at and speaks to Yoi exudes ”respect” even more than romantic interest, which I felt was a particularly sincere depiction for a shojo manga. The way Yoi is bewildered by being treated as a ”girl” for the first time and begins to re-examine her own feelings is charming, portrayed with both delicacy and strength.

What makes this work stand out is that it doesn't stop at being just a romance; it naturally touches upon gender perspectives and the imposition of social roles. Because the two protagonists don’t fit into the ”molds” of ”girls should be cute” or ”boys should be reliable,” their romance and friendships all resonate with realism. Many readers will surely empathize with Yoi as she re-evaluates their relationship, feeling perplexed after Kohaku suggests, ”Shall we try dating as a test?” Furthermore, the process of their love becoming real is depicted with genuine conflict and sincere engagement. It is a story that feels as though it contains all of youth—glamorous yet unstable, straightforward yet delicate.